Brain gained, paradise lost?

Our brain, which creates our particular intelligence, consciousness, language and theory of mind; we think all this is advancement, progress toward a supreme being. But could these features simply be a specialisation? A specialisation necessary to protect us from what has become our greatest threat: our own race, our own complex society. Could it be a specialisation necessary to understand ourselves, to thrive or survive in our society. To escape and to dominate our own species. And if so, what have we lost in exchange for this specialisation that focusses so much energy on ourselves? Maybe a connection to all other live? Or maybe the understanding that all live on earth is one? Is that the paradise we've lost?

Seeing is believing, is ...?

The East German people's movement that resulted in the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 was significantly motivated by many East Germans being able to capture West German TV.
Saudis are the nr 1 per capita users of youtube in the world. How will this influence a society which does not allow night clubs, bars, mixed dancing, revealing cloths?

Aspects of Democracy: US vs Iran

For the presidential elections 2013 in Iran, voters had the choice between 8 candidates. For many aspects, the elected president's decisions need to be in agreement with political and social views of the Supreme Leader. The Supreme Leader is elected by the Assembly of Experts. Members of this Assembly are elected by direct public vote for a 6-years term.

For the US elections in 2012, voters had the choice between 2 candidates. Since candidates cannot win an election in the US without massive funds contributed by big companies and corporations, the elected president's decisions need to be in agreement with the political and economic interests of those individuals that own/direct these businesses. 

Crowd sourcing peace?

If you pray several times a day, consistently, for your whole life - what do you expect?
happiness? peace? understanding? rest? health? wealth? auspiciousness? love?
And if all people of a whole country pray every day, several times - what would be the effects? And how much would the effects depend on the intentions of the prayers?

And if in a country almost nobody prays - what would be the effects?

Can peace be crowd-sourced?

link between chicken and urinary tract infection - or between low cost meat and high-cost health care

According to several reports, the use of antibiotics to produce low-cost chicken meat leads to the evolution of 'superbugs' - multi-drug resistant bacteria, which can cause a number of human diseases, including urinary tract infections. Such infections account for a 1-2 billion USD health care cost. It's a great deal: First large-scale poultry factories maximise their gains by selling sick chicken, and then pharmaceutical industry and health care providers get huge revenues from the sick humans. It's a win-win, except for those who don't have the money to buy organic produce or who don't have the guts to go vegetarian.

What's the colour of love?

What is the colour, the age, the style of 'romantic relationship' in the 21st century? Let's ask google.

According to google.com (Images), romance in the 21st century is overwhelmingly visualized and thus defined as the close tête-à-tête between a young white male with short straight hair, and a young white woman. Google is global, and, therefore, this image is seen worldwide, even in the most remote places. Interestingly enough, even searches in the more country-specific sites such as google.co.uk, or google.co.za or google.co.jp, display more or less the same set of images. There are overwhelmingly those of a happy young Caucasian couple in Western summer clothes embodying the epitome of romantic relationship. Why not a happy Mayan couple? Or a loving elderly Caucasian couple?

Just like the image of Santa Claus - an old white man in Coca Cola red all over the world - and just as we listen to pretty much the same tunes in bars in Bogotá, Bali or Boston, romantic relationships are, indeed, getting more and more globally normative. And they are rarely black or Asian, never Inuit.

How does it feel for all those whose images, and consequently existences, are not evidenced by Google? Shouldn't the representation of love reflect all facets, and shades, of the human race?

(copied from this webpage. See that link for more thoughts on this topic)

Do men drive better than women? Let's test it!

Men often complain that women are bad drivers, and that it's the women who get all the bumps and scratches on the cars. Now, that's easy to test! Let's got to Saudi Arabia, where women are not allowed to drive cars, and check it out.
That's what I have done - I went to Jeddah. There are only men driving - yet there is not a single car without bumps and scratches, and it is the worst traffic and driving I have seen so far. And I have been to France, Italy, China, Malaysia, Caribbean Islands, Africa....
Is there any country where only women are allowed to drive?
Or would a mixed driving population perform best?