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Assorted links
1. Rules of successful consulting, via Craig Newmark.
2. U. Chicago's new Milton Friedman Center.
3. An anti-shyness drug? And it is backed by at least one economist, namely Paul Zak.
4. Pele robbed at gunpoint, in Santos, Brazil.
5. Advice on...how to give advice.
6. Tomorrow Museum.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on June 23, 2008 at 01:18 PM in Web/Tech | Permalink
Comments
I thought the anti-shyness drug was alcohol...
Posted by: Dave at Jun 23, 2008 1:26:05 PM
Does this new anti-shyness drug have fewer negative side effects than the one I've been taking?
Posted by: d.cous. at Jun 23, 2008 1:28:06 PM
Oh man, in the time it took me to write my comment, Dave beat me to it.
Posted by: d.cous. at Jun 23, 2008 1:29:18 PM
Jokes aside, an anti-shyness drug would be a great thing, and of enormous benefit to society. I don't like the effects of alcohol and it makes me only marginally less shy. I'm old now, but millions of people in their teens and 20s would find a genuine anti-shyness drug a godsend.
Posted by: Mike at Jun 23, 2008 1:31:06 PM
Hodak's Rule 18-b related to advice-giving: Everyone wants to learn. Nobody wants to be taught.
And being taught by a college kid (where your link comes from) is especially asking a lot from most people.
Posted by: M. Hodak at Jun 23, 2008 1:55:44 PM
This website selling oxytocin spray provides quite a list of side effects. I'm not sure if I want to be trusting and gregarious but bleeding from my uterus or on the verge of passing out.
Posted by: Amber at Jun 23, 2008 2:10:49 PM
Amber - said like a typical introvert. You don't just know what a good time you're missing, obviously. ;)
Posted by: jason voorhees at Jun 23, 2008 3:26:12 PM
Speaking as an individual with Asperger's Syndrome, the anti-shyness drug sounds amazing. That said, I do have an issue with the claim that it would be non-addictive. Having some substance that I could use that would reduce the anxiety that I get with talking to people, sometimes with just thinking about talking to people, would be incredible. It may not be addictive like most people picture it, but at least for me, getting even partial relief would be such a great thing that I would be frantic to maintain it, and probably flip out if something went wrong with it once I'd gotten used to it.
That said, I would try it, and if it worked at all, I would continue.
Posted by: Ethan at Jun 23, 2008 5:54:47 PM
"...What's more, it is a very safe product that does not have any side effects and is not addictive."
Obviously spoken by someone without a uterus and who has never been in love. Oh, and since it can cause
strokes, perhaps he doesn't have a brain either. Sticking to the recommended dosage is pretty safe, but
saying there are no side effects is just silly.
Posted by: Ronald Brak at Jun 23, 2008 10:38:07 PM
A student's perspective of lubricating college social networks: Asking for advice. Professors love to here themselves talk, they will be grateful for the opportunity.
Posted by: TangerJoe at Jun 24, 2008 3:42:28 AM
Oxytocin is quite remarkable. In addition to the other benefits discussed, it literally makes mothers forget how bad labor and delivery are, which is vital to the continuation of the species. Because if women were able to remember just how bad it is, they wouldn't consent to doing it multiple times.
To illustrate what I mean, the day after giving birth my recollection of the event was reduced to a few mental snapshots. One of the comments my OB made as he was patching me up was, "ready to do it again next year?" I laughed and said hell no. But now almost 4 months later it doesn't seem like such a bad idea...
Posted by: Christina at Jun 24, 2008 1:27:50 PM
