Mar 15 2009
Looking Closer (31) — Not Addictive
Even though this substance isn’t addictive, I would not recommend snorting it. Identity below the fold.
Archive for March, 2009
Mar 15 2009
A Threatening God – III
A third component of the primate threat display is the terminal or desired outcome: signs of subordination — the bowing down and/or backing off of the lesser to the greater. Sometimes it follows after the first component, the bluff or promise of violence, thus sparing the fright the second, the display itself. If the threat display itself fails to precipitate the a sign of submission/subordination . . . that social group has trouble. Upheaval is in the works.
The following Bible verses illustrate the importance of subordination to the supernatural alpha and the palliative effect expressions of it has.
That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. (Exodus 14:30-31)
Left unsaid is the matter of the LORD knowing they feared him. Among chimpanzees this knowledge comes via body language.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. (Exodus 20:5)
Don’t attribute my greatness to another and show subordination to that agent. Or I may get angry and display my displeasure . . . not on you but another party.
For a clearer sign, we turn to this verse -
Mar 14 2009
RP) The God Concept: One Form False, the Other Irrelevant
The concept of an almighty god brings to mind the vehicle Fred Flintstone drove along the cartoon roads of Bedrock. The vehicle didn’t do any actual work—that was up to Fred. But the idea of a car on stone rollers, with bare feet sticking out the bottom pushing it along, was entertaining. In the real world, of course, Fred’s vehicle would be more of an impediment to getting anywhere than an aid.
And so it is with the god concept. When used, this archaic term is unlikely to help us get somewhere. And by that I mean gain an increased understanding of the universe.
Words are speech sounds that in themselves are arbitrary: they carry no inherent meaning. Only when associated with objects, events, and internal sensations, do words acquire meaning and can be put to work. Transport yourself to a city of people who speak a language unfamiliar to you, and you will not comprehend the meaning of their speech sounds. Your ability to operate would be severely hampered.
Good researchers, and savvy speakers and writers in general, understand that the more clearly they use language, starting with but not limited to the definition of terms, the better they can communicate. Listeners and readers must know the meaning of words in order to evaluate reasoning and, if they so desire, replicate findings. The replication of findings is essential to the advancement of human knowledge because without it we can have no confidence that the world we know is the same world other people know.
Mar 14 2009
Water Molecules and Blue Light
Who would think that floating bodies of condensed di-hydrogen monoxide and electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of approximately 475 nanometers could be so beautiful?
I would.
Mar 13 2009
A Threatening God – II
The second component to primate threat behavior is the fright-inducing ruckus itself. The actual display. As I wrote yesterday, “There is clamor and clash, there is damage done. To other people or things. See, you better stay in line, or this could be you.”
In the following Bible verses we find a deity behaving ape-ishly. Make note of the emphases on clamor/noise, power/hand, and the fright-arousing effect of the acts attributed to an invisible alpha.
The LORD’s hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation upon them and afflicted them with tumors. (1 Samuel 5:6)
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD. (1 Kings 19:11)
Mar 13 2009
Looking Farther (13) – A Beautiful Spinning
Mar 13 2009
ADHD and the Problem Child
Yes, the hyperactivity of some children in the classroom can be disruptive. But is it a case of a “problem child” or instead a case of a poor fit between a type of child and the standard, streamlined way we try to teach our children?
Relevantly, recent research has found that children with ADHD need to move around to maintain the same level of alertness and engagement in a task as those children without ADHD.
As the title to the news release and one quote tells it -
“When they are doing homework, let them fidget, stand up or chew gum,” he said. “Unless their behavior is destructive, severely limiting their activity could be counterproductive.”
The researchers also speculate that drug treatments for children with ADHD — stimulants — work because they help sustain the higher level of alertness without the movement.
Interesting. When it comes to classrooms, perhaps one size does not fit all.
Mar 13 2009
Aiming Stones and Tossing Words Around
Chimpanzees throw stuff. Not many animals do. Think about it. In a recent issue of Current Biology researchers share the finding that a male chimpanzee in a zoo has been throwing stones and chunks of concrete at zoo visitors. But that’s not all. What makes the case noteworthy is that the chimp in question has been observed over a decade finding stones and fashioning his concrete chunks into disk-like projectiles at different times and when in a different “drive state” (calm) than when later throwing them. The researchers claim theirs -
is some of the first unambiguous evidence that an animal other than humans can make spontaneous plans for future events.
Interesting. But then one of the researcher goes a bit too far, if you ask me. He says -
I would guess that they [chimps] plan much of their everyday behavior.
While I love chimps, and find in their behavior the precursor forms of many of our own behaviors, I wouldn’t got that far. Just yet. Heck, I don’t know if I’d use the word “plan” to describe how I amble from activity to activity on weekends.
Still. For a long time developmental psychologists underestimated the cognitive abilities of human infants. Why? Because it takes a lot more creativity to test the cognitive abilities of those unable to speak and respond to words than those who do not. I imagine the same holds for testing the mental abilities of other primates. And so their abilities, too, have likely been underestimated.
Mar 12 2009
A Threatening God – I
The following three posts in my “An Almighty Alpha” series may strike some as bit tedious, but a person with a scientific mind tends to keep collecting data, even when it may appear overkill. And so in “A Threatening God,” parts I – III, you will encounter Bible verse after Bible verse reflecting the theme of the threat display as an integral part of the primate’s repertoire for attaining and maintaining status: whether that primate be a real chimp or an imagined deity.
One could say that there are three components or phases to the threat display. The first consists of gestures hinting at a fear-inducing display of power to come. In a chimp this consists of the piloerection (bristled fur/hair) and swagger. Look out, he’s going to go off! Among humans this stage is accompanied by, or has been replaced by, verbal swagger and hints of impending violence and/or the ability to do harm.
The second component is a fright-inducing ruckus. There is clamor and clash, there is damage done. To other people or things. See, you better stay in line, or this could be you.
The third component is acknowledged subordination: the bowing down and/or backing off of the lesser to the greater. Sometimes it follows after the first component, thus sparing the fright the second tends to elicit. Sometimes the second. Oh great one — I know my place! If the second component fails to precipitate the third . . . that social group has trouble. Upheaval is in the works.
Today we will take a look at a number of Bible verses illustrating the first component. The threat before the display. Notice the use of the words “if” and “will.” If you don’t get in line (behind/beneath me), there will be hell to pay. Pure verbal threat.
Mar 12 2009
A Flower by Any Other Name
We have many passion flower vines in our yard. They thrive in the heat and sandy soil. Caterpillars and then butterflies love them. The plants produce edible fruit as well. All plusses.
While the flower itself is not what I would describe as beautiful, it is unique and interesting.
On the negative side we have the fact that the plant is invasive. It spreads whether you want it to or not. Because my wife and I do not garden-by-numbers and insist on having vegetation resembling well-placed and groomed outdoor furnishings, that isn’t a big deal. ‘Let the wild go a little wild’ is one of my mottos.
And then there is the name. Passion flower. I’d like it if the connotations were about human passion. But no. Here’s the Wikipedia etymology -
The “Passion” in “passion flower” does not refer to sex and love however, but to the passion of Jesus Christ. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish Christian missionaries adopted the unique physical structures of this plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the last days of Jesus Christ and especially the Crucifixion.
What?
Maybe I’ll rename the specimens in our yard. “Wild purples” maybe. Or “Butterfly paradise.” Yah, I like that last one. Butterflies are real. And I love them.
