Science fiction has long played with the idea of projecting unified personalities/minds/"souls" into different bodies. The premise is baked into the plots of stories like Avatar and Caprica. But how would it work in the real world?
That's what the science of "embodied cognition" is all about. The basic idea in this new(ish) research area (which overlaps with cognitive psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, robotics, and others) is this: Your mind is defined by your physical form. Not just in terms of "the mind is what the brain does"-we all are pretty down with that already. This takes it further to encompass the whole enchilada: your mind-your "I"-is a function of a cephalized, bipedal, plantigrade, bilaterally symmetrical body between 1.5 and 2 meters tall with two arms terminating in five-fingered hands with opposable thumbs, two lungs, a warm-blooded vascular system, mostly hairless skin, two front-focused eyes, etc. etc. Change any aspects of that physical configuration-in subtle or radical ways-and the mind will inevitably change too.
That might sound a bit "no shit, Sherlock" at first blush, but it's actually got profound implications about what it means to be recognizably human "on the inside." In fact, that very phrase might not even make sense. After all, there's no "little you" inside your body "looking out", Terminator-style. Your perceptions, actions and thoughts all feel direct, integrated, and grounded. You don't "drive" your body, you ARE it. So why do we still assume that we might take that "little man" out and plop him into a different body to "look out of", without any consequences?
Take Avatar. James Cameron stacked the deck by making the Na'Vi basically humanoid with a few cosmetic changes thrown in. Then again, the Na'Vi are twice as tall as humans, have longer arms, fewer fingers, have bigger, wider-set eyes, and ears that can move independently. Not to mention their prehensile plug-in-brain-tails, which add a major perceptual (and explicitly cognitive, given how the Na'Vi "jack in" to the mass Eywa consciousness) modality that has absolutely no analogue in the human body. What would all of that feel like? What would that think like? (Not human, that's for sure.) The point is that through the lens of embodied cognition, those questions are just two sides to the same coin.
Of course, Avatar doesn't go into any of that interesting territory; it sticks with the "Jake Sully can effortlessly interchange between bodies on the fly" approach. Granted, there is one minor scene showing Jake clumsily acclimating to his Na'Vi body-which makes sense, given that all his proprioperceptive expectations and instincts no longer apply. But it's more likely that the disorientation would be much more profound, and he probably would have needed some serious physical therapy before bounding off into the forest in his hospital gown. His mind, his literal sense of self, would need time to retune and retrofit itself to his new body. And the same thing would happen every time he jacked out of his Avatar body back into his human one. What kind of unpredictable effects would that stress have on his mind, his "I"?
This is part 2 of the video coverage of Dr. Pachauri speaking on a lunch panel at GGCS2 the Governors' Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles last October. Here Dr. Pachauri gives a nod to Ghandi and says each of us must do as Ghandi said and "Be the change we want to see in the world."This is part 2 of the video coverage of Dr. Pachauri speaking on a lunch panel at... more
"December 16, 2009, 3:57AM
New York City's official condom is getting a makeover and City Hall is trying to make it exciting with a contest to design the new wrapper.
condom-new-york.JPGNew York City's next official condom could be wearing a new design -- by you.
The "NYC Condom" is given out free by the millions each year.
"We want to keep people excited about the brand, because we know that condoms protect health," Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said in a statement. "This is every New Yorker's chance to help convey that message."
Officials are looking for a wrapper design that will "capture the city's distinctive culture while promoting safer sex," the health department said. The artwork must be original and cannot use copyrighted, trademarked or sexually explicit images.
The special limited edition design will appear on hundreds of thousands of condom wrappers and could also be featured in safe sex promotional material, the city said.
The city's condom is a lubricated Lifestyles brand. Its once-plain wrapper was redesigned with a subway motif in 2007, and got another design makeover in 2008 to keep things interesting.
Also that year, the city launched a provocative ad campaign on television, radio and subways and buses, encouraging New Yorkers to "Get some." On Valentine's Day, street teams handed out free condoms at busy hubs around the city, including Times Square and Wall Street.
The city provides condoms to most any establishment that wants to give them out. The health department says about 2,000 establishments such as restaurants, bars, salons and nonprofit groups have them on hand.
Health officials say the free condom initiative is part of the city's effort to reduce rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies. More than 100,000 New Yorkers are living with HIV, but thousands don't know they're infected, according to the city.
New York City has the highest rate of AIDS cases in the nation.
The city's attempts to increase condom use have drawn criticism in the past from religious leaders. In 2007, New York's top Catholic leaders said Bloomberg's administration was "blanketing our neighborhoods with condoms" and promoting promiscuity.
Any New Yorker at least 17 years old can submit an entry for the design contest between now and Jan. 22, and those younger than 17 can enter with written permission from a parent or guardian. The health department will unveil finalists in February and the public will choose a winner by online vote."
______________
Well, New York Currenters, you have your work cut out for you! I think this is really cool! I wish other cities would do something like this, too. A cool thing to bring people together, get people to participate, and raise awareness about safe sex, AIDS and other STDs."December 16, 2009, 3:57AM
New York City's official condom is getting a... more
Cornish Militant HIV AIDS Mushrooms (fighting fungi). World AIDS Day 2009
These cartoons of “Phallus impudicus” (Yes, it's a real fungi, just google it). Helping raise HIV AIDS awareness World AIDS Day 2009. From the Sprocket Trust (An HIV/AIDS Discretionary Trust in Cornwall. Est 1996)
2009 and still fighting Institutional Homophobia & HIV ignorance within the Cornish authorities. (like Cornwall Council, Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, Cornwall Social Services, Cornwall Youth Services & Cornwall Education Dept.)Cornish Militant HIV AIDS Mushrooms (fighting fungi). World AIDS Day 2009
These... more
Hover your mouse into the picture to see the difference.
Excerpt:
"Global warming is melting 18,000 Himalayan glaciers — the largest concentration of glaciers outside the great polar ice sheets. If the present melt rate continues, many of these glaciers will be gone by the middle of this century, disrupting the perennial water supply to hundreds of millions of people."
We must act now.
This reminds me of a psychological factor:
We don't act until the last possible minute where danger is about to literally hit us, also mentioned in the Al Gore movie "The inconvenient truth".
Is it part of procrastination or selfishness?
Do we get stuck somewhere between awareness and acceptance/action?
Why?
How do we overcome it?
over 1200 youth gathered from all over Latin America for the International Conference of the Americas in the Dominican Republic last week.
Part Model UN, part UN conference, the students and guest speakers discuss salient topics in international development, the MDGs and share the challenges and successes associated with global issues.
Most notably, CILA took part in the "Seal the Deal" campaign for climate change - part of the UNs outreach program on climate related issues as they gather momentum for the Copenhagen Climate Change summit in December.
As part of an International Student Journalism program Tyler Batson (UCLA) and Sandra C. Roa (CUNY Journalism Grad School) produced this video to demonstrate how youth at the CILA 2009 conference are dealing with climate change issues.over 1200 youth gathered from all over Latin America for the International Conference... more
Julie Goodale is an incredibly brave woman who has truly taken control of a negative, and turned it into a positive. She survived breast cancer, and has turned her struggle into a passion for educating other women on fitness, getting tested, and how the two come together to keep us healthy and conscious of our bodies. http://thedemoiselles.com/archives/out-of-the-nest-fitness-for-survivorsJulie Goodale is an incredibly brave woman who has truly taken control of a negative,... more
UK Pancreatic Cancer charities have united together to launch Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Week which runs from the 16th to the 22nd November 2009. During that week the individual charities will be organising events to raise awareness among the UK public about this disease.
In conjunction with the awareness week, ‘The Silent Cancer’, a feature documentary investigating pancreatic cancer in the UK will be released.UK Pancreatic Cancer charities have united together to launch Pancreatic Cancer... more
Goldsboro, NC - Wayne School of Engineering Students raised more than $1600 in a day to promote awareness of homelessness. About 50 students spent 7 hours in boxes in a cool day in October. Money raised went to support local shelters and soup kitchens.Goldsboro, NC - Wayne School of Engineering Students raised more than $1600 in a day... more
Ladies and Germs,
October is breast cancer awareness month.I know that every single one of you has or has had at least one woman in your family or friends that suffers from breast cancer....if not now, then someday you will be affected by it.
I have watched both my mother and grandmother suffer from breast cancer. Both of them had to get a mastectomy, though they both survived, it's never an easy battle.
However, my father suffered from an extremely aggressive case of pancreatic cancer. He had only six months to say goodbye to his family. I guess you could say I have become more and more supportive of cancer awareness, but as a woman I am compelled to put much of my efforts towards breast cancer awareness.
For a very long time there were no awareness groups that were specifically focused on educating young women. Until fairly recently there weren't very many publicly known cases of women younger than 40 that died from cancer. The reality is, there is no longer an age group. Cancer doesn't care who you are or how old you are. More and more young women are suffering.
The nature of my job exposes me to new non-profit organizations every day.
I never stop learning and it's very enriching. Recently our company www.nonprofitshoppingmall.com teamed up for a partnership with Boarding for Breast Cancer or B4BC. I did some research on this organization and was incredibly impressed. B4BC is a group of woman who are just like me and so many other young ladies that I know. They have a passion for skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, music, and just about anything a righteous babe could love. What brought them together was the death of a mutual friend who died of breast cancer at just 26 years old!! Her name was Monica Steward and during her battle with cancer she became increasingly frustrated with the lack of awareness about breast cancer among young women. This was the inspiration for Boarding for Breast Cancer. The women of B4BC put together a fund raising event called The Boarding For Breast Cancer Snowboard + Music Festival, and they have only grown stronger and more successful ever since. They still need help though, and will continue to need help until the battle is won. There are many different ways that you can support B4BC. One of the easiest ways to help them right now would be to click on this link : shop.b4bc.org
This will directly link you to B4BC's personal page on www.nonprofitshoppingmall.com
This is a place where you can download the B4BC shopping widget, and everything you buy online through our retailers will automatically give a percentage back to B4BC. I know there is a lot of online shopping going around right now due to Halloween. Non Profit Shopping Mall hosts dozens of major retailers to purchase Halloween goods from, including online costume super stores, and Hot Topic.
Here is a list of some of the best retailers we have for us young folks:
ADIDAS
AMAZON
APPLE iTUNES
BECKER SURFBOARDS
BUYCOSTUMES.COM
CCS.COM
CONVERSE
COSTUME SUPERCENTER
DOGFUNK.COM
EXTREME HALLOWEEN
GAMEFLY.COM
GAMESTOP
GUITAR CENTER
HOT TOPIC
KARMALOOP
NETFLIX
PACIFIC SUNWEAR
SEPHORA
SKYPE
T-MOBILE
TARGET
TICKETMASTER
TIVO
TOM'S SHOES
URBAN OUTFITTERS
VERIZON WIRELESS
WORLD SOCCER SHOP
** I know there has got to be at least ONE retailer on that list that you shop from on a regular basis. So, now you can turn everyday shopping into everyday giving, everyday. ** Of course, you do not have to choose B4BC as your non profit to support through your online shopping. There are SOOOO many different non profits to choose from on our website. You decide which one means the most to you and you can always change it up from time to time.
Thanks for reading my ridiculously long bulletin!!
Don't forget -- www.nonprofitshoppingmall.com & http://shop.b4bc.org/shop
Much love,
Jasmine A. GalloLadies and Germs,
October is breast cancer awareness month.I know that every single... more
Be they professionals or merely well-intentioned advocates of smoking cessation, these bloggers have devoted their time and energy to providing information on everything from the risks involved with tobacco use to the healthiest possible routes towards quitting.Be they professionals or merely well-intentioned advocates of smoking cessation, these... more
With ads like "Save the Boobs!" and "If Men Had Breasts...", these Breast Cancer PSAs grab attention by focusing more on the breasts, and less on the cancer. http://www.stilettorevolt.com/2009/10/save-the-boobs-etc/With ads like "Save the Boobs!" and "If Men Had Breasts...", these... more
Looking at the distinction between mind and consciousness, and seeing if there is anything there that can assist us in how to break a habit.Looking at the distinction between mind and consciousness, and seeing if there is... more
The Blend the World community is a feet-on-the-street movement that is grounded in the belief that one (Optimistic! Inspiring! Fearless!) individual can, and does, make a world of difference. Join the campaign at: www.blendtheworld.comThe Blend the World community is a feet-on-the-street movement that is grounded in the... more
In this multi-award-winning documentary, fifteen-year-old Darius Weems and eleven of his best friends set off across America with the ultimate goal of getting his wheelchair customized on MTV’s Pimp My Ride. The result is a rarely seen testament to the explosive idealism of today’s youth, as well as a vivid portrayal of adventure, of brotherhood, and of the character and strength it takes to shed light on an uncertain future.
Not only does Darius Weems bravely face his own inevitable fate with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), but through his unflinching humor and his extraordinary laugh, he sparks a revolution in the lives of everyone who crosses–and then shares–his courageous path.
Part revolution, part revelation, this film proves to people of all ages how life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before dying of the same disease, Darius' older brother asked one of his best friends and camp counselors to look out for Darius. What started out as a pledge to fulfill a promise lead to the road trip oif a lifetime; raising awareness and money for research on the way. Please join the community and/or help anyway you see fit. It'll be worth it.In this multi-award-winning documentary, fifteen-year-old Darius Weems and eleven of... more
Just when the first suspected Swine Flu case was reported in my office, my company took a major precautionary step against it by installing several Alcohol based Sanitizers in the company premises. The clear instruction was to apply the spirit from the Alcohol Sanitizers at a regular interval of say 4-5 hours and it will help us fight against any virus including the Swine Flu.
TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
Part docu-drama, part sci-fi flick, The Age of Stupid is a hard movie to describe — except, that is, to say that it is one of the most important films youll see all year.
Greenpeace is proud to have partnered with the makers of this film to raise awareness of the dire consequences of inaction.
The Age of Stupid premiers September 21, 2009Part docu-drama, part sci-fi flick, The Age of Stupid is a hard movie to describe... more
"The White House has just released a new official video which profiles Michelle Obama’s hugely successful organic vegetable garden. The First Lady talks about the process of creating the victory garden, as well as the importance of shared family meals, making healthy choices, cooking fresh local food, and the need to change how our nation eats..."
Great example for our Nation.
Watch the video.
Join ORGANIC to fight for a better and green World, discuss alternatives, imagining and creating solutions: http://current.com/groups/organicgreen/"The White House has just released a new official video which profiles Michelle... more
The peak of hurricane season (September 10th) is quickly approaching and only 4 named storms have occurred, with only one tropical system (Tropical Storm Claudette), making landfall in the United States.The peak of hurricane season (September 10th) is quickly approaching and only 4 named... more
