The Shawshank Redemption Effect

Posted by on Oct 10, 2008 in learning | 2 comments

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video Do you remember that part in The Shawshank Redemption where the hero takes over the prison PA system and plays Mozart instead?  All of a sudden a bunch of bad-ass convicts stop and listen to the beautiful music, with looks of wonder and serenity on their gnarled faces.  I always took this to be one of the many...

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What Do Mozart and Jack the Ripper Have In Common?

Posted by on Apr 30, 2008 in business, gender, gender at work | 0 comments

I didn’t make this startling observation.  A feminist called Camille Paglia did.  Well, nearly.  What she actually said was, “There is no female Mozart because there is no female Jack the Ripper.” Her point was that men are creatures of extremes, showing greater variation than women in matters as diverse as IQ, happiness and deviance. This was the sort of insight I shared...

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