The Technium: Twitter Predicts the Future

The Social Computing Lab at HP Labs in Palo Alto, CA found that using only the rate at which movies are mentioned could successfully predict future revenues. But when the sentiment of the tweet was factored in (how favorable it was toward the new movie), the prediction was even more exact. via kk.org As the author asks, if it can do box office grosses, what else can Twitter predict?

The benefits of joining a group …

If the relationship between money and well-being is complicated, the correspondence between personal relationships and happiness is not. The daily activities most associated with happiness are sex, socializing after work and having dinner with others. The daily activity most injurious to happiness is commuting. According to one study, joining a group that meets even just once a month produces the same happiness gain as doubling your income. According to another, being married produces a psychic gain equivalent to more than $100,000 a year. via nytimes.com So … join City Club and it feels like your income goes up 100%. That’s Read more…

The first Google Doodle

via google.com Google’s “doodles” are often pretty inspired, and commemorate birthdays, holidays, seasons, and events like the Olympics. They are also archived at Google. This was their first one I can find in the archives, and it comes from August 30, 1998. It commemorates, of all things … Burning Man.