Why Being a Geek is 'In': A Look at 10 Successful Geeks [infographic]

The old (and negative) stereotype of geeks has almost faded away completely in recent years. The idea of a sloppy, nerdy kid in the back of the classroom that lacks basic social skills has been replaced with the uber-knowledgeable, witty, and most importantly, highly successful, individual. Being a geek has never been more cool and in style.

The list of 10 successful geeks below are in a range of fields such as statistics, mathematics, political evangelism and composition that at first glance don't share too many similarities. The underlying traits that these geeks have is the ability to make and see connections where others can't and the ability to stay unique to oneself. Well, that, and they are also all geniuses. All of them have found success within the last several years and offer a glimpse of what possibilities our future may hold when geeks start having more influence.

High tech helps scientists protect whales

High tech helps scientists protect whales (via AFP)

Scientists are delving deep into the travels of whales -- thanks to high-tech tracking devices -- to try to help protect them. Except for a few species, global whale populations have been decimated over the last few hundred years. Many are at less than 10 percent of their original population size,…

How the Super Rich Dodge Taxes [Infographic]

If you happen to be super rich, you’re probably well versed in all the ways to not pay your income tax. For the wealthy, skimping on paying income tax is so ubiquitous that the average tax rate paid by those making $10 million a year is only 19 percent. Comparatively, the tax rate on an annual income of $388,350 or more is 35 percent.

There are many ways to significantly reduce one's taxable income, thanks to a gracious amount of loopholes in tax law. America’s wealthiest individuals can place funds in offshore accounts, funnel it through shell companies, or make generous tax-deductible donations to their spouses in order to reduce income tax rates.

One popular method of income tax reduction involves deducting the fair market value of a donated item. For example, as a wealthy person, you might purchase a sculpture for $1,000. Some years later, you can have it appraised for $10,000 before donating it to a needy organization. Now you can deduct $10,000 from your taxable income!

Israel to conduct 'intensive' probe of Mossad prisoner case

Israel to conduct 'intensive' probe of Mossad prisoner case (via AFP)

Israel's parliament is to conduct what it called an "intensive" inquiry into the arrest and death of a jailed Australian-Israeli with Mossad links, a parliamentary spokesman said on Sunday. "The intelligence subcommittee of the (Knesset) foreign affairs and defence committee decided to hold an intensive…

The Top Smartest People in the World [Infographic]

Knowing exactly how smart a person is can be difficult. IQ tests only measure a portion of intelligence and can be inaccurate. We may never know who the smartest person in the world Is, but we can certainly tell a genius when we encounter one. Superscholar.org has created an infograph showing ten of the smartest people alive today.

The infograph gives pictures, biographies and estimated IQ scores for ten of the most intelligent people in existence. Many of the figures are well-known experts in math, science and chess, and many of the figures work at the world’s top university. One woman, Judit Polgar, makes the list, but you’ll have to look at it to see what makes her one of the ten smartest people in the world.

Why the Earth May Lock Its Pantry Door [Infographic]

When human populations begin to adversely effect the health and happiness of planet Earth, the planet often quickly responds with no-nonsense messages designed to provide humans with a crash course in manners. Just like the average human householder does not appreciate house guests who overstay their welcomes and empty the contents of their refrigerators without even asking, the Earth gets testy when treated like a free flophouse.

If current breeding trends among humans continue, Earth will be soon be playing host to more unwanted visitors than it has room for and may have to exercise tough love in getting them to move on. This may come in the guise of a worldwide agricultural collapse in which the Earth simply locks its refrigerator and cupboard doors. Because food supplies for most humans are now centralized by the use of factory farms, significant amounts of humans will be encouraged to find other dwellings in the event that the Earth overturns its welcome mat.

The Evolution of Inventions [Infographic]

While the original inventors get most of the credit, it is often the later improvements that transform what these inventions could do. Inventions are thought of as standing alone, but the evolution of these inventions is what makes them so helpful.

Wilbur and Orville Wright are justly credited with inventing the airplane. The incremental design improvements, however, made the airplane a viable option for mass transportation. With the invention of the jet engine by engineers in Germany and the United Kingdom, the airplane is now the most popular form of long-distance travel.

Likewise, the Z3, ENIAC and ABC were widely hailed as the first computers in their countries of origin. The inventions of the transistor, raster monitor, hard drives and microchip were crucial for changing computing into what it is today. Computers are the ultimate example of unwieldy inventions that would evolve dramatically. It is hard to believe how much faster tiny cell phones are than these early, pioneering inventions.

Haiti judge demands Duvalier be brought to court

Haiti judge demands Duvalier be brought to court (via AFP)

A Haitian judge demanded Thursday that former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier be brought to court next week to attend a hearing into whether to try him for crimes against humanity. Judge Jean-Joseph Lebrun issued the order in the presence of lawyers acting for Duvalier and for the alleged…

Christie's to auction Andy Warhol works online

Christie's to auction Andy Warhol works online (via AFP)

Christie's auction house said Thursday it will put 125 works of art by the American pop icon Andy Warhol under the hammer in an online-only sale starting next week. The auction, which will start Tuesday and run through March 25, will be the first time that Warhol's art is sold strictly online, Christie…

I Can Haz Moneyz Too? How LOLcats Are Actually An Industry

Let’s Start With The Basics… What Is A Meme? 
In its simplest form, a meme is an idea, phrase, image, or element passed around from one person to another. Given the rapid speed in which people share information on the Internet, many memes live, breath and eventually die on social network sites and online media outlets. And it’s pronounced meam—and rhymes with cream, seam and theme. 

Outside the Corporate Culture Box [Infographic]

On hearing the words "corporate culture," many people might think of a gray, colorless, monolithic culture and an inflexible approach to getting things done. But all corporate culture refers to is the many and varied ways companies express who they are. Therefore, corporate culture can be as diverse as any other type of culture. Corporate culture will vary between industries as well with more conservative industries such as banking, insurance and finance being slower to change and adopt new cultural mores than creative industries.

Corporate culture began to undergo a big shift in the 1990s when the first start-ups and dot-coms arose and attempted to bring a more playful ethos into the workplace. Those early companies were notorious, though, for their long work hours. Today's innovative corporate cultures emphasize life/work balance and flexibility among other benefits.

So, who are among the most innovative companies today in inventing their own corporate cultures, and what values do those cultures promote?

Image compliments of Human Resources MBA Degree Guide

Pussy Riot: marginals to protest symbol in a year

Pussy Riot: marginals to protest symbol in a year (via AFP)

One year ago five young women walked into Moscow's Church of Christ the Saviour, climbed over railings and pulled on balaclavas, before launching into a shouted-out song denouncing the Church's relations with Vladimir Putin. The February 21, 2012 action was a low-key protest by a group called Pussy…