What is stupidity, exactly? Researchers compiled a list of 180 stories of people acting stupidly, then asked actors to read them out. The participants then rated the stupidity involved in the story from 1 to 10 and explained why the action was stupid. Their findings were publishedin Real Clear Science: "The first situation in which people call an action stupid is when the actor takes high risks while lacking the necessary skills to perform the risky action. A typical story for this is when burglars wanted to steal cell phones, but instead stole GPS navigation devices. They didn't switch them off so the police were able to track them easily. We named this category 'Confident ignorance'. The second cluster were cases of 'Absentmindedness - Lack of practicality' ... Typically when someone inflates more air in the car tyres than allowed. Here the person either forgot to pay attention or he or she doesn't know something essential about tyre inflation. The third category is 'Lack of control'. Cases here are thought to be the result of obsessive, compulsive or addictive behaviour. For example, one described a person who cancelled a meeting with a friend to instead continue playing video games at home."
An answer for everything
This from Andy McClure in the United States, @mcclureandy:
I'm terrified of Muslims. I don't want sharia law in America.
Nope. Some of that money might go for an abortion, and I'm Pro Life.
OK. Let's give everyone easier access to health care to improve and extend their lives.
Nope. That's socialism. I believe in the Constitution.
OK. I especially like the way the Constitution gives everyone freedom of (and from) religion.
Yes! Freedom of religion. Except Muslims. I'm terrified of Muslims.
"Wine. In a can. For men. With some of the worst product blurb you will ever read..." tweets Rhodri Marsden @rhodri.?
Middle-aged concerts
Further to yesterday's Sideswipe about the three sorry souls who remained seated, a reader writes ... "The ones behind me also remained seated but they weren't dragged there by wives, they desperately wanted to see the show. I know this because I had my chair kicked into the backs of my legs because I refused to sit down. My tickets were worth $300 and I'll be damned if I'm sitting down for a show like that."
