An oddly broad-brushed research report out of Edinburgh makes the radical discovery that the type of music you like has some correlation to your personality. In what is claimed to be the largest such study ever undertaken, Professor Adrian North surveyed 36,000 people about their musical preference and their personality, then analyzed the resulting clusters. […]
Archives for September 2008
Community-funded journalism
A new nonprofit initiative is exploring a different way of funding professional journalism from the traditional professional media company. Spot.us will accept story proposals from anyone, journalists included, post some of those story ideas for public consideration and contribution, and then hire a journalist to research and write the stories that get a critical mass […]
So small, so big
A fascinating science article in the New York Times describes new research that has recorded, for the first time, brain cells in the act of summoning a memory. The study confirms the current theory that the same cells that were active during the original experience are the ones that fire when that experience is recalled. […]
What are the ”proxy interests” of your potential audience?
I’ve been dabbling in Facebook recently for a number of reasons — primary among them is that my teenage daughter wanted an account, and I want to know the terrain of any place my kids choose to wander. Now, of course, I’m hooked. There are so many extraordinary aspects to these increasingly sophisticated social network […]
Even the ”offline” world is ”online”
Trendwatching.com suggests that the on-line world is now dominating our metaphors and expectations in the off-line world — with on-line symbols taking real-world form, make-it-yourself services entering real stores, on-line functions increasingly built into physical products, and off-line communications and marketing referencing on-line lingo. They offer some tips for doing business in this new reality, […]
Cash flow, or lack thereof
Texas Ballet Theater, along with many other arts nonprofits, is quickly discovering the difference between a balance sheet and a cash flow statement. The major ballet company finds itself $500,000 shy of the cash it needs to pay current debts, and $2 million short of its annual needs. Says board chairwoman Robin Arena: “Up until […]