Book Review: The Introvert Advantage
I saw this on a friend's bookshelf a few weeks ago and decided that the title was too intriguing not to buy: The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World was worth reading for providing a little more self-awareness. According to Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D., the most basic determinant between whether you're "at heart" one or the other seems to be how you expend and derive social energy. If being among crowds of people energizes you and leaves you wanting more, you're most likely an extrovert; if being in said crowd fills you with discomfort and you'd rather recharge by staying at home with a good book, you're most likely an introvert.
I've balanced on the border between introversion and extroversion since childhood. Hardly a shrinking violet, I've been in theater, worked in customer service jobs in retail and at Walt Disney World, and taken on public speaking and leadership roles that are more characteristic of extroverts than introverts. But there's usually a cost. I started noticing this particularly after a year or two at a hotel front desk: I could do the job, but it was starting to make me miserable. I'd get off work and have little to no energy to socialize or even be friendly with my friends and coworkers. I continue to remain single and haven't had so much as a roommate since I could afford to live on my own.
Some of this isn't just me being ornery. According to the author, there are biological and psychological reasons behind the introverted temperament, from the predominant chemicals in our brains (acetycholine) to the physical pathways thoughts and memories are stored, which differ from extroverts. Laney is quick to point out that this is not bad, just different. In general, though, the important things to know about introverts are simply that they spend most of their time in their own heads and less time in the physical world. While extroverts are more excited by and interested in the inputs of their five senses, introverts are paying more attention to how the inputs from those senses are affecting them and making them feel.
Another useful insight for me was Laney's discussion of how introverts come by and cope with stress. Extroverts can get stressed out by lack of inputs from others. For instance, I recall a friend at Disney who nearly freaked out when she came into the break room and found that I had turned off the TV so I could read a book in peace. On the other hand, I had turned off the abominable contraption because there was too much noise in the room. I was behaving like a typical introvert, as we tend to reduce the amount of sensory input we get so we can focus on the essentials of whatever's in front of us--in my case, the book I was reading.
This is not to say that biology is destiny or that introverts should always revel in their uniqueness (according to Laney, we're only 25% of the population). The author offers both supportive words but also advice to the introvert reader on issues ranging from work to dating to parenting. She reminds introverts that, while we have unique gifts of insight and concentration, we also need to stretch our extrovert muscles occasionally. For example, it surprised me not at all to note that I'd had nearly all of the challenges she listed for introverts dating extroverts. She also offered insights on why I might be more attracted to extroverts and what strategies the "innie" might use to account for the challenges.
I am mailing this book to my mother, who is much more introverted, quiet, and private than I am. I believe she'll find it worthwhile. I'm also thinking my sister--who's about as extroverted a person as I've ever met--might benefit from reading this book, as I've noticed that her kids are a bit less "E" than she is. In any case, Laney's book is worth reading to help introverts understand how and why they think the way they do, and to help extroverts get a better sense of why the "innies" in their lives occasionally just want to be left the hell alone.
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Movie Review: Inception
It's been awhile since I went to the movies, but the raves I heard about this film from a couple of fellow science fiction geeks seemed to make this film a must-see. I'm glad I listened. Inception is an inspired movie.
The trick with reviewing or recommending a seriously gimmicky SF movie is knowing how much you can or have to explain without blowing the whole thing. I'll make this simple: if you're not a fan of science fiction or movies with multiple timelines going on, you might want to pass. Imagine, if you will, technology (mysterious portable boxes and "compounds") that enable specially trained individuals to enter other people's dreams and then steal secrets out of their minds. That's the MacGuffin for this film. The visual effects involved in entering people's dreams are likewise mind-bending and worth seeing on the big screen.
But what makes this movie inspired is what writer-director Christopher Nolan does with it. He manages to incorporate dreams within dreams (and then some!). He plays with memories, with long-lost emotions, with the psychology and implications of manipulating others' minds. I was hooked.
The acting in this film, too, deserves special notice. Leonardo di Caprio, never a favorite of mine, has finally starred in a film that a) I wanted to see, but more importantly b) one in which he didn't just act like a Good Looking Movie Star. He manages to convey some serious acting chops as he deals with his rather shady line of business and complicated emotions related to his wife. His sidekicks are an interesting bunch of polished rogues who manage to come across as wholly developed personalities. Convincing acting matters in a complicated plot like this.
Another thing I enjoyed about Inception is the overall pace and tone of the story. The technologies (MacGuffin) are taken as givens in this "world." Aside from throwing in exposition to help the uninitiated get their bearings, the characters take the machinery for granted and focus more on doing their jobs. This is what some of the best SF does. Inception had the feel of a thriller/adventure written by Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon, or Alfred Bester. It's set in our own world and time, more or less, but they're able to do these crazy things with dreams, and the audience is taken along for the ride to see what happens.
I envy Christopher Nolan's talent. That he's a year younger than me chafes only a wee bit. :-) My buddy Doc informs me that Nolan wrote this script as well as the scripts to both of his Batman films and Memento, which I have not seen but also dealt with a lot of scene/time-shifting. Nolan's two Batman movies are like Inception in that they concentrate on characters in extraordinary circumstances rather than on the machinery or externals that make the circumstances unusual (dream invasion, costumed superheroes). In this way he is able to tell better and more subtle stories than, say, James Cameron's heavy-handed Avatar, which is akin to a technophilic "message movie," which can get tiresome.
I look forward to seeing whatever Nolan comes up with next. He has made me a dedicated fan.
It's been awhile since I went to the movies, but the raves I heard about this film from a couple of fellow science fiction geeks seemed to make this film a must-see. I'm glad I listened. Inception is an inspired movie.
The trick with reviewing or recommending a seriously gimmicky SF movie is knowing how much you can or have to explain without blowing the whole thing. I'll make this simple: if you're not a fan of science fiction or movies with multiple timelines going on, you might want to pass. Imagine, if you will, technology (mysterious portable boxes and "compounds") that enable specially trained individuals to enter other people's dreams and then steal secrets out of their minds. That's the MacGuffin for this film. The visual effects involved in entering people's dreams are likewise mind-bending and worth seeing on the big screen.
But what makes this movie inspired is what writer-director Christopher Nolan does with it. He manages to incorporate dreams within dreams (and then some!). He plays with memories, with long-lost emotions, with the psychology and implications of manipulating others' minds. I was hooked.
The acting in this film, too, deserves special notice. Leonardo di Caprio, never a favorite of mine, has finally starred in a film that a) I wanted to see, but more importantly b) one in which he didn't just act like a Good Looking Movie Star. He manages to convey some serious acting chops as he deals with his rather shady line of business and complicated emotions related to his wife. His sidekicks are an interesting bunch of polished rogues who manage to come across as wholly developed personalities. Convincing acting matters in a complicated plot like this.
Another thing I enjoyed about Inception is the overall pace and tone of the story. The technologies (MacGuffin) are taken as givens in this "world." Aside from throwing in exposition to help the uninitiated get their bearings, the characters take the machinery for granted and focus more on doing their jobs. This is what some of the best SF does. Inception had the feel of a thriller/adventure written by Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon, or Alfred Bester. It's set in our own world and time, more or less, but they're able to do these crazy things with dreams, and the audience is taken along for the ride to see what happens.
I envy Christopher Nolan's talent. That he's a year younger than me chafes only a wee bit. :-) My buddy Doc informs me that Nolan wrote this script as well as the scripts to both of his Batman films and Memento, which I have not seen but also dealt with a lot of scene/time-shifting. Nolan's two Batman movies are like Inception in that they concentrate on characters in extraordinary circumstances rather than on the machinery or externals that make the circumstances unusual (dream invasion, costumed superheroes). In this way he is able to tell better and more subtle stories than, say, James Cameron's heavy-handed Avatar, which is akin to a technophilic "message movie," which can get tiresome.
I look forward to seeing whatever Nolan comes up with next. He has made me a dedicated fan.
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Book Review: The Godmakers
Frank Herbert, author of the Dune saga, is known for mind-expanding fiction, as he addresses philosophical, political, environmental, cultural, and technological themes in a very cerebral, serious style. The Godmakers, a collection of short stories written in the author's pre-Dune career, was assembled into a novel in the early 1970s in an effort to capitalize on Herbert's fame. It covers many themes familiar to Dune fans, including the effects of fantastic powers on the individual, the risks of worshipping human beings as heroes and "gods," and manipulation of others via religion.
The story (or stories) themselves follow the adventures of one Lewis Orne, a member of the Rediscovery and Reeducation (R&R) corps, a shadowy organization that is responsible for "rediscovering" lost human planets after a galaxy-wide "Rim War." R&R agents are sent to these worlds to determine if the locals are peaceful; if they are not, a military team is sent in to pacify the population. Orne is subsequently recruited into a parallel organization called Investigation-Adjustment (I-A), which has oversight over R&R.
Orne's adventures start out as a series of intellectual exercises in cultural observation, each of which he overcomes in increasingly challenging fashion. Herbert puts together his puzzles as exercises in cultural history and psychology. Orne is a typical Herbert character--cerebral, serious, insightful, and sensitive to nuances of behavior and politics.
The primary conflict of The Godmakers centers around a world where all of the galaxy's religions have congregated onto a single planet, united in a treaty and dedicated to developing superior mental and "Psi" abilities. Orne is, again, challenged to uncover some sort of conspiracy on this world using his personal insights and increasing abilities.
This work lacks the finesse and long-term unity of the Dune series, and it appears to have been assembled hastily, as there are clearly parts where character histories are repeated unnecessarily--giving the reader a clue that this was originally a series of very different stories. The characters in the story also lack a great deal of the depth and sympathy that Herbert's greatest creation enjoy. Again, it is a series of shorter stories put together as a novel (much like Asimov's Foundation Trilogy), and the hand of a writer looking to make a buck comes across.
Still, one can find Herbert's heavy, psychological style beginning to come to life here. His characters' tendencies to speak in aphorisms and his habit of opening chapters with quotations from fictitious books can be found here. Herbert remains one of the masters of philosophical science fiction. As such, his work cannot be ignored, regardless of its form.
Frank Herbert, author of the Dune saga, is known for mind-expanding fiction, as he addresses philosophical, political, environmental, cultural, and technological themes in a very cerebral, serious style. The Godmakers, a collection of short stories written in the author's pre-Dune career, was assembled into a novel in the early 1970s in an effort to capitalize on Herbert's fame. It covers many themes familiar to Dune fans, including the effects of fantastic powers on the individual, the risks of worshipping human beings as heroes and "gods," and manipulation of others via religion.
The story (or stories) themselves follow the adventures of one Lewis Orne, a member of the Rediscovery and Reeducation (R&R) corps, a shadowy organization that is responsible for "rediscovering" lost human planets after a galaxy-wide "Rim War." R&R agents are sent to these worlds to determine if the locals are peaceful; if they are not, a military team is sent in to pacify the population. Orne is subsequently recruited into a parallel organization called Investigation-Adjustment (I-A), which has oversight over R&R.
Orne's adventures start out as a series of intellectual exercises in cultural observation, each of which he overcomes in increasingly challenging fashion. Herbert puts together his puzzles as exercises in cultural history and psychology. Orne is a typical Herbert character--cerebral, serious, insightful, and sensitive to nuances of behavior and politics.
The primary conflict of The Godmakers centers around a world where all of the galaxy's religions have congregated onto a single planet, united in a treaty and dedicated to developing superior mental and "Psi" abilities. Orne is, again, challenged to uncover some sort of conspiracy on this world using his personal insights and increasing abilities.
This work lacks the finesse and long-term unity of the Dune series, and it appears to have been assembled hastily, as there are clearly parts where character histories are repeated unnecessarily--giving the reader a clue that this was originally a series of very different stories. The characters in the story also lack a great deal of the depth and sympathy that Herbert's greatest creation enjoy. Again, it is a series of shorter stories put together as a novel (much like Asimov's Foundation Trilogy), and the hand of a writer looking to make a buck comes across.
Still, one can find Herbert's heavy, psychological style beginning to come to life here. His characters' tendencies to speak in aphorisms and his habit of opening chapters with quotations from fictitious books can be found here. Herbert remains one of the masters of philosophical science fiction. As such, his work cannot be ignored, regardless of its form.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Potpourri CXL
Science, Technology, and Space
Buy James Bond’s car…with gizmos! http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/autos/1006/gallery.james_bond_car/index.html
Down in a hole in Guatemala: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/01/storm-agatha-hole-guatemala
Intriguing question: what will you say if SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch fails? http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1636/1
Interesting NASA spinoff…long-duration underwear: http://online.wsj.com/video/not-quite-rocket-science-2-week-underwear/E670662E-7041-42D3-8FE1-549FFB808FC2.html
Effects of oil spill on wetlands: http://www.sciencecheerleader.com/2010/05/brief-review-effects-of-oil-on-wetlands/
Web 2.0 at the Department of Defense: http://www.sciencecheerleader.com/2010/05/gov-2-0-emerges-at-the-department-of-defense/
Real-life version of Minority Report’s user interface: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/01/real-life-version-of.html
Sony has developed a device that sends Twitter postings for cats by monitoring their activities…at least until the cats figure out a way to remove the things (my guess): http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/01/sony-makes-tweeting.html
Mega projects under consideration in Japan. There was a time Americans thought ambitiously in this manner: http://pinktentacle.com/2010/06/futuristic-mega-projects-by-shimizu/
The Navy is testing a laser weapon: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/05/31/navy.death.ray.wired/
The Sunlight Foundation has announced the winners of the “Design for America” competition, which was developed to suggest cool things to do with the U.S. Government’s new “open data” feeds: http://sunlightlabs.com/blog/2010/design-america-winners/
There’s a new line of robot vacuum cleaners out there—I really need one of these! http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/msi-robot-vacuums-invade-computex-set-sights-on-roomba/
EA has come out with a hockey stick for the Wii: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/eas-nhl-slapshot-packs-gretzky-approved-wiimote-hockey-stick/
What sorts of space missions could we do if we had unlimited funding? Try this: http://gizmodo.com/5552488/we-could-get-to-neptune-and-back-in-5-years-for-a-mere-4-trillion
The 747-mounted SOFIA telescope has taken its first infrared pictures of Jupiter: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/flying-telescope-sofia-nasa-photos-100601.html
The U.S. Air Force had the first flight test of the X-51 Waverider aerospace craft, which is powered by a scramjet, flying up to Mach 5: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/awst/2010/05/31/AW_05_31_2010_p27-230271.xml&headline=X-51A%20Team%20Eyes%20Results%20Of%20Scramjet%20Flight&channel=awst
Domestic Politics
Peggy Noonan, Mark Steyn, and Jerry Pournelle on Obama’s handling of the oil gusher: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269204575270950789108846.html, http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/05/27/were-too-broke-to-be-this-stupid/, and http://www.jerrypournelle.com/view/2010/Q2/view624.html#Friday
The Dow dropped 112 points on word that Attorney General Holder is going to start criminal investigations into the BP oil gusher in the Gulf: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9G2N1M00&show_article=1
Foreign Affairs
Iran has enough fissionable material to make two nuclear weapons: http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=177064
Euro hits a new low: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100601/D9G2FC8O4.html
Canada is reassessing its healthcare model: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100531/hl_nm/us_health_3
So while I was out of town for the weekend, the Israeli Defense Forces intercepted aid ships heading for the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip because they were bringing in weapons. The activists who weren’t killed in the raid are to be deported. http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177178
Culture
A stop-motion animation video game. Cool! http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/01/video-alex-varaneses.html
A man repeatedly called 911 after his mother took his beer. Brilliant. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/01/1657707/pasco-man-charged-after-911-call.html
A psychology professor has written a paper on why “self-experimentation” is unusually effective. Uh, yeah, BUT… http://sethroberts.net/articles/2010%2520The%2520unreasonable%2520effectiveness%2520of%2520my%2520self-experimentation.pdf
So we’ve had it wrong all these years: they’re not mad scientists, they’re mad engineers! http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/01/the-dark-side-of-eng.html
For Doc: a Lovecraftian art exhibition… http://observatoryroom.org/2010/05/26/exhibition-opening-a-love-craft/
SpongeBob Square Pants at age 50: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/31/spongebob-age-50.html
Was there really a need for this? Ewok karaoke: http://www.swtorstrategies.com/2010/05/may-schwartz-be-with-you-ewok-karaoke.html
Here’s something for aspiring SF writers to try: a virtual “write-a-thon.” http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/writeathon/wrtn-home.htm
Actually sorry to hear this: Al and Tipper Gore are separating after 40 years of marriage. Tipper made Gore a nice contrast to Bill Clinton. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gore-separation,0,2616256.story
Science, Technology, and Space
Buy James Bond’s car…with gizmos! http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/autos/1006/gallery.james_bond_car/index.html
Down in a hole in Guatemala: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/01/storm-agatha-hole-guatemala
Intriguing question: what will you say if SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch fails? http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1636/1
Interesting NASA spinoff…long-duration underwear: http://online.wsj.com/video/not-quite-rocket-science-2-week-underwear/E670662E-7041-42D3-8FE1-549FFB808FC2.html
Effects of oil spill on wetlands: http://www.sciencecheerleader.com/2010/05/brief-review-effects-of-oil-on-wetlands/
Web 2.0 at the Department of Defense: http://www.sciencecheerleader.com/2010/05/gov-2-0-emerges-at-the-department-of-defense/
Real-life version of Minority Report’s user interface: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/01/real-life-version-of.html
Sony has developed a device that sends Twitter postings for cats by monitoring their activities…at least until the cats figure out a way to remove the things (my guess): http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/01/sony-makes-tweeting.html
Mega projects under consideration in Japan. There was a time Americans thought ambitiously in this manner: http://pinktentacle.com/2010/06/futuristic-mega-projects-by-shimizu/
The Navy is testing a laser weapon: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/05/31/navy.death.ray.wired/
The Sunlight Foundation has announced the winners of the “Design for America” competition, which was developed to suggest cool things to do with the U.S. Government’s new “open data” feeds: http://sunlightlabs.com/blog/2010/design-america-winners/
There’s a new line of robot vacuum cleaners out there—I really need one of these! http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/msi-robot-vacuums-invade-computex-set-sights-on-roomba/
EA has come out with a hockey stick for the Wii: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/eas-nhl-slapshot-packs-gretzky-approved-wiimote-hockey-stick/
What sorts of space missions could we do if we had unlimited funding? Try this: http://gizmodo.com/5552488/we-could-get-to-neptune-and-back-in-5-years-for-a-mere-4-trillion
The 747-mounted SOFIA telescope has taken its first infrared pictures of Jupiter: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/flying-telescope-sofia-nasa-photos-100601.html
The U.S. Air Force had the first flight test of the X-51 Waverider aerospace craft, which is powered by a scramjet, flying up to Mach 5: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/awst/2010/05/31/AW_05_31_2010_p27-230271.xml&headline=X-51A%20Team%20Eyes%20Results%20Of%20Scramjet%20Flight&channel=awst
Domestic Politics
Peggy Noonan, Mark Steyn, and Jerry Pournelle on Obama’s handling of the oil gusher: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269204575270950789108846.html, http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/05/27/were-too-broke-to-be-this-stupid/, and http://www.jerrypournelle.com/view/2010/Q2/view624.html#Friday
The Dow dropped 112 points on word that Attorney General Holder is going to start criminal investigations into the BP oil gusher in the Gulf: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9G2N1M00&show_article=1
Foreign Affairs
Iran has enough fissionable material to make two nuclear weapons: http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=177064
Euro hits a new low: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100601/D9G2FC8O4.html
Canada is reassessing its healthcare model: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100531/hl_nm/us_health_3
So while I was out of town for the weekend, the Israeli Defense Forces intercepted aid ships heading for the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip because they were bringing in weapons. The activists who weren’t killed in the raid are to be deported. http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177178
Culture
A stop-motion animation video game. Cool! http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/01/video-alex-varaneses.html
A man repeatedly called 911 after his mother took his beer. Brilliant. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/01/1657707/pasco-man-charged-after-911-call.html
A psychology professor has written a paper on why “self-experimentation” is unusually effective. Uh, yeah, BUT… http://sethroberts.net/articles/2010%2520The%2520unreasonable%2520effectiveness%2520of%2520my%2520self-experimentation.pdf
So we’ve had it wrong all these years: they’re not mad scientists, they’re mad engineers! http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/01/the-dark-side-of-eng.html
For Doc: a Lovecraftian art exhibition… http://observatoryroom.org/2010/05/26/exhibition-opening-a-love-craft/
SpongeBob Square Pants at age 50: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/31/spongebob-age-50.html
Was there really a need for this? Ewok karaoke: http://www.swtorstrategies.com/2010/05/may-schwartz-be-with-you-ewok-karaoke.html
Here’s something for aspiring SF writers to try: a virtual “write-a-thon.” http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/writeathon/wrtn-home.htm
Actually sorry to hear this: Al and Tipper Gore are separating after 40 years of marriage. Tipper made Gore a nice contrast to Bill Clinton. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gore-separation,0,2616256.story
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Potpourri CXXIX
Off we go, into the wild inky yonder...
Time Magazine has a surprisingly good piece on Obama's new space policy. I say surprisingly because mainstream (i.e. non-aerospace-focused) publications usually get things very wrong when it comes to space matters. That doesn't make the policy any better, but it's nice to know some people outside the space geek community are finally getting it.
A site created by my buddy Veronica: Astronauts for Hire.
From my ESL student: a site offering advice on revising a novel.
People like to complain about "all that money we're wasting on space when we could be spending it on more important things here on Earth." Okay, try this site by Fox News: it's a calculator that shows how much you, personally, have paid for the Constellation Program based on your gross income. Might make you stop complaining, or marvel that you get so much cool stuff for so little money.
It is a bad sign when the legions start getting explicitly involved in the workings of domestic politics.
NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate has a new web site to explain the new policy.
The Cassini spacecraft has detected lightning on the planet Saturn. Boy oh boy, I'm sure glad all those anti-nuclear protesters fought so hard against flying plutonium into space...gosh knows what sorts of stuff we might be ignorant about otherwise. It's not just religious conservatives who can be anti-science.
The threat from nuclear terrorism is increasing…
Oh, and if a nuclear attack did happen in your area, don't expect a fast response from Obama's federal government...not to be confused by Bush's government in response to Hurricane Katrina, of course.
Obama’s disregard for the press must be bad—they’re even reporting on it!
Speaking of nukes, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is reporting that Iran could have enough nuclear material for a bomb within a year
One sign your space policy is not being received well? When the First Man on the Frickin' Moon criticizes it...and he doesn't say boo about anything. It's also a bad sign when one of the potential beneficiaries is doubtful as is Burt Rutan, a known maverick and major critic of NASA. Nice job, guy.
The bill regarding trials for terrorists also includes NASA funding. Guess which one will get more attention.
A new method has been found for photographing Earth-like planets. Cool! Also, Earth-like planets might be more common than previously thought.
The Houston Chronicle has a poll on whether to demolish the Astrodome…another relic from the early Space Age at risk.
Obama is changing the U.S. nuclear weapons policy. Time will tell how bright this is.
Random: CNN had an online poll asking “Do you attend church regularly?” Results of this unscientific poll: 32% said yes, 68% said no.
Joss Whedon, creator of Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (among other things) has been tapped to direct the “Avengers” movie. Heck yeah!
More random: a culinary review of the KFC Double Down “sandwich.” And here's a review of the best hot dogs in the nation...allegedly.
Speaking of food reviews, I need to get cracking on combining my part of a review of a space cookbook with my foodie friend Michelle's parts I and II! My part is written, I just have to do editing. 'Twas an interesting experiment in leveraging my Facebook connections...in this case, a friend from WAY back in my Lincoln Elementary School days who has since become a serious at-home amateur chef. A publisher wanted me to review a space cookbook, but I knew jack about creative cooking; Michelle knows food, so--synergy! Thanks, Michelle!
Is depression contagious?
Had a brief discussion with someone about my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality profile. For years I've tested out as an INTJ, but this person suggested that I might in fact be an INFJ. Here's an article that clarifies the difference between the two.
Here's one way to make music from random interplanetary phenomena. This actually sounded like some of the Buddhist chanting my pal D2 listens to, so I forwarded it to her. She seemed to like it; I guess it's an acquired taste.
I'll be in Chicago next month for ISDC, and plan to hang out with family and friends at some point. Am looking seriously at this place my sister recommended. What the heck, any pizza from Chicagoland is going to be better than what I get in the South...
How's this for a fun workplace?
Popular Mechanics has a very friendly interview with Lori Garver. I say friendly because not everyone in the space biz is so keen on said policy. That said, I found most of the arguments reasonable, and wish we'd heard more of them when the policy was rolled out.
This was a good way to end last week: I’ve been nominated for a NASA Spaceflight Awareness Team Award for my part in the Ares I-X outreach team.
From Facebook buddy Sarah: a poem that caught my eye.
From Hu: the dorkiest complaints about the accuracy of the Apollo 13 movie.
From Dar: an article on engaging the public on nanotechnology.
From Doc:
Off we go, into the wild inky yonder...
Time Magazine has a surprisingly good piece on Obama's new space policy. I say surprisingly because mainstream (i.e. non-aerospace-focused) publications usually get things very wrong when it comes to space matters. That doesn't make the policy any better, but it's nice to know some people outside the space geek community are finally getting it.
A site created by my buddy Veronica: Astronauts for Hire.
From my ESL student: a site offering advice on revising a novel.
People like to complain about "all that money we're wasting on space when we could be spending it on more important things here on Earth." Okay, try this site by Fox News: it's a calculator that shows how much you, personally, have paid for the Constellation Program based on your gross income. Might make you stop complaining, or marvel that you get so much cool stuff for so little money.
It is a bad sign when the legions start getting explicitly involved in the workings of domestic politics.
NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate has a new web site to explain the new policy.
The Cassini spacecraft has detected lightning on the planet Saturn. Boy oh boy, I'm sure glad all those anti-nuclear protesters fought so hard against flying plutonium into space...gosh knows what sorts of stuff we might be ignorant about otherwise. It's not just religious conservatives who can be anti-science.
The threat from nuclear terrorism is increasing…
Oh, and if a nuclear attack did happen in your area, don't expect a fast response from Obama's federal government...not to be confused by Bush's government in response to Hurricane Katrina, of course.
Obama’s disregard for the press must be bad—they’re even reporting on it!
Speaking of nukes, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is reporting that Iran could have enough nuclear material for a bomb within a year
One sign your space policy is not being received well? When the First Man on the Frickin' Moon criticizes it...and he doesn't say boo about anything. It's also a bad sign when one of the potential beneficiaries is doubtful as is Burt Rutan, a known maverick and major critic of NASA. Nice job, guy.
The bill regarding trials for terrorists also includes NASA funding. Guess which one will get more attention.
A new method has been found for photographing Earth-like planets. Cool! Also, Earth-like planets might be more common than previously thought.
The Houston Chronicle has a poll on whether to demolish the Astrodome…another relic from the early Space Age at risk.
Obama is changing the U.S. nuclear weapons policy. Time will tell how bright this is.
Random: CNN had an online poll asking “Do you attend church regularly?” Results of this unscientific poll: 32% said yes, 68% said no.
Joss Whedon, creator of Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (among other things) has been tapped to direct the “Avengers” movie. Heck yeah!
More random: a culinary review of the KFC Double Down “sandwich.” And here's a review of the best hot dogs in the nation...allegedly.
Speaking of food reviews, I need to get cracking on combining my part of a review of a space cookbook with my foodie friend Michelle's parts I and II! My part is written, I just have to do editing. 'Twas an interesting experiment in leveraging my Facebook connections...in this case, a friend from WAY back in my Lincoln Elementary School days who has since become a serious at-home amateur chef. A publisher wanted me to review a space cookbook, but I knew jack about creative cooking; Michelle knows food, so--synergy! Thanks, Michelle!
Is depression contagious?
Had a brief discussion with someone about my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality profile. For years I've tested out as an INTJ, but this person suggested that I might in fact be an INFJ. Here's an article that clarifies the difference between the two.
Here's one way to make music from random interplanetary phenomena. This actually sounded like some of the Buddhist chanting my pal D2 listens to, so I forwarded it to her. She seemed to like it; I guess it's an acquired taste.
I'll be in Chicago next month for ISDC, and plan to hang out with family and friends at some point. Am looking seriously at this place my sister recommended. What the heck, any pizza from Chicagoland is going to be better than what I get in the South...
How's this for a fun workplace?
Popular Mechanics has a very friendly interview with Lori Garver. I say friendly because not everyone in the space biz is so keen on said policy. That said, I found most of the arguments reasonable, and wish we'd heard more of them when the policy was rolled out.
This was a good way to end last week: I’ve been nominated for a NASA Spaceflight Awareness Team Award for my part in the Ares I-X outreach team.
From Facebook buddy Sarah: a poem that caught my eye.
From Hu: the dorkiest complaints about the accuracy of the Apollo 13 movie.
From Dar: an article on engaging the public on nanotechnology.
From Doc:
- A Sherlock Holmes story by noted SF/fantasy writer Neil Gaiman.
- "Your career captured in still photography." Hard to argue with.
This is more or less in line with the OSTP statement I posted a couple days ago. There WILL be Americans going up to the International Space Station after Shuttle. First via Russian rockets, then by commercial transport, once they get those nailed down. The rest of the NASA budget will be dedicated to space science (robots, telescopes), environmental monitoring, aeronautics, and exploration TECHNOLOGIES. This last item means they'll be developing components that would be needed for future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO), like new rocket engines, in-orbit fuel depots, and high-efficiency life support systems. However, the program to build complete rockets and spacecraft to take human beings beyond LEO--the Constellation Program--would end.
Oh, one slight difference: there will be a down-scaled Orion spacecraft, which will be used as a crew return/rescue vehicle for the Station. The vehicle would be upgradable, eventually, to become what it was intended to be: an EXPLORATION vehicle. Space geeks get particular about that word because exploration is going where we've never gone before... See More. LEO is not new territory anymore.
There will probably also have to be some test flights of the various exploration and heavy-lift technologies...what they'll fly on is beyond me, but what do I know? I'm not a politician.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Potpourri CXIV
Got a lot of stuff that has backed up in my inbox, but I'll do my best to clear it out before I head off to do Food & Football Day with friends.
New from Hu:
From Lin:
Got a lot of stuff that has backed up in my inbox, but I'll do my best to clear it out before I head off to do Food & Football Day with friends.
New from Hu:
- A report that says Mars life might've been brought to Earth. Swell...so where did the Mars life go? Death by global cooling?
- NASA looking at an asteroid mission as a prep for going to Mars.
From Lin:
- It's possible...just possible, mind you...that there might be a lot of waste included in the proposed government health care bill.
Found this on YouTube: a video on the Ares I-X mission by one of the folks down at KSC. Some great sites you normally don't see.
Another item from YouTube...an "autotune" mashup of Richard Feynman, Carl Sagan, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Neil de Grasse Tyson.
From Father Dan, an online app from Disney that allows you to enjoy personalized holiday greetings. Gotta confess, I could only handle the cute for about a minute before closing. Your mileage may vary.
Speaking of Dr. OZMG, she introduced me to a couple of very large words/terms from her world of Psych-Doc-ness, which seemed interesting enough to share:
And in case I can ever coax her into the space biz, she might give this book a look: Choosing the Right Stuff: The Psychological Selection of Astronauts and Cosmonauts.
Apparently the global warming/cooling/climate change debate isn't as "settled" as some would like to assume. A series of emails from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show that there was quite a bit of argument behind the scenes, as well as accusations that any data or arguments that might prove the human-made climate change thesis wrong were suppressed. Meanwhile, documents coming out of Britain's University of East Anglia show that data might have been massaged to downplay or gloss over the fact that average global temperatures have been dropping the past several years. I have no problem with investigating how climate works and what impact humans have upon it, but I think it's a dubious practice, at best, to start with a conclusion in mind and start dictating very costly policies when the data are either still inconclusive--or worse, being fabricated.
And speaking of the climate debate, there's a video out there that is particularly gruesome. To the sound of jets flying overhead, we see polar bears falling from the sky and landing on a cityscape in rather horrific and bloody ways. The message being: every short-haul air flight you make generates 400 pounds of carbon dioxide, the equivalent weight of a polar bear. See my comments above. This is just nasty.
Eighty-one members of the House of Representatives have signed a bipartisan letter of support of the space program.
A good Science @ NASA article on the SOFIA airborne telescope.
From my AIAA news feed:
- A cosmonaut complains that Russia's space program is falling behind and is unsustainable.
- An Indian university is offering its first space law class. Good!
NASA announced two winners in its Centennial Challenge competition to develop new astronaut "space gloves."
Huntsville got an unwelcome rating recently: the second-most dangerous military town. I find this hard to believe, given how many seaport towns there are with MUCH rougher reps than ours.
Guess that'll do it for now. The inbox is mostly cleansed. Happy Thanksgiving, all. I've plenty to be thankful for this year, so I consider myself supremely blessed. If you can't think of anything to be thankful for, consider the fact that you're here and able to think in the first place and start from there.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Book Review: Man's Search for Meaning
What might surprise you if you pick up Man's Search for Meaning is that it is a work of psychology, not philosophy. And yet, if you think about it, the approach of the author, Viktor E. Frankl, offers a great insight into many of today's social and personal problems.
Let's start with brass tacks here, because for me Frankl's background makes his approach to psychology is even more impressive and remarkable when you realize where he was coming from: he was a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps. The book was written in German, but the English translation is brilliant in its clarity and lucidity. The first part of the book is a very brief outline of Frankl's experiences in the camps (the book is only 164 pages long, 96 pages of which are his personal story). He reflects on some of the daily incidents and petty cruelties and harsh brutality that make such an existence unimaginable to comfortable, civilized Americans today. Approaching the camps from the detached, philosophical perspective of a doctor of psychology, Frankl describes how different prisoners reacted to their experiences.
Frankl identifies three different stages of the prisoner experience--entry, adaptation, and release--and takes the time to describe in many poignant anecdotes how different individuals, guards, capos, and prisoners, responded, including Frankl himself. Transported to Auschwitz originally, Frankl tried to hold onto a manuscript he was writing on a new idea he was developing at the time: logotherapy. Having the manuscript taken from him early on in his captivity, Frankl decided to make it his goal in the camp to survive to rewrite the manuscript and hone his ideas. His time in the camps ended up being his field research.
Here's what logotherapy is: derived from logos, the Greek word for logic or meaning, Frankl put forth the notion that human beings did not exist to pursue pleasure or sex but to find meaning in their lives. Individuals who lacked any driving meaning--whether it be devotion to God, achievement of some sort, or love of another person--inevitably suffered. Frankl believed that every individual was a moral being, capable of and responsible for making choices in their life. And those choices mostly centered around how to derive meaning from their lives, even life in a concentration camp.
There are so many things to like about this book, from its clear, approachable writing style to its matter-of-fact, un-self-pitying survivor narrative to its uplifting approach to life. One aspect of the book I particularly liked was that Frankl does not look down upon religious faith as some sort of futile or quaint superstition, like many in the philosophical disciplines I've read. He is, of course, an existentialist, as he does not advocate a particular method or search for meaning. He merely challenges his patients and the reader to seek what life means to them and to live for that meaning with all their heart. As he puts it (paraphrasing here--he was quoting Nietzsche, but I can't find the page), "Anyone who understands the why can endure any how."
I griped recently about the fecklessness and aimlessness of Generation Y and their general state of ennui. Frankl calls their state "existential frustration," wherein the individual is unable to find or accept a meaning for his life, and so finds himself rootless, aimless, and ultimately hopeless. But Frankl offers his patients and readers no easy outs (I love the bit where he says that, as a companion piece to the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast, America should have a Statue of Responsibility on the West). Again, using his own understated life as an example, Frankl shows how even in prison, the individual has a choice: in the case of a concentration camp victim, a person suffering from a life-threatening illness, or someone suffering from a serious lack of options, you still have the freedom and responsibility to choose how you respond to your situation. For a similar treatise on the value of the free individual (both to art and to the individual), I particularly recommend Ayn Rand's The Romantic Manifesto.
Perhaps this is why I am so impressed with, and warmed by, my e-niece Morgan. Whatever she's going through, she's made a conscious decision to stay positive. She doesn't need Frankl's philosophy or psychology--she's living it, and her life is that much more blessed and fruitful because of it.
Ultimately, the value of Frankl's book is that he treats every person as a free individual capable of making free choices, even in un-free circumstances. In a time when psychology, sociology, and politics seem driven by genetics or the market or inevitable forces of history or nature, Frankl returns the human being to the center of our moral universe and asks each one to face up to the responsibility of being human. His closing lines should give us pause and resolution:
For the world is in a bad state, but everything will become still worse unless each of us does his best.
So, let us be alert--alert in a twofold sense:
Since Auschwitz, we know what man is capable of.
And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake.
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