quote of the day, from louisiana governor kathleen blanco:

"I'm calling on all parents to diligently monitor the video games that their children are allowed to play. If the courts can not protect our children, then we need to do it by rejecting the merchant of violence," the statement said.

i'm so glad she's urging folks to fill in the parenting gaps left by the first amendment. a US district judge overturned a louisiana law banning violent video games, writing "depictions of violence are entitled to full constitutional protection."

so what about depictions of nudity?

also...

big pharma + government = medicare. from the AP: medicare ads paid by drug industry, though "the US chamber of commerce claims credit... although a spokesman refused repeatedly to say whether it had received any funds" etc. etc.

Labels: political

i've been meaning to post a little something on this report, which states that: the happier you are with your body, the better you eat. the more unhappy, the worse you eat. if this really is a causal relationship, which way does it run? you could be happy with your body because you eat better and are not fat, or you could feel happy, which induces healthier eating habits. researchers propose the latter, though i think it may be a positive feedback loop.

Labels: social

ja$on over at bureaucrash notes that the national counterterrorism center's kids site may have to tweak their definition of terrorism:

the use of force against people or property to create fear and to get publicity for political causes.

hm...

Labels: political

check out my post over at neuroeconomics, where i talk about a new study that illustrates that we're pretty good at coping from monetary losses (in meaningless games, at least), but not at predicting these wonderful skills. i'd like to see the results where effort - therefore ego - are involved, as well.

check out the links, too - esp. the self-affirmation one.

Labels: economics, neuroscience

read my most recent post over at neuroeconomics to learn why the hippocampus is the brain's learning system bully, and what drug to administer to more effectively brainwash someone.

Labels: economics, neuroscience

new research indicates that as we age, we get cranky - but only if we're smart. researchers are quoted at yahoo! news:

'It appears that at younger ages, openness to experience is the most important personality factor correlating with the attainment of facts, vocabulary, and book learning,' said study co-author Jacqueline Bichsel, an associate professor of psychology at Morgan State University, in Baltimore.

'But when we get older -- and this hasn't been found before -- it appears that openness to experience is no longer as important, and what is important is a disagreeable nature,' she added."

this may be the best news i've heard all year, as it's a great excuse to be surly to my future grandchildren. "it's not my fault! it's my IQ!"

Labels: misc. psych

a cool post over at the frontal Cortex attempts an answer to this question:

So why is the post 9/11 era more frightening than the post 1945 era? After all, the world actually almost ended during the Cuban Missile Crisis. While exploding airplanes and dirty subway bombs are destructive and tragic, they aren't Armageddon. We were closer to the Rapture in 1962 than we are in 2006.

the answer proposed? terrorists are more unpredictable, and so activate the amygdala. the soviets were part of an institution engaged in stable relations whose actions, though dangerous, were typically conducted via established memes and diplomatic veins, therefore partially predictable.

interesting theory!

for more on psychology and attitude towards terrorism, see cass sunsein's post on mortality salience and support for the war/bush.

Labels: neuroscience, political

well, as everyone can tell the trip is over and we're still alive. despite a few incidents, such as the near-fistfight with a french TV journalist in cyprus, the i think it went very well. you can check out some photos here. they look much better if you open up the fullscreen view (top right button).

Labels: personal

from the NY times:

the length of a single night's sleep has decreased over the years (upward of 30 percent of adults average six or fewer hours), but the quality of our sleep has improved significantly.

Despite nostalgic notions about sleep in past centuries, threats to peaceful slumber lurked everywhere, from lice and noxious chamber pots to tempestuous weather.

Worst in this pre-penicillin age was sickness, especially such respiratory tract illnesses as influenza, pulmonary tuberculosis and asthma, all aggravated by bedding rife with mites. One 18th-century diarist recounts that asthma forced her husband to sleep in a chair for months, with "watchers" required to hold his head upright. Among the laboring poor, whose living conditions were horrendous, sleep deprivation was probably chronic, prompting many to nap at midday, much to the annoyance of their masters.

via neuroethics & law.

Labels: social

"area man calls for immediate release of his endorphins"

Labels: political, well being

in part, that is.

first, a definition:

hedonic leveling: the increase in happiness produced when an item is acquired diminishes soon afterward. levels returns to default-state.
lay term: taking for granted

my trip to europe reminded me of one great example of how crap this theory is: my ipod. i cannot express the enjoyment i get from my ipod, even three years after its purchase. granted, it may not be as much as during its first week of use, but it hasn't decreased significantly in the past three years.

yet it is undeniable that we become accustomed to some things. so perhaps the question really is: what characteristics distinguish items resistant to hedonic leveling? mutability and sporadic use may be two factors. i can continually add new songs, books, playlists. new features are created continually; now i can even add a feature to monitor my steps and calorie consumption. items used infrequently may also avoid leveling as one does not readily adjust to them.

and of course, i cannot end a post on hedonic leveling without saying that although certain items may experience this phenomenon, they are still creating a marked increase in our well-being. an excellent example is marriage, which has received much press re: leveling. healthcare and mass transit are other good examples. one must remember that happiness is perhaps one of the least important factors for well-being.

Labels: well being

how often does your significant other write you love songs? a new study from psychological science suggests that love odes may be a cause, not symptom, of successful relationships.

the study divided couples into two groups: one journaled about mundane daily events, and the other about deep emotions regarding their relationships. the study found that those who spilled their emotional guts onto the page were significantly more likely to be together three months later.

an analysis of couples' instant message conversation indicates that an increase in positive emotional language may be a source of this prolongation.

this gives great hope to those among us who are not expressively inclined; as groups were assigned randomly, ability to express thoughts was not a factor. although, then again, we've also heard that keeping a journal is not the best way towards mental health (though their results may be different if journaling only on emotional subjects).

Labels: misc. psych

so everyone's in a tizzy about the first-ever "happiness map":

physorg reports and lists the top three as denmark, switzerland, and austria. many of the results are unsurprising if you follow the happiness pop literature. USA is 23rd.

it may be interesting to compare this to the economic freedom map:

(blue=most free)

i see some correlations (though it's been said before and better).

but i'm confused. does anyone know how this world happiness stuff matters at all if one's default-state affect is largely genetic? psychologists need to make up their minds.

check out some other maps, too.

Labels: neuroscience, well being

more than a year after my post on mexoryl, the best UVA filter available, and how to obtain it from canada or europe, the FDA has given it their all-powerful stamp of approval. rather, approval to advertise - but only SPF 15.

although it's good news, i'm still glad i stocked up in toronto a couple weeks ago; SPF 15, i'm afraid, just won't do it for my irish self.

Labels: drugs, economics, political