Laurie Endicott Thomas's Blog, page 3
September 3, 2017
Was “William Shakespeare” an Italian Jewish Woman?
William Shakespeare was the greatest English playwright, and one of the greatest English poets. Yet since the 19th century, many people have doubted that William Shakespeare, an actor from Stratford-upon-Avon, could actually have written the plays and poetry attributed to him. How could a man of limited education suddenly drop his Warwickshire accent and start … Continue reading "Was “William Shakespeare” an Italian Jewish Woman?"
August 23, 2017
Does Cognitive Therapy Work?
Cognitive therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist tries to teach the patient to think more rationally. In mild to moderate cases of depression, cognitive therapy seems to work as well as antidepressant medication. Yet like any other form of psychotherapy, cognitive therapy seems to be less effective for people with more … Continue reading "Does Cognitive Therapy Work?"
August 22, 2017
What the Dog “Saint” Teaches Us About Plausible Deniability and Child Murder
From the Middle Ages up to the 1930s, many Catholics revered a dog named Guinefort as a saint who protected infants. Parents would leave a sickly baby overnight at the shrine of “Saint” Guinefort. As a result, the baby usually died of exposure. Of course, some babies did not die so easily. As a result, … Continue reading "What the Dog “Saint” Teaches Us About Plausible Deniability and Child Murder"
August 16, 2017
Are You a Vampire Slayer or a Vengeance Demon?
On the surface, Joss Whedon’s television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a satire of horror movies. Vampire movies typically show pretty young women, and especially dumb blondes, as helpless victims who must rely on other people to save them. In contrast, Buffy (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) was a pretty and smart blond teenage … Continue reading "Are You a Vampire Slayer or a Vengeance Demon?"
July 15, 2017
In Peer Review, We Need More Natural Intelligence
The human beings who review articles for scientific journals sometimes reject good articles for stupid reasons. A computer can automatically reject an article for stupid reasons much more quickly and efficiently than a human being can. Thus, artificial intelligence could amplify the natural stupidity that often plagues the review process. Rather than spending less time … Continue reading "In Peer Review, We Need More Natural Intelligence"
March 10, 2017
When Narcissists Kill
I just binge-watched some episodes of the television series Forensic Files. The purpose of that long-running series is to show how forensic science has been used to solve murder cases. However, nearly every episode also serves as a documentary about narcissism. Narcissism is an inflated self-esteem that leads people to expect admiration and special treatment. … Continue reading "When Narcissists Kill"
February 19, 2017
Star Trek’s Real Mission: To Teach Us How Civilized Adults Make Decisions
In the opening credits to the original Star Trek series, Captain James T. Kirk tells us that the United Starship Enterprise’s five-year mission is “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” This implies that the main theme of the show … Continue reading "Star Trek’s Real Mission: To Teach Us How Civilized Adults Make Decisions"
February 15, 2017
Why Ambitious People Should Watch Ricky Gervais in The Office
An ambitious person is someone who wants to rise socially. Ambitious people want the power, property, and prestige that go along with being in a higher social rank. Ricky Gervais’s character David Brent, from the BBC television series The Office and the movie Life on the Road, is ambitious. In The Office, Brent wanted other … Continue reading "Why Ambitious People Should Watch Ricky Gervais in The Office"
February 4, 2017
Don’t Let Narcissists Destroy Your Company From Within
Narcissists are people who have an inflated self-esteem. Narcissists feel that they are entitled to the power, prestige, and property that go along with high social rank. Unfortunately, they lack the intelligence, the social skills, and maybe even the work ethic to earn the rank that they desire, or to handle the responsibilities that go … Continue reading "Don’t Let Narcissists Destroy Your Company From Within"
February 1, 2017
The History of Black History Month
In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced that the second week in February should be “Negro History Week.” This week was chosen because African-Americans had long been celebrating the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14).From the very beginning, the … Continue reading "The History of Black History Month"
