Leatherhead Matters

Todays youngsters are told repeatedly from birth that they are wonderful, can achieve anything and can be what they want to be. But, does this have a consequence? Are today’s youngsters more narcisstic (inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity) than previous generations?.

In what they describe as “the most comprehensive examination to date” of
this issue, American researchers, led by Jean Twenge at San Diego State University, have trawled published and unpublished data on self-reported undergraduate narcissism, dating from the late 1970s to the present day. The researchers focused only on studies that collected data using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, which requires respondents to choose between 40 forced-choice alternatives, such as:

“I can live my life anyway I want to” vs. “People can’t always live their lives in terms of what they want“.

The search uncovered data involving 16,475 university students. The data showed today’s youth really are more egotistical than in previous eras. Levels of self-reported narcissism were found to have risen year on year from the late 70’s to today, with the effect that two thirds of contemporary students scored above the narcissistic average for students, tested in the years 1979-1985.
Twenge’s team said their finding was consistent with other research showing generational increases in self-esteem, extraversion and assertiveness. Narcissism has its benefits in terms of self belief and confidence, the researchers said, but also comes with costs, tending to be associated with risky decision-making, aggression and addiction.
A limitation of the research, as acknowledged by the researchers, is that only data from undergraduates was analysed (and only in America). It’s possible that the narcissism of all age groups, not just young people, has increased over recent decades.

Twenge, J.M., Konrath, S., Foster, J.D., Keith Campbell, W., Bushman, B.J. (2008). Egos Inflating Over Time: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality, 76(4), 875-902.

Apocalyptic  message on global warming from 50 years ago. Watch the short video & conclude that doom mongering is the favourite past time of some human beings. I just wish they would monger their doom a little more quietly.

 Some eternal questions and others I had never heard of. Below are the top 10 most popular Google search questions in the categories Who, How & What (for Google.com ie just the USA)

Now I know what lupus is!

Who is…

1. who is god
2. who is who
3. who is lookup
4. who is jesus
5. who is it
6. who is buckethead
7. who is calling
8. who is keppler
9. who is this
10. who is satan

How to…

1. how to kiss
2. how to draw
3. how to knit
4. how to hack
5. how to dance
6. how to crochet
7. how to meditate
8. how to flirt
9. how to levitate
10. how to skateboard

What is…

1. what is love
2. what is autism
3. what is rss
4. what is lupus
5. what is sap
6. what is bluetooth
7. what is emo
8. what is java
9. what is hpv
10. what is gout

Google Zeitgeist 2007

When politics meets science the result is usually confusion. That’s exactly what’s happening to the world of climate science, with Al Gore the Obfuscater-in-Chief.

This article is from the US Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works:

While Gore repeats his standard stump speech promoting man-made climate fears, much of the international science community is now openly dissenting from human caused global warming fears.

Below is a very small sampling of very inconvenient developments for Gore, the United Nations, and the mainstream media. Peer-reviewed studies, analyses, and prominent scientists continue to speak out to refute climate fears. The majority of data presented below is from just the past month or two.

See the full article and the data HERE

The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming.  The APS is also sponsoring public debate on the validity of global warming science.  The leadership of the society had previously called the evidence for global warming “incontrovertible”.

Read more HERE

Day dreaming in the office or, at home? Well now, courtesy of Web 2.0 you can have a web assisted dream! Think of a word or two which captures what you would like to dream about. Make sure you are sitting comfortably at your computer and  preferably feeling a bit dreamy rather than high on a caffeine rush.

Now click on this link Dreamlines and enter your dream words. Relax & enjoy !

We have been raised with the concept that human intelligence is a score on a scale of intelligence. It is actually a combination of measures which typically include verbal/linguistic, numerical/mathematical and possibly spatial. These 2-3 measures of intelligence are often the focus of screening for educational ability and occupational, recruitment.

But, psychologists like Howard Gardner argue there are 7 or, possibly 10 separate types of human intelligence, perhaps more appropriately referred to as human abilities:

Since publishing his original list of seven intelligences, Gardner has added:

8. Naturalist intelligence: Enables human beings to recognize, categorize and draw upon certain features of the environment.

Gardner has considered but not included in his list the possibility of Existential and also Spiritual intelligence.

H/T Professor Lamp

Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you’ll have to pee.

Law of Gravity - Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability -The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number someone always answers.

Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

 Law of Close Encounters -The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don’t want to be seen with.

Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won’t work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Law of the Theatre - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Murphy’s Law of Lockers - If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Brown’s Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they’re ugly.

Wilson’s Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

Doctors’ Law - If you don’t feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you’ll feel better. Don’t make an appointment and you’ll stay sick.

H/T Joker