This article in the New York Times highlights new research by Michael North and Susan Fiske of Princeton University in the area of age stereotypes which is potentially interesting in the context of age at work.

As the article says, age discrimination in the workplace can be harder to identify and quantify than race and sex discrimination. For example, older workers may be unfairly demoted but could still earn more than their younger counterparts, making salary differentials (which can be helpful in the context of say gender) a less useful tool in identifying age discrimination.

The research examines prescriptive (as opposed to descriptive) stereotypes i.e. ones that attempt to control how older people should be. This is examined in relation to what the researchers describe as ‘encouraging active Succession of envied resources [and] preventing passive Consumption of shared resources’). The researchers make the point that these stereotypes are of interest…

By Caitlin Kelly

Here’s a powerful, no-bullshit list written by Jason Nazar, founder and CEO of Docstoc, who is 34. In his blog post for Forbes, an American business magazine, he offers 20 tips for people in their 20s, like:

Congratulations, you may be the most capable, creative, knowledgeable
& multi-tasking generation yet.  As my father says, “I’ll Give You a
Sh-t Medal.”  Unrefined raw materials (no matter how valuable) are
simply wasted potential.  There’s no prize for talent, just results.
Even the most seemingly gifted folks methodically and painfully worked
their way to success.

I like a lot of what he says.

When you’re looking for your first, or second or third, job, it’s easy to forget or not even realize how utterly different the world of work is from school, which is why internships can be a useful glimpse into the “real world.”

In school, you…

Some time back, on the 22 April, I wrote about the weedy orchid which grows in the Adelaide hills.  I included a picture of this weed which had been kept in a bag for over a week and the little shoots looked fairly healthy. I thought that was quite impressive that it had managed to live without water or sunlight, and now…

It is nearly a month and a half since that weedy orchid was placed in a bag, and it is still alive! Wow! No water, no sunlight, just living on the energy that was stored in its tiny bulbs. That is amazing.

When I was first told that if one of these orchids was uprooted while in flower will continue to produce seeds, I was a bit sceptical. Surely no plant would be able to continue to grow when placed in a bag, but now I’ve changed my mind.

So for something a bit different, I have a video for you to watch.  I’m hoping to do more like this, so let me know what you think and what you would want me to do in the future.

The longest part in making the video was learning to use the software, as I had not used that particular software before.

I’m still getting used to the new camera, but it is nice when the orchids decide to grow in a clump.  I always enjoy taking group pictures of orchids.  The picture above is of some Diplodium robustum also known as the Large Shell Orchid.  When identifying this species I get confused as it is not always clear with species is which.  So this next picture I’ll just leave as Diplodium sp., though it could be a D. robustum.

Below is a picture of a spider orchid leaf, most likely Arachnorchis tentaculata.  I love the texture from the water droplets caught on the hairs of the leaves.

That is all for today.  Enjoy your weekend.