MINI DOC.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Teaching Cross-Eyed People to See in 3-D
Susan R. Barry, Ph. D
I have been cross-eyed (strabismic) and stereoblind since early infancy. Since the first months of life, I looked at things with one eye and turned in the other. Three childhood surgeries made my eyes look straighter but did not change the way I used them. I continued to look with one and turn away the other. My crossed eyes may have been less noticeable after the operations, but I still suppressed the input from the turned eye and saw an abnormally flat, less detailed, and less vibrant view of the world. I did not see in 3D; I was stereoblind.As I grew older, my vision became more troublesome. So at age 48, I consulted a developmental optometrist. I went to see her not to gain stereovision; that possibility was not even on my radar. Instead, I spoke to her about my unstable gaze. My view of distant objects was jittery which made driving difficult and frightening. I wanted to gain more competence and confidence for chauffeuring my children around town.
Over the next year, my developmental optometrist, Dr. Theresa Ruggiero, taught me something that most infants learn within the first months of life - how to aim both eyes at the same place in space at the same time. This required a great deal of practice using a variety of elegantly-designed vision therapy tools. To my astonishment, I began to see in 3D. Ordinary things looked extraordinary. Sink faucets reached out toward me, hanging light fixtures seemed to float in mid-air, and I could see how the outer branches of trees captured whole volumes of space through which the inner branches penetrated. Borders and edges appeared crisper; objects seemed more solid, vibrant, and real. I was overwhelmed by my first stereo view of a snowfall in which I could see the palpable pockets of space between each snowflake.
READ MORE
You See Me As What Now?
Across the vast array of friends and acquaintances hold many different perceptions of you. One of your friends could say your a warm hearted individual and other could say you're vindictive. The perception of you can change day to day if you have a combination of wardrobe. A classification of their perception of you can be locked in time if you havent seen them in a while. You could wear and act in a way of a jock (wearing sports jerseys, gym shorts, sweatpants) in high school. Then go off to college and start wearing more profession clothing (dress shirts, slacks, dressier shoes, suits). If that person that saw you in Highschool in the "jock" style moved away then reconnected with you when they moved back will still hold that perception of a "jock" until they see your new style, while others around you hold the perception of you as a level-headed professional. The littlest change in your day to day wardrobe can change others perceptions of you.
Here is an article from Psychology Today going into more detail about perception and how it change.
DO YOU HAVE A PERCEPTION PROBLEM?
Have you ever been surprised by the way someone else sees you?
I was once told by a former co-worker that I intimidated her. At four-feet-eleven-inches tall, the thought of me intimidating someone else was laughable to me. But that was her perception. And, in the end, it's our own perceptions that form our reality.
I was recently told by someone else to "be the confident person I know you are" before I had to head into a difficult conversation. That also gave me pause -- did I seem unconfident? Did I appear uncomfortable in my own skin?
It can be quite jarring when your vision of yourself is out of sync with the way you're seen by others. Whether it's a physical quality or an aspect of your personality, that feeling that you're not being truly seen is uncomfortable. But the thing about perception is that it's incredibly subjective - to perceive, literally, means to "know or identify by means of the senses." Quite simply, we feel what we feel, sometimes in spite of what our eyes alone tell us.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The Limits Of Humans
HUMAN LIMITATIONS
1. Human Speed: Last year, Usain Bolt stunned athletics fans when he hacked 0.11 seconds off his previous world record for the 100-metre sprint. But what's the ultimate human speed limit?
2. Concentration: It's a challenge that most of us have faced when up against an essay deadline, a late-night crisis in the office or perhaps a long car drive. Just how long can we push ourselves mentally before our brain needs a break?
3. Survival in a Vacuum: Sadly we know how long humans can survive if suddenly exposed to the vacuum of space. Three Soviet cosmonauts died in 1971 when a faulty valve caused their Soyuz 11 capsule to depressurise at an altitude of 168 kilometres, shortly before re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Investigations revealed that the cabin pressure dropped to zero for 11 minutes and 40 seconds, until the capsule hit the atmosphere. The crew died within 30 to 40 seconds from hypoxia. "You need both oxygen and air pressure to deliver oxygen to the brain," says Jonathan Clark, a former space shuttle crew surgeon.
4.How Much Can We Remember: Remembering an 11-digit telephone number is hard enough for most of us. Yet one of the current record-holders for a feat of memory, Chao Lu of China, was able to accurately recite 67,890 digits of pi from memory in 2005. But is that a mere drop in the ocean compared to the brain's true capacity?
5.Holding Your Breath: Most people find it hard to hold their breath for more than a minute, so imagine the extreme self-control Stephane Mifsud mustered on 8 June last year when he held his breath for 11 minutes and 35 seconds, setting a new world record for stationary breath-holding, or "static apnoea".
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Scientific American: Cursing Alleviates Pain?
Why the #$%! Do We Swear? For Pain Relief
Bad language could be good for you, a new study shows. For the first time, psychologists have found that swearing may serve an important function in relieving pain.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Perception of Time And Mood
I found an article on the Perception of Time and "anticipated duration". The article asks the question: "Ever noticed how the more you look forward to something, like Christmas, the longer it takes to arrive but the exams you dreaded came only too quickly?" It can be said the same for waiting for the kettle to boil the water. I want the tea and know that boiling water doesn't take very long, but I feel as if the boiling process takes an hour. I also believe that the instant gratification world that we live in has had an effect on our perception of time. We are so used to expecting outcomes instantaneously the more and more we use instant delivery options (iTunes, Email, Netflix). When occupational delivery (USPS, UPS, Fed-EX) is compared to Email, an obvious assumption that the duration of delivery differs drastically.
The perception of time for an anticipated duration can change the mood if the package you ordered was delayed due to a holiday, customs checks, and in the worst case, if they loose your package. You feel at a loss and sometimes an offense to you. This is why I can see that the perception of time can influence mood.
The TELEGRAPH Article:
Richard Alleyne
The researchers at the Paris School of Economics found that different types of anticipation for an event affected how long people felt it took to arrive - what is technically called its "anticipated duration".
The feeling that you "can't wait for something" actually made it appear to take longer to come. The dread of a task, on the other hand, makes time appear to fly.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Emotions Fill The Crowd In Georgia
The man who is explaining the execution keeps his eye line down. I am no expert but I believe I see some shame.
What do you see? Respond at @thephilbosco.
THE USA TODAY ARTICLE BY: Melanie Eversley and Larry Copeland
The execution came less than an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it was denying a request for a stay in the case that had drawn global attention and compelled hundreds of demonstrators - including activistAl Sharpton and rapper Big Boi of OutKast - to gather outside the facility southeast of Atlanta.
Davis, 42, was convicted in 1991 for the 1989 shooting death of Savannah, Ga., police officer Mark MacPhail. The NAACP, Amnesty International USA, celebrities, elected officials and people around the world had rallied around Davis, pointing out that several witnesses from the original trial had signed affidavits recanting their testimony implicating Davis. But MacPhail's family has maintained they believe Davis committed the crime and they trust the testimony from the trial.
MEDIA INFLUENCE
State Radio - State of Georgia
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Close Enough To A Superhero
I have wanted superpowers ever since I've been a child, and was introduces to the whole idea of superheroes. Over the years I wanted to shoot things from my hands like fire or ice, then it went to teleportaion, super speed, and other faster modes of transportation. But as a growing nerd does, I tried to apply my own skills and focus them to a more practical super power. I wanted mind reading. I got into many situations growing up where mind reading would benefit me. Job interviews, meetings, group projects, classes, and especially dating. So instead of romanticizing and dreaming of mind reading, I decided to find a skill that would get as close as possible with out any gadgetry. The closest avenue was body language. This skill allows one to read a person with out even talking to them. Of course situations must merit proper readings and there are rules that need to be followed when reading someones body language. Body language can seen in the expressions of the face and even the movement or placement of the feet. This discovery motivated me to focus on the study of behavior and will hopefully one day lead me to a career in the FBI as a deception prevention expert. I will live out my nerdy dreams as I take bad guys down with my observations. Just as a telekinesis mutant in the "X-men" will use their powers for good, I will use my skills for good.
Joe Navarro:
Since writing “What Every Body is Saying,” the question I am most often asked is, “What nonverbal behaviors should I be looking for and are they different at home, at work, or in relationships?” Perhaps this will help to clarify the matter.
Somewhere in our hominid past, as with most animals, we developed the ability to communicate nonverbally and that still remains our primary method of communication, especially when it comes to emotions. Charles Darwin first and Paul Ekman much later, have written about the universality of emotions in part because, as Joseph Ledoux has pointed out, these and other survival behaviors are governed by our very elegant limbic brain.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Covert Cameras in Airports Reveal More Than Expected.
Secret lie detectors which can rumble fraudsters without them even knowing they were suspected are to be installed at a British airport.
High definition video and thermal imaging cameras could be used at passport control or in customs interviews to detect those trying to trick immigration officials.
The cameras, which would be installed covertly, would be able to pick up tell-tale signs of people giving false accounts of themselves based on research under way now.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2033615/Covert-lie-detection-measures-tiny-changes-facial-expression-skin-temperature.html#ixzz1Xr0GVuDn
Facial Muscles For All You Dr. Ekman Fans
I found these videos, that explains the muscles of the face. This may be an aide in understanding facial features.
Non-verbal communication doesn't just involve the face, but this is a good source if you're a fan of Dr. Ekman.
Dr. Ekman's Site: http://www.paulekman.com/
Dr. Ekman's Book on Faces: Emotions Revealed
What emotion is this?
What emotion would you find on David Laffer's face?
NYTIMES: The man accused in the shooting deaths of four people in a pharmacy in Medford, N.Y., pleaded guilty on Thursday to five counts of first-degree murder and faces the likelihood of spending the rest of his life in prison.
Post your guesses by tagging me (@thephilbosco) on twitter. Use #DavidLaffer at the end of your tweet.
READ MORE
Friday, September 9, 2011
Psychopathic Con-Woman
FROM ABC NEWS
A woman dubbed the 'Military Mistress' after she married at least 14 men and allegedly drained thousands from their bank accounts has claimed that she was just bad at being in love.
Bobbi Ann Finley is accused of stalking, conning and stealing up to $100,000 each from American soldiers for almost two decades.
But the 35-year-old, who is currently in jail after pleading guilty to theft by deception, has said that her marriages to the servicemen were not a con. Read more
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Face Blindness Test
Here is a link for a face blindness test. 85% is the expected score for someone who does not have Prosopagnosia. Check it out!
Click on the link below to test your brain.
Face Blindness: Prosopagnosia
Prosopagnosia is a disorder, where the inflicted are at a disadvantage when recognizing faces. The next two YouTube clips show how this disorder affects facial perception.
The first clip is from a segment on "The Hour", which focuses on National Post photo editor Jeff Wasserman. Jeff Wasserman and his brother both suffer from 'face blindness'.
AND
This clip is Dr. Oliver Sacks, a famous neurologist, that speaks about face blindness and other neurological problems.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Lessons In Communication : Psychology Today
As one of the most pivotal moments in the history of this country, August 28, 1963 will live in our collective history as a moment of rebirth for America. It is a message that made believers out of naysayers, made an entire country hunger for societal change and laid the foundation for groundbreaking improvements in our culture.
What's interesting is this: if we were to simply judge a book by its cover - and evaluate MLK's message strictly on the basis of his body language - we may have had a completely different takeaway that August afternoon.
This is something that I repeatedly speak about in my workshops. I use this example pretty much across the board to convey the importance of establishing a baseline - gathering information about an individual's normal patterns of behavior.
Evaluating and understanding baseline is so critical when it comes to interpreting communication that when done incorrectly - it means the difference between iconic moments in your life or the failure that comes with misinterpretation.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Be back on the 7th.
Follow me @thephilbosco.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Joe Navarro with Body Language Basics.
SPY-CATCHER
Fortunately for us we evolved a system to immediately communicate to others how we feel and what we sense. If not for this, a room might be dangerously hot - not just warm and a swim in a lake might turn into hypothermia. If we had to think, even for a few seconds, at every perilous encounter (imagine a coiled rattle snake by your leg) we would have died out as a species. Instead we evolved to react to threats or anything that might harm us and not to think (the "freeze, flight, fight response" I talk about in Louder Than Words).
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Extravert/Introvert Collection Continues
Psychology Today Article :
"Do Introverts and Extroverts See Reality Differently?"
So read the LiveScience headline, in an article describing research findings that extroverts answer survey questions with more extreme responses than introverts do. It doesn’t matter what type of question it is. Whether asked to rate how much they liked a photo of a nature scene, or how disgusted they’d be upon finding a caterpillar in their salad, the results were the same – extroverts reported more intense reactions than introverts did.
This raises the question: do extroverts actually experience life in extremes, or are they just more inclined to declarative statements? If the answer is the latter, then extroverts’ instinct for hyperbole can interfere with “scientists’ efforts to paint an objective view of the world,” writes LiveScience reporter Rachael Rettner.
According to one scientist I spoke to while researching my book, however, the answer may be the former, at least when it comes topositive emotions like joy and delight. Extroverts are known for “up-regulating” these feelings – for accentuating the positive, says Rick Howard, University of Nottingham psychology professor, while introverts are more likely to simply take their emotions as they find them.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Nancy Wake: A True Hero Will Be Missed.
This was Captain America in our real world. She faught the Nazi, led revolutionaries into battle, and made men cook for her, not the other way around. Unfortunately she died at 98 this past week. I just wanted some recognition to go to this fine example of a hero.
NANCY WAKE, known as "The White Mouse".
She helped establish communication lines between the British military and the French Resistance in 1944 that were deemed crucial to weakening German strength in France in advance of the Allied invasion.
By her own account she once killed a German sentry with her bare hands, and ordered the execution of a woman she believed to be a German spy.
Ms. Wake received so many medals for her wartime service, she said, that she lived out her old age on the proceeds from their sale.
Britain and the United States awarded her their highest civilian honors. France gave her the Legion d’Honneur, the highest military honor it bestows.
She once described herself — as a young woman — as someone who loved nothing more than “a good drink” and handsome men, “especially French men.”
The German military described her as “la souris blanche,” or “the white mouse,” for her ability to elude capture.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Moon on Moonlighting
From 2009
The science fiction film Moon premiered at select theaters around the country on Friday. I sat down with the movie's director, Duncan Jones, in March to talk about filmmaking, artificial intelligence,philosophy, theory of mind, science fiction, and his childhood. Acondensed rendering of the interview appears in the current issue of Psychology Today. Here's a more complete version. Spoiler alert.
THE INTERVIEWDuncan Jones: Pretty much [what happened in the movie], because there was a lot of of me in it. A lot of me and Sam [Rockwell, the lead actor]. I grew up as an only child, as did Sam. That's one of the things that we shared that gave us a good starting point for discussing how we were going to do the film. But I think the film kind of asks the question, What would it be like if you met yourself? And over time, I think, I've become pretty okay about myself. But it did take a long time. I'm 38 now so when I was younger I used to have a lot of concerns and I didn't really know my place in the world and it took me a long time to feel comfortable in my own skin.
White Collar's Most Wanted.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Joe Navarro Speaks Lessons From the Oslo Terrorist Attack
Personality TypesWhen we look at terrorists such as the accused Anders Behring Breivik, aka, Andrew Berwick, two prominent but significant personality features stand out that we see over and over: pathologicalnarcissism and paranoia (Navarro 2004).
Read More
A NonVerbal expert. He has written many books on Interrogation, Deception Prevention, and Body Language.
Monday, August 15, 2011
My Declaration of Introversion.
"Whether you prefer the internal world or the external world, that preference is fixed. You can force yourself to act outside of your element, but an introvert can’t become an extravert and vice versa."
I have a link set to a page where it compare Introversive and Extroversive Personalities. Please read both so that you can understand both sides of the spectrum.
Read More
THE AVETT BROTHERS - "THE PERFECT SPACE"
Lyrics:
I wanna have friends that I can trust,
that love me for the man I’ve become not the man I was.
I wanna have friends that will let me be
all alone when being alone is all that I need.
I wanna fit in to the perfect space,
feel natural and safe in a volatile place.
And I wanna grow old without the pain,
give my body back to the earth and not complain.
Will you understand when I am too old of a man?
And will you forget when we have paid our debt
who did we borrow from?
Okay part two now clear the house.
The party’s over take the shouting and the people,
get out.
I have some business and a promise that I have to hold to.
I do not care what you assume or what the people told you.
Will you understand, when I am too old of a man?
Will you forget when we have paid our debts,
who did we borrow from, who did borrow from?
I wanna have pride like my mother has,
And not like the kind in the bible that turns you bad.
And I wanna have friends that I can trust,
that love me for the man I’ve become and not the man that I was.
I have a link set to a page where it compare Introversive and Extroversive Personalities. Please read both so that you can understand both sides of the spectrum.
Read More
MY DECLARATION:
Over the weekend I experienced overflow of requests to hang out with friends. Unfortunately I was extremely busy so I declined. This however is a reoccurring event most weeks. I love my friends but I hate spending time on frivolous activities such as going out every night, clubs, or getting interrupted in between something that will better me (study, building, filming).Dont get me wrong once in a while its good to go out. This resulted with the outside appearance of following my introversive tendencies to the point where friends think I am avoiding them. In a way yes but not as a slight to them.
As a student and employee, I find that 30 minutes to an hour of quality time with a friend is all that is needed. Some extraverts may find it selfish but trying to change someone is selfish as well because they are changing you for them. But this self glorified injustice has gone on for too long. My immediate question was do extraverts now there are introverts? Then I asked, If extraverts are aware do they understand? My personal conclusion was No. I want to share this because I feel that Introverts are getting the label of jerks or being selfish. I concerned not to make this appear as an attack on my true friends.
So if you take offense, I apologize but my previous actions, intended to explain myself and Introverts have failed. So I have resorted to text.
THE AVETT BROTHERS - "THE PERFECT SPACE"
Lyrics:
I wanna have friends that I can trust,
that love me for the man I’ve become not the man I was.
I wanna have friends that will let me be
all alone when being alone is all that I need.
I wanna fit in to the perfect space,
feel natural and safe in a volatile place.
And I wanna grow old without the pain,
give my body back to the earth and not complain.
Will you understand when I am too old of a man?
And will you forget when we have paid our debt
who did we borrow from?
Okay part two now clear the house.
The party’s over take the shouting and the people,
get out.
I have some business and a promise that I have to hold to.
I do not care what you assume or what the people told you.
Will you understand, when I am too old of a man?
Will you forget when we have paid our debts,
who did we borrow from, who did borrow from?
I wanna have pride like my mother has,
And not like the kind in the bible that turns you bad.
And I wanna have friends that I can trust,
that love me for the man I’ve become and not the man that I was.
Philly.com| Understanding Positives and Growth of PTSD
Studying the positive side of trauma and grief by Stacey Burling
One of the first things you notice about Judy Bernstein is how easily, how freely, she laughs.
Her obvious zest is all the more striking when you hear about the trials in her life.
Her father died in a plane crash when she was 21. Her brother-in-law was killed crossing Broad Street. Her sister died in a car crash.
In 2001, Bernstein learned she had lymphoma. Since then, doctors have diagnosed six other cancers: breast, thyroid, skin, esophageal, and two kinds of lung.
Bernstein, 68, always understood how fleeting life could be, but she credits her close personal relationship with cancer with making her stronger and more spiritual, giving, and tolerant - with making her a better person.
"Something good comes from everything," said Bernstein, whose cancers have been manageable. "You just have to know where to look or how to look."
Bernstein is an example of what psychologists call posttraumatic growth (PTG), the lesser-known sibling of post-traumatic stress disorder.
While the more dramatic PTSD has gotten far more publicity, a cadre of researchers has been studying the positive side of trauma and grief: that most people bounce back to baseline, and some emerge from disaster stronger and better, at least in some ways.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
MOOD LIGHTING.
MEDICAL NEWS Today: Study on How Light Changes Mood
Psychologist Brian Wiltgen and biologists Ignacio Provencio and Daniel Warthen of U.Va.'s College of Arts & Sciences worked together to combine studies of fear with research on how light affects physiology and behavior.
Read More
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Facial Differences In Criminals
As it turns out, humans possess the ability to tell who's a criminal and who's not simply by looking at them because criminals look different from noncriminals.
In this blog, I have repeatedly emphasized the fact that virtually all "stereotypes" are empirically true. If they weren't true, they would not be stereotypes in the first place. To my knowledge, all of the very, very few stereotypes that are not empirically true, for some reason, have to do with people's appearance. Hence, it is not true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it is not true that beauty is only skin-deep.
Continue to Source.
Take the Test At the Bottom of the Article: Answers
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Understanding the Passive Nature of People.
Peeved by Passive-Agression
Psychology Today has compiled 4 articles and studies written by M.D.s and psychologists in the field to break down passive aggressiven areas.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
History of Crime in Philadelphia.
Philly.com's researchers and writers created an awesome piece on the crime in Philadelphia over the years. Read More
"Philadelphia has had a long history of violent or colorful criminals, from Al Capone to Ace Capone to Thomas Capano, from the Arsenic Gang that poisoned or killed 100 people, to Jocelyn Kirsch, the glamorous Drexel student convicted of scamming friends and acquaintances out of more than $100,000 with her beau to finance their high life." - Philly.com
Monday, August 8, 2011
PTSD & Soldiers
Found a really piece on iTunes U! Its about why some soldiers do better under stress. The focus is on Andy Morgan, M.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry, talks about his research with the military examining why some soldiers thrive under extremely adverse circumstances.
Its about 50 minutes long but its free to download and really interesting if you have a long drive or are able to wear headphones at work.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Psychology of Batman Documentary.
The History channel and the Dark knight Team got together to make this really interesting documentary. Enjoy!.
