NEW SCIENTIST:
WHEN we fall under the spell of a charismatic figure, areas of the brain responsible for scepticism and vigilance become less active.
That’s the finding of a study which looked at people’s response to prayers spoken by someone purportedly possessing divine healing powers.
To identify the brain processes underlying the influence of charismatic individuals, Uffe Schjødt of Aarhus University in Denmark and colleagues turned to Pentecostal Christians, who believe that some people have divinely inspired powers of healing, wisdom and prophecy.
The brain’s power will turn out to derive from data processing within the neuron rather than activity between neuron, suggests University of Cambridge research biologist Brian J. Ford.
“Each individual neuron is itself a computer, and the brain a vast community of microscopic computers… the human brain may be a trillion times more capable than we imagine,” he adds.
Legendary skeptic James Randi has devoted his life to debunking frauds and investigating paranormal and pseudoscientific claims.
In this TED talk James Randi takes a fatal dose of homeopathic sleeping pills onstage, kicking off a searing 18-minute indictment of irrational beliefs. He throws out a challenge to the world’s psychics: Prove what you do is real, and I’ll give you a million dollars! (No takers yet.) http://www.randi.org/site/
In the emerging Internet of Things, everyday objects are becoming networked. Clothing is no exception. It’s still early days for Web-enabled clothes – the best example so far is the Nike+ running shoe, which contains sensors that connect to the user’s iPod. But expect to see everything from your shirt to your underwear networked in the not too distant future.
In the following list of ten ‘smart clothing’ items, we showcase Internet pants, a proximity sensing shirt, a heart sensing bra, biosensor underwear, a “thought helmet”, and more!
Motion-detecting pants, a proximity sensing shirt, a heart-sensing bra, biosensor underwear, and a “thought helmet” are among everyday objects that are becoming networked. Also, a jacket that displays your moods through signs and colors.
For the first time since Bloomberg BusinessWeek began its annual Most Innovative Companies ranking in 2005, the majority of corporations in the Top 25 are based outside the U.S. The reason: the new global leaders coming out of Asia.
Who is #1? Once again for the fifth year in a row Apple is #1!
In the past decade, as the U.S. was losing an estimated 2.4 million factory jobs to China, the Economic Policy Institute and other research organizations identified an alarming trend—alarming to Westerners, at least. The factories of South Korea, Taiwan, and China were making their way up the global value chain, from the sneakers, toys, and T-shirts they had produced in earlier years to personal computers, consumer electronics gear, household appliances, and even cars.
For the West, the silver lining was this: Asia’s high-tech products were still generally regarded as inferior knockoffs of items designed in the U.S. and other so-called knowledge economies. China may have been the biggest worry, but as author Ted C. Fishman argued in his 2005 book, China Inc., it possessed a factory culture—it could imitate but not innovate.
NEW YORK TIMES:
Why is everyone in Hollywood talking about 10,000 hours?
That’s the amount of time that author Malcolm Gladwell says it takes for a talented person to master a cognitively complex skill — like becoming a world-class pianist or an Olympic athlete — in his new book, “Outliers: The Story of Success.”
According to Gladwell, it’s the number of hours that separates the merely good from the really great, and it’s easy to see why the “10,000 hour” idea has caught fire in an industry like Hollywood, which is only partly a meritocracy, where riches rain down just as often on the lucky and the well-connected as on the talented. For many who have found success in the entertainment industry, Gladwell’s theory offers a nifty, concrete explanation to the question of “Why me? Why have I climbed to the top of my field when so many others have failed?”
SOT lessons and training formats will be transformed, along with the entire publishing industry, in the next few years following the arrival of the iPAD. We are planning for this. The iPAD platform–hardware and iSTORE– seems destined become a killer platform for publishing, education and learning.
THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: Is there too a big gap between this pope’s words on child abuse and Jesus’ words’? What do you think?
PROBABLE SOLUTION: The J24 Solution.
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- Michael Hewitt-Gleeson, Melbourne, Australia
WHAT DID THE POPE SAY ABOUT CHILD ABUSE?
In the Pope’s Pastoral letter to the people of Ireland he said he was “deeply disturbed by the information which has come to light regarding the abuse of children” . The Pope proposed “some concrete initiatives to address the situation”. His two main initiatives were “intense prayer” and “Apostolic visitations”.
WHAT DID JESUS ACTUALLY SAY ABOUT CHILD ABUSE?
Interestingly, Jesus did not avoid the subject but embraced it and in no uncertain terms. He addressed his disciples in one of his most poignant lessons as recounted first by Matthew (Ch 18) and then corroborated both by Mark and Luke:
“Listen! I’m telling you disciples the truth now. Unless you change and become like little kids, YOU won’t ever be getting into the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever makes himself as little as this little kid, he’s the one who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes one little kid like this one, in my name, also welcomes me”.
WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT THE ABUSE OF CHILDREN? AND, IN PARTICULAR, WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT THE ABUSE OF CHILDREN WHO FOLLOW HIM?
Well, here we see Jesus at his most passionate and he’s using the strongest possible language in this teaching …
“But if anyone is the downfall of one of these little kids who believes in me, it were better for him that he drowned in the deep of the sea with a great millstone tied round his neck.”
FOUR KINDS OF CHILD ABUSE ARE EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE OR SEXUAL AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THE PROBLEM OF CHILD ABUSE IN THE WORLD. WHAT WAS JESUS ATTITUDE TO THIS PROBLEM?
Not afraid to face the issue with realism and wisdom, Jesus talks about the problem of child abuse in the world …
“It’s a great pity for the world that there should be such causes of kids falling. Causes of falling indeed there must be, but pity help anyone who provides them!”
WHAT PREVENTATIVE MEASURES WAS JESUS PREPARED TO PRESCRIBE?
Here Jesus talks directly to any adult who may be involved in the abuse of a small child or children …
“If your hand or your foot should be your downfall, cut it off and throw it away: it is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.”
WHAT ABOUT THOSE IN POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN? WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO PROTECT THEIR REPUTATION AND ASSETS AHEAD OF THE CHILDREN? WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO JUST TURNED A BLIND EYE TO THE PROBLEM?
“And if your eye should be your downfall, tear it out and throw it away: it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell of fire.”
WHAT ABOUT CONSEQUENCES FROM HEAVEN? ARE THOSE WHO HAVE ABUSED CHILDREN LIKELY TO GO UNDETECTED? ARE THOSE WHO HAVE FAILED TO PROTECT CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE LIKELY TO GET AWAY WITH IT?
“See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in Heaven.”
WHAT IS A PROBABLE SOLUTION?
A very probable solution I would call The J24 Solution.
Find a pope, perhaps a JOHN XXIV, who would be willing to use his authority to close the gap between the Vatican’s policy and Jesus’ policy. This is a problem, not for Benedict but for the College of Cardinals.
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(This 10-minute scene of the College of Cardinals is from the movie of the Australian author Morris West’s The Shoes of the Fisherman. Watch the movie again. This excellent 1968 movie may be a wise and valuable parable for the Church in 2010.).
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HOW WILL THE CARDINALS ACT?
Some Cardinals would say NO. For example about five years ago, here in Australia, I brought a case of child abuse personally to the attention of His Eminence George Cardinal Pell and, as far as I know, he still has not reported it to the police. The point being that for a decade Cardinal Pell was in the Roman Curia and was involved in the secret congregation of the Inquisition with Cardinal Ratzinger and reporting criminal cases to the police was just not their policy.
Some cardinals would say YES. There has already been a precedent. If Cardinals can elect a JOHN XXIII then they may yet elect a J24. A lateral solution, but universally credible way to do this, would be to put another chimney in the Sistine Chapel.
His Eminence George Cardinal Pell
PUT ANOTHER CHIMNEY IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL?
The chimney of the Sistine Chapel is an ancient symbol and mechanism of communication from the Sacred College to the outside world. This new ‘chimney’ would not put OUT white or black smoke it would feed IN the voice of the People of God. It would be a communication from the outside world IN to the Sacred College.
You could entrust an organisation of global credibility who have the know-how and experience to design this. For example, The Gallup Poll at Princeton could do it. It could be called pogpoll.net - the voice of the people of god.
WHO ARE THE ‘PEOPLE OF GOD‘?
This solution would be a win-win for both the bishops and the people AND the Vatican. Opening up their hearts and minds to hear direct input from pogpoll would be an honourable penitance for recent sins and failures and a morally superior adaption of the tradition. This solution would be universally acclaimed and therefore would require no loss of face for the Sacred College because the Vatican already officially recognises the People of God as those peoplewho have faith in Jesus.
WHAT DID POPE JOHN 23 SAY?
It is now for the Catholic Church to bend herself to her work with calmness and generosity. It is for you to observe her with renewed and friendly attention.
Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
DFQ: What do you think should be done to solve this problem? Post your solution here:
Motion-detecting pants, a proximity sensing shirt, a heart-sensing bra, biosensor underwear, and a “thought helmet” are among everyday objects that are becoming networked. Also, a jacket that displays your moods through signs and colors.
