Category Archives: Human Behavior

Human Behavior

Playing dumb is way smarter than actually being dumb – CapeGazette.com

Gimme Shelter - The last thing the young lacrosse players wanted to hear after three months of shutdown was a long horn blast indicating take shelter. But thats what happened at 5 p.m., June 22, at DE Turf. There was one dark cloud off to the west, but no thunder or lightning. Coaches checked weather apps and shrugged, Well, maybe its over the Chesapeake. I quickly composed a photo of whoever was there so I had something. Finally, three short blasts signaled the all-clear on a cloudy evening. Practice was humming along, then another long blast, but no thunder and no official people to verify. Im just playing dumb, said coach Jack Frederick, also my son, to which I added, Playing dumb is way better than being dumb. At least you know why youre not doing what others may reasonably expect you to do. Later, off to the east over the Delaware Bay, thunder could be heard but no horn sounded. I guess the horn guy had either gone home or was launching his Sunfish (no Captain Safety letters, please. Im just a crazy grandfather telling funny stories).

Humanities forum - Sports and society sounds like one of those graduate classes where everyone gets a B just for showing up. I always knew that all of human behavior is a blended mixture of all disciplines, including sports. But the current pool chemistry is out of balance. Its best to shock the system and close it down for a couple of weeks. I have survived as a columnist for 38 years mostly by being on the edge of the nerves of some readers, but not most. Readers wont put up with a writer who takes himself too seriously or who pitches a tent on the moral high ground overlooking the ocean. Allow me to kick the real. If I see a group of reporters chasing the same story, I go someplace else. If I see the fishing fleet all heading to Brandywine Light, Im going to drift along the outer wall or toggle into the rock pile just so I can use the word toggle. Let me say, I wouldnt talk to Donald Trump if he walked sideways through my kitchen door. And I wouldnt join the Bidens around the North Shore breakfast nook if invited. Its just crazy out there, from Bubba to baseball to mascots and images. People are attacking statues. I was raised Catholic we own the sports god and the inside of the church was rimmed with statues. They were draped with violet covers from the first Sunday of Lent until Easter Sunday. But it wasnt necessary, because we grammar schoolers had no clue how to ID a statue.

Reductio Ad Absurdum - Finding a faded garage door pull on a dirt floor and deducing its a symbolic noose sending a message of intimidation to a race car driver is absurd because anyone that sneaky and sick would have been way out and gone a long time before that gesture. I am friends with two very different people, attorney Bill Schab and electrician Doc Pepper. Each has the knack of breaking down the elements of a story, often concluding, It may be true, but doesn't seem likely. This NASCAR story is partly a mainstream media thing, but more of a social media thing. Bubba Wallace is a 26-year-old, good-looking, affable kid my granddaughters about to be 25. He's a mixed-race person. How he self-identifies is part of his journey. I followed the story, but dont blame it on the media. Its better to blame it on Google searches that will tell you what stories the masses are chasing.

Snippets - Billy Lorah and Ralph Karl, members of Capes 1979 state championship football team, drove to Florida two weekends ago to see coach Jim Alderman. They were not permitted access to the hospital because of COVID-19, so they turned around and drove back. Alderman is now out of hospital, but hes still struggling with his medical issues, so Billy and Ralph are flying down to Tampa on Friday to spend time with him over the weekend. We have to go, the boys said. Coach Alderman is one of the most important people in our lives. Its not about the championship. He really was like a father to us. Dick Buerkle, a Villanova cross country and track walk-on, passed away June 22 at the age of 72. Buerkle was a 1976 and 1980 Olympian in the 5,000 meters, and he broke the world indoor mile record in 1978 with a time of 3:54. He was ranked among the top 10 Americans in the 5,000 seven times, and in 1974, he was the top-ranked American and fourth in the world. He won the 5,000 at the AAU Championships in 1974 and 1976 as well as at the Olympic Trials in 1976. Villanova boasts 42 runners in its storied track history who have broken the four-minute mile. Villanova track coach Marcus O'Sullivan has broken the four-minute mile 101 times. Coach Steve Spence, who coaches track and cross country at Shippensburg University, has broken five minutes in the mile each year for the last 45 years. That is just all the way crazy. Pete Dimitri, known as the Omelette Man at Arenas on the Highway down by Big Fish, was on the Lincoln High baseball team that won the Philadelphia Public League title before losing to St. James 2-1 in the championship game. Former Penn State baseball coach Joe Hindelang was lead pitcher on that team. Joe is a Temple buddy of mine just a small-world story. Go on now, git!

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Playing dumb is way smarter than actually being dumb - CapeGazette.com

Human Behavior

Biologists say mass extinction event is accelerating: More than 500 species could disappear by 2040 – Study Finds

STANFORD, Calif. The extinction of any species is a tragic event. When dozens of species disappear from the environment, however, biologists say the impact is felt across the entire world.After warning that Earth was entering a sixth mass extinction eventin 2015, a new study says that crisis is speeding up and may take hundreds of animals from the world by 2040.

Biologists from Stanford University warn that more than 500 land vertebrates (animals with a backbone) are on the brink of extinction. The study blames much of the destruction on the wildlife animal trade and other man-made problems.

When humanity exterminates populations and species of other creatures, it is sawing off the limb on which it is sitting, destroying working parts of our own life-support system, says biologist Paul Ehrlich in a statement.

Researchers say at least 543 land vertebrate species went extinct during the 20th century. Ehrlich and his team now say that same number of animals could die out within the next 20 years.

The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators urged the White House to crack down on illegal wildlife trading and close markets that sell live animals.

Researchers blame most of the damage being done to the animal kingdom on humans. Population growth, the destruction of animal habitats, wildlife gaming and trading, and the effects of climate change are all contributing to the crisis.

The study says 515 species of land animals have fewer than 1,000 members left. Half of those species have a population of less than 250. Most of these dying species live in tropical and subtropical areas where human populations continue to close in.

If losing a species isnt bad enough, the researchers warn that extinction has a world-changing domino effect that may end up killing more species.

Extinction breeds extinction, the authors write.

As animal populations shrink, those animals are not able to perform their role for the planets ecosystem. The study explains how humans overhunting sea otters killed off the main predator of kelp-eating sea urchins. With no sea otters to eat the sea urchins, kelp patches were ravaged in the 1700s. The kelp-eating sea cow eventually went extinct with no kept to eat.

What we do to deal with the current extinction crisis in the next two decades will define the fate of millions of species, adds study co-author Gerardo Ceballos from the National Autonomous University of Mexico add.

Researchers are proposing a global agreement that would ban any trading of wild animal species. The study argues hunting and capturing these animals is actually doing harm to human health.

The authors point to the suspected origins of COVID-19, bats and wet markets, as evidence of the dangerous effect human behavior is having on the animal kingdom.

Its up to us to decide what kind of a world we want to leave to coming generations a sustainable one, or a desolate one, Peter Raven of the Missouri Botanical Garden said.

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Biologists say mass extinction event is accelerating: More than 500 species could disappear by 2040 - Study Finds

Human Behavior

Clients Bullish on Stocks and Gold as Stimulus Reigns, OCBC Says – Yahoo Finance

(Bloomberg) -- Bullish options trades on U.S. stocks, gold and silver have become popular as investors parse potential outcomes in the recovery from Covid-19, according to OCBC Securities.

Institutional clients in particular have been making bets via options on a rise in the price of assets that would benefit in a world awash in cash, according to Keeve Tan, OCBC Securities head of futures and FX.

Recently we have seen a lot of institutional clients putting on calls -- long calls -- primarily on S&P futures, and long calls on silver and gold, Tan said in an interview.

While the stocks trade would usually be regarded as risk-on and the metals one as risk-off, Tan said they both fit the theme of potential winners in a world flooded with stimulus.

Central banks and governments worldwide have thrown trillions of dollars of stimulus to mitigate the devastation caused by the pandemic and to ensure adequate liquidity in the financial system. The gush of cash will likely boost stocks, hurt currencies like the U.S. dollar and lift gold as a store of value.

Tan also expects volatility to ebb. He said the Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, appears to be following a pattern seen during the Global Financial Crisis, when it peaked above 80 before dropping back to form smaller spikes afterward.

The so-called fear gauge closed Thursday at 32.22, compared with its lifetime average around 19.4. It isnt typical human behavior to stay scared, Tan said, adding that people might be frightened for a time but eventually adjust to new paradigms like the one created by the pandemic.

Coming to terms with the new reality of the economy will cause the VIX to return to its normal level, he said.

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Clients Bullish on Stocks and Gold as Stimulus Reigns, OCBC Says - Yahoo Finance

Human Behavior

Genetics and race: An awkward conversation during volatile times – Genetic Literacy Project

In these fractious times, when we are confronting the reality of systemic racism, how can we have an informed discussion about genetics and race?

One way is to calmly state the increasing evidence of meaningful genetic differences between human populations and then engage in honest and robust debate about the social and political implications, if any, of such inter-group divergence.

Back in the real world, meanwhile where open discussion of race and biology is largely taboo (a state of affairs recently exacerbated by DNA pioneer James Watson) a better idea might be to quickly change the subject. So what about the weather, eh?

But battening down the hatches and sitting out the storm isnt really an option. For a start, it would mean blithely ignoring the deluge of data from the recent revolution in molecular biology about our species evolution and of the genetic divergence of separate human populations over time. More importantly, it would also miss the opportunity to genuinely level the playing field for those very peoples most marginalised by an undeniable history of prejudice and neglect.

Note, though, the numerous alternatives for race already employed above: populations, groups, peoples (to which ancestry, descent and the like could also be added). Far from simply being politically correct euphemisms for a tainted term, it is important to distinguish between the word race as it is socially used say, the Black/African American, Native American, White, etc. racial categories used in the US census from the biological sense, used to describe distinct populations within a species.

Because of the historical misuse of the term race, this is an important distinction to make. In 19th century Britain, for example, two groups who would now be simply lumped together as White were regarded as separate biological races namely, and complete with the picturesque descriptors of the time, the careless, squalid, unaspiring Irish and the frugal, foreseeing, self-respecting Scots. (Full disclosure: my own genetic ancestry is of the careless, squalid and uninspiring variety.) A more modern perspective, however, does not deny the existence of genetically distinct indigenous British populations such groupings do indeed exist rather, it avoids describing them in meaningless racial terms. Similarly, the idea of an overarching Black race utterly fails to capture the genetic diversity of African (or African-descended) peoples, irrespective of how we are now able to distinguish genetically related groups within the wider human population of Africa.

Nor is this simply overly-sensitive quibbling over the meaning of a word. Historically, race was often used synonymously with varieties, breeds or sub-species (in the Descent of Man, for instance, Darwin considers at great length what was then still an open question: Arguments in favour of, and opposed to, ranking the so-called races of man as distinct species). But whether we like it or not, words have power, and once-acceptable descriptors of human inter-group variation now carry obvious egregious connotations (such as the slur half-breed).

Indeed, the limitations of language have long been a bane of everyday discussion of human evolution, with phrases and concepts survival of the fittest, say, or struggle for existence inevitably being interpreted in terms of intrinsic worth. Descriptions of sub-species of flora and fauna, for instance, would ruffle few feathers; similar talk of sub-populations of human beings, however, inevitably evokes hierarchical notions of superiority and inferiority. (As a light-heartened analogy, think of the hierarchical distinction between language and dialect then tell the Germans that their language is a dialect of Dutch.)

In sum, then, anyone discussing genetics and race must be conscious of the connotations and impact of words. And this is especially true when engaging in dialogue with those with a standard social science conception of race, one in which human evolved biology is seen as irrelevant to social issues a paradigm, moreover, in which the very idea of human biological difference is treated with the utmost suspicion. Given this latter mindset and the human tendency towards righteous indignation it is hardly surprising that many liberal-minded people react badly when confronted with arguments about human difference that they perceive (rightly or wrongly) as morally offensive. If worthwhile or meaningful discussion of genetics and race is to proceed, therefore, it is beholden on geneticists and their ilk to take this into account not through political timidity but through simple courtesy and common-sense.

Of course, as pointed out above, such is the toxic nature of this topic that open discussion is often avoided, especially by those cowed by the likely reaction of their peers. In this respect, political scientist James Flynn discoverer of the eponymous Flynn effect of rising IQ over time points to the counterproductive nature of intellectual censorship: [T]hose who boycott debate forfeit a chance to persuade. They have put their money on indoctrination and intimidation. A good bet in the short run but over the long course that horse never wins.

The sort of censorious indignation highlighted by Flynn also has another detrimental effect: it opens a space for nationalistic populists and race supremacists to claim they are simply telling it as it is or bravely saying what others are too scared to admit. The losers here, of course, are the very people that the taboos were designed to protect those marginalized minorities likely to face greater prejudice from emboldened bigots.

Moreover, Flynns own work provides a further explicit example of how such taboos can have counterproductive consequences; if Flynn had been unable to research the causes of reported racial differences in IQ he would never have discovered the Flynn effect, the best evidence we have of environmental influences on intelligence (and of how improvements in impoverished environments can lead to dramatic changes in IQ scores over time).

This points not only to the benefits of openly addressing sensitive subjects, but also to a possible way to assuage some of the suspicion that surrounds genetic research into inter-group difference that even if such differences are shown to exist, this does not dictate any particular social or political response. Facts do not determine values.

At the same time, however, facts can certainly inform social policy. Take, for example, the overwhelming evidence of strong genetic influences on academic achievement. Contrary to what many might pessimistically assume, this genetic evidence does not mean that nothing can be done for those currently failing in the education system. As the Flynn effect shows, environmental change does make a difference, despite the high heritability of IQ.

Indeed, the strong genetic determinants of educational attainment are much less straightforward than they appear. For example, some studies that indicate a causal link between genes and learning hinge on the observation that older mothers have offspring who are more likely to succeed in school. As older mothers also have fewer children (with whom they can devote more time and resources), the relevant genetic influence here pertains to fertility rather than academic smarts. Given this, and given a political desire to raise academic attainment amongst specific groups, ameliorative social policy could focus on womens reproductive health and opportunities in marginalised communities.

Be this as it may. The point is that genetic facts including evidence of genetic differences between racial populations carry no necessarily social or political implications. Nevertheless, these same genetic facts may help highlight obstacles to achieving desired social outcomes, and could provide information that assists in overcoming them. In this respect, just as greater awareness of social and environmental barriers can assist in designing policies to reduce inequalities, so too could greater recognition of possible genetic hurdles to improved life outcomes.

In the past in the era of Social Darwinism and eugenics hereditarian political beliefs equated biology with destiny. Unfortunately, much of the present-day antipathy to human genetic research appears premised on a similar erroneous belief: that if human behavior is under the influence of biology/genes then certain social outcomes, such as disparities in wealth or status, are inevitable. Hence the desire to denigrate genetic research that touches on the raw nerve of race for, as many well-intentioned egalitarians may mistakenly believe, if meaningful differences between different peoples really do exist, then the goal of greater equality could prove unattainable.

The biological study of human behavior is notoriously fraught hardly surprising, given that fallible humans are both the subject and the object of scrutiny. Furthermore, given the egregious history of political ideas based on supposed facts of human biology, the results of human behavioral research are often held to a higher standard of proof and most especially with research relating to politically sensitive topics, such as race, gender or sexuality.

Whether always warranted or not, such critical inspection comes with the territory; indeed, one higher standard that human geneticists can impose upon themselves is to understand the motivation of the opposition, however wrong-headed this might appear. Such awareness would not mean avoiding discussion of troublesome topics but it might avoid discussing them in ways more likely to inflame than inform.

A version of this article was originally published by the Genetic Literacy Project on Feb 13, 2019.

Patrick Whittle has a PhD in philosophy and is a freelance writer with a particular interest in the social and political implications of modern biological science. Follow him on his website patrickmichaelwhittle.com or on Twitter @WhittlePM

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Genetics and race: An awkward conversation during volatile times - Genetic Literacy Project

Human Behavior

Pandemic & Screen Time: Is The Lockdown Promoting Screen Addiction? – Moms

85 percent of parents are "concerned about how much time their kids are spending online" and it's getting worse with kids in lockdown.

Parents have always struggled with how to set limits on screen time for kids. But as the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. enters its fourth month,streaming services viewing habits and the use of digital video apps continue todramatically change.

According to a recent survey of 3,000 parents conducted by Parents Together, 85 percent of parents are "concerned about how much time their kids are spending online" and more than 50percent feared that their kids would become addicted to "online activity." About 48% of participating parents reported that their kids are online more than six hours a day suggesting a 500 percent increase in usagesince the pandemic began in the U.S. Additionally, the survey revealed that 26 percent of kids spend more than eight hours a day online, up significantly from the reported 4percent in previous months.

RELATED: How To Prevent Your Child From Having A Gadget Addiction

But spendingincreased amounts of time online may have less to do with more free time, and more to do with kids trying to cope with big changes in their lives and in the world. The reality is that kids are facing unprecedented challenges: not seeing friends, limited or no group activities, daily news stories, uncertainty about school openings in the fall, and spending less time on activities that give kids a sense of belonging. These dramatic changes in the life of a child can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, and even physical symptoms like headaches.

That's why more kids are spending more time on streaming channels, video apps, and gaming. The Parents Together survey revealed that kids' preferred digital platforms were, "YouTube (78.21 percent), Netflix (49.64percent), and TikTok (33.41percent)." And when parents are also stressed, they tend torelax rules around screen time.

Even the World Health Organization (WHO)recently recommended playing online video games as a wayto help kids cope with lockdowns-- an idea that is in stark contrast to their 2019 official classification of video game addiction as a mental disorder.

According to Dr. Sarah M. Coyne,a professor of human development in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University, research suggests that the ways in which kids interact with screens matter much more than the amount of time they spend on them.

"When children are mentally engaged (e.g., watching a documentary) or physically engaged (e.g., following a yoga video on YouTube or using a touch screen), learning tends to be higher. This does not mean that all screen time needs to be active, but if a parent is worried about how much screen time is used each day, encouraging active screen time may be a way to alleviate some of this worry."

And kids aren't the only ones in households struggling to get a grip on screen time. With the added stress of the pandemic, the uncertain economic landscape, and concerns about balancing school and work expectations, parents are trying to cope, too.

So, what's a family to do during times of social upheaval?Recommendations from Brenda K. Weiderhold, Editor-in-Chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, suggests some common-sense approaches to managing excessive TV watching and other digital and online activities during stressful times.

"Foster respect for devices by setting limits on when and where devices are used and what oversight is required to use specific devices or apps," Weiderhold explains. "One way to do this is to create a schedule or technology agreement for each child. Set time limits and screen breaks directly on kids devices.Talk to children about privacy and tone. For example, not to say or write anything that they wouldnt be okay having shared publicly."

Families everywhere are still in the throes of a global experiment in human behavior during a pandemic. Researchers willcertainly be exploring the effects of these strange timesincludingpossible changes indigital addiction rates, as well as other mental health and behavioral challenges that may emerge.

Being mindful of what and how much content each member of the family is consuming during times of uncertainty and stress can help identify patterns that can be addressed through planning, togetherness, and imagination.

NEXT: How To Do A Digital Detox During Times of Worldwide Crisis

13 Fun Boredom Buster Toys For Kids To Play With This Summer

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Pandemic & Screen Time: Is The Lockdown Promoting Screen Addiction? - Moms

Human Behavior

It’s the people who make it an animal shelter – Warwick Beacon

By ERIN O'BRIEN

My husband didnt say anything, but I knew what he was thinking: Dont come home with another cat.

As I drove down a short street off busy Jefferson Boulevard, I entered an industrial area between the Pawtuxet River and I-95. Just before the end of the road I reached my destination: the Warwick Animal Shelter, where I was warmly welcomed by Jackie.

A bulletin board, layers deep in photographs of animals, decorated the entrance area. Its a small shelter comprised of a team of three full-time employees and two part-time employees, who rely on passionate and like-minded volunteers who help socialize the animals.

When Jackie introduced me to Bella, the shelters only dog, the three of us ended up in a small hallway of many doors, much to Bellas bouncing delight. With some gentle coaxing, Judy directed Bella back to her outside area.

Seven cats, hip cats and cool cats, were content, lounging or leaping, grooming or gazing, from their various perches in the very clean and well-appointed cat room.

Stout Simba and lithe Liesl followed me around, jockeying for position at my feet, as if auditioning for the role of adopted animal. Their companions Tillie, a brown tiger cat, and her new brother Razzle, a trim black and white cat parked at the window, were headed for their new permanent home when I arrived for my visit.

In 1995, Judy, one of the staff members, was working in South Providence when she came across some stray cats. When she called the Warwick Animal Shelter for assistance she was immediately taken with the volunteers willingness to help. This serendipitous meeting led to Judys position as a volunteer. Ive always been attracted to animals that needed help, including wildlife, she said, recalling a rescued bird in her youth.

Ann Corvin, director of the shelter, who previously worked as the pound keeper under the Warwick Animal Control Division, has dedicated over 20 years to the welfare of animals.

During those years, I wondered if Ann had ever became attached to one of the animals and ended up taking it home. Its usually the difficult ones I fall for, she confessed. There was the one that got away, she sighed, reflecting on a special animal that arrived at the shelter, but I was not in a position to adopt. Moose was a mastiff mix, with an aloof personality. He went to a great home, she added proudly, after living at the shelter for two months. Ann currently has two cats and two dogs of her own at home, whom she met at the shelter.

The very youngest animals the staff has taken care of have been three-week-old kittens that had to be bottle-fed. This has become a downward trend, however, with compliance to Rhode Island state law on spaying and neutering. The oldest animals have been ones lost and returned to their owners, or senior animals that have been abandoned and found a home at the shelter. Moe was a 14-year-old black Labrador. He was a big and lumbering, as Ann described him, the shelter mascot who lived out his days there, walking around, and adored by the staff.

Ann grew up a bit like Dr. Doolittle, except for being allergic to cats, but her family also had dogs, a rabbit, and even pheasants.

At Rhode Island College, the material in her human behavior courses proved to have many similarities with her animal behavior studies. A lot of it is learned behavior, she notes. Ann considers herself self-taught, having poured over books and magazines on animal health and behavior while she worked as a groomer, during downtime between clients.

During this time of COVID-19 precautions, prospective pet owners may view the shelter animals by appointment, wearing a mask and practicing social distancing with the staff. Gone are the days of browsing, for now the shelters Facebook page is an adoption specific website. Fortunately, animal adoptions were not impacted during the stay at home orders; in fact several adoptions took place.

Careful placement is paramount. The goal of an appropriate home for the animal is for it to be their last home, Ann emphasizes, in the best environment, and compatible with the family.

The animals get whatever they need here, Debby, another employee, assured me. We treat them like our own pets. She introduced me to her feline friends: Melvin, a black and white feline who likes to sit and observe, Tinsel, a female black cat who dislikes confrontation, Vinnie Devito, the black shelter cat with white boots, and Heidi, a petite calico who jumped from her spot and curiously prowled a hallway.

On April 1st of this year, 401 Gives, the statewide day of giving, the shelter was the benefactor of many generous donations.

The Friends of the Warwick Animal Shelters mission is to increase public awareness and support of the Warwick Animal Shelter, and have stepped up with annual fundraisers, providing valuable assistance. This years Cause for Paws Classic Car Show, chaired by Ruth Napolitano and co-chaired by Judy Salvadore, is scheduled for Sunday, July 19th at 9:00AM, yet is contingent upon Governor Raimondos reopening Rhode Island phases. As the nonprofit group contends with COVID-19 restrictions, Novembers annual pasta dinner, and Decembers annual crafts show remain on hold. Information will be forthcoming on their Facebook page.

As I said goodbye to Simba one more time, he rubbed against my shin in earnest. I smiled to think how Liesl nimbly jumped from a cat tree to the top of a cage, to gaze at quiet Tinsel resting below. I envisioned the delight they and their current roommates will bring to the families who welcome them into their homes.

The Warwick Animal Shelter is located at 101 Arthur W. DeVine Blvd., Warwick, RI 02886. The shelter is open weekdays from noon to 4:00PM, and weekends from 11:00AM until 3:00PM. It is closed on Thursdays.

View photos and additional information about Bella, and Simba and Liesel and their feline friends on The Warwick Animal Shelter Facebook page.

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It's the people who make it an animal shelter - Warwick Beacon

Human Behavior

MIT And Toyota Announce An Important Dataset For Improving Perception Research – Forbes

Object Perception

The article What Can Tesla TSLA And Waymo Learn From A Humans Ability To Focus, discusses some of the important differences between human perception systems and those employed by modern Autonomous Vehicles (AV). Recently, MIT and Toyota took a step towards human-like perception with the introduction of the DriveSeg research dataset.

What is DriveSeg ?

DriveSig has two parts. First, the data consists of 2 minutes and 47 seconds of high-resolution video captured during a daytime trip around the busy streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The videos 5,000 frames are densely annotated manually with per-pixel human labels of 12 classes of road objects. Second, a set of videos captured from a range of scenes drawn from MIT Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT) Consortium data coarsely annotated through a novel semiautomatic annotation approach developed by MIT.

Ok, why is this interesting or important ?

Humans use motion as a very strong part of object recognition. For example, it is not unusual to recognize a friend from afar simply by recognizing their gait. Thus, motion is an important part of human object recognition, but to date has not been a big part of Autonomous Vehicle(AV) object recognition. Rather, AV object recognition has traditionally focused on training AI engines on individual images. With this dataset, researchers from Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) AgeLab at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics and the Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) want to enable AI research focused on using movement.

In sharing this dataset, we hope to encourage researchers, the industry, and other innovators to develop new insight and direction into temporal AI modeling that enables the next generation of assisted driving and automotive safety technologies, says Bryan Reimer, Research Scientist at the Agelab. Our long-standing working relationship with Toyota CSRC has enabled our research efforts to impact future safety technologies.

MIT has a significant capability in artificial intelligence research with its Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) laboratory. This lab has been active in the area of robotics and AI with fundamental work announcements such as the recent announcement of Giving soft robots feeling. In contrast, the Age Lab at MITs Center for Transportation emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach which they believe will be necessary to crack the reality of Autonomous Vehicles.

Engineers are investing significant creative and financial resources in developing higher levels of automation to support drivers to be ideally both increasingly comfortable and safe. However, true success requires a human-centered engineering perspective. Its more important than ever to leverage the expertise of other disciplines that amplify each others capabilities. For instance, computer scientists have the ability to mine and model large scale complex systems, while human factors engineers and psychologists are trained in developing an understanding of human behavior to ensure systems are optimally used in a way that enhances accessible and safe mobility, said Bryan Reimer.

To enable this effort, data was drawn from the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT) Consortium,an academic-industry partnership drawing together stakeholders across the automotive ecosystem to collaboratively invest in the development of real-world data to better understanding how drivers adapt to, use (or do not use), and behave with production level vehicle technologies including advanced driver assistance systems and automated driving. By encompassing data from a range of real-world driving scenarios, the DriveSeg dataset aims to provide variations in situations that facilitate deeper exploration of the value of motion in AV object recognition.

Overall, humans use concepts such as focus, abstraction, differential perception, and sensitivity to relative acceleration as key mechanisms to drive perception. Todays AI engines have tended to rely on brute-force methods with limited success. This MIT/Toyota CSRC combination should allow the use of an important additional learning dimension (movement) to advance the state-of-art forward.

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For those who would like more detailed technical papers, please visit my SAE work.

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MIT And Toyota Announce An Important Dataset For Improving Perception Research - Forbes

Human Behavior

Wet Wipes and Sanitary Products Found to Be Microplastic Pollutants – Lab Manager Magazine

From left, Dr Liam Morrison of NUI Galway with PhD student Ana Mendes and Maynooth University graduate student Oisn Briain at Grattan beach near Galway City.

Aengus McMahon

Researchers from Earth and Ocean Sciences and the Ryan Institute at National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway have carried out a study on the contribution of widely flushed personal care textile products (wet wipes and sanitary towels) to the ocean plastic crisis.

Dr. Liam Morrison led the study, which showed that sediments adjacent to a wastewater treatment plant are consistently strewn with white microplastic fibers that are comparable to those from commercially available consumer sanitary products (wet wipes and sanitary towels). The article has been published in the international journalWater Research and was co-authored by NUI Galway PhD student Ana Mendes and Maynooth University graduate Oisn Briain.

In most studies to date, white fibers are likely underestimated, because of the commonly-used filtration procedure to capture microplastic fibers as filters are commonly white, making visual identification of microscopic white fibers against a white background difficult. This is significant given the global growth of non-woven synthetic fiber products and their ubiquity in wastewater.

"Our university has made sustainability a strategic priority, and for the world to address climate change, we have a duty to examine the behavior of individuals and corporations that can help our planet," said NUI Galway professor and president Ciarn hgartaigh. "This research highlights the need for us to adapt our behaviors and tackle the ubiquity of plastic in so many products."

An urban rural gradient involving three locations from Galway City (close to Mutton Island and adjacent to a wastewater treatment plant) to counties Clare (Bell Harbour) and Mayo (Bellacragher) were investigated in this study. The total number of fibers found near Mutton Island was 6,083 microplastics fibrrs per kilogram of sediment, while the rural sites had much lower levels (Bell Harbour, 1,627 and Bellacragher 316). The total number of white fibers was 5,536, 788, and 265 per kilogram of sediment for Mutton Island, Bell Harbour, and Bellacragher respectively. Incredibly, 91 percent of microplastic fibers at Mutton Island are likely derived from wet wipes and sanitary towels.

"COVID-19 may have brought its own challenges for the oceans including the increased use of disinfectant wipes during the pandemic which potentially may end up as microplastic fibers in the sea," said Morrison, who is from the Earth and Ocean Sciences and Ryan Institute at NUI Galway and was the lead researcher of the study. "It is widely known that microplastics can act as vectors for contaminants including bacteria and viruses and are potentially harmful for public health and marine life."

The nearby intertidal zone at Mutton Island is prone to the accumulation of high volumes of washed-up sewage-derived debris on a frequent basis. Excessive microplastic loading in sediments in December 2017 was likely induced by heavy precipitation episodes during a southwesterly storm front. Elevated debris loading on this occasion may result from combined sewer overflows, where excessive input of drainage water exceeds wastewater treatment effluent capacity and is released untreated in the overflow. Morrison said: "This was significant in the context of climate change, where we are likely to see increased rainfall events and flooding."

While most microplastics may be removed by the wastewater treatment process, combined sewage overflows associated with periods of heavy rainfall give rise to the release of sewage waste containing wipes and sanitary towels, impacting on public health and the environment. Combined sewer overflows and the subsequent shoreline deposition of sanitary waste have not previously been thoroughly investigated as a source of white microplastic fibers in the marine environment. The study found that wet wipes and sanitary towels are a source of unaccounted white microplastic fibers in the marine environment and not all flushable wipes are biodegradable. In fact 50 percent of the wipes labeled "flushable" in this study were shown to contain microplastics. The lack of regulation for hygiene and sanitary products results in a failure to identify the plastic composition of these materials. This demonstrates the consequences of misleading labeling of non-woven textile personal care products.

The samples of sanitary-related macro debris (wipes and sanitary towels) collected from the intertidal zone near Mutton Island in Galway City following a heavy rainfall event were mostly comprised of the plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET), with only a quarter of the samples analyzed presenting as a mix of PET and cellulose, and over 80 percent of the wipes in the shoreline waste were identified as non-flushable due to their polymer composition following the International Water Services Flushability Group and non-woven textile industry guidelines (INDA/EDANA, 2018; IWSFG, 2018).

Given the global distribution and projected growth of the non-woven textile industry (as non-woven textiles form the base material of many sanitary products), this is a concern. European production of non-woven textiles for hygiene and sanitary products exceeded one million tonnes in 2016 alone and these products frequently cause blockages in sewage systems globally, incurring significant technical and financial costs to wastewater utilities.

These products are a consistent feature of global plastic pollution surveys and in comparison, microplastic fibers from clothing are generally colored or multi-colored. To date, the role of these white microplastic fibers as significant components of wastewater effluent remained poorly understood. The quantities of wet wipes washing up on beaches in the UK has increased 400 percent in the last decade (Marine Conservation Society, 2019).

"There is a need for increased public awareness of microplastic pollution in the environment and human behavior should shift away from the inapt disposal of sanitary products down the toilet and instead divert to alternative land-based waste management," Morrison added.

- This press release was originally published on theNUI Galway website

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Wet Wipes and Sanitary Products Found to Be Microplastic Pollutants - Lab Manager Magazine

Human Behavior

An insight into installation art – The Daily Star

Installation, a relatively new genre of contemporary art, is practiced by postmodernist artists. The difference between installation art and sculpting or other traditional art forms is that it is a unified experience. From the 1960s, the creation of installations became a major feature in modern art. Contemporary Art: 1989 to the Present mentions that the late 1980s was marked by a severe recession and a subsequent art market crash, which led to a reawakening in the field of conceptual art, where art was focused on ideas, rather than objects.

In Bangladesh, the precursors were visible in the works of eminent artists such as Hamiduzzaman Khan and Kalidas Karmakar. Artist Mustafa Zaman suggests three forms of installation art form: image making, construction of sculptures with found objects or newly made objects and through conceptual and textual means. These are also mixed and matched to create a composite form of installations. He also mentions the sight specific form, crediting it to Mahbubur Rahman and Tayeba Begum Lipi the artist duo who practiced and propelled the form in the public sphere in Bangladesh.

Among the recent practitioners, Kamruzzaman Shadhin often creates his signature mammoth projects through public participation and exhibits them in public spaces. He is inspired by artists Ashok Karmakar and Mahbubur Rahman. Shadhin learned that any material can be turned into an art piece, from the works of Japanese artists at the Asian Art Biennale in the nineties. "I also feel that their form of art was never foreign to Bengal is instilled in our culture. We just did not call it art," adds the artist. He is also fascinated by the gigantic figure of Swami Vivekananda at Kanyakumari. "The story behind the structure is important. How you see it is crucial," he says. His award-winning work, Elephant in the Room (2018)was created in collaboration with craftsmen from the Kutupalong-Balukhali camp. It shelters more than 600,000 people and lies along one of the main migratory routes of critically endangered Asian elephants. Shadhin further shares the lessons he has learned in this time of crisis. "I have learnt to care less about the rat race. I'm not sure if the feeling will remain intact, but the prolonged time to think is something I'm enjoying," he says.

On the other hand, Najmun Nahar Keya draws her inspiration from the rapid social, economic and environmental changes happening in the area, as a result of urbanisation. Her practice revolves around the relationship between human behavior and society. She spent five years in Tokyo for her education. Keya amalgamates Japanese technique with strong Bengali concepts. She employs old photographs, gold gilding, drawing and printmaking in her works. In the last Dhaka Art Summit, her work, The Spell Song, was lauded by audiences. The work was comprised of a hand woven Tangail Sari molded into Bangla folk sayings to KhonarBochon. To Keya, installation art is sight specific. "It is important to blend the work with the environment it is placed in," she says. During this pandemic, Keya has turned to drawing as a meditative practice and she also plans to work on some animation projects.

Movements like the Happening Movement, Fluxus and Arte Povera inspired Abir Shome to take up installation art. He also works with drawings, texts, videos and digital art. "A friend of mine did some installation works while we were students of Charukola," he says. "I wasn't initially drawn to it but as I became more familiar with the concept, I wanted to practice it." Majority of his works question ideology and power, delivered in seemingly imprudent manners.

Through his work, Capital-Equal in Chobi Mela IX, he highlighted how texts, objects, photographs and drawings together were made to conspire against the prescribed art revolution society. Installation art is a form of relief for Abir. These days, the artist spends most of his time playing his ukulele at home.

On the other hand, artist Eshita Mita Tonni's practice is comprised of different disciplines of printmaking, photography, videography and sculpting. The artist, who resides in Jamalpur, uses found objects and children's playing materials. She sets these objects into seemingly mythological characters for her striking art projects. "The fork I use in my sculpture work loses its cutlery feature and becomes something else," she explains. She also enjoys teaching children about art.

Photos:Courtesy

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An insight into installation art - The Daily Star

Human Behavior

The psychology behind decisions on wearing masks during COVID-19 pandemic – KHOU.com

When it comes to wearing masks, unlike what the political environment has created, its not "us vs. them."

HOUSTON Our behavior during COVID-19 is, in a way, a gift to scientists who study humans and why we do what we do, including why some people wear masks and some dont.

The explanation, like most things in life, is not black and white, not simple.

And when it comes to wearing masks, unlike what the political environment has created, its not "us vs. them."

Human behavior is always an interaction between people's personalities and their sources of information, said Rodica Damian, an assistant professor at the University of Houston who studies human behavior, more specifically how peoples life experiences shape their development and how that impacts their well-being and achievement as they grow older.

There are two sources of human behavior, Damian said. One is personality and the other one is social influence. We know from extensive research that people who are higher in personality traits like conscientiousness, so these are people who tend to be more responsible, more organized follow rules. These are the people who are more likely to have healthier behaviors. And they actually have better health outcomes across the lifespan. And a recent study shows that they are indeed more likely to wear masks in the context of the pandemic."

Another personality trait relevant to this conversation is agreeableness, according to Damian.

People who are agreeable tend to be more cooperative and prosocial.

People who are higher in agreeableness are not more likely to be sheep or doormats, Damian said. Higher agreeableness simply means that you are more likely to want to do prosocial behaviors. These are behaviors that are more likely to help others.

Social influences through social norms impact how we behave as well.

Social norms are our perceptions of the unwritten rules that the group we care about has about what consists of acceptable conduct or behavior, Damian said. The comparison seems to be between, like mask-wearers being sheep and non-mask wearers being independent, free, non-sheep like. But in reality, everybody's following social norms, rules of a group they care about. So by not wearing a mask, you are following the norm of a group that tells you, You don't need to wear a mask.

Health, city and county officials across Texas have been addressing mask-wearing for weeks. More recently, a number of jurisdictions in and around Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin put mandates in place for businesses to require facial coverings for employees and patrons.

Governor Greg Abbott addressed mask-wearing Monday when briefing the state about the surge in COVID-19 cases.

I know that some people feel like wearing a mask is inconvenient or that it is an infringement of freedom, but I also know it will allow us to keep Texas open, he read from a statement.

KHOU 11 asked Damian about the infringement on freedom that some people have expressed as the root of their opposition to facial coverings.

One requirement of civilization is giving away some so-called freedoms, such as the freedom to harm other people in your community," she said. "So just like you don't have the freedom to drive drunk and run someone over with a car. You could say that by not wearing a mask, you are potentially risking the lives of other people.

Damian said some ways to encourage people to change their behavior is to wear masks ourselves, as we are influencers in our own community and messaging from leaders people look up to.

Our goal is to keep businesses open, to keep society engaged, and one of the most effective tools that we can do that is by people wearing masks, Gov. Abbott said Monday.

A study in Germany found people who wore masks were perceived as taking the pandemic more seriously. And that led to others staying a bit farther away from them.

Damian said this means by wearing a mask, youre not only protecting people, but youre protecting yourself by encouraging others to respect your space.

We may not think that social norms impact us because we all want to feel, most of us want to feel, that we're unique individuals not impacted by social norms. You know, sheep-like way. But in reality, these are very, very powerful because it is a basic human need, the need to belong to a group you care about, Damian said. The vast majority of the population, three quarters of the population think masks are good. They're important and are strongly in favor. So, we're on the right track. We just need to make a little more effort. It would be very useful if we could get kind of consistent social norm messaging across the board at all levels. But if that's not possible, then maybe everyone can do their part at the local level.

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The psychology behind decisions on wearing masks during COVID-19 pandemic - KHOU.com