Blogs

Conscious Children: A Brief Look at Hydranencephaly

Web Paper #2

Interesting discussion in the emergence group this past week, based on a presentation/paper by Mikio Agaki to be continued next week.  Here's my my read of what Mikio is about, why it matters to all of us, where I am currently worried he may get into trouble, and what the implications are for the future.

      There are millions of children all around the world who are affected by dyslexia. Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability where people who are affected by this disorder often have trouble with spelling, reading, word pronunciation, writing, and may have complications with math. Since the brain is the control center for the nervous system, it is responsible for our behavior. The brain receives input from all of our senses, and allows us to decipher what it taking place around us. What happens with dyslexia is that it takes the messages the brain receives from what one hears and sees and mixes the signals or information around, which in turn causes confusion.

Molly Pieri
April 6, 2008
Mind-Body Dualism/Unity in Medicine

Laughter can only make people a little more thoughtful –Stanley Kubrick

I would think that people are much more likely to think if they don't find a joke funny, because then they discover that there is something about their basic assumptions and values which are at odd's with the jokes, and therefore they may ponder what their opinion on the subject is. 

            A hobby that is as dangerous as it is exhilarating is that of mountain climbing.

Given that I am entering the culmination of my Bryn Mawr education as a second semester senior, complete with the juggling of thesis and classwork which such an academic role entails, it should come as no surprise that my thoughts are never far from the end of times. Indulging in my fatalism is rapidly becoming my favorite form of procrastination, and whenever I have successfully dodged a volley of questions about my uncertain, post-graduation, future, I find myself visiting my favorite apocalyptic website, Exit Mundi, to give me hope that maybe the world will end tomorrow and I won’t have to worry about assignments, job searches or graduate school. “Giggle!” is by far my favorite end scenario: a world run by women due largely to the fragile nature of that which makes the stronger sex -- the Y-chromosome. Exit Mundi explains that the X-chromosome “hates” the Y and has consequently unleashed an uncompromising attack upon him, reducing him to a mere nubbin of genetic material.(6) But how can coils of genes resent, much less damage, each other? What is going on here? Is the Y-chromosome really under attack, and will this battle result in the eradication of the human male?

Runner’s High, Endorphins and Doubts