CSSC: Chicken Smoothie Science Club

[Atwood]

Khisa, that's pretty interesting. I'd want to know about the mechanism for that though. Are those that are more driven towards climbing the social ladder less empathetic for example, or is it a necessity for survival, or related to the type of work people do? The UK still uses a class based system to define people so it would be interesting to see how that effects people in fundamental ways.
(...)

Unfortunately I could only read another (German) article regarding that and it was quite short. The difference was made in the amount of income the parents of the tested students had. It was explained that the higher amount of empathy in financially less equipped students was a result from the need to cooperate with others compared to students of rich families.

That makes sense to me - a need for cooperation requires the ability to understand what others are thinking, so it would be advantageous to be able to 'read' people well, as well as feel more connection to others to encourage altruism within the group (since altruism benefits the group and a non-altruistic/non-empathetic person might be shunned by the rest of the group if they failed to reciprocate the kindness of others). Also, in most social species it seems that the ones who are further down the social ladder are more adept at reading others, since they have to be. Not many would mess with the big powerful leaders of the population, and so those who are well-to-do don't need to worry so much about what others think of them - they have power in their own right and don't rely on the goodwill of others. However, those at the lower end of the ranking need the support of other people and are in some ways at the mercy of those above them in the social ranks, so they need to be able to read a situation to avoid getting themselves in trouble with the higher-ups as well. This requires empathy, which feeds back into their building connections with other people. Interestingly enough, another study I saw quite a while ago looked into people's charitable donations versus their socioeconomic status, and it found that the people who donated the most relative to their income were those with the least disposable income to spare. :3

[Khisa]

Interestingly enough, another study I saw quite a while ago looked into people's charitable donations versus their socioeconomic status, and it found that the people who donated the most relative to their income were those with the least disposable income to spare. :3

That's what I experienced on a personal level over and over again. If somebody is in need of money it will most likely come from people who themselves are at least 'on the edge' of having not enough. And belonging to that group of people, too, I just know from own experience what it means to lack help and therefore I'm willing to go to great lengths to help others, same goes for my friends. It's just not easy to turn your back on others when you know exactly what somebody else has to go through.
Funny that I have 'rich' friends at all ^^ - but they are not the ones to turn to with problems (not only regarding financial problems, just generally they don't seem to want to be so much of help or most often don't seem bothered at all). It's interesting to know where the difference in behaviour comes from. And it proves that 'poor' people do in fact have great things to offer to society and mankind! My 'rich' friends are nice, too. But they simply seem to lack all the necessary experience to know what it is like, what it means etc. - they are not 'bad' people.

I think this is a good example why voluntary work in socially/financially weak areas is beneficial to all.

[Autochthon Scion]

Another link that I think everyone should check out - questions asked by 6th graders; answered by scientists.

I've just got round to reading through some of these. It has to be one of the best things I've seen on Reddit so far (as short a my Redditing days have been :P )

I particularly enjoy the fact that reading through some of the posts, I find myself agreeing with what has been said, or even disagreeing, in the case of the discussion about the moon and the shape of the Earth, as I was wondering how much the moon actually affects the shape of the surface of the Earth, as my Atmospheric Physics lectures have shown that the Earth bulges at the equator due to the centrifugal force from its rotation which actually distorts the "direction" of gravity by adding in an extra component, and over time the surface of the planet has realigned so that this "effective gravity" is actually what is perpendicular to the surface...pretty sure that's right, otherwise revision has not been working at all :P but anyway, someone had comment afterwards saying something similar

The "why is blood red was quite interesting too, I didn't know that copper can be used in organisms which gives rise to blue blood instead.

[Khisa]

Oh, I love new inventions (I know it's not new, but still, just found it now <.< ): touchable holograms.

[Toxi+Bbun]

Oh, I love new inventions (I now it's not new, but still, just found it now <.< ): touchable holograms.

That. Is. So. Cool! I love the little elephant. 8D

[Scarf]

Oh, I love new inventions (I now it's not new, but still, just found it now <.< ): touchable holograms.

Yesssssss one more step on the glorious path to making Red Dwarf come true :D Hard light holograms yay :D They are un-knock-out-able.

[Khisa]

Hope you guys are all fine and enjoying a more summerly summer than we're having over here.

But share-time, I wanted to link you forward to this nice diagram about scientific evidence about popular health supplements.

Edit: If this should turn out to be true, it's simply AWESOME news.

[Autochthon Scion]

Hi Science-heads

I have a favour to ask if you have 10mins or so to spare.

My friend is nearing the end of his PhD and wants as many people as possible to give him some feedback.

His research is into AI in computer games and how adaptive learning of games affects the amount the player enjoys playing the game, along the lines of if a player finds a enemy too difficult, does making the AI a bit slower make the game more fun?

This link will take you to a "snake" game (for those who remember the early Nokia phones) he has written. You are asked to just play through the levels and give honest feedback about the enjoyment of each level and how it compares to the previous. At the end you can enter into a prize draw and also, if you want, ask to be kept updated on any papers in which your feedback has been used.

Thanks!

[Harpalyce]

Yay! This thread lives!

I'll do that tomorrow, Autochthon Scion.

I need to post here more often.

Most exciting bit from my biological corner of the world, in terms of news: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44090512/ns ... ectations/ Absolutely fascinating! I'm still spazzing about it.

I'm not so sure about the demographics; I admit that I am not the best sociologist. On a related subject, though, I am really interested about studies showing that Jewish populations are overall 'smarter' by some measures than others and the theory that's because of selective pressures of the Holocaust/extended persecution.

[Scarf]

I'm not so sure about the demographics; I admit that I am not the best sociologist. On a related subject, though, I am really interested about studies showing that Jewish populations are overall 'smarter' by some measures than others and the theory that's because of selective pressures of the Holocaust/extended persecution.

The selective pressures've are more (I think) due to cultural values than persecution (though the persecution helped, but bits of the Holocaust probably favoured people who were physically strong and less bookish). I'd also say 'more academic' rather than 'smarter', since academics is only one type of smarts. Jews consider themselves the 'people of the Book' and the religion values learning very highly, even if it is generally religious learning. By valuing the academics as the top of society Judaism has been unknowingly breeding for book-smarts for thousands of years. And in a very similar way to domestic animal breeding, because of the small gene pools. So you do find lots of Jewish people (or people from Jewish backgrounds) in higher education, and less in sports and things like that.

*shrugs* I'm interested in 'breed standards' in humans, and in my genetic background in particular :P I don't really have any scientific studies for that though.