Big Think

colin day commented on How to Recruit the Best and Brightest on June 20, 2009, 12:05 AM

This issue is one that will never be resolved. As a nation we need to be sure that all people are provided with an equal opportunity to succeed. Affirmative Action was created to make sure minority groups were not denied that right. This was the right thing to do. We need to continue to protect people from discrimination that was legally sanctioned for centuries. Yes, we are making up for the wrongs of the past. I'm a white man and I suport it 100%, because I know that I was brought up with every advantage in life, and I think it's right to give a person who hasn't had it so easy some extra help in trying to secure decent employment. Hewlett has it right here. A work place with a high degree of diversity truly reflects the make up of our society, and helps in bringing about greater understanding between races as they get to know each other as human beings, not as a color or a member of a race.  

colin day commented on Silent Killers of High Performance on June 19, 2009, 11:39 PM

Ethical behavior in the top management? Isn't that almost an oxymoron? I think Beers has great ideas, but if he expects executives to follow his model, he will  probably be very disappointed. Karim (above) makes valid points too, but I doubt many head honchos take this type of thinking under any consideration. They see any questioning as a threat and a challenge or disespectful to their "authority".  Back to Karim and his question about the government/big business relationship. Do you keep up with the news? Executives payed themselves millions of dollars in bonuses as they planned to lay off people. All this under the eye of the government and paid for by us. All the while claiming  the unions were making them go broke. Why does some guy who sits at a desk talking on the phone all day make a milion a year and the guy in the factory doing the real WORK is about to get his medical benefits cut? 

colin day commented on Ray Kurzweil on Living Well Forever on June 19, 2009, 2:34 PM

Kurzwell seems to  have a common sense approach to keeping healthy  and living a longer life, at first,  But, 120 pills a day?  My research into this (on the internet) seems to point to getting proper nutrition through a balanced diet. The use of megadoses of vitamins and minerals as well as everything from apple cider vinegar to bee pollen and over supplementing has shown to either not help or even do harm. In  my heart I hope his ideas are valid and will  work- in my head, I doubt that they will produce amazing results. Is Bridge Three the path to eternal life? I will  buy the book and see. He does look great for his age.

colin day commented on Pardis Sabeti Reveals the Future of Genomics on June 19, 2009, 2:08 PM

DNA information and its use can both help and hurt people. I see the the benefits in determining possible future disease and thus helping people plan and make health decisions, but  I am not really sure if I want to know that I have a 50% chance of developing an incurable  ailment. Are  employers and insurers going to try to force employees  undergo DNA testing to weed out  people  with possible future health problems?  I see privacy issues  here too. Amazing how people will  use  fantastic  technology to try to  discriminate. I predict  genetic info cases will  be  making their way to the Supreme Court in the near future.