Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Apparently disconnected ramblings

Can you find the connecting thread?

This morning I got to arrange payments for yesterday's heating oil delivery. Whoopee. So why have the gas prices come down since their spike after the hurricanes, but heating oil hasn't?

My grades are in. A little self-congratulation going on here and bragging
Course Section/TitleFinal GradeCredits
1 PSYC-495-01 Sem: Nat & Orig ConsciousA3.00
2 PSYC-340-01 Psychological TestingA3.00
3 PSYC-254-03 Research Methods LabA1.00
4 PSYC-252-02 Research Methods PsycA3.00


The Pennsylvania courts have thrown ID out of the science classroom. My faith in the intelligence of at least some people is restored. Part of the judge's 139 page opinion includes the statement that "We have concluded that it is not [science]" (from CNN) .

I learned a new word today. While on what already feels like the world's longest break from school, I'm going over the journal articles I pulled with information on previous studies relating to cognitive metaphor and simile. The basic idea is to chart out the methodologies used to find evidence for cognitive metaphors and determine how to use these methods when I design a test for my research project. I need a test that will show evidence of unconscious use of a containment metaphor. Supposedly we all have this innate metaphor (I have a study that showed its existence in children between 9 and 19 months). According to one theory of mathematical cognition, this is a grounding metaphor that we use when doing set theory.

And the new word is "telic" - (adj.) 1. gram. expressing end or purpose; 2. tending to a definite end. From Gk "telikos," pertaining to an end or cause. (from Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd Edition. 2001)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

As in "My telic motive for buying her all those drinks was to get her drunk enough to go home with me"? :-)

Unknown said...

Harvey is such a bad boy! But bad boys get gold stars. hehehe