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Claude L�vi-Strauss Dies at 100 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:17:23 -0800

From the page: "Claude Lévi-Strauss"

http://StockTrader.stumbleupon.com/review/30489599/

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:22:54 -0700

I'd like to apologize to everyone who has tried to contact me recently. I have been very busy struggling to make ends meet and my work takes up all my time. I hope to be in touch with you all soon. I do not mean to be rude and apologize if I appear to be.

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/darfur/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5175

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:22:45 -0700

Help Stop the Genocide in Darfur

2.5 million people have already been driven from their homes in Darfur, Sudan. The refugees now face starvation, disease, and rape, while those who remain in Darfur risk displacement, torture, and murder. We must act quickly and decisively to end this genocide before hundreds of thousands more people are killed.

Click here to add your name to petition urging President Bush and the UN Secretary-General to take immediate steps to stop the killing in Darfur.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WNP-4VCH6WN-8&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=935379061&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=122c8effa3917a27ca0

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:14:44 -0700

From the page: "Although the systematic study of meditation is still in its infancy, research has provided evidence for meditation-induced improvements in psychological and physiological well-being. Moreover, meditation practice has been shown not only to benefit higher-order cognitive functions but also to alter brain activity. Nevertheless, little is known about possible links to brain structure. Using high-resolution MRI data of 44 subjects, we set out to examine the underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation with different regional specificity (i.e., global, regional, and local). For this purpose, we applied voxel-based morphometry in association with a recently validated automated parcellation approach. We detected significantly larger gray matter volumes in meditators in the right orbito-frontal cortex (as well as in the right thalamus and left inferior temporal gyrus when co-varying for age and/or lowering applied statistical thresholds). In addition, meditators showed significantly larger volumes of the right hippocampus. Both orbito-frontal and hippocampal regions have been implicated in emotional regulation and response control. Thus, larger volumes in these regions might account for meditators' singular abilities and habits to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability, and engage in mindful behavior. We further suggest that these regional alterations in brain structures constitute part of the underlying neurological correlate of long-term meditation independent of a specific style and practice. Future longitudinal analyses are necessary to establish the presence and direction of a causal link between meditation practice and brain anatomy."

Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:39:46 -0700

From the page: "One important role of the hippocampus is to facilitate spatial memory in the form of navigation (1). Increased hippocampal volume relative to brain and body size has been reported in small mammals and birds who engage in behavior requiring spatial memory, such as food storing (2). In some species, hippocampal volumes enlarge specifically during seasons when demand for spatial ability is greatest (2, 3). In the healthy human, structural brain differences between distinct groups of subjects (for example, males and females, ref. 4, or musicians and nonmusicians, ref. 5) have been documented. From existing studies, it is impossible to know whether differences in brain anatomy are predetermined or whether the brain is susceptible to plastic change in response to environmental stimulation. Furthermore, although lesion work (6, 7) and functional neuroimaging work (8) confirm the involvement of the human hippocampus in spatial memory and navigation, there is still debate about its precise role. Given the propensity of lower mammalian/avian hippocampi to undergo structural change in response to behavior requiring spatial memory (2, 3), the present study addressed whether morphological changes could be detected in the healthy human brain associated with extensive experience of spatial navigation. Our prediction was that the hippocampus would be the most likely brain region to show changes.

Taxi drivers in London must undergo extensive training, learning how to navigate between thousands of places in the city. This training is colloquially known as "being on The Knowledge" and takes about 2 years to acquire on average. To be licensed to operate, it is necessary to pass a very stringent set of police examinations. London taxi drivers are therefore ideally suited for the study of spatial navigation. The use of a group of taxi drivers with a wide range of navigating experience permitted an examination of the direct effect of spatial experience on brain structure. In the first instance, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to examine whether morphological changes associated with navigation experience were detectable anywhere in the healthy human brain. VBM is an objective and automatic procedure that identifies regional differences in relative gray matter density in structural MRI brain scans. It allows every point in the brain to be considered in an unbiased way, with no a priori regions of interest. The data were also analyzed by using a second and completely independent pixel-counting technique within the hippocampus proper. Comparisons were made between the brain scans of taxi drivers, who had all acquired a significant amount of large-scale spatial information (as evidenced by passing the licensing examinations), and those of a comparable group of control subjects who lacked such extensive navigation exposure."

A Literary Legend Fights for a Library - NYTimes.com

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:17:09 -0700

From the page: "Libraries raised me," Mr. Bradbury said. "I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don't have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldn't go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years."

Train Yourself in the Art of Listening

Sun, 10 May 2009 08:54:15 -0700

From the page: "Train yourself to notice eye colour at the start of every conversation. It ensures that you'll make significant eye contact -- which leads to more productive conversations. Important: Don't focus so much on eye colour that you don't listen to what is being said.

Train yourself to ask questions instead of making statements. Example: Don't say "Joan, don't forget that the Anderson report needs to be in on Monday morning." Rather, say "How is the Anderson report coming along, Joan? Any problems with making the deadline?" By asking questions you'll start a dialogue, and you never know what you might learn.

Learn to "lubricate" conversations. Phrases such as "Yes, I see" and "I understand" do two things: 1) They show that you're listening, and encourage the other person to keep talking; and 2) They keep your attention focussed.

Don't blurt out questions as soon as the employee is finished speaking. It looks as if you were formulating your reply rather than listening. Before you ask a question, paraphrase the employee's words. Example: "So, what you're saying is . . . " Then, ask your question: "Well, let me ask you this..." This cuts down on miscommunication.

Don't smile the whole time. A lot of managers do this because they think it sends a friendly message. It can, but people also often mistake it for mental absence, or a sign that you're not taking them seriously. Save smiles for humorous remarks."

Diagnosis - Sleepless - NYTimes.com

Sun, 10 May 2009 08:39:34 -0700

From the page: "It would take an act of imagination to link these symptoms. The patient never made that leap, and neither did any of his doctors. ...The patient says Helfrich was the only doctor who seemed to truly look at him. During that first encounter, Helfrich didn't take notes, didn't focus on his chart, didn't click through page after page in the computer. He simply asked questions, listened to the answers and observed. ...The diagnosis was staring her in the face for years, but she did not see it. Psychologists call this inattention blindness -- instances when we don't see something because it's not what we are expecting to see; it's not what we are looking for. Sherlock Holmes had a somewhat different description. "I have trained myself to notice what I see," Holmes says. Arthur Conan Doyle, himself a physician, imbued his character with the kind of keen observational skills so essential to a good physician. This ability consists of casting a wide net to see the whole picture -- even when the complaint that brings the patient to medical attention is commonplace, like insomnia."

Pictures of the Day, March 2 - The New York Times &62; &62; Slide Show &62; Slide 4 of 11

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:45:27 -0800

A snowy scene in Central Park in Manhattan.
Photo: Justin Lane/European Pressphoto Agency

Neven Mrgans Tumblr

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:00:58 -0800