Monthly Archives: April 2013

Wild and Free: The Libertarian Philosophy of Henry David Thoreau

"Many people seem to have an idea of an isolated, possibly misanthropic hermit who would disapprove of anyone who came near his secluded home. And if they find out that he did not live in the middle of nowhere, which he never claimed to, then he gets branded a big phony. Sometimes a big deal is made of him having meals with his family in Concord, but considering Thoreau’s contributions to the family pencil-making business over his lifetime, his obvious skill at craftsmanship, and the meals that he served visitors at Walden, his alleged mooching appears to actually be a sign of social involvement and reciprocity." Continue reading →

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Shakespeare shown as ruthless businessman

"Hoarder, moneylender, tax dodger - it's not how we usually think of William Shakespeare. But we should, according to a group of academics who say the Bard was a ruthless businessman who grew wealthy dealing in grain during a time of famine. Researchers from Aberystwyth University in Wales argue we can't fully understand Shakespeare unless we study his often-overlooked business savvy. One said that oversight is the product of 'a willful ignorance on behalf of critics and scholars who I think - perhaps through snobbery - cannot countenance the idea of a creative genius also being motivated by self-interest'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShakespeare shown as ruthless businessman

Shakespeare shown as ruthless businessman

"Hoarder, moneylender, tax dodger - it's not how we usually think of William Shakespeare. But we should, according to a group of academics who say the Bard was a ruthless businessman who grew wealthy dealing in grain during a time of famine. Researchers from Aberystwyth University in Wales argue we can't fully understand Shakespeare unless we study his often-overlooked business savvy. One said that oversight is the product of 'a willful ignorance on behalf of critics and scholars who I think - perhaps through snobbery - cannot countenance the idea of a creative genius also being motivated by self-interest'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShakespeare shown as ruthless businessman

A millionaire, a market crash and a murder

"He may have been dubbed the founding father of economics, but, when he was alive 300 years ago, banker Richard Cantillon drew the fury of angry investors who lost money in schemes he had recommended. He was jailed briefly, but emerged with the millions he made from share dealing and currency speculation intact. Sound horribly familiar? Cantillon was the first to use the term 'entrepreneur', describing the vital role of risk-takers and speculators in generating economic growth. He practised what he preached, and the financial risks he took made him one of the wealthiest men in the Europe of his day." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA millionaire, a market crash and a murder

A millionaire, a market crash and a murder

"He may have been dubbed the founding father of economics, but, when he was alive 300 years ago, banker Richard Cantillon drew the fury of angry investors who lost money in schemes he had recommended. He was jailed briefly, but emerged with the millions he made from share dealing and currency speculation intact. Sound horribly familiar? Cantillon was the first to use the term 'entrepreneur', describing the vital role of risk-takers and speculators in generating economic growth. He practised what he preached, and the financial risks he took made him one of the wealthiest men in the Europe of his day." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA millionaire, a market crash and a murder

Great Scientist ≠ Good at Math

"Many of the most successful scientists in the world today are mathematically no more than semiliterate. Pioneers in science only rarely make discoveries by extracting ideas from pure mathematics. Most of the stereotypical photographs of scientists studying rows of equations on a blackboard are instructors explaining discoveries already made. Real progress comes in the field writing notes, at the office amid a litter of doodled paper, in the hallway struggling to explain something to a friend, or eating lunch alone. Eureka moments require hard work. And focus. Ideas in science emerge most readily when some part of the world is studied for its own sake." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreat Scientist ≠ Good at Math

Great Scientist ≠ Good at Math

"Many of the most successful scientists in the world today are mathematically no more than semiliterate. Pioneers in science only rarely make discoveries by extracting ideas from pure mathematics. Most of the stereotypical photographs of scientists studying rows of equations on a blackboard are instructors explaining discoveries already made. Real progress comes in the field writing notes, at the office amid a litter of doodled paper, in the hallway struggling to explain something to a friend, or eating lunch alone. Eureka moments require hard work. And focus. Ideas in science emerge most readily when some part of the world is studied for its own sake." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreat Scientist ≠ Good at Math

Millions, possibly billions of dollars awarded to scientists for duplicate studies

"Big Data computation at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech reveals that over the past two decades funding agencies may have awarded millions and possibly billions of dollars to scientists who submitted the same grant request multiple times — and accepted duplicate funding. An analysis led by Harold R. Garner, a professor at Virginia Tech, not only indicates that millions in funding may have been granted and used inappropriately, it points to techniques to uncover existing instances of duplicate funding and ways to prevent it in the future." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMillions, possibly billions of dollars awarded to scientists for duplicate studies

Millions, possibly billions of dollars awarded to scientists for duplicate studies

"Big Data computation at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech reveals that over the past two decades funding agencies may have awarded millions and possibly billions of dollars to scientists who submitted the same grant request multiple times — and accepted duplicate funding. An analysis led by Harold R. Garner, a professor at Virginia Tech, not only indicates that millions in funding may have been granted and used inappropriately, it points to techniques to uncover existing instances of duplicate funding and ways to prevent it in the future." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMillions, possibly billions of dollars awarded to scientists for duplicate studies

World landmarks go dark for Earth Hour

"The Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower and the Kremlin—along with a slew of other landmarks around the world—went dark to draw attention to climate change. In a symbolic show of support for the planet, people across the continents switched off their lights for 60 minutes—all at 8:30 pm local time—to make 'Earth Hour.' In bustling New York, that's exactly what happened when the Empire State Building pulled the plug on its nighttime brilliance. In Paris, the city of light, the Eiffel Tower turned off its illumination—but only for five minutes due to security reasons." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWorld landmarks go dark for Earth Hour