Snap Decisions Often Best
January 9th 2007 21:01
NEWS
Dead birds falling from the sky? Thousands of dead birds have fallen from the skies over Esperance, 725km southeast of Perth, and no one knows why. New holland and singing honeyeaters, yellow throated miners, wattle birds, some dead hawks, crows and pigeons have been dropping into peoples’ yards.
About 500 dead birds so far have been reported although it is believed that the dead birds number in the thousands because of those falling unreported in the bush.
This started about 3 weeks ago; calls stopped last week, presumably because there are no more birds left.
Autopsies in Perth have shed no light on the mystery. It is surmised that the phenomenon
could be a result of last week’s freak storm (Esperance was declared a natural disaster zone - not because of the dead birds but because of the storm) even though the deaths started well before the storm.
All the residents of flood-devastated Esperance know is that their "dawn chorus" of singing birds is missing.
VIEWS:
Kind of an ironic twist on the “Chicken Little Story” except instead of the sky falling, it’s Chicken Little’s relatives. This is sad and tragic - there are few things more pleasurable in life than hearing songbirds doing their thing.
NEWS:
The US has carried out at least two successful air strikes against the Union of Islamic Courts terrorists, believed to be an al Qaeda cell holding up in southern Somalia, after being driven from the Somalian capital of Mogadishu.
It is reported that many civilians were killed in the attacks. It is unreported as to whether any of the terrorists suffered the same fate.
Somalia's interim President, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, said the US had the right to bomb those who had in 1998 attacked its embassies in East Africa.
VIEWS:
Sorry for all the bad news: dead birds and innocent civilians. I’’ll try to find something a little lighter for my next entry. One wonders how the Somalian President and the US military can be sure these are the same terrorists involved in the 1998 bombing - 8 to 9 years ago, hmm.
NEWS:
As reported in Current Biology, researchers at University College, London, found that making subconscious snap decisions is more reliable, in certain situations, than using rational thought processes.
Participants in the study were given a computer based task and performed better when they were given less time to make their decisions
Ten people were shown a computer screen covered in over 650 identical symbols, including one rotated version of the symbol and were asked to decide which side of the screen the rotated image was on.
Given a fraction of a second to look at the screen, the subjects were 95% accurate. But when they were allowed to scrutinize the image for over a second, they were only 70% accurate.
Dr Li Zhaoping, of the college’s Department of Psychology said: "This finding seems counter-intuitive: “You would expect people to make more accurate decisions when given the time to look properly.“ The researchers said that in their test, the instinctive decisions were more likely to be correct because the subconscious brain recognized a rotated version of the same object as different from the original, whereas the conscious brain could identify the two objects as identical, albeit in different orientations.
Dr Li further stated: "The conscious or top-level function of the brain, when active, vetoes our initial subconscious decision - even when it is correct - leaving us unaware or distrustful of our instincts and at an immediate disadvantage.”
VIEWS:
I understand the concept, but the explanation is fuzzy at best to me. Anyway, this gives food for thought to such sayings (cliches) as “Trust your instincts” and “Look before you leap.” Oh, what to do and how hard to think.
WORLD SPORTS NEW:
England conceded a record 221-5 before losing the Twenty20 international cricket matches to Australia by a margin of 77 runs.
VIEWS:
I know exactly nothing about Cricket, living in California, but feel this is probably pretty important news to cricket fans around the world of which I know the number to be many. As soon as I finish this column, I am going to google “Cricket for the uninformed” and see if I can pick up some knowledge about this sport enjoyed the world over. I have seen film clips and it looks like fun.
CLICHE OF THE DAY: “Balls to the Wall”
Meaning: To push to the limit, go all out, full speed
Origin: This is going to surprise most, methinks: Two possibilities, neither of which I even considered: (1) Aviation: the throttle on fighter planes (at least the older models) was a rod going into the dash; at the pilot’’s end of the rod was a ball. Pushing the ball forward to the dash wall increased the plane’s speed - all the way in equaled full speed –– “Balls to the wall”
(2) Railroading: Early locomotives powered by steam had a governor which consisted of two weighted steel balls at the end of arms which balls rotated as the locomotive moved. The faster the speed, the further out and up, due to centrifugal force, did the balls go. At full speed, the balls were close to the unit’s housing walls - “Balls to the wall”
Betcha a bunch of you were as fooled as I was. What fun
JOKE OF THE DAY:
Actually a riddle today: Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9
MORE ““MURPHY-LIKE LAWS””:
Military Laws
No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.
Friendly fire ain't.
The most dangerous thing in the combat zone is an officer with a map.
The problem with taking the easy way out is that the enemy has already mined it.
The buddy system is essential to your survival; it gives the enemy somebody else to shoot at
The further you are in advance of your own positions, the more likely your artillery will shoot short.
AGAIN, NICE TO SEE YOU HERE, PLEASE COME ON BACK
Dead birds falling from the sky? Thousands of dead birds have fallen from the skies over Esperance, 725km southeast of Perth, and no one knows why. New holland and singing honeyeaters, yellow throated miners, wattle birds, some dead hawks, crows and pigeons have been dropping into peoples’ yards.
About 500 dead birds so far have been reported although it is believed that the dead birds number in the thousands because of those falling unreported in the bush.
This started about 3 weeks ago; calls stopped last week, presumably because there are no more birds left.
Autopsies in Perth have shed no light on the mystery. It is surmised that the phenomenon
could be a result of last week’s freak storm (Esperance was declared a natural disaster zone - not because of the dead birds but because of the storm) even though the deaths started well before the storm.
All the residents of flood-devastated Esperance know is that their "dawn chorus" of singing birds is missing.
VIEWS:
Kind of an ironic twist on the “Chicken Little Story” except instead of the sky falling, it’s Chicken Little’s relatives. This is sad and tragic - there are few things more pleasurable in life than hearing songbirds doing their thing.
NEWS:
The US has carried out at least two successful air strikes against the Union of Islamic Courts terrorists, believed to be an al Qaeda cell holding up in southern Somalia, after being driven from the Somalian capital of Mogadishu.
It is reported that many civilians were killed in the attacks. It is unreported as to whether any of the terrorists suffered the same fate.
Somalia's interim President, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, said the US had the right to bomb those who had in 1998 attacked its embassies in East Africa.
VIEWS:
Sorry for all the bad news: dead birds and innocent civilians. I’’ll try to find something a little lighter for my next entry. One wonders how the Somalian President and the US military can be sure these are the same terrorists involved in the 1998 bombing - 8 to 9 years ago, hmm.
NEWS:
As reported in Current Biology, researchers at University College, London, found that making subconscious snap decisions is more reliable, in certain situations, than using rational thought processes.
Participants in the study were given a computer based task and performed better when they were given less time to make their decisions
Ten people were shown a computer screen covered in over 650 identical symbols, including one rotated version of the symbol and were asked to decide which side of the screen the rotated image was on.
Given a fraction of a second to look at the screen, the subjects were 95% accurate. But when they were allowed to scrutinize the image for over a second, they were only 70% accurate.
Dr Li Zhaoping, of the college’s Department of Psychology said: "This finding seems counter-intuitive: “You would expect people to make more accurate decisions when given the time to look properly.“ The researchers said that in their test, the instinctive decisions were more likely to be correct because the subconscious brain recognized a rotated version of the same object as different from the original, whereas the conscious brain could identify the two objects as identical, albeit in different orientations.
Dr Li further stated: "The conscious or top-level function of the brain, when active, vetoes our initial subconscious decision - even when it is correct - leaving us unaware or distrustful of our instincts and at an immediate disadvantage.”
VIEWS:
I understand the concept, but the explanation is fuzzy at best to me. Anyway, this gives food for thought to such sayings (cliches) as “Trust your instincts” and “Look before you leap.” Oh, what to do and how hard to think.
WORLD SPORTS NEW:
England conceded a record 221-5 before losing the Twenty20 international cricket matches to Australia by a margin of 77 runs.
VIEWS:
I know exactly nothing about Cricket, living in California, but feel this is probably pretty important news to cricket fans around the world of which I know the number to be many. As soon as I finish this column, I am going to google “Cricket for the uninformed” and see if I can pick up some knowledge about this sport enjoyed the world over. I have seen film clips and it looks like fun.
CLICHE OF THE DAY: “Balls to the Wall”
Meaning: To push to the limit, go all out, full speed
Origin: This is going to surprise most, methinks: Two possibilities, neither of which I even considered: (1) Aviation: the throttle on fighter planes (at least the older models) was a rod going into the dash; at the pilot’’s end of the rod was a ball. Pushing the ball forward to the dash wall increased the plane’s speed - all the way in equaled full speed –– “Balls to the wall”
(2) Railroading: Early locomotives powered by steam had a governor which consisted of two weighted steel balls at the end of arms which balls rotated as the locomotive moved. The faster the speed, the further out and up, due to centrifugal force, did the balls go. At full speed, the balls were close to the unit’s housing walls - “Balls to the wall”
Betcha a bunch of you were as fooled as I was. What fun
JOKE OF THE DAY:
Actually a riddle today: Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9
MORE ““MURPHY-LIKE LAWS””:
Military Laws
No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.
Friendly fire ain't.
The most dangerous thing in the combat zone is an officer with a map.
The problem with taking the easy way out is that the enemy has already mined it.
The buddy system is essential to your survival; it gives the enemy somebody else to shoot at
The further you are in advance of your own positions, the more likely your artillery will shoot short.
AGAIN, NICE TO SEE YOU HERE, PLEASE COME ON BACK
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