Category Archives: Human Behavior

Human Behavior

The Role of Death in Life Topic of March 10 Philosophy and Religion Forum | The University of Southern Mississippi – Southern Miss Now

Thu, 03/05/2020 - 13:59pm | By: David Tisdale

Dr. Sheldon Solomon, a professor of psychology at Skidmore College whose research focuses on the effects of the uniquely human awareness of death on behavior, will present The Worm at the Core: On The Role of Death in Life at the next University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Philosophy and Religion Forum. This free event is set for Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Gonzales Auditorium in the Liberal Arts Building on the Hattiesburg campus.

The co-author of In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terror and The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life, Dr. Sheldon is an American Psychological Society Fellow and recipient of an American Psychological Association Presidential Citation (2007), a Lifetime Career Award by the International Society for Self and Identity (2009), and the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs Annual Faculty Award (2011).

Dr. Sheldons research on death and its intersection with human behavior has earned support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Ernest Becker Foundation, and was featured in the award-winning documentary Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality.

"We're really looking forward to having Dr. Solomon with us for the March 10 Philosophy and Religion Forum, said Dr. Amy Slagle, an associate professor of religion in the USM School of Humanities and coordinator of the forum series. His research on the ways that the existential fear of death, and its denial, impacts the formation of human cultures and conflicts is compelling. I believe his talk will have broad appeal to USM students and faculty, and members of the Hattiesburg community."

For information on this event, contact Dr. Slagle at a.slagleFREEMississippi.

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The Role of Death in Life Topic of March 10 Philosophy and Religion Forum | The University of Southern Mississippi - Southern Miss Now

Human Behavior

Here is Everything Coming to PBS in March 2020 – Cord Cutters News, LLC

MARCH PREMIERES

NIALL FERGUSONS NETWORLD

Premieres: Tuesday, March 17, 8:00 p.m. ET

Niall Ferguson visits network theorists, social scientists, and data analyststo explore the history of social networks. Reviewing classic experiments and cutting-edge research, Ferguson demonstrates how human behavior, disruptive technology and the profit motive can energize ideas and communication, and then change the world. The series is based on Fergusons bestselling bookThe Square and the Tower.

EAST LAKE MEADOWS

Premieres: Tuesday, March 24, 8:00 p.m. ET

In 1970, the Atlanta Housing Authority opened a public housing community called East Lake Meadows on the edge of the city. But as public housing in America was abandoned and stigmatized, and a crack wave swept through the neighborhood, East Lake Meadows became nearly uninhabitable. In the mid-1990s, Atlanta bulldozed the housing project to make way for new, mixed-income housing. Through the stories of former residents,the filmraises critical questions about concentrated poverty and limited housing opportunity for African Americans, and what can be done to address it.

EARTHS SACRED WONDERS House of the Divine

Premieres: Wednesday, March 25, 10:00 p.m. ET

Discover what people do for faith in some of the most stunning sacred places on Earth.

SOMEWHERE SOUTH

Premieres: Friday, March 27, 9:00 p.m. ET

Take a culinary journey through the American South with Chef Vivian Howard.

THE INN AT LITTLE WASHINGTON: A DELICIOUS DOCUMENTARY

Premieres: Friday, March 27, 10:00 p.m. ET

Meet Patrick OConnell, a self-taught chef whose restaurant, The Inn at Little Washington, is considered one of the greatest dining experiences in America. Follow Chef OConnells pursuit of the ultimate culinary accolade: a third Michelin star.CALL THE MIDWIFE

Season 9 Premieres: Sunday, March 29, 8:00 p.m. ET

Thefamiliar team of medics and midwives faces unexpected challenges as the population shifts, rules change and old diseases come back to haunt them. Alongside the joy and optimism of birth, they must cope with cases including diphtheria, drug abuse, cancer, tuberculosis and fistula. Meanwhile, their own experiences are fueled by love, loss and doubt and the very fabric of their lives is jeopardized when Nonnatus itself comes under threat of demolition.

GARTH BROOKS: THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GERSHWIN PRIZE FOR POPULAR SONG

Premieres: Sunday, March 29, 9:00 p.m. ET

A tribute to country music superstar Garth Brooks, the 2020 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

INDEPENDENT LENS: One Child Nation

Premieres: Monday, March 30, 10:00 p.m. ET

Chinas one-child policy, the extreme population control measure that made it illegal for couples to have more than one child, may have ended in 2015, but the process of dealing with the trauma of its brutal enforcement is only just beginning. Inspired by the birth of her first child, filmmaker Nanfu Wang returned to China to speak with her own mother and brother and explore the ripple effect of this devastating social experiment.

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Here is Everything Coming to PBS in March 2020 - Cord Cutters News, LLC

Human Behavior

GJFD sees higher number of wildfire calls in March – KKCO-TV

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO News)-- As we head into the warmer months, fire officials say we could expect to see more wildfires.

Grand Junction Fire Department says they start receiving more wildfire calls in March due to warmer temperatures and dry vegetation that can easily catch fire.

They want to remind the public to be mindful of red flag warnings. They also recommend trimming trees and clearing brush around your home area to create a space for crews to access in the event of a fire.

"There's also an increase in human behavior. It's getting warm outside, people are going out they are recreating, they are getting their properties cleared away. So there's a lot more activity going on outside which does account for some of that increase in fires," says Community Outreach Specialist, Dirk Clingman.

GJ Fire says its crucial to prepare prior to burning and to check weather forecasts for any burn bans. If you do plan on burning, they say have an extinguisher equal to the size of your fire.

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GJFD sees higher number of wildfire calls in March - KKCO-TV

Human Behavior

How Human Security Investments Created a Global Culture of Accountability at ADP – Security Intelligence

Practice doesnt necessarily make perfect, but it can lead to improvement. Quality practice is key in matters of human security, and the right quantity of practice can also make a significant difference when it comes to shifting mindsets and behavior.

Scientists believe that expert-level performance is primarily the result of expert-level practice, said Wendi Whitmore, IBM Security VP of X-Force Intelligence, Incident Response & Cyber Command. This concept is called deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice has a few defining characteristics, according to Whitmore: It must be intentional, it must be targeted to the individuals skill level, and it must be followed up with immediate feedback.

A science-backed approach to practice can change behavior. It can create more skillful leadership. Organizations that practice deliberately can change individuals, teams and culture for the better. Still, this approach is surprisingly uncommon in the cybersecurity industry. There are a few exceptions, such as the X-Force Command Cyber Tactical Ops Center and simulations in the cyber range.

Human security is what matters during a cybersecurity crisis, where skills and muscle memory can make the difference in make-or-break moments. Leaders and culture are the most important predictors of cyberattack outcomes, so its time to stop under-investing in human security.

Great leadership and security culture dont happen by accident. However, deliberate practice is exactly what Whitmore does best. In her nearly two-decade career in the Air Force Special Forces and industry, shes run 3,000 simulations and built leading global incident-response teams.

Roland Cloutier, SVP and chief security officer (CSO) at ADP, is another leader whos focused on human security. Delivering 40 million individuals paychecks requires a globally embedded culture of security. A recent conversation between Whitmore and Cloutier looked at ADPs approach to building security leadership and culture.

Our focus here at ADP is to make security a component of what everyone does in their jobs, said Cloutier. Hes seen a massive transformation during his decade as ADPs CSO.

Part of ADPs transformation is the result of executive buy-in, as the business climate there supports a security culture. However, Cloutiers revolution is also the result of five universally valuable tools:

One of our primary concepts is inclusive ideation from our people, said Cloutier. We have a new generation of cyber warriors and risk analysts and business people coming up. ADP views tomorrows leaders as a source of security solutions.

The idea of inclusive ideation also extends outside ADPs walls. Our sales force asks how we can protect the client better and what clients want, said Cloutier.

Executive committee engagement is another part of ADPs global security framework. Theres not just executive oversight, said Cloutier. Theres engagement. There are questions, and there are challenges to how were approaching security from the executive committee.

ADP employees have the opportunity to participate and explore security tasks and, ultimately, careers. Associates can join the Safe Pre-Pro Program, which is a global initiative for security awareness. Over 10 percent of ADPs global associates have opted into the program. Program members are assigned active security task loads and responsibilities they perform locally, in their current roles.

Deliberate practice is another focal point. Internal security champions learn hands-on security skills in the X-Force Cyber Ops Command Center. Sometimes, employees learn side-by-side with ADPs attorneys, executives and external stakeholders.

When we train as a culture, we train as a global team. We operate that way in crisis, said Cloutier.

ADPs security practice has adopted some uncommon, effective approaches to communication. For example, their education efforts include blogs and podcasts that talk about security in a way that resonates with their workforce and clients.

In a tight talent climate, Cloutier has had to consider new approaches to hiring and skills.

We look outside of ADP all the way back into the eighth grade with programs like the Womens Society of Cyberjutsu, said Cloutier. We look at post-grad programs and how we can help [students] graduate as new leaders in security.

A 10-year talent pipeline is a rare level of human security investment. Still, its the kind of intervention that benefits everyone. Working with eighth graders creates a stronger, more diverse security leadership pipeline for tomorrow.

ADPs talent-sourcing efforts also extend to individuals with nontraditional technology backgrounds, like global military talent and emerging specializations. We look at unique areas to quickly assimilate [new hires] into our environment and make them productive members of our programs, said Cloutier.

Cloutier has what Whitmore calls a relentless focus on improvement. Hes created a security revolution in the past decade at ADP. The organizations shift is no accident. Instead, its the result of a continued investment in human security.

Security is embedded in ADPs culture. Its who they are in front of customers, and its who they are behind closed doors. Cybersecurity is part of ADPs entire product life cycle. We dont just talk about security issues or vulnerabilities, said Cloutier. We talk about the total quality of product and security measures.

Human security is among the most important investments an organization can make. As Whitmore put it: Every investment helps our people and our organizations to dramatically improve the odds in a cybersecurity event. Deliberate practice leads to expert behavior during incident response, and shifting peoples hearts and minds starts with meaningful experience and education.

Learn more about driving security into the fabric of your business

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How Human Security Investments Created a Global Culture of Accountability at ADP - Security Intelligence

Human Behavior

China’s irresponsible behavior on virus shouldn’t overshadow its actions in Hong Kong | TheHill – The Hill

An immediate China-centric crisis should not distract the international community, particularly the United States, from otherdangerous situations created by Beijings communist government. As with earlier epidemics, the coronavirus pandemic was spawned and spread by its usual authoritarian practices of denial and deceit, which delayed by at least a month an appropriate global response. China then exacerbated the situation and hampered the work of the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by arbitrarily withholding its cooperation.

To add insult to injury, sources sanctioned by China now have resorted to familiar disinformation and finger-pointing, suggesting that the contagion either originated outside China, or has been made worse by other countries practices. The United States and Taiwan are Beijings usual targets. China-based digital media sources claim that the virus is out of control in Taiwan, with deaths overwhelming crematoria. Taiwan Fact-Check Center has debunked the claims and international observers have found no evidence to support them.

That pattern of false accusations and deflection from Chinas own incompetence and dictatorial irresponsibility is well-established. It is the same playbook Beijing followed in dealing with the crisis that erupted in Hong Kong last year, after Beijing imposed an extradition law in conflict with the territorys promised autonomy. As part of its ham-handed response to public outrage, China resorted to blaming the black hand of other countries, led by the United States.

Over Beijings angry objections, Congress then approved and President Donald Trump signed into law the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, the purpose of which is to determine whether the United States should continue to accord Hong Kong special status as a financial center entitled to favorable U.S. consideration on trade and investment.

The act requires that the State Department, within 180 days of its enactment in October, report to Congress on whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment. It lists a number of criteria to make that determination, one of which is the status of civil liberties in Hong Kong, including freedom of assembly and freedom of the press.

Last week, the Chinese government imposed a 10-year prison sentence on Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai for publishing and selling books that are prohibited in mainland China. Beijing since has added more charges and Guis case is complicated by the fact that he is a Swedish citizen who was kidnapped by Chinese agents in Thailand. But the original basis of Chinese ire against him was the sale of China-banned books, which clearly violates the acts freedom of the press standard to judge Hong Kongs autonomy.

Beijings prosecution and mistreatment of Gui is also inconsistent with Article 27 of the Basic Law governing Hong Kongs status under one country, two systems. It provides that Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, of the press and of publication. Applying Chinas rigid and censorial law on book publication to activities in Hong Kong violates both the U.S. standard underlying Hong Kongs unique status and the fundamental agreement that was meant to govern the territorys handover from the United Kingdom to Communist China.

Before and since passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, Hong Kong authorities, under orders from Beijing, have consistently interfered with citizens freedom of assembly. That interference, part of a larger pattern of Chinese meddling and dictation, also relates to decision-making within the Hong Kong government, which is another of the criteria stated in the act.

Undergirding all the standards set forth in the act is the first one stated: demands for universal suffrage. Progress on that objective would enable progress on all the others. Congress and President TrumpDonald John TrumpSurveillance deal elusive as deadline looms Coronavirus fears disrupt daily life The Memo: Biden poised for gains in next waves of primaries MORE were right to put those standards into American law governing relations with Hong Kong.

But neither the coronavirus Communist Chinas gift to the world nor partial agreement to trade reciprocity should prevent Washington from paying attention to what is happening in Hong Kong. As Angela Gui, the booksellers daughter, recently wrote about the lesson from her fathers ordeal, Holding China responsible for its crimes requires matching words with actions.

Joseph Bosco served as China country director for the secretary of Defense from 2005 to 2006 and as Asia-Pacific director of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief from 2009 to 2010. He is a nonresident fellow at the Institute for Corean-American Studies and a member of the advisory board of the Global Taiwan Institute.

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China's irresponsible behavior on virus shouldn't overshadow its actions in Hong Kong | TheHill - The Hill

Human Behavior

FDA Bans Shock Device Used For ‘Aggressive Behavior’ On Mentally Disabled Patients At Massachusetts School – wgbh.org

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a final rule Wednesday to ban electrical stimulation devices, or ESDs, used to discourage aggressive behavior or self-injury among patients with mental disabilities.

In the announcement, the FDA said the shock treatment devices present an unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury that cannot be corrected or eliminated through new or updated device labeling.

The ban referenced the sole facility still using these devices in the United States: the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center, or JRC, in Canton, Massachusetts. According to the FDA, between 45 and 50 individuals are still being exposed to the devices, which administer electrical shocks into the skin of patients to attempt to condition them to stop engaging in aggressive behavior.

Evidence indicates a number of significant psychological and physical risks are associated with the use of these devices, including worsening of underlying symptoms, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, pain, burns and tissue damage, the FDA announcement read. In addition, many people who are exposed to these devices have intellectual or developmental disabilities that make it difficult to communicate their pain.

In a statement sent to WGBH News, the JRC said the facility will continue to advocate for and will litigate to preserve this court-approved life-saving treatment.

[The] FDA made a decision based on politics, not facts, to deny this life saving, court-approved treatment.

According to the JRC, the facility provided countless hours of testimony and volumes of information indicating the positive impacts of shock treatment, in addition to making staff clinicians and family members of clients available to the FDA over the past several years.

After multiple requests for the Federal agency to visit the only facility impacted by this rule, the FDA stuck its head in the sand and refused to visit, the statement read.

In a statement provided by the JRC and attributed to the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center Parents Association, family members of loved ones write that they will continue to fight the FDA decision, or any attempt to make the treatment unavailable.

[The] FDAs actions today can only be interpreted one way: FDA is saying that our children's lives do not matter, the statement said. A government agency offering no effective alternative treatments for our loved ones is moving to take away the only treatment that has successfully allowed them to stop maiming themselves, spend time with their family and to learn and engage in the community instead of being in a locked room while physically, mechanically or chemically restrained by drugs. It is a matter of life and death.

Shain Neumeier, a Springfield-based disability rights attorney, has opposed the facility for years, and represented a California family who claims their daughter was abused at JRC in 2018, including being restrained more than 45 times in less than three months.

In a phone interview Wednesday, Neumeier said the FDA ban is an enormous step for patients with disabilities.

This is a huge victory, one that's been a long time coming, since the 80s, Neumeier said. In the disability community, everybody's been overjoyed.

If nothing else, it puts JRC on par with the other worst facilities out there, she continued, instead of giving them this extra privilege to use this particular form of torture.

The New York State Education Department published a report following investigations in 2005 and 2006 into the facilitys use of electric shock therapy, finding that shocks were used for behaviors that shouldnt call for their use, like nagging, swearing and failing to maintain a neat appearance.

A series of lawsuits have been filed against the school, including an appeal brought by the human rights organization Mental Disability Rights International, claiming that the facilitys use of electric shock treatment was a human rights violation.

Its torture on the basis of disability, Neumeier said. We're not doing this, to my knowledge, to prisoners in the United States. There was an abuse scandal back in 2004 in Abu Ghraib about people posing with electrical wire on them, thinking they could be shot. This is no different from that.

According to Neumeier, there is a culture of abuse at JRC, including an overuse of restraint, and abuses including beatings administered by staff. I can't say whether that's an official policy or not, Neumeier said, but it keeps happening and it's tolerated on some level and generally known.

A spokesperson from JRC sent statements from the school and the parents organization, but declined to respond to specific allegations about abusive staff or cultural issues within the facility.

The educational center, which was first established in Providence in 1971 as the Behavior Research institute, has a controversial history regarding shock treatment therapy and other allegations of abuse. In 1979, the state of New York where the majority of patients were from issued a report describing conditions at the facility as the singular most depressing experience that team members have had, and detailing physical abuse to patients.

The facility moved to Canton in 1996.

Federal and Massachusetts authorities launched two investigations into a case where an autistic student at JRC was restrained for seven hours and shocked many times for disobeying staff members, hiding under a table and refusing to take off his coat.

There is a reason there's a reason why these kinds of things are happening repeatedly at the school, Neumeier said, referencing the multiple investigations and reporters targeted at the facility. In large part its because of this strict behavioral regimen where its all about control and compliance, and not about treating people like human beings.

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FDA Bans Shock Device Used For 'Aggressive Behavior' On Mentally Disabled Patients At Massachusetts School - wgbh.org

Human Behavior

4 Cheap Ways to Make Urban Transportation Better – CityLab

City leaders: Before buying a hyperloop, maybe fix your sidewalk?March 4, 2020

Theres a tension in transportation news. On one hand, cities are eager to nudge residents away from automobiles and toward modes that pose less danger, both to people and the planet. But the mobility stories that grab media attention often involve launching buzzy plans for hyperloops, autonomous vehicles, MaaS apps, and microtransit startups innovations that have yet to prove they can reduce driving. As Ive argued in CityLab before, city officials touting these tech launches are often motivated more by FOMO than by a strategy to catalyze mode shift.

But local leaders have a choice. Rather than racing to be the first to deploy some new technology, they can instead focus on mundane mobility solutions that actually work. These are fixes that dont grab headlines, but will give cities a better chance to grow the share of trips taken on transit, on foot, by bike or on a scooter. Theyre also unlikely to break a citys budget or trigger angry pushback. In fact, many people wont even notice them.

Drivers often park as close to an intersection as they can without blocking the crosswalk. When they do, the parked vehicles limit visibility of pedestrians or bicyclists at the curb. The intersection then feels and is less safe, compelling people to avoid it. The fix: daylighting the intersection, preventing cars from parking too close. (The National Association of City Transportation Officials recommends 20 to 25 feet of clearance.)

But rather than simply blocking off the curb adjacent to the intersection, why not turn it into something useful, like parking corrals for bikes and scooters? That is what Washington, D.C., plans to do in 100 intersection-adjacent locations across the city. (Parking was already illegal in these places, but cars were often left there anyway.)

This initiative can achieve several goals at once. The corrals will physically prevent drivers from illegally parking close to the intersection, reducing unlawful behavior and improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Better yet, the city will expand the availability of bike/micromobility parking, making it a little easier to take a ride. District DOT Director Jeff Marootian says his agency will pay around $25,000 in total for the project, with negligible resistance from residents: Its already illegal to leave your car in these spaces, so were not taking away any established parking spots.

Time spent waiting for a bus feels even longer when theres no place to sit or get out of the rain. I mean that literally: A study from the University of Minnesota found that a five-minute wait at an exposed, pole-in-the-ground bus stop will seem like a 13-minute wait. If the transit agency simply offers a bench and some kind of roof, perceived wait time falls to 7.5 minutes.

As Pedestrian Observations Alon Levy has noted, the price of such a bus shelter is only around $15,000. That makes them a cost-effective way of making bus trips seem faster, even if a transit agency lacks the resources to increase service frequency. And it is perception that drives human behavior.

VIA, San Antonios transit agency, spent $12 million to build 1,000 bus shelters from 2014 to 2017. Correlation is not causation, but the steep decline in VIAs ridership began to taper off at around the same time the program began, and in 2019 bus ridership grew in San Antonio bucking national trends.

Sidewalk improvements are just about the lowest-tech urban mobility fix, but they can have a big impact. Even transit or e-scooter riders will be pedestrians for the so-called first mile/last mile of their trip, as they walk to and from a station or rented device. But in too many U.S. cities, crumbling or non-existent pedestrian infrastructure make walking or using wheelchairs perilous, and driving an all-too-inviting option.

In Denver, property owners are responsible for maintaining the adjacent sidewalk, leaving many neighborhoods with substandard walkways. In 2017 the city stepped in with a $4 million program to subsidize sidewalk repairs for lower-income residents, with a priority placed on locations with a history of automobile-pedestrian collisions. As the sidewalks improve, they make walking more attractive and also provide a funnel to other modes of transportation. Smart.

Most people wont walk more than a half mile to or from a transit stop. For that reason youd think public transportation agencies would bend over backwards to woo those who might bike to a commuter rail, light rail, or subway station; otherwise such people would likely hop in a car.

But historically, North American transit agencies have been slow to embrace the idea that their riders might use a bike to reach the rails. During rush hour you still cant bring a non-foldable bike aboard trains run by agencies like SEPTA or NJ Transit, due to supposed capacity limitations.* But other systems seem to have found a way; the Bay Areas Caltrain offers onboard bike storage, and Washington, D.C.s Metro began allowing bikes on all trains a year ago, around when Marylands MARC commuter rail system opened the door to full-sized bikes on the Penn Line connecting D.C. and Baltimore. Pulling this off required installing bike racks in some cars, shaving off a handful of seats, but it has made a big difference for plenty of commuters.

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If North American transit systems wont allow bikes on the train, they might at least offer enough secure parking near rail stations, as the Dutch do. (The huge bike parking facility beneath Utrechts train station can hold 12,000 bicycles.) Systems on this side of the Atlantic have a lot of room for improvement on that front as well.

Without breaking the budget or triggering a NIMBY backlash, these kinds of mundane mobility solutions can make it a little more likely urban residents will opt to leave their car at home or not buy one in the first place. They cant take the place of expensive or politically challenging initiatives like adopting congestion pricing, building protected bike lanes, and expanding transit service. But just about any city can implement them, even when big-ticket changes arent possible.

That said, dont assume fixes like these will be prioritized naturally, no matter how intuitive they seem. Compare an autonomous vehicle launch with a sidewalk repair campaign: Which do you think will earn more press attention for local officials? Which is more likely to have private lobbyists advocating for it?

Local leaders who opt for mundane mobility over trendy tech solutions are likely to pay a price in media attention and in private sector support. But if the goal is to save lives and our planet by getting people out of their cars, these fixes might still be a bargain.

*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that BART did not allow full-sized bikes on trains during rush hours. In fact, bikes are only barred from certain cars.

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4 Cheap Ways to Make Urban Transportation Better - CityLab

Human Behavior

Does Game Theory Work in Blackjack Games? – Casino Game Theory – BestUSCasinos.org

Youve probably at least run across the term game theory at some point. Its shown up in a lot of different places, from articles of optimal hands in Texas Holdem to the 2018 movie Crazy Rich Asians.

You may have wondered what game theory is and if its really as powerful as you would be led to believe. Could it have lead Constance Wus character to essentially dominate everyone she played poker or mahjong against? Simply put, game theory is very powerful, maybe not as powerful as it has been shown in the movies, but still pretty cool.

Normally, game theory is shown in head-to-head card games, but I started wondering Could it apply to other games like playing blackjack? The results were somewhat mixed, but ultimately, game theory can help with blackjack if used properly.

Lets look at how blackjack can help, understand the obstacles blackjack presents when using game theory and, of course, learn what exactly game theory is.

These decisions including whether you fold or raise in Texas Holdem or, potentially, whether you hit or stay in blackjack.

Game theory applies to more than just poker. It finds its way into nearly every human endeavor from stock trading to police work to poker and, over time, it can produce mathematical models that are really good at predicting human behavior.

However, all of the places that get game theory applied to them have a few things in common. First, they all have at least two players in competition. The rules of the game are mostly clear and players gain a better result for some actions than others.

Even though Hollywood would have you believe otherwise, game theory isnt an all-powerful tool for making perfect decisions. In fact, it requires two things to make it work.

First, you need a lot of data. No one just has a eureka moment and invents a mathematical model describing the perfect way to play US poker games or rule the stock market.

Instead, researchers working on the problem build a model and test it. They learn from their tests, then they refine the model, rebuild it, and test again. After a bunch of iterations, they will then produce either a massive failure or model that might work after it has been vetted in the real world.

Wait, dont go anywhere. This only sounds like math class. Its really poker.

The other thing that game theory needs is a small number of variables (in other words, not a lot going on). In fact, the University of Alberta folks who pioneered a lot of this research are pretty quick to point out their models work best when its one-on-one because thats when the fewest number of things might change.

To bring this point home, people are messy, and if you get a lot of them in one game, they can make game theorys head spin and leave you looking for other ways to dominate the table.

Now that youre ready to don your cap and gown and earn a degree in higher order mathematics (or not), its time to look at why game theory is not optimal for blackjack.

At first, it would seem that blackjack and say, Texas Holdem, are similar enough that if game theory applied to one (Holdem) it would apply to the other. However, theres something fundamentally different between the two activities and thats the level of interaction.

In Texas Holdem, there is no house and youre not playing the dealer. Each player is out to beat every other player in the game to win the pot. Player interaction is assured, thus, the essential definition of game theory is mettwo more players trying to get a better result.

This is not true in blackjack. You can play your entire hand of blackjack and have no interaction with another soul except hit me or stay. What your opponent doesin this case, the dealeris all mandated by a predetermined set of rules, so there really is no other player to play against.

In some ways, the closest you come to any kind of interaction in blackjack is that the players can affect the outcome of your hand by choosing to take cards or not. However, thats not the kind of decision that game theory can help with since you have no control over what other players do and you will never have enough information before the round is over on how previous plays affect your hand.

Frankly, if you could model that, youd have to take into account all previous hands because they all take cards from the same set of decks. Thats not mathematical modeling. Thats card counting.

Because of everything above, the general theory is that game theory (pun intended) isnt for blackjack. Theres not enough decision making for game theory to accurately model it.

At the end of the day, Im just not sure thats the whole story. Were not going to arrive at a true mathematical model of blackjack by the time this article is over, but there are at least good arguments that such a model should be able to exist.

How do we know a mathematical model can exist?

Its safe to say that your basic strategy blackjack players arent going to get much of a boost out of game theory.

Theres already a mathematical model to follow (basic strategy) that has been shown to produce favorable results in a lot of real world scenarios.

By the way, it should be pointed out that the above statement is not an indictment against basic strategy or blackjack players who follow it. I would advise literally everyone to follow basic strategy, especially in the beginning. However, basic strategy can be spruced up.

Dont let anyone fool you (including what I said above). Yes, the house in blackjack isnt as wily an opponent as those you might meet at a poker table, but blackjack has winners and losers. Theres strategy, and there are things you can do to win or at least increase your chances of getting a better result.

In my opinion, that makes them close enough to a game theory opponent that game theory could apply. What its missing, though, are additional sources of information, which is sometimes called counting cards (though neither you nor I will ever call it that).

Were just going to track aces, twos, threes, and kings. This is a variation on the strategy that the MIT blackjack team used to win a lot of money from the casinos.

Unfortunately, they were MIT kids and we are not. So, were just going to add one for each ace and king and subtract one for each two and three. The higher the number, the less likely the deck is going to produce a higher value card.

Of course, now we run into our problem.

Were still a mathematical model short of true game theory. This means that we have to build a model of when to stay, hit, etc. based on the value of our hand and the number in our head. We then have to convert that model into something that live humans can employ during the heat and emotion of a blackjack game.

Like I said above, were not going to solve blackjack and game theory today. Im merely saying that we can, at the end of the day, inject additional sources of information into what most think of as a system that wouldnt otherwise support it.

In other words, theres hope that with a little bit of mind tracking, we can develop a true model (not a fly-by-night system) that will let everyone dominate the poker table.

Game theory is a fascinating topic and a practice that is changing how were doing everything, including betting our chips at the poker table. It is somewhat unfortunate that there are not already prevalent applications of game theory to the game of blackjack, but part of that could just be basic strategys fault. Its a good system on its own.

Still, theres likely a time down the road when brilliant game theorists will look at blackjack and realize there is an untapped source of information that can be fed into a model, whether thats keeping track of a few cards.

I just cant wait for that day because then I can say, I told you so. Until then, Ill track the high cards and the low cards and build my own way to succeed at blackjack.

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Does Game Theory Work in Blackjack Games? - Casino Game Theory - BestUSCasinos.org

Human Behavior

The APA breaks its silence on video game violence – SVG

The American Psychological Association has continued to look into the effects of violent video games on players' behavior over the last several years. The APA have maintained in the past that there is a lack of evidence suggesting that video games can cause people to become outwardly violent. However, back in 2015, the APA looked into revising its previous statements in light of a rash of school shootings and other violent incidents.

This week, the APA published its latest findings in a new resolution, and it's fairly similar to the findings from previous studies. "There is insufficient scientific evidence to support a causal link between violent video games and violent behavior," says the APA official website.

According to APA PresidentPresident Sandra L. Shullman, PhD, "Violence is a complex social problem that likely stems from many factors that warrant attention from researchers, policymakers and the public.Attributing violence to video gaming is not scientifically sound and draws attention away from other factors, such as a history of violence, which we know from the research is a major predictor of future violence."

In other words, it is the opinion of the APA that people who fear the effects of video games on human behavior are focusing on the entirely wrong things. It should be noted, however, that the APA understands why it's such a concern. After all, in the last few decades, video games have increasingly become a part of daily life for multiple age groups.

The APA's findings are further elaborated upon in a document posted to the official site, which lays out the organization's latest resolution and where it intends to go from here in researching the issue. As the document states, "Considering the vast number of children and youth who use video games and that more than 85% of video games on the market contain some form of violence, the public has understandably been concerned about the effects that using violent video games may have on individuals, especially children and adolescents."

The APA has furthermore resolved to make a concerted effort to distribute these findings to educators and others working with children. It's important to the APA to communicate the idea that "all violence, including lethal violence, is aggression, but not all aggression is violence." Video games have been found to be an outlet for that aggression, a nonviolent escape for people.

However, the APA does feel that the ratings of games need to be updated to properly reflect the level of violence in games. In other words, despite there not being any measurable correlation between violence in video games, there are still things that young and impressionable gamers probably shouldn't be seeing. Let's face it: sometimes video games take things a bit too far.

Despite these findings, the resolution makes a point of mentioning that there are still gaps within the APA's research, gaps that the organization hopes to be able to fill in with additional time and funding. These included whether or not males or females were more susceptible to negative outcomes from violent video games and whether or not the genre of the games played had any effect on how the game was perceived by players.

Still, with this being such a hot button issue to this day, it's reassuring to know that the science behind it is being looked into. Last year, President Donald Trump pointed to violence in video games as a cause for a series of mass shootings. This drew the ire of several high profile gamers, including superstar streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, who told TMZ at the time, "Come on, man.Have you seen Minecraft? What's violent about Minecraft, bro? Nothing, man."He further added, "Violence is not video games. Just how it is, man."

Likewise, Villanova University psychology professor Patrick Markey has likened the consumption of violent video games to the effects that any other type of entertainment would have on a person. According to Markey, "The general story is people who play video games right after might be a little hopped up and jerky but it doesn't fundamentally alter who they are. It is like going to see a sad movie. It might make you cry but it doesn't make you clinically depressed."

Despite this sentiment being shared by other gamers, researchers, and the APA, the stigma against video games persists. In fact, several games have been banned in the USA over the years due to their levels of violence. Hopefully the APA can continue this research and settle the issues in a definitive way.

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The APA breaks its silence on video game violence - SVG

Human Behavior

BWW Review: IN MY MIND’S EYE: An Exploration Of Relying On Inner Intuitions & Overcoming Obstacles at Group Repertory Theatre – Broadway World

We are first introduced to a young girl, a very assertive, opinionated young girl, definitely with a strong sense of identity, and self worth. She is heard speaking, which we come to find out is us hearing her inner thoughts and feelings, through her "Mind's Eye," her vocally taped diary, into a recorder.

The time is 1968.

We first view her as she runs, into, outside ~ an elderly man who has fallen in their garden, helping him up and, concerned, guides him inside her home, where she spends much of her sheltered life. Patty, played quite brilliantly by Peyton Kirkner, is both honest and earnest in her connection with her new and only friend, Calhoon (played wonderfully and with much heart by Lloyd Pedersen). They were instant friends; and even though Patty is legally blind they easily shared conversation. The actors totally conveyed that feeling, so it was all the more heart-wrenching when her mom, Lola Henderson, played determinedly by Maria Kress, who, understandably, is ultra protective, comes home and just couldn't fathom this new connection ~ having been the caretaker-mom all of Patty's life, this was a concern she had not yet encountered. Flash forward, and back and forth, throughout the rest of the play, this played out and developed one of the underlying themes while at the same time we were fast-forwarded to Patty (aka now renamed by herself, Trish) as a school teacher in 1981.

Patty/Trish has followed her early longings and has become what no one expected, a schoolteacher, a World Geography teacher at a Junior High! It is her first day, and Trish, played captivatingly and effervescently by Kait Haire, ends up meeting a charming teacher from the classroom next door who captures her spirit and helps her through her first day jitters. Hugo, played disarmingly and nobly by Bobby Slaski, secretly impresses Trish. He seems the perfect type for her, and we see their relationship blossom, albeit some issues to do with her mom accepting her diminished role in her daughter's life. They have connected on a whole different level, that transcends superfluous considerations.

Clara Rodriguez plays an appropriately matter-of-fact Dean of the junior high, yet with a tender touch.

When you get used to the time switches during the play, happening sometimes seemingly randomly, everything makes more sense in the end. Once I understood all the connections between the characters, it was a very engrossing and thought-provoking study in human behavior, needs and expectations.

Inspired by true events in his life with a childhood teacher, Doug Haverty, the diverse and accomplished playwright, originally workshopped and developed this play through Lonny Chapman's (The Founder and Artistic Director of Group Repertory Theatre) Playwright's Unit, in the early '80s and it was the first full-length play to be produced in their current theatre location. Doug, as the new Artistic Director as of this year, is carrying on the tradition of reinstating Lonny Chapman's Playwriting Unit, to help develop new and important works. That has always been Lonny's goal. Mr. Haverty has brought back his award-winning play to jump-start this new and exciting season.

There are many moving moments during the play, and it has a lot to say about overcoming and dealing with challenges that can be complicated, yet, with determination, can be conquered.

Direction by Bruce Kimmel is well-constructed, especially when blending the time differences in Patty's/Trish's age. The differences and the likenesses of the younger vs. older Patty are clearly defined, enriching the character and what she signifies. All of the characters portrayed are kind and caring individuals, who only want the best outcome.

The incidental music throughout was composed by Director Bruce Kimmel, which added greatly to the mood and feel of the play. The set design, by Pawena Sriha was extremely workable to allow time changes to transition seamlessly. Lighting and Costuming, by Douglas Gabtielle and Michael Mullens was enhancing and well-suited.

"In My Mind's Eye," Running at the Group Repertory Theater, through March 15th, it is an excellent play to launch GRT's 46th season, and paves the way to more special and moving presentations.

Produced by Bita Arefnia.

Check out: http://www.theGROUPrep.com Reservations & Info: 818.763.5990.

Photos Courtesy of Doug Engalla

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BWW Review: IN MY MIND'S EYE: An Exploration Of Relying On Inner Intuitions & Overcoming Obstacles at Group Repertory Theatre - Broadway World