The breaking news on December 15 reported a black banners flag - the emblem of Jabhat el-Nusra and linked to Al Qaeda - being held against the window of a Lindt chocolate store in downtown Sydney, Australia. A lone gunman inside had taken 17 people hostage, both employees and customers. Eighteen hours later, amidst flash bang grenades and automatic weapons … [Read more...] about The Lone Terrorist in the Workplace
psychology today
Is Expert Testimony in Court Cases really Expert?
Dostoevsky's "Brother's Karamazov" cleverly spoofs the careless inexpertness of what often passes for expert legal testimony. Three medical experts are called to testify whether Dmitri Karamazov was sane or insane when committing the alleged murder of his father. Naturally, the experts all disagree, with each completely convinced of the incontrovertible truth of his own … [Read more...] about Is Expert Testimony in Court Cases really Expert?
Bill Cosby, UVA, Penn State, Catholic Clergy, and beyond
This week, whether you’ve been logged on to the Internet, watching the news on TV, listening to the radio, or reading the paper, you’ve been deluged with updates and opinions about the sexual abuse allegations women have made against Bill Cosby. The first entry on my facebook newsfeed yesterday was a clever one where author/activist Jessica Valenti introduced the article … [Read more...] about Bill Cosby, UVA, Penn State, Catholic Clergy, and beyond
Murder Mentors
Ed, an imaginary friend, allegedly urged 16-year-old Steven Miles to kill and dismember a girlfriend last January. Yet Miles also had a fictional hero from a TV series, Dexter, and his violent acts were committed in like manner. Miles stabbed his friend in the back before using his father’s tools to remove her legs and an arm. He then wrapped her parts in cling-wrap and placed … [Read more...] about Murder Mentors
Land of the Free, Home of the Prisoners
Isn’t it great to be number one? In a recent New York Times article, the U.S. prison system has been thrust into the spotlight, highlighting the fact that we lock up more of our citizens than any other country. We beat out our competitors by a long shot. If we do not reform our prison system in a meaningful progressive way, our situation will continue to worsen from a … [Read more...] about Land of the Free, Home of the Prisoners
