Trivia Tuesday

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The halo effect is a term coined by researcher Edward Thorndike (1874-1949) to describe the bias experienced by people towards a person, company, brand or product as a result of other positive feelings in relation to same. Thorndike intended the term only in relation to people but its application has been widened. Some practical examples:

• The value of items, for example jewellery, is increased where they have been owned by famous people.

• According to studies, political candidates who are seen as more physically attractive and familiar are also seen as being more competent and more likely to be elected.

• The popularity of a product or company will have a spillover effect to other items released by that company.

• Likewise popularity of athletes and celebrities sees them endorsing products as a marketing tool.

The opposite of the halo effect is the horns effect.

According to one writer:

What is the horns effect and halo effect? It is a cognitive bias that causes you to allow one trait, either good (halo) or bad (horns), to overshadow other traits, behaviors, actions, or beliefs. In psychology, horns effects and halo effects happen all the time. Attractive people are, on average, though to be more intelligent even though this isn’t true. Overweight people are thought to be lazy, which is not necessarily the case.  

http://www.joshuakennon.com/mental-model-horns-effect-and-halo-effect/ 

Edward Thorndike

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The mummy of pharaoh King Ramesses 11, who ruled from age 25 until his death at 92 (1279-1212 BC), started showing signs of deterioration in the early 1970’s. In 1974 Egypt decided to send the mummy to France to be examined. As with other Egyptian travellers, he was issued a passport. Under occupation it listed "King (deceased)". 

Ramesses II is famous for his statues and temples. Abu Simbel is possibly the most overwhelming temple there is, with four colossal statues of the king sitting, two on each side of the entrance.

The architecture was so precise that the sun shone in on the statues of 3 gods inside - once on the equinox on February 22 and once on the equinox on October 22.

The fourth god was Ptah, who the sun did not reach as he is a god of the underworld.

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BIC, as in BIC pens, is a shortening of the name of the founder, Marcel Bich.

According to the BIC website, the little guy standing next to the BIC logo is BIC Boy. 

He was originally drawn as a school boy, with a head in the shape of a ball, holding a pen behind his back.

The ball for the head is a ballpoint pen ball.

How good is this, drawn with a BIC pen only. (More of this in the future).