We had a guest lecture about Experimental Ethics in our Research Principles course. Which led to discussions about unethical experiments and their results, including the Stanford Prison Experiment and one I'd never heard of before...
Lesson 72: "The Russian Baby Experiment". Terrible, if true... But possibly just a widespread misinterpretation cobbled together from multiple sources...
"The Russian Baby Experiment" was described as an experiment in which orphan infants were taken into a lab environment and raised without human contact. They were physically very well cared for, but without communication or touch, and all the babies died.
But in trying to find details about it to share in this blog post, I couldn't find any such experiment... I found René Spitz, who came upon the same basic conclusions through observing infants in foundling homes. And I found information about parental deprivation (originally stated as maternal deprivation by Bowlby, who drew from Spitz). I even found a snopes message board thread trying to do the same thing I was.
But no reference to the actual, terribly unethical, experiment. So I can only hope that it didn't ever happen, and that it just grew out of statements as to why you'd never be able to do such an experiment.
May just be an extrapolation of towel monkeys.
Let me know if you know otherwise!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Day 75: Time, Waste and Money
Lesson 71: Sometimes you'll just feel like you didn't learn anything.
And that's ok. Maybe I haven't explored deep enough, or sought hard enough. Maybe I'm just too tired for the necessary thought processes today.
But you don't always feel like you came away having learned anything. When that happens a whole day, it can feel like a shame, but it happens.
And that's ok. Maybe I haven't explored deep enough, or sought hard enough. Maybe I'm just too tired for the necessary thought processes today.
But you don't always feel like you came away having learned anything. When that happens a whole day, it can feel like a shame, but it happens.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Day 74: And It Continues To Pour...
I'm feeling a little facetious today....
I was more impressed with the lesson being taught than any lesson I personally learned.
Lesson 70: People are people.
We were discussing the needs of different groups with regards to library services and materials. Homeless people, teens, new immigrants, etc. And each person presented their bit about what each group needed, and ultimately they realized that all these people need the same things.
People are people. They all need the same basic information and materials, some may prefer them with specific focuses, or in different formats, but for all the distinctions and categories we try to fit them in, they all have the same basic information needs.
The slides aren't up, so I can't share my particular favourite break down of people's information needs (specifically the study was about teens, but it was functionally identical to the same ones shown for all the other groups) but I'll put it up when I find it!
I was more impressed with the lesson being taught than any lesson I personally learned.
Lesson 70: People are people.
We were discussing the needs of different groups with regards to library services and materials. Homeless people, teens, new immigrants, etc. And each person presented their bit about what each group needed, and ultimately they realized that all these people need the same things.
People are people. They all need the same basic information and materials, some may prefer them with specific focuses, or in different formats, but for all the distinctions and categories we try to fit them in, they all have the same basic information needs.
The slides aren't up, so I can't share my particular favourite break down of people's information needs (specifically the study was about teens, but it was functionally identical to the same ones shown for all the other groups) but I'll put it up when I find it!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Day 73: When It Rains It Pours!
Our weekly trivia outing gained a lot of popularity this week! I really hope that people keep coming out. I mean, we'll probably need to split into two teams, but it was nice having everyone out, and we all have Tuesdays off, so it's a nice night to do this kind of stuff!
Also, I got a package in the mail I've been anticipating since the 9th, so now I can get started on my super secret personal development project! I might announce it more widely in a year or so....
I even arranged a group for one of the last projects I didn't have one for yet, and my brother's chorus got a rating of "Superior" at a competition in Tuscon over the weekend! So much good stuff for such a short time!
Lesson 69: Bacon is a legitimate substitute for any meat.
Ok, so really I only learned that it causes no problems as a ham substitute, but given how well bacon goes in virtually any meal, I think it's a safe generalisation!
I finally bought myself more flour, so I was making my mom's biscuit recipe with cheese and ham, but I have no ham and a whole pack of bacon to go through so.... Cheese and bacon biscuits! Sooooo tasty!
Also, I got a package in the mail I've been anticipating since the 9th, so now I can get started on my super secret personal development project! I might announce it more widely in a year or so....
I even arranged a group for one of the last projects I didn't have one for yet, and my brother's chorus got a rating of "Superior" at a competition in Tuscon over the weekend! So much good stuff for such a short time!
Lesson 69: Bacon is a legitimate substitute for any meat.
Ok, so really I only learned that it causes no problems as a ham substitute, but given how well bacon goes in virtually any meal, I think it's a safe generalisation!
I finally bought myself more flour, so I was making my mom's biscuit recipe with cheese and ham, but I have no ham and a whole pack of bacon to go through so.... Cheese and bacon biscuits! Sooooo tasty!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Day 72: The Hard, Long Slog
Yesterday, it went down to -20°C (that's -4°F for any Americans in the crowd). Lucky for me that was a one off. Unluckily for everyone, that meant that what was just slushy snowy stuff to slog through two days ago is now a hardened, icy sheet, polished by the boots and bums of those who have been walking, and falling, on these paths, sidewalks, and stairs.
Climbing the hill was more like playing Snakes & Ladders today...
Lesson 68: It isn't that the winter is harsher, colder, snowier or.... Winterier than you're used to. It's how much you're actually outside that counts.
You see, I've been spending the past 4 winters in Toronto (and to some extent Guelph). In Toronto, I lived a stone's throw from campus. It took me about 5 minutes to walk to class, which meant 2 minutes to get to campus. Once I was on campus, it was all cutting through buildings and walking through the tunnels that connected each building to every other. Though the actual underground tunnels had been closed for ages because of vagrants and assaults (or so I was told), there were numerous above-ground tunnels, and buildings that were just plain connected to one another.
I wore the same sweaters as I did in summer, my run-down winter coat, and just ran to campus and stayed in the enclosed areas if it was too cold for what I was wearing.
When I was in Guelph, I'd be going straight from building to car so much that what I was wearing mattered even less.
Now, I'm living in Montreal. I haven't noticed that the weather's any different in severity than the past few winters I've seen. The pattern's different, but it's not any worse or any better. But now, I spend 15-20 minutes a day climbing to class. And another 15-20 minutes climbing back down to my place. Out in the elements. And I can't make it go appreciably faster at all, short of caving and flagging down a taxi.
So I'm cold.
I bought a new coat back in November, which has probably made it better than it would have been, but my summer sweaters just aren't going to cut it any more.
If my classes were at the bottom of the hill, I could potentially use the paths through the underground city (though they don't really extend far enough North or West to be very useful) and I wouldn't really be having a problem.
But my classes are at the top of the hill, and that's a whole other ball game.
Plus, I actually go out now on evenings and weekends because I have a life or something, which I didn't in Toronto. So there's that too.
I do so love the winter though! Particularly the nice big snow falls... It's so pretty! :3
In mod/admin news, I've been writing from the app BlogPress on my iPad, which is a marvelous app, but I was having quite a lot of trouble actually posting from it. That has since been resolved, it was a facebook connection issue blocking my syncing, but all my drafts should now be published. If there's an unaccounted for hole which you've noticed please let me know.
Climbing the hill was more like playing Snakes & Ladders today...
Lesson 68: It isn't that the winter is harsher, colder, snowier or.... Winterier than you're used to. It's how much you're actually outside that counts.
You see, I've been spending the past 4 winters in Toronto (and to some extent Guelph). In Toronto, I lived a stone's throw from campus. It took me about 5 minutes to walk to class, which meant 2 minutes to get to campus. Once I was on campus, it was all cutting through buildings and walking through the tunnels that connected each building to every other. Though the actual underground tunnels had been closed for ages because of vagrants and assaults (or so I was told), there were numerous above-ground tunnels, and buildings that were just plain connected to one another.
I wore the same sweaters as I did in summer, my run-down winter coat, and just ran to campus and stayed in the enclosed areas if it was too cold for what I was wearing.
When I was in Guelph, I'd be going straight from building to car so much that what I was wearing mattered even less.
Now, I'm living in Montreal. I haven't noticed that the weather's any different in severity than the past few winters I've seen. The pattern's different, but it's not any worse or any better. But now, I spend 15-20 minutes a day climbing to class. And another 15-20 minutes climbing back down to my place. Out in the elements. And I can't make it go appreciably faster at all, short of caving and flagging down a taxi.
So I'm cold.
I bought a new coat back in November, which has probably made it better than it would have been, but my summer sweaters just aren't going to cut it any more.
If my classes were at the bottom of the hill, I could potentially use the paths through the underground city (though they don't really extend far enough North or West to be very useful) and I wouldn't really be having a problem.
But my classes are at the top of the hill, and that's a whole other ball game.
Plus, I actually go out now on evenings and weekends because I have a life or something, which I didn't in Toronto. So there's that too.
I do so love the winter though! Particularly the nice big snow falls... It's so pretty! :3
In mod/admin news, I've been writing from the app BlogPress on my iPad, which is a marvelous app, but I was having quite a lot of trouble actually posting from it. That has since been resolved, it was a facebook connection issue blocking my syncing, but all my drafts should now be published. If there's an unaccounted for hole which you've noticed please let me know.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Day 71: The Great Distinction
A large chunk of my class and day were taken up by planning a presentation about the use of social media by libraries. A very interesting topic to be sure, but that will have to wait. You see, it took us far too long into our discussion to realise our fundamental flaw. We hadn't defined what we were considering and how.
Is YouTube the same as twitter? Is Second Life the same as them? Facebook? These can't all be the same beast! It doesn't make sense! Heck! Why are we even discussing Second Life? I mean, honestly....
Lesson 67: Social Media Sites are distinct from Social Networking Sites. Though they may overlap, and can all potentially be referred to with the blanket term "The Social Media", ultimately Social Networking Sites connect and share between profiles while Social Media Sites create content and connect profiles.
It's the focus. Social Media Sites focus on creating content, like Twitter, YouTube, DeviantArt do, whereas Social Networking Sites focus on connecting profiles, while their users may create and share within that framework.
What a headache...
Is YouTube the same as twitter? Is Second Life the same as them? Facebook? These can't all be the same beast! It doesn't make sense! Heck! Why are we even discussing Second Life? I mean, honestly....
Lesson 67: Social Media Sites are distinct from Social Networking Sites. Though they may overlap, and can all potentially be referred to with the blanket term "The Social Media", ultimately Social Networking Sites connect and share between profiles while Social Media Sites create content and connect profiles.
It's the focus. Social Media Sites focus on creating content, like Twitter, YouTube, DeviantArt do, whereas Social Networking Sites focus on connecting profiles, while their users may create and share within that framework.
What a headache...
Monday, January 16, 2012
Day 70: What a Feeling!
Why yes, I do use a lot of song lyrics as titles! But this one was just because I had an amazing weekend. As much as I loved being home, it's good to be back!
My first class today could largely be boiled down to "correlation is not causation". We saw how you can prove that bread is one of the greatest problems in the world, though frankly I'm rather disappointed that she didn't make any mention of how the decline of pirates has fuelled climate change.
We also looked at different scientific research methods etc, and while I'd covered all of this in various other spots throughout my education. Something popped out at me and gave me a new way of looking at research. As this wasn't really a lesson, it will be hard to phrase as one, but I'll give her a whirl.
Lesson 66: How something is studied is largely influenced by the nature of the thing itself.
Ok, now some clarity. The majority of scientific progress is done through Positivist research. To immensely simplify some complex ideas, Positivism is the basis of the theory, hypothesis, test, observe, conclude science most people know. Basically, the basic laws and theories that govern the natural world mean that you can predict an outcome and test it, and it will be repeatable no matter who does it.
An alternative to Positivism is the Interpretative Approach. It is mostly used when talking about psychology, sociology and the like. That is to say things that aren't directly and obviously beholden to, or more accurately governed by chemistry, physics and their rules and interactions.
Here's where it gets muddy. Human consciousness is referred to as an emergent property. On their own, no one part of the body contains human consciousness, but taken all together suddenly it's there! It's like with chocolate. No single molecule amongst the hundreds in each bite of chocolate can be said to "taste like chocolate", but with all of them together, there you have it.
So, when you're trying to determine the physical laws and interactions that govern a reaction, you use the Positivist Approach. But when you're trying to study an emergent property like human consciousness and it's resulting cultures and societies, the emergent approach, the Interpretative Approach, only makes sense.
If I ever make any at all...
My first class today could largely be boiled down to "correlation is not causation". We saw how you can prove that bread is one of the greatest problems in the world, though frankly I'm rather disappointed that she didn't make any mention of how the decline of pirates has fuelled climate change.
We also looked at different scientific research methods etc, and while I'd covered all of this in various other spots throughout my education. Something popped out at me and gave me a new way of looking at research. As this wasn't really a lesson, it will be hard to phrase as one, but I'll give her a whirl.
Lesson 66: How something is studied is largely influenced by the nature of the thing itself.
Ok, now some clarity. The majority of scientific progress is done through Positivist research. To immensely simplify some complex ideas, Positivism is the basis of the theory, hypothesis, test, observe, conclude science most people know. Basically, the basic laws and theories that govern the natural world mean that you can predict an outcome and test it, and it will be repeatable no matter who does it.
An alternative to Positivism is the Interpretative Approach. It is mostly used when talking about psychology, sociology and the like. That is to say things that aren't directly and obviously beholden to, or more accurately governed by chemistry, physics and their rules and interactions.
Here's where it gets muddy. Human consciousness is referred to as an emergent property. On their own, no one part of the body contains human consciousness, but taken all together suddenly it's there! It's like with chocolate. No single molecule amongst the hundreds in each bite of chocolate can be said to "taste like chocolate", but with all of them together, there you have it.
So, when you're trying to determine the physical laws and interactions that govern a reaction, you use the Positivist Approach. But when you're trying to study an emergent property like human consciousness and it's resulting cultures and societies, the emergent approach, the Interpretative Approach, only makes sense.
If I ever make any at all...
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