MonDie

The only condition I know to be related to interest in science is the autism spectrum, which is still not described all that well and seems to have broader and narrower conceptualizations. Some argue that, in addition to Asperger's syndrome and autistic disorder, the spectrum should also include Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD) or even Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. It has been conceptualized as three-dimensional: social deficits, verbal ability deficits, and repetitive behaviors & restricted interests. I am not sure exactly which explains the interest in science. Being less interested in social behavior and less affected by peer pressure, perhaps they prefer concrete subject matters to the socially derived trivialities of small talk: fashion trends, fictional media, gossip, etc. They are more prone to depression, but I am not sure how this would be related, but both depression and autism appear to be connected with oxytocinergic abnormalities that impair the capacity to enjoy social interaction.

This idea is essentially astrology. Astrology was paired with astronomy since the beginning of civilization, but modern astrology is hardly like the style of astrology that was predominant at least as far back as Ptolemy (100-170 AD). These astrologers thought they could predict events by how the planets were be aligned. They used ecliptic longitude because most of the planets in our solar system move along this plane, and they looked at the angle that was formed by two planets with Earth as the vertex. In this system, the full moon is an "opposition" (180 degrees) of the sun and the moon. At some point astrologers switched to personality readings to avoid the persecution associated with being a fortune teller. These full moon ideas are probably a remanent of this obselete science. Some celestial bodies do clearly influence our affairs. The sun determines our seasons as it traverses the plane of the ecliptic each year. The seasons influence sun exposure, food availability, the tides, etc. This doesn't mean the other 99% of astrology is accurate.

oops

Remembering the song "Paint It Black" and thinking the title is ironic. Hair is cut now. Maybe some seasonal flowers will restore the neutrality. They're never quite the same after you borrow them and put them back.

It isn't a superficial covering up. The content is not downloaded executed, which is why adblockers are considered a security feature. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BasicSecurity#NoScript Furthermore, the ad servers know when the ads have been blocked, which prevents the domain hosting those ads from collecting money. Why Ad Blocking is devastating the to the sites you love (Ken FIsher, Arstechnica) https://arstechnica.com/business/2010/03/why-ad-blocking-is-devastating-to-the-sites-you-love/ Finally, on a slow connection, you will notice that an ad blocker such as AdBlock Plus makes the pages load more quickly.

The knowledge might come in handy, but it is supposedly easy to wire an alarm switch into the door so that it will activate when the door opens. In contrast, a volumetric alarm probably has to be sitting in the open to work.

Thank you. I figured any such book would include electronics (solid-state devices and circuit boards) in addition to electrical (wiring, power sources, digital multimeters). Immediately, I want to start wiring devices into my car for security. They don't have to run off of the car battery, but I would prefer that they aren't easily removed. It's a long story that others find hard to believe. Someone is entering my car repeatedly, leaving behind mostly innocuous items, the worst being a baggy of piss snow under the seat that I was lucky to find. (You would think this wouldn't happen living across the street from the sheriff.) I want a basic alarm system, a light to keep my car lit at night, and an encrypted transponder for keyless entry if that wouldn't be too complicated. I will have a more long-term interest as well, but I am extremely low on money. I seem to understand better or at least remember better when the theory is also explained. Furthermore, I find the theory interesting in its own right. I am becoming increasingly interested in Linux, networking, and all forms of security: device encryption, network security, home security, car security. Lastly, I have always enjoyed the natural sciences, but I know a lot more biology than chemistry. Hmm!... I think I will pass. I have to use the library Internet ever since my dad retired our home connection for some reason. I do have a laser printer, and I could print it at home. I would download the AAC PDFs to a flashdrive along with the printer driver. However, I will still be spending about $8.00 on printer paper for each volume—volume one is 560 pages as a PDF—, and a new cartridge will cost more than $50.00 if I run out of ink. In addition, the publication is probably more in-depth than I require at the moment.

What books on electrical engineering go into depth on technique as well as theory? I was reading the electrical chapters of a highschool-level automechanics textbook only to find the descriptions shallow and confusing. The book's explanation of semiconductors was appallingly incomplete, and then my chemistry textbook filled the gap on band theory and doping. Unfortunately the chemistry textbook barely mentions diodes. I need an electrician's guide that assumes that I want to know the theory too and already do to an extent. Along those same lines, the book should be broadly applicable. Many of these books focus on household projects, but I will be doing automotive electricity. Compared to household wiring, car wiring has about ten-fold lower voltage and about ten-fold higher amperage, and it has to withstand constant vibration. Thus I probably want a bottom-up guide that goes from theory (bottom) to technique (top) and has wide-range applicability. At the same time, I don't want to spend too much time reading to prepare for my project.

I had an interesting thought regarding dissociate fugue and hypnotic susceptibility. "Absorption" is related to hypnotic susceptibility and to "Openness to Experience". Perhaps this helps to explain why a person who has undergone dissociative fugue finds themself in an unfamiliar place after the alter wanders away from home and starts a new life. It's almost like extreme openness—the preference for novelty becomes so strong that the person just leaves and goes somewhere else. Anyway, although there are probably many more, here is just one research paper that discusses empirically observable effects of hypnosis. Oxytocin impedes the effect of word blindness post-hypnotic suggestion on Stroop task performance (Parris, Dienes, Bate, Gothard, 2014) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4090953/

You can make the argument that moral knowledge is actually knowledge of better versus worse. If the moral option is the better option, then any all-knowing being would recognize it as the better option and therefore choose it. Does anybody's happiness matter more than anybody else's?

Number of chromosomes depends on the species as well as the cell type. It might be 4 in the example.

I'm not sure narcissism divides us by creed as much as it divides us by social status. Narcissists appear to have abnormally low Agreeableness, but they have average or slightly above average Openness. On the other hand, racists are characterized by slightly lower Agreeableness and abnormally low Openness. Narcissists tend to have normal, or perhaps slightly above average, "empathy" skills or social skills, but they use these skills to earn the liking of people whom they can acquire something from, especially people with higher social status. This tendency toward elitism is paired with a tendency to put down people of lower status. Alas, being low status is not the same as being an outsider, although the two are often related. Edited to add reference with quote. Antognism is just reversed Agreeableness. A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationships Between the Five-Factor Model and DSM-IV-TR Personality Disorders: A Facet Level Analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614445/ I think religion can be elitist. Many religions have reinforced social classes, for example the caste system that was reinforced by the Vedas but challenged by the Upanishads. Of course the priests belonged to a higher caste. However Siddhartha Guatama Buddha treated "untouchables" with compassion in rebellion against earlier teachings. Similarly, early Christianity was sort of a lower-class rebellion against the Roman elites, and its central figure, Jesus, repeatedly commanded his followers to give up their posessions. Despite religiosity being related to higher Constraint (Agreeableness + Conscientiousness), it appears to be unrelated to some of the core narcissistic traits such as (im)modesty. This might reflect the greater similarity of narcissism to the primary psychopath over the secondary subtype. Unlike the secondary psychopath (sociopath), the primary psychopath exhibits preserved social skills and a tendency to blend in, which could be related to the narcissistic tendency to "suck up", if you will.

My post about the possible relevance of oxytocin is now a few pages back, but I have now learned that this oxytocin-religion hypothesis has received some testing and preliminary support. Sex, the cuddle chemical, and religion (Kate Stockly-Myerdirk) http://www.patheos.com/blogs/scienceonreligion/2014/10/sex-the-cuddle-chemical-and-religion/ Oxytocin, Spirituality, and the Biology of Feeling Connected (Christopher Bergland) https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201609/oxytocin-spirituality-and-the-biology-feeling-connected I find it pertinent to this thread because it could explain why so many priests and pastors have molested children. Psychologists now acknowledge pedophilia as a distinct sexual orientation, although not all molesters suffer form it. You basically have hebephiles, who like pubescent kids; non-exclusive type pedophilies, who have some hebephilic attractions; and exclusive-type pedophiles. Some research suggests that the pedophile's brain is cross-wired such that the nurturing instincts and sexual instincts become confused. Pedophiles' Brain Differences Make Researchers Reconsider Treatment (Sarah Barness, Huffingtonpost) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/science-explains-pedophiles-brain-video_n_4640067.html IMO it is not unreasonable to postulate that oxytocin, a neuropeptide involved in nurturing instincts and sexual instincts, could be problematic for anyone with a pedophilic preference.

Maybe I should have left HTTPS and SSL out of this since I never really understood asymmetric key systems. Aaaaannnyway we have more reading material. TB003 An Introduction to Keeloq Code Hopping (Kobus Marneweck, Microchip Technology Inc) http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/AppNotes/91002a.pdf It turns out that KeeLoq (the original that was later succeeded by Dual KeeLoq) is actually an encryption cipher that was sold to Microchip Technology Inc. Yes, KeeLoq systems are encrypted, and they were considered secure at first. KeeLoq locks and unlocks with a relatively long, 66-bit code consisting of a "34-bit fixed portion" and a "32-bit encrypted portion", and KeeLoq uses a 64-bit encryption key that encrypts "information regarding transmitter identity and synchronization." The Keeloq system became less secure in 2007, when somebody leaked proprietary information about its functioning. Researchers Crack KeeLoq code for Car Keys (Kim Zetter) https://www.wired.com/2007/08/researchers-cra In fact, it looks like most transmitters, not just KeeLoq's, were using encryption already. Can other people unlock my car door with their remote? (Patrick E George, HowStuffWorks) http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/automotive/unlock-car-door-remote1.htm

And it might create a weakness. Step 1: Intercept the transmission of the encrypted code. Step 2: Determine where the manufacturer ID is in the decrypted code. Step 3: Use your relatively powerful laptop to test possible encryption keys by inspecting the output for the manufacturer ID. I take it the manufacturer ID would not be encrypted.

Make it optional. A woman who keeps the key in her purse might opt for the larger, encrypted version. Regardless, I'm concerned that the thieves might pick up on the manufacturer's signature, allowing the thieves to shrink the pool of possible encryption keys by testing them against the manufacturer's signature. The manufacturer ID should be a brief snippet of code relative to the encryption key, or otherwise it should be a dynamic signature.

Could the theif decrypt the intercepted code given enough time and enough computing power? This is the case for a hacker decrypting computer files or systems, but is this the case because the hacker already vaguely knows what decrypted code should look like? In the scenario above we are using a randomly generated key to encrypt ... another randomly generated key. Alas, encryption has been used for immobilizers and weaknesses were discovered. Arstechnica; Researchers reveal electronic car lock hack after 2-year injunction by Volkswagon (Sean Gallagher) https://arstechnica.com/security/2015/08/researchers-reveal-electronic-car-lock-hack-after-2-year-injunction-by-volkswagen/

Hypnosis can refer to either a state of mind or the technique for inducing that state of mind. Perhaps the thread title should have been "the science of trance".

The keyword is "just". Encryption might be useful in a more complex system. As far as I can tell it is a one-way connection, going from the remote key to a computer control unit ("brain") that generates predictable codes in a sequence. I could fathom a two-way connection to a brain that is always generating new codes randomly. The brain would broadcast the code in encrypted form, and the remote key would have the key to decrypt it. I think this is essentially what happens in systems like HTTPS that utilize Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. At the outset an encryption key is exchanged between server and client, and that key is used for ongoing, encrypted communication. Thus an eavesdropper will only have the key if they were eavesdropping from the very start. [sic]

I don't understand rolling code authentication systems let alone those with expiring codes. Nevertheless, I think it should hinder attacks in instances where the device "is attached to the car or hidden near a garage." The tell is that you have to push the button twice before gaining access. If the RollJam device is hidden, however, then this is only true on the first instance, and thereafter it can seamlessly mimic normal functioning, simultaneously jamming your signal and broadcasting its stored signal. Expiring the code that was stored by the RollJam device would require the RollJam device to perform this first step again. In retrospect, I'm finding the Edmunds quote misleading. In my opinion, your keyless entry system should not be seen as a weakness, but rather the car alarm should be seen as augmenting the traditional lock. Entry by key can be exploited too, with other, lower-tech methods: lock picking, key duplication, jimmying through the weather-stripping. I have picked padlocks, but you will gradually scratch up the keyway if you are unskilled. I've never tried to pick a car lock, for jimmying has always been the easier option. Both of these methods are useful for owners who have lost the key. On the other hand, a theif will probably prefer to borrow your key long enough to create a duplicate. Apparently it doesn't require much time or special equipment, and afterward the theif will have convenient, inconspicuous access. This is why you should have a car alarm too, in my opinion. RFID immobilizers add a layer of computerized security to the task of key duplication, but they have their own weaknesses and they prevent the theif from starting the car. https://arstechnica.com/security/2015/08/researchers-reveal-electronic-car-lock-hack-after-2-year-injunction-by-volkswagen/

Has anyone else looked into car alarms with expiring code? I want a car alarm that augments its rolling code with code expiration. It might not be an expensive feature—it seems less like an added feature and more like a security update to the code. Theives can intercept and replicate the signal from your remote key, so your keyfob communicates with the "brain" of the alarm system through a special dialogue called "rolling code" or "code hopping". Rolling code systems expire each used code and generate a new code for the next access attempt. Unfortuantely rolling code is no longer enough, and expiring code is the change that will close the hole exposed by Kamkar's "RollJam". WIRED; This Hacker's Tiny Device Unlocks Cars and Opens Garages (Andy Greenberg) https://www.wired.com/2015/08/hackers-tiny-device-unlocks-cars-opens-garages/ Arstechnica; Meet RollJam, the $30 device that jimmies car and garage doors (Dan Goodin) https://arstechnica.com/security/2015/08/meet-rolljam-the-30-device-that-jimmies-car-and-garage-doors/ Edmunds; How to Protect your Car from Keyless-Entry Hacking (Patrick J. Kiger) https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/technology/how-to-protect-your-car-from-keyless-entry-hacking.html

Exercise definitely aids cognition. The debate seems to be whether it is worth it. The Influence of Exercise on Cognitive Abilities http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951958/ Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Cognition, Academic Achievement, and Psychosocial Function in Children: A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials (#Discussion) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti.../#__sec12title Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: a meta-analytic study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12661673 Firstly, cardio will boost bloodflow to your brain. Exercise boosts testosterone, and low testosterone can lead to poor concentration. Whereas exercise can induce temporary irritability due to the cortisol release via HPA activation, the endorphins only take an hour to kick in and IME it has a more long-term effect on serotonin. In my experience coffee can be boon or bang, accelerating my thoughts and scattering my thoughts, but the coffee is more beneficial if I am exercising. I jog, and it took me too long to realize that I could avert knee pain by focusing on my arm motions. Proper or not, I land on the ball of my foot moreso than my heel while making circles with my hands as if spinning a wheel. Either exercise or tryptophan intake will benefit serotonergic activity. Influence of Tryptophan and Serotonin on Mood and Cognition with a Possible Role of the Gut-Brain Axis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728667/ P.S. Unless it is light exercise, exercise the day before! Excuse me for posting and reading after. Exercise may not benefit attention in particular but rather spatial memory.

This might help to advance the evolution discussion a bit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spandrel_%28biology%29

Some Patheos reading has me thinking I could gauge a retailer by its stock of controversial merchandise: controversial clothing, birth control, guns ... ???. Anyone who shops for these things may be able to help. Do any females notice, for example, that Target stocks birth control pills that Walmart won't? Sex toys and dirty magazines might be of interest as well, but as a control or else because of potential gender bias.