Your Brain Is Not an Onion With a Tiny Reptile Inside - "A widespread misconception in much of psychology is that (a) as vertebrate animals evolved, “newer” brain structures were added over existing “older” brain structures, and (b) these newer, more complex structures endowed animals with newer and more complex psychological functions, behavioral flexibility, and language. This belief, although widely shared in introductory psychology textbooks, has long been discredited among neurobiologists and stands in contrast to the clear and unanimous agreement on these issues among those studying nervous-system evolution. We bring psychologists up to date on this issue by describing the more accurate model of neural evolution, and we provide examples of how this inaccurate view may have impeded progress in psychology. We urge psychologists to abandon this mistaken view of human brains."
Why Do Paper Cuts Hurt so Much? - "Physically, paper cuts hurt as much as they do for a variety of reasons. They typically occur on parts of our bodies that are the most sensitive, such as the fingers, lips or tongue. The nerve networks of these body parts can discriminate with exceptional clarity and specificity, sensations of pressure, heat, cold and injury. Our brains even have specialized areas to receive signals coming from these parts in high definition. The exquisite sensing abilities that makes our fingers, lips and tongue so good at what they normally do, also makes injuries all the more painful.These same highly sensitive areas are also parts we use all the time. Cuts on fingers, lips and the tongue tend to reopen throughout day dooming us to relive the pain again and again. Finally, the depth of the wound is perfect for exposing and exciting the nerve fibers of the skin without damaging them the way a deeper, more destructive injury can severely damage the nerve fibers impairing their ability to communicate pain. With a paper cut, the nerve fibers are lit, and they are fully operational"
Why Are So Many American Jews Politically Liberal? - "The explanation of Jewish liberalism as a fulfillment of Judaism also downplayed the fact that Jewish leftism was intensely secular and rejected the Orthodox definition of Jewish identity... Another interpretation looked not to Judaism but to recent history to explain this Jewish commitment to liberalism. Prior to the late nineteenth century, the Jewish political orientation in Europe and the Arab lands was passive. Jews feared the state and were detached from political involvement. Since the parties of the left in Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries favored Jewish emancipation and opposed anti‑Semitism, Jews naturally supported the political left and distrusted the political establishment, which was often anti‑Semitic... With good reason, Jews identified anti‑Semitism with the right... While favoring the amelioration of social and economic problems by a strong central government, the Jewish approach to politics also contained an anarchistic strain. Jews had a deep distrust of authority because established political and social authority had threatened Jewish interests... In contrast to the Irish, Jews tended to view politics in terms of social and economic redemption rather than as an opportunity for personal advancement. Largely excluded from the politics of eastern Europe, most Jews did not believe politics was a place where a nice Jewish boy should pursue a career. Jews were influential in postwar American politics as intellectuals, contributors, and voters, but not as politicians. Skeptical toward politicians, Jews are not skeptical toward the political process. For them, it is the means to create a better world."
Doing yoga on log, fail GIFs - Gifvif
Parliament: New ERP system 'not a threat to privacy' - "Data collected by a satellite-tracked electronic road-pricing (ERP) system Singapore is building will be "aggregated and anonymised", said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in response to questions about how privacy will be safeguarded." - Nov 3, 2014
ERP, traffic data to be used to counter terror threat - "Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) data and public transport cameras will be added to the Home Team's arsenal in the fight against terrorism and serious crime - as the Government toughens its stance on the use of such information in the face of mounting threats." - Apr 7 2016
The Best Cleaning Product Only Costs About $1 - "These holy grail items are as low-cost as they are versatile. Plus, they’re probably a whole lot greener than most of the chemicals you’re already using...
Salt
Vinegar
Hydrogen Peroxide
Lemon
Rubbing Alcohol"
Sewer Cleaners Wanted in Pakistan: Only Christians Need Apply. - The New York Times - "A recent spate of deaths among Christian sewer cleaners in Pakistan underscores how the caste discrimination that once governed the Indian subcontinent’s Hindus lingers, no matter the religion.Like thousands of other lower-caste Hindus, Mr. Eric’s ancestors converted to Christianity centuries ago, hoping to escape a cycle of discrimination that ruled over every aspect of their lives: what wells of water they could drink from, what jobs they could hold. Manual sewer cleaners, known as sweepers, are at the bottom of that hierarchy, the most untouchable of the untouchable Hindu castes.But when the Indian subcontinent broke up in 1947 and Pakistan was formed as a homeland for the region’s Muslims, a new, informal system of discrimination formed. In Pakistan, Muslims sit at the top of the hierarchy. And as one of Pakistan’s small Christian minority, Mr. Eric has now been forced into the same work his Hindu ancestors had tried to avoid through religious conversion. Although India has outlawed caste-based discrimination with mixed success, in Pakistan it is almost encouraged by the state. In July, the Pakistani military placed newspaper advertisements for sewer sweepers with the caveat that only Christians should apply. After activists protested, the religious requirement was removed... Doctors often refuse to treat the sweepers, who are seen as unclean and untouchable.Officially, Pakistan denies the existence of caste-based practices in the country. But across the country, the discrimination persists.One form of abuse commonly meted out on Pakistan’s religious minorities has been to accuse them of blasphemy, a crime that is punishable by death in the country, and that at times has been used to settle personal disputes. In one infamous case in 2010, Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, was sentenced to death, accused of blaspheming Islam. It later emerged that her Muslim colleagues had ordered her to fetch water as they harvested berries on a hot day. When she drank from the communal cup, they accused her of polluting it and an argument ensued."
Meme - "THE LEFT: We now live in a world where the richest 8 men own more than the poorest 3.6 BILLION"
""LIBERALS": That's an outrage! At least 4 of them should be women of colour"
Why corporates love liberalism so much
Russia’s Clash With the West Is About Geography, Not Ideology - "In the latter half of the 19th century, Russia had been contained by France and Britain — in the Balkans, the Middle East, India, and China — well before Kennan made “containment” a household word. Its defensive options being limited, its military doctrine has historically been offensive. It has sought to dominate its neighbors as a means of preventing the borderlands from being used against it by other powers. Whereas the West sees Russia’s fear of invasion as groundless, history has shown Russian leaders that foreign intentions are typically hidden or fluid. Each age brings a new existential threat; there would always be another Napoleon or Hitler... While military conflicts in Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine have been attributed to aggressive Kremlin efforts to re-establish elements of the Soviet empire, it is notable that Russia has not annexed any of the breakaway regions — with the exception of Crimea, which houses the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The reason is not merely deniability, but also the fact that annexation of pro-Russian territories would have strengthened the pro-Western forces in the remaining parts of each country. Annexation would undermine Russia’s primary objective, which is keeping the countries beyond the reach of Western institutions seen to threaten Russian interests. The presence of frozen conflicts in the three nations effectively blocks them from joining NATO. The alliance has always rejected aspirants with unresolved border disputes, internal territorial conflicts, and insufficient military capacity to provide for a credible national defense... Gorbachev, no fan of Putin’s, also supported the annexation of Crimea, as well as Russian military action in Georgia. The West, he wrote in his memoirs, had been “blind to the kind of sentiments NATO expansion aroused” in Russia. "
I find it interesting how Russia thinks to protect itself it is justified in oppressing others
Jennifer Wright on Twitter - ""Women in the past were modest and had more respect for themselves." Here's Agnes Sorel, who had her gowns tailored to expose her favorite boob in the 1440s"
Caitlin Johnstone on Twitter - "Trump could have run as a Democrat in 2016 with a liberal-sounding platform, enacted the exact same policies he's enacted as president, and, as long as he kept saying nice-sounding things, Democrats would think he's awesome right now."
madison is not a fan of fascism or cops on Twitter - "day one of my zero waste journey! used my pasta water from breakfast to make my coffee "
Can’t You Just Fire Me? Man Paid to Do Nothing Wanted $2 Million - Bloomberg - "An executive who was paid about $18,000 a month by LafargeHolcim Ltd. to do nothing failed in his suit to force the cement maker to fire him with a payout worth more than $2 million. Timing was his undoing. When his employer Lafarge SA announced in 2015 a staff-buyout program as part of its merger with Holcim Ltd., Antoine Zenone hoped he could get a golden handshake. But the company told him he wasn’t eligible and French judges have said “non” -- three times in a row... Zenone was seeking about 2.1 million euros ($2.3 million) and until recently had been paid 16,195 euros gross a month by Lafarge without having to provide any work"
Baltimore's 30,000 Public Employees Cost Taxpayers $2 Billion But Can't Save Their Own City - "Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com investigated just how much taxpayer money flows into the Baltimore bureaucracy at every level: federal, state, and local. We found the city drowning in taxpayer dollars... Baltimore received more funding per resident ($573) than the comparable cities of Portland, OR ($274); Nashville, TN ($353); Oklahoma City, OK ($201); Detroit, MI ($372); and Milwaukee, WI ($183)"
Clearly, proof that even more money is needed!
The Real Reason Apple Made the iPhone SE So Cheap - "Over the past few years, Apple has methodically pivoted its business strategy away from getting you to replace your iPhone as frequently as possible. Instead, it’s maximizing the money it makes in a different way: selling you subscription services and accessories that work with the iPhone. The recently updated iPhone SE is a prime example of that new strategy in action... Like Apple’s other new iPhones, the new iPhone SE has no headphone jack, which means buyers will at least consider buying a pair of AirPods ($159) or AirPods Pro ($250) to listen to music and take calls. Or perhaps they’ll buy an Apple Watch instead, which only works with iOS and starts at $499 for the latest model. Apple’s new focus on subscription services is good for customers in some ways. Phones are more affordable, and there’s less pressure to constantly upgrade.But Apple’s change in strategy has also put some seams in the formerly almost seamless iOS experience. Sometimes the upsell tactics are subtle, like putting Apple TV and Music icons front and center on new iPhone home screens. But other upsell tactics are more aggressive. In the settings of a new device, for instance, you’ll find a countdown warning you of how many days are left to buy AppleCare. Apple Music sends push notifications offering free trials. After a few days, you’ll notice that the free iCloud storage — a measly 5 GB — has already run out. When you use Apple Wallet, a giant advertisement for Apple Card hovers at the bottom of your screen."
How Alberta Won the Rat Race - "Along an 18-mile strip of land between the Canadian province of Alberta and its neighbor Saskatchewan, the rat patrol keeps guard. An eight-person team, armed with poison and shotguns, hunts daily for any sign of the rodent invaders.The Alberta rat patrol checks more than 3,000 farms a year, but it rarely sees an actual rat. Alberta has 4.3 million people, 255,000 square miles, and no rats—bar the stray handful that make it into the killing zone each year. Ever since 1950, a sternly enforced program of exclusion and extermination has kept the province rat-free. Nowhere else in the world comes close; the only other rat-free areas are isolated islands such as the remote British territory of South Georgia. Public support and education have been key to Alberta’s success. Locals use hotlines (310-RATS or 310-FARM) to report any sign of rodents, though false alarms are common. School programs educate kids about the telltale signs of the invaders. Keeping pet rats is banned and can earn you a fine of almost $4,000... The whole program currently costs just about $380,000 a year—most of the money is spent on exterminators’ salaries—but saves Alberta’s farmers millions... a hugely ambitious program launched in 2016, Predator Free New Zealand, envisages wiping out not only rats but stoats and possums by 2050. It’s an expensive effort. The pilot scheme—conducted on two inhabited islands, covering almost 15 square miles—cost about $3 million"
‘Always Sticking to Your Convictions’ Sounds Like a Good Thing – But It Isn’t - "a curious fact about American society’s supercharged political culture is that even the most humble debates (think: Which fried chicken sandwiches are best?) turn a tweet into matters of conviction.The result is that many of us come to see criticism as intolerable and disagreement with our opinions as a mark of moral inferiority. That’s a problem not just because it can lead to incivility; it’s a problem because it can lead to dogmatism, and when it comes to matters like climate change or immigration, even violent fanaticism... people do change their minds about such things, but the connection between conviction and identity helps to explain why it is so difficult for them to do so – even when the evidence points in the other direction... as Yale psychologist Dan Kahan and his colleagues have emphasized, it can actually be pragmatically rational to end up ignoring the evidence and sticking to your convictions. No one wants to crush their self-image; nor does anyone want to be voted off the island. Conviction’s connection to identity also helps to explain how our increasingly polarized political culture can encourage us to turn every debate – from debates over chicken sandwiches to the path of hurricanes – into a grudge match... For many, identity is increasingly constructed online, their self-image determined by what social networks say about them and what they say in response.Social networks, in turn, can act as tools for reinforcing and policing the way in which people describe each other and the convictions these descriptions encourage. Platforms like Facebook not only let people communicate their emotions; they let people reward and punish each other for doing so. Put these facts together – that our identities are shaped by cultural narratives and those narratives are increasingly told online – and you get our digitalized political culture, which promotes, rewards and upholds blind conviction."