At least, superficially related in that it's to do with how the brain interprets visual data, which covers a similar topic to the New Yorker article:

TED Talk: Pawan Sinha on how brains learn to see.

Here's her TED Talk on the subject.

How do you keep your privacy while using Google? You don't.

I think Dave Gorman's quote about trying to write a novel is quite apt:

I'd love to hear how other people work around this. Personally, I get almost all my fiction writing done using an eee PC while I commute to work and back by train. Using text mode only (vim in FreeDOS), my text editor takes up the full screen so there are no distractions.

For what it's worth, according to his book In The Beginning... Was the Command Line, Neal Stephenson said he used a BeBox for a while.

He's also used emacs. Personally, I like the idea that anyone can download it for free and be on an equal footing with someone who's used it to write such great novels. Isn't that inspiring?

The Natural History Museum and Science Musuem are practically next door to each other, and are both essential to any good trip to London. Google Maps link

If you're in the UK and you want to show politicians you're against this, feel free to sign a petition saying so. Thank you.

If any UK citizens wish to protest this, feel free to take a look at my petition to legalise filesharing. Thanks.

...then food could possibly one day be copyrighted on the genetic or even molecular level. I wrote a story which hints at this a short while ago.

If anyone's interested, Charles Darwin's book The Voyage of the Beagle is available from Gutenberg, free in both senses of the word.

If you're concerned about copyright and live in the UK, please take a look at my petition. Thanks!

How about the even more simple explanation of just being distracted by the beautiful woman and imagining her naked with her legs wrapped around you is taking up all of your resources? "Trying to impress" doesn't need to come into it at all

Wait a minute, is that what men do when distracted by a beautiful woman? I'd assumed it was just infatuation, but do you actually picture such scenarios whenever you talk to someone you're attracted to? That sounds like an awfully resource draining thing to have to do all the time.

I know a lot of women who dumb themselves down in the presence of a man they're interested in because they believe that men are intimidated by smart women.

Ah, but that's pretending to be less intelligent rather than genuinely being forgetful because you're besotted by someone.

Oh, yes, hormone therapy, sex reassignment surgery, hair removal, voice exercises are all choices. But it's not like we have a relaxed attitude about it, like it's equivalent to a career choice or migrating or something like that. The transsexual suicide rate is apparently about 31%, which I believe is the highest amongst a minority group. (Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong here.) It's a serious medical condition.