In 1969 a psychologist named Edward Deci conducted an experiment with a puzzle involving wooden blocks. A group of college students was paid a dollar for each puzzle they completed. Another group was not. The experiment was really about what happened when the researcher left the room, supposedly to get a survey for the students… Continue reading why we do what we do
Category: commentary
a room of my own
Most Americans (56%) never move out of their birth state, but a new study indicates that those who do move a lot have fewer friends, less satisfying relationship, and are more likely to die young. I'm lucky to be alive.
looking for love in all the wrong places
Humiliation kept nerds from asking out the prom queen. But it also forced you to take your time, think of something intelligent to say (maybe) and face the consequences of your choices.
it’s still a sin to kill a mocking bird
It’s the fiftieth anniversary of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbirdand everyone is celebrating by writing about how it wasn’t so great after all. This novel, which won a Pulitzer Prize, sold over 30 million copies and by the 80’s was required reading in three fourths of all American high schools. Writing for the Wall… Continue reading it’s still a sin to kill a mocking bird
why I believe in unicorns
It’s possible that we can derive more pleasure from what we imagine than from what we experience. This novel idea, or this idea about novels, is explored by Yale professor Paul Bloom in his new book, How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like. In a chapter reprinted last month… Continue reading why I believe in unicorns
the daysman 