The Reality Distortion Field Is Real

The Reality Distortion Field Is Real 270

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:09PM from the roped-tied-and-branded dept.

TimeZone writes "Apparently, even subliminal exposure to the Apple logo can make you 'think different.' Researchers at Duke University subjected participants to subliminal images of the iconic Apple and IBM logos (during what subjects thought was a visual acuity test), and those who were shown the Apple logo generated more creative ideas after the test than did those who were shown the IBM logo. In a second test, subjects exposed to the Disney logo acted more honestly than those who saw an E! Channel logo." Here's a preprint of the paper (PDF) due for publication in the Journal of Consumer Research.

The Reality Distortion Field Is Real

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Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)

by DrunkenTerror ( 561616 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:11PM (#22789566) Homepage Journal

Nobody ever got fired after staring at the IBM logo.

So.. (Score:5, Funny)

by Creepy Crawler ( 680178 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:11PM (#22789570)

What does the "Microsoft" logo do to you (down there)?

Logos (Score:5, Funny)

by doctortommy ( 1257868 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:15PM (#22789614)

...and the Microsoft logo caused test subjects to experience extreme confusion and frustration.

Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

by slashdotlurker ( 1113853 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:17PM (#22789628)

Microsoft - made you more likely to be cruel to little animals
Tux - made you grown a long beard and lose all your friends
Novell - made you betray your friends
Democrat donkey - made you find new ways to destroy yourself
Republican elephant - made you question the value of an education

What is next ?

"Judge, I crashed my car because I stared at a Ferrari logo for too long." ?

Yaa! CreativIty can be measured now! (Score:5, Funny)

by mikeabbott420 ( 744514 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:19PM (#22789652) Journal

Or maybe this study is a steaming pile of platypus dung. See that there? Platypus Dung? that's creativity baby!

I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

by vodevil ( 856500 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:20PM (#22789672)

I see my apple logo on my laptop all the time. People always tell me I'm full of shit, but I always explain that I'm full of great ideas. Now I have proof that I'm the one that's right, and they're full of shit.

RDF, not in the logos! (Score:5, Funny)

by countSudoku() ( 1047544 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:20PM (#22789676) Homepage

The RDF emanates from The Steve, not the Apple logo. Unless, of course, The Steve laid hands upon the device bearing the logo. It's all right in here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_distortion_field [wikipedia.org]

Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)

by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:20PM (#22789682)

Comment removed based on user account deletion

and the playboy bunny logo... (Score:5, Funny)

by bagboy ( 630125 ) writes: <(ten.citcra) (ta) (oen)> on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:21PM (#22789700)

has what reaction?

Re:So.. (Score:5, Funny)

by CodeBuster ( 516420 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:21PM (#22789706)

You have a sudden and irresistible urge to pick up the chair that you are sitting in and throw it across the room while repeating the mantra, "developers, developers, developers".

Genetic effects (Score:4, Funny)

by Space cowboy ( 13680 ) * writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:26PM (#22789758) Journal

We've established that the reality distortion field is in fact correct (TFA), and that it self-evidently (look at Apple's recent sales [arstechnica.com]) is transmitted as a meme throughout technological society. We know that the human condition is regulated by culture [demon.co.uk] - that the human brain is evolving to cope with the phenomenal rate-of-change-of-culture it is being exposed to. In doing so, it must also cope with (adapt to) this reality distortion field created by Apple.

Steve Jobs is screwing with your mind, people. And your children's nascent minds too. Be afraid (of non-shiny things). Be very afraid (of anything not cool).

Simon.

Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)

by Naughty Bob ( 1004174 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:27PM (#22789766)

The same cannot be said of Ubuntu. [ubuntu.com]

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

by Draconix ( 653959 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:28PM (#22789778)

Slashdot logo - made you move back into your mother's basement.

Re:and the playboy bunny logo... (Score:3, Funny)

by hachete ( 473378 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:30PM (#22789794) Homepage Journal

turns you furry?

Windows logo? (Score:5, Funny)

by rice_burners_suck ( 243660 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:31PM (#22789810)

By extrapolating these results, I assume that those shown a Windows logo got into their car, drove extremely slowly while telling those behind them to "please wait," and then crashed into a telephone pole due to a driver problem.

Blue tree on yellow background. (Score:2, Funny)

by Lewrker ( 749844 ) writes: <m@GIRAFFErdns.pw minus herbivore> on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:32PM (#22789812)

That certain logo made you want to claim other people's stuff as yours, but refuse to show the receipt because it's so damn obvious. And then file for bankrupcy.

Re:So.. (Score:2, Funny)

by aynoknman ( 1071612 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:40PM (#22789892)

It makes you want to go today

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

by Mox-Dragon ( 87528 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:41PM (#22789910)

QED.

Re:and the playboy bunny logo... (Score:5, Funny)

by Jimmy King ( 828214 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:43PM (#22789928) Homepage Journal

turns you furry?
On your palms, anyway.

Re:I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

by vodevil ( 856500 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:45PM (#22789952)

That wasn't very creative. You must have just viewed the IBM logo.

Re:So.. (Score:5, Funny)

by Hinhule ( 811436 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:46PM (#22789964)

Personaly I just stop breathing until I get blue in the face.

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

by Joe Snipe ( 224958 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:47PM (#22789972) Homepage Journal

Sounds like some has been staring at the BSD logo again...

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

by Trespass ( 225077 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:55PM (#22790048) Homepage

Adobe- Makes you try and think of new ways to make the internet slower

Re:I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

by VisceralLogic ( 911294 ) writes: <paul@visceral[ ]ic.com ['log' in gap]> on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @07:56PM (#22790058) Homepage

I see my apple logo on my laptop all the time. People always tell me I'm full of shit, but I always explain that I'm full of great ideas. Now I have proof that I'm the one that's right, and they're full of shit.

Maybe because if you're seeing the Apple logo, you're looking at the wrong side of the screen...

I keed, I keed... typing this from my MacBook.

Beer (Score:4, Funny)

by Dachannien ( 617929 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @08:11PM (#22790208)

Participants subliminally viewing a Budweiser logo were able to crush roughly twice as many beer cans against their foreheads compared to those who viewed a Colt 45 logo. On the other hand, those viewing the Colt 45 logo were shown to be 65% more obnoxious when panhandling.

Re:I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

by SEWilco ( 27983 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @08:19PM (#22790266) Journal

I see my apple logo on my laptop all the time.

Open your laptop more often.

Re:I knew it! (Score:4, Funny)

by SEWilco ( 27983 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @08:21PM (#22790282) Journal

No, no! Don't send him to Starbucks when he's already in a reality distortion field! Someone might make him a cup of really hot tea!

Fox News Logo results (Score:3, Funny)

by jpellino ( 202698 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @08:23PM (#22790300)

Had to be burned, then buried, then dug up after a week and the ashes soaked in agua regia and scattered over a disused nuclear test site.

Hogwash. Hooey. Hokum. (Score:5, Funny)

by jpellino ( 202698 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @08:34PM (#22790382)

As a scientist familiar with subliminal perception and the power of brands, I'd like to say: Bunk. Unless You Make Equal All Prior Observations, "Research" Simply Can't Harbor Effects.

Re:Apple is just the new Microsoft (Score:3, Funny)

by Heembo ( 916647 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @08:40PM (#22790420) Journal

Twitter is the new Facebook. Pownce is the new Twitter.

Re:Other logos (Score:2, Funny)

by Traa ( 158207 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @08:48PM (#22790486) Homepage Journal

Slashdot logo - made you move back into your mother's basement.

Slashdot logo - made you want to stay in your mother's basement

fixed (we _are_ on slashdot...duh)

Re:I knew it! (Score:4, Funny)

by Lumpy ( 12016 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @08:55PM (#22790536) Homepage

Actually it was insulting and condenceding .. He was viewing the Windows logo all day.

Re:Logos (Score:3, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @09:10PM (#22790662)

The Microsoft logo cause some people to unexpectedly turn blue and die. Fortunately, a new device that induced a specially provided electric shock (ALTernate ConTroLed DELivery) would be immediately required to revive them.

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

by cicatrix1 ( 123440 ) writes: <cicatrix1@@@gmail...com> on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @09:13PM (#22790678) Homepage

Your comment made me chuckle and then immediately feel sad for myself.

Re:Other logos (Score:3, Funny)

by xbytor ( 215790 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @09:17PM (#22790716) Homepage

4chan logo - makes you end up with a file at the FBI

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @09:44PM (#22790934)

You appear to have two rule number 1s there.

Re:So.. (Score:5, Funny)

by notnAP ( 846325 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @10:16PM (#22791138)

Personally I just stop breathing until I get red, blue, green, and yellow in the face. There, fixed.

Consumer Research? (Score:4, Funny)

by quixote9 ( 999874 ) writes: on Tuesday March 18, 2008 @11:27PM (#22791606) Homepage

Why wasn't this published in the Journal of Irreproducible Results [jir.com]? Why?

But... (Score:1, Funny)

by professorfalcon ( 713985 ) writes: on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @12:27AM (#22791942)

To be fair, the ones who saw the Apple logo were all Macs, and the ones who saw the IBM logo were all PCs.

Disney = honest? Buhwahahaha! (Score:3, Funny)

by liftphreaker ( 972707 ) writes: on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @12:50AM (#22792090)

Disney made people more honest? Buhwahahahaha. That made my day.

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

by Yvan256 ( 722131 ) writes: on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @01:47AM (#22792376) Homepage Journal

And even if you move out, you'll move back to the basement again in two weeks for the same reason as the first time without remembering it.

Re:I knew it! (Score:4, Funny)

by kocsonya ( 141716 ) writes: on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @02:04AM (#22792458)

That reminded me that some 15+ years ago I seem to remember seeing an Amiga and a Mac ad, side by side:

Amiga: the computer for the creative mind!

Macintosh: the computer for the rest of us! :-)

Re:Logos (Score:3, Funny)

by cp.tar ( 871488 ) writes: <cp.tar.bz2@gmail.com> on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @02:26AM (#22792584) Journal

See? It even makes your butt look smaller!

Re:Other logos (Score:3, Funny)

by ChiRaven ( 800537 ) writes: on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @02:34AM (#22792610) Journal

Slashdot logo - made you move back into your mother's basement.
Funny, shortly after I discovered Slashdot (and got promoted to Technical Systems Architect, purely coincidental synchronicity I assume) my mother moved into my basement.

Re:So.. (Score:3, Funny)

by MishgoDog ( 909105 ) writes: on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @03:06AM (#22792732)

Personally I just stop breathing until I get red, blue, green, and yellow in the face. There, fixed.
Nah, where do you think they got the idea for a blue screen of death from?

Re:Other logos (Score:2, Funny)

by spintriae ( 958955 ) writes: on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @03:48AM (#22792904)

Rule Number 0.9999999... of geek humor. Be real!

Rule Number 1 of geek humor. Same as Rule Number 0.9999999...
Rule Number [root -1] of geek humor. Be imaginative.
Rule Number 1/0. OH SHI--

Re:Other logos (Score:4, Funny)

by dragonbutt ( 690833 ) writes: on Wednesday March 19, 2008 @11:33AM (#22795978)

Are You from Soviet Union?

There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)

So.. (Score:5, Funny)

Logos (Score:5, Funny)

Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

Yaa! CreativIty can be measured now! (Score:5, Funny)

I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

RDF, not in the logos! (Score:5, Funny)

Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)

and the playboy bunny logo... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:So.. (Score:5, Funny)

Genetic effects (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

Re:and the playboy bunny logo... (Score:3, Funny)

Windows logo? (Score:5, Funny)

Blue tree on yellow background. (Score:2, Funny)

Re:So.. (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

Re:and the playboy bunny logo... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

Re:So.. (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

Re:I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

Beer (Score:4, Funny)

Re:I knew it! (Score:5, Funny)

Re:I knew it! (Score:4, Funny)

Fox News Logo results (Score:3, Funny)

Hogwash. Hooey. Hokum. (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Apple is just the new Microsoft (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:2, Funny)

Re:I knew it! (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Logos (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

Re:So.. (Score:5, Funny)

Consumer Research? (Score:4, Funny)

But... (Score:1, Funny)

Disney = honest? Buhwahahaha! (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:5, Funny)

Re:I knew it! (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Logos (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:3, Funny)

Re:So.. (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Other logos (Score:4, Funny)

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