Jolly old St. Nick wouldn't be anywhere without all the elves and the team of reindeer — which got us thinking about the value of teamwork.
One legendary duo – John Lennon and Paul McCartney – arguably created their best work together. But despite the fact that they were more creative together, they also experienced the downsides of depending on someone else for inspiration.
Most people want to be acknowledged for their individual contributions, explains author Joshua Wolf Shenk. But, "once you get into a true partnership, by definition, there is some surrender of an individual identity and ownership over your work."
The Muppets are a powerhouse team if there ever was one.
But scratch beneath the surface of the Muppets' creator, Jim Henson – and you’ll find an innovator who was able to combine creative and commercial success.
Author Elizabeth Hyde Stevens explains how Henson remained true to his creative roots and earned money. “He thought differently from most businessmen because he spent a lot of money on art – on developing it – much more than a typically prudent businessman would spend.”
Gambling industry giants have teamed up with behavioral scientists in recent years to figure out complicated algorithms to make gambling — you guessed it — more addictive.
That means high-rollers aren't really who owns the casino floor anymore — it's the penny slots that make the big bucks for owners.
“For the first time on a slot machine, you are putting in a bet and you’re getting back a portion of it almost every hand,” says Natasha Dow Schull, a cultural anthropologist at MIT. “There can be a net loss, but it feels like you’re constantly winning and you can play for much longer.”
All those little bets add up to a whole lot of cash for the casinos, who now get 75 to 85 percent of revenues from slot machines.
It takes four people to make a great game of Twister — but it took an even bigger team — including Johnny Carson — to make Twister a historic success.
When everyone seems to want to join the Google team and enjoy their free lunches and ping pong tables, how do you keep the talent at home? We look at what rural states like Vermont are doing to avoid a brain drain.
