Monthly Archives: January 2009

Blog

Do novels help our morals evolve?

Victorian era typewriter keysAre there hidden messages and subtexts in stories and novels that help reinforce and strengthen the values our society holds? A group of evolutionary psychologists researching Victorian-era fiction suggests that the classics of the time…

… not only reflect the values of Victorian society, they also shaped them. Archetypal novels from the period extolled the virtues of an egalitarian society and pitted cooperation and affability against individuals’ hunger for power and dominance.

[…]

The researchers believe that novels have the same effect on society as oral cautionary tales of old. “Just as hunter-gatherers talk of cheating and bullying as a way of staying keyed to the goal that bad guys must not win, novels key us to the same issues… “

The idea of culture as societal regulation valve is nothing new, I suppose, but it seems the researchers were focusing on the canonical literature of the era rather than what would have been considered popular by the man on the street. What about the Victorian precursors of the pulp magazines, for example, or their oft-unmentioned love of porn and erotica? There was a very different set of values embedded in those, I think we can assume…

That said, I think there’s probably a nugget of truth in the assertion that art contains coded value systems from the society that produced it. So what does that mean for us 21st Century types? We have somewhat different values nowadays, and we no longer have such a dominant monoculture as the Victorians. [image by k4chii]

Looking back on the science fiction novels we’re reading today, what would an anthropologist or evolutionary psychologist from a century in the future make of our values?

Blog

Death and taxes – IRS advises taxing metaverse economies

1 Comment

raining money in Second LifeNo one but their creators can be entirely sure of how much money is sloshing around in the economies of MMOGs and metaverses like World of Warcraft and Second Life, but given the sheer number of regular participants in both (and the brisk markets for in-game items using real world money) it’s certainly not pocket change. [image by Ravenelle]

That’s probably got a lot to do with why the United States IRS is being advised to start taxing virtual economies:

“Economic activities associated with virtual worlds may present an emerging area of noncompliance, in part, because the IRS has not issued guidance about whether and how taxpayers should report such activities,” Olson wrote in her report. She points out that almost all income is subject to tax—even prizes, winnings, and barter exchange. She also acknowledges, however, that tracking and reconstructing so many tiny transactions would be a huge burden, and that attempting to place a value on virtual transaction could present serious challenges.

No kidding; brief and silly scares about terrorist money laundering aside, the potential of black and grey economies lurking in the metaverse is pretty obvious. But considering how easy it seems to be for the meatspace megarich to slip through the net, is this going to prove too tough a nut for the IRS to crack?

For example, when does the money become taxable – when it leaves the virtual space in question, or as soon as it is earned by a citizen? What happens when exchanges operate between virtual worlds? Will the new offshores be based on server farms as opposed to Caribbean islands?

Blog

GM to make own batteries

merbraWith the wind firmly in the sails (lolwhut?) of hybrid cars auto giant GM is to get into the electric battery business:

The company also plans to increase its in-house battery development by building a 31,000-square-foot battery lab and hiring hundreds of battery engineers. GM is also working with a battery-engineering program at the University of Michigan to train new engineers. The lack of qualified and experienced battery engineers in the United States has been one of the big challenges facing battery startups such as A123 Systems. Most advanced battery production takes place in Asia, and this could hold back a switch from conventional vehicles to electric ones in the United States.

Technology Review have also created an interesting infographic of how a hybrid car works.

[from Technology Review][image from jaqian on flickr]

Blog

How to Communicate More Effectively, Part 4 – Inspire Desire

[How to Communicate More Effectively is a series of guest posts from Gareth L Powell. In case you missed ’em, here’s part 1, part 2 and part 3.]

Having shown the reader that your product (magazine subscription, book, story, etc) can do something for them, you need to inspire in them the desire to take the next step.

If you want them to download your podcast or subscribe to your magazine, you have to make them want to do it. You have to make the product look desirable. You have to make them want it. It’s no use having a crappy black and white sketch in your advert, you need an image that reflects what the readers want from a magazine – you need something that looks stylish and professional and good value for money. You have to offer them a discount or throw in something extra.

You have to show them how your product will fit into and enhance their lifestyle – how reading your book will make them the kind person they really want to be.

Some common things to tell people to make them want to buy or use your product include:

  • It’s a limited edition
  • It’s only available on a first-come-first-served basis
  • It’s only available for a short time
  • People they respect use the product
  • If they don’t buy it, they will lose out
  • It’s very easy to obtain
  • It’s good value for their time and/or money
  • Owning it will prove they have taste and intelligence