Velocity_Boy

Nary a female here that I've seen, but who knows? Good luck. Anyway...this reminds me that A fellow grad student of mine in psych is doing his Master's thesis on possible cognitive differences between makes and females that explains the dearth of women in STEM. Which I imagine might be along the lines of what you wish to discuss? If memory serves, he said that other than psych and art, women only earn about 5% of Ph.D's in America. Wow. Ten times less than what their proportion would be if it were equal to sex percentage. Ten times! And cultural bias cannot be claimed anymore, nor can discrimination, by females. That stuffs been over for two decades at least. Thus....There must be some cognitive differences they possess which renders it more difficult for them to excel in the sorts of learning and comprehension required of hard science. I'm guessing it has to do with how they think less linear style than us men. Anyhoo... Cheers.

Thanks....I find this stuff fascinating. Ironically, I had gone for many months without hearing the name claustrum even mentioned, until just last night! When a colleague posed his idea that a glitch in it's neural pathways might be responsible for us experiencing the effect we call Deja Vu. Since the claustrum is thought to provide a time synch between the two brain hemispheres,send also the linear time progression between sensory and cognitive perception. So yeah...No mention of claustrum for months and now twice in 24 hours. Very cool. Thanks again. Gonna go read the abstract now!

Dennett is an atheist materialist. Like Dawkins. As such, he dismisses any notion of a Creator God, pre ordained destiny, or meaning in life. Other than of course to survive and produce progeny. So this bottom up thinking extends to us homo sapiens and by proxy to our minds. And from their, our CNS and its cpu, the brain. We h sapiens are nothing but pure chemistry. Emotions like love and anger are simply the terms we give to states of mind we are experiencing when different combinations of brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, are exuding their respective effects on us. No more do we need a soul or spirit to feel these than a pitcher of water does to turn blue when dye is dumped into it. And of course Dennett outright dismisses the notion of a soul. So.... our brains are basically little more than feedback loops. What we think and feel is dependants on experience and upbringing, which are like inputs to a computer. When we do or think things over and over we create, we etch, neural pathways. Think of wearing a path in a field of dry grass you walk across every day. In time, we become slavish to these pathways. These paths make habits. Addictions. They impair optimal cognitive abilities. So, our concepts of bring imbued with Free Will is a myth. We are nothing more than the results of the various loops that have been etched in our brains by neurons over the course of our life. Run by them as much as a robot is by it's programming and software. Or a zombie is who is really dead but is animated only by learned behavior and insatiable need to survive. And who may think it has free will but in reality does not. It does only what it's biological primal chemically driven urges tell it to do. Imho Dennett misspeaks when he equates bring controlled by ingrained neural pathways with no bring conscious I also find him overly dismissive of our abilities to shed bad habits and live spontaneously. Anyway....That's basically what DD meant.... I put all that in my own words from having read much Dennett. So apologies if I didn't quote him verbatim. But I'm confident I provided you with the gist of his theory. And... I know, his worldview can be sort of depressing, really. But the good news is that through neurotransmitters plasticity we do not have to become locked into poor thinking habits of coping skills. I'm not sure Dennett has ever addressed n-p, however. I disagree. The quote only means nothing to those unfamiliar with Dennett and his work. To those of us who have read him..And btw agree with him..the quote is a pithy get perhaps overly terse indicator phrase on his materialist and atheistic theories regarding the cognitive abilities of homo sapien sapiens. That's why I explained it in my own words to the OP author rather than just Google and paste a link. Cheers.

Every sound you ever hear is the result of compressed air waves, that is, groups of air molecules, which very in amplitude and I frequency and thus stimulate tiny, fine hairs in the cochlea of your inner ear... which then in turn create miniscule vibrational waves in your inner ear fluid. Then, finally, the vibrations from those waves are converted to electrical impulses that transmit to your auditory control center in the brain. Which is located in the parietal lobe. The road is the sound being created by the waves as they roll toward the beach. The splash you hear is created by the terminus of the waves collapsing on the solid surface of the sand. Sorry if I got to technical...I'm a Biology nerd. LOL

Well, if the growth rate of your bacterium is really being influenced by music, then, yes, the vibration of the sound waves HAS to be the reason. Since that is, at it's most basic machination, all music really is...Waves of air being transmitted through the air in varying amplitudes and frequencies. The only other way anything is influenced by music is if it's like us, and had a brain and an auditory system capable of enjoying or not enjoying the music. Which your bacterium decidedly do not have. LOL. So.....Why Mozart and not Metallica? Hmm...I've of course heard of the Mozart Effect before and the only thing I come up with is that perhaps the sound waves in Classical are more fluid? More harmonious, and gradual and thus, less staccato and harsh as in metal or pop? And like, say, being able to sleep or read better in a rocking chair than on a roller coaster, are more conducive to fostering and encouraging the chemical reactions that occur during cell growth. Just an idea. I havd to admit that this far I have not been a believer in the Mozart Effect on plants. So I'm taking your word for it. As a biologist with a Botany emphasis, I've tried that experiment before. Rather, I observed it being conducted by a lab partner. And if yielded no discernible results that supported the hypothesis. Thanks for sharing.

I agree with you on the time thing. Though I vehemently deny any sort of personal or biblical God, I used to give a slight chance of a nonpersonal Deistic Creator Force existing. Like a Universal Mind, maybe? But as you say, the time deal. Why would it take a Deity over one BILLION years for even microbial life to begin? Why so long for even get first strand of DNA? And, why all the waste? A full 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct. It just doesn't wash...Any sort of omniscient Deity. Oh, and what of the meteor strike that annihilated the dinos 65 Mya? All deal breakers for a Creator hypothesis, imho.

Uhh..the origin of the word soccer is British. Just so ya know. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/whats-the-origin-of-the-word-soccer What grinds my gears, mate, is people from other countries complaining about how me and folks in MY country speak. Cheers, mate.

From your list in your OP it sounds like you're definitely not a true "techie" or a science nerd at heart. And not a math guy for sure. This rules out, well, duh, math, and also physics. You seem to enjoy living things, i.e. Biology. This is my field. It is an immense one with tons of sub-disciplines. Are you a Green guy? LOL. Like the outdoors and nature? May I suggest Environmental Science? What is sometimes called Earth Science? Lots of opportunity there with things like recycling, waste disposal management (a super-underratedly important field!); pollution control; conservation; hydrology..heck, you name it. And with the semi-recent global national zeitgeist of trying to better analyze and then stem the effects of Climate Change, well....you see my point. And you can steer clear of difficult maths for the most part!

I'll offer one I learned when I used to do tech support for a large national ISP. "PBK" this means that the problem the client called us about was not really one with his service, or his pc. But rather, was due to his own mistakes or ignorance on the issue. IOW: operator error. I PBK stands for "problem behind keyboard." we would actually use this acro on our log books. LOL

Well, I confess I didn't watch the video yet--I may or may not, since every other week somebody comes out with a new anti-aging hypothesis--but I wanted to share a criteria I use when weighing the credibility of one op those guys. I simply look at them and see if they look younger than their real age. If they do NOT, and indeed do not significantly look younger (10 years or more) then I do not even bother with reading or listening to their ideas. Why? The proof is in the pudding, as I always say regarding health gurus. Or alleged ones. LIke me, a lifelong athlete, marital arts instructor, runner. I think I eat a pretty much optimal diet. Whenever I read one of those "New Superfoods for Health!" articles, almost always I am already partaking in most of them. I run 25 miles a week and usually win my age group in races. I am routines gauged at being ten years younger than I really am. My resting hr is about 52. So I am a tough audience for these guys and their new-fangled anti-aging notions. It's like how I used to laugh at Deprak Chopra. One of his books, something about how not to age ever! His pic on the front, and there he was, looking every bit if not more of his (then) 60 years. LOL. See, to me, a case like this is just tossed out a priori if the author does not seem to be benefitting from his preaching tactics. Is this too harsh on my part?

Hello Itoero! Always good to meet a fellow gardening enthusiast. I'm a horticulturist too, as I also grow and propogate indoor and outdoor plants. Orchids too. I'm a biology teacher student, going for my MS now. My thesis is going to be Botany related, having to do with how plants and trees communicate with chemical transmission. But yeah, gardening! Good for the soul. The happiest folks I know are gardeners. My passion is chile peppers, as I'm a spicy food addict. I live in the Southwest United States, so our climate is conducive to this. Right now I'm growing, as far as peppers are concerned... Jalapenos, Serrano's, Red Thai, habanero, and Ghost Peppers. The latter has the highest Scoville Heat Index Rating in the world. Or did for years, but may have recently been surpassed. It's eating was 1,000,000. For perspective, a jalapeno is bout 50,000. Ouch. I use very similar fertilization methods as do you. About a year ago I went all natural and organic. I use blackstrap mollasses extract, and Yucca and Aloe Extract in combo with fish emulsion and bat guano. You need to try the latter if you haven't. Tomatoes. I just did a hybrid with Serrano grafting. Our county extension agent is interested and is talking with Texas A&M on my behalf re possible patenting licensure. You're right about the vast difference in taste and quality between store bought and homegrown tomatoes. No comparison. Night and day. You will be spoiled for life after eating good homegrown tomatoes. The difference is larger than for any other veggie or fruit. At least that I've tasted. Thanks for your post, and I'm sure we'll talk again.

Thirty years? It won't be that long, I don't think. More like ten or so. Ever seen that movie called Her? With Joaquin Phoenix? Guy calls in love with an AI Operating System? It was decidedly strange, but plausible nonetheless. Lots of upsides to marrying a robot who would be programmed to meet your every whim and desire. And few downsides, once you get past the whole not a real person thing. LOL.

the reason for this is that, for the most part, with exceptions aside, your typical Far Right Reactionary tends to feel more compelled to find or create a Soapbox (media outlet) for which to disseminate his rantings, then does a typical Lefty Liberal. Those sorts are more apt to work through deeds and actions and civil disobedience, even. As in Direct Actions...If you're familiar with that term. So, like, to use a example, Rush Limbaugh and his ilk are more likely to tell in a microphone then take to the streets like a PETA member outside a PetSmart. Or a tree hugger spiking a pine in Oregon. LOL. Hope this helps! VB

100. Muy facile!

Uhh..They were all invented accidently?

Deleted......vb

Adequate lubrication will render any sort of joint system to be silent enough do as to not be heard by operator of the vehicle in which said joints are in. So, to borrow from the old realtor mantra....... Lubrication, Lubrication, Lubrication!

It's both. Typically, and I must admit you'll find exceptions all the time, when one references OUR solar system then we capitalize the first letters of each word adding Solar System. But when speaking of planets in the orbits around another star other than our sun, usually the two words are call lower cased. As in solar system. Or if speaking of ANY solar system, as in........."most solar systems consist of binary stars at the center" then no capitalization is used. Btw...That example sentence is true!

Well, one strips of religious belief that is decidedly not able to be reconciled with science is the Young Earth woo. Where a 6000 instead of 4.6 byo earth is posited. Admittedly, only a small percentage of fundamentalist Christian are still deluded enough to believe that, but still. And I'd hazard to guess that the entire Genesis Creation Mythology....Both of them...Are completely contradictive of true science. Ken Hamm dogma aside. LOL. And that but about Eve bring formed from Adams rib probably won't be ever taught in medical school, eh?

But of course that stat in the quote about coffee drinkers having higher bp than those who don't is probably a corrolary and not causal relationship. Since I know tons of fit healthy athletes who swill caffeine and have excellent bp. I am one of those types, fwi. My resting hr is in the mid 50s. My wife took my bp just for fun a few days ago right after I got up in the morning, and after a cup of coffee. It was 116/68. So there is that. Msybe you need to just let this whole debate go with a "caffeine, even in abundance, is fine for many people, but, like anything, can be potentially harmful if overused by other folks. We're all different. Some guys did from eating a strawberry." Much better and non biased, eh? Thanks...Hope that helps.

Interesting idea. It explains some sociopaths, who could I reckon be considered mad, and they are incapable of feeling empathy, let alone sympathy. But you'd have to better define your definition of had before I could drive any deeper into my take on your hypothesis. And we just remember to that lack of empathy would not be a exclusive requisite for madness. Oops, I mean a contradictory one. By that I mean, there are plenty of mad souls out there who DO empathize and sympathize. Or do you disagree with that? Thanks. Very intriguing idea you have here. VB

No. Not in and of itself, the act of dying in a dream cannot cause true physical depth. Unless of course the dreamer suffered a heart attack during the dreamer event. This death even then could not happen to a person in healthy cardiological condition. They would have to already of been suffering from poor heart health. Other than that, the relationship between dying for real and in a dream would be a corrolary and not causal relation. That is, dreamer was going to perish in sleep anyway, and happened to be dreaming of doing do..Even by another cause....At thd tod.

Well to me boredom is the state of mind that occurs when one is not in a state for either interest or anticipation. Or excitement. The latter state of course stands on the opposite end of the spectrum from boredom. Boredom occurs when we are not sufficiently using our minds cognitive and interpretive abilities,sand are not engaging our senses with external stimuli. Religion of something that was even once mildly interesting can relegate said activity to being a boring one. This because the brain constructs neural pathways that get stronger and more ingrained with repitition. To not be bored we must be using newer neural pathways. Or even non-existent ones. This is how one learns, by making paths. It's a form of neural plasticity. I will refrain from offering examples of what is boring, as some are obvious and you can certainly think of them yourself. What's boring for one person may not be for another. Yeah, I know....I'm a psych nerd! LOL.

This is gonna sound very impatient and maybe overly discerning on my part, by I can't not share it. LOL. I began to watch the video with much anticipation as I really dig that sort of thing. But couldn't handle the narrators accent. What was that awful lingua? It just annoyed me beyond toleration so I had to shut it down after about one minute. Sorry. Thanks though.

I must wonder Why have none of you guys picked up on this....where OP said his gf buys Placebos in Holland for her headaches and they work fine? WTF? Why would anybody buy fakes? I am now thinking the OP doesn't know what a placebo is? Perhaps confusing them with GENERIC? This would explain a whole lot of the confusion and communication problems that have plagued this curious thread from it's inception. I can't make sense of hardly anything he had claimed,but if I substitute the word Generic for placebo when he talks it makes more sense. Wow. Just a thought.