Weekday Update

Byzantium Graphic Organizer

Laura Astorian — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:00:48 +0000

Those of you who didn’t grab one during class or were having problems reading it, here’s the graphic organizer from today. It’ll help you out a ton in class.

*hint hint*

Alexander the Great Webquest

Laura Astorian — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:54:44 +0000

Here’s your Alexander the Great webquest. Apologies on taking so long to get the link up – I couldn’t find it at home. Thank goodness for Google History.

When it says “Start at the Alexander the Great website,” please click the link above it titled “Alexander in Persia.” Also, remember DO NOT e-mail it to me. E-mail it to yourself, print it, and turn it in with the other work due on the day of the test.

Personality Tests

Laura Astorian — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:30 +0000

To fulfill popular demand, here’s the Meyers Briggs Personality Inventory – this is one of the better personality websites out there. If you want to take about a billion personality inventories to find out what the internet thinks you are, this site has a ton of them, complete with Facebook links. Woo!

A Careful Examination Of Gage And Plasticity

Laura Astorian — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:16 +0000

Here’s the article that I was talking about in regards to if Gage’s personality ever adjusted itself to his injuries. From the site:

The documentary evidence

Kotowicz begs to differ:

However, after examining closely the accounts of Phineas Gage as given by the doctors who knew him, Harlow and Bigelow, one must conclude that the supposed psychopathic traits are not evident.

The drastic discntinuity was not so much between Phineas Gage pre- and post-tamping rod but between Phineas Gage (1823-1860) and the lecture room legend.

What we can learn from contemporary accounts of Gage’s post-trauma life is this: For a while after the accident, he drifted, and even ended up briefly in P. T. Barnum’s freak show, exhibiting himself and the tamping rod. But he then settled down and worked a year and a half in a stable. Later, he went with a friend to Valparaiso in Chile where he cared for horses and drove a coach and six for eight years.

Kotowicz points out the obvious,

Working in stables is not a job for a psychopath. Horses are very sensitive and they require discipline and calm; they have to be attended to regularly, seven days a week, and work begins early.

Derek Boogaard: An Example Of The Dangers Of Brain Trauma

Laura Astorian — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:43:12 +0000

Derek Boogaard was an enforcer for the Minnesota Wild and the New York Rangers of the NHL. During his career, spanning from junior hockey in Canada through his last concussion in 2010 after a fight with Matt Carkner of the Ottawa Senators, Boogaard was involved in 184 fights. The number of actual concussions that he sustained is uncountable, though the physical damage and the mental damage is glaringly obvious.

He suffered from an addiction to prescription painkillers as well as alcoholism in an attempt to get the pain of his concussion to go away. Unfortunately, a combination of the two lead to his death on May 13, 2011. His parents asked that his brain be donated to the Boston University School of Medicine for further research in helping people understand the personality changes that are part and parcel with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This degeneration of the brain is caused by repeated trauma and concussions. Several notable athletes’ families have donated their loved ones’ brains to this center for further study.

Football players and hockey enforcers are at the greatest risk of developing this – Derek Boogaard’s family was told that if he had lived to the age of 40, he could very well have suffered from dementia. For Boogaard’s story, and some outstanding video interviews with the scientists who worked to discover the problem (as well as with his family and fellow NHL players), The New York Times has an outstanding three-part series on the Boogeyman.

Diagrams For The Brain And Nerve Quiz

Laura Astorian — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:31:33 +0000

Apologies in this taking so long – WordPress for whatever reason wasn’t working at work.

These’ll be back up after the quiz is compete.

Sita Sings the Blues Extra Credit

Laura Astorian — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:00:52 +0000

This movie is the long-form of the clip that we watched in class today. It’s the Ramayana in modern form, interspersed with the animator’s personal story. Your extra credit is to watch it (full video can be found here) and, in the comments of this post, reflect on Rama’s treatment of Sita – was it warranted? Was it something that you can understand? Should he have let things slide after the first trial by fire? What does the ending of the myth say to you?

Also, reflect on the use of the jazz music in the movie – does it add to the story and do those animated sequences make the film more or less engaging to you?

The Amazing Randi!

Laura Astorian — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:00:27 +0000

He was referenced in your book and by Zimbardo as well for his constant refuting of psychics, and his challenge of a million dollars if you could prove him wrong.

Personal Artifact Paper Guidelines

Laura Astorian — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 05:00:13 +0000

This is due on Monday, August 22nd. Please write a two page, double spaced paper on a personal artifact of your choosing – it can be a family heirloom or just something that means something to you. One page should be on the historical background of the artifact – where did it come from, what time period it’s from, and if anything was happening in the world that pertains to your item. The second page should be about its personal significance to you or your family.

Remember, if it’s valuable, don’t bring it in – just bring a picture. If you’d like to bring it that’d be swell, but either one is acceptable.