Some Atheist Scientists With Children Embrace Religious Traditions, According to New Research

Summary: The study also found that some atheist scientists want their children to know about different religions so their children can make informed decisions about their own religious preferences.

"Our research shows just how tightly linked religion and family are in U.S. society -- so much so that even some of society's least religious people find religion to be important in their private lives," said Rice sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund, the study's principal investigator and co-author of a paper in the December issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.The researchers found that 17 percent of atheists with children attended a religious service more than once in the past year.The research was conducted through interviews with a scientifically selected sample of 275 participants pulled from a survey of 2,198 tenured and tenure-track faculty in the natural and social sciences at 21 elite U.S. research universities. Approximately half of the original survey population expressed some form of religious identity, whereas the other half did not.

Impact: People will start making informed decisions.

Critic: This proves that scientist are not biased.

Reference: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201132524.htm

No Fear

Resource: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/12/fear-brain-amygdala/

There has been found that a middle aged woman feels no kind of fear. Fear is a survival instinct and yet she feels nothing of it. They had tried scaring her with a number of terrifying situations such as being held at gunpoint and knife point. She even giggles in haunted houses! She has an unusual genetic disorder called Urbach-Wiethe disease. In one's late childhood, this disease will destroy both sides of the amygdala. The amygdala is composed of two structures the shape and size of almonds on each side of the brain. This damage to the brain had caused the woman to know no fear. They had tested this on animals, but the thing is that if animals can actually feel fear consciously. They also gave her a electronic diary to record for 3 months and fear was an emotion that had never been recorded. Also, she isn't just afraid of life threatening situations, but she also is not afraid of normal everyday fears such as social acceptance and public speaking. The researchers also tried to scare her through many clips or movies such as The Blair Witch Project or The Shining. The damge done to her brain acts at a very unconscious and instinctive level. Not only is there a lack of interest, but you become more curious to what may cause fear.

Fear can be our worst enemy, but it can be our best friend. I believe this is a very interesting article. I think the more we learn about the brain, the better. This could be bad if it were to go wild somehow, but it has little potential to do so since its only genetics.

Emotional Abuse

Resource: http://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/?page_id=168

First let's see the definition of abuse. "Abuse is any behavior that is designed to control and subjugate another human being through the use of fear, humiliation, and verbal or physical assaults. To narrow down emotional abuse, it is the kind of abuse that is more emotional than physical in nature. Some examples of emotional abuse is constant criticism and to even more subtle tactics such as intimidation, manipulation, and refusal to ever be pleased. Emotional abuse may be close to brain washing in the way of lower or no self-confidence, self-worth, trust in one's own perceptions, and self-concept. The results will be similar if one is subject to belittling and berating to intimidation. Overall, emotional abuse may dig deeper than physical abuse since it keeps cutting and destroying at one's sense of self and their remaining feeling of personal value.

Abuse is a terrible thing. It exists in this world and it has done no good to the person suffering. The only thing it has taught is the message of true pain or give someone the initiative to help the world. I believe knowing when you are in this situation allows people to escape the pain of it. I believe this article can help someone get out of this situation and it will give a person a better life.

Music can Save Lives

Listen to This => http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzrzB8i-a2c

Now I hope that you had listened to the song first, its really inspirational and life saving. Music is a powerful thing, and we all will listen to it at some point. We all may not be singer, but we may love to sing. I personally love music. If you didn't think that the song was life saving though, then let me tell you this. The beat to Stay'in Alive is almost the exact tempo that can be used to administer CPR. In all technicalities, music can literally save your life. Also, the music that I had presented really connects with a person. Someone going through pain and misery is a terrible thing, this kind of music can really help someone get through all the pain they suffer. Lullaby is an amazing song. It relates to all those people who want to give up and end it all, but music is a powerful thing, give us the right tune and we will listen to it than to ourselves at times.

I believe this song is really a life changing experience. I believe that this song can save lives and it will bring happiness to a person when people really need it.

Pandas have Problems too

Watch this Video!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X21mJh6j9i4

Well I recommend you watch the video first. The video is very funny and it has a pretty angry panda every time someone would say no. This panda can be described as having anger issues when relating to things that may upset him. The "no" in each of these situations suggests that the panda has a very short fuse and is willing to do anything to get its point across. I believe the panda may be funny but very antisocial. I hope I never run into this panda... or its product

5 brain myths busted.

Here are 5 brain myths that have been busted by recent study:

#1. We only use 10% of our brain.

The truth is that all the areas of the brain have specific function that is in use at least once a day, though there are still some brain reserves.

#2. People are right brained or left brained.

The age old belief that the left hemisphere is the logical side and the right hemisphere controls creative thought just isn't true. Both sides of the brain have functions for both logic and creativity. It is still true, however, that the left side controls the right hemisphere and vice-versa.

#3. Your brain is gray.

We normally perceive brains as being a gray color or being called gray matter, they also contain white matter to link gray matter, red areas due to blood cells, and a black area due to neuromelanin.

#4. "Flashbulb memories" are like photocopies of events.

When you get into a car accident or when the twin towers fell you would easily remember it because it was such a traumatizing experience and would remember it clearly, not really for your mind can play tricks on you. For example there a group of college students who remember the north tower being crashed into first when in reality it was the south tower.

#5. Your brain is lees active in your 40's.

In reality the brain begins to degrade in a person's late 20's.

-I was on yahoo news earlier when I saw this article and I thought, "Why not, it seems like a good subject."

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder that makes it difficult to:

Tell the difference between real and unreal experiences

Think logically

Have normal emotional responses,

Behave normally in social situations

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Schizophrenia is a complex illness. Mental health experts are not sure what causes it. However, genetic factors appear to play a role.

Certain environmental events may trigger schizophrenia in people who are genetically at risk for it.

You are more likely to develop schizophrenia if you have a family member with the disease.

Schizophrenia affects both men and women equally. It usually begins in the teen years or young adulthood, but may begin later in life. It tends to begin later in women, and is more mild.

Childhood-onset schizophrenia begins after age 5. Childhood schizophrenia is rare and can be difficult to tell apart from other developmental disorders of childhood, such as autism.

Symptoms:

Schizophrenia symptoms usually develop slowly over months or years. Sometimes you may have many symptoms, and at other times you may only have a few.

People with any type of schizophrenia may have difficulty keeping friends and working. They may also have problems with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

At first, you may have the following symptoms:

Irritable or tense feeling

Difficulty sleeping

Difficulty concentrating

As the illness continues, problems with thinking, emotions and behavior develop, including:

Lack of emotion (flat affect)

Strongly held beliefs that are not based in reality (delusions)

Hearing or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)

Problems paying attention

Thoughts "jump" between unrelated topics ( “loose associations”)

Bizarre behaviors

Social isolation

Symptoms can vary, depending on the type of schizophrenia you have.

Paranoid schizophrenia symptoms may include:

Anxious

Angry or argumentative

False believes that others are trying to harm you or your loved ones.

Disorganized schizophrenia symptoms may include:

Problems with thinking and expressing ideas clearly

Childlike behavior

Showing little emotion

Catatonic schizophrenia symptoms may include:

Lack of activity

Muscles and posture may be rigid

Grimaces or other odd expressions on the face

Does not respond much to other people

Undifferentiated schizophrenia symptoms may include symptoms of more than one other type of schizophrenia.

People with residual schizophrenia have some symptoms, but not as many as those who are in a full-blown episode of schizophrenia.

'Magic Mushrooms' Can Improve Psychological Health Long Term

Summary: The psychedelic drug in magic mushrooms may have lasting medical and spiritual benefits, according to new research from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The mushroom-derived hallucinogen, called psilocybin, is known to trigger transformative spiritual states, but at high doses it can also result in "bad trips" marked by terror and panic. The trick is to get the dose just right, which the Johns Hopkins researchers report having accomplished. In their study, the Hopkins scientists were able to reliably induce transcendental experiences in volunteers, which offered long-lasting psychological growth and helped people find peace in their lives — without the negative effects.

Critic: I found this to be very interesting.

Impact: They may use this to treat depression.

Reference: http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/16/magic-mushrooms-can-improve-psychological-health-long-term/

Sociopaths

Resource: http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html

A sociopath is person who has pretty much lost his care for anything, but if its bad enough, the sociopath won't even know that he or she is one. One of the traits of a sociopath is a grandiose sense of self. They are so important that they need or actually deserve things. Another aspect of a sociopath is an talent for lying. The person will feel no remorse for lying, its like his conscience or guilt doesn't exist. It would be difficult for this person to tell the truth on a regular basis. Also, adding on to the nonexistence of conscience, they don't feel anything and don't see people as people. People are considered opportunities or targets they can use for their own gain. This is because a deep seated rage rests with the person. They also have an incapacity for love, which leads us to shallow emotions. They have the wrong feeling to a certain scene like laughing at a funeral or getting angry because someone slightly bumped into them. These people also appear as unreliable or irresponsible. They put blame on others when it was obviously theirs to blame.

This article could possibly help someone get help since it is for the purpose of profiling a sociopath. It was interesting to see what a sociopath may be. This profile can help someone get help to a friend or someone really hurting other people to get help with their problem.

The Theories of Love

Resource:http://psychology.about.com/od/loveandattraction/a/theoriesoflove.htm

What is love? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt, no more! We have recognized that this is a song we have heard at some point. The topic today is love. Love can be a wonderful thing and make someone's life ten times brighter. I was surprised to see that there were theories on love. The first theory is Compassionate vs. Passionate Love. Passionate love is based around sexual attraction and intense emotions. Compassionate love is revolves around mutual respect, attachment, and trust. Passionate love will only stay connected for six to thirty months. Compassionate love is for marriage material and if Passionate love can progress to Compassionate love, then it can lead on to a life long relationship. Another theory is based on the color wheel. John Lee compared love to a color wheel. The explanation is that there are three primary colors and those colors can create other colors to complement it which can lead to limitless amounts of different ways to love. The third theory is Triangular Theory of Love. It is triangle which can have different combinations that lead to different types of relationships. The three sides or points represent intimacy, passions, and commitment. If a person has all these qualities in a relationship, it will be the most enduring type, but it is rare for this to occur.

Love is an interesting thing, and this article caught my eye. I believe it gave all the information necessary for the reader and it was a very interesting topic as well. Love as a science is one weird combo, but I don't doubt it. This article could help people understand what kind of love they have and may affect one's decision.