Joshua Herzig-Marx » science

Crows Have Human-Like Intelligence

herzigma — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 17:34:32 +0000

Ravens are the only (non-human) animal to purposely taunt me, confuse me, and then laugh at me. Spending a summer on top of Mount Mansfield in Vermont put me in close contact with a flock and my experiences validated what I read in University of Vermont zoologist Bernd Heinrich’s book Mind of the Raven. Now Candace Savage has documented similar behavior in Ravens’ corvid cousins the crow. Check out Crows Have Human-Like Intelligence, Author Says from National Geographic News. (via Sploid)

MIT Physics Lecture Videos

herzigma — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 03:10:32 +0000

I studied physics from Richard Wolfson, and thought it was pretty cool that you could buy his lectures. Now you watch legendary Professor Walter Lewin from MIT – and it’s free!

Phischkneght Extended: Wikipedia Doesn’t Know What A Roof Is (via MAKE)

Thinking only makes it worse

herzigma — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 18:26:17 +0000

Hah! First I convince my wife that “talking about it only makes it worse” (though she forced me to amend my generalization to “goal-less talking about it”) but now some scientists, somewhere are saying that thinking about things yields worse decisions. The money line:

[F]or complex choices, once you have done a certain amount of thinking to gather relevant information, further thinking is counterproductive.

I love it! Read the rest of this popularization of complex and subtle psychological research at the Boston Globe online: Thought for thinkers – The Boston Globe

Hey sis – think you could dig up the full study for me?

The ADD finally pays off?

herzigma — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 02:48:52 +0000

Popular blog Adult ADD Strengths published an interesting article identifying the Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career. Now, I have a high tech career, and I was diagnosed with ADD, so I was especially happy that Digg picked it up. Perhaps some future employer is reading and will be ready to help me excel, and not just overcome my weaknesses.

I wasn’t diagnosed until senior year in high school. Until then (well, even afterward) my report cards always read the same: “Joshua is extremely bright, but until he buckles down he won’t reach his full potential.” But then my mom read Hallowell‘s book Driven to Distraction and passed it along to me. It was the beginning of a revelation. I had ADD, and it meant I learned and worked differently, and the methods and techniques that motivated and encouraged others might not be as effective for me. It wasn’t until college and the chance addition of Thomas Hartmann‘s ADD: A Different Perception to a Psychology term paper bibliography that I really began to see ADD as anything other than an obstacle.

Articles like Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career and Mediocrity by “areas of improvement” are good reminders of the many forms that excellence can take. They also remind me that ultimately it’s my responsibility to ensure that my job choices and career choices match my strengths and my interests.

So what are my strengths?

Will children save money by eating healthy?

herzigma — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 01:44:29 +0000

Cognitive Daily

A few days ago, the wonderful Congnitive Daily blog (part of Science Blogs Amalgamated Industries), discussed a recent study published in Psychological Science examining the purchasing behavior of children confronted with a cheap healthy food, expensive junk food, and a budget.

Two conclusions stood out for me in the study. First, it underscored the importance of the National School Lunch Program which subsidizes healthier foods for children most at risk for hunger and malnutrition. Second, it underscores the value of a budget in helping children make price sensitive decisions.

Back when I was a kid (1994), two PB&J sandwiches, fries, carrots, a piece of fruit, and chocolate milk was only $2.00.

Germs rule the world

herzigma — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 02:22:13 +0000

The Return of the Puppet Masters. The Loom: A blog about life, past and future

It’s like something out of science fiction – cat parasite Toxoplasma changes behavior, controls the minds of cats and people too! Are there more?

(via BoingBoing)