John and Stefan have made a very interesting point. However, globalization means much more than the theory of comparative advantage. Although oil may prove to be the lynchpin of an international trade thus influencing trade decisions especially across great distances, it certainly doesn't mean an end to globalization. I think it will take a war to stop my Chinese children from having their french fries & coke, my wife from pursuing her Japanese language and me from sharing my views with you people...
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For the study, volunteers searched the Web for articles or played one of three games that exercised their visual and spatial skills, their wordplay or their point-and-shoot marksmanship. After 15 minutes, the volunteers were wired to EEGs, which measure brain waves, and a heart monitor and filled out questionnaires about their mood. Compared with the group that searched for articles, only the visual/spatial players showed a physiological stress reduction. But all three groups reported feeling more vigorous and less tense and depressed than before the games.
Now for the caveats, starting with the fact that the games' maker paid for the study (though Russoniello says it had no say in test design or data analysis). More problematic: the data are silent on whether the brain changes lasted more than a few minutes. The challenge for game makers now is to show that their products reduce stress better than a good book, a stroll in a garden or any other nonvirtual pleasure.
—Sharon Begley
Fast Chat: Man Of The People
Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, has presided over a deepening rift in his country between his populist supporters and the nation's elite. He met with NEWSWEEK's Barrett Sheridan during a visit to the United Nations. Excerpts:
Your country is the second biggest producer of natural gas in South America. Your government took control of that
sector
in 2006. How have foreign investors responded?
In 1999, there was $600 million in foreign investment. This year, $1.2 billion of investment is scheduled … investors will recoup their money. These companies have a right to make a profit.
So you
'
ve acquired the necessary level of investment to avoid the fate of Venezuela, which has declining production levels?
That's our goal, to follow through on our commitments to Argentina and Brazil, to cover the domestic market and to expand. But in energy, we're talking not only about tapping hydrocarbons but also geothermal ... We also want to tap our lithium reserves.
You say that capitalism is destroying the earth and bringing about the environmental problems we see today. What alternative do you suggest?
As we [indigenous peoples] understand it, the earth is a mother and you can't, for the sake of accumulating capital in just a few hands, turn Mother Earth into a commodity.
© 2008
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