Pearls Before Breakfast

I'm a little unsure what to make of one of the most fascinating articles I've read in recent history. Until I think of something, go ahead and read it yourself - and watch the accompanying videos - then come back here and we can discuss it.

Pearls Before Breakfast

Fascinating, wasn't it?

I know I said we'd discuss it once you got back, but I really don't have much to add. Maybe it's exhaustion from being up all night writing, or more likely, maybe I just don't have any sort of response to the social statement the article makes.

It's a pretty profound statement, don't you think?

Or it could be that it's easier to judge ourselves when we're outsiders looking in from the bird's eye view given to us in this article. I still can't help but wonder what I'd do in that situation, though.

I mean, I've never been a big fan of classical music, although I can definitely appreciate it's beauty. There's definitely a charm to the music, one that is almost irresistable if given a moment to appreciate. So, despite the fact that my iPod is crammed full of Dropkick Murphys instead of Mozart, would I have been able to recognize what was happening there on that subway that morning had I been there?

The answer is I don't know.

Would you?

Maybe this entire experiment was doomed to fail simply because of the logistics of it, and I'm waxing poetic about absolutely nothing. These were government employees rushing to work, after all. Would the results have been the same if they were on their way home from work instead, and stopping wouldn't have resulted in a late arrival to the office? What if they did it at a sports arena after a game? Or what about a mall?

I guess the article wouldn't have been nearly as interesting had the experiment not failed.

If nothing else, congratulations to the Washington Post for convincing me to buy a Joshua Bell CD.