This Thanksgiving, the turkey is definitely king in many homes and we traditionally have a Turducken., but with everyone spread all over the country, we'll have a beautiful ham with Pineapple and Apricot glaze! CLICK on the picture for our recipe.
Here is what I am reading today:
” Marijuana use can lead to a loss of brain volume in individuals who are at risk of developing schizophrenia, new research shows. “It is now accepted by most psychiatrists that smoking cannabis increases an individual’s risk of psychosis, and more specifically schizophrenia,” lead author Killian A. Welch, MD, from the University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, United Kingdom, told Medscape Medical News.”
“… uncertainty may make leaders reject creative ideas. “But sometimes we need creative ideas. If you’re a company that makes radios and suddenly nobody’s buying them anymore, you don’t have a choice,” Mueller says—you have to come up with something new. Her research suggests that rather than focusing on the process of coming up with ideas, companies may need to pay more attention to what makes them reject creative ideas.”
“The authors of the study, Elisabetta Palagi and Giada Cordoni, of the University of Pisa in Italy, found that chimpanzee solitary play peaks in infancy, while the time spent in social play was relatively constant between infants and juveniles. However, the type of social play changed quite a bit as the animals grew up, in terms of measures like complexity and playmate choice. In comparing these behaviors to previous work conducted with humans, they found that both species show significant quantitative and qualitative development in play behavior from infancy to juvenility.”
” Using brain-imaging technology for the first time with people experiencing mathematics anxiety, University of Chicago scientists have gained new insights into how some students are able to overcome their fears and succeed in math.”
“Psychologists once scoffed at fiction as a way of understanding people because—well—it’s made up. But in the past 25 years cognitive psychologists have developed a new appreciation for the significance of stories. ….”
“Billions of years ago, organic chemicals in the primordial soup somehow organized themselves into the first organisms. A few years ago scientists found that something similar happens every once in awhile in the cells of all living things: bits of once-quiet stretches of DNA sometimes spontaneously assemble themselves into genes. Such “de novo” genes may go on to play significant roles in the evolution of individual organisms—even humans. But how many are there?”
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25 Comments
anajafia · November 20, 2011 at 10:39 pm
The “Late Bloomers” article was great, although it handed me a combination of interest and disappointment. At first it was interest because I hoped, and still believe, the de nova genes were a good glimpse into the genes that might have been the starting force to break away from our primate relatives. The incorporation of those genes through beneficial evolutionary mechanisms might have been instrumental to the development of the modern human brain. From the 4 means of evolution, I believe either natural selection or random mutations might have had the greatest impact to the rising of the genes. Since the genes are linked to the cerebral cortex research on them would be fantastic. Yet the disappointing news is that the job to find their roles on our mind will be quite difficult. The human genes seems to not be efficiently introduced to lab animals, and, of course, human testing is not legal or ethical. Yet hope was possible with further research done on genes that interact with the de novo genes.
megconstant · November 21, 2011 at 9:41 am
In the brief article on “Social ties and reading,” I found it to be very interesting that reading fictional stories can help improve ones social skills and understanding of other human beings. Growing up, I used to loved to read for fun and was often a “book worm.” Once I entered into High school and now College, there is no time to read for fun. The only reading I am able to do is found within textbooks. I completely agree that the more people interact or view situations and how they are handled, whether it be in real life or in fictional characters in a novel, the better they are able to see another persons point of view and handle situations much better. Hopefully one day I will be able to read again for pleasure, at I think it is something that everyone would benefit from and help aid in improving ones social skills.
annieaitken · November 21, 2011 at 2:23 pm
The article about marijuana seems like important information since the drug has been growing in popularity over time. It seems especially useful for doctors to have this data since they are the ones prescribing. I wonder how much of a background check medical marijuana doctors do to patients before prescribing them the drug. This study seems like it also answers some questions about schizophrenia. If we learn what drugs can increase the likely hood of developing the disorder, perhaps we could find drugs that decrease that likely hood.
annieaitken · November 21, 2011 at 2:35 pm
I find it very interesting that studies are showing the underlying feelings towards creativity. Although I would like to be able to read about the experiment itself more in depth, I think I understand the general outcome. These findings may explain why currently in big companies and politics, there often aren’t radical solutions to problems or many new ideas. I get the feelings that creativity is also more associated with risk when compared to concrete thinking. More often it seems that the government base their decisions on past ideas rather than innovative new ones.
mfitzpatrick · November 21, 2011 at 4:05 pm
The article about “how to overcome math anxiety” was really interesting. I, myself, have massive math anxiety. I get so nervous taking my chemistry, physics, and calculous courses here at cal poly. The fact that all I need to do to do well on exams or more is to calm down is rather reassuring. It seems simple and doable which I’m sure puts everyone who has high math anxiety at ease. However, I thought it was even more interesting that the more active the frontal and parietal lobes are, the less math-anxious someone will be. I would think that the more activity in the brain who lead someone to be more anxious and busy-brained.
mfitzpatrick · November 21, 2011 at 4:31 pm
The article about “social ties and reading” was intriguing to read. I never realized how much our society is influenced by fiction. Fiction has influenced our thought, thought processing, and thought perspective on how people are, how they should act, and who they should be. A multiple fictional characters are given certain traits and characteristics that the human population can generalize to the entire human race and many animals as well. Like the article stated, “[fiction] elaborates our conceptions of human or humanlike agents and explores how their intentions collide with reality.” Fiction has influenced our reality in that fictional life could be applied or percieved in the real world.
akinsella · November 22, 2011 at 11:41 am
I enjoyed reading about the article comparing the play of chimpanzees with that of humans. There are so many different research experiments using chimps; however, I haven’t read any studies such as this one. The study took place in Italy and was actually the first research that compared the play in chimps with the play in humans in a standardized way. This research addressed both the quantitative and qualitative development of play behavior from infancy to juvenility, including playmate choice and complexity. Our use of facial expressions during play to communicate with others as well as build our social relationships occurs during this time period. Often times research concentrates on more negative issues such as depression, anxiety, and other disorders while somewhat overlooking more positive attributes such as play.
akinsella · November 22, 2011 at 11:42 am
Ever since we are little we are taught to be creative, be innovative, and be original. Then there comes a time when creativity seems to be pushed away and replaced with practicality. The study about the bias against creativity could not strike me as being anymore true. Especially in the college setting, students are so often forced to suppress their creativity in projects, papers, and assignments in order to just do what the teacher wants. It is no longer about being creative, innovative, and original but rather it is about sticking to the standards, being correct, and staying normal. Mueller’s last line was my favorite where she states that instead of focusing on coming up with new ideas, companies need to focus on accepting more creative ideas.
anajafia · November 23, 2011 at 12:49 pm
The article on reading and its relation with social ties was slightly intriguing, yet I’m surprised this is relatively new findings. I’ve always seen reading and diving into a world full of imagination was a fantastic way to develop empathy. If a person’s open-mindedness can be incased within a fence surrounding, reading, as I see it, helps stretch that fence to bigger and bigger proportions. A well-written novel, whether it be fiction or not, gives the reader an opportunity to step into the mind of a complex character with human qualities. Qualities that are beneficial or flawed, and most importantly puts an outlook of life that the reader can relate to or learn from. From this increased awareness, social settings are easier to handle and even easier to penetrate the deeper and underlying emotional conversation one’s friend is possibly trying to express.
On another point, I’ve seen reading, similar to what the article said, as a simulation. Analogous to the threat simulation hypothesis on dreaming, reading, for what I take of it, can be seen a social evolutionary mechanism. Unlike the hypothesis which deals with escaping threatening situations, reading allows to pre-render situations of conversations and how to fully be cognitively aware of the setting. With that knowledge, the reader can acquire mastery of speaking, as well as enlarging their critical thinking hats.
giulianna.riso · November 24, 2011 at 10:24 am
I really enjoyed the article about how to overcome math anxiety. I have definitely suffered from math anxiety since 6th grade, so I am always trying to find ways to tell myself that I can do it. I will have to start working on controlling my emotions in order to succeed in math. Great and interesting article!
kai zajac · November 27, 2011 at 8:02 pm
The article about marijuana and schizophrenia really caught my attention. Last year a close friend of mine was expelled from school for issues with his RA, he was then put in the psych ward at out local hospital after he attacked his dad, and began acting very strangely. He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia, and is now on heavy medications. After reading this article I believe that marijuana may have been the cause for the schizophrenia he developed last year. He was always a a little out there, and I believe his Grandpa has schizophrenia. He was also a fairly frequent marijuana user, and his schizophrenia outbreak even occurred a few days after april 20th( a marijuana holiday in a way). Hopefully this information can be made widely available to those with a family history of schizophrenia, in order to prevent unnecessary schizophrenia outbreaks.
kai zajac · November 27, 2011 at 8:10 pm
I really liked the article about math. Personally, I had a lot of trouble with math in highschool, so I was very scared for my pre calculus class freshman year here at cal poly. I was so nervous that I even signed up for a workshop. Now that I look back on it, the workshop wasn’t very helpful in the sense that it taught me how to do problems(my instructor wasn’t the best), however, it may have worked to ease my anxiety. By knowing that I was enrolled in a workshop, perhaps my brain felt more at ease, which may have in turn allowed me to do better in the class. I only have one math class left here at cal poly, and I will definitely use some of the tips in the article to help me get through it.
dlheller · November 27, 2011 at 10:48 pm
I found the article, “Brain Study Reveals How Successful Students Overcome Math Anxiety” very relevant. My job on campus is with supplemental workshops in math; I work with freshman students to provide additional help with course material to help them succeed. I found the article very applicable. Students in a workshop typically do a letter grade higher than other students which as Kai’s comment suggests may help ease students anxiety and therefore be helpful in aiding students ability to disregard emotion and work on the problems. Students nerves often come from not knowing what to expect but I think workshops like the one I lead can be a very beneficial tool in helping high anxiety math students move past their fears and toward success!
Kbginger08 · November 27, 2011 at 10:49 pm
The article discussing genes and evolution caught my attention. Usually, I tend to think that humans are done evolving, and we are the smartest, most developed version of humans. It is hard to imagine a more developed person. In contrast, this article argues that the brain is still evolving. Evolution in humans is such a fascinating idea. Evolution has shaped us for the past hundreds of thousands of years, so it isn’t surprising to year that our brains are still evolving. I was excited to read that the de nova gene changes are almost three times greater than expected. When changes like this occur, it makes me wonder if in thousands of years, humans will be much different than us today.
Kbginger08 · November 27, 2011 at 11:01 pm
The article “is there a bias against creativity” made a lot of sense to me. I can relate to being in a stressful situation of needing to come up with a creative idea, but also feeling as if I have a mental block. I think this research will be extremely beneficial to business or other groups that need creativity. The suggestion of looking at what is preventing the creativity acceptance rather than focusing so much on being creative was a thoughtful suggestion. Although companies already generate a lot of new ideas, if this was applied to every stressful, creative seeking situation, it would be interesting to see how large of an impact the change would have.
anajafia · November 27, 2011 at 11:12 pm
The study on marijuana and its correlation with use and significant decrease in the thalamic volume in people with a family history of schizophrenia was both informative and slightly disheartening. I say this because universities and illicit drugs, with pot consistently being the predominant drug of choice, go hand in hand, and with that said my friends are predisposed to this potentially devastating consequence. A difference in the size of the thalamus that compelling can not be overlooked. The thalamus, like the article stated, is of great importance to the brain with its role of interconnecting brain regions. I, fortunately, do not know any of my friends having a family history of schizophrenia, or at least none that have talked to me about a case. More so, I did not know it was accepted by most psychiatrists that smokers of pot are at risk of psychosis, which gives way to more worry to our fellow students. I fare well with this new knowledge and will pass it on. Like the saying goes “Foreknowledge is forewarned.”
carlyk · November 27, 2011 at 11:20 pm
I really enjoyed the article about the tendency to reject creative ideas based on the uncertainty that these ideas seem to generate. It seems that we are so often told to “think outside the box” and come up with a “creative idea” and it definitely creates a feeling of anxiety and uncertainty for the individual. I think most people can relate to this issue and would agree that creative ideas are all too often rejected when in fact they could be very beneficial. It is encouraging to hear that I am not the only one that is stirred by the pressure to think “creatively”, and I also think it is important that we become more aware of this and work to make it a more accepted and approved way of thinking.
carlyk · November 27, 2011 at 11:28 pm
I thought the article about social ties linked with reading was very interesting. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for reading – especially fiction – so this article really made sense to me. It is easy for some to criticize fiction writing and reading but I frown upon their criticism because I think fiction has an absolutely positive influence for its audiences. From personal experience, I would say that it has definitely broadened my horizons on the world around me. It has allowed me to open up a once narrow-mind and explore the ideas, societies, and cultures that I would never have even heard of if I had not picked up a book. It surprises me that a study has to even be conducted to display the findings on the effects of reading fiction because it seems so simple to me that it truly is a positive thing for readers of all different backgrounds.
David Hunter · November 28, 2011 at 12:53 am
I read the article “Is being creative BAD”. Due to my experiences, I completely agree with the findings and the results. When I am talking with people, I can sometimes have the best conversations. I can easily come up with things to say. However, sometimes I get anxious, and I am unable to say anything. No thoughts will come to my mind, and I am unable to be conversationally creative.
I found the part at the end extremely insightful. The author states that companies are often unable to recognize creative ideas because they fall into the same trap. This means that anxiety not only plays a part in the creative aspect of creativity, but it plays a part in the recognition part as well. As a leader of different organizations, I will put this knowledge to use when doing group discussions.
David Hunter · November 28, 2011 at 1:12 am
I read the article “The Social Ties and Anxiety.” I agreed with the results that fiction can give people insight about others. As an English major, I constantly read English for that purpose, to learn about the world though another person’s eyes. In fact, people have been doing this practice (learning about humans through fiction) for a long time. Science as we know it today has only been around for a few centuries; however, stories have been around eons ago. It was and still is how many people learn about others.
megconstant · November 28, 2011 at 9:22 am
In the article “how to overcome math anxiety,” I found it very interesting that there was a correlation between performance on math problems and dealing with your emotions. This makes sense to me in that I often see students around me freak out about tests and stay up all night studying and are very anxious before a test, worrying about how they are going to do and not feeling prepared. Often times, these students are the ones that end up doing poorly, and not understanding why they did because they feel like they were prepared. Maybe it was not their lack of knowledge that explains their poor performance but their anxiety and high emotions right before taking the test. I have learned, over the years, to instead of panic, try to relax and study as much as you can, do the best you can and remain calm and that often helps me perform better on exams.
annieaitken · November 28, 2011 at 11:41 am
The article about the social interaction patterns of chimps seems to give more biological input to human behavior. This article was quite short, it would be interesting to read more about it or maybe see if there are any other studies like it. Since both monkeys and humans develop similarly in the way they play with each other, perhaps there is some significance to our specific patterns. An evolutionary psychologist would be an important component to this study because maybe our unique social development has a favorable survival quality to it.
marcclanton · November 28, 2011 at 8:48 pm
I found the article about Social Skills and Reading to be very interesting. I have always loved a good novel, and I become easily attached to characters. I think fiction can improve our social skills because it creates a sort of cognitive reality where we can see how certain actions can play out, and what consequences they can have. We may also project some of our own emotions and intentions onto a particular character, and therefore become more aware of our own emotions. I think that because we play these stories in our head, we learn from them, even if we do not experience them first hand.
lancesturgeon · December 1, 2011 at 7:34 pm
For the article “Is Being Creative Bad”:
Companies oftentimes stick to what they know and fear trying new things. When hiring employees, they may not be looking for a creative thinker to change the system. But the truth is that this day in age, entrepreneurs are the people who get noticed. Facebook, YouTube, and Google were all born out of someone’s creative ideas put into action. Think about where Apple would be if Steve Jobs was not creative. Creativity is an essential part of today’s businesses, especially those involved in technology and computers.
lancesturgeon · December 1, 2011 at 7:38 pm
For the article “How to Shrink Your Brain”:
I found this article very interesting. It is not a secret that marijuana use in the U.S. is becoming more and more common, ESPECIALLY in colleges. Most time that a stoner defends himself, he may say about how marijuana has no negative effects. But now with researches like this article shows, it can be seen that it has negative effects, and scary ones at that. Sometimes smoking marijuana can lead to a paranoid high, which is very closely related to that of symptoms of schizophrenia. Perhaps the correlation has something to do with this. Regardless, it is interesting stuff.
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