Video: Children Who Are Spanked Have Lower IQs

From Denny: This is an interesting study to back up other studies about the brain and development. From other posts I've done on the brain and children - and what is not mentioned here - is that when experiencing stress the brain is bathed in stress chemicals. Those stress chemicals inhibit the brain from learning. Abused children experience long term stress, long term batheing the brain in stress chemicals and so do not easily experience success in the world as adults.

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Beautiful Angel Photo, Quote, Healing Poem Link

Psalm 91:11 - And He will give His Angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.

Yesterday I wrote:

From Denny: Since this particular poem was a hard write, and I'm a bit emotionally tired and saturated to say the least, here's the link to my latest poem over at The Social Poets, called Rock, My Children. Found some awesome art photos over at flickr to illustrate it!

Rock, My Children is about how to deal with loss. Never planned on writing about these experiences but lately there has been so much news about people encountering terrible loss in their lives. And, here it is the 911 anniversary, a tough day for so many folks all over the world.

When I was fishing around for inspiration I found Robin's blog Naked in Eden and some of those word phrases sprinkled throughout one of her posts just struck me right (like "abyss of emotion") and before I knew it the poem was forming in my head. Went to flickr first before writing it down as the poem was still a lot of raw emotions swirling and I needed some visual anchors.

Rock, My Children deals with loss, disappointment, and looking to the future for understanding Life's Plan. When you ask the question, you receive the answer though it may take fifteen years like it did in my case.

Received an incredibly awesome comment from fellow spiritual blogger Robin from Naked in Eden after I sent her the link to show her how she had inspired me to write the poem. Just skip on past the poem to read what she has to say it's that great! I've been grinning silly all day - and behind in my posting - since she posted that loving comment...

Rock, My Children, go here.

Weird News Video: Middle Aged Guy Puts Elderly Parents for Sale on Craigslist

From Denny: Uh... OK, what does this story have to do with science? Uh... nothing. Just thought you might get a chuckle today!

There's nothing like putting your parents up for sale to get the conversation started like this guy did! This news story sounds like a tutorial on how to do it. What started as a fun idea snowballed into a sensation. I can only imagine what his parents told their son off camera ... :)

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Video: Too weird to be believed - a new planet in the solar system?

Image by Lexinatrix via Flickr

From Denny: While most of us already know about this "maybe planet" what you will find interesting is its relationship to the solar system at a 45 degree angle on the illustration that certainly caught my eye. It reminds me of a lost ball in high weeds. :) BBC always does an entertaining presentation.

"Astronomers have a massive breakthrough as they discover a weird and very bright extraordinary object in the far reaches of our solar system. Is it a planet? Is it a block of ice? Whatever it is, it's bigger than Pluto. Fascinating science video from BBC Horizon show 'Bye Bye Planet Pluto.'"

Another Good Science Quote for a Sunday

From Denny: Since it's Sunday I thought this smart quote was most fitting. Not all scientists are atheist, actually it is a small percentage that is so hostile toward spirituality. Scientists are just like the rest of the population: some believe in God, many are of varying religions and denominations, all question and doubt their faith, endeavoring to learn more over a lifetime.

What I like about this quote is the use of his mind in an analytical manner to explain what should be "the obvious"!

Quote

"The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, not the way the heavens go." [Having proposed the heliocentric world view] - Galileo Galilei

Make sure you run your mouse over the photo of Gallileo's manuscript for lots of info!

It was on this page that Galileo Galilei first noted an observation of the moons of Jupiter. This observation upset the notion that all celestial bodies must revolve around the Earth. Galileo published a full description in Sidereus Nuncius in March 1610.

In 1614, from the pulpit of Santa Maria Novella, Father Tommaso Caccini denounced Galileo's opinions on the motion of the Earth, judging them dangerous and close to heresy.

In 1616, Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino personally handed Galileo an admonition enjoining him neither to advocate nor teach Copernican astronomy.

In 1633 Galileo was ordered to stand trial on suspicion of heresy. He was ordered imprisoned; the sentence was later commuted to house arrest, where he remained until his death.

For a larger view just click on the Chris Weisberg link to take you to the flickr page - Image by Chris Weisberg via Flickr

Top 10 Thinking Traps Exposed - How to Foolproof Your Mind, part 2

From Denny: Here is part 2 of Luciano's article about foolproofing your mind from thinking traps!

This is an excerpt:

"In the first part of this article, we focused on five traps that hinder our ability to think clearly. Now it’s time to complete the list and expose yet another five dangerous traps to be avoided. Let’s dive right in.

"6. The Conformity Trap: Everybody Else Is Doing It

"In a series of experiments, researchers asked students in a classroom a series of very simple questions and, sure enough, most of them got the answers right. In another group, they asked the same questions but this time there were actors posing as students, purposefully pushing wrong answers. This time around, many more students provided wrong answers based on the leads from the researchers’ assistants.

"This “herd instinct” exists — in different degrees — in all of us. Even if we hate to admit it, other people’s actions do heavily influence ours. We fear looking dumb: failing along with many people is frequently not considered a big deal, but when we fail alone we must take all the heat ourselves. There’s always peer pressure to adopt the behaviors of the groups you’re in.

"This tendency to conform is notoriously exploited in advertising. Businesses often sell you products not based on their features, but by showing how popular they are: since others are buying it in droves, why would you not join them?

"Conformity is also one of the main reasons why once a book makes into a well-known best-sellers list, it tends to “lock in” and continue there for a long time. People like to consume what “everybody else” is consuming.
What can you do about it?

"Discount the influence of others. When analyzing information, shield yourself from other opinions — at least at first. This is the best way to decide without being subconsciously swayed by popular opinions.

"Beware “social proof”. Always raise a flag when someone tries to convince you arguing primarily on the popularity of a choice, instead of on that choice’s merit.
Be courageous. Be willing to overcome obstacles and defend your viewpoints, despite their unpopularity. Don’t be afraid pointing out that the Emperor wears no clothes."

By Luciano Passuello @ litemind

To finish this article just click on the title link to take you the litemind site! Thanks for visiting!

litemind peer pressure social proof 10 the Emperor wears no clothes kids and teens health school time emotional health and wellbeing food industry luciano passuello

Astronomy: Meteorite Grains Divulge Earth's Cosmic Roots

From Denny: A short article from the folks over at Science Daily. It seems like every few years there comes along a group of scientists telling us the Universe is either older or younger than previously thought. Who said Nature's laws are written in stone? Our maybe it's just our understanding is in a fluid state...

Pair of the grains Image via Wikipedia

Here's an excerpt:

"The interstellar stuff that became incorporated into the planets and life on Earth has younger cosmic roots than theories predict..."

"Heck and his colleagues examined 22 interstellar grains from the Murchison meteorite for their analysis. Dying sun-like stars flung the Murchison grains into space more than 4.5 billion years ago, before the birth of the solar system. Scientists know the grains formed outside the solar system because of their exotic composition."

For the rest of the article just click on the title link.

Weather Video: Just How Wild is Our Weather Going to Get?

From Denny: I'm always fascinated with weather, especially when it takes a weird turn like hail and snow in June. The new watchword may be to "expect the unexpected" in the coming years weatherwise. Here's a good video to explain it all. (And if this ABC NEWS video isn't behaving just click on the title link to take you directly to it.)

Weather Video: Look Up the Funnel of a Twister

From Denny: Hurricane season began June 1st as it does every year. NBC News has been running some great tornado videos. There is also the Vortex 2 project involving over 100 scientists studying tornados in the hurricane alley of America involving the states of Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and Wyoming. Take a look!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Storm chaser defies tornados with special car:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Kid Science: Static Electricity Science Project For Kids: Swinging Cereal

Image via Wikipedia

Static Electricity Science Project For Kids: Swinging Cereal:

"Did you know ordinary cereal can be used to demonstrate the properties of static electricity in an engaging science project? Kids can learn to love science if they are given the opportunity to learn about it within the context of the word around them.

Whether home on a break or just bored on the weekend, there are plenty of easy-to-do science projects kids can do at home. Fun science experiments can spur an interest in children who may or may not already be excited about science. This project demonstrates the properties of static electricity."

By Lela Davidson @ HubPages

From Denny: Great learning project for the kids and family to enjoy this weekend! Put a little science in your life! :) Just click on the title to take you to the rest of the article.

Physics: How Does That Martial Arts Bed of Nails Really Feel?

From Denny: OK, these guys got MY attention with this nail bed demo. When I lived in Taiwan during high school I often saw interesting demos like this one from local martial arts experts during public festivals.

Here Popular Science breaks it down as to the physics and what they think it's all about. While part of what the science guys say is true there really is a spriritual component as well. Anyway you look at it, whew! Talk about an extreme sport!



"The Breakdown looks at the physics of a remarkable feat

Is this a death-defying demonstration requiring a level of mastery only arrived at after years of intensive martial arts training, or is it a theatrical display based more on physics than on chi? In order to answer that question, just take a look at the second video. Those guys haven't spent years in the dojo as far as we know, but they do know a little bit about fundamental principles of physics." - Popular Science

Just click on the title link to take you to Popular Science's article or go here.

Astronomy: Top Ten Hubble Scientific Discoveries

Hubble Telescope Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Popular Science has a new article that is mostly awesome photos of what Hubble has captured over time! They explain the significance of each photo to the furthering education in astronomy. If you prefer a larger view, take a look at the slide show by clicking on the title link and it will take you to the Popular Science site. I love space photos like this!

So much of their article is the history of astronomy: how scientists thought about the universe, speculated and now they know for sure because of the Hubble Telescope. This is such a great summary article that I quoted it here in its entirety as a free source.



All Photos Courtesy of NASA

"10. The Source of Long Gamma Ray Bursts

In the 1960s, US satellites designed to detect gamma radiation from Russian nuclear testing began picking up huge radiation bursts from deep in space. For decades, no one knew where the bursts were coming from. When the Hubble went on line, scientists were able to track the gamma ray bursts back to galaxies with rapid star production, like the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy (pictured). According to Livio, the gamma ray bursts occur when one of the galaxy’s massive stars collapses in on itself.



9. Accurate Measurement of the Hubble Constant

For years, scientists argued over the value of the Hubble Constant, a key component in the equation that measures the speed at which the universe expands. “Before the Hubble telescope, the estimates for the Hubble Constant were different by at least a factor of two,” said Livio. After analyzing Hubble pictures of far-off super novae (the remnants of one are pictured here), astronomers narrowed the value of the Hubble Constant down to within an error of five percent.



8. Stellar Populations

While some of the Hubble’s most notable pictures involved looking deep into space and time, it also made some important observations closer to home... if you consider 2.5 million light years close to home. Scientists knew very little about the histories of even our closest galactic neighbors (like the Andromeda galaxy shown here). But the Hubble, which can focus on individual stars in these galaxies, has allowed scientists to better understand the history of our corner of the universe.



7. Collision Images

Speaking of close to home, Hubble took one of its most important pictures of a planet right here in our own solar system. In 1994, fragments of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter (pictured here), and Hubble provided the first ever recorded images of a collision between two bodies in space. Aside from simply looking cool, photos of the scars left by the collision provided new insights into the makeup of Jupiter’s atmosphere.



6. Counting Planets

Naturally, being the egocentric species that we are, contemplating the mysteries of the cosmos inevitably leads to the question of whether life exists on other planets. To answer that question, we need to know just how many other planets there are. Pictures from the Hubble went a long way towards answering that question. By capturing images of the solar debris disks that eventually coalesce into planets (like the disk shown here around a star in the Orion nebula), the Hubble showed that planets are far more common than scientists previously thought.



5. Extrasolar Planets

And while we’re on the subject of extrasolar planets, the Hubble also snapped the first shot of a planet outside of our solar system. Before this picture of a planet around the star Fomalhaut was taken, scientists had to calculate whether a star had a planet by evaluating the star's wobble. With the Hubble, the astronomers could just take a picture of the planet itself.



4. Black Holes

Astronomers had been theorizing that super massive black holes laid at the center of galaxies for years, but it wasn’t until the Hubble actually took a shot of one of those black holes that the debate was put to rest. “Not only did Hubble discover that there are black holes in the center of the galaxies, but it discovered that there was correlation between the size of the black hole and the size of the bulge,” said Mario Livio, a senior astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute and author of Is God A Mathematician?. “Before that, we did not know that there was a black hole in the center, and definitely did not know that relationship.”



3. Deep Field Shot

This is one of the cases where the aesthetic beauty of one of Hubble’s pictures matched up with its scientific value. The Hubble Deep Field Shot, the most magnified picture of a spot of the sky ever taken with optical light, provided this gorgeous image, and gave scientists the information they needed to accurately calculate the age of the universe.



2. Dark Matter

Long theorized and to this date never directly observed, dark matter may make up as much as 22 percent of the material in the universe. Because dark matter doesn’t reflect or emit light (hence the name), it cannot be viewed with a telescope. However, dark matter still exerts a gravitational pull on the light that passes by it, bending the light like a lens. The Hubble was able to take a picture of light bent by the gravitational lens of nearby dark matter, thus detecting the previously undetectable. This is a picture of light from the galaxy cluster Abell being warped by a gravitation lens from dark matter.



1. Dark Energy

According to the theory of General Relativity, the gravitational pull of every object in the universe would eventually slow, and then reverse, the expansion of the universe. For years, that’s what astronomers assumed was happening. Then came Hubble. “Arguably the most important Hubble discovery is that of dark energy, which is this form of energy that propels the expansion of the universe,” said Livio. “We knew since the late 1920s that the universe was expanding, but thought that this expansion would be slowing down. Instead, we discovered in 1998 that this expansion was speeding up.” This momentous discovery came from measuring light emitted by super novae, like the explosion of the star Sanduleak -69° 202a, pictured here."

Brain Craft: Dollar Bill Origami

Origami Dollar Bill Heart Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr

Dollar Bill Origami: "Do you know your dollar bill can do origami? Dollar bill origami is actually quite easy if you get a hang of it."

By capgrasuper from Singapore @ HubPages

From Denny: Several videos demo the fun of origami using a dollar bill. Your kids will enjoy this fun craft that is also great for critical thinking development!

Brain: Some insight into why it's harder to recognize different-age faces

From Denny: Yesterday on Cognitive Daily I left this comment on their post "Super-recognizers: people with an amazing ability to recognize faces."

"Looks like I got all the faces: X is recognizable by his eyes and that half-sour "I'm uncomfortable" half-smile, Bill Clinton by his cheekbones in relation to his smile, Scarlett recognized by her serious pout and Wayne by his eyes like half-closed (what some people call bedroom eyes) and how he tilts his head.

Actors Jeff and Beau Bridges have that head-tilting characteristic in their body language too. When I saw an actor recently (passing by the TV on my way out) who displayed their same facial expressions and body language but looked very different. I asked my husband if he was related to the Bridges family and he replied, Yeah, that's Jordon Bridges. Some people, especially leaders in any field, develop a distinctive combination of expressions that are unique to them and easy to remember.

Posted by: Denny Lyon | April 27, 2009 5:38 PM"

Some insight into why it's harder to recognize different-age faces

Today's post and link is the follow-up to yesterdays' post about the "super recognizers." The current studies are examining as to why this happens. Mainly, there is still a lot of speculation and even more questions than answers.

Questions on deck:

Are people better at recognizing others of the same race?

Are people better at recognizing others of the same age?

Speculative answers:

Several studies have now revealed that others are better at recognizing those who look like themselves compared to those who are different, meaning same-race and same-age are the strongest factors for recognition. Same-race has been studied the most.

Questions as to what causes this type of recognition:
Are we better at recognizing people we see more often?

Do we have a separate process for recognizing those inside our group as opposed to those outside it?

Are we more adept at recognizing the faces of our loved ones and friends?

Answers from a study of non-teachers and teacher trainees:

In a recent study of non-teachers and teacher trainees they found the trainees were more adept at recognizing the kids' faces. Researchers realized that age-related differences in facial recognition are not due to any inside or outside group preference. Actually, teachers still recognize childrens' faces better than adults of their own age.

Researchers' Speculations

Researchers are postulating that the teachers are more motivated to recognize the kids so that may account for their success as well as constant exposure to that age group makes recognition easier than for others. Researchers are going to study both suggestions to see if one or the other is true - or if both suggestions are contributing factors.

Read that as they think they know why this facial recognition happens but they "will get back to you after it's official" - an official study, that is! :)

Posting Problems

From Denny: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday have been difficult times to try and post anything. Not sure why. Could be global internet traffic is highest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Monday and Tuesday in American time zone). Could be the computer worm going around driving servers insane courtesy of hacker jerks that are probably mostly comprised of intelligence community guys from countries all over the world.

What I have managed to post has gotten scrambled from time to time. Sorry for the inconvenience. I always go back to proof read and catch the errors, usually within minutes of posting. Lightning storms in my area haven't helped that process and have been delayed. If you see something I didn't catch within a day or two, please feel free to let me know as it would be much appreciated!

Fun photo by gidibao @ flickr

Math: Comparison helps children grasp math concepts

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: This is a great follow-up article to Saturday's.
Do you want your child to become a flexible problem-solver? According to this study the most effective way to achieve that goal is to teach a child to compare various ways to solve that math problem by comparing various drawbacks or benefits. Learning to solve a problem in more than just one way as is traditionally taught causes a mind to become more flexible.

They also found out that the children in the study were also more accurate in their solutions when they practised comparison solving, even when the problem involved estimation.

For more details in the article, just click on the title link.

Math: Explaining basic concepts behind math problems improves children's learning

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Whew! Well, it's about time to do the obvious if you want kids to really learn what's going on and why! What took the educators so long to figure out kids are capable of learning concepts?

Following is an excerpt. Just click on the title link for more of this very interesting study.

"New research from Vanderbilt University has found students benefit more from being taught the concepts behind math problems rather than the exact procedures to solve the problems. The findings offer teachers new insights on how best to shape math instruction to have the greatest impact on student learning...

In math class, teachers typically demonstrate a procedure for solving a problem and then have children practice solving related problems, often with minimal explanation for why things work."

Astronomy Blog Review: Nite Sky Girl

Image by Royalty-free image collection via Flickr

Nite Sky Girl Blog for Beginner Astronomers!

When you first land on this blog it feels like you just got dropped out into space and are floating in the vast blue ocean of space viewing the planets and galaxy! Your fun greeting welcome when you arrive on this Canadian astronomer’s blog? “Astronomy rocks and so do you for orbiting my blog!”
Curious about a particular planet? There is a section for that where you can click on your favorite planet and find out the latest news. There are also sections to find out and view photos of comets and meteors. She has sky videos galore as well.

Especially for the beginner astronomer and kids is a question and answer area about space and astronomy you will enjoy. Most of the material is geared for older kids who can learn some of the astronomy specifics and vocabulary.

Not to be missed are her very readable extensive listings on the Astronomy News Page, as it is on a separate blog, go here.

If you need night sky help she answers email questions about what is the right telescope or binoculars for you.

Nite Sky Girl is a rocking blog you will enjoy visiting again and again!

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• Clouds frustrate comet watchers (telegraph.co.uk)
• World's largest telescope will search heavens for habitable planets like Earth (telegraph.co.uk)
• Sunny Salvation for Planet Earth (geeksugar.com)
• The Galileoscope, a Telescope for Everyone (wired.com)
• Wolf-Rayet Stars (via The 365 Days of Astronomy, the daily podcast of the International Year of Astronomy 2009) (c4.libsyn.com)
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Video: Sociopath? What is it?

Definition and teaches you what to look for in self and others to understand.

Historical April Fools Day Funnies

April Fools Day

At the Museum of Hoaxes are collected some amusing funnies through the decades played by scientists and mathematicians!

Alabama Changes the Value of Pi

Happened in 1998:

The April 1998 issue of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter contained an article claiming that the American Alabama state legislature had voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the 'Biblical value' of 3.0.

Soon the article made its way onto the internet, and then it rapidly spread around the world, forwarded by email. It only became apparent how far the article had spread when the Alabama legislature began receiving hundreds of calls from people protesting the legislation.

The original article, which was intended as a parody of legislative attempts to circumscribe the teaching of evolution, was written by physicist Mark Boslough.

***

Especially like this one as it has timeless appeal:

Drunk Driving on the Internet

Happened in 1994:

An article in PC Computing magazine written by John Dvorak described a bill going through Congress that would make it illegal to use the internet while drunk, or to discuss sexual matters over a public network.

The bill was supposedly numbered 040194 (i.e. 04/01/94), and the contact person was listed as Lirpa Sloof (April Fools backwards). The article said that the FBI was going to use the bill to tap the phone line of anyone who "uses or abuses alcohol" while accessing the internet.

Passage of the bill was felt to be certain because "Who wants to come out and support drunkenness and computer sex?" The article offered this explanation for the origin of the bill: "The moniker 'Information Highway' itself seems to be responsible for SB 040194, which is designed to prohibit anyone from using a public computer network (Information Highway) while the computer user is intoxicated. I know how silly this sounds, but Congress apparently thinks being drunk on a highway is bad no matter what kind of highway it is. The bill is expected to pass this month."

The article generated so many outraged phone calls to Congress that Senator Edward Kennedy's office had to release an official denial of the rumor that he was a sponsor of the bill.

***

Here's a good one for the wonderfully gullible:

Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers

Happened in 1995 (the 90's were great!):

Discover Magazine reported that the highly respected wildlife biologist Dr. Aprile Pazzo had found a new species in Antarctica: the hotheaded naked ice borer.

These fascinating creatures had bony plates on their heads that, fed by numerous blood vessels, could become burning hot, allowing the animals to bore through ice at high speeds. They used this ability to hunt penguins, melting the ice beneath the penguins and causing them to sink downwards into the resulting slush where the hotheads consumed them.

After much research, Dr. Pazzo theorized that the hotheads might have been responsible for the mysterious disappearance of noted Antarctic explorer Philippe Poisson in 1837. "To the ice borers, he would have looked like a penguin," the article quoted her as saying. Discover received more mail in response to this article than they had received for any other article in their history.

***



This one must have really brought out the overly impressionable.

Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity

Happened in 1976:

The British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at 9:47 AM a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event was going to occur that listeners could experience in their very own homes. The planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment that would counteract and lessen the Earth's own gravity.

Moore told his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would experience a strange floating sensation. When 9:47 AM arrived, BBC2 began to receive hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation. One woman even reported that she and her eleven friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the room.

***



The Discovery of the Bigon

Happened in 1996 (how do they come up with these things?):

Discover Magazine reported that physicists had discovered a new fundamental particle of matter, dubbed the Bigon. It could only be coaxed into existence for mere millionths of a second, but amazingly, when it did materialize it was the size of a bowling ball.

Physicist Albert Manque and his colleagues accidentally found the particle when a computer connected to one of their vacuum-tube experiments exploded. Video analysis of the explosion revealed the Bigon hovering over the computer for a fraction of a second.

Manque theorized that the Bigon might be responsible for a host of other unexplained phenomena such as ball lightning, sinking souffles, and spontaneous human combustion. Discover received huge amounts of mail in response to the story.