Author name: S Anand

Microsoft adCenter Labs has a demographics prediction engine. Based on a person’s search queries and web sites visited, it can predict their gender and age.

So I tried that on parts of the body, to see what men were interested in vs women.

While I can understand men being more interested in beards and moustaches (perhaps even legs), why are they far more interested in toes than women?

Cut and paste has become easier. So we make less effort to understand. We don’t need to. Like when we pay less attention if we’re recording a lecture.

Solution? I suggest the Tunnel in the Sky strategy. Rod Walker is going for survival training on an alien planet, and asks his sister, Captain Walker…

“Uh, Sis, what sort of gun should I carry?”

“Huh? Why the deuce do you want a gun?”

“Why, for things I might run into of course.”

“Your only purpose is to stay alive. Not to be brave, not to fight. One time in a hundred a gun might save your life; the other ninety-nine it will tempt you into folly.”

“Did you take a gun on your solo test?”

“I did. And I lost it the first day. Which saved my life. I know how good a gun makes you feel. You’re ready for anything and hoping you’ll find it. Which is exactly what is dangerous about it – because you aren’t anything of that sort.”

So, don’t take a gun.

Don’t record lectures. Don’t give yourself the illusion of perfect memory.

Don’t bookmark for future reading. You won’t read it later.

Don’t cut and paste. You don’t understand it now. You won’t understand it later.