Until recently, the preponderance of scholarly evidence convinced many that hard work was more important than talent. Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson, for example, published a landmark study in 1993 that found that practice time accounted for 80% of the...
Wayne’s World
Needed: Sex Education
If there was ever a doubt for the need of sex education in the school system it was removed by the remarkable statement of the Republican nominee for Senate in the state of Missouri, Todd Akin, who, in August 2012 insisted with the voice of authority that “legitimate...
Mission Impossible
Following the controversy surrounding the alteration of the image of a woman researcher on the new, polymer Canadian $100 bill on the grounds that she looked “too Asian,” the Bank of Canada issued a statement saying its policies are to “avoid depicting any particular...

Living With Imperfections
By applying the latest cutting-edge technology, Italian scientists at the Elettra Synnchrotron Light Laboratory have concluded that the exquisite and incomparable sound produced by Cremonese violins is due to tiny imperfections in the instrument. Using a device akin...
Even Scholars Make Mistakes
In June 2013, when Professor Mauro Perani of the University of Bologna announced that he discovered the oldest existent Torah scroll – some eight hundred years old – the feat was celebrated across the world. In fact, his “discovery” is a testament to scholarly...
Imperfections
By applying the latest cutting-edge technology, Italian scientists at the Elettra Synnchrotron Light Laboratory have concluded that the exquisite and incomparable sound produced by Cremonese violins is due to tiny imperfections in the instrument. Using a device...
Honesty Up Front
From the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Valerie Ross of Disciver Magazine notes that if you want people to be honest, its far better to have people sign the top of the form than the bottom. Apparently, taking responsibility from the outset for...
None is Not An Option
Following the controversy surrounding the alteration of the image of a woman researcher on the new, polymer Canadian $100 bill on the grounds that she looked “too Asian,” the Bank of Canada issued a statement saying its policies are to “avoid depicting any particular...
If Only Women…
If there was ever a doubt for the need of sex education in the school system it was removed by the remarkable statement of the Republican nominee for Senate in the state of Missouri, Todd Akin, who, in August 2012 insisted with the voice of authority that “legitimate...
No Obstacle Is Too Great
There are people who refuse to surrender to the obstacles thrust in their direction. Oscar Pistorius, a twenty-five year old South African sprinter, is a double amputee. Yet he has not allowed the loss of legs below both knees to prevent him from competing...