Mistaken Identities

Note: this post originally appeared as a blog arc on my old BizMediaScience blog. I’m resurrecting the complete arc here as it’s referenced in That Think You Do‘s “Unhealthy Comparisons” chapter
Enjoy!


I was reading a news release in Science a while back and have been thinking about it for a while. The complete news item, In The Courts, is about a man of supposed superior intelligence who, for whatever reason, did an unwise thing.

The unwise thing this man, 70 years old and a pioneer in gene-therapy research, did was molest a young girl. He’ll now spend 14 years in prison, most likely in solitary because he’ll be at risk from the other inmates.

The news item shares that scores of letters asking for leniency were sent on this fellow’s behalf to the judge.

Sometimes, and I’m not sure why, we think that people of great intellect aren’t subject to baser thoughts and desires. I remember so wanting to meet Dr. Edwin Teller, the so-called father of the American H-bomb. I wanted to meet him because I was so enraptured by his science, by his intellect, by his ability to reason and find answers where others couldn’t even come up with the questions.
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I dun ben edgjakaytid

[Note: This post originally appeared on the An Economy of Meaning blog on 1 Sept 2010 about 11amET as part of a series on education (and I got the lead post). I’m reposting it here because

  1. My education came up in a conversation with a friend during a recent lunch.
  2. It’s mentioned in my Clancy Tucker Interview.
  3. And again today during a weekly pub crawl with my fellow Harveys.]


I dun be smartThis month’s CAS theme is education. I get the lead post. Oh, if only what I had to offer was that a simple assignment of paper — the proverbial sheepskin — bestowed such a thing.

And we are all aware that an education has nothing to do with ability, intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, …, yes?

For those who don’t follow my various writings, herewith an overview of previous briefs on education (let me know if you want to see the full posts. If enough ask for them, I’ll dig them out and publish them):
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Priming, Sleeping Beauty, and the World’s Most Comfortable Couch

Can you fit this couch into your memory?

[This post originally appeared as a four part series on the now many times defunct BizMediaScience blog. I’m reposting here at the request of Joe Della Rosa. Thank him, should you get a chance.]

Priming, Sleeping Beauty, and the World’s Most Comfortable Couch, Part 1
I was told it’s time to buy new furniture by She Who Must Be Obeyed (with respect to Rumpole of the Bailey). I have a strict requirement for furniture, especially couches; they must be long enough for me to stretch out on so I can take a nap without disturbing our dog (he usually takes his position at my feet when I’m lying on the couch) and they must have a significant “cush” factor. I like couches that engulf me in a warm embrace.

Susan, my wife aka She Who Must Be Obeyed, knows this and I trust her to pick out furniture that I’ll be comfortable in. She makes the first pass, I get called in to determine cushiness, and then we go home and wait for the appropriate furniture to be delivered. Imagine my chagrin when she showed me her first choice, a post modern bauhaus piece…
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The Complete Eventing Yourself Arc

Originally published in Feb 2007… I think as a cave drawing (it was so-o-o long ago!)

Note: This was originally a) a five part arc b) on the ancient BizMediaScience blog. We condensed it to a single entry on the second generation BizMediaScience blog and are resurrecting it here because it’s referenced in Writers’ Groups – Introduction


Eventing Yourself, Part 1

I enjoy Brad Berens’ Mediavorous blog because, well, he’s Brad Berens and Brad often makes me think and I enjoy that experience. Often Brad and I think about the same things from different paradigms. He recently posted “The Perils of the Pause Button”. That title may be misleading because what Brad’s really right about is eventness, “…seeing stories — films, plays, TV shows — with other people.” Brad has more than one post on this and they’re worth a read.
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