Monthly Archives: May 2008

DOES PERSONALITY COME FROM NATURE OR NURTURE?

DOES PERSONALITY COME FROM NATURE OR NURTURE? Carol Tavris says in her review of Daniel Nettle’s PERSONALITY that “Behavioural-genetic studies have consistently found that the heritability of personality traits… is around 50 per cent”—that is, attributable to genetic differences. But … Continue reading

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THE PERSONALITIES OF OCTOPUSES.

THE PERSONALITIES OF OCTOPUSES. Carol Tavris had a review in the Times Literary Supplement for April 18 of PERSONALITY by Daniel Nettle. I was astounded years ago when I learned that a gene for shyness had been identified. Now Nettle … Continue reading

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MARXIST INTERPRETATIONS OF HISTORY.

MARXIST INTERPRETATIONS OF HISTORY. I associate claims that changes in technology have resulted in changes in social behavior with Karl Marx (see for example this wikipedia article). Because I am interested in, and persuaded by, some of these theories, I … Continue reading

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CELLPHONES AND THE “THIRD PLACE.”

CELLPHONES AND THE “THIRD PLACE.” One view of the new nomadic life style is that there is a return to a pre-industrial mode of living where work, family and play all took place in the same space. Another view is … Continue reading

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CHIC AREAS IN NEW YORK REVISITED.

CHIC AREAS IN NEW YORK REVISITED. The Economist section on nomads refers to the “chic area around New York’s Union Square.” Kids, that was not the way Union Square was back in the 70’s when we lived near it. The … Continue reading

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CELLPHONE NOMADS.

CELLPHONE NOMADS. The Economist special section is entitled “Nomads at last.” It uses the “nomad” term to emphasize the difference from what it refers to as the “astronaut” model of a few years ago. Workers then had to haul large … Continue reading

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CELLPHONES AND HOW PEOPLE WORK.

CELLPHONES AND HOW PEOPLE WORK. Forty years ago I was riding in an elevator in which young lawyers speculated as to how long it would be with computer technology before they could do their legal work at home without having … Continue reading

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PEOPLE TALKING TO THEMSELVES LOUDLY (COMMENT).

PEOPLE TALKING TO THEMSELVES–LOUDLY (COMMENT). Dick Weisfelder commented here on the extensive use of cellphones in Southern Africa and Sweden. When I visit New York, it’s hard to get used to the large number of people who seem to be … Continue reading

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CONTEMPT FOR TRADE REVISITED.

CONTEMPT FOR TRADE REVISITED. I posted here about how Beatrix Potter’s parents opposed her marrying a partner in her publishers because her father “wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and the family’s origins in trade.” There … Continue reading

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ISAAC NEWTON AND THE CURVE BALL.

ISAAC NEWTON AND THE CURVE BALL. This article by Sharon Begley begins by noting that Isaac Newton in 1671, after watching numerous games of tennis, observed that spin makes balls curve. Three hundred years later, scientists still haven’t worked out … Continue reading

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