Emptying the Bottle: Late-May '11 Links

Here is a list of the worthwhile sites I've Bookmarked recently:

• Republican professors are more comfortable with grade inequality (earlier).
• Being in charge makes us less empathetic (earlier).
• Honesty is bravery [graphic].
• The costs and benefits of logic [graphic].
• The point of owning of pet (by my request).
• Sorting email into folders doesn't help.
• Eating breakfast can help you lose weight (earlier).
• Exercise, multi-tasking, sleep, stress' affect on the brain.
• Boys who lack empathy don't react to a fearful face (earlier).
• Cable network news tickers decrease comprehension.
• Let the dead pay for Medicare.

As always, feel free to email me anything interesting you come across.

Motivation as Intellegence

There are clearly different kinds of smart, but I may have missed the most obvious type, motivation. Here are two experiments using IQ tests. In the first they discovered that financial rewards (only $1-10) elicited on average 10 points on the IQ scale of 100. In the second experiment they showed that researchers could predict future success just by measuring how often students looked unmotivated (yawning, heads on the table, or looking around). The researchers suggest that motivation could account for 84% of the differences between years of schooling or ability to find a job. So, "IQ tests are measuring much more than just raw intelligence--they also measure how badly subjects want to succeed both on the test and later in life". Yet another reason to teach patience and motivation in schools.

Worthwhile Sentences on Feedback

From Hugh Hollowell: "Everyone always loves you when you don't tell them the truth."

From Hans Rosling: "My basic idea is that the world has changed so much, what people need isn't more data but a new mindset."

From Laura Morrison: "first, be self-aware enough to understand when your motives aren't genuine or when they're manipulative, and second, rather than manipulate people to get what you want, why not instead live honestly and directly communicate to others what you want from them?"

From Jonah Lehrer on good ADHD: "When we don't know where to look, we need to look everywhere."

From Magician Franz Harary: "If you can understand how people think, then, for a brief moment, you can control what they see."

Emptying the Bottle: Late-March '11 Links

Here is a list of the worthwhile sites I've Bookmarked recently:

• Clumping history together: The Beatles in the year 3000 [video].
• The correlation of big government and immigration limits.
• "Life's too short to do the wrong job" [ads].
• Will the Japanese disaster help Japan reorganize (earlier).
• Why economists aren't very convincing [cartoon].
• Despite obesity, life expectancy is still rising (earlier).
• Diet may help ADHD kids more than drugs (thanks Cheryl).
• From the Diplomat blog: Exposé: James Scott Farrin Commercials.
• Lack of sleep makes you less ethical (earlier and earlierer).
• Is the phone call dying? If so, I feel old.
• Citizens in Switzerland are given a gun for national defense.

As always, feel free to email me anything interesting you come across.

Emptying the Bottle: Mid-February '11 Links

Here is a list of the worthwhile sites I've Bookmarked recently:

• Mubarak has a 30% chance (earlier) of leaving by April (earlier and earlierer).
• Every NBA slam dunk contest visualization (via Justin Wehr) [videos].
• Prison makes you more likely to commit crimes after release (earlier).
• New spray-on skin gun heals burns in days [video].
• "Hans Rosling (earlier) but for fatties!" [graphic] (quote from Justin Wehr).
• Discussion on whether we should drug test those on public aid [video].
• The six stages of Libertarian denial.
• The average person is rated attractive [graphic].
• TED talks set to a beat [audio] (earlier).
• ADHD may actually make people more creative (earlier).
• Meetifyr.com helps groups find the best time to meet up.
• A clock powered by dead flies it caught [video] (another from Justin Wehr).
• We have a bias against/for attractive people of a similar/opposite sex.
• Why China should worry about the protests in Egypt.

As always, feel free to email me anything interesting you come across.

Emptying the Bottle: Late-August '10 Links

Here is a list of the worthwhile sites I've Bookmarked recently:

• Near Johannesburg children are rented out to beggars.
• Wondering how reliable ADHD diagnosis is (earlier).
• The problem of space junk [graphic].
• Ten vices' that are good for you.
• Jon Stewart on the mosque near Ground Zero [video] (related).
• Apparently person-to-person car sharing is getting popular (local).
• Thoughtful conservative's look at mosque controversy.
• Now that China's economy is #2, here's a look at when it becomes #1 (earlier).
• LOST delivers one more episode.
• From me: The Snooki Snooker from the Mister Diplomat blog.
• Zombie Ants! (earlier and earlier-er)
• Cheap military deterrence [photo].

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Emptying the Bottle: Late-July '10 Links

Here is a list of the worthwhile sites I've Bookmarked recently:

• Apple's control issues could hurt it in the long run, again.
• 151 positive traits of ADHD (earlier).
• Social benefit of the Sabbath (this is important).
• Ten ways movies get you into a fantasy world.
• Man chases disc golfers with a chainsaw at my alma mater.
• Watch this video of a Hallmark card, then watch the NAACP's reaction.
• Relationship between loving ourselves and loving others [graph].
• Number of birds killed by BP compared to cars, cats, and wind farms.
• When your opinion is not respected, focus on asking good questions.
• Feeling okay about being a consumer Christian, at least for now.
• Review of modern recession economics (highly recommended).

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Different Kinds of Smart

I told my students on the first day of class that I would never praise them for their intelligence. Here's yet another reason for that. This article that show one's IQ and their ability to recognize faces are not correlated, suggesting that people can be smart in more than one way. This is called Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Very simply, it suggests that intelligence is not an overall ability to do things well, but instead can be divided into different categories of intelligence. Thanks to Wikipedia, here they are:

Bodily-kinesthetic

This area has to do with bodily movement and physiology. In theory, people who have bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should learn better by involving muscular movement (eg. getting up and moving around into the learning experience), and are generally good at physical activities such as sports or dance. They may enjoy acting or performing, and in general they are good at building and making things. They often learn best by doing something physically, rather than reading or hearing about it. Those with strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence seem to use what might be termed muscle memory - they remember things through their body such as verbal memory or images. Careers that suit those with this intelligence include: athletes, dancers, musicians, actors, surgeons, doctors, builders, police officers, and soldiers. Although these careers can be duplicated through virtual simulation, they will not produce the actual physical learning that is needed in this intelligence.

Interpersonal
This area has to do with interaction with others. In theory, people who have a high interpersonal intelligence tend to be extroverts, characterized by their sensitivity to others' moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations, and their ability to cooperate in order to work as part of a group. They communicate effectively and empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers. They typically learn best by working with others and often enjoy discussion and debate. Careers that suit those with this intelligence include sales, politicians, managers, teachers, and social workers.

Verbal-linguistic
This area has to do with words, spoken or written. People with high verbal-linguistic intelligence display a facility with words and languages. They are typically good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing words along with dates. They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and discussion and debate. They are also frequently skilled at explaining, teaching and oration or persuasive speaking. Those with verbal-linguistic intelligence learn foreign languages very easily as they have high verbal memory and recall, and an ability to understand and manipulate syntax and structure. Careers that suit those with this intelligence include writers, lawyers, philosophers, journalists, politicians, poets, and teachers.

Logical-mathematical

This area has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning, and numbers. While it is often assumed that those with this intelligence naturally excel in mathematics, chess, computer programming and other logical or numerical activities, a more accurate definition places emphasis on traditional mathematical ability and more reasoning capabilities, abstract patterns of recognition, scientific thinking and investigation, and the ability to perform complex calculations. It correlates strongly with traditional concepts of "intelligence" or IQ. Careers which suit those with this intelligence include scientists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors and economists.

Intrapersonal
This area has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. People with intrapersonal intelligence are intuitive and typically introverted. They are skillful at deciphering their own feelings and motivations. This refers to having a deep understanding of the self; what are your strengths/ weaknesses, what makes you unique, can you predict your own reactions/ emotions.
Careers which suit those with this intelligence include philosophers, psychologists, theologians, marine biologists, lawyers, and writers.

Visual-spatial
This area has to do with vision and spatial judgment. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence are typically very good at visualizing and mentally manipulating objects. Those with strong spatial intelligence are often proficient at solving puzzles. They have a strong visual memory and are often artistically inclined. Those with visual-spatial intelligence also generally have a very good sense of direction and may also have very good hand-eye coordination, although this is normally seen as a characteristic of the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
There appears to be a high correlation between spatial and mathematical abilities, which seems to indicate that these two intelligences are not independent. Since solving a mathematical problem involves manipulating symbols and numbers, spatial intelligence is involved. Careers that suit those with this intelligence include artists, engineers, and architects.

Musical
This area has to do with rhythm, music, and hearing. Those who have a high level of musical-rhythmic intelligence display greater sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones, and music. They normally have good pitch and may even have absolute pitch, and are able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music. Since there is a strong auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture. In addition, they will often use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information, and may work best with music playing in the background. Careers that suit those with this intelligence include instrumentalists, singers, conductors, disc-jockeys, orators, writers (to a certain extent) and composers.

Naturalistic
This area has to do with nurturing and relating information to one's natural environment. This type of intelligence was not part of Gardner's original theory of Multiple Intelligences, but was added to the theory in 1997. Those with it are said to have greater sensitivity to nature and their place within it, the ability to nurture and grow things, and greater ease in caring for, taming and interacting with animals. They may also be able to discern changes in weather or similar fluctuations in their natural surroundings. They are also good at recognizing and classifying different species. They must connect a new experience with prior knowledge to truly learn something new.

SAT scores highly correlate with success in college, but that may be because they are both measuring the same kind of intelligence. As a educator, I take it as a challenge to encourage all students in all intelligences. Also, as someone with ADHD (self-diagnosed) I take it as encouragement that there may actually be some benefits to the disorder.

Self-Diagnosed ADHD

The DSM-IV is a collection of currently recognized mental health disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. From stuttering to dementia, this manual gives a list of symptoms to help diagnose patients. I have suspected for a long time that I have ADHD, while at the same time questioned the validity of the disease disorder. In graduate school I worked for Clemson University's Student Disability Services and got the chance to attend the Western North Carolina Symposium on Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorders. In an effort to challenge these ideas I took the diagnostic criteria ( and attempted to diagnose myself (understanding the inherent flaws of doing so). It is divided into two categories and can be either 1 or 2 (ones that apply to me are bolded):

1) 6 (or more) of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:

• Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work or other activities
• Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
• Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
• Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
• Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
• Often avoids, dislikes or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
• Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books or tools)
• Is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
• Is often forgetful in daily activities

2) 6 (or more) of the following symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:

• Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
• Often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
• Often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
• Often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
• Is often "on the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor"
• Often talks excessively
• Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
• Often has difficulty awaiting turn
• Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations or games)

The self-diagnosis says yes. My wife says yes. Even the name of this blog, Bottlenecked, suggests slowing down my brain so I can move forward.