November 2008
The Secret to Raising Smart Kids →
Many people assume that superior intelligence or ability is a key to success. But more than three decades of research shows that an overemphasis on intellect or talent—and the implication that such traits are innate and fixed—leaves people vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges and unmotivated to learn.
I, Gamer →
All of us “on here,” within this world of ours, are not just in love with games - we’re in love with the culture we’ve created around games, and that culture, obsessed with information related to our pastime, is only the most vocal minority at the tippy-top of a great big bell curve. Outside in the so-called “real world,” away from our regular guildies, the...
Did Stalin's killers liquidate Walter Benjamin? →
The renowned German writer and critic may not have died at his own hands.
Is Urban Loneliness a Myth? →
Manhattan is the capital of people living by themselves. But are New Yorkers lonelier? Far from it, say a new breed of loneliness researchers, who argue that urban alienation is largely a myth.
“I have moved into an apartment with no phone and no Internet connection for 5...”
– Helen DeWitt
“Nonetheless, there is such a thing as too much critical distance, and the little...”
– Mark Dery @ Cabinet Magazine
50 things you probably didn't know about ICO and... →
SPOILERS GALORE
Dead parrot sketch ancestor traced to fourth... →
Other jokes in the book show that sex, nagging wives and passing wind have formed the basis of humour for centuries.
The power of speech →
When Daniel Everett first went to live with the Amazonian Pirahã tribe in the late 70s, his intention was to convert them to Christianity. Instead, he learned to speak their unique language - and ended up rejecting his faith, losing his family and picking a fight with Noam Chomsky.
“It’s the sweetest of moments when the fire takes control, and you’re no longer...”
– Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk (via luxembourg)
