Things Darren Finds Interesting

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Why eyewitnesses get it wrong

Scott Fraser studies how humans remember crimes -- and bear witness to them. In this powerful talk, which focuses on a deadly shooting at sunset, he suggests that even close-up eyewitnesses to a crime can create "memories" they could not have seen. Why? Because the brain abhors a vacuum. Editor's note: In the original version of this talk, Scott Fraser misspoke about available footage of Two World Trade Center (Tower 2). The misstatement has been edited out for clarity.

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Don’t! - The New Yorker

The secret of self-control.

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The very act of making decisions depletes our ability to make them well. So how do we navigate a world of endless choice?

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Science Isn’t Broken

If you follow the headlines, your confidence in science may have taken a hit lately. Peer review? More like self-review. An investigation in November uncovered a scam in which researchers were rubber-stamping their own work, circumventing peer review at five high-profile publishers.

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Precursor to all the “Questions to Fall in Love” nonsense

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Tabletop directors are commercial artists whose goal is to make mundane foods look so irresistible that people want to eat the TV.

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A dating show helped set off the toughest crackdown on television in years, exposing the tension at the heart of the Communist Party’s control of entertainment.

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Apple's War on Android

Steve Jobs hated Google’s Android operating system. The late CEO saw it as “grand theft” and an existential threat. But the legal war he declared could do Apple more harm than good

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All the shengnu ladies

Accomplished Chinese women are a new "leftover" generation: Too successful to marry, but disrespected without a man

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Boss Rail - The New Yorker

The disaster that exposed the underside of the boom.

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Disney’s $1 Billion Bet on a Magical Wristband

If you want to imagine how the world will look in just a few years, once our cell phones become the keepers of both our money and identity, skip Silicon Valley and book a ticket to Orlando. Go to Disney World. Then, reserve a meal at a restaurant called Be Our Guest, using the Disney…

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In a cycle of life and fine dining, Nevada pig farmer Bob Combs turns free leftovers into slop for his hogs, many of which eventually land back on Las Vegas casinos' buffets.

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Using the social network seems to make people more miserable

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I Don’t Want to Be Right - The New Yorker

To change false beliefs, appealing to a person’s sense of self may be more important than the facts.

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Gladiators in the Colosseum. Sideshow performers. Reality television. We've always loved to gawk at the misery or majesty of others. But this week, we ask the question: What's it like when the tables are turned and all eyes are on you?

Specifically, Act I about the Japanese show resembling The Truman Show

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The Confidence Gap

Evidence shows that women are less self-assured than men—and that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence. Here's why, and what to do about it.

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How to Get Into an Ivy League College—Guaranteed

Steven Ma of ThinkTank Learning says he knows what it takes to get kids into top colleges. And he'll refund your money if he's wrong.