"Behavior can be determined by applying the Dead Man’s test: “If a dead man can do it, it ain’t behavior. And if a dead man can’t do it, then it is behavior"
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Applied behavior analysis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
So today in my children’s language disorders class we had to watch a video about Applied Behavior Analysis as a treatment for autism. Basically, they sit the autistic child in a chair and do behavioral drills with the child for hours and hours for at least 40 hours a week over the course of two years. For example, there were hours of drills for the acts of making eye contact and clapping the child’s hands.
The intervention strategy struck me as really weird in that’s it’s super hardcore behaviorism—it reminds of me human “programming” or brainwashing—but then they showed this autistic kid who started the ABA intervention really early and years later he was in a regular preschool class, indistinguishable from peers his age! And then the video showed another autistic kid who started the intervention program like at preschool age and has been doing those drills for seven years but the child only has an expressive vocabulary of 300 words.
And then I started to tear up because kids with developmental disorders really make me sad. That latter kid’s parents tried for years and years and they didn’t get the kind of miraculous outcome the other autistic child did. They asked that mother if she thought it was worth it and she said that yes it was because “each new word he learns is a miracle”. That line broke my heart.
"Stanton describes the theme of the film as “irrational love defeats life’s programming”."
— WALL-E - Wikipedia
"The term cryptophthora (secret degradation) is sometimes used to express the degradation of secret key material resulting from side channel leakage."
— Side channel attack - Wikipedia
"Whatever its origin, the term pons asinorum is used as a metaphor for a problem or challenge which will separate the sure of mind from the simple, the fleet thinker from the slow, the determined from the dallier; to represent a critical test of ability or understanding."
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Pons asinorum - Wikipedia
It means “bridge of asses” in Latin.
"There has been recent discussion from the kangaroo meat industry about attempting to introduce a specific culinary name for kangaroo meat, similar to the reference to pig meat as “ham” and “pork”, and calling deer meat “venison”. The aim is to have diners thinking of the meat rather than the animal and avoiding adverse reactions to the eating of a ‘cute’ animal or “eating Skippy”. In 2005 the Food Companion International magazine, with support from the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, ran a competition hoping to find a name that wouldn’t put diners off when they saw it on a menu. The three-month competition attracted over 2700 entries from 41 nations, and the name “australus” was decided in December 2005. Other finalists for the name included “kangarly”, “maroo”, “krou”, “maleen”, “kuja”, “roujoe”, “rooviande”, “jurru”, “ozru”, “marsu”, “kep”, “kangasaurus”, “marsupan”, “jumpmeat”, and “MOM” (meat of marsupials)."
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Kangaroo meat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Behold the power of names. (Also, “jumpmeat”!)
