Today I found a piece of paper, long forgotten in the piles of notes left over from 8th grade last year. On a slightly crumpled piece of paper I found the scribbled words done in haste,
"...(There are two ways that Maxwell's remote could have done this. The first would be if the remote fired a beam of light at the front of the TV to a panel that would in turn connect the circuit. The second would be [the cooler way] if the remote control fired a radio frequency at a panel on the TV that would do likewise and connect the circuit). A circuit is loosely defined as a path that carries electrical current."
These notes explain how Maxwell, our class mascot squirrel, could have turned on his TV. While at the time this was merely a scribbled note on a small piece of notebook paper, now it is a reminder of how great my science class was last year.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The Call of the Wild - Fight or Flight
Here in Spartanburg the leaves on the trees are just starting to turn yellow around the edges. Some crisp leaves already lace our yards and driveways. Before we know it the trees will be aflame with vibrant shades of red, yellow, and gold.
Personally, I find it a very meditative process. And there must be something to it because recent studies have shown that walking in nature actually improves mental memory and concentration. However, I think that these studies simply state a fact that I have thought about for quite some time now: humans' prehistoric ways of life were those that we evolved to fit, therefore the human brain functions better in that nature than it does in cities.
In other words I believe the human brain works better in survival situations in "the wild" in comparison to survival in a city. When in a stressful situation in nature I feel that the human body pushes itself beyond its normal capabilities more so than it would within the walls of a city, because humans' earliest ancestors lived in the wild and learned to survive there.
For example: if a group of hikers were out scaling a mountain and suddenly there was an earthquake which resulted in part of the mountain beginning to collapse, then the hikers' bodies would begin to pump adrenaline into their systems thus enabling their primitive instincts to go on overdrive. The hikers would automatically have a fight or flight reaction and would decide wether to stay on the mountain and "rough it out," or flee to the safety of the forest below. In the city however, when placed in a stressful situation: my theory is that the human body (while still under adrenaline) is not capable of making as quick and precise decisions that it is able to make when placed under a stressful situation outside the city walls.
In the end no mater where the human body is, it is still able to do truly amazing things when put in a stressful situation.
I suggest that you read the link that I have bolded above, because of this subject's fascinating nature.
As the leaves change into their new personas of warm tones and hues, we as mere mortals in comparison to these great giants, are asked by the trees to take time to walk among them and wonder aimlessly.
Personally, I find it a very meditative process. And there must be something to it because recent studies have shown that walking in nature actually improves mental memory and concentration. However, I think that these studies simply state a fact that I have thought about for quite some time now: humans' prehistoric ways of life were those that we evolved to fit, therefore the human brain functions better in that nature than it does in cities.
In other words I believe the human brain works better in survival situations in "the wild" in comparison to survival in a city. When in a stressful situation in nature I feel that the human body pushes itself beyond its normal capabilities more so than it would within the walls of a city, because humans' earliest ancestors lived in the wild and learned to survive there.
For example: if a group of hikers were out scaling a mountain and suddenly there was an earthquake which resulted in part of the mountain beginning to collapse, then the hikers' bodies would begin to pump adrenaline into their systems thus enabling their primitive instincts to go on overdrive. The hikers would automatically have a fight or flight reaction and would decide wether to stay on the mountain and "rough it out," or flee to the safety of the forest below. In the city however, when placed in a stressful situation: my theory is that the human body (while still under adrenaline) is not capable of making as quick and precise decisions that it is able to make when placed under a stressful situation outside the city walls.
In the end no mater where the human body is, it is still able to do truly amazing things when put in a stressful situation.
I suggest that you read the link that I have bolded above, because of this subject's fascinating nature.
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