Number of words – 491 Sometimes everything that is needed cannot be made visible. Enter sound: sound can provide information available in no other way. Sound can tell us that things are working properly or that they need maintenance or repair. It can even save us from accidents. Consider the information provided by: • The … Read more

Number of words – 176 On most subway trains, the doors open automatically at each station. Not so in Paris. I watched someone on the Paris Métro try to get off the train and fail. When the train came to his station, he got up and stood patiently in front of the door, waiting for … Read more

Number of words – 1,213 I was in Asia, giving a talk. My computer was connected to a projector and I was given a remote controller for advancing through the illustrations for my talk. This one had two buttons, one above the other. The title was already displayed on the screen, so when I started, … Read more

Number of words – 136 Usability is not often thought about during the purchasing process. Unless you actually test a number of units in a realistic environment, doing typical tasks, you are not likely to notice the ease or difficulty of use. If you just look at something, it appears straightforward enough, and the array … Read more

Number of words – 552 Airplane pilots have to listen to commands from air-traffic control delivered at a rapid pace, and then respond accurately. Their lives depend upon being able to follow the instructions accurately. One website, discussing the problem, gave this example of instructions to a pilot about to take off for a flight: … Read more

Number fo words – 292 How do most people cope? They use simple passwords. Studies show that five of the most common passwords are: “password,” “123456,” “12345678,” “qwerty,” and “abc123.” All of these are clearly selected for easy remembering and typing. All are therefore easy for a thief or mischief-maker to try. Most people (including … Read more

Number of words – 704 Before widespread literacy, and especially before the advent of sound recording devices, performers traveled from village to village, reciting epic poems thousands of lines long. This tradition still exists in some societies. How do people memorize such voluminous amounts of material? Do some people have huge amounts of knowledge in … Read more

Number of words – 467 With a good deal of fanfare, the French government released the new 10-franc coin (worth a little more than $1.50) on Oct. 22, 1986. The public looked at it, weighed it, and began confusing it so quickly with the half-franc coin (worth only 8 cents) that a crescendo of fury … Read more

Number fo words – 80 Many organize their lives spatially in the world, creating a pile here, a pile there, each indicating some activity to be done, some event in progress. Probably everybody uses such a strategy to some extent. Look around you at the variety of ways people arrange their rooms and desks. Many … Read more

Number of words – 94 Knowledge how—what psychologists call procedural knowledge— is the knowledge that enables a person to be a skilled musician, to return a serve in tennis, or to move the tongue properly when saying the phrase “frightening witches.” Procedural knowledge is difficult or impossible to write down and difficult to teach. It … Read more