Having recently finished Dan Pink’s latest book, ‘Drive’, I’ve been thinking a bit about the science of motivation. I’m not sure if this is an entirely original idea or if something like this exists, but as I was walking out of the gym I wondered how cool it would be if a gym existed that — for example:

• Cost $30/month.
• Gave you a sticker each time you checked out.
• If you collected 10 stickers in any given month, you’d save $10, so it would only cost you $20 for that month.

This would have numerous positive consequences and pretty much be a win-win for everyone involved. As a result of more people visiting the gym more often:

• They would be healthier.
• They would be richer. 
• The gym would make more money in the long-run as a result of less people dropping out after the first couple of months, and telling others about the awesome deal.

Again, not sure if it’s original or if there are gyms that do this. But if it is, and there aren’t, there should be.

The day after US Air Flight 1549 landed safely in the Hudson, so many people played the number 1549 in the lottery that some states shut their lotteries down out of fear that if the number hit, they would lose millions.

The New York Pick 4 number that day turned out to be 1548.

(via rickyv)

I used to be slightly against parents policing their kids on the Internet, but I’ve reconsidered after watching and tracking this incident. It’s the worst of what can happen when parents either ignorantly or willfully let an eleven year old freely roam around the Internet and pretty tragic for everyone involved. 

With that said, it’s hard not to miss the great benefits of the Internet in a child’s development. Not only can it inspire and empower the next generation of designers, writers, and programmers, it can make you smarter and informed for your life ahead even if those aren’t what you end up doing.

So a few years (decades?) premature, I’ve devised a set of rules that my kids will adhere to when it comes to Internet access. Of course, this will be adjusted for technology at the time. (Side-note: can imagine what such a list would mention in 1996?)

1. You will have Internet access of some sort from the time you’re 4 or 5 (iPad?).
2. Your access will be limited with the following set of rules until you’re 15 — after which, given you don’t have a alarming history of incidents, you’ll be given fully unrestricted access.
3. The computer will stay in the living room until you’re 12. After this time, you may be awarded a laptop.
4. You will be absolutely free and encouraged do any type of creative work. Photoshop, programming, writing, pretty much anything that involves you creating something.
5. Likewise for learning and discovering. Wikipedia, Google Earth, (the good stuff on) YouTube, news sites, documentaries.
6. Time restrictions will be minimal if not none for creative and learning tasks, but 2 - 3 hours a day for games and other non-productive things.
7. You will not have a Facebook account, or an account of any sort on a social website, until you’re 13.
8. IM/e-mail with your immediate school friends and known people in your age group around the world will be encouraged. (Theory: kids talking to each other, especially those of different cultures, increases tolerance and understanding at later ages.)
9. Adult content filters will be set at all times.
10. Unrelated bonus: you will be made to watch Khan Academy videos alongside your school work. If you show interest and drive, you may proceed further than the curriculum, in hopes that you end up mastering Calculus by the time you’re 16.