FEB 07
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Snails' trails.
It’s long been known that snails tend to follow the mucous trails left by their colleagues. But why ?
Published today, new research from the UK’s University of Sunderland may have found the an answer.
They might do it to save energy. Why produce ‘expensive’ mucous ( snails can use up to a third of their available energy producing it ) when you can glide along on some pedal-mucous that already exists ?
The researchers persuaded various intertidal marine snails Littorina littorea to crawl across microscope slides which were exposed to tidal seawater. The thickness of the trails was analysed via electron microscopy, and it was found that the longer the trails were exposed to the elements, the more new mucous subsequent trail-following snails laid down.
“ we attest that snails are able to save energy
as mucus by locomoting over previously laid mucus trails. “
It’s noted though that they don’t follow trails all the time – they necessarily branch out in speculative new directions occasionally. Proving once again that research always incurs a cost.
• Univ. Sunderland press-release here :
• Full study here :
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Professor of genetics and snail expert Steve Jones ( Univ. Coll. London ) comments for Really Magazine :
" . . . this paper seems pretty convincing to me - although, no doubt, life is more complicated than just that. "
28 FEB 07
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Trusty not rusty.
Back in 1999, research from Stanford's Aging Clinical Research Center found that older air-pilots performed significantly less well on flight-simulator tests than did their younger colleagues.
At the time though, it was suspected that perhaps the older pilots’ poor performance was not simply linked to how old they were.
As the lead researcher, prof. Jerome Yesavage ( himself a a licensed commercial pilot ) commented :
“ it behooves us to identify better screening methods of pilot safety than the crude and arbitrary measure of age alone,"
Now, new research from the same lab is published in today’s issue of the journal Neurology.
The 3 year study tested skills of over 100 pilots ( age range 40–69 ) and showed that, overall, older air pilots’ skills do not necessarily deteriorate as much as was previously suspected.
The new study-
“ demonstrated the advantageous effect of prior experience and specialized expertise on older adults' skilled cognitive performances. “
And some of the older pilots’ skills – e.g. traffic avoidance performances, even improved over time.
Possible explanations for the new results ?
“ [ the older pilots ] may maintain performance over time due to a mechanism of preserved task-specific knowledge, known as crystallized intelligence, which is similar to what is seen in music or expert chess playing. “
The results might have implications for the aviation industry in the US, where pilots are currently required to retire at age 60. And also, presumably, in other high-skill occupations where senior workers’ crystallized intelligence may be hard at work.
[ Yes, I like to think so anyway. Ed. ]
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Note: Over the past decade or so, research from the same research dept. looked at several other factors which ( together or not with aging ) might affect pilots’ performance.
e.g. alcohol, hangovers, marihuana, and menstruation.
27 FEB 07
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Possibilism – what’s it about ?
If you step out of your house today, it’s very probable indeed that you’ll then be standing outside your house. Probable but not certain. You could find yourself in Ancient Rome. And you may also be getting younger instead of older. Possibly.
That is, according to an article in the latest issue of The Trumpeter ( a journal of Ecosophy ) from Canada’s Athabasca University.
Where Possibilism is defined ( somewhat enigmatically perhaps ) as :
“ . . . a philosophy of imagination and dreams,
an abandonment of the mundane to explore the empirically impossible. “
26 FEB 07
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" More thinking is needed "
Although “ figures are hard to pin down “ new research from the University of Central Florida estimates that deaths from ‘friendly-fire’ on the modern-day battelfield could be running as high as 17%.
It’s clear then that technological solutions to so-called Blue on Blue incidents can’t be entirely relied upon to prevent such tragedies.
It seems Human Factors are at work too.
One of which has been identified by the researchers :
" The battlefield is one of the most difficult operational environments within which to perform cognitive tasks "
As a step towards minimizing ‘fratricide’ , the authors propose a novel taxonomic framework for classifying teamwork breakdowns - with ‘ Shared Cognition ’ placed firmly at the top.
The research article will be published in a special supplement of the ergonomics journal Human Factors :
' Classifying and Understanding Human Error '
available on April 1st.
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( preview pdf here )
24 FEB 07
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Readers' polls results :
Many thanks to all readers who took part in our first batch of ad-hoc polls. Here are the results . . .
'Obesity epidemic' - the causes ?
• Not enough exercise (32.3%)
• High fat diet (18.5%)
• Growth-hormone residues in meat (13.8%)
• Too many fizzy drinks (12.3%)
• Too much TV / computer time (9.2%)
• Faulty statistics (7.7%)
• Causes as yet unknown (4.6%)
• A virus (1.6%)
Blackberries™ : Love ‘em or hate ‘em ?
• OK uf yv gt t~mr n yr handf (25%)
• Fyvl vrap. (25%)
• Fb! (21.9%)
• Tim# astr (21.9%)
• If ^ hsd hplr n th bsck I fyvl yt ! (6.2%)
Democracy - how do you rate it ?
• It sucks, but it's the best we've come up with so far (33.8%)
• Nice idea - wrong species (25%)
• If it made any difference, it would be illegal (17.6%)
• Needs improving (10.3%)
• A joke (5.9%)
• A wonderful system (4.5%)
• I really don't care one way or the other (2.9%)
The origin of Oil and Gas ?
• No-one has the faintest ideas (38.7%)
• Came from decayed organic material (32.3%)
• constantly re-generates in the Earth's crust (19.4%)
• Was ripped from a passing comet (9.6%)
The 'Hydrogen Economy' ?
• A PR pipe-dream (38.5%)
• Boom ! (25.6%)
• Might work - oneday (17.9%)
• Will never happen (12.8%)
• A great hope for the future (5.2%)
What killed the Dinosaurs ?
• They were attacked by bees (28.3%)
• An asteroid strike (26.1%)
• None of the above (15.2%)
• We'll never know (13%)
• A temperature drop (8.7%)
• A virus (6.5%)
• They killed each other (2.2%)
• DNA corruption (0%)
Should cannabis be legalised ?
• What was the question again ? (40.3%)
• Absolutely, completely, right away.(22.6%)
• Only for medical reasons. (11.3%)
• Only in designated cafes / bars. (9.7%)
• No, but it should be de-criminalised. (8.1%)
• No. (8.0%)
Religion ? ( a global historical audit )
• Has caused, is causing, and will cause extensive unnecessary suffering and
conflict (60.8%)
• The positive and negative effects even out - on balance makes no difference
(13.7%)
• None of the above fits my opinion (13.7%)
• It’s those agnostics you have to watch out for (7.8%)
• Just a harmless diversion (2%)
• Vastly improves the quality of life for countless millions worldwide (2%)
Are cellphones hazardous to health ?
• Only if you cross the road while talking (25.6%)
• More than likely (25.6%)
• No, stop whining (17.9%)
• Possibly maybe (12.8%)
• We'll never know, the results will be suppressed (10.3%)
• Who cares? live dangerously (5.1%)
• I don't know, but why take risks ? (2.7%)
The polls are now closed. Thanks again. Ed.
23 FEB 07 (late edition)
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Garden Bowls ( the rigours of )
“ Whilst numerous investigations have explored the physical demands placed upon competitive sportspeople from a wide array of sports, little is known about the physical demands placed on lawn bowlers. “
The situation has recently improved substantially though, with new research from the Southern Cross University, NSW, Australia - published in the current issue of the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine.
The study – believed to be the first to use time
and motion analysis to investigate movements by players in the sport of Lawn Bowls - followed
the activities of two male and two female competitors who were video-d as
they performed on the bowling green.
After taking stride-calibration into account, it was found that their time was divided approximately thus :
• Waiting ( 65% ) : viz. motionless or milling around the head or behind the mat ( includes such activities as picking up bowls, shuffling feet, organising bowls, filling out scorecard, pacing, waiting to bowl, watching own bowl, inspecting the head, watching opponents bowl, and getting a drink. )
• Walking forward ( 23% ) : viz.. forward motion with both feet in contact with the ground at same time during some point in the gait cycle.
• Walking backward ( 2% ) : viz. backward motion with both feet in contact with the ground at same time during some point in the gait cycle.
Also observed was a certain amount of
• Jogging : ( 1% ) viz. motion with an airborne phase.
And of course :
• Bowling : ( 9% ) viz. motion involved in delivering a bowl.
The heart-rate of the competitors was also measured during their activities,
and reached as high as 85 beats per minute ( b.p.m.) at times - though
most of the time it was between 50 and 60 b.p.m. ( viz. slightly
lower than the normal rest-rate for adults )
To sum up :
“ Overall, Lawn Bowls appears to require light-moderate intensity activity and appears to be similar to the physical demands of golf. “
Read the full
research article here :
23 FEB 07
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Link of the day :
Listeners' e-mails to the BBC after PM Tony Blair described how Britain should be ' proud of its involvement in Iraq ' in an interview for the BBC Radio 4 ' Today ' programme this morning.
Pulling : on Camels and Tractors
Marketing journal Brandweek recently
alerted us to the launch of
a new brand of cigarettes aimed exclusively [ Are we
sure about that ? Ed. ] at women.
There could be a plethora of explanations as to why the manufacturers arrived at the number 9 to ident the new brand - but sources close to Really Magazine suggest that other possibilities, such as Camel No. 1s and Camel No. 2s were dropped at an early stage.
The target market for the new product is young(ish) females who might resonate with the concepts of ‘ luscious ’ , ‘ authentic ’ and ' fuchsia ’ .
And, for others outside the target group, there’s also another new(ish) brand, with a similarly enigmatical name :
• ‘ Camel Wides ’
With a pack design by New York tattoo-artist Scott Campbell , they are more likely to appeal to an altogether different sales-target group - which was identified though extensive demographic research by big-tobacco back in the late 80s - and presumably still exists.
• The so-called VF group ( Virile Female ).
Whose core characteristics are revealed here ( in previously confidential papers found amongst the 7 million or so held at the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library of the University of Southern California.)
• Gender : female
• Age : 18 - 20
• Education : none beyond high-school
• Fav. TV prog : Roseanne
• Fav. Music : Classic rock from 60s and 70s ( all male groups )
• Shopping : The Mall
• Dress : Jeans / sweaters etc
• Events attended : Wrestling, Drag-races, Tractor pulls etc
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Note : not to be confused with Camel
99s
22 FEB 07
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Link of the day.
How to spend ( almost ) the entire year ( and $ Large ) travelling the world in the quest of ‘defence’ ( against things ) . . .
Big opportunities to buy, sell, & overlook here :
Link kindly provided by reader Carmelita.
MUDders* in Southern
California.
Readers interested in the possibilities offered by their ‘cyber-selves’ could
turn to the current
issue of the journal ‘ New Media & Society ‘ – for
an article from the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University
of Southern California which argues that :
“ . . . using a symbolic interactionist perspective to frame the cyberself-ing project allows us to understand the creation of the cyber ‘I,’‘me,’ and digital ‘generalized other,’ as well as the dynamics of interactional cuing online. “
New technologies have, for some time now, allowed computer network users
( a.k.a. Multi User Domains – MUDs ) to pretend they’re someone
they’re not. Or, put another way :
“ From a postmodern perspective, these technologies present self-ing opportunities for an ephemeral self, without commitment to a masterself that houses an ‘I,’ or a ‘me’. “
For more on Escaping the Confines of the Lived-Body, ( without chemicals ) read the full paper here :
[* Note : Shouldn't that be MUDers ? Ed.
]
21 FEB 07
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Happy study studying happy study.
The University of Warwick (UK) has recently published the results
of an extensive European study into the possible association between happiness
levels and
blood
pressure.
Press release here :
“ We found that a measure of a nation's rate of hypertension is a good predictor of its overall happiness. “
Rather than concentrate on possible links between blood pressure and happiness, Really Magazine would like to focus instead just on the answers to the survey's question :
' Would you say that you are very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied, or not at all satisfied with the life you lead ?' - which was asked of over 15,000 people across Europe.
3% of Portuguese people were ‘not at all satisfied’ , as were 7% of Greeks.
But the big shock came from Finland – which traditionally comes at the top ( or very near ) of just about all studies into : lifestyle/wellbeing/healthiness/per-capita-income/lack-of-corruption etc etc etc
A mere 27% said they were ‘very satisfied.’ ( contrasted with 66% of Danes )
Some mistake surely ?
Perhaps the ( or an ) answer an be found in a paper from Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from the current issue of the Journal of Happiness Studies.
which asks the disarmingly simple – but highly poignant – question
' What Do Happiness Studies Study ? ‘
As the author, Professor James Griffin, points out :
“ When we speak of the quality of a human life, there may be no one thing we have in mind. Perhaps some of us are not disagreeing with one another over the nature of a ‘‘happy’’ life but speaking of different things. “
Perhaps what makes a Greek happy ( or raises his/her blood pressure ) wouldn’t do the same for a Finn ?
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Here’s a link to the full
paper from Warwick.
20 FEB 07
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Copyright in some nutshells.
If you are the creator of an original work, you have the right to make copies
of it. No-one else does, unless you give them permission.
Or at least that’s the theory.
In practice though, things get considerably murkier.
Two recent examples.
Back in the 1920s, French monumental sculptor Paul Landowski designed the Cristo Redentor statue - now standing on the top of the Corcovado mountain in central Rio de Janeiro.
Landowski died in 1961, but his heirs have ( recently ) decided that they deserve a royalty payment every time an image of the monument is ( commercially) used. Notifications have allegedly been arriving at the offices of record companies, jewellery designers, and even telephone directory publishers, suggesting that royalty payments are due.
ReallyMag asks: If you photograph another subject in which a famous mounment happens to appear in the background, is that copyright infringement ? If so, postcard manufactures in Paris, New York, London and Piza might want to update their legal advice.
Source: O Globo newspaper, Feb 17th
Many thanks to reader Timothy B, who alerted us to this :
“ I learned on a trip to Monterey Peninsula in California that the publication
of photographs of a certain individual tree (a Montery cypress - cupressus macrocarpa)
was forbidden by the Pebble Beach Golf Club, which has made the image of the
tree a trademark. “
Here’s a link to the tree in question :
Which led in turn to a valuable site with general
guidelines in copyright – where it’s
explained how you might well be infringing copyright if you take a holiday
snap of the Eiffel Tower . .
.
Example two :
The week before last, a judgement in the UK’s High Court solidified the position regarding the copyright of business letters. According to the court’s decision, if you copy one, and forward it, then you are breaching copyright – suggesting the question ‘ What about e-mails ? ’ .
ReallyMag asks :
If you don’t cut and paste the content of an e-mail you receive, but
instead ‘attach’ the original, is a copy being made ? Because
the original file, when it was sent, was copied by its author, not by you.
So, are you safe ? Don't ask us, contact your lawyers.
Source: The
Register 15th Feb
19 FEB 07
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The best of all possible shops.
The Graduate School of Management at the University of Western Australia is currently asking a v e r y b i g question, and would like your opinion via its website.
“ Imagine your ideal world and describe how it would be. What would it be like to be a consumer in this world ? “
They'd also like your thoughts on diet and excercise.
Let them know here :
17 FEB 07
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Link of the day
Vibrissae in the ridings.
The University of Sheffield ( UK) has been investigating the workings and
possible applications of ‘ whisking ’ for some years now.
The university posted a press-release yesterday alerting us to the publication of new and extensive investigations into the modus operandi of rats’ whiskers – in the current issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Using a combination of high-speed video ( 250 f.p.s. ) and whisker electromyograms, the researchers were able to determine that rats use ( at least ) two whisking methods to sense their environment – the ‘ minimal impingement ’ and ‘ maximal contact ’ strategies.
Further:
“ We conclude that whisker movements are actively controlled so as to increase the likelihood of environmental contacts while constraining such interactions to involve a gentle touch. “
Read the full report here :
Also see:
the progress of Sheffield’s ongoing WhiskerBot project here ( they're developing an actively-controlled robotic multi-whisker array )
16 FEB 07
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Strictly no tank tops
If you’re an arms manufacturer, or potential customer, there’s still time to visit IDEX 2007 , ‘ The middle East’s Premier Defence Exhibition and Conference ‘, to be held in AbuDhabi, the United Arab Emirates, 18 to 22 February.
If you are exhibiting or visiting though, you should be aware that :
“ No alcoholic drinks, smoking, illegal drugs or pornographic material
may be used, sold or displayed. “ at the event.
Also banned are :
Electric shock batons, electric shock belts, leg irons, and shackles ( excluding handcuffs ).
The following are considered OK though :
Mortars, directed energy weapons, cannons, automatic grenade launchers, machine guns, hand guns, sniper rifles, bayonets, mine-laying systems, and gas grenades.
Companies from more than 40 countries will be displaying ther wares - here's a random example.
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p.s.
Visitors who are gay, HIV positive, or like wearing skirts above the knee might also like to check here and here.
15 FEB 07
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A steak by any other name
A couple were out to dinner at a high-end restaurant. The husband liked steaks, but, on this occasion, he was not particularly hungry. When the waiter suggested that perhaps he might like to order a smaller steak – listed on the menu as ‘ The Ladies' Cut ‘ - the husband declined, " admitting that he had considered that option, but did not want to be perceived to ‘be a lady.’ “
This real-world event proved to be inspirational for a joint research project from the University of Calgary and the University of British Columbia in Canada, which recently looked at the influence of Dissociative Reference Groups on consumer preferences.
Dissociative (or negative) reference groups are those groups an individual wishes to avoid being associated with – and perceptions about such groups can affect sales of products. ( As an example, a teenager may decide not to buy a certain brand of deodorant because he or she perceives it to be associated with middle-aged people. )
Building on the ' Ladies' Cut ’ incident, an experiment was devised to determine how ordering would vary depending on the way steaks were named.
Experimental participants ( 82 students, male and female ) could order steaks [* see important note below] named :
• The House Cut ( a 12 oz. Steak )
• The Chef’s Cut ( a 10 oz. steak ) or
• The Ladies' Cut ( an identical 10 oz. steak ).
The results were unequivocal, showing that when the steak was called The Chef’s Cut, 47% of males chose it – but when it was called The Ladies' Cut, only 5% did so.
( Interestingly, a subsequent experiment showed that this level could rise to around 35% if the Ladies' Cut was to be consumed by male subjects in a private setting. )
To sum up :
“ . . . consumers were less inclined to choose and evaluated a product more negatively when it was associated with a dissociative reference group than when it was neutral. “
[* Important note - all the 'steaks'
, except for the ones in the first paragraph, were, sadly, imaginary. Which
may, or may not, have had a bearing on the results ]
The paper is available in the latest issue of the Journal
of Consumer Psychology.
Or read a full .pdf here
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Really Magazine's suggestions for possible future research:
• Builders' Tea.
• Upholsterers' chalk
• Fisherman's Friends™
14 FEB 07
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Old knights still jump
Despite recent advances in delaying or ameliorating the effects of aging, it’s still to be expected that certain talents will drop off with age.
But, according to a new study from Yale University there are marked distinctions in the rate of skill-deterioration in specific sports and pastimes.
Using public records spanning back some 50 years or so, the researchers looked at sprinting, running, swimming, and high-jumping - and compared them all to chess-playing.
There was a conspicuous difference.
The maximum age of the participants in the study varied between 92 and 100, and, over a period of the last fifty years, their achievement levels in, for example, high-jumping, dropped sharply. Though the greatest falloff was amongst the runners – especially the 100 year-olds – who saw an unwelcome 108% [ Eh ? Ed. ] decline in performance.
In sharp contrast, the rate-of-decline of chess skills was found to be only around 4% over each ten year period.
See : ‘ Estimated Age Effects in Athletic Events and Chess ‘
published in the journal Experimental
Aging Research. ( issue 1 / 2007 )
13 FEB 07
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Noneism
“ . . . non-existent objects have had a bad press in Western philosophy. “
but help is at hand in the Oxford University Press book
‘ Towards Non-Being : The Logic and Metaphysics of Intentionality ’
The book introduces the reader to the concept of Noneism ( pron. 'none-ism' )
A noneist accepts that there are non-existent objects; but posits no ‘grades’ of being – e.g. subsistence. ( For examples of possibly non-existent items, one could perhaps consider fictional and mathematical objects. )
Quine’s well known argument about The Fat Man in the Doorway is discussed and - some might say boldly – rejected. Though it has to be said that readers looking for an explanation of what 'aboutness' is may be disappointed.
Notwithstanding, the book is, in short :
“ a refreshingly bold attempt to overcome long-standing obstacles to unrestricted characterization of non-existent objects. “
A thorough review of the book is available here via
the Philosophy Department at Notre
Dame University , Indiana
12 FEB 07 (late)
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Fake praise (a.k.a. advertising)
“ I found your website good “ Grant Hunter
“ yay! woh! K3wl “ Tipi Eisberg
“ A veritable cornucopia of exemplary post-societal sagacity “ Eiron Foyer
Really Magazine thought we had better get the compliments in early - before they become illegal on 1st Jan 2008.
That’s according to this piece in yesterday’s Times , which describes new EU regs which will ban website entries which ' falsely represent oneself '.
It was unfortunate that we were unable to find an online copy of the regulations, because there was a slight air of puzzlement around the office over the practical details of how , for example, “ authors who praise their own books “ ( using a a pseudonym and going through a proxy server ) will actually be found and prosecuted . . .
12 FEB 07
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Memory : Gum : Re-examination
Back in 2004, a series of experiments from the School of Psychology at Cardiff University in Wales showed that “ chewing gum can aid learning “
The study investigated whether experimental subjects ( 83 students ) who chewed gum could perform better at remembering word lists.
They did. Furthermore, a second experiment – the so-called suck-suck group ( i.e those who only sucked the gum rather than chewing it ) also performed better.
Curiously, earlier work from the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at Northumbria University had shown that a ‘sham-chewing’ group ( subjects who had no gum but just pretended to chew ) did not perform well.
All pointing to a possible implication that, somehow, the ingredients (see below) of the gum might be influencing the results.
But now, a further experiment, from Cardiff again, has thrown up new challenges on the possible gum / memory-enhancement effect.
The new tests :
“ failed to show effects of chewing gum at learning or recall . . . “
The paper is published in the March 2007 edition of the journal Appetite.
Abstract here :
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Some unrelated gum factoids;
• Chewing gum is illegal in Singapore ( except on medical prescription
)
• ‘Modern’ chewing gum was originally made from sap of the Manilkara chicle tree - but now it’s more usually made from petroleum-based polymers - e.g paraffin wax, polyethylene, polyvinyl acetate, etc.
• Global annual sales over $5 Billion
• You might be better-off avoiding chewing gum if you’re not happy eating E101, E102, E120, E141, E296, E320, E321, E322, E330, E420, E421, E422, E464, E627, E631, E950, E951, E965, phenylalanine or gluconates.
Reader Peter K comments.:
Perhaps a future experiment could also examine whether others perceive a gum-chewer as cleverer or dumber ?
09 FEB 07
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No more krumbs
Every few months, a new story appears about the prevalence of ‘ computer filth ’ - here’s one from 2000
Keyboards are a particular concern, mainly due to the plethora of nooks and crannies in which ‘ keyboard krumbs ‘ can hide.
Help is at hand though – in the form of a(n) hygienic keyboard - and if you happen to be in Stuttgart, Gemany, between 27 February - 1 March 2007, call in at the Medtec 2007 exhibition to see one. [ Really Mag was unable to find out details of entry fees via the site. Ed. ]
The keyboard is intended for medical or industrial applications where hygiene
is paramount - but of course it's suitable for home use too. It’s completely
sealed in a silicone membrane to IP68 standards. And it's washable.
Available in black or white
Press release details here :
or manufacturer’s site here ( in German )
08 FEB 07
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How to make money ( large * )
Really Magazine’s unscientific study of the day.
Method :
Using the latest figures, we matched the top-ten profit-making global corporations against what they do.
Results :
#1 Oil Company
#2 Oil Company
#3 Bank
#4 Oil Company
#5 Bank
#6 Arms manufacturer
#7 Bank
#8 Oil Company
#9 Oil Company
#10 Oil Company
Conclusions :
Same old same old.
Future research :
None required.
( note * Where large = more than $10 Billion per year profit )
Source data supplied by CNN
07 FEB 07 (late)
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Been assimilated yet ?
“ . . . the SWAMI partners believe that, sooner or later, we will live in a world of Ambient Intelligence. “
Q & A section :
• Who is SWAMI ?
Safeguards in a World of Ambient Intelligence :
A pan European partnership, from Germany, Spain, Finland, and the UK, of über
hightech consultants and manufacturers, commissioned in 2005 by the EU to
investigate
the implications of Ambient Intelligence (AmI)
• What is Ambient Intelligence (AmI) ?
The idea that interconnected webs of electronic devices – each with
built-in ‘intelligence‘ will form a pervasive matrix capable
of life-enhancing functions – but also with the possibility of near
ubiquitous surveillance of all most
citizens at all most times.
The 18 month long project looked at social, economic, legal, technological
and ethical issues related to identity, privacy and security – but
also considered :
" dark scenarios "
Really Magazine can’t bring you the full details at the moment
- the refrigerator is listening .
You can however see the project webpage here:
or read the full report here ( caution : 201 page .pdf )
07 FEB 07
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Targeting Customer Focusing
Try as we might, when it comes to gauging the interests of our readership, Really Magazine has consistently failed to get enthusiastic about the idea of ‘ focus groups ’.
Which is why we’re drawn to an alternative approach - ' immersion research ' – as outlined in this article from yesterday’s UK Independent .
The piece reveals a new(ish) strategy being used by publications-giant IPC to get to the inner core of their readers’ interests – by sending researchers to live with them for a few days.
“ It's a quantum leap away from focus groups “
Any mis-targeting mistakes could be costly, as the firm is committing £18m towards the launch of their latest product ‘ Look magazine' * ( The Glossy High Street Fashion & Celelbrity Weekly ) aimed at women in the 18-30 yr agegroup.
The fruits of their immersion research show up in the first issue. Here are some highlights:
Full-on Fairytale Frocks.
Bedhead Beauty ( The Playful Plait )
Plus! A-list accessories :
Sienna’s bag
Kate’s boots
Nicole’s bracelet
Impressive though the results are, for the time being we’ve decided
to stick
with The Uncoolhunter
magazine from Buenos Aires - (
In the search of antiglobal no-trends ) -
which, from our point of view at least, somehow seems to more accurately
dovetail with the zeitgeist.
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* Note: Not to be confused with :
06 FEB 07
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Maybe drop the ‘ wizzbang ’ ?
“ This is a facility that is going to have a real wizzbang-wow factor . . .” was the phrase of choice from the research director of a new UK nuclear facility in a recent interview with the local newspaper – the Whitehaven News.
The new centre, which will be located near Whitehaven in West Cumbria will cost £20 (or maybe 50) Million and will “ drive forward research into radiation sciences and engineering decommissioning. “
Researchers certainly have their work cut out. The UK currently has around 400,000 cubic metres of nuke-waste waiting in ‘ temporary storage ‘ – a lot of it located conveniently nearby at Drigg – just 30 Km or so away from the new centre.
At present there is no approved plan for its disposal – although some progress has been made by the UK's government-appointed committee CoRWM – who, after three years of painstaking study and public consultation recently determined that the waste should not be :
• Shot into space.
• Buried under polar icecaps
• Or dumped in the sea ( The UK stopped doing that in the 1980’s - apart
from the odd discharge of Technetium-99 )
Their main recommendation was that it should be buried – but it wasn’t within the committee’s remit to say exactly how . . . or where . . .
Though, bearing in mind the extreme unlikeness that any UK region will ‘volunteer’ to take the waste ( which will stay ‘hot’ for several hundreds of thousands of years ) - it could well end up being buried just nearby ( even though the local geology is far from ideal ).
Perhaps the new centre will come up with some helpful new ideas – in the meantime though, it will generate much-needed local employment :
“ Kids are no longer going to have to leave West Cumbria . . .”
Really Magazine hopes so too.
05 FEB 07
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At large and in charge.
The word ‘ Psychopath ’ was once used as a label for any type of mental illness – but nowadays, for medical purposes at least, there is no precise definition, though they're outlined as :
“ intraspecies predators who use charm, manipulation, intimidation, and violence to control others and to satisfy their own selfish needs. “
( source )
According to a new research paper from London’s Middlesex University Business School – the prevalence of psychopathic people in society is around 1% - and it would not be altogether surprising if some were able to get themselves ensconced in large corporations -
So-called ‘ organisational psychopaths ‘.
“ Without the inhibiting effect of a conscience they are then able to ruthlessly charm, lie, cajole and manipulate their way up an organisational hierarchy in pursuit of their main aims of power, wealth and status and at the expense of anyone who gets in their way.”
The author argues that, just as criminal psychopaths are responsible for more than their (un)fair share of crime in society at large, the ‘ organisational psychopaths ‘ may also be having the same effect within management structures of corporations.
In conclusion, the paper suggests that :
“ ... having organisational psychopaths running corporations that are themselves, at best, amoral is a recipe for negative consequences. “
A quick flick through recent large-scale corporate history would seem to solidly back up the findings : and some might even argue that it could be the rule rather than the exception . . .
Really Magazine would like ask though if it might be possible to extend the concept slightly - so that the word ‘organisational’ could include not just corporations, but governments as well ?
We have a suspicion that it could just help to
explain the current plight of global political affairs . . .
The paper is published in the current issue of the journal ‘ Management
Descision ‘
02 FEB 07
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GoogleLoops
For a while now, (for amusement) we’ve been listing odd phrases from Really Magazine which Google seems to like. Just recently, we've noticed that it’s been 'listing its own listings' - such that :
in a perfectly formed software loop, the Google entry on the page leads you directly back to the page you’re already on . . . click it and see.
At the risk of shooting ourselves in both feet, and temporarily putting accusations of über-geekishness to one side, we ask :
• Have we stumbled across a new phenomenon ?
• Bearing in mind the success of the term ' Googlewhack ' , does this too deserve a name ? : GoogleLoop ? RevolvaGoogle ? SelfSerp ?
• Will we blow a fuse somewhere in Mountain View if we keep doing it ?
01 FEB 07 (late edition)
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Fiat Lux in CA
Is there a chance that the ' How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb Act ' could become law in California ?
According to the Reuters News Agency , the possibility exists, and the new law would ban the use of incandescent lightbulbs in the state by 2012.
Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs ( CFLs) save energy because they are more efficient at turning electricity into light than the ‘toasters that happen to emit some light’ devices that are still the most common lightsource in most homes.
Ordinary incandescent lightbulbs only convert about 5-10% of the electricity they use into light - as against roughly 40% for CFLs .
So, bearing in mind they've been widely available for more than a quarter of a century, why would it be necessary to legislate them into use ?
Here's some possible reasons . . .
• The up-front purchase cost is much higher ( despite subsidies in some countries )
• Like ‘fluorescent tubes’ the light-colour which they produce is resolutely unpopular.
• They tend to ‘flicker’ at twice the AC mains frequency ( 100 or 120 times/second )
• Some models produce an audible ‘buzz’
• (Some) models don’t work well with (some) dimmers.
• The ‘lifetime’ can vary wildly from the manufactures figures. If they’re switched on and off a lot, they fail much more quickly.
• As they age, they produce less light ( and possibly draw more current ? * )
• They emit much higher levels of radio frequency interference.
• They contain mercury – and need to go to a specialised recycling depot at the end of their life.
Really Magazine predicts that most citizens won’t be overly keen to embrace the (possible) new law – they already know they can save money and energy, but they don’t like CFLs, and it will take more than a new law to convince them.
And it’s likely that by 2012 new LED -based or LEP -based lighting systems will be widely available too – far less heat, much more efficient, more pleasant light-colours, vastly greater lifespan, etc etc etc
And after 2050 ? Bioluminescent Bacterial Bulbs (BBBs) . . . no electricity,
just add a pinch of sugar every fortnight.
[ * Note : If any readers can point
us in the direction of a graph which shows how the electricity consumption
varies over the bulb’s lifetime – we’d
love to see it . . . ]
01 FEB 07
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