rebecca's pocket

» Bruce Schneier: Close the Washington Monument.

Securing the Washington Monument from terrorism has turned out to be a surprisingly difficult job. The concrete fence around the building protects it from attacking vehicles, but there's no visually appealing way to house the airport-level security mechanisms the National Park Service has decided are a must for visitors. It is considering several options, but I think we should close the monument entirely. Let it stand, empty and inaccessible, as a monument to our fears. [...]

Terrorism isn't a crime against people or property. It's a crime against our minds, using the death of innocents and destruction of property to make us fearful. Terrorists use the media to magnify their actions and further spread fear. And when we react out of fear, when we change our policy to make our country less open, the terrorists succeed -- even if their attacks fail. But when we refuse to be terrorized, when we're indomitable in the face of terror, the terrorists fail -- even if their attacks succeed.

 [ 12.02.10 ]

» Americans and Chinese people see the world differently because they actually see the world differently.

"Americans are looking at the focal object more quickly and spend more time looking at it," he said. "The Chinese have more saccades [jerky eye movements]. They move their eyes more, especially back and forth between the object and the [background] field."

The finding suggests that East Asians literally spend more time putting objects into context than Americans do. The differences are not just reflected in how individuals recall and report their memories but in how they physically see an image in the first place.

/ (1) Comments / [ 12.07.10 ]

» I'm deep in preparation for the holidays, and I might as well make it official: I'll be on hiatus for the remainder of 2010 and into the beginning of 2011. Happy holidays to everyone, whichever ones you may celebrate. I'll see you in the New Year! / (1) Comments / [ 12.14.10 ]