The Witch Hunter Index is a term used to refer to a list or catalog of individuals who were accused of being witches during the time of the witch trials. These witch trials, which occurred mainly during the 16th and 17th centuries, were a dark period in history where thousands of people, mostly women, were persecuted and executed for allegedly practicing witchcraft. The Witch Hunter Index played a crucial role in identifying individuals who were suspected of being involved in witchcraft. It was often compiled by witch hunters, who were individuals tasked with finding and prosecuting witches. These witch hunters would gather information from various sources, such as eyewitness testimonies, confessions obtained through torture, and even rumors and hearsay. The index would typically contain the names, descriptions, and alleged crimes of the accused witches.

Why was the magic roundabout banned

It might not surprise many UK professionals that the longest hours are worked by the most qualified. 1 And all too many professionals will be familiar with ironically named ‘magic roundabout’. For the uninitiated, this is ‘beasting’ 2 for the professions. It requires a Digital 3 to ‘throw’ a series of all-nighters interrupted only by trips on the ‘roundabout’ … a wait and return Uber to their home for a shower, change and then a sleep-deprived return to work.

We have heard The Magic Roundabout described as key stage learning in the suffer to succeed rites of passage so favoured by professions. The same rite of passage rationale was given for the institution of fagging in public schools. The roundabout still rotates, fagging was banned in the seventies.

If clients knew that their professional services teams were, ‘significantly impaired to a small or moderate magnitude for tasks assessing episodic memory, problem solving manipulation in working memory, and retention in working memory’, do you think they would be happy 4 ? Or do you think that they could be concerned that mistakes are being made, or that the firms in question are abusing their staff.

What’s worse is that the same study showed that people were usually unaware that their performance was impaired. Just like the initially imperceptible but no less real impact of drinking alcohol on driving performance.

All of which chimes chillingly with the US army study cited in our new book that discovered sleep-deprived artillerymen unaware that they were firing on their own troops. 5 (Fortunately this was only a simulation). Evidently our roundabout riders appear competent, yet the truth is they are far from being ‘on it’… and in the US Army case potentially fatally so!

A few hardened (and out of touch) Analog bosses might dismiss the proven health impacts of sleeplessness such as increased propensity to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, anxiety, and depression as merely collateral damage in pursuit of success. The ‘cost of doing business’ if you will.

Or they might dismiss the scale or veracity of the research in this field. We’d ask them to consider the evidence of a biannual survey conducted with 1.6bn people in 70 countries. The day we all lose an hour of sleep because of the clocks going forward sees a 24% increase in the incidence of heart attacks and significantly more road accidents and suicides. And the day we get an extra hour of sleep we find a 21% reduction in heart attacks. 6

But it’s not just the impact on the individual which is at stake here. Perhaps they would be more motivated to take action by the $60bn of lost productivity the National Sleep Foundation 7 estimates as the annual cost of sleep deprivation in the US. They assert that lack of sleep adds up to two weeks of lost productivity per individual per year.

Flipping the coin, doubters might be more interested in the benefits of a good night’s sleep on productivity and performance. In an elite basketball player study 8 ‘at the end of a sleep extension period, the players ran 5% faster than they had at baseline. Shooting accuracy increased by 9 percent and 3-point field goal percentage increased by 9.2 percent.’ Fatigue levels decreased following sleep extension, and athletes reported improved practices and games. These are far more than the one per cents of Marginal Gain theory, and if translated to work productivity could be till-ringers not just quality of life enhancers.

The final irony is that the sleep deprived put themselves in a vicious cycle of stress over their workload which in turn affects their ability to sleep. In researching our book, we were told of the cruel tokenism of magic ‘roundaboutees’ being invited to lectures on the importance of sleep. These lectures are organised by the same management that is, at best, passively sanctioning the spinning roundabout.

Perhaps one positive of the pandemic could be the demise of The Magic Roundabout. Perhaps the hours once devoted to commuting could be legitimately redirected to sleeping on days WFH. And clients’ expectations regarding responsiveness could be managed by improved productivity and reduced error count.

Or perhaps we will just drift back to being like The Magic Roundabout’s rabbit, Dylan, who at the end of episodes often said, ‘I wish it was time for bed’ and then promptly fell asleep.

_{Richard Butler is co-author with Damian O’Malley of the recently published How your law firm can stop boiling frogs and start creating Emotional Ownership available on Amazon here.}

_{1 The Resolution Foundation cited by Noreena Hertz The Lonely Century}

_{2 Noun INFORMAL•BRITISH (especially in the armed forces) the process of subjecting a new recruit to harsh treatment in order to instil discipline.}

_{3 See How to Stop Boiling Frogs}

_{4 A meta-analysis of 24 studies by École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada published in Sleep Medicines review 2012}

_{5 How Law Firms Can Stop Boiling Frogs}

_{6 Matthew Walker Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.}

_{7 Matt Carter Professor of Neuroscience and Physiology Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts}

_{8 Cheri Mah, a researcher in the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory}

Designer of UK's despised 'Magic Roundabout' must be 'clinically insane', residents fume

Residents near Britain's most hated roundabout have slammed the confusing layout, with one person calling its designer "clinically insane".

The so-called Magic Roundabout in Swindon, Wiltshire, is a beast of an idea. Each of the four exits on the main roundabout has its own mini roundabout - five roundabouts in one, basically, which means motorists have to navigate two separate give-away systems at all times while passing through it.

Designed in 1971 by the inventor of the mini roundabout Frank Blackmore OBE, the mini roundabouts at each exit up the maximum possible amount of traffic to pass through the roundabout from 5,100 vehicles an hour to 6,200, according to The Sun.

Despite this, people have criticised the roundabout as a "mess", "confusing" and a "test" on people's driving abilities.

Designed by the inventor of the mini roundabout, Swindon's Magic Roundabout is five roundabouts in one (Image: Press Association)

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Stef Van Eyndhofen, 49, from Oxfordshire, is one such person who let rip his hatred.

He told The Sun: "What a mess this is. All my anger about the English roundabout is coming out.

"The person who designed this roundabout must have had clinical insanity."

Originally from the Netherlands, the Dutchman went on to slam British-designed roundabouts, saying that if the English didn't understand the rules for one, they shouldn't put five roundabouts together.

The mini roundabouts at each exit increases the maximum traffic flow capacity (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

He added that the Magic Roundabout was confusing and dangerous and should be banned as it doesn't do the brain any favours.

He said: "The designer has lost his mind and should be sectioned."

Swindon resident Sally Hobbs, 51, said that she was proud of the Magic Roundabout, even though she had been involved in a crash on it herself.

The chiropractor did admit, however, the roundabout did make driving more difficult, saying "people chance their arm a lot" and that it tests people's driving skills.

One roundabout user slammed its designer, saying they must be 'clinically insane' (Image: Calyx/REX/Shutterstock)

She said: "A lot of people struggle with giving way on the middle roundabout. People are put off by it and don’t like it at all."

Another long-time local said the roundabout caused accidents and noise pollution.

While Wendy Lee, 77, who has lived near the roundabout for more than 40 years, is used to the noise, she regaled the time a painter - who was on a ladder at her place doing some work - almost fell off due to the noise of the cars.

Wendy also said that her sister in law wouldn't visit her home because she found the roundabout too confusing.

Wendy added that police are regularly in the area trying to catch drivers charging down the road and "tearing off" through the roundabout.

She said: "We hear about accidents, and the reason is the cars go too fast. A lot of people don’t understand what way to go and don’t know what they’re doing."

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The Magic Roundabout (1960's - 1990's)

The Magic Roundabout is an English-language children's television programme that ran from 1965 to 1977. It used the footage of the French stop motion animation show Le Manège enchanté, but with completely different scripts and characters.

TV Channels: El TV Xavier, TF1 (France), BBC (UK), Nickelodeon (USA), PBN (El Xavier) (Classic Episodes)

The index would typically contain the names, descriptions, and alleged crimes of the accused witches. It would also include details of the trials and punishments that were carried out. In some cases, additional information such as the supposed covens or witchcraft rituals they were involved in might also be included.

Contents

• 1 Characters
• 2 English-language version
• 3 Foreign-language versions
• 4 Theme tunes

The Witch Hunter Index was not just a mere list, but it also served as a tool to aid the witch hunters in their investigations. They would cross-reference the information in the index with their own findings, seeking connections and patterns that would further incriminate the accused individuals. Unfortunately, the Witch Hunter Index was often fraught with inaccuracies and personal biases. Many innocent people were wrongly accused and suffered unjustly as a result. The methods used by witch hunters, such as the use of torture to extract confessions, often led to false accusations and the persecution of innocent individuals. The Witch Hunter Index stands as a reminder of the mass hysteria and moral panic that characterized the witch trials. It is a somber testament to the power of fear and superstition in societies throughout history. The index serves as a valuable historical document, shedding light on the atrocities committed during this dark chapter in human history. It also serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the dangers of unchecked accusations and the importance of reason and evidence in the pursuit of justice..

Reviews for "The Witch Hunter Index and the Birth of the Modern Legal System"

1. Sarah - 2/5 - "I was really disappointed with Witch Hunter Index. The plot was incredibly predictable and the characters felt stereotypical. It felt like I had seen this story a thousand times before. The writing style was also lackluster and did nothing to engage me. I was hoping for a fresh take on the witch hunter genre, but unfortunately, this book fell flat for me."

2. Mark - 2/5 - "I couldn't get into Witch Hunter Index at all. The pacing was all over the place, with moments of slow, dragging scenes followed by rushed action sequences. It felt like the story lacked a clear direction. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Overall, the book didn't live up to my expectations and I struggled to finish it."

3. Emily - 1/5 - "I really disliked Witch Hunter Index. The main character was incredibly unlikable and his actions often contradicted his motivations. It was hard to root for someone so inconsistent. The world-building was also poorly executed, with vague descriptions and a lack of depth. I found myself constantly questioning the logic of the story and the abilities of the witch hunters. It simply wasn't a captivating read for me."

4. David - 1/5 - "Witch Hunter Index was a huge disappointment. The plot was convoluted and overly complicated, making it difficult to follow. The constant introduction of new characters without proper development only added to the confusion. The author seemed to be trying to fit too much into one book, resulting in a messy and disjointed narrative. I couldn't connect with any of the characters or become invested in the story. Overall, it was a frustrating read that I wouldn't recommend."

The Witch Hunter Index: Examining the Role of Confessions and Testimonies