Month: May 2011
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The Search For Complicity
A cult in the Chicago area believed the world was going to come to an end. They didn’t seem too concerned for others going into that date. They gathered in a home and waited for the end. It didn’t come. After they were proved wrong, you might think that the would give up and move…
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Blame and Responsibility
The announcer asked, “To whom should I make out the card for the dozen roses?”, The boyfriend replies, “To My Shmookums Betsy, I love you alw…” “Who is Shmookums?” interrupts Sharon, his girlfriend who suspected an affair and used the radio station to organize a sting. Many of you have probably heard such radio programs,…
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Sacred Abstractions
He puts his hand around her back and kisses his wife. She puts her arms around him and they kiss. He takes her by the hand and leads her toward the bedroom. They close the door behind him. We are very familiar with this story structure. It is used because what is implied by the…
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Pricing Relativity
Think of the last 4 digits of your social security number. Now estimate how many doctors you think are in Manhattan. Obviously these two numbers are completely unrelated, but most people when presented with this problem will use their SSN as a starting point for estimating the number of doctors, and in studies, they’ve found…
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Lipitor – “80% of Heart Attack Victims Have High Cholesterol”
80% of Heart Attack Victims Have High Cholesterol -Lipitor Television Ad If you had high cholesterol, would you start feeling worried? Lipitor is lying. Not in a factual sense, but in an emotional one. This is an example of a great statistical lie. One that we have a hard time understanding on the surface, but…
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Don’t Force It
One of the greatest home chemistry experiments is mixing cornstarch with enough water to make it the consistency of Elmer’s glue. This highly viscous liquid behaves in fascinating ways. For example, if you poke it really hard with your finger it will hurt. If you simply put your finger on it slowly, it will feel…