In a study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers analyzed the “likes” of nearly 60,000 American Facebook users to infer their personality and behavior profiles.After comparing the data to responses given by study participants in a personality test, researchers found that “likes” were a fairly reliable predictor of the users’s sexual orientation, gender, age, ethnicity, IQ, religion, politics and cigarette, drug, or alcohol use.Now, this might seem pretty obvious. If you “like” the National Rifle Association, odds are good that you’re a gun enthusiast. If you “like” the Salon page, odds are good that you are a super attractive genius with excellent taste in reading material. The findings of the study seems self-evident since users are, after all, building an Internet personality profile by curating their tastes.But not everything you give the tiny “thumbs up” to is quite that obvious, and some “likes” reveal more than others.As reported by the Associated Press:Continue Reading… … Read More
All the anonymous Vatican voices in the Gray Lady
This steady use of anonymous sources should trouble supporters of the newspaper's credibility — especially those of us who were encouraged, back in 2005, when we read the New York Times Company self study called … … Read More
Cuomo on verge of approving fracking when RFK Jr. intervened
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo came as close as he ever has to approving fracking last month, laying out a limited drilling plan for as many as 40 gas wells before changing course to await the findings of a new study after discussions with environmentalist and former brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy Jr., several people familiar with his thinking told The Associated Press.The turning point, which could delay a decision for up to a year or longer, came in a series of phone calls with Kennedy. The two discussed a new health study on the hydraulic fracturing drilling method that could be thorough enough to trump all others in a debate that has split New York for five years.”I think the issue suddenly got simple for him,” Kennedy told the AP, then went on to paraphrase Cuomo in their discussions: “‘If it’s causing health problems, I really don’t want it in New York state. And if it’s not causing health problems, we should figure out a way we can do it.’”Kennedy and two other people close to Cuomo, who spoke to the AP only on condition of anonymity because Cuomo is carefully guarding his discussions on the issue, confirmed the outlines of the plan the governor was considering to allow 10 to 40 test wells in economically depressed southern New York towns that want drilling and the jobs it promises. The plan would allow the wells to operate under intense monitoring by the state to see if fracking should continue or expand.Continue Reading… … Read More
A salon: We drill into fracking
The growing tension between environmental concerns and business interests intensified this weekend amid reports that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was ready to approve a plan to allow hydraulic fracturing (aka “hydrofracking” or “fracking”) in parts of his state, until a last-minute intervention from Robert Kennedy Jr. put the plan on delay as it undergoes further study. As politicians at all levels (including the president) will be deciding whether to embrace the controversial method of shale gas drilling in coming months, we asked two experts with divergent views to discuss the issue with us — and you.Continue Reading… … Read More
Read our salon on fracking
The growing tension between environmental concerns and business interests intensified this weekend amid reports that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was ready to approve a plan to allow hydraulic fracturing (aka “hydrofracking” or “fracking”) in parts of his state, until a last-minute intervention from Robert Kennedy Jr. put the plan on delay as it undergoes further study. As politicians at all levels (including the president) will be deciding whether to embrace the controversial method of shale gas drilling in coming months, we asked two experts with divergent views to discuss the issue with us — and you.Continue Reading… … Read More
If it wasn’t for oil ‘Libya would be in the same situation as Egypt and Tunisia today’
Jibril is currently the head of one of the largest politicalparties in Libya, the National Forces Alliance. He was ahigh-ranking official with the Gaddafi government and also a leaderof the revolutionary Council in 2011.Jibril also added, that just because of oil Libya is a strategictarget for too many players in the region and worldwide.RT: Libya has made a progress after the revolution andparliamentary elections were held, won by your party – the nationalforces alliance. But then the Constitution has yet to be draftedand the country remains under the control of the revolutionarygroups and militias. Who holds real power right now inLibya?Mahmoud Jibril: Power under theoretical study rests withthe legislative body and with the government. But realisticallyspeaking it’s the one, who holds the guns, holds the power. So,there is still the cut between real power and official power.Hopefully with the progress that we are involved in right now, inthose developments, that some sort of compatibility between the twocan be struck. RT: Libya is probably the only example of an Arabspring country which was able to pick up its economy after therevolution. If you look at other countries that underwent the Arabspring we get the sense, that instead of prosperity they gotinsecurity. Why?MJ: First of all, Libya did not pick up its economy. Itseconomy wasn’t picked up. Only oil production was resumed. It’s apity, because foreign countries rushed into Libya immediately tostart pumping oil again, because it’s connected to their way oflife, to their economies. While the rest of the projects all overthe country are still intact, are still as they were left on the17th of February.So, if it was not for this drop of oil, Libya would be in thesame situation as Egypt and Tunisia today. So, it’s oil. Not theLibyan economy in general. I think Libya because of this oil wasthe subject of being targeted by too many countries, because thisoil wealth is needed not only for Libya – maybe to finance someother projects in the region. Taking a look at the European economytoday or the recession and the situation which the American budgetis in today, I think Libya can be used or at least is being seen asan alternative to finance and compensate the lack of assistancethat might be coming from Europe and from the US. That’s why Libyais a strategic target for too many players in the region andworldwide.RT: Many Libyans that I’ve been spoken to – most ofthem are people, who never liked Gaddafi. But they told me onething that could not be denied is that during Gaddafi there wassense of security and stability in Libya. And this is somethingthey are lacking greatly right now. How much time do you think itwill take for Libyans to feel secure and feel stabilityagain?MJ: A post-conflict period is a difficult one. It’s notan easy thing, especially in a country, where democratic culturewas totally absent. It needs time, needs patience, and it needs areal love of this country, which lots of people lack thesedays.RT: Another opinion is that a growing gap between thevictor towns like Benghazi and the looser towns like Benwaleed -people feel like maybe the gap is widening and there are two campsestablishing in Syria. Do you feel that? MJ: Some glimpses of that are true. But you can’t denythat this is the harvest of 42 years of a culture that somehowmanaged to divide Libyans to create cleavages between Libyans –regional lines and ethnic lines. Gaddafi for too many years triedto discriminate against … Now it’s an opportunity for allLibyans. Everybody is asking for his own rights to be realized, tobe achieved. These are all legitimate rights. The magic word is“dialogue”, real dialogue between all those groups.RT: If we talk about the Gaddafi clan. Does he stillhave support in Libya? Do a lot of people still support his clan?What future would you envisage for them in Libya?MJ: First of all, Libyans should be treated as equalcitizens and they should have equal rights, excluding those whocommitted crimes against Libyan people. Those acts should not beexempted. Those should be the subject of law. Courts should saythey’ve done this. Other than that Libyans should be treatedequally. And this should be granted constitutionally.RT: For example, Gaddafi’s son Saif Al-Islam is heldin a city of… Do you think he can be tried in the internationalcriminal court instead of domestically? Do you think he is gettinga fair trial in Libya?MJ: He is a Libyan. His crimes were committed on a Libyansoil. Libya is not a member of the ICC. I don’t know what groundsthe international community or the ICC is talking about, beingtried in the ICC.RT: But you feel like he is getting a fair trial inLibya?MJ: He’s been tried once in two or three sessions. And wedidn’t see any mistreatment.RT: When you were working in Gaddafi’s government,were you had friendly relations with him or not?MJ: There was a working relationship, sporadic. I wasbasically a consultant. He had his own team, but some technicalissues that related to my specialization – sometimes he got intouch with me and asked me some questionsRT: Back then there was talk that he was trying todemocratize or liberalize the Libyan economy. Was it a sincereattempt? Could it have helped at that point?MJ: No. I don’t think it was sincere at all. I think itwas some sort of a division of labor by Gaddafi among his clan.RT: When you were working with Gaddafi, did he haveany understanding of what was really going on and what could reallyhappen?MJ: First of all, I didn’t work for Gaddafi. I worked forthe Libyan state. I don’t think he had any glimpses ofunderstanding of what was coming. He was self-engulfed in his ownperception of the world, he was self-inflated, sense of narcissismof his personality, and I think he thought that this uprising couldbe crushed at any moment. He had the assumption the moment he firedsome shots on the streets, everybody would run away. He didn’t knowwhat was coming. This is a national uprising. It’s not just ademonstration by a group of students in a certain university. Ithink even the security systems in the Arab world were built aroundthat assumption, that it was only a demonstration here and there –the maximum scope was going to be a city, no more than that. Butall security system and security forces in the Arab world were notbuilt around the assumption that a national uprising covering allthe country can take a place and they can counter thatuprising.RT: When he was killed, I remember you told ourchannel a year ago that you didn’t know who killed him and youregret the killing.MJ: No. I didn’t regret the killing. I regretted the factthat he was not tried before he got what he deserved, whether it’sa punishment of death of whatever. But I think too many secretswere buried with him. Those secrets regarding our financial assetsabroad, his relationship with too many intelligence institutionsworldwide, his relationship with too many heads of states – whereconspiracies are planned here and there. All those secrets were forthe Libyan state, not for Gaddafi. And I think those secrets wereburied with him. And whoever killed Gaddafi – definitely had aninterest in burying those secrets.RT: Libya has a complicated track record when it comesto the US, in September alone there were two Americans killed by anangry crowd, and also a US ambassador. In your personal opinion –was it a planned terrorist attack or was it just people’soutrage?MJ: I am not involved in that investigation.RT: But just your personal opinion…MJ: I think (on what I heard from different findings –whether Libyans or Americans) it was a planned attack.RT: What do you think, when Hillary Clinton said howthat happened in a country that we (Americans) helped toliberate?MJ: It’s a question of lack of security. There was noofficial control in the country and anything could happen.RT: Do Libyans feel liberated by theAmericans?MJ: No, that’s not the case at all. Libyans feel thatthey liberated themselves, they appreciate the help of theinternational community. But who liberated Libya and who achievedthis revolution – was the Libyan people, nobody else.RT: The question of Islam is very acute in everycountry that underwent the Arab spring. What kind of Islam anddemocracy plan do you envisage for Libya?MJ: First of all, Islam is a global religion. It’s notconfined, for instance, to Arabs or a certain nationality. So, whenwe talk about Islam… Islam – it depends on how it’s beingconceived, how it’s being understood. When conceived the right way,it managed to build a civilization – still one of the bestcivilizations in history, where even western students used to come,for instance, to the Middle East just to learn Algebra, Chemistry…This was the real Islam, which respects the human mind, whichendowed human beings with a mission to be the Halifax of God onthis Earth, to be creators, to be peace creators, peace achievers,peace lovers – this is the real message of Islam. But sometimesit’s misunderstood, misinterpreted by others. And thismisinterpretation and misconception sometimes gives a verydistorted picture of Islam and at the end some sort of a verynegative stereotype results, as the one which associates Islam withterrorism, associates with ……, associates with a tent and a camel.That’s not the real Islam. RT: What do you envisage for Libya in terms of Islam?What kind of Islam…MJ: Islam’s identity should be the frame of reference forour constitution, for our interaction.RT: Will sharia be an option for Libya?MJ: I always ask my Islamic scholars in Libya that theirreal mission is to turn this sharia into real laws. … Read More
Are Republican brains different?
A brain scan study recently revealed that Democrats and Republican process and understand risk in different ways, with Democrats more attuned to their emotions and those of others, while Republicans are more driven by fear and potential reward.
The study analyzed the brain scans of 83 people as they played a gambling game in which participants could either score the easy low points or hold out for possible higher rewards. Both Democrats and Republicans exhibited similar levels of risk-taking—in other words, they were equally likely to hold out for the higher but riskier rewards—but different regions of their brains were activated during these decisions.
For Democrats, the region of the brain with the most activity was the left posterior insula, a region that is associated with processing emotions and understanding what other people are thinking or feeling. The region is sometimes called the “theory of the mind,” and it’s the part of one’s brain that allows you to estimate, for example, what your friend, partner or even a stranger may be thinking by imagining yourself in their shoes, so to speak. (No word yet on whether woman’s brains have vastly more developed “theory of the mind” regions.) It’s a region that’s associated with empathy and the understanding that each person has their own unique point of view.
