I get so excited when I stumble across a video like this. The human brain is a fairly lazy organ, as it goes; in fact it MUST be lazy. It allows us to take shortcuts and make snap decisions about our surroundings. When we see the headlights of a car coming towards us at night, for instance, we don’t stop and say “I can’t see a car coming, only the lights, so I should be safe enough”. Instead, our brain makes an instantaneous shortcut that allows us to stay safe – it assumes that there is a car behind the lights.
Exactly the same thing is happening in this video. To save mental processing power, our brains make the assumption that everything is as our eyes would suggest we are seeing. Further investigation proves though, that this is just not the case.
Did it fool you? Let me know in the comments below, and remember to share any that you’ve found yourself!
David.
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So, it’s Christmas Eve – and all through the house – not a creature is stirring, especially not my wife’s bump that should have arrived as a little bundle of joy. I like to think its taking after Houdini and planning for a slow and dramatic escape before the final big reveal.
So having braved the streets of Banbridge to get some late minute baby supplies, I thought I’d share some of the most important speeches I’ve watched this year.
These are real life stories that we can all learn from. I’d love to hear what you think of them in the comments below, or better still share your own for me to see.
I’m not very religious, but if this season is a time for reflection then there’s no better mirror than these five short clips.
In 2.5 minutes – Phil Snider on Equality
In 4 minutes – Nick Vujicic on loving what you have already
In 3 minutes – Zach Wahls on Gay Marriage
In 15 minutes – Steve Jobs on why you shouldn’t listen to anyone but yourself
And finally, Phil Davison on…..well I’m not really sure, as it goes.
Putting the rest of the male population to shame……
I proposed to my wife over a stale scone in Belfast International Airport – so I pretty much hate this guy. Kidding aside, it’s lovely watching this sort of thing.
Everybody say awwwwwwwh.
How did your proposal go? Let me know in the comment box below! Here are a few more of my favourites;
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“David was the highlight of our staff conference!”
As one of the fastest growing housing organisations in the country, Oaklee Homes deliver essential services to tens of thousands of stakeholders every single day. David was honoured to join Oaklee to host their annual staff awards and deliver a bespoke keynote presentation on how even the most successful organisations can stay true to their value through vast organisational change in challenging times.
Speaking on David’s role in the event, organiser Eloise Blake said;
“It was a pleasure for me and my colleagues to meet and work with David. David was definitely the highlight of our annual staff conference in December 2012. His hosting of our staff awards set just the right tone and energy in the room for the afternoon session, and his own presentation “Mind Your Business” was energetic and entertaining, with the themes of teamwork and change highly relevant to our work. The twist at the very end was mindblowing! There was a real buzz in the office about David’s presentation in the days following the event. David was a pleasure to work with, tailoring his appearance to meet our needs both before and during the event. Our staff really enjoyed David’s session, and there was a buzz in the office afterwards as people were still discussing it! David created just the right tone for the afternoon session with the presentation of the various staff awards. His own presentation was excellent, with the theme of teamwork and managing change very relevant to Oaklee.”
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MAKE no mistake about it, the Irish Football Association is one of the true giants of world football. A lofty claim perhaps but despite a population well below two million, despite only having just over 960 registered clubs and despite being able to draw from a pool of approximately 25,000 players spread over less than 5,500 square miles the influence the association had – and still does – on the game across the globe is immeasurable.
As the undoubted cornerstone of the sporting fraternity in the country, the Irish FA have a critical role to play in supporting and nourishing football and it’s positive impacts both at home and abroad. To this end, David was invited to be keynote speaker at the annual conference that focused on generating even stronger bonds within Team IFA. Taking the sporting metaphor as his theme, David delivered a session that inspired delegates to think critically about their central role in catalysing sporting passion in their communities, and ignite that same passion in those at Team IFA charged with the essential work of supporting, nurturing, and developing the dividends that football affords all it’s stakeholders.
Speaking of David’s role in the event, Head of Operations William Campbell said:
David was instrumental in making our event memorable and a total success. David was professional and thorough in his preparation, and his presentation was slick and masterful. He had the audience’s attention from the beginning and built a rapport with them. His session was and is the subject of many long hours of discussion – it was captivating and thought provoking. Wonderful!
Delegate feedback was exceptional on the day, and The Irish FA continue to drive the significant social, economic, and cultural benefits of professional sportsmanship in football in Ireland.
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David Tasked To Work With National Housing Authority on the Change Challenge
Joining nearly 500 delegates, David was invited to speak on the ongoing challenges presented by this ever-changing climate, sharing insights on how teams and individuals can utilise simple techniques to achieve their goals.
Speaking on David’s role as keynote speaker at the event, organiser Wenda Mason said;
A week on from our annual management conference and our delegates were still discussing David Meade’s presentation, such was the impact he made in just over 30 minutes! Like many working in the public sector, staff are facing difficult times – uncertainty, change and challenges, themes which ran through our conference. David addressed the Change Challenge in a humorous and entertaining manner, and got a big message across to the entire audience on positive influences in the change agenda. His address refreshed the conference, was uplifting and enlightening. In short, David delivered his address in style and very much left delegates with much food for thought!
On his role in the event, David said;
I always feel honoured to be asked to speak to the public sector. Having spent so many years working in education in the further and higher sectors, I’m acutely aware of the challenges faced by public servants that operate on the front line of delivering for communities. This conference was a wonderful opportunity for me to contribute towards this hard work. Mindful of the downward pressures on budgets and the upward pressures on productivity, I designed a program that would inspire the delegates to think critically about the material, and it’s applications in their respective roles.
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New ideas are ‘taking off’ at Antrim Borough Council
Cllr Paul Michael, David Meade, Minister for Enterprise Arlene Foster.
Using the airline industry as their theme, Antrim Borough Council brought together captains of the private and public sector to outline how innovation can be used to invigorate the economy. Speaking alongside the Ministor for Enterprise Arlene Foster, David Meade was charged with challenging the audience to ‘think differently’ about the climate within which they are operating.
Speaking of David’s role in the event, Director of Corporate & Regulatory Services Catherine McFarland said;
We have used David for five separate occasions in the past year; his contribution fulfilled the brief perfectly in the most engaging way and the audiences left the events feeling inspired. The balance between learning and interactivity was perfectly struck and everyone left with at something that they could use in either personal or business life. Without exception, the feedback was fantastic. I asked David to present as the overarching theme for both events was innovation and David certainly brought an innovative style. Based on the feedback, I would recommend David as a valuable addition to any event. I look forward to working with him in the near future.
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster used the event to remind that innovation is the key to creating a successful business and thriving economy. The Minister was speaking at an Innovation Seminar held in Antrim’s Old Courthouse and is pictured with Mayor of Antrim, Cllr Paul Michael and David Meade.
Innovation is the key to creating a thriving business and a successful economy.
That was the message from Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster when she attended an Innovation Seminar at the Old Courthouse in Antrim’s Market Square.
Organised by Antrim Borough Council, in partnership with the Centre for Competitiveness, Randox Laboratories Ltd and McKeever Hotels Ltd, the event was attended by business people from across Northern Ireland.
Arlene Foster said: “Statistics show that the strongest economies in the world, such as the US, Sweden and Germany, also have very high levels of innovation. There is a direct link between innovation and increased productivity and competitiveness.
“The good news is that businesses here are spending more on research and development. Latest figures show that in-house R&D expenditure by Northern Ireland firms in 2010 was the second highest percentage annual increase of all the UK regions.
“It is very encouraging to note that even though businesses are dealing with very tough economic conditions, they still recognise the value to be gained from investing in new products and processes.”
Innovation comes in many forms. It can be something as small as tweaking a product in response to a customer request or as large as collaboration with a number of other businesses on developing brand new technology.
The Minister said: “In particular, we want to encourage small businesses that have not done any R&D in the past to take the first step into exploring how innovation can help their performance.
“Invest Northern Ireland’s Innovation Voucher Scheme has demonstrated the wealth of innovation that resides in small businesses. This scheme helps local small enterprises to establish links with universities, colleges or research bodies to access expertise that will help them to develop innovative solutions to business ideas.”
Encouraging business people to find out more about the range of support available for help with research and development from Invest NI’s Boosting Business campaign, Arlene Foster added: ““The focus going forward must remain on maintaining and building on the increase we have seen in the levels of business expenditure on R&D.
“Companies that think and act differently at every level of their business are likely to be the most able to compete successfully. I would urge those that haven’t already done so to take advantage of the advice and support that is on offer to help them achieve their goals.”
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David Lifts The Lid on Retailers Persuasion Tricks
Persuading a customer to spend their hard earned cash on merchandise is the holy grail of the retail sector. In this article and video, produced the insanely talented BBC NI in house team, and in particular Laura Burns (Laura’s Twitter) I give my take on what’s happening in those stores when they try to flog their wares this festive season.
Whether it’s the comforting scent of cinnamon, the warm glow of soft lighting, or the oh-so-irresistable special offer, they know how to push our buttons to makes their cash registers sing. My friends will know I’m a SUCKER for a bargain – 50% off, 25% extra free – I just can’t resist a deal and have been known to negotiate at every single sales juncture I’ve ever engaged in. (My wife continues to make fun of me for refusing to pay the delivery charge a few years back when we had to replace a wheelie bin)
Martins Banbridge: “The bin is £38, and delivery is £2.50”
Me: “Could you deliver for free?”
Martins Banbridge: “No, delivery is charged as standard”
Me: “But it’s only £2.50, surely you could throw in delivery in to my price for me -just stick it in the van when you’re delivering something else to someone else”
Martins Banbridge: “Sorry Mr Meade it’s £2.50”
Me: “But how can you not take it off – it’s only £2.50” (drawing attention to the fact that the fee is so small they should easily waive it for me)
Martins Banbridge: “Exactly Mr Meade, it’s only £2.50” (drawing attention to the fact that the fee is so small that I should stop being a prat about it)
Me: “I just don’t understand the £2.50 change – I mean you already own the van” (I’m cringing even writing that)
Martins Banbridge: “It’s £2.50”
I paid the £2.50, and as Karma would have it, our original bin mysteriously reappeared back in it’s place on the same day we had the new bin delivered. I have no idea what the life lesson is here. Clearly I’m an insufferable tube, but happy to have your suggestions in the comment box below.
According to the National Post, shoppers might think they buy a particular item because they decided on their own that they want it, but they also buy because stores use tactics that make it almost impossible for them not to: From the oversized shopping carts proven to make us spend more, to the escalators that take us deeper into a store only to force us across the entire retail floor to go back up or down, to the pie crusts in the grocery store fruit section that inspire us to bake on a whim, to the placement of staple foods toward the back of a supermarket so we have to pass everything else on the way.
A feast for the senses
In new research , a University of Alberta team has proven that what we smell and hear affects what we buy: When a sample group smelled the relaxing scent of lavender, 77% wanted a soothing iced tea, but when the same group smelled the arousing aroma of grapefruit, 70% reached for an energy drink. When the researchers played Mozart’s Sonata in D Major at a slow tempo, 71% wanted iced tea, but when the piano piece was sped up, 71% wanted an energy drink — an exact reversal.
“We found that we could change people’s preferences enormously based on the type of music we played and the scents we released into the atmosphere,” said Prof. Kyle Murray, the director of the university’s School of Retailing. “When you’re more excited, you’re more likely to buy exciting products because you want to stay in that positive, high-arousal mood.”
Stores are already testing what was only recently just a theory, and a whole industry has sprouted to deliver what one company calls “scent delivery solutions.” According to ScentAir’s website, it helps Bloomingdale’s U.S. locations capitalize on the power of the nostril: “The soft scent of Baby Powder speaks to a mother’s memory in the infant department. The intimate apparel department is inviting with the soothing scent of Lilac, while Coconut wafts through the swimsuit department.”
But Prof. Murray said perhaps the most classic example of a retailer’s use of scent and sound is Abercrombie & Fitch, where upbeat music blares, the clothing is spritzed with perfumes and cologne, and where the lighting is almost obnoxiously dimmed.
“They have an atmosphere that is very well-designed for the younger segment they’re aiming for — and it’s almost repellent, actually, to anyone else,” Prof. Murray said. “Everything works together to give the store a kind of nightclub feel.”
It works, he said, because of a key factor called “mood maintenance”: Teens who enter Abercrombie & Fitch in a positive, upbeat mood, will be met with a similarly positive, energetic atmosphere; then, in keeping with the grapefruit and uptempo Mozart findings, they will be more inclined to buy because the environment matches their mood.
