Support an increase in federal taxes on gas
Excerpt: Scientific studies show that the emissions released from traffic can be deadly to humans on the planet and also contribute to global warming. Urge members of Congress to support proposals to increase federal taxes on gas in order to decrease gas consumption.
Goal: Raise taxes on gas in order to improve roads and simultaneously encourage individuals to seek environmentally-friendly alternatives for transportation.
Target: Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner
Forbes Magazine reports that Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has proposed a federal gas tax increase of 12 cents over 2015-16. Forbes goes on to list many good reasons for this increase. First, there hasn't been a federal gas tax increase in over two decades. Raising taxes on gas by 12% would roughly bring these taxes up to date in terms of inflation over the past 20 years. Second, there are, of course, many areas of the U.S. where roads could use a makeover, and the increase in the tax could help improve the transportation system.
Interestingly, the Forbes article neglected to mention the single most compelling reason to raise taxes on fuel: raising taxes on gas raises prices on gas, which means that people will consume less gas. In fact, a review paper published by the Economic and Social Research Council suggests that at 10% increase in prices on gas would result in (1) a 1% reduction in traffic congestion within a year and up to 3% over approximately five years and (2) a 2.5% decrease in fuel consumption within a year and a 6% reduction over a longer period.
The second-highest cause of accidental deaths in the United States by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is traffic accidents (second only to poisoning). Recently, a report from MIT scientists published in the journal Atmospheric Environment used an air quality model to predict how many individuals die due to road pollution (approximately 53,000 for the year 2005, according to the article). This number is close to double the number of people dying from traffic-related accidents (approximately 34,000 in 2010, according to the CDC).
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (a group of concerned citizens and scientist which was formed at MIT in 1969), a single gallon of gas leads to the release of 24 pounds of carbon dioxide (and other gases that are dangerous for the environment) into the air. This means that in one year, the average U.S. personal vehicle sends 6 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (to put this into perspective, the average car weighs about 2 tons, or 4,000 pounds).
Raising taxes on gasoline is a first step toward reducing fuel consumption in the U.S. It would also serve to raise awareness of the crucial need to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions. Join in applauding Senator Chris Murphy and asking Congress to stand behind the proposal to raise taxes on gas.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Boehner,
Scientific studies show that the emissions released from traffic can be deadly to humans on the planet and also contribute to global warming. We have the knowledge and technology to make a huge change in the future of our planet, but to do that, we must reduce the number of cars on the roads.
In addition to the devastatingly negative impacts that scientists now know that carbon dioxide and other emissions have on climate, there are also severe immediate consequences for personal heath. Scientists estimate that there are more deaths per year based on traffic pollution alone compared to accidental deaths caused by traffic collisions.
Although inflation has skyrocketed in recent years, taxes on gas have not been raised since 1993, nearly two decades ago (currently, the federal tax is only 18 cents per gallon, which is only about 5% if you're paying around $3.50 for a gallon of gas). Senator Chris Murphy has proposed a federal tax increase on gas of 6 cents for 2015 and an additional 6 cents for 2016, which would help bring gas taxes up to date with inflation.
Furthermore, an increase in gas prices would likely decrease consumption. Economists' models suggest that if gas prices were increased by 10% (a somewhat larger increase than Senator Murphy's proposal), fuel consumption would decrease by 6% over a five-year period. The takeaway message is: raising taxes reduces consumption, which reduces emissions.
I urge you to consider the positive influence such a change could have on both personal health and on our planet. Please use your influence to support proposals that federal tax be increased on gasoline and encourage party members to vote for such proposals.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
Enforce a maximum salary for CEOs
Enforce a maximum salary for CEOs
Excerpt: Disparities in wages paid to CEOs and to average workers in large companies are an atrocious example of the wealth gap in the United States. Urge members of U.S. Congress to enforce a cap on salaries for CEOs as one step in fighting the battle against poverty.
Target: Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner
Goal: Create policies to set a maximum salary for CEOs of large companies.
According to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO), Fortune 500 CEOs made $12 million on average in 2012, approximately 350 times the overall workers' average of $34,645. This difference in income is one of the most devastating examples of injustice in the United States, and it's not getting better: recent research from Berkeley published in Pathways Magazine suggests that from 2009 to 2011, the wealthiest 1% of Americans had incomes growing by 11.2%. In contrast, income for all other Americans decreased by .4%.
Placing a cap on the amount of money made by CEOs of large corporations is an essential step toward reducing income disparity. One set of proposals for how to cap top earning salaries is to set the ceiling at a certain multiple of the lowest earners' wages of that company. For instance, Switzerland recently voted (in the negative) on a referendum to impose a "maximum wage" which would cap earnings at 12x the amount of the lowest earners.
Some opponents argue that a maximum waged based on the earnings of workers on a company-by-company basis would create unfair disadvantages for companies who have a larger range of employee income levels. As one writer for Marketplace.org notes, the average worker at a software company will make a great deal more than the average worker at another type of company, such as a hotel chain, where bottom-rung workers are likely to be paid much less, leading to the possibility that Company A, paying some employees less than Company B but generating more revenue than Company B, might end up paying its CEO less (or that some of Company A's employees might end up making more money than CEOs, if the cap is restricted to them). These are paltry complaints and worries bout discrepancies in millionaires' salaries pale in comparison to economic hardships experienced by average-salary workers (not to mention those in the bottom rungs).
Of course, capping CEO salaries represents one step in a series of events that is needed to reduce the gap in income disparity. According to AFL-CIO, CEOs make the majority of their money from sources other than salary, including bonuses (average: $200k), stocks and options (over $6.5 million, on average), pensions (over $1.5 million), non-equity incentive plans (about $2.3 million), and more. Taken together, the average total hourly earnings of a CEO is near $6,000. Meanwhile, minimum wage in some states remains as low as $5.15 per hour. The system is broken.
Urge members of Congress to help reverse this disparity in income. Ask Speaker John Boehner for help in creating a law that restricts outrageous wages for CEOs.
PETITION:
Dear Mr. Boehner,
Differences in wealth plague our country. The American Dream of equal opportunity for all citizens has been displaced by an extreme un-equalizer: a huge disparity in pay for the poorest and wealthiest.
In order to begin to reduce the gap in wealth, I urge you to consider laws that cap the earnings of CEOs of large corporations. Whether the cap be a set number or a sliding ceiling based on a percentage of the average or minimum worker earnings, either option is a better alternative than allowing some individuals to make order of magnitude more money than their employees.
Placing a cap on CEOs' salaries is just one step in a large battle toward reducing large disparity in incomes. CEOs currently make a large amount of their income not from salary but from other sources, such as stocks, options, and pension plans. In total CEOs on average make about $6,000 an hour, which is more than one thousand times the minimum wage in place in states like Wyoming and Georgia.
I urge you to use your power to help to reverse these disparities. Consider setting a maximum wage cap in order to make the United States a place where justice can prevail and individuals may pursue their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Excerpt: Disparities in wages paid to CEOs and to average workers in large companies are an atrocious example of the wealth gap in the United States. Urge members of U.S. Congress to enforce a cap on salaries for CEOs as one step in fighting the battle against poverty.
Target: Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner
Goal: Create policies to set a maximum salary for CEOs of large companies.
According to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO), Fortune 500 CEOs made $12 million on average in 2012, approximately 350 times the overall workers' average of $34,645. This difference in income is one of the most devastating examples of injustice in the United States, and it's not getting better: recent research from Berkeley published in Pathways Magazine suggests that from 2009 to 2011, the wealthiest 1% of Americans had incomes growing by 11.2%. In contrast, income for all other Americans decreased by .4%.
Placing a cap on the amount of money made by CEOs of large corporations is an essential step toward reducing income disparity. One set of proposals for how to cap top earning salaries is to set the ceiling at a certain multiple of the lowest earners' wages of that company. For instance, Switzerland recently voted (in the negative) on a referendum to impose a "maximum wage" which would cap earnings at 12x the amount of the lowest earners.
Some opponents argue that a maximum waged based on the earnings of workers on a company-by-company basis would create unfair disadvantages for companies who have a larger range of employee income levels. As one writer for Marketplace.org notes, the average worker at a software company will make a great deal more than the average worker at another type of company, such as a hotel chain, where bottom-rung workers are likely to be paid much less, leading to the possibility that Company A, paying some employees less than Company B but generating more revenue than Company B, might end up paying its CEO less (or that some of Company A's employees might end up making more money than CEOs, if the cap is restricted to them). These are paltry complaints and worries bout discrepancies in millionaires' salaries pale in comparison to economic hardships experienced by average-salary workers (not to mention those in the bottom rungs).
Of course, capping CEO salaries represents one step in a series of events that is needed to reduce the gap in income disparity. According to AFL-CIO, CEOs make the majority of their money from sources other than salary, including bonuses (average: $200k), stocks and options (over $6.5 million, on average), pensions (over $1.5 million), non-equity incentive plans (about $2.3 million), and more. Taken together, the average total hourly earnings of a CEO is near $6,000. Meanwhile, minimum wage in some states remains as low as $5.15 per hour. The system is broken.
Urge members of Congress to help reverse this disparity in income. Ask Speaker John Boehner for help in creating a law that restricts outrageous wages for CEOs.
PETITION:
Dear Mr. Boehner,
Differences in wealth plague our country. The American Dream of equal opportunity for all citizens has been displaced by an extreme un-equalizer: a huge disparity in pay for the poorest and wealthiest.
In order to begin to reduce the gap in wealth, I urge you to consider laws that cap the earnings of CEOs of large corporations. Whether the cap be a set number or a sliding ceiling based on a percentage of the average or minimum worker earnings, either option is a better alternative than allowing some individuals to make order of magnitude more money than their employees.
Placing a cap on CEOs' salaries is just one step in a large battle toward reducing large disparity in incomes. CEOs currently make a large amount of their income not from salary but from other sources, such as stocks, options, and pension plans. In total CEOs on average make about $6,000 an hour, which is more than one thousand times the minimum wage in place in states like Wyoming and Georgia.
I urge you to use your power to help to reverse these disparities. Consider setting a maximum wage cap in order to make the United States a place where justice can prevail and individuals may pursue their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Pattern separation gone awry: the dentate gyrus and schizophrenia
Reblogged from NeuWriteSD.org:
Since the discovery of patient H.M. in the 1950s (see this post from October 2013), scientists have known that the hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped structure located in the medial temporal lobe, is crucial for the successful formation of new memories. The mammalian hippocampus is characterized by several distinct regions, each with a different function, including areas called the cornu ammonis fields (CA1, CA2, CA3) and the dentate gyrus...
Read more on NeuWriteSD.org.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Ban Open Carry of Firearms from Target
Ban Open Carry of Firearms from Target
Excerpt: Open-carry demonstrations in nationwide Target stores are unnecessarily threatening. Urge Target executives to ban open carry of firearms in stores to keep citizens safe.
Target: John J. Mulligan, Target Interim President and CEO/CFO
Goal: Enforce a "no open carry" policy for firearms in Target stores
USA Today reports that Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a national mothers' group, has called for Target stores to change their policies on the open carrying of guns. Advocates for stricter laws on guns claim that Target chain stores in many states have recently been used as the site of demonstrations by groups condoning open-carry policies. In particular, the state of Texas has lax guns laws which permits individuals to carry rifles openly and has been the site of may such open-carry demonstrations in Target stores.
Members of the mothers' advocacy group have argued that Target is a place where many families shop and where many teens work. The group heartily condemns the demonstrations of individuals who flaunt open-carry laws. The Wall Street Journal reports that the National Rifle Association has put forth conflicting responses to the demonstrations. Initially, a spokesperson called the Target demonstration "…downright weird… and downright scary," but the group has since rescinded this perspective. Rather, they continue to support open-carry laws. As executive director Chris W. Cox put it, "…our job isn't to criticize the lawful behavior of fellow gun owners."
Demonstrations using guns in public arenas _is_ "downright scary". Intimidation tactics using guns in public areas where children are often present is despicable. That lawful protections of the right to carry a deadly weapon should supersede an individual's right to feel secure in a public place is a travesty.
The Moms Demand Action coalition has already effected change in several national chain stores, including Chipotle, Starbucks, Chili's, Sonic Drive-In, and Jack in the Box. Join us in urging Target to change their policies to enforce a no-open-carry policy.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Mulligan,
American citizens have the right to feel safe in public environments. Recently, demonstrations by individuals openly carrying large firearms, such as rifles, have taken away part of that securities. The rise of such demonstration in Target stores has unfortunately been a part of the movement to showcase open-carry freedoms.
In part, the demonstrations at Target show what we already know: gun laws are lax in many areas of the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of unintentional deaths due to firearms from 2000 to 2010 was 7515 (an incidence rate of .23%). However, the demonstrations at Target also intimate that there is an implicit acceptance of violence in our culture.
Banning open carry of guns in Target stores is an important step toward making this national chain a safer environment where families can shop and employees can work. It also sends an important message: we cannot back down to intimidation using firearms.
I join others in affirming that no one should feel threatened during daily activities in this country. I urge you to immediately ban the open carry of fire arms in Target stores and to use your influence to encourage other prominent business officials to do the same. Let us promote an atmosphere of safety and peace where we can.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Gobonobo via Wikipedia
Excerpt: Open-carry demonstrations in nationwide Target stores are unnecessarily threatening. Urge Target executives to ban open carry of firearms in stores to keep citizens safe.
Target: John J. Mulligan, Target Interim President and CEO/CFO
Goal: Enforce a "no open carry" policy for firearms in Target stores
USA Today reports that Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a national mothers' group, has called for Target stores to change their policies on the open carrying of guns. Advocates for stricter laws on guns claim that Target chain stores in many states have recently been used as the site of demonstrations by groups condoning open-carry policies. In particular, the state of Texas has lax guns laws which permits individuals to carry rifles openly and has been the site of may such open-carry demonstrations in Target stores.
Members of the mothers' advocacy group have argued that Target is a place where many families shop and where many teens work. The group heartily condemns the demonstrations of individuals who flaunt open-carry laws. The Wall Street Journal reports that the National Rifle Association has put forth conflicting responses to the demonstrations. Initially, a spokesperson called the Target demonstration "…downright weird… and downright scary," but the group has since rescinded this perspective. Rather, they continue to support open-carry laws. As executive director Chris W. Cox put it, "…our job isn't to criticize the lawful behavior of fellow gun owners."
Demonstrations using guns in public arenas _is_ "downright scary". Intimidation tactics using guns in public areas where children are often present is despicable. That lawful protections of the right to carry a deadly weapon should supersede an individual's right to feel secure in a public place is a travesty.
The Moms Demand Action coalition has already effected change in several national chain stores, including Chipotle, Starbucks, Chili's, Sonic Drive-In, and Jack in the Box. Join us in urging Target to change their policies to enforce a no-open-carry policy.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Mulligan,
American citizens have the right to feel safe in public environments. Recently, demonstrations by individuals openly carrying large firearms, such as rifles, have taken away part of that securities. The rise of such demonstration in Target stores has unfortunately been a part of the movement to showcase open-carry freedoms.
In part, the demonstrations at Target show what we already know: gun laws are lax in many areas of the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of unintentional deaths due to firearms from 2000 to 2010 was 7515 (an incidence rate of .23%). However, the demonstrations at Target also intimate that there is an implicit acceptance of violence in our culture.
Banning open carry of guns in Target stores is an important step toward making this national chain a safer environment where families can shop and employees can work. It also sends an important message: we cannot back down to intimidation using firearms.
I join others in affirming that no one should feel threatened during daily activities in this country. I urge you to immediately ban the open carry of fire arms in Target stores and to use your influence to encourage other prominent business officials to do the same. Let us promote an atmosphere of safety and peace where we can.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Gobonobo via Wikipedia
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Medicine and disabilities
From June to August, 2014, I wrote a series of articles on a website called forcechange.com. Since then, to the extent I can tell, that website persists, but these articles do not. I therefore post them here, as on the date they were penned.
Demand that medical professionals receive education in the treatment of patients with disabilities
Excerpt: Studies report discrimination against patients with obvious physical disabilities, including those confined to a wheelchair and those who are obese. Urge policymakers to create laws and guidelines for medical educators to ensure equal treatment of patients with disabilities.
Target: American Medical Association President Ardis Dee Hoven, MD
Goal: Ensure that disabled patients are provided with equal treatment in medical environments by requiring training for medical providers.
Patients with disabilities are discriminated against in medical environments. They are often made to wait longer for treatment or may simply be denied access to treatment outright. One study reports that when researchers contacted hospitals across four cities to ask for treatment for fictional patients who were obese and who used a wheelchair, over a fifth of the facilities responded that accommodating the patient would be impossible.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was put in place in 1990 to eliminate discrimination against individuals due to physical or mental disabilities in activities and situations ranging from housing to public transportation to medical treatment. The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice clearly states that this includes providing accessible examination rooms, necessary equipment for assisting patients when they require physical aid in moving to examination tables, and staff who are provided with the educational training required to treat patients with disabilities.
Studies show that deans at a majority of U.S. medical schools report that including a curriculum for patients with disabilities is not a priority, and many medical students never see any inclusion of treating patients with mental disabilities on the curriculum at all.
Join those who believe in equal treatment for all and urge members of the AMA to suggest policy changes aimed toward equal treatment for patients with disabilities by requiring that students in medical fields receiving training in responding to the needs of individuals with physical and mental impairments.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear AMA President Ardis Dee Hoven,
Individuals with physical and mental disabilities deserve the right to the same access to medical care as all other individuals. However, the current state of medicine often leaves disabled individuals waiting longer for care or denies access to these individuals outright.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was put in place to ensure that individuals with disabilities do not undergo discrimination. I write to ask that you encourage policymakers and medical care providers to ensure that the aims of this act are upheld. Medical facilities should be properly equipped to accommodate all individuals, and medical staff should be provided with the training that is required to treat persons who may suffer from disabilities.
Critically, staff training should go beyond knowledge of appropriate regulations for accessible rooms and knowledge of relevant equipment. It should also be designed to inform medical professionals about the implicit discrimination that often goes along with treating patients with disabilities. This training should start early in the medical educational system. Currently, only a minority of medical schools place focus on this critical topic for aspiring physicians and medical professionals.
A recent study showed that by showing an educational video only 90 minutes in length to medical students had a significantly positive impact on medical students' attitudes and beliefs toward individuals with medical disabilities. Education is crucial to providing the context and understanding for medical care providers to do their jobs: caring for patients, regardless of background.
I join others in affirming that we cannot accept discrimination from health care providers. I ask that you use your influence to encourage policymakers to ensure that the Americans with Disabilities Act is upheld and that medical educators provide students with information on how to eliminate such discrimination.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: openclipart.org
Demand that medical professionals receive education in the treatment of patients with disabilities
Excerpt: Studies report discrimination against patients with obvious physical disabilities, including those confined to a wheelchair and those who are obese. Urge policymakers to create laws and guidelines for medical educators to ensure equal treatment of patients with disabilities.
Target: American Medical Association President Ardis Dee Hoven, MD
Goal: Ensure that disabled patients are provided with equal treatment in medical environments by requiring training for medical providers.
Patients with disabilities are discriminated against in medical environments. They are often made to wait longer for treatment or may simply be denied access to treatment outright. One study reports that when researchers contacted hospitals across four cities to ask for treatment for fictional patients who were obese and who used a wheelchair, over a fifth of the facilities responded that accommodating the patient would be impossible.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was put in place in 1990 to eliminate discrimination against individuals due to physical or mental disabilities in activities and situations ranging from housing to public transportation to medical treatment. The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice clearly states that this includes providing accessible examination rooms, necessary equipment for assisting patients when they require physical aid in moving to examination tables, and staff who are provided with the educational training required to treat patients with disabilities.
Studies show that deans at a majority of U.S. medical schools report that including a curriculum for patients with disabilities is not a priority, and many medical students never see any inclusion of treating patients with mental disabilities on the curriculum at all.
Join those who believe in equal treatment for all and urge members of the AMA to suggest policy changes aimed toward equal treatment for patients with disabilities by requiring that students in medical fields receiving training in responding to the needs of individuals with physical and mental impairments.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear AMA President Ardis Dee Hoven,
Individuals with physical and mental disabilities deserve the right to the same access to medical care as all other individuals. However, the current state of medicine often leaves disabled individuals waiting longer for care or denies access to these individuals outright.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was put in place to ensure that individuals with disabilities do not undergo discrimination. I write to ask that you encourage policymakers and medical care providers to ensure that the aims of this act are upheld. Medical facilities should be properly equipped to accommodate all individuals, and medical staff should be provided with the training that is required to treat persons who may suffer from disabilities.
Critically, staff training should go beyond knowledge of appropriate regulations for accessible rooms and knowledge of relevant equipment. It should also be designed to inform medical professionals about the implicit discrimination that often goes along with treating patients with disabilities. This training should start early in the medical educational system. Currently, only a minority of medical schools place focus on this critical topic for aspiring physicians and medical professionals.
A recent study showed that by showing an educational video only 90 minutes in length to medical students had a significantly positive impact on medical students' attitudes and beliefs toward individuals with medical disabilities. Education is crucial to providing the context and understanding for medical care providers to do their jobs: caring for patients, regardless of background.
I join others in affirming that we cannot accept discrimination from health care providers. I ask that you use your influence to encourage policymakers to ensure that the Americans with Disabilities Act is upheld and that medical educators provide students with information on how to eliminate such discrimination.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: openclipart.org
Friday, May 2, 2014
Suona la chitarra
Three comments on the guitar.
1. My friend Boyan of the instrumental trio B11 sure does
play it well. They recently released a self-titled 15-track album including
both original songs (one including a mega-finale which wraps up the album with
some B11 soul) and some seriously groovy covers (personal favorite: Peter Gunn
Theme). Guitar-bass-drums makes for some good tune-age in the car when you are
beating your head on the steering wheel in mind-numbing traffic (or maybe
that’s just me). But driving in the car has always been my favorite time to
listen to music (apart from perhaps doing the dishes, cooking dinner, at
parties… ok, I rescind previous statement). In any case! If you are interested in the album, you can find out all the info here.
Or just ping me.
2. Next month, my chorus (LJSC)
is singing “Ode to Everyday Things,” the beautiful poems of Pablo Neruda put to
music by Cary Ratcliff. One of my favorites is the poem “Oda a la Guitarra” –
the chorus is made to sound like the rhythmic strumming of a guitar:
Delgada
línea pura
de corazón sonoro.
Eres la claridad cortada al vuelo:
cantando sobrevives,
todo se irá menos tu forma.
Another plug: an additional concert is this weekend,
tomorrow (Saturday, May 3) and Sunday, May 4. The orchestra is playing two
pieces (Villa-Lobos and Prokofiev—what’s not to love?) and we are singing
Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with them. I believe it promises not to
disappoint.
3. The guitar is a beautiful instrument. I took a few group
lessons at the extension school at UCSD last quarter, but it wasn’t what I was
looking for (I’ve got the music theory down, for these intents and purposes; I
want to be able to walk into a party and play some tunes). However, I recently
learned the rec program at UCSD (which has classes for yoga, dance, etc.,
several of which I’ve taken before) also offers some arts and music courses—including
guitar. Capitalizing on my position as a graduate student, I jumped in halfway
through the term and found an incredible instructor. This quarter, things are
heating up at school, and it is certainly a welcome release. So far I’ve just
got two-note power chords only a fraction of the way under my belt, but things are
looking up. Here’s to the guitar. And remember: I don’t always play the guitar,
but when I do, I use a B11 pick! (See photograph above.)
Monday, April 21, 2014
Peas or carrots: Evidence-based education programs targeting stress and attention
Reblogged from my post on NeuWriteSD.org:
I’m always keen to hear how scientists are able to reach out to their communities, whether it is by talking to young students about research opportunities, by tutoring or teaching, or by taking steps outside the lab to make direct links between research and the community. At this year’s meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS), one of the invited symposia, entitled “The Broader Applicability of Insights from Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience”, focused on some of great links between developmental neuroscience and the community. One talk by John Gabrieli, professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at MIT, addressed the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES), elementary schools, standardized tests, and cognitive measures like IQ and processing speed [moral of the story: the elementary school you attend affects your standardized test scores, but not your IQ]. Here, I’ll focus on a talk by professor Helen Neville focused on how to train attention and reduce at-home stressors for kids coming from lower-SES backgrounds in order to buffer attentional skills from a young age. The moral of this story? Do all you can to create a stress-free, positive home environment, and give kids plenty of structured time to focus on tasks that require selective attention and suppression of distractions.Read more on NeuWriteSD.org.
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