Adriana Galván, of UCLA, is exploring how daily stress and associated stress hormones impact decision making. Through a grant from the National Science Foundation, she is able to contrast the effect of stress on brain function in adolescents and adults.
Galván monitors the level of stress in her study participants four times per day. When an individual records high or low levels of stress, he or she immediately comes to the lab for evaluation.
Data suggest that the greatest sources of stress for teens are parents, while for adults stress tends to come from work or schoolwork.
There are also differences based on the time of day. While adults are most stressed in the morning, teens are most stressed in the early evening. Data also suggest that teens show greater cognitive impairment when stressed than adults.
Once the individuals come to the lab, their levels of cortisol are evaluated. Galván explained, "We expect diurnal patterns of cortisol release to differ between adults and adolescents and that this distinction will correlate with levels of stress. Previous work has shown that, under identical stress conditions, teens show greater cortisol release than adults."
In 1996, English artist Hugh Turvey started favoring x-rays as his medium. Prompted by a musician friend who asked him to make an album cover, Turvey made the above image, revealing his subject's biologically-based adoration of soccer/football/fútbol. With an eye for adding color and an experimental attitude, Turvey has since produced over 800 captivating pieces of x-ray art.
Gesner was most noted in his day as a physician, botanist, and Classical linguist. Throughout his life he was interested in biology and collected specimens and descriptions of wildlife through travel and extensive correspondence with other scholars. His approach to research centered upon four tenets: observation, dissection, travel to distant lands, and accurate description. This emergent empirical approach was new to Renaissance scholars, who usually relied entirely upon Classical writers for their research.
His Historiae animalium (Zürich, 1551-1587; "Studies on Animals") is considered to be the first modern zoological work. Building a bridge between ancient, medieval, and modern science, he chronicles data from old sources, such as The Old Testament, Aristotle and medieval bestiaries, and adds his own observations, creating a new, comprehensive description of the Animal Kingdom. In what is the first attempt by anyone to describe many of the animals accurately, the book is illustrated with hand-colored woodcuts drawn from personal observations by Gesner and his colleagues.
Andrei Petrov Kalganov. Former master in the plant. Seventy-two years old, has worked at the plant for fifty-five years. He was fortunate to present bread and salt to His Imperial Majesty, the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, Zlatoust; 1910 Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection (Library of Congress).
Pogo is an Australian DJ who has been getting a lot of internet respect for his technique of building textured trip-hop out of minute samples from classic and contemporary movies. But his equally adept film-editing skills and his inclination toward the whimsical are what turn otherwise casual Youtube channel stumblers into true fans all over the world. Above is the most commonly noted among his videos, "Alice" (composed entirely of Alice in Wonderlandbits and pieces). Its dreamy, thumping beat has ensnared over 4 million viewers on Youtube.
The two tracks currently available from this September's anticipated (by me) release leave me wanting more. Based solely on the wandering haziness of the title track and the hip-hop backbone of the "Slow-Motion", I imagine I would like the full LP on vinyl for my birthday. Panda Bear stated that it would focus more on guitar and rhythm than most of his stuff with Animal Collective or Jane (though I like them too). So I'm pretty damn intrigued.
Australian S. Peter Davis (also called CollegeBinary) makes good use of youtube by providing light-hearted primers on several philosophers- above, Kant's stubbornness highlights himself as an especially douchey one. Reminds me a bit of Brad Neely (of Wizard People, Dear Reader fame).
This is the most recent update [Fall 2009] of the Shift Happens video, of exploding internet fame. The original Did You Know? started as a powerpoint presentation to faculty in August, 2006 at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado as a way to acquaint teachers and staff to new media and its use among younger generations. Developed with the assistance of The Economist, the latest version showcases the most recent data on shifting media landscapes. I've taken the liberty of posting links [where possible] to every cited source below. Enjoy being on the forefront of the world's information-technology changes. Because, for better or for worse, this is how we're using tech at the moment.
This is a few years old, but remains one of the coolest art projects I've seen on the internets. David Gallaugher of Dalhousie University created this mobile statement about the need to have more greenspace in urban areas. I wouldn't mind moving around Boston in one of those things. It would detract from the ugliness of Cleveland Circle while I was on my way to the Boston Commons and the public gardens. Shout out to Halifax, yall!
My good friend Madeline of Madeline May Write pointed out this awesome video of Buddhist monks creating a beautiful mandala from colorful sand. A mandala is a geometric design that in its microcosm represents the whole universe. They are typically created as a form of meditation and are totally, utterly rad.
A funny thing about both mandalas and the universe, that is so perfectly demonstrated in this meditative practice, is impermanence - the work of art, the human person, the environment which we share- all of it is not meant to last, and won't.
Which makes me wonder: does the fact that it is on film bear any relevance to the monks? Does the mandala "remain" and still exist, as far as the youtube viewer is concerned? I can't answer this with any certainty; I'm not Buddhist and have a mere enthusiast's weak grasp on the idea. I imagine that it would bother the monks, yet they consented to being filmed in this noble pursuit of blessing all the world.
Perhaps they hadn't thought about that. Or, perhaps more likely, they figure youtube as impermanent as the sand painting.
Ernest Greene's [AKA Washed Out] two EPs, Life of Leisure [2009] and High Times [also 2009], warrant the attention of all yall hip young people. I've been in it all damn day.
Look at this millisecond by millisecond description written by Australian engineers of what happens when one car hits another at 50 mph (~80 kph). The physical impact is completed in about a quarter of the time is takes to blink your eyes (which is about 300 to 400 ms). It happens faster than your 50-100 billion neurons can perceive it. Their description reads like a poem, with the last line delivering the real punch. If it can be thought of as a poem, it's one about how slowly our minds move in contrast to the mechanical world.
This is a reconstruction of a crash involving a stationary Ford Falcon XT sedan being struck in the driver's door by another vehicle travelling at 50 km/h.
[One millisecond equals 1/1000th of a second.]
0 milliseconds - An external object touches the driver's door.
1 ms - The car's door pressure sensor detects a pressure wave.
2 ms - An acceleration sensor in the C-pillar behind the rear door also detects a crash event.
