Month: October 2021

Africa, Animals, Eco, PoliticsLeave a comment

A question of bias: Trophy hunting is a contentious industry and shaping research to get a desired outcome doesn’t help

Fernando Kaskais

 A visitor walks past a rifle brand advert during the annual Huntex held in Johannesburg, South Africa, 25 April 2019. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Kim Ludbrook) By Don Pinnock Follow In the complex and urgent crises of climate change, biodiversity collapse and pandemics, it makes good sense to heed science and specialists. But what happens when scientists intentionally load the dice? The inquiry explored below began after a simple question by the editor of the highly respected journal Science to five researchers who submitted a letter opposing import bans on trophy hunting. Could they, asked the editor, declare any potential conflict of interests? It turned … Continue reading A question of bias: Trophy hunting is a contentious industry and shaping research to get a desired outcome doesn’t help

Curiositys, Hypocrisy, Living, PsychologyLeave a comment

How To Instantly Tell If Someone Is Lying To You

Fernando Kaskais

Photo: Halay Alex / Shutterstock by Doren Weinstein Expert Have you ever thought that someone was a liar? Well, you might be right — that is, if you pay close attention to a few things, including their facial expressions, body language, what they say, and even their tone of voice. Hearing a white lie here or there is one thing, but being lied to on a regular basis is extremely frustrating and hurtful. It’s even worse when you had no idea you were being lied to. That’s why knowing how to tell if someone is lying is crucial, particularly if you think the … Continue reading How To Instantly Tell If Someone Is Lying To You

Animals, Curiositys, Health, Media&CultureLeave a comment

How Long Can You Leave a Dog Alone? The Answer Might Surprise You

Fernando Kaskais

Por  Sarah Ashley We know you don’t take pleasure in leaving your dog home alone. But sometimes it has to be done (ever heard of something called work?). If you must head out sans dog, the general consensus is not to leave your dog alone for more than four hours. This time varies depending on your dog’s age, health, behavior and temperament. A puppy who still needs to be potty trained and a senior dog who snoozes most of the afternoon require very different schedules. Read on to learn more about the factors affecting how long you can leave your dog … Continue reading How Long Can You Leave a Dog Alone? The Answer Might Surprise You

Curiositys, Manipulation, Media&Culture, PsychologyLeave a comment

Fear not

Fernando Kaskais

You might think that horror movies are a delicious, trashy pleasure. But watching them has surprisingly wholesome effects Mathias Clasen is associate professor of literature and media and director of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark. He has written many articles and books on horror, including Why Horror Seduces (2017) and A Very Nervous Person’s Guide to Horror Movies (2021). Edited byChristian Jarrett I’m a full-time horror researcher with my own lab. I read Stephen King novels at bedtime, watch slasher movies on the weekends, and play survival horror video games whenever I have a spare moment. But it wasn’t always like that. … Continue reading Fear not

Freak Religion, Matrix, Media&Culture, Philosophy, TechnologyLeave a comment

Tales Of Technology And Faith

Fernando Kaskais

Sci-fi enables us to think about science and religion as mutually supportive elements of what it means to be human. BY AMANDA REES – Amanda Rees is a historian of science at the University of York. In 1948, L. Ron Hubbard is reported to have said, “You don’t get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.” Two years later, he did just that. His short story, “Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science,” which appeared in the May 1950 issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine, laid the foundation of what evolved into the globally significant (and … Continue reading Tales Of Technology And Faith

Buddhism, Health, Philosophy, PsychologyLeave a comment

Contemplate the Body, Free the Mind

Fernando Kaskais

A challenging teaching on letting go of attachment to the body By Phra Ajaan Suwat Suvaco When meditators’ minds have reached genuine happiness in the dhamma through their mindfulness and discernment, clearly seeing the four noble truths, none of them—not one—will revert to looking for happiness in the world or in material things. That’s because happiness in the dhamma is a lasting happiness: solid, refined, and genuinely pure. If you compare worldly happiness with the happiness of the dhamma, you’ll see that there’s not even the least real happiness to it. It offers nothing but stress, nothing but drawbacks. So why … Continue reading Contemplate the Body, Free the Mind

Curiositys, Globalization, Media&Culture, PhilosophyLeave a comment

The unknown linguistic laws that apply to all life

Fernando Kaskais

Linguistic laws are remarkably versatile and have applications in ecology, microbiology, epidemiology, demographics, and geography. KEY TAKEAWAYS There are various laws of linguistics, such as common words being shorter than less common words.  These laws apply not only to human language but communication among animals, as well.  Most amazing, though, is that these rules appear just about everywhere, from species distribution and size to disease outbreaks to the structure of proteins. by Jonny Thomson Linguists have known for quite some time that certain “laws” seem to govern human speech. For instance, across languages, shorter words tend to be more frequently … Continue reading The unknown linguistic laws that apply to all life

Media&Culture, Philosophy, Psychology, ScienceLeave a comment

The Ten Equations That Rule the World: And How You Can Use Them Too

Fernando Kaskais

by David Sumpter David Sumpter is Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Uppsala, Sweden, and the author of Soccermatics and Outnumbered. His scientific research ranges from ecology and biology to political science and sociology, and he has been an international consultant in government, artificial intelligence, sports, gambling, and finance. 1. Every problem can be broken down into three components: data, model, and nonsense. Data is what you observe—it is your social media feed, your friends’ behavior, the things your colleagues at work do and say. Data doesn’t have to be numbers, and it can be subjective, but it has to come … Continue reading The Ten Equations That Rule the World: And How You Can Use Them Too

Big Food, Freak U.S.A, Future, Manipulation, Money, PoliticsLeave a comment

BILL GATES AND THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF FOOD SECURITY

Fernando Kaskais

Dustin Broadbery, The Cogent Waking Times As we approach a winter of discontent and global food systems go from bad to worse, there’s trouble in paradise. At the root of these problems, government responses to COVID-19 have contributed to a six-fold increase in famine-like conditions as global supply chains collapse, and field trials for gene-edited crops and farm animals begin in the UK. Against this perfect storm, the UN’s World Food Systems Summit convened last month, with Member States joining the private sector, civil society groups and researchers, to bring about “tangible, positive changes” to the world’s food systems, and as the story goes, “drive recovery from COVID-19.” But even … Continue reading BILL GATES AND THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF FOOD SECURITY

Curiositys, Philosophy, Science, SpaceLeave a comment

Why simplicity works

Fernando Kaskais

Does the existence of a multiverse hold the key for why nature’s laws seem so simple? Johnjoe McFadden is professor of molecular genetics at the University of Surrey in the UK. His books include Quantum Evolution (2011); Human Nature: Fact and Fiction (2006); Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology (2014), co-authored with Jim Al-Khalili; and Life Is Simple (2021). Edited by Sally Davies It’s May 1964 and, on a low hillside in New Jersey, the physicists Robert Woodrow Wilson and Arno Allan Penzias are listening in on the Universe. They are standing beneath what looks like a gargantuan ear trumpet attached to a … Continue reading Why simplicity works