• Confirmation bias
  
• Hindsight bias
  
• Clustering illusion
  
• Recency effect
• Anchoring bias
• Overconfidence effect
• Fundamental Attribution error

This page looks at 2 distinctly different areas. The first deals with how the brain works and the second looks at the old adage,  "Never let the facts get in the way of a good story"

First things first, I was taught and am very fond of telling the Archimedes "Eureka" story.  It strikes a chord which most of us and we can directly relate to this and similar situations. 

Many times I have wrestled with a problem and felt sure that the answer was staring me in the face, but I just could not see it, I felt that I could not see the "wood for the trees" - then Wham - an unrelated job or series of events and suddenly the answer is glaringly obvious. 

As they say in all the good TV program's - Why is this so ? The linking article refers to a research project at Northwestern University in Illinois and the work of Dr Jung-Beeman who specializes in “high-level cognition,” , in particular,  how the brain thinks

The second part of this page looks at the facts behind the myth.  Do we want to really know the truth if we can run with a good story.  Do we want to believe in Santa and the elves ?  Good story tellers are a valuable commodity,  so what if they stretch the facts a little.  I'm all in favor of a bit of imagination and if it makes a good story and doesn't hurt anyone,  what is the harm.  So,  keep that vision of a naked Archimedes running down the street shouting "Eureka" - It might not be a pretty sight,  but hey we all need to get a life

....click the links to read more

This unusual reversal of roles may signal trouble ahead,

The health and environmental risks posed by nanotechnology are a bigger worry for scientists than the public, according to a new report.

....click the link to read more

Take a look at 20 facts that may change the way you look at yourself.  Some of them are boring but some of them are quite remarkable.  Did you know that the atoms making up yourself are about 4.5 billion years old,  or that in  a short period of 4 months more than 80% of the atoms in your body will be replaced with new ones?  Scary huh.

Ever heard the saying:

 In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

Well the problem may be a lack of practice.  Things need to be trialed in real life rather than hypothetically to pick up on all the little things you didn't consider in the perfect world inside your head.

From Mother Teresa breath spray to a screaming rubber chicken, manufacturers come up with stockings full of stupid gifts in time for the holidays with one Web site dedicated to finding the most idiotic.

Web site Stupid.com, which claims finding a truly stupid gift is an art form, on Monday unveiled its list of the top 10 "stupidest" holiday gifts for 2007.

....click the link to read more

The Times and Times Online are the UK media partners for the Harvard Business Review's (HBR) new Fuel Your Performance intiative. This looks at the latest thinking on personal and corporate high performance.

....click the link to read more

Failures happen all the time.  Projects don't go according to plan,  machinery breaks down,  people accidentally do things they shouldn't.  All this is actually good when you learn to view it from the right perspective.

Communication occurs in a variety of forms and methods. It can be verbal, written, body language, sign language, electronically formatted, paper formatted, and even custom to groups or organizations. Effective communication leads to information exchange. Miscommunication at work may lead to disagreements, arguments, or potential legal action. Yet in any communication, it is assumed that the words, phrases, sentences, or expressions used will be interpreted as intended. But is that usually the case?

....click the link to read more

 It's over a year since Alan Johnson vowed to spend big on training more women to work in the construction and engineering industry. But judging by the lack of queues for the ladies' loos at this year's exhibitions and trade fairs, the industry is still waiting for the cash injection to take effect. Elizabeth Donevan reports.

 SOMETIMES EVEN THE MOST satisfied engineers and industrial researchers can yearn for a change of pace. Despite the excitement that comes from translating a raw idea into a novel product or life-saving drug, some long to do fundamental research that isn't tied to customer needs or profitability.

 Sometimes it just happens and other times it needs to be made to happen

 Business, Engineering and Design programs are shaping a new generation of creative managers

 The struggle for talent is worldwide and technology skills are subject to vigorous competition. Only eight per cent of engineering and technical workers are female, so companies who want a skilled, experienced and diverse workforce should re-examine their policies and concentrate on recruiting more women.

 Testing parts to see if they’ll work on the space shuttle sounds interesting to Austin High School student Sean Goodman who wants to know what being an engineer is really like

 An unusual concept for engineers - who are more accustomed to working with certainty -

 This had me worried !! but despite the rhetoric I still believe there are fairies at the bottom of my garden....