Who can predict the future? (Not theme parks, which is why Disneyland’s “Tomorrowland” always seems outdated.) But the Wall Street Journal is trying. The website of this venerable publication has been posting a series of podcasts entitled “The Future of Everything.” As of this date, 23 have been posted. Most are a bit long, going
Everyone wants to know the secret to a long, healthy life. But there is one group that appears to have a jump on the rest of us. The Amish. This religious sect that live mostly in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana and eschews most modern gadgetry have always had a health advantage; in 1947, the average
You really have to love a piece that begins “This article would have been much better if I hadn’t waited until the last minute to write it.” Why do we procrastinate? The most logical reason is because we’re so afraid of success that we find ways to intentionally sabotage our work. This is so common
In my lifetime, I’ve heard a lot of ideas about management and productivity. But one that is new to me is the idea of a “work spouse.” We need to make one thing clear right away — this has nothing to do with sex. A work spouse is simply a friend you can trust, respect,
My favorite natural law is the Law of Unintended Consequences. Here is a good example. The leopard is one of the most elusive and feared predators in the world. The last thing you would want is a big cat like this in a populated area. Or would you? There is a recent study in
We hear so much about eating healthy as it is, the last thing we need is another food warning. I don’t want to cause trouble, but I’ve just run across an article entitled “5 Shocking Things We Eat Every Day” on Realbuzz.com. The five ingredients they list are — Arsenic — Arsenic is in the
Have you ever wondered why mint is in your toothpaste? Or for that matter, almost every dental product? I didn’t either until I heard the March 16, 2018 podcast of NPR’s Marketplace. It seems until the twentieth century, few people brushed their teeth. Then an ad man named Claude C. Hopkins came along. He created
Having been in the military for twenty years, I’m very sympathetic to anyone who has lost a limb. Great progress has been made in fabricating lifelike and functional prosthetics, but they still have one major disadvantage — feeling. There is no sensation in metal and plastic. So the only way to control an artificial hand,
Who wouldn’t like to be better at solving problems? Recently, I ran across something that might help. It involves using “mental models” to think in different ways. A mental model is simply an explanation of how something works. It can be a concept or framework in your brain, like game theory, that helps you understand
Maybe it’s because I’ve been working a lot with special-needs kids at my local high school recently, but recent story caught my eye. John Lee Cronin is a young man with Down syndrome who loves unique and colorful socks. His life took a new turn when he decided to study retailing and customer service at
