This week I've been reading about limits like physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Whether they actually exist and if they do how do I feel about them and it reminded me of a conversation I had at my last book club meeting. We were discussing whether or not there exists and end of "science" or rather is there an actual end to all knowledge in the universe and if it is possible for humans to actually acquire this knowledge.
We talked about whether there are physical limits that prevent people from actually having the ability to possess this knowledge. I'm of the opinion that human intelligence is a limiting factor on knowledge and others in the group are of a differing opinion.
When I came back from the meeting someone made a joking (I hope they were joking) comment about our group finding some grand unified theory of the universe (in case it hasn't dawned on you yet it's a science book club, most specifically physics). I said I don't think there is a grand unifying theory of the universe. I think there are some approximations that account for some things (i.e. string theory). I feel like this is one of the areas where we have hit our limiting factor. We can approach this knowledge repeatedly from infinitely many directions and still go asymptotically off to zero knowledge of an actual unified theory.
I could try to explain why, but I think few people would truly appreciate the irony of the practice of searching for something that ultimately leaves you with less than you started with.
Anyway that's all that's rolling around the old noggin today.
As always have a good day and enjoy.
I am 50% Left Brain and 50% Right Brain. Interesting...
| You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained |
 Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports. |
Friday, March 30, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Professional Jugglers
One of my favorite personal jokes I use to describe myself with is "I don't multitask, I parse." (parse: definition - To analyze or separate (input, for example) into more easily processed components. ) With the exception of involuntary functions, I'm just not capable of doing two things at once. And if by some small chance I am doing two things at the same time one or both are invariable ruined. The girls who work for me always laugh because if I'm typing on my computer and they start talking to me at some point I realize someone is next to me making noise and turn and look at them with a vacant expression. Now they know to wait until I'm done. Sometimes I look up and a little line is formed for people who want to talk.
I give a pretty good impression of multitasking at times especially when I'm working with children, but what I'm actually doing is scrolling through everyone in the room in my mental database and checking to see if someone needs attention if they don't I move on to the next. Or I take note of hands put in order of priority and scroll. I was talking to a friend on Saturday and he at least agrees with me that multitasking seems impossible, but for some reason by today's standards is held up as the ultimate achievement in success. While my mind boggles at how people are successfully capable of doing more than one thing at a time. I can barely walk and talk at the same time. Sometimes I actually have to stop walking in order to finish a complete thought.
Yesterday I amused my students greatly by a comment I made when I was helping a girl with her physics homework. The problem was a particularly tricky one and I needed to focus all my attention to it so I said, "Hold on a minute I need to go to the bathroom so I can focus on this problem completely." Not realizing that this would be very funny, but everyone started laughing. But the truth is I couldn't focus on the problem while thinking about having to go to the bathroom.
Then I read an excerpt from the July 19, 2004 edition of the Los Angeles Times written by Melissa Healy that read:
------
Multi-tasking, for most Americans, has become a way of life. Doing many things at once is the way we manage demands bearing down on us at warp speed, tame a plague of helpful technological devices and play enough roles - parent, coach, social secretary, executive - to stage a Broadway show.
But researchers peering into the brains of those engaged in several tasks at once are concluding what some overworked Americans had begun to suspect: that multi-tasking, which many have embraced as the key to success, is instead a formula for shoddy work, mismanaged time, rote solutions, stress and forgetfulness. Not to mention car crashes, kitchen fires, forgotten children, near misses in the skies and other dangers of inattention.
So turn off the music, hang up the phone, pull over to the side of the road and take note: When it comes to using your brain to conduct several tasks at one time, "there is no free lunch," says University of Michigan psychologist David E. Meyer. For all but the most routine tasks - and few mental undertakings are truly routine - it will take more time for the brain to switch among tasks than it would have to complete one and then turn to the other.
When the two get squished together, each will be shortchanged, resulting in errors.
And a prolonged jag of extreme multi-tasking, warns Meyer, may lead to a shorter attention span, poorer judgement and impaired memory...
------
The article goes on to talk about studies in people in their 40s and 50s who are struggling with forgetfulness and realize it's a result of depression, stress, and "role overload". I guess my brain has it's own fail safe. It won't let me multi-task full stop unless I feel like tripping over my feet and hitting the ground every 20 - 30 minutes.
Feel free to tell me what you think. As always have a good day and enjoy.
I give a pretty good impression of multitasking at times especially when I'm working with children, but what I'm actually doing is scrolling through everyone in the room in my mental database and checking to see if someone needs attention if they don't I move on to the next. Or I take note of hands put in order of priority and scroll. I was talking to a friend on Saturday and he at least agrees with me that multitasking seems impossible, but for some reason by today's standards is held up as the ultimate achievement in success. While my mind boggles at how people are successfully capable of doing more than one thing at a time. I can barely walk and talk at the same time. Sometimes I actually have to stop walking in order to finish a complete thought.
Yesterday I amused my students greatly by a comment I made when I was helping a girl with her physics homework. The problem was a particularly tricky one and I needed to focus all my attention to it so I said, "Hold on a minute I need to go to the bathroom so I can focus on this problem completely." Not realizing that this would be very funny, but everyone started laughing. But the truth is I couldn't focus on the problem while thinking about having to go to the bathroom.
Then I read an excerpt from the July 19, 2004 edition of the Los Angeles Times written by Melissa Healy that read:
------
Multi-tasking, for most Americans, has become a way of life. Doing many things at once is the way we manage demands bearing down on us at warp speed, tame a plague of helpful technological devices and play enough roles - parent, coach, social secretary, executive - to stage a Broadway show.
But researchers peering into the brains of those engaged in several tasks at once are concluding what some overworked Americans had begun to suspect: that multi-tasking, which many have embraced as the key to success, is instead a formula for shoddy work, mismanaged time, rote solutions, stress and forgetfulness. Not to mention car crashes, kitchen fires, forgotten children, near misses in the skies and other dangers of inattention.
So turn off the music, hang up the phone, pull over to the side of the road and take note: When it comes to using your brain to conduct several tasks at one time, "there is no free lunch," says University of Michigan psychologist David E. Meyer. For all but the most routine tasks - and few mental undertakings are truly routine - it will take more time for the brain to switch among tasks than it would have to complete one and then turn to the other.
When the two get squished together, each will be shortchanged, resulting in errors.
And a prolonged jag of extreme multi-tasking, warns Meyer, may lead to a shorter attention span, poorer judgement and impaired memory...
------
The article goes on to talk about studies in people in their 40s and 50s who are struggling with forgetfulness and realize it's a result of depression, stress, and "role overload". I guess my brain has it's own fail safe. It won't let me multi-task full stop unless I feel like tripping over my feet and hitting the ground every 20 - 30 minutes.
Feel free to tell me what you think. As always have a good day and enjoy.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
The Dangers of Banlon and Dimples...
For those of you not familiar with BanLon it's an evil material fabricated as part of a sinister plot to unmask all of a person's physical defects. And knowing this people still willingly wear this "stuff". Ok so if you're a supermodel with the perfect body then it's not that big of a deal (not that a supermodel would ever be caught dead wearing banlon). As you can see from my picture here is a couple that is wearing banlon, not bad. If you are more than 200 pounds with more dimples than a newborn babe, then you should not subject other bus riding passengers to the visual assault of having to watch you stand in full view of everyone with nothing underneath a next to transparent banlon ensemble. It's just not right. How is a body supposed to keep food down in those conditions? It's enough just trying to keep from fainting. Luckily I could resort to my trusting book. The problem was having to look up intermittently to make sure I hadn't passed my stop.
I'm sure there was a "Seinfeld" episode about this.
O.k. I'm done venting, back to my real life.
As always have a good day and enjoy.
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