A new study published in the Journal of Psychological Science helps explain why many people try to pooh-pooh novel ideas. They find it scary. Research by the University of Pennsylvania and co-author of the experiments that involved 200 subjects, showed that while people say they want creativity, in reality they reject it partly because creative [...]
You know Big Data is a Big Deal when NPR runs a story, or in this case a mini-series, on it. Big Data refers to the huge amount of data collected through numerous sources that can be captured, processed and analyzed to guide science and marketing, and everything in between, and the rate of growth [...]
Ever had the problem of wanting to buy someone some clothes as a gift but dont know the right size and don’t want to ask them? Yes me too. That’s why I like this handy website called Anonsize.me. Simply got to the website, enter the person’s phone number and gender and your own phone number [...]
This bulb has built-in solar panels so it can be used in places off the grid. Made by Nokero the rain-proof light bulb is about the size of a standard incandescent bulb and contains a replaceable, rechargeable battery that can be charged during the day to provide light at night. Nokero says the N100 is [...]
According to multimedia artist Mike Winkelman, interviewed for the Atlantic, making something new everyday gets over the fear of starting creative projects. Mike has completed a new art project every single day since May 1 2007 and now has 1600. He says they aren’t all perfect, but that’s not the point: “Just showing up is [...]
What do you get when you cross speed-dating with brainstorming? Yup, ‘speedstorming’ a rapid technique for coming up with ideas and assessing potential partners for collaboration. The psychologists who came up with the technique describe it like this: “Speedstorming is similar in structure to therecent phenomenon of speed-dating. Since itsorigination in 1998, speed-dating has inspireda [...]
Philippe Starck is a French product designer who has designed everything from toothbrushes to hotel interiors and is now creative director of interior design company Yoo. His simple, iconic and often startling designs entered the mass market when in 2002 he created a number of beautifully designed, but inexpensive, products for Target stores. Starck writes [...]
Punk band Anti-Flag and useless.org released a limited edition tee shirt for Earth Day. The shirts are unwanted shirts that were gathering dust in Anti-Flag’s warehouse, that have now been repurposed with a new message. All proceeds fund a water and sanitation project in Sierra Leone. See more details here.
MIT researchers are developing a microchip that could help blind people regain partial eyesight. Though it won’t completely restore normal vision, it will enable a blind person to recognize faces and navigate a room without assistance. The chip, which is encased in titanium to prevent water damage, will be implanted onto a patient’s eyeball. The [...]
Why do bar codes have to be boring stripes? They don’t. These are from Japan and were created by D-Barcode. For the full article in Fast Company click here.
You will have seen the announcement earlier this year that pop sensation Lady Gaga has become the creative director for instant camera company Polaroid. The cynical amongst us might view this as a publicity stunt that won’t translate into anything more than a few column inches. After all, now that all pictures are pretty much [...]
The Information Architects have plotted the top 140 Twitter influencers on a map akin to those showing how the universe began. The blobs are placed according to name, handle, category, influence, activity and when they joined the service. Full story here.
Maybe. CEOs, teachers, and leaders claim they want creative ideas to solve problems. But creative ideas are rejected all the time. A new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that people have a hidden bias against creativity. We claim to like creativity, [...]
Business Playground is now out as a digital audiobook on Audible. It’s narrated by British actress Linda Gallagher and sounds great. Take a listen when you get a chance.
