Louis
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Just p/u End of Faith by Sam Harris and The Portable Atheist by Christopher Hutchens.
What are you reading now?
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dodie53
A. O. II
plague zone
AZZenny
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Mirroring People by Marco Iacoboni
Mirror Neurons are the most important neuroscientific discovery in decades -- some say 'ever.' These clusters of cells were once thought to somehow help plan movement. (when I was in Grad school, my neuropsych prof admitted 'we call it the premotor cortex because it's in front of the motor strip -- not because we know what it actually does.')
Well, 15 years ago, a group of crazy Italian neuroscientists stumbled into the realization that small groups of these cells only fire when an animal performs a complex action, like picking up a raisin and putting it in the mouth. Same motions but no raisin = no cell activity.
But wait -- they fire when they watch another monkey pick up a raisin and put it in his mouth.
And when a human experimenter picks up a raisin and puts it in his mouth.
And when they see a movie of a monkey or human doing the same action.
Other cells react when they see someone pick up a cup, still others when someone breaks open a peanut.
Whoa-ho! Those exact same cells also react when they HEAR the sound of someone opening a peanut out of sight!
The race was on -- Mirror neurons in humans respond instantly (under 100 millisecs) to facial expressions, to gestures and goal-directed sequences, and to the objects that fit with those actions. Thus the cells that fire when you pick up an apple and bite it, also fire when you watch someone do that, and fire when you see an apple (or peach or muffin or similar-sized edible), and when they hear the sound of an apple being bitten, and when you read about it and imagine it...
In humans, the cells can learn to code for symbols -- so if you are told that a red arrow indicates how much pain someone you can't see is experiencing, mirror neurons in another area of the brain associated with feeling your own pain and recognizing pain in others become more active as the arrow shows more pain. Single brain cells show abstract and conceptual thinking.
Mirror Neurons are the biological source for insight into other people's feelings and motivations (and thus for all of culture), for empathy, for learning social behaviors, abstract ideas and concepts, language, and probably charisma and brand loyalty!
The book is really fascinating and written in a fairly entertaining yet logical style, but I have to wonder if someone with no scientific or biology background would follow it comfortably. While supposedly aimed at a lay audience, it's probably better suited for people with some general familiarity with the life sciences.
Mirror Neurons are the most important neuroscientific discovery in decades -- some say 'ever.' These clusters of cells were once thought to somehow help plan movement. (when I was in Grad school, my neuropsych prof admitted 'we call it the premotor cortex because it's in front of the motor strip -- not because we know what it actually does.')
Well, 15 years ago, a group of crazy Italian neuroscientists stumbled into the realization that small groups of these cells only fire when an animal performs a complex action, like picking up a raisin and putting it in the mouth. Same motions but no raisin = no cell activity.
But wait -- they fire when they watch another monkey pick up a raisin and put it in his mouth.
And when a human experimenter picks up a raisin and puts it in his mouth.
And when they see a movie of a monkey or human doing the same action.
Other cells react when they see someone pick up a cup, still others when someone breaks open a peanut.
Whoa-ho! Those exact same cells also react when they HEAR the sound of someone opening a peanut out of sight!
The race was on -- Mirror neurons in humans respond instantly (under 100 millisecs) to facial expressions, to gestures and goal-directed sequences, and to the objects that fit with those actions. Thus the cells that fire when you pick up an apple and bite it, also fire when you watch someone do that, and fire when you see an apple (or peach or muffin or similar-sized edible), and when they hear the sound of an apple being bitten, and when you read about it and imagine it...
In humans, the cells can learn to code for symbols -- so if you are told that a red arrow indicates how much pain someone you can't see is experiencing, mirror neurons in another area of the brain associated with feeling your own pain and recognizing pain in others become more active as the arrow shows more pain. Single brain cells show abstract and conceptual thinking.
Mirror Neurons are the biological source for insight into other people's feelings and motivations (and thus for all of culture), for empathy, for learning social behaviors, abstract ideas and concepts, language, and probably charisma and brand loyalty!
The book is really fascinating and written in a fairly entertaining yet logical style, but I have to wonder if someone with no scientific or biology background would follow it comfortably. While supposedly aimed at a lay audience, it's probably better suited for people with some general familiarity with the life sciences.
The library has this on order. I put in my request for a copy as soon as it comes in. Sounds fascinating.
I just finished Timeline. I thought it was OK. I was really interested until about half thru, and then it started to drag for me. The discussion of quantum mechanics was fascinating, and I thought it was interesting how everything was so much different than they had imagined (in the 14 century). But I got a little bored with how long they were back there.
I also watched the movie, and I completely agree, it sucked.
Reading The Shack...
Yuma
Suns are my Kryptonite!
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Really good book. Explains not only Black Water and Iraq, but how the military contracting mess came to be, and how religion plays into all of it, too!
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I need another book. I finished both of Obama's books, and I have decided that reading is a good thing to do before bed.
Damn, I just realized I am old.
Damn, I just realized I am old.
Get Agent Zigzag. It is awesome!
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The wife has dibs.Send me your copy.
I'm going to check it out.
Why, because you read now? LOL.
Oooh....that sounds good. I just reserved myself a copy from the library.
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AZZenny
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Or very young. My grandkids read for 15-30 minutes in bed before lights out.
Ever since I could read I've read before bed.
Yuma
Suns are my Kryptonite!
It's great. Just when you think things can't get more bizarre in this story, another chapter starts! It's all fact, too! Just read a Mary J. Laterno reference. Her family is super right wing and uber Christian. Weird how she turned out to be a nut job. Just wait til you read about her father and brother and how they have shaped policy and thwarted authority! Fascinating stuff!
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I try to make my kids read when they get home from school, vs before bed. I should probably change that routine.
Ditto...I love reading before/in bed.
Louis
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Just p/u
1. I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell - Tucker Max
2. American Indian Mafia An FBI Agent's True Story About Wounded Knee, Leonard Peltier, and the American Indian Movement (AIM) - Joseph Trimbach
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins
Currently reading End of Faith which I bought a few weeks ago. An eye opening book written by Sam Harris.
1. I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell - Tucker Max
2. American Indian Mafia An FBI Agent's True Story About Wounded Knee, Leonard Peltier, and the American Indian Movement (AIM) - Joseph Trimbach
3. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins
Currently reading End of Faith which I bought a few weeks ago. An eye opening book written by Sam Harris.
AZZenny
Registered User
Just got The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Alexandra Fuller -- real-life story of a Wyoming boy who died working on the oil rigs there, as a way to explore how the oil industry and the American cowboy cultures are clashing. Heard her on radio and the excerpts were just beautifully written.
Also got used and just started In Hostile Territory: Business Secrets of a Mossad Combatant, Gerald Westerby. Often Mossad officers actually have to run businesses for years as their cover, so part of training (he says) for them is like a commando business school. In addition, every action is like a major business project. The first chapter, about defining a goal and not confusing the steps along the way as goals in themselves was really an eye-opener for me, and the story he used to illustrate it -- about inserting a Mossad team into Yemen to smuggle out captive Yemeni Jewish villagers -- was compelling and pretty amusing. I very rarely read 'self-help/inspirational/business' type books, so can't say how this measures up, but this looks pretty good so far.
Also got used and just started In Hostile Territory: Business Secrets of a Mossad Combatant, Gerald Westerby. Often Mossad officers actually have to run businesses for years as their cover, so part of training (he says) for them is like a commando business school. In addition, every action is like a major business project. The first chapter, about defining a goal and not confusing the steps along the way as goals in themselves was really an eye-opener for me, and the story he used to illustrate it -- about inserting a Mossad team into Yemen to smuggle out captive Yemeni Jewish villagers -- was compelling and pretty amusing. I very rarely read 'self-help/inspirational/business' type books, so can't say how this measures up, but this looks pretty good so far.
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