Watch the video carefully before reading this.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Emotional Intelligence for Personal Growth - 2
Fascinating final part of the emotional intelligence series. Importance of metacognition:
"Fonagy et al., (2002) called the skill of self-reflection and interpretation "mentalizing". He defines mentalizing as "the process by which we realize that having a mind mediates our experience in the world". "Mentalizing proper" is meta-thought, or thoughts about our thoughts. Mentalizing, according to Fonagy, is the principle means we acquire self-knowledge. Through this skill, we acquire assumptions about our social environment and how we learn from it. Our understanding is always incomplete because we sometimes unconsciously distort our conscious understanding by unconscious processes to evade pain or responsibility. Explicit effort is required to identify mental states underlying behavior in terms of beliefs, feelings, desires. Perhaps most importantly, our own internal states affect our interpretations of others, and feelings, thoughts and observations may be inconsistent. Mental states evolve as we experience and learn from them. Caregivers shape behavior of children, and adults must take responsibility to revise this influence. Try as we might to interpret the subtle cues from another, we cannot know what another knows without being told. And each listener will have a unique reaction to what he hears.
Mindfulness fosters integration of the social--emotional right brain and the interpreting left brain. Feelings can be informed by thought and thought by feelings. With mindfulness, we step beyond mentalizing. By repeatedly becoming aware of awareness, we shift the locus of subjectivity from representations of the self to awareness itself. Mindfulness allows us to make sense of our awareness of feelings and thoughts and offers a calm spacious meta-awareness or centerness, that makes us less vulnerable to confusing our internal experience with who we are. Self becomes a continuous flow of aware experiences "
"Fonagy et al., (2002) called the skill of self-reflection and interpretation "mentalizing". He defines mentalizing as "the process by which we realize that having a mind mediates our experience in the world". "Mentalizing proper" is meta-thought, or thoughts about our thoughts. Mentalizing, according to Fonagy, is the principle means we acquire self-knowledge. Through this skill, we acquire assumptions about our social environment and how we learn from it. Our understanding is always incomplete because we sometimes unconsciously distort our conscious understanding by unconscious processes to evade pain or responsibility. Explicit effort is required to identify mental states underlying behavior in terms of beliefs, feelings, desires. Perhaps most importantly, our own internal states affect our interpretations of others, and feelings, thoughts and observations may be inconsistent. Mental states evolve as we experience and learn from them. Caregivers shape behavior of children, and adults must take responsibility to revise this influence. Try as we might to interpret the subtle cues from another, we cannot know what another knows without being told. And each listener will have a unique reaction to what he hears.
Mindfulness fosters integration of the social--emotional right brain and the interpreting left brain. Feelings can be informed by thought and thought by feelings. With mindfulness, we step beyond mentalizing. By repeatedly becoming aware of awareness, we shift the locus of subjectivity from representations of the self to awareness itself. Mindfulness allows us to make sense of our awareness of feelings and thoughts and offers a calm spacious meta-awareness or centerness, that makes us less vulnerable to confusing our internal experience with who we are. Self becomes a continuous flow of aware experiences "
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Zoos Don't Help Animals
Here - We must be hallucinating to state otherwise.
"The study by Professor Marino and her colleagues clearly shows that zoos fall short on their claims that seeing animals in these facilities has long-term positive effects on people's attitudes toward other animals. Thus, we need to revisit the very reasons why zoos exist, why animals should be kept in these places and often shipped here and there as if they're objects for purposes of mating or adding to an already existing collection, and why people should visit them rather than watch videos of wild animals, observe the animals with whom they share their homes, or simply take walks in nature and enjoy the fauna and flora they see, hear, and smell. "
"Elephants in captivity lived an average of 19 years compared to 56 years in the wild."
"The study by Professor Marino and her colleagues clearly shows that zoos fall short on their claims that seeing animals in these facilities has long-term positive effects on people's attitudes toward other animals. Thus, we need to revisit the very reasons why zoos exist, why animals should be kept in these places and often shipped here and there as if they're objects for purposes of mating or adding to an already existing collection, and why people should visit them rather than watch videos of wild animals, observe the animals with whom they share their homes, or simply take walks in nature and enjoy the fauna and flora they see, hear, and smell. "
"Elephants in captivity lived an average of 19 years compared to 56 years in the wild."
Good theory on Fermi’s Paradox
Fermi’s Paradox is the discrepancy between the high probability of existence of aliens (because of billion stars in the universe) and the obvious lack of any contact with them. This theory is based on the sorry of our society.
"Basically, I think the aliens don’t blow themselves up; they just get addicted to computer games. They forget to send radio signals or colonize space because they’re too busy with runaway consumerism and virtual-reality narcissism. They don’t need Sentinels to enslave them in a Matrix; they do it to themselves, just as we are doing today. Once they turn inwards to chase their shiny pennies of pleasure, they lose the cosmic plot. They become like a self-stimulating rat, pressing a bar to deliver electricity to its brain’s ventral tegmental area, which stimulates its nucleus accumbens to release dopamine, which feels…ever so good."
"Basically, I think the aliens don’t blow themselves up; they just get addicted to computer games. They forget to send radio signals or colonize space because they’re too busy with runaway consumerism and virtual-reality narcissism. They don’t need Sentinels to enslave them in a Matrix; they do it to themselves, just as we are doing today. Once they turn inwards to chase their shiny pennies of pleasure, they lose the cosmic plot. They become like a self-stimulating rat, pressing a bar to deliver electricity to its brain’s ventral tegmental area, which stimulates its nucleus accumbens to release dopamine, which feels…ever so good."
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Biological Evidence That Dog is Man's Best Friend
First, congrats on starting to write for science blogs and of-course thanks for this great post.
"Archaeological evidence indicates that dogs were already a part of human society around the end of the Ice Age. Small dog skeletons have been unearthed in human communities as far back as 6- to 12-thousand years ago in Europe, the Middle East, and China. The jawbone of a domestic dog was found in a late Paleolithic grave in Germany, and dated to around 14 thousand years ago. And there is the famous site at Ein Mallaha (Eynan, in Hebrew), in Northern Israel where an elderly human and a 4-5 month old puppy were buried together, 10- to 12-thousand years ago."
The person's left hand is placed on the body of a 4-5 month old puppy.
Well, well Oxytocin answers why dogs have so much effect on us.
"Fifty-five human dog owners participated in this experiment, and all answered a brief questionnaire regarding their relationship with their dogs.
"Archaeological evidence indicates that dogs were already a part of human society around the end of the Ice Age. Small dog skeletons have been unearthed in human communities as far back as 6- to 12-thousand years ago in Europe, the Middle East, and China. The jawbone of a domestic dog was found in a late Paleolithic grave in Germany, and dated to around 14 thousand years ago. And there is the famous site at Ein Mallaha (Eynan, in Hebrew), in Northern Israel where an elderly human and a 4-5 month old puppy were buried together, 10- to 12-thousand years ago."
The person's left hand is placed on the body of a 4-5 month old puppy.
Well, well Oxytocin answers why dogs have so much effect on us.
"Fifty-five human dog owners participated in this experiment, and all answered a brief questionnaire regarding their relationship with their dogs.
Experimental condition: First the owner pees into a cup. Then they play with their dogs for half an hour. Then they pee into a cup again. Control condition: First the owner pees into a cup. Then they are made to sit facing a wall, and not interact with their dogs for half an hour. Then they pee into a cup again.
Then the experimental group was split in half on the basis of how long their dogs looked at them while playing. There was a strong correlation between gaze duration and the strength of the relationship, as assessed by the questionnaire.
And guess what? Those in the experimental group who had stronger relationships with their dogs also had more oxytocin in their urine, compared with the other group, who reported weaker relationships with their dogs! So the initial hypothesis, that the human-dog relationship emerges out of a mechanism initially designed to stimulate and maintain the parent-child relationship, may indeed be supported!"
Can we train the brain
Great common sense piece stating the obvious:
"The best exercise to keep your brain in tip-top condition is in fact physical, not mental. Kawashima's claim that a healthy supply of well-oxygenated blood to the brain is crucial for its function is accurate. When starved of oxygen, brain cells, quite literally, die. This is what happens when we suffer a stroke: the blood supply to the brain is stopped and neurons perish because they lack oxygen, resulting in paralysis or aphasia (loss of speech). "I freely admit that a book like this is not the best way to train your brain," says Stafford. "The best way to do that is through exercise – there's far better evidence to show that that will help your brain to function well than anything from the brain-training literature."
"The best exercise to keep your brain in tip-top condition is in fact physical, not mental. Kawashima's claim that a healthy supply of well-oxygenated blood to the brain is crucial for its function is accurate. When starved of oxygen, brain cells, quite literally, die. This is what happens when we suffer a stroke: the blood supply to the brain is stopped and neurons perish because they lack oxygen, resulting in paralysis or aphasia (loss of speech). "I freely admit that a book like this is not the best way to train your brain," says Stafford. "The best way to do that is through exercise – there's far better evidence to show that that will help your brain to function well than anything from the brain-training literature."
Sergio Della Salla, Professor of Human Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh, adds that our current obsession with quick fixes desires a simple, "magic bullet" solution like the electronic games. In fact, the answer is a multi-faceted one. "Rather than telling people to exercise a lot, have a healthy lifestyle, read books, keep up your sexual stimulation, go to movies, maintain a wide circle of friends with whom you engage in healthy debate, we are told that playing 10 minutes of Nintendo will turn us into Nicole Kidman."
Monday, April 12, 2010
What I've been reading
The Astonishing Hypothesis : The Scientific Search for the Soul by Francis Crick. Crick, the co-discoverer of DNA (with James Watson) tries to establish a scientific basis for consciousness (not soul). But he was humble enough to accept that he has no answer but was just trying to kick start the scientific curiosity on this front.
Most of the book is based on neural representation of visual awareness, I was literally got drowned in the technical jargon. I have to admit that I had to generously skip through some of the jargon. This is one the most difficult neuroscience book I have ever read since he was trying to present the case at the neuron level (irony is that there is no mention of fMRI and even the word neuroscience/neuroscientist is only used couple of times since this book was written in 1994). In retrospect, it's amazing to see how far neuroscience has come since 1994. May be I have to re-read this book after 10 years or so.
It's premature to refute or contradict or take sides on this hypothesis. The fun and thrill I think is the gradual, cumulative and tiring journey to discover the answer. Getting polarized on established beliefs at this point is our loss and sheer waste of human intellect.
"Men ought to know that from nothing else but the brain come joys, delights, laughter and sports, and sorrows, griefs, despondency and lamentations." - Hippocrates (460-370 B.C)
Most of the book is based on neural representation of visual awareness, I was literally got drowned in the technical jargon. I have to admit that I had to generously skip through some of the jargon. This is one the most difficult neuroscience book I have ever read since he was trying to present the case at the neuron level (irony is that there is no mention of fMRI and even the word neuroscience/neuroscientist is only used couple of times since this book was written in 1994). In retrospect, it's amazing to see how far neuroscience has come since 1994. May be I have to re-read this book after 10 years or so.
It's premature to refute or contradict or take sides on this hypothesis. The fun and thrill I think is the gradual, cumulative and tiring journey to discover the answer. Getting polarized on established beliefs at this point is our loss and sheer waste of human intellect.
"Men ought to know that from nothing else but the brain come joys, delights, laughter and sports, and sorrows, griefs, despondency and lamentations." - Hippocrates (460-370 B.C)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
100 Places To Remember Before They Disappear
I am sure most of us cannot visit all even if they weren't disappearing. Check out this slide show on Newsweek, get ready for few surprises. Good night and Good luck.
Dog Genome and Us - Part 2
Fascinating follow up to this on Scientific American.
"Shar-pei:
After sequencing the gene HAS2 in shar-peis (32 wrinkled and 18 smooth), along with 94 dogs from 20 other breeds, Akey concluded that deletions in HAS2 were responsible for wrinkling. The study was published in the January 2010 issue ofProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The human connection: Rare mutations in HAS2 cause severe cutaneous mucinosis—a condition marked by excessive mucin leading to folding and thickening of the skin, according to a study published January in 2000 in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Dachshund:
In their study published August 2009 in Science the researchers theorized that abnormal expression of FGF4 in chondrocytes (cartilage cells) causes inappropriate activation of its receptors, leading to shorter limbs.
The human connection: A mutation in the gene encoding fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 is responsible for more than 95 percent of achondroplasia cases (the most common type of dwarfism) and up to 65 percent of hypochondroplasia (a form of short-limbed dwarfism), according to a study published December 2002 in Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders.
Great Dane and Chihuahua:
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health implicated the gene encoding insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) as the main player in dog size in a March 2010 review published in PLoS Biology. Another gene, PC2, is thought to define the ratio of leg length to width.
The human connection: IGF1 deficiency can lead to growth disorders. Laron syndrome—a type of dwarfism caused by mutations in the growth hormone receptor gene—is characterized by low IGF1 levels. Synthetic IGF1 is used to treat Laron syndrome and has also been used to enhance growth in normal children with short stature.
Beagle:
Some dog breeds are prone to obesity. Beagles, for example, need a lot of exercise and a strict diet to stay slim. A strong but coincidental selection for the gene FTO (for fat mass and obesity associated) has been observed in beagles, according to Akey.
Boxer:
Texas Belle, a white boxer, won't come if you call her—but not because she's disobedient. White boxers are prone to deafness. Elinor Karlsson and colleagues from the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology identified a variation in the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) gene in all 10 white boxers tested and zero of nine solid-colored ones. The gene helps control the development and function of melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) and controls the production of melanin—the pigment that dictates hair, eye and skin color. Melanocytes are also important in hearing.
The human connection: Waardenburg syndrome type 2 is a rare genetic disorder marked by pigment and hearing loss. It is caused by mutations in MITF, according to a study published November 1994 in Nature Genetics."
"Shar-pei:
After sequencing the gene HAS2 in shar-peis (32 wrinkled and 18 smooth), along with 94 dogs from 20 other breeds, Akey concluded that deletions in HAS2 were responsible for wrinkling. The study was published in the January 2010 issue ofProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The human connection: Rare mutations in HAS2 cause severe cutaneous mucinosis—a condition marked by excessive mucin leading to folding and thickening of the skin, according to a study published January in 2000 in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Dachshund:
In their study published August 2009 in Science the researchers theorized that abnormal expression of FGF4 in chondrocytes (cartilage cells) causes inappropriate activation of its receptors, leading to shorter limbs.
The human connection: A mutation in the gene encoding fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 is responsible for more than 95 percent of achondroplasia cases (the most common type of dwarfism) and up to 65 percent of hypochondroplasia (a form of short-limbed dwarfism), according to a study published December 2002 in Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders.
Great Dane and Chihuahua:
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health implicated the gene encoding insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) as the main player in dog size in a March 2010 review published in PLoS Biology. Another gene, PC2, is thought to define the ratio of leg length to width.
The human connection: IGF1 deficiency can lead to growth disorders. Laron syndrome—a type of dwarfism caused by mutations in the growth hormone receptor gene—is characterized by low IGF1 levels. Synthetic IGF1 is used to treat Laron syndrome and has also been used to enhance growth in normal children with short stature.
Beagle:
Some dog breeds are prone to obesity. Beagles, for example, need a lot of exercise and a strict diet to stay slim. A strong but coincidental selection for the gene FTO (for fat mass and obesity associated) has been observed in beagles, according to Akey.
The human connection: A common variant in the FTO gene is associated with body mass index and is a risk factor for obesity in children and adults, according to a May 2007 publication inScience.
Rhodesian ridgeback:
Dogs sport fur of all colors and textures. But the Rhodesian ridgeback's distinctive coif compelled Salmon Hillbertz and colleagues from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences to investigate the genes responsible for the spiny Mohawk. In their study, published November 2007 in Nature Genetics, the researchers concluded that duplications in the fibroblast growth factor genes FGF3, FGF4 and FGF19 cause the trademark hair ridge. The mutations also predispose the breed to dermoid sinus—a tunnel between the skin along the dog's spine and its spinal cord that results from an incomplete separation during development.
The human connection: Mutations in the genes encoding certain FGFs and their receptors are implicated in clefting syndromes like cleft palate, according to a study published March 2007 inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Mutations in FGFR2 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 2) have been linked to craniolacunia and the associated condition spina bifida—a birth defect caused by the incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube.Rhodesian ridgeback:
Dogs sport fur of all colors and textures. But the Rhodesian ridgeback's distinctive coif compelled Salmon Hillbertz and colleagues from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences to investigate the genes responsible for the spiny Mohawk. In their study, published November 2007 in Nature Genetics, the researchers concluded that duplications in the fibroblast growth factor genes FGF3, FGF4 and FGF19 cause the trademark hair ridge. The mutations also predispose the breed to dermoid sinus—a tunnel between the skin along the dog's spine and its spinal cord that results from an incomplete separation during development.
Boxer:
Texas Belle, a white boxer, won't come if you call her—but not because she's disobedient. White boxers are prone to deafness. Elinor Karlsson and colleagues from the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology identified a variation in the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) gene in all 10 white boxers tested and zero of nine solid-colored ones. The gene helps control the development and function of melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) and controls the production of melanin—the pigment that dictates hair, eye and skin color. Melanocytes are also important in hearing.
The human connection: Waardenburg syndrome type 2 is a rare genetic disorder marked by pigment and hearing loss. It is caused by mutations in MITF, according to a study published November 1994 in Nature Genetics."
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