Still Face Experiment: Dr. Edward Tronick

This video shows the effects of social referencing and how important it is for the baby's socio-emotional development. Getting feedback from the mother is crucial for the baby. The baby is very sensitive to a change in attitude of the mother even in those few minutes. This phenomena has major implications in cases of abuse and neglect, where children are deeply affected by the indifferent or negative attitudes and feelings of their mother, but also father.

Why is there humility in philosophy?

Question and Answers in Wikipedia; never thought I would actually use this as a source, but found the topic and answers interesting :) 

"

Here are six reasons why humility is built into philosophy.

1) We are first and foremost aware that our own arguments may ultimately rest upon certain unproven assumptions.

2) We must listen carefully and attentively to the other party's arguments in order to fully understand the position they are trying to defend.

3) We must acknowledge the weaknesses in our positions once they have been demonstrated and be willing to make concessions.

4) When rebutting our opponents, we must reconstruct their positions as accurately as possible and also be charitable as possible in our interpretations of their arguments.

5) We realize that Truth does not take sides. We stand for it even if it entails abandoning our own arguments.

6) Realizing that all of the above is also up for debate!

"

Sign a Rose Petal: Amnesty International Petition Against Genital Mutilation in Women

Please sign this petition!!!!!

God tells Napoleon...

In a psychiatrist's waiting room two patients are having a conversation. One says to the other, "Why are you here?"
The second answers, "I'm Napoleon, so the doctor told me to come here."
The first is curious and asks, "How do you know that you're Napoleon?"
The second responds, "God told me I was."
At this point, a patient on the other side of the room shouts, "NO I DIDN'T!"

A little...or big taste of Alice's house :)

Who Has the Biggest Brain?

Here is a cute and addictive game that challenges your logic, memory, visual and your mathematic abilities.

Of course, this is not scientific and the score you get is arbitrary. However, even though it is just for fun, some of the games are variants of some valid neuropsychological tests I've encountered.

List of biggest brains:

You can try to guess which brain is from what animal on this website: Neuroscience for Kids - Brain Comparisons

Brain and Body Sizes

Evolution & the Brain

List of biggest brains proportional to the body:

Sources:

http://www.playfish.com/?page=game_braingame

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/compare2.html

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/kinser/Size1.html

New technology in neurosurgery at the MNI

Last summer as I was working at the Montreal Neurological Institute in the Patients' Committee, I witnessed the introduction of a new piece of technology for neurosurgery. It involves the neurosurgery students into a simulated surgery of the brain where they can feel the brain with probes, see a 3D brain as they cut, poke the brain... There will be no more: "Resident: Hi, I will be operating on your brain! Patient: Have you done this before??? Resident: Not really, you're my first!!!!"
Over the summer, a patient's room of multiple beds in 4 North was transformed into a locked conference room, where they presented this new technology and where possibly the students will practice.

Is Anyone There?

A man phones a mental hospital and asks the receptionist if there is anybody in Room 27.

She goes and checks, and comes back to the phone, telling him that the room is empty.

“Good,” says the man. “That means I must have really escaped.”

Ch!ldhood

Why is psychoanalysis a lot quicker for a man then for a women?
Because when it’s time to go back to childhood, a man is already there.

CrAzY

A psychiatrist says to his secretary: "Just say we're very busy. Stop saying 'It's a madhouse!'"

Therap!st...

Doctor!!

Patient: Doctor, doctor, I can't concentrate, one minute I'm ok, and the next minute, I'm blank!

Doctor: And how long have you had this complaint?

Patient: What complaint?

Every Researcher's Wish

A Ph.D. student, a post-doc, and a professor are walking through a city park and they find and antique oil lamp. They rub it and a genie comes out in a puff of smoke.
The genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one."
"Me first! Me first!" says the Ph.D. student. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat with a gorgeous woman in a bikini." Poof! He's gone.
"Me next! Me next!" says the post-doc. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with a professional hula dancer on one side and a Mai Tai on the other." Poof! He's gone.
"You're next," the genie says to the professor. The professor says, "I want those guys back in the lab after lunch."

Ctrl-Alt-Delete!

Thirteen + one...

A guy is walking past a high, solid wooden fence at the insane asylum and he hears all the residents inside chanting, “Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen!"

He continues walking along the long fence, but, being a curious person, he can’t help but wonder why they are chanting “Thirteen!” over and over. Could it be that they are chugging beer? Are they perhaps taking turns beating one of the inmates? Maybe they are counting the number of patients that have leapt off of the roof thus far.

His curiosity peaks and he frantically searches for a hole in the fence so that he may see what is going on. Finally, he spots one a few feet ahead. The hole is low in the fence and he has to kneel down to peer inside.

He moves into position and peeks into the hole. As he looks in, someone inside pokes him in the eye! Then everyone inside the asylum starts chanting, “Fourteen! Fourteen! Fourteen!”

Psych!atr!st

"I see you were last employed by a psychiatrist," said the employer to the applicant. "Why did you leave?"

"Well," she replied, "I just couldn't win. If I was late to work, I was hostile. If I was early, I had an anxiety complex. If I was on time, I was compulsive."

L!ght BulB

Q: How many Psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Only one, but the light bulb has to want to change.

Ch!cKeN HaLluCiNaT!ons

Happiness is in Simplicity

I really like this talk by the the comedian Louis CK as it is sharply true!