What is significant about the last line in Guardian Angel?
That Bauby is stilling having diffuculty grasping his situation. Sometimes he can't decide if he is acctually still alive, or what being alive means. It also shows that he is unsure of what his future is to be. He has no control, and he doesn't know what that means.
What is ironic about the photograph he recieves from his father in The Photo?
That both he and his father are locked-in. He is locked in his body, while his father is locked in his apartment. Neither of them has any freedom left.
Do Bauby's dreams give us any insight into his condition? Be specific.
Yes, because they demonstrate the uncertainty he feels about his condition. It conveys his horror and disbelief. He can't believe it even thought he lives it. It also expresses the oppresiveness of his condition. There is literally no way for him to escape it. He is trapped.
Where is Bauby's butterfly in My Lucky Day?
His butterfly is in the fact that he was finnaly rescued by a nurse who ended the incessant ringing of his feeder and the other instruments that were messed up. Also the fact that the was an incredibly ironic moment that day.
After reading, Our Very Own Madonna and Through a Glass, Darkly, Bauby seems to have regrets about not appreciating small moments from his earlier life. Can you think of a moment from your own life that you did not truly appreciate until it was over? How can we learn to live so that we appreciate significant moments. Is this even possible?
Yes, when I went to Maine on vacation. At the time it was just something we did during the summer, so I didn't really appreciate it as much as I should have. But now that we haven't gone in a while, I realize how much it actually meant. I think that we just need to truely appreciate every moment of our lives. I don't think it's actually possible, but maby, just mabye, it is.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A Diving Bell
1. I think that it shows that he is determined to at least lead a sembance of his old life by keeping some things the same. ie he wants to wear cashmere, because he always has.
2. Yes, because as always, some things are lost in the translation process, there are some words in french that can't be expressed in English and vise versa.
3. Because he is totaly unable to move any of his muscles and is totally handicapped. I wouldn't find it funny, but I guess he has a sick sense of humor.
4. There is no one particular place, but if I had to choose, it would be my backyard during the summer. It's just so relaxing. I would like to go there.
5. Becasue were happy with they way we see the world, and though we may want to be open-minded, our inner instinct makes us ignore them versus a person from our neighboorhood/home.
6. I would miss pasta the most. It just is so filling while at the same time it tastes so good. It is just one of the great foods of the world.
2. Yes, because as always, some things are lost in the translation process, there are some words in french that can't be expressed in English and vise versa.
3. Because he is totaly unable to move any of his muscles and is totally handicapped. I wouldn't find it funny, but I guess he has a sick sense of humor.
4. There is no one particular place, but if I had to choose, it would be my backyard during the summer. It's just so relaxing. I would like to go there.
5. Becasue were happy with they way we see the world, and though we may want to be open-minded, our inner instinct makes us ignore them versus a person from our neighboorhood/home.
6. I would miss pasta the most. It just is so filling while at the same time it tastes so good. It is just one of the great foods of the world.
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Noise of Pink
I was aware of the fact that you could use music to drown out annoying noises, but the fact that you could use natural noises to lessen it's impact was surprising, mostly because annoying noises are alot louder than natural noises and tend to be quite a bit softer.
Perception vs. Concentration
I believe that this would be a situtation where our perception effect our ability to concentrate. The loud noises are percieved easier and so is more apparent and distracting, while the addition of "pink noise" or music, allows it to be complicated and more enjoyable, allowing you to concentrate easier on whatever you're doing.
Perception vs. Concentration
I believe that this would be a situtation where our perception effect our ability to concentrate. The loud noises are percieved easier and so is more apparent and distracting, while the addition of "pink noise" or music, allows it to be complicated and more enjoyable, allowing you to concentrate easier on whatever you're doing.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Diving Butterfly
a) What is 'Locked-in syndrome'? Why would one consider Bauby's condition a prison? What is the significance of The Butterfly?
Locked-in syndrome is a condtiton where you cannot talk, move or express yourself at all. One would consider this a prison because you can't even talk to any body, can't get any thing you want and are absolutely helpless. The butterfly is significant because it symbolyses freedom, something he cannot attain.
b) What was Bauby's "frightening truth'?
His frightening truth is the fact that he'll never be able to do any thing at all without help for the rest of his life. He will be partially paralyzed forever.
c) In your opinion, how do you think Bauby should measure progress? Why do you think Bauby ends the chapter "Prayer" with the phrase, "I set out for the kingdom of slumber with this wonderful talisman, which shields me from all harm."
He should most likely measyre progress in very small steps, otherwise any progress could be missed and he would become disheartened. I think he ends this way because he is trying to remain opptomistic, and not give into the terror of an abyss.
Locked-in syndrome is a condtiton where you cannot talk, move or express yourself at all. One would consider this a prison because you can't even talk to any body, can't get any thing you want and are absolutely helpless. The butterfly is significant because it symbolyses freedom, something he cannot attain.
b) What was Bauby's "frightening truth'?
His frightening truth is the fact that he'll never be able to do any thing at all without help for the rest of his life. He will be partially paralyzed forever.
c) In your opinion, how do you think Bauby should measure progress? Why do you think Bauby ends the chapter "Prayer" with the phrase, "I set out for the kingdom of slumber with this wonderful talisman, which shields me from all harm."
He should most likely measyre progress in very small steps, otherwise any progress could be missed and he would become disheartened. I think he ends this way because he is trying to remain opptomistic, and not give into the terror of an abyss.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Are you Able?
What is Perception?
Perception is the interpretation of various senses by the brain, organizing them into a coherent image, allowing you to process images.
What does Abel mean by "Seeing As..."?
Abel means that what you see is not what is really there, but what the brain organizes into an image that you see. You don't see the world as it is but as how your brain perceives it to be.
To see what is the case, what is required?
Context (the circumstances or events that form the environment within which something exists or takes place), inference (the process of reasoning from a premise to a conclusion), concepts ( broad abstract idea or a guiding general principle), experience (knowledge or skill gained through being involved in or exposed to something over a period of time) and interpretation (a mental representation of the meaning or significance of something).
What did Nietzsche mean by “the fallacy of the immaculate perception?” How does Psychologist Joseph Jastrow prove this point? When have we done this in class?
He meant that you are unable to see something if you can't perceive it. Jastrow proved this by using a well known drawing; it could be seen as either a duck or a rabbit and shifts from one to the other while you look at it.
What does Abel mean when he writes: “there is therefore no sharp line dividing perception from illusion?”
He meant that perception, in some cases, is the illusion, like, for example, when you look at the picture of a line circling smaller every time so it seems as if its going into a point at the center, you see the circle as moving, even though it isn't moving at all.
Why is perception selective by nature?
Perception is selective by nature because of the fact that we can receive and process only so many stimuli, that we could be missing large amounts of other types of stimuli, but we entirely miss them.
What does Abel mean when he says: “to perceive is to solve a problem?”
He means that our ability to respond to some stimuli is beneficial to our survival as a species. We are able to think and invent which is all do to perception, which allows us to gain an advantage over the other species.
What is the role of social conditioning in determining how things “naturally look?”
We determine what looks natural by what our society tells us is normal. What the society believes is normal, you think is normal. Every society has different ideas of normal.
What is significant of the Durer rhinoceros story? How was the influence of convention demonstrated when some tribes were given a photograph?
The significance of the Durer rhinoceros story is that Durer made a model of a rhinoceros without having ever seen one, using second-hand accounts and his imagination. Natural history books ended up using his model for centuries. When James Bruce ended up going to Africa in the 1700's he noticed how wrong Durer's model was and drew a rhinoceros himself. But his drawing was so influenced by what he thought one should look like, no zoologist could identify it. (Nothing on tribes)
How does convention influence perspective drawing?
It influences you to draw what seems normal by societal norms, and you may not even realize it but it has a very large influence; sometime some so that it becomes unrecognizable due to the struggle between your vision and societal norms.
What does Abel mean when he writes: believing is seeing? How might this point be seen in the study of the natural and the social sciences?
He means that if you don't believe something your brain can percieve something as something else. It might be seen in the light of people's intolerance of other's view's.
What does Abel mean by “hearing as…”?
That if you expect to hear something, you will hear wht you expect to hear, not what was actually said. If somebody says one thing, but you expected another, you'll hear what you expected.
Perception is the interpretation of various senses by the brain, organizing them into a coherent image, allowing you to process images.
What does Abel mean by "Seeing As..."?
Abel means that what you see is not what is really there, but what the brain organizes into an image that you see. You don't see the world as it is but as how your brain perceives it to be.
To see what is the case, what is required?
Context (the circumstances or events that form the environment within which something exists or takes place), inference (the process of reasoning from a premise to a conclusion), concepts ( broad abstract idea or a guiding general principle), experience (knowledge or skill gained through being involved in or exposed to something over a period of time) and interpretation (a mental representation of the meaning or significance of something).
What did Nietzsche mean by “the fallacy of the immaculate perception?” How does Psychologist Joseph Jastrow prove this point? When have we done this in class?
He meant that you are unable to see something if you can't perceive it. Jastrow proved this by using a well known drawing; it could be seen as either a duck or a rabbit and shifts from one to the other while you look at it.
What does Abel mean when he writes: “there is therefore no sharp line dividing perception from illusion?”
He meant that perception, in some cases, is the illusion, like, for example, when you look at the picture of a line circling smaller every time so it seems as if its going into a point at the center, you see the circle as moving, even though it isn't moving at all.
Why is perception selective by nature?
Perception is selective by nature because of the fact that we can receive and process only so many stimuli, that we could be missing large amounts of other types of stimuli, but we entirely miss them.
What does Abel mean when he says: “to perceive is to solve a problem?”
He means that our ability to respond to some stimuli is beneficial to our survival as a species. We are able to think and invent which is all do to perception, which allows us to gain an advantage over the other species.
What is the role of social conditioning in determining how things “naturally look?”
We determine what looks natural by what our society tells us is normal. What the society believes is normal, you think is normal. Every society has different ideas of normal.
What is significant of the Durer rhinoceros story? How was the influence of convention demonstrated when some tribes were given a photograph?
The significance of the Durer rhinoceros story is that Durer made a model of a rhinoceros without having ever seen one, using second-hand accounts and his imagination. Natural history books ended up using his model for centuries. When James Bruce ended up going to Africa in the 1700's he noticed how wrong Durer's model was and drew a rhinoceros himself. But his drawing was so influenced by what he thought one should look like, no zoologist could identify it. (Nothing on tribes)
How does convention influence perspective drawing?
It influences you to draw what seems normal by societal norms, and you may not even realize it but it has a very large influence; sometime some so that it becomes unrecognizable due to the struggle between your vision and societal norms.
What does Abel mean when he writes: believing is seeing? How might this point be seen in the study of the natural and the social sciences?
He means that if you don't believe something your brain can percieve something as something else. It might be seen in the light of people's intolerance of other's view's.
What does Abel mean by “hearing as…”?
That if you expect to hear something, you will hear wht you expect to hear, not what was actually said. If somebody says one thing, but you expected another, you'll hear what you expected.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Blink Again Again (Blink Again con.)
Running out of White Space:
The human mind needs time to distinguish things. In snap judgement we are usually wrong. We need to slow things down a tiny bit to rationally asses the situation. "But even the giant computer in our unconscious mind needs a moment to do its work."
Something in my mind told me I didn't have to shoot yet:
If you are well trained and have enough experience, you are able to effectivily able to slow the situation down and allow yourself to make the right descion, due to the fact that you don't give in to the split second descion.
Tragedy on Wheeler Street:
The men on Wheeler Street failed to do that. They gave in and as a result, an innocent man died. If they had taken thier time they wouldn't of killed him and he would be alive today.
The human mind needs time to distinguish things. In snap judgement we are usually wrong. We need to slow things down a tiny bit to rationally asses the situation. "But even the giant computer in our unconscious mind needs a moment to do its work."
Something in my mind told me I didn't have to shoot yet:
If you are well trained and have enough experience, you are able to effectivily able to slow the situation down and allow yourself to make the right descion, due to the fact that you don't give in to the split second descion.
Tragedy on Wheeler Street:
The men on Wheeler Street failed to do that. They gave in and as a result, an innocent man died. If they had taken thier time they wouldn't of killed him and he would be alive today.
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