Go figure!

Two of the many disturbing findings coming out of a survey conducted in 2009 by the Josephson Institute, as reported in their press release, were

High school character matters – Regardless of current age, people who cheated on exams in high school two or more times are considerably more likely to be dishonest later in life

and

 Attitude matters – Regardless of age, people who believe lying and cheating are a necessary part of success (the report calls them cynics) are more likely to lie and cheat. In fact, this belief is one of the most significant and reliable predictors of dishonest behavior in the adult world.

This is based on responses to an online survey of nearly 7,000 adults.  The report notes that this cannot be viewed as a random survey since Continue reading

The key to fame?

Hyundai key

Hyundai key – a genuine car key, not the camcorder of the story!

In my Sunday newspaper, there was an advertisement for a Hyundai MC1010 Keychain Camera.

It’s described as a “mini-camcorder disguised as a car key.” There are more details in the shop’s website, though I suspect that in the website blurb, something has been lost in translation.

Given my interest in academic honesty (and dishonesty), my first thought was, could this be useful for cheating, perhaps in an exam situation? Continue reading