Hawthorne Effect

[Freethinker]

I had the rare fortune of being part of an unusual experiment in computers called Symbolics. Too long to go into here. But Symbolics was a computer platform which had unique abilities in Artificial Intellegence and Expert Systems. So a lot of the people that were in it are doing some very interesting things now. One of the remnants of the Symbolics gang is a mailing list called "The Usual Suspects". (After the movie, also a long story)

http://smbx.org/html/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2


I am forwarding a post that just came thru the list. It would seem to be on topic for this site both from a topic of interest AND an opportunity for visitors to this site to possibly be part of the experiment. That is why I have it in Science Projects.


Suspects,

You're probably familiar with Marketplace on NPR. Want to be part of a three-minute feature on the evening show?

I wrote an article once on the Hawthorne Effect, which describes the interplay between a system and the measurement of that system -- sort of the societal analog of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. In the article I wrote about measurements you can make that are less likely to be distorted by the Hawthorne Effect.

Marketplace is interested in broadcasting a real-time application of those ideas, using a live workplace. We would walk through the offices, commenting to their reporter, and possibly she would interview some of the residents.

And it's radio, so you can come as you are.

It could be on an anonymous basis if need be, but being mentioned on Marketplace is usually thought of as a good thing.

I need a facility in the Boston Area, or even Rhode Island or Southern NH, with about 50-100 people or more. Something the size of, say, Vassar Street would do nicely. Bigger is better, but only in the sense of more choice.

If you know of anyone who might be interested please do let me know asap. And feel free to pass this message along.

Thanks!

Rick
Rick Brenner
http://www.ChacoCanyon.com

Chaco Canyon Consulting
10 Emerson Place, Suite 16A
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 263-1112
Fax: (617) 263-1113

[Tormod]

Interesting. Do they sponsor flight tickets from Europe, too?

Tormod