coquina

When I was in school, I scored really high on those spatial reasoning tests. (I should have, I'd been reading drawings since I was 10). This was before women's lib. The evaluater told me, "If you were a man, we'd recommend you pursue engineering, but since you are not, there is really no category best suited to your talents."

My NIDA grant calls for killing approximately 225 rats during the course of my studies.

I have a friend who sac'ed rats for years. She lost her grant and I hired her part time to work in my office. My machinist guys thought they'd initiate her by putting a rat trap with a fake dead rat in the lunch room. It was wireless and they could make it twitch when someone approached.

They thought she'd run screaming from the room. Instead, she stuck her head out the door and told them the first rule of saccing rats was to be sure you killed them cleanly. She then went on to fix her coffee and didn't bat an eye. She was one of 'em from that day forward.

From your original link:

We do know that most sex offenders are known to their victim and to the victim's family. Most sex offenders are more alike than different from the general population. We know that most sex offenders are not the "dirty old man in the bushes" who jumps out and grabs kids. Most sex offender's work hard to have private access to children and then spend time gaining the trust of the child and the child's caregivers. Sex offenders are represented in every socioeconomic, ethnic, religious and racial group. Sex offenders may be older children or adults who meet their emotional and sexual and power needs at the expense of children.

The part I put in bold rules out insanity as defined by statute. They know what they are doing is wrong, and they plot to do it.

Perhaps you would categorize a pedophile as a type of sociopath. As I recall, serial killers often fit in the communtiy quite well also. What do you think of the definition, "Pedophiles are sociopaths who prey on children."?

When I was in high school, I tested at 128. I took one on line a few months ago and got 131. I found it interesting that from 1966 to 2004 the range was only 3 points different.

aneurysm?

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=6115

Berry aneurysm: A berry aneurysm is a small outpouching (an aneurysm) that looks like a berry and classically occurs at the point at which a cerebral artery departs from the circular artery (the circle of Willis) at the base of the brain. Berry aneurysms are prone to rupture and bleed. Also called a brain aneurysm.

 

An aneurysm is, by definition, a localized widening (dilatation) of an artery, vein, or the heart. At the area of an aneurysm, the wall is weakened, bulges and is at risk to rupture.

 

The word "aneurysm" comes from the Greek "aneurysma" meaning "a widening."

 

Thank heavens, it appears she dodged that bullet.

She had a message from her doc saying that he wants her to see a specialist but the problem appears to be benign. Now - we just have to wait and see what the specialist says.

For all the good wishes. She called a little while ago. They did a 2nd MRI after looking at the results of the first. They suspect an aneurysm - told her to go home and be quiet, and they would call her with results within 48 hours.

waiting is rough

 

is your business in order so you can fly out if you want

 

sounds like operating for a brain tumor is a definite possibility

(which doesnt have to be so bad' date=' assuming they caught it early)

 

keep on truckin' lady[/quote']

 

If I have to go, I'll drive. It's between a 3-1/2 to 5 hour drive, depending on when you hit the "mixing bowl" and how bad the traffic around DC is.

 

Thanks, Martin.

She's 37 and lives near Washington. I talk to her on the phone fairly frequently, but don't see her often.

She called me this morning and the conversation started out, "I don't know how to tell you this."

She said she had been having headaches, and they have been getting worse. Yesterday she had vision problems and went to the doctor. He ordered a CT scan of her head. Her doctor called this morning and said there is "an irregularity" in the scan. She is going to have an MRI tomorrow with contrast.

She is scared witless. I am very worried. I'm not really asking a question here - I know I'll just have to sit tight until I hear the results. I don't like this waiting business.

I find it interesting how much my beliefs and world view have changed since I started this forum. Reading through some of my older posts is like reading a completely different person. I guess it's just easy to see the change because everything is documented. For most people' date=' they don't realize how much they've changed. It was only after reading some old school posts that I realized how different I am.

 

Anyone else have similar experiences here or elsewhere?[/quote']

 

I'm going to broaden this a little to include the internet as a whole. Back in 1996, my husband decided we should be online. I thought it was silly. The first day I had access, there was a new website highlighted called the "Why?Files", that had been built by the University of Wisconsin at Madison as a research project to explore how people learn about science. It had a science discussion forum associated with it and from day one, I was hooked.

 

My friends could not believe I had become an "internet junkie". At that point, I hadn't talked "scientific" to anyone in years. My friends didn't even know I had once been a biology major. We were into boating, and anything seriously scientific made their eyes glaze over.

 

It was from a geologist on the Why?files that I became interested in geology. The Chesapeake Bay crater had recently been discovered and he gave me a link to it. I've been learning about geology ever since, and still have so much to learn.

 

I learned to love science again at the Why?files. I made true friends there. Unfortunately, after a couple of year's the research project was over and the forum portion of it closed down. This is the first site I have found that equals it - a place where you can ask questions and have them answered, as well as help people who ask questions to which you know the answer.

 

If you had known me in 1995, you would have known a person who could only discuss the advantages of various types of bottom paint, and how to repair rotten spots in a wooden hull. I cannot believe how much broader my life has become. When the Why?files discussion forum shut down, I had serious withdrawels. It took me forever to find a similar site.

 

FYI - The "Science Behind The News" part of the Why?files is still here:

http://whyfiles.org/

What about in vitro fertilization instead, using a close species as the surrogate mother. I think there is one type of zebra that is very close to extinction. Why not harvest eggs and sperm and impregnate the common zebra with the embryo.

However - this would probably only work in cases where there is another close species.

He and I are the only family. No aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

I think you mentioned that your mom and dad separated when you were very young. That, together with having no other female relatives to whom you can turn, may be intensifying your feelings.

I am an only child. My mother and dad didn't get along, but they stayed together "for my sake" (they never let me forget it, either). They were in their 40's when I was born, my mother was from England, and had a somewhat Victorian mentality (considering she was born in 1907). She was not outwardly affectionate. I didn't have aunts, uncles, or cousins around either.

I remember being very sad when I was your age and saw other families going on outings together. I remember some of the neighbor families used to include me in some of their activities, their parents were on average 20 years younger than my folks, and would participate in softball games or go rollerskating with their kids. It really, really hurt me that I did not have a family like theirs.

Therefore, when I read about your situation, I feel as though I can empathize with you. However, since I became a widow, I have learned not to say, "I know just how you feel." - because I can not. I suspect, however, that I know better how you feel than some people do.

Your councilor will be able to help you far more than I, but perhaps it would be good to ask yourself if this empathy you feel towards others is a little because you don't want to "feel sorry for yourself." All you hear people say are trite things like, "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade", but they haven't a clue.

Sorry if I have gotten too personal. If you want to talk more about this, PM me.

I think "pride" is a horrible way of describing face. A better description would be "self-respect" or "family-respect".

 

Its also defined as "status in the eyes of others; "he lost face"

 

Its a form of social respect.

 

Pride is used in the ways your are describing' date=' but I see it a bit more differently...as "An excessively high opinion of oneself; conceit"[/quote']

 

I was quoting from a source that I thought understood the eastern mentality better than I do. Your definition of pride is one, but IMHO, not the only one.

 

Flareon: Thanks for the feedback.

So let me get this staright...

 

Your asserting that pride has evolved so that we reinforce others' date=' specifically our kids?

 

However, it is possible to reward a child without feeling pride. When I reward my niece and nephew for good behavior, I do not do it out of pride, but out of knowing its behavior she must master for success. Some cultures do take this "parental pride" perspective. I think this may be something born out of the competitive individuality of Western cultures.[/quote']

 

As I understand it, the Eastern cultures are even more prideful, if, that is, you would define the term "saving face" as salvaging one's - or one's family, pride.

 

Here's a link that describes "face" as a type of pride:

http://www.jobmonkey.com/teaching/asia/html/customs_in_china.html

As in most Asian countries, face is a very important and complex feature of daily life. We may call it "pride" in the West, but we don't have as developed a sense of the absolute necessity of "saving face" as in the East. In China, you will encounter this idea of "saving face" as well as having to "give face," on multiple levels. Maybe in the classroom the student in the back row who knows the answer to your question won't answer because she doesn't want her classmates to feel stupid. Maybe when you asked that old man how to get to the museum he just pointed to the left because he was too embarrassed to admit that he had no idea where it really was. Maybe the official at the Public Security Bureau won't extend your visa because you lost your temper in front of him and his colleagues, and if he granted your request now it would look as if he'd given in to your threats. Be aware of face and its importance to the Chinese. In general, as a foreigner to whom face means comparatively little, you can afford to lose face more than the Chinese, so you can use this to your advantage. Try to give face as often as possible—it will be appreciated.

I caught a snippet of the animal planet program the OP referred to, somewhere in the middle. Since I didn't see the beginning, I can't say how it was prefaced, but the part that I did see showed the "dragon" flying over a ravine. The voice-over said something to the effect that the dragon evolved its wings so it could fly over the extreme terraine. It had flown across the ravine into a bamboo thicket and was hiding there. A tiger approached. The voice over said, "she knows the cat is curious because it is a feline, so she rustles the bushes" - with that, the tiger dissappeared into it, and the next thing you saw was the dragon dragging the tiger away by the tail.

I certainly hope they made a statement at the beginning about how this was all phantasy and conjecture, but anyone who turned the program on in the middle and didn't know better (especially young people), might have taken it for fact.

Now I understand more clearly why the OP posed the question as s/he did.

I appologise for bringing this question to this site, but I felt for sure that a science forum would have perhaps a scientific reason for this rather than assume a medical one.

Since not everyone has the condition it is more likely linked to a medical condition. Have you had LASIK surgery? This article says that people often "see stars" afterwards:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/01/020115074604.htm

It also says it may have to do with the initial shape of your cornea. People with more flattened corneas are more likely to see them.

Other explanations for "seeing stars" from UCSD:

http://physicalsciences.ucsd.edu/news_events/QA/qa_072104.htm

We've already covered the first 2 instances. Read the last one I've put in bold.

QUESTION: I've always wanted to know what exactly is causing the sensation of seeing stars. Today I had finished swimming laps and was lying in the sun. As I opened my eyes, about to get up, I saw the intermittent small white dots buzzing around for about 30 seconds. My best guess is that it has something to do with oxygen. Can you shed some light on this for me?

 

– Mike Dolan

 

ANSWER: There are at least three possible reasons for seeing stars. Sylvester the cat saw stars when Granny walloped him over the head for trying to eat Tweety Bird. A blow to the head can cause the vitreous fluid that fills the back two-thirds of the eyeball to rub against the retina. In fact, as we age, the vitreous fluid becomes thicker and can push or pull on the retina even with more modest movements of the head.

 

"The retina does not feel pain – it only responds by sending some form of light signal," says Dr. David Granet, professor of ophthalmology at UCSD. "So certain types of exertion stimulate the retina and cause the "stars."

 

"Of course a shower of stars, flashing light or a curtain on vision are all potential warning signs of retinal detachment and should be of concern."

 

Injury to the retina should be treated immediately to minimize further tearing and bleeding into the eye. If the damage is not too extensive, retinas can be repaired with a laser on an outpatient basis.

 

Another reason for seeing stars is small clumps of gel that form in the vitreous fluid. These "floaters" cast a shadow on the retina when they pass in

front of it, and are most obvious when you are looking at a plain background.

 

The third reason for seeing stars has to do with levels of oxygen and/or nutrients reaching the brain. According to Dr. Joseph Scherger, family medicine physician at UCSD Healthcare, "The brain, including vision, runs on glucose, oxygen, a balance of electrolytes and ample circulation/blood pressure. One might have visual changes, like 'stars,' if any of these are low."

PS: You shouldn't take answers here "for gospel" - some people here are scientists, some are students, and some, like me, are just interested in science but at fair at researching a question to find an answer I don't know.

I think you should see an opthomologist or neurologist. It may be nothing - there's a chance something is seriously wrong.

Thanks for the advice and trying to help, but I see doctors as cold people who are giving advice to someone without ever experiencing it themselves.

As I said in my previous remarks, Doctors must learn how to disassociate themselves from their patients. If they couldn't, they wouldn't be able to give effective medical advice.

Another group of people who must do this are hospice nurses. I know a person who is in charge of one of these facilities. She is around dying people all of the time. When I first met her, I was very surprised at her profession, because she acted like a clown. However, when my dad was very ill, I asked her for advice and she was so very helpful, kind and caring.

She and I talked about how she is able to do what she does, and she says she has learned to "let it go" when she leaves the situation. Until she did that, she never got any sleep, worrying about whether one of her patients was uncomfortable while she was not there.

Certainly, some doctors come off as cold and uncaring. You will have to find someone whose personality meshes with yours. Maybe your school guidance councilor could recommend someone.

can some one please explain to me how we are or arent smarter than 2000 years ago. just say if 2 IQ tests could be created that were equal but suited to a man from the past and a man from now's context, would they score the same or different.

I can't explain, but it is my opinion that people 2,000 years ago were as smart as we are now. When I look at the artwork and the buildings and what they were able to achieve without the benefit of electricity or computers, I find it amazing.

I think the difference between now and then is that we slowly, over the years learned to archive knowledge and build on what others have learned before.

I believe in many different cryptozoological creatures' date=' such as bigfoot. Some creatures' evolutionary history seems strange. For example, the Animal Planet did a show on the existence of dragons. I never actually watched it, but my friend and I were discussing it. During this discussion one of us asked how they would get they're wings.

 

In animals such as birds, the wings come from arms, but with creatures like this already have four legs. We could't name a single vertibate that has six legs. Where would wings come from on creatures like this?[/quote']

 

Why would you "believe in" (perhaps 'accept the possibility of the existance of' is a better term) such creatures?

 

As for the dragon - it is based or Chinese and Oriental mythology. There is some information here:

http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/goldendawn/102/Dragons/chinese.html

 

It doesn't appear that people believed the dragon was a flesh and blood entity.

 

As far as other cultures believing that they actually existed, maybe the incomplete fossils of two extinct animals were found that people took as one complete one (that is pure speculation on my part).

Sounds like you're seeing "stars" - sometimes the result of a bang on the head - I've heard they can also be the result of high blood pressure. Had yours checked lately?

I hope you don't dump it. I am more interested in the other fields of science rather than math. I don't know of any other science forums on the net that are as good as this one.

Coral wrote:

Also, there is no reason to assume that visiting a psychologist will result in medication. I expect most people would respect your right to refuse medication.

It is my understanding that psychologists are not able to prescribe medications, only psychiatrists can - is that not true?

When you see bad events over and over in your head, they are called "flashbacks". I had visions of finding my husband dead for months afterwards. Just before my mother died, she had a major stomach bleed - she vomited blood and it even came out of her eyes. I still have flashbacks of that, sometimes I dream about it and it wakes me up.

Here's what I really worry about for you - if seeing or hearing about bad things brings on such feelings I really worry about what will happen when something bad happens to someone close to you.

Doctors and nurses have to learn to desensitize themselves, so that they can focus and take care of their patients.

Is there a doctor who attends your church that you might be able to talk to on a personal basis? Another good source would be a paramedic. You might be able to go to your local fire department and ask them how they handle their emotions when they have to treat someone who has been horribly injured in an accident. They might know about a book that would help.

Happy Easter, Bettina.

The Gulf War made CNN.

The military watched it for intel.

Sorry coquina - didn't spot these questions earlier:

 

I think it is a good basic description of the structural character of ophiolites as they form (and one that conveys a mental picture very effectively). I confess more of an interest in their mineralogical and geochemical nature' date=' so for me it is incomplete.

I'm not familiar with McPhee's work. I shall keep my eyes open for them as I rummage through second hand book stores. (Being Scottish I am genetically unable to buy new books unless they are heavily discounted.)

 

[/quote']

 

Tried to PM you - your message box is full. There's a copy of "Annals" up for auction at EBayUK - current bid is 3.74 pounds.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=29223&item=6952461444&rd=1&ssPageName=WD2V

 

(Cover price is $35 US)