A couple of students joked that this was me… but I only own parakeets! ( from the movie RIO)
Here is what I am reading today:
“It appears that being honest is hugely important to our sense of who we are. However, while it might bother us to tell lies at home, we are more likely to bend the truth at work, suggests the study. The researchers conducted simple honesty tests by ringing people in their own homes in Germany and asking them to flip a coin. The study participants were asked over the phone to report on how it landed. The catch to this test was that each of the individuals taking part was given a strong financial incentive to lie without the fear of being found out. The study participants were told that if the coin landed tails up, they would receive 15 euros or a gift voucher; while if the coin landed heads up, they would receive nothing.”
“ScienceDaily (Nov. 19, 2012) — In a recent newspaper article, a Nebraska State Patrol investigator called the abuse of prescription drugs an “epidemic” in the state.”
“Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve (UCL Political Science) and Professor Andrew Oswald (University of Warwick) analysed data from 15,000 adolescents and young adults in the USA, finding that those who report higher ‘positive affect’, which is a technical measure of happiness, or higher ‘life satisfaction’ grow up to earn significantly higher levels of income later in life.”
“New results from a 3-year project working with over 400 pupils, mostly 8-10 year olds, show that collaborative learning increases both fluency and flexibility in maths. It also shows that using an interactive ‘smart’ desk can have benefits over doing mathematics on paper.”
“The 4D scans of 15 healthy fetuses, by Durham and Lancaster Universities, also suggest that yawning is a developmental process which could potentially give doctors another index of a fetus’ health.”
“Contrary to popular belief, there is no connection between lunar phases and the incidence of psychological problems. This is the conclusion reached by a team of researchers directed by Professor Geneviève Belleville of Université Laval’s
School of Psychology after having examined the relationship between the moon’s phases and the number of patients who show up at hospital emergency rooms experiencing psychological problems.”
34 Comments
a.schlachter · November 26, 2012 at 11:21 am
“Full Moon Does Not Increase Incidence of Psychological Problems”
I always applaud research that proves common belief wrong. I do not always fully believe the research, but I find it a gutsy move to publish findings that are uncommon. That is the main reason why i found this article entertaining. I never knew that people connected the moon cycles to psychological problems, I always knew they connected it to bad behavior such as poor driving though. I find it hard to believe that health care providers would be less attentive to a patient with psychological problems just because it was not a full moon.
Arielle Plavnick PSY 340-01 · November 26, 2012 at 2:17 pm
I am very open to abnormal ideas, however I personally do not believe the full moon effects people psychologically. The article “Full Moon Does Not Increase Incidence of Psychological Problems” states that through research it has been proven that psychological problems are not heightened during the full moon. Although I agree with the article, I do believe that the research is extremely spotty and not nearly thorough enough to make such an ardent statement. First of all, the study named was only conducted for three years; at only two hospitals; of only 771 people! I find it outrageous that a scientist would make a sweeping statement or even assumption about this topic based on the numbers used for data.
I think this is an extremely interesting topic and would really enjoy reading a more intensive study on it.
Arielle Plavnick PSY 340-01 · November 26, 2012 at 2:33 pm
“Happy youngsters more likely to grow into wealthy adults” is a fascinating article that could lead to change for the better. If it becomes well known that there is a high correlation between children/adolescent happiness and higher adulthood success, perhaps parents and teachers will stop hounding and pressuring kids; and make more of an effort to increase a child’s overall well being by making sure they are well rounded and happy young individuals. There are multiple other compounding variables that influence this study, however the correlation is remarkable. This study could have a national impact seeing how it mentions the switch from GDP to GWB being the main focus of the government if it was focusing on this issue in terms of economic benefit.
tpoulin · November 26, 2012 at 2:58 pm
I read the article, “Study: Happy youngsters more likely to grow into wealthy adults”. This article stated that happier individuals at young ages are more likely to get a degree, find work, and get promoted. One researcher even said that these findings may implicate academics, policy makers, and the general public. The article stated that it might be good for parents to hear this new found information to make their home environment a good environment. I agree with this study. It makes complete sense. Happy people have more to live for and therefore will try harder at most aspects of their lives. This is definitely a good thing to keep in mind when one is upset.
tpoulin · November 26, 2012 at 3:04 pm
In the article, “Star Trek classroom: Next generation of school desks” is quite shocking. When 8 to 10 year olds worked with these multi-touch desks in the new classroom, they showed improvements on a lot of things. They worked better together and they showed new, creative ways to solve problems. It is a shocking thing because it is hard to imagine that new of technology being available to children that young. I hope to still be in school when this goes to every school, if they even put them in colleges. It seems to be a very productive and very interesting way to divide tasks to different groups and to learn to work together in a fun way.
fionachung. · November 26, 2012 at 3:40 pm
“The Future Schoolroom” shows how technology is playing a big role in society today. Technology is always advancing and I’m not surprised that it has made its way into the education system. With technology advancing so fast, many schools will probably switch to an online teaching system where teachers can just teach at home and students can view their lessons online. It amazes me how everything in classrooms are advancing so fast. Instead of using pencils and papers, classrooms are resorting to interactive computers. A downside of this is that technology is not perfect and there will always be glitches in systems.
LauraGregorich · November 26, 2012 at 4:17 pm
“The future schoolroom”
As much as I understand how this could be really beneficial to some individuals, I can’t help but think that it could also have some negative aspects as well. Yes, this technology could be good for students to visual math problems and work as a group, but sometimes working on something individually is what allows the student to commit it to memory. I don’t know if this would also help in other subjects, such as writing or reading. This reminded me of another article I saw recently about schools that are trying to install computers in grade school classes, which would result in lack of penmanship and cursive writing for the students. If students learn at a young age to rely on these types of “smart desks” and other smart devices, they could be missing out on some basics of learning. Once grown, if that student did not have the necessary devices, they would have no previous knowledge to fall back on to solve problems “the old fashioned way.”
melanie.reis · November 26, 2012 at 4:50 pm
“How honest are you at work”
This article definitely caught me off guard, because I predicted that most people would lie, especially if no one was watching them flip the coin. I would have thought that with a monetary incentive, most people’s moral compass would be skewed, but this study definitely proved me wrong. I wonder if putting the random subjects in groups would have any effect on their response. Sure, people are relatively honest when at home, but would the presence of other people (encouraging or discouraging dishonesty) change a person’s response?
jennamcbee890 · November 26, 2012 at 7:45 pm
The article “Pain Medication Addiction Reaching Epidemic Level,” was one that really hit home for me. My grandmother has a chronic pain condition with her foot, and one that requires her to take constant pain medications. After 5 failed triple fusion surgeries, and the collapse of almost the rest of her entire body (as she can barely bare any weight on her broken foot), the doctors have succumbed to pain medications as the only solution, as the surgeries have all failed. She has become increasingly addicted to the neurcotics and can barely function without them. It is extremely saddening to watch an addiction, but also to watch without any other forms of treatments or solutions. This has also led to a depression problem, and one that has also become medicated. It seems that with the start of one medication, it often leads to more medication consumption of different kinds either to balance between the two or compensate for something that the other takes away.
jennamcbee890 · November 26, 2012 at 7:50 pm
I thought the article “Myth Debunked: Full Moon Does Not Increase Incidence of Psychological Problems” was interesting because of my personal experience with “the full moon phenomena.” At the hotel that I work at, a former employee brought up the fact to me once that the reason the guests were so cranky was due to the fact of the full moon. She said she had been observing it throughout her 5 years in customer service and that she hates when the full moon is out. Since she has informed me of her experience I can say that I do believe that I have had similar experiences with guests emotions and the presence of a full moon. But perhaps it is only because she has told me about it, and I now choose to pay attention to it. This could be what has happened to others; once they hear about a full moon phenomena, they believe it is true and that it is occurring to them as well. I do believe that the study would need to be larger for more accurate testing, and across a more broad scale.
AristayaBarr · November 26, 2012 at 7:54 pm
“How Honest are you at Work?”
I am rather surprised that the study suggested that people tend to be more truthful at home. I would have guessed the opposite. I would think that being at home would feel like a safer place to be with no one around to judge you. At work, you would be more pressured to tell the truth because there are other people around who may not know your character and could criticize you for your lies.
CaitlinMorris · November 26, 2012 at 9:27 pm
“Star Trek Classroom: Next Generation of School Desks”
I personally have been taught in a smart room before and, although innovative, anytime a technical problem arouse, the instructor was unable to teach for several minutes to, on some occasions, several hours while the IT team attempted to solve the electrical obstacle. Perhaps I am biased because growing up I did not have access to any advanced learning technology such as NumberNet until my first year of college, but I feel as though a pencil and paper is at least a consistent, reliable method for teaching that is not at risk of restraint from technical obscurities.
CaitlinMorris · November 26, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Fetuses Yawn in the Womb, 4D Scans Suggest
The article states that, “the function and importance of yawning is still unknown.” However, this is not entirely true since according to several biological studies, shallow breathing typically triggers yawning in adults and children—when little oxygen is carried to the lungs by the oxygen-toting cardiovascular system. Yawning elevates ones alertness, as the sudden intake of oxygen increases the heart rate, rids the lungs and the bloodstream of the carbon dioxide buildup, and forces oxygen through blood vessels in the brain, while restoring normal breathing and ventilating the lungs. Since fetuses receive their oxygen supply via the umbilical cord, this biological causation does not necessarily apply to unborn children. More than likely I would be inclined to support the counterclaim that the observed “yawning” is really just mouth opening.
csommo · November 27, 2012 at 9:21 am
As I read that article on pain medication, I couldn’t help but relate it to my life. My grandfather, uncle, and brother were all addicted to pain medication (my grandfather still is), and I have always wondered why such an addictive drug is so readily available. I have undergone major surgery and was in serious need of pain medication, but my mother took the medication away after I mentioned that the pain had become tolerable. I didn’t get angry at this because, due to my family history, I was aware of the dangers of pain medications. My brother had the same problem, but my mom was not able to catch it early enough as she did with me; eventually he was able to suppress his cravings for Vicodin. I feel that pain medication prescriptions should only be allowed to be refilled a certain number of times in order to stop addiction. This is a serious and very prevalent issue that should be looked into further.
csommo · November 27, 2012 at 9:29 am
The “Star Trek classroom” is a very compelling concept. Although it’s hard to ignore the findings of how helpful this change in classroom style is, I couldn’t repress my skepticism while reading the article. Technology is undeniably a helpful advancement in our culture today. However, how far is too far? Sometimes technology can get in the way of necessary developmental processes. For instance, when I see a 4-year-old sitting in a beautiful park on a sunny day playing on an iPad, I can’t help but be disappointed in the impact that technology is having on young children. I do not want to raise my children in a “Star Trek” world, and moving such significant technological advances into a classroom could give me no choice but to do so. Sometimes technology is unnecessary and we shouldn’t forget that it’s possible to survive without it.
lportiz · November 27, 2012 at 6:49 pm
I think that the article on use of pain medication really depends on the person because although pain medication can be very addicting, it doesn’t apply to everyone. I have known several people that abuse prescription drugs just for the feeling of being high, but there are plenty of people that actually need the pain relievers. Not too long ago I had the worst tooth ache of my life so I went to the dentist and once the anesthesia and ibuprofen they gave me wore off, I was back in the dentist an hour later. Just how it states in the article, they asked me how bad the pain was on a scale of 1-10, which actually felt like 100, so they prescribed me antibiotics and Vicodin. I only took the Vicodin when I needed which was usually right before bed. I didn’t feel the need to keep taking them because they made me feel better, I only took them when necessary. It all really depends on the person and perhaps the drug.
lportiz · November 27, 2012 at 7:04 pm
The article on the yawning fetus is simply cute and also very interesting. As stated in the article, although the function for yawning is unknown, but could be linked to fetal development this would be very helpful in determining the health development of the fetus. Whether the fetus is yawning or if it is just mouth opening it would definitely be something that researchers should look into.
andiereed1 · November 28, 2012 at 10:28 am
“Pain Medication Addiction Reaching Epidemic Level”
I completely agree with the data and the view at which this article is surveying. I believe that as new diseases are being identified there will be more and more pain medications being produced to lessen the impact of these diseases and hopefully help cure the patient. Unfortunately, the pain medications are highly addictive and I have personally experienced this in my own life. My grandmother has been addicted to pain medication her whole life with the starting of taking Depression medication. The number of medications she takes for different pains has steadily increased each year with a new pain spot each time. Maybe in the future the new invention will be to create a pain medication without the main addictive ingredient that is the cause of all of this.
LeahMonteleone · November 28, 2012 at 11:09 am
When reading the article about how happier children may be wealthier, I found myself hoping that will one day be me. In my opinion, happiness and success go hand in hand. If you are happy, you are more apt to be successful and usually, with success comes happiness. If is interesting that, “These findings have important implications for academics, policy makers, and the general public.” I think the relationship between academics and success is correlational. It is also important to keep in mind environmental influences, genetic, and financial security while growing up.
Sarah Dougherty · November 28, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Pain Medication Addiction Reaching Epidemic Levels
This article goes along with a special by Dr. Sanjay Gupta last week. Dr. Gupta said that 80% of today’s pain medications are sold in the United States. Dr. Hassan, professor of psychiatry for this article says that in 2011, hydrocone was the most prescribed drug in the United States (Web MD). I think that people today react quickly to pain and according to Dr. Gupta’s special, everyone wants an immediate response and medicine for the pain. The problem is that the opiates that they once thought safe work very quickly, then leave the body, so the person wants more. This can lead to addiction and suicide and death. Doctor’s need to be very careful with the type of medicine they prescribe for pain, how often the person takes it and how long they can be on it. These pain medications are now becoming addictions and more needs to be done to monitor people in pain. People need to know how serious this problem is and know the terrible consequences. I think this problem will only get worse.
Sarah Dougherty · November 28, 2012 at 4:07 pm
MYTH DEBUNKED: Full Moon does not increase psychological problems
According to this three year study in one hospital by Professor Belleville, there is no connection between the lunar quarters and the increase of psychological disorders. This is interesting information, but I think a lot more study needs to be done. 80% of nurses and 64% of doctors do believe there is a link and this seems more than coincidence. I would also like to see police records as a friend of ours who is a SWAT officer says he sees more psychological crime during full moons. It would be shocking to find out it is the expectation, not reality, but I think many more studies are needed.
christinasteely · November 28, 2012 at 9:55 pm
In regards to the “do strange things happen under full moons?” article, i was shocked at the large percentage (80 and 65%) of doctors and nurses that believed the the lunar movement has an impact on patients mental health! I definitely would not expect professional individuals that went to medical school to believe in something that has so little scientific background. It is interesting though how we grow up in a culture that is so superstitious about things like the moon and we automatically believe it as kids because that is what everyone else thinks. When a strange thing happens and it is under a full moon, we know that it is only by coincidence but it is entertaining/gives some people comfort to be able to attribute the oddness to something specific–like the full moon.
viviannethorbecke · November 29, 2012 at 10:25 am
“Honest at work”
I thought that this article was very interning. It is weird to think that you would rather lie at work then at home. It is ironic because a lot more is at stake if you lie at work, like losing your job. There are consequences for lying at home also, like you parents will get mad at you but in theory, your family is supposed to forgive you. The love youths most in this world and it is there job as a family to forgive your mistakes. At work your lies or mistakes could cost you so much more then at home, I just found this very interesting. You might be more likely to lie at work because you do not know the people too well, mostly. You might not feel as inclined to say the truth because there are a lot of stranger there compared to your home. I wonder how the study would be different if the questions were asked in person rather than on the phone. Would people still lie more at work or would the whole rate of lying go down?
viviannethorbecke · November 29, 2012 at 10:34 am
“Happy as a youth…then becoming wealthy”
This article is very interesting. It is interesting to see that being happy as a child makes for a higher income when older, I do agree with the section in the article that said that there are other factors that take part in this also. Things like opportunity and education also take a huge part in how much money you Mae when you are older. There are many questions I have about this though. Do things like how much money you grow up with and what you parents make matter? What are their requirements for being happy? Many people have different definitions of being happy so is this based off of a standard? I do believe that the experiment does not work the other way around. I do not think that the more income you have, the happier you are. This only happens to an extent, like if a homeless person suddenly comes into money, they will be happy. But they will reach a threshold after everything they need where more money will not increase their happiness.
laurenstanfield23 · November 29, 2012 at 10:47 am
I was not surprised to find that the “Star Trek” classroom was found very beneficial for students math scores and ability. The interactive nature of smart tablets/computers enable students to ask questions, work together, and have immediate access to help from someone other than their teacher. These smart technology also allow students to learn how to use technology at any early age to promote their intelligence and education which I see as becoming more and more important and beneficial for success in the future. Even in my own experience, using technology is highly beneficial in that it provides an interactive and secondary help in classroom settings. However, I think these results should be interpreted with caution as the power of good teacher and face to face interaction and hands on learning should not be replaced. Instead the compliment of both hands on with technology support provides the best future for students success.
PaigeBroderick · November 29, 2012 at 11:33 am
In response to “do strange things happen during a full moon?”, researchers followed a number of patients while looking for differences in behavior during lunar cycles. They found no evidence for increased incidences of psychological problems during any of the four lunar phases. However, most doctors and nurses believe that a full moon does effect a patient’s psychological condition, regardless of evidence of studies that say otherwise. Why is that? Perhaps it is an adamant superstition conditioned in our society, maybe even a firmly held belief in an attempt to explain phenomenon. I can only imagine the unusual cases doctors and nurses must face. Even more obvious, just watch any horror movie and there is sure to be featured a full moon (or just mention werewolf!). Personally, when I’m out during a full moon I purposefully look for weird stuff for fun, so maybe we’re conjuring it all in our heads!
PaigeBroderick · November 29, 2012 at 11:48 am
After reading “the yawning fetus?”, I was surprised by how much a fetus can do! I didn’t know they hiccupped, swallowed, and kicked; but now they yawn!? Obviously, fetuses don’t yawn because they are tired or bored, so why then? Well researchers don’t really know, but they postulate it could be a maturational function early in gestation for either the brain or central nervous system. Researchers hope that this new information may be a marker used to gauge a fetus’s health development, which is awesome! If fetuses swallow and yawn, perhaps yawning is a sign of early eating habit development in mastering the movement of the jaw muscles? Or maybe it has something to do with language development in strengthening facial nerves? That would make sense, since most babies tend to come out screaming and crying.
VeronicaVasquez · November 29, 2012 at 3:33 pm
“Full Moon Does Not Increase Incidence of Psychological Problems”
I was surprised by the 80% of nurses and 64% of doctors who believe that a full moon affects a patients mental health. You would think well educated professionals would not fall into the superstition. However, maybe some actually have scientific hypothesis’. I would like to know the various reasons why so many nurses and doctors feel so strongly about the influence of a full moon.
VeronicaVasquez · November 29, 2012 at 3:50 pm
“How Honest are you at work?”
It was surprising to see that the majority of the coin flippers in the experiment were honest, when they could have easily gotten away with a white lie. It’s nice to know that there are still many honest people out there. However, if this honesty is primarily seen in homes then that is very discouraging of what to expect of employees and employers when you are interacting in the outside world. Employees will lie to you to make more money for their company. Sadly I have witnessed this in my own job.
taylorkilbride · November 30, 2012 at 8:38 am
“use of pain meds”
Stating that these drugs wouldn’t cause a huge problem is completely untrue based on the fact that they are opiate like drugs which show a very high addiction rate. Also, stating that these problems aren’t due to doctors and instead are city or statewide problems might be a bit of an overstatement. I think doctors need more then just a 1-10 pain scale in order to give out such heavy doses. There should be a more quantitative scale put in place in order to prescribe strong pain medicines, and should potentially keep better track of which patients routinely get the prescriptions.
taylorkilbride · November 30, 2012 at 9:06 am
“honest at work”
It makes sense to me that people are more honest at home then they are at work. One honesty theory stated that “being honest is at the very core of how we want to perceive ourselves and is very important to our sense of self identity.” I think this is the perfect explanation. While you may love your job, work is somewhere that you have to be while home is somewhere you choose to be. It is where you relax, where you see family, etc. So it would make more sense that you would be honest in your house because the sense of home is more tied to your sense of self than work might be.
LauraGregorich · November 30, 2012 at 6:21 pm
“Happy Youngsters…Wealthy Adults”
I think this article supports what a lot of people already assumed; people that are happier at a younger age are more like to be happy and successful when they are older. This article supports the idea that children that grow up in happy home environments are more motivated and have positive outcomes as a result. These children are likely to be more motivated in school, leading to better grades, which could lead to a better education, resulting in a better job, earning more money than their peers. However, there are some flaws in this that could be questioned. Many people consider themselves very happy with their life and job that do not make a significant amount of money (ie: those working for non-profits or low middle class), while there are other individuals who earn high amounts of money that are not as happy or satisfied with their life. In addition, some students are very happy growing up, but struggle in certain subjects, which can lead to average grades and not as great of a job. It would be interesting to see if they can change some variables or look into a new field that could correlate happiness as a child with a rate of happiness as an adult.
crfan_21 · November 30, 2012 at 11:25 pm
The article on pain medication reaching epidemic heights brought up some good points. I agree that in this day and age, medicine is taken too lightly. People want a quick-fix, but what they don’t realize sometimes is that by simply popping pills, they aren’t necessarily fixing anything, but are beginning a cycle of dependency on the medication to lessen their symptoms. Most of my relatives have pretty high tolerances and refuse to take pain medications offered, but I see that taking drugs is a very prevalent issue in today’s society. I work with youth from ages 10-15 and many of them already abuse drugs. This saddens me, but I acknowledge how hard/painful it will be for them to break their various addictions.
christinasteely · December 2, 2012 at 7:05 pm
When reading the article about happiness in youth leading to a successful future, i was not surprised by the findings that joyful people are more likely to be prosperous later in life. If you are healthy and enjoy what you are doing with your life, you are more likely to dive into your work and have more of a drive to do better in their career. This of course most often leads to higher earnings. The conclusion also makes sense for example because people who are born into lower socio-economic classes tend to be more stressed and not as happy to begin with. Then they become kind of stuck in a rut when they are not able to succeed professionally and it becomes a never ending cycle.
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