a generic blog
Monday, July 17, 2006
Song of the Dunes/Chant des dunes
Song of the Dunes/Chant des dunes
DUNE TUNES. For centuries, world travelers have known of sand dunes
that issue loud sounds, sometimes of great tonal quality. In the
12th century Marco Polo heard singing sand in China and Charles
Darwin described the clear sounds coming from a sand deposit up
against a mountain in Chile. Now, a team of scientists has
disproved the long held belief that the sound comes from vibrations
of the dune as a whole and proven, through field studies and through
controlled experiments in a lab, that the sounds come from the
synchronized motions of the grains in avalanches of a certain size.
Small avalanches don’t produce any detectable sound, while large
avalanches produce sound at lots of frequencies (leading to
cacophonous noise). But sand slides of just the right size and
velocity result in sounds of a pure frequency, with just enough
overtones to give the sound “color,?as if the dunes were musical
instruments. In this case, however, the tuning isn’t produced by
any outside influence but by critically self-organizing tendencies
of the dune itself. The researchers thus rule out various “musical?
explanations. For example, the dune sound does not come from the
stick-slip motion of blocks of sand across the body of the dune
(much as violin sounds are made by the somewhat-periodic stick-slip
motion of a bow across a string attached to the body of the
violin). Nor does the dune song arise from a resonance effect (much
as resonating air inside a flute produces a pure tone) since it is
observed that the dune sound level can be recorded at many locations
around the dune. Instead, the sand sound comes from the
synchronized, free sliding motion of dry larger-grained sand
producing lower frequency sound. The scientists---from the
University of Paris (France), Harvard (US), the CNRS lab in Paris,
and the Universite Ibn Zohr (Morocco)---have set up a website
(http://www.lps.ens.fr/~douady/SongofDunesIndex.html ) where one can
listen to sounds from different dunes in China, Oman, Morocco, and
Chile. (Douady et al., Physical Review Letters, upcoming article;
contact Stephane Douady at douady@lps.ens.fr) ¶ 2:35 PM 0 comments
DUNE TUNES. For centuries, world travelers have known of sand dunes
that issue loud sounds, sometimes of great tonal quality. In the
12th century Marco Polo heard singing sand in China and Charles
Darwin described the clear sounds coming from a sand deposit up
against a mountain in Chile. Now, a team of scientists has
disproved the long held belief that the sound comes from vibrations
of the dune as a whole and proven, through field studies and through
controlled experiments in a lab, that the sounds come from the
synchronized motions of the grains in avalanches of a certain size.
Small avalanches don’t produce any detectable sound, while large
avalanches produce sound at lots of frequencies (leading to
cacophonous noise). But sand slides of just the right size and
velocity result in sounds of a pure frequency, with just enough
overtones to give the sound “color,?as if the dunes were musical
instruments. In this case, however, the tuning isn’t produced by
any outside influence but by critically self-organizing tendencies
of the dune itself. The researchers thus rule out various “musical?
explanations. For example, the dune sound does not come from the
stick-slip motion of blocks of sand across the body of the dune
(much as violin sounds are made by the somewhat-periodic stick-slip
motion of a bow across a string attached to the body of the
violin). Nor does the dune song arise from a resonance effect (much
as resonating air inside a flute produces a pure tone) since it is
observed that the dune sound level can be recorded at many locations
around the dune. Instead, the sand sound comes from the
synchronized, free sliding motion of dry larger-grained sand
producing lower frequency sound. The scientists---from the
University of Paris (France), Harvard (US), the CNRS lab in Paris,
and the Universite Ibn Zohr (Morocco)---have set up a website
(http://www.lps.ens.fr/~douady/SongofDunesIndex.html ) where one can
listen to sounds from different dunes in China, Oman, Morocco, and
Chile. (Douady et al., Physical Review Letters, upcoming article;
contact Stephane Douady at douady@lps.ens.fr) ¶ 2:35 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Mushroom drug produces mystical experience - Yahoo! News
Mushroom drug produces mystical experience - Yahoo! News: "Mushroom drug produces mystical experience
By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer Tue Jul 11, 12:32 AM ET
NEW YORK - People who took an illegal drug made from mushrooms reported profound mystical experiences that led to behavior changes lasting for weeks — all part of an experiment that recalls the psychedelic '60s.
Many of the 36 volunteers rated their reaction to a single dose of the drug, called psilocybin, as one of the most meaningful or spiritually significant experiences of their lives. Some compared it to the birth of a child or the death of a parent.
Such comments 'just seemed unbelievable,' said Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, the study's lead author.
But don't try this at home, he warned. 'Absolutely don't.'
Almost a third of the research participants found the drug experience frightening even in the very controlled setting. That suggests people experimenting with the illicit drug on their own could be harmed, Griffiths said.
Viewed by some as a landmark, the study is one of the few rigorous looks in the past 40 years at a hallucinogen's effects. The researchers suggest the drug someday may help drug addicts kick their habit or aid terminally ill patients struggling with anxiety and depression.
It may also provide a way to study what happens in the brain during intense spiritual experiences, the scientists said.
Funded in part by the federal government, the research was published online Tuesday by the journal Psychopharmacology.
Psilocybin has been used for centuries in religious practices, and its ability to produce a mystical experience is no surprise. But the new work demonstrates it more clearly than before, Griffiths said.
Even two months after taking the drug, pronounced SILL-oh-SY-bin, most of the volunteers said the experience had changed them in beneficial ways, such as making t" ¶ 2:34 PM 0 comments
By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer Tue Jul 11, 12:32 AM ET
NEW YORK - People who took an illegal drug made from mushrooms reported profound mystical experiences that led to behavior changes lasting for weeks — all part of an experiment that recalls the psychedelic '60s.
Many of the 36 volunteers rated their reaction to a single dose of the drug, called psilocybin, as one of the most meaningful or spiritually significant experiences of their lives. Some compared it to the birth of a child or the death of a parent.
Such comments 'just seemed unbelievable,' said Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, the study's lead author.
But don't try this at home, he warned. 'Absolutely don't.'
Almost a third of the research participants found the drug experience frightening even in the very controlled setting. That suggests people experimenting with the illicit drug on their own could be harmed, Griffiths said.
Viewed by some as a landmark, the study is one of the few rigorous looks in the past 40 years at a hallucinogen's effects. The researchers suggest the drug someday may help drug addicts kick their habit or aid terminally ill patients struggling with anxiety and depression.
It may also provide a way to study what happens in the brain during intense spiritual experiences, the scientists said.
Funded in part by the federal government, the research was published online Tuesday by the journal Psychopharmacology.
Psilocybin has been used for centuries in religious practices, and its ability to produce a mystical experience is no surprise. But the new work demonstrates it more clearly than before, Griffiths said.
Even two months after taking the drug, pronounced SILL-oh-SY-bin, most of the volunteers said the experience had changed them in beneficial ways, such as making t" ¶ 2:34 PM 0 comments
Thursday, July 06, 2006
DANCE PHOBIA: Treatment and Hope
DANCE PHOBIA: Treatment and Hope
What is Dance Phobia?
Defined as "dancing", each year this surprisingly common phobia causes countless people needless distress.
To add insult to an already distressing condition, most dance phobia therapies take months or years and sometimes even require the patient to be exposed repeatedly to their fear. We believe that not only is this totally unnecessary, it will often make the condition worse. And it is particularly cruel as dance phobia can be eliminated with the right methods and just 24 hours of commitment by the phobic individual.
Known by a number of names - Chorophobia and Fear of Dancing being the most common - the problem often significantly impacts the quality of life. It can cause panic attacks and keep people apart from loved ones and business associates. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and overall feelings of dread, although everyone experiences dance phobia in their own way and may have different symptoms. Our treatment involves no drugs.
Though a variety of potent drugs are often prescribed for dance phobia, side effects and/or withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Moreover, drugs do not "cure" dance phobia or any other phobia. At best they temporarily suppress the symptoms through chemical interaction.
What is the cause of Dance Phobia?
Like all fears and phobias, dance phobia is created by the unconscious mind as a protective mechanism. At some point in your past, there was likely an event linking dancing and emotional trauma. Whilst the original catalyst may have been a real-life scare of some kind, the condition can also be triggered by myriad, benign events like movies, TV, or perhaps seeing someone else experience trauma.
But so long as the negative association is powerful enough, the unconscious mind thinks: "Ahh, this whole thing is very dangerous. How do I keep myself from getting in this kind of situation again? I know, I'll attach terrible feelings to dancing, that way I'll steer clear in future and so be safe." Just like that dance phobia is born. Attaching emotions to situations is one of the primary ways that humans learn. Sometimes we just get the wiring wrong.
The actual phobia manifests itself in different ways. Some sufferers experience it almost all the time, others just in response to direct stimuli. Everyone has their own unique formula for when and how to feel bad. ¶ 7:00 PM 1 comments
What is Dance Phobia?
Defined as "dancing", each year this surprisingly common phobia causes countless people needless distress.
To add insult to an already distressing condition, most dance phobia therapies take months or years and sometimes even require the patient to be exposed repeatedly to their fear. We believe that not only is this totally unnecessary, it will often make the condition worse. And it is particularly cruel as dance phobia can be eliminated with the right methods and just 24 hours of commitment by the phobic individual.
Known by a number of names - Chorophobia and Fear of Dancing being the most common - the problem often significantly impacts the quality of life. It can cause panic attacks and keep people apart from loved ones and business associates. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and overall feelings of dread, although everyone experiences dance phobia in their own way and may have different symptoms. Our treatment involves no drugs.
Though a variety of potent drugs are often prescribed for dance phobia, side effects and/or withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Moreover, drugs do not "cure" dance phobia or any other phobia. At best they temporarily suppress the symptoms through chemical interaction.
What is the cause of Dance Phobia?
Like all fears and phobias, dance phobia is created by the unconscious mind as a protective mechanism. At some point in your past, there was likely an event linking dancing and emotional trauma. Whilst the original catalyst may have been a real-life scare of some kind, the condition can also be triggered by myriad, benign events like movies, TV, or perhaps seeing someone else experience trauma.
But so long as the negative association is powerful enough, the unconscious mind thinks: "Ahh, this whole thing is very dangerous. How do I keep myself from getting in this kind of situation again? I know, I'll attach terrible feelings to dancing, that way I'll steer clear in future and so be safe." Just like that dance phobia is born. Attaching emotions to situations is one of the primary ways that humans learn. Sometimes we just get the wiring wrong.
The actual phobia manifests itself in different ways. Some sufferers experience it almost all the time, others just in response to direct stimuli. Everyone has their own unique formula for when and how to feel bad. ¶ 7:00 PM 1 comments
