innkblotz blog - Bryn Robinson, freelance writer

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Articles: 1, 2, 3

My Little Pony, Asexual Pony
2008-06-06 16:34:00
I just realized today that, for my entire life, I made the unconscious assumption that all Clydesdale horses were males.Unfortunately, I chose to verbalize this hypothesis in a drug store, staring at a rack of WebKinz and trying to sex a stuffed horse. This brought on a burst of laughter from my sister, who was with me when I made this observation out loud. Being adept at life sciences, the Medic pointed out that surely there were female Clydesdale horses - otherwise, the species would have died out.I tried to counterclaim (pulling out biological theories clearly out of my nether regions) and stated that Clydesdales are asexual creatures, capable of auto-fertilization much like dandelions and maple trees. The argument did not stand up well, though, and I was left a broken geek, wondering why my curious mind and thirst for science had failed me at such an innocuous moment.Digging deep into my past education, I realized that my brain did not fail me; it simply held tightly onto one ...
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Short Circuit
2008-06-05 15:34:00
Wow.What else can a gal say about a monkey controlling a robot prosthetic arm with his brain? I think the video - and the implications for injured and disabled individuals - speaks for itself. Certainly, we won't see robotic prosthetics tomorrow in the stores, but the possibility of increased access for many individuals is in sight.
More About: Circuit , Short

Satisifed Fool
2008-06-02 04:13:00
One of the things that I've discussed on this blog before is the concept of intelligence: what is intelligence, what an IQ score means, and what intelligence means to us and our society at the end of the day.I found this documentary while looking up some comedy material that I enjoy - The Ricky Gervais Show. (On this particular show, the producer Karl often says some pretty off-the-wall stuff, and you leave with the impression that he's not quite intelligent. In fact, a good deal of the show is centered around his lack of formal education and some of the bizarre theories that he conjures up during broadcasts.)This documentary poses one question, and a good one: would intelligence make him any happier? The dialogue that takes place is quite good; I've had numerous laughs at Karl's expense you can see a different kind of intelligence laced in his words. Although I question the fellow in video 3 and his "tests" of cognitive ability.
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Mind Shock: A Case for ECT
2008-05-29 15:09:00
As you may know by now, I'm a big fan of the TED Talks. The material is always informative and unique, putting a different perspective on a particular topic. Since we're starting to talk about depression in tonight's class, I found a great lecture from this series on the origins of and experiences with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Sherwin Nuland is a surgeon and author who discusses brilliantly the history of ECT, and then turns to a description of his experiences with the procedure.Often, all I see is negative accounts of ECT. Sure there are horror stories and potentially devastating side effects, and there have been abuses of this treatment much like any other available treatment. But for those who choose the therapy through truly informed consent, the risks are far outweighed by the benefits. It was nice to see an educated account of a positive experience with the procedure.
More About: Shock , Mind , Case

Intermission
2008-05-28 04:57:00
Since my class runs 2.5 hours, I usually give the students a 10-minute breather at the half-way mark. Tonight, they were particularly bored/sombre as I presented information about chronic anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder). This, plus the "technical difficulty" curse placed on the lecture theatre, made me cue up a quick comic relief video before showing them the case study videos.For an encore performance to you (but new and exciting to them), I proudly present Rusty the Narcoleptic Dachshund:In the midst of laughter, one student pointed out a video in the YouTube sidebar: fainting goats. This was new to me:My only question was this: why would anyone breed goats for fainting? (e.g., Are they easier to milk, perhaps?) A student then snickered and murmured a second question about the mechanics of breeding fainting goats. After seeing the video, I could hazard a guess but will keep my unscientific, goat-oriented musings to myself.

The Days in Between
2008-05-26 16:14:00
Over the weekend, I was hearing a lot of a graduate student's favourite question ever: When will Bryn finally be done school?!? Although I appreciate the interest in my life, this question is leading me to beat my face off of a brick wall until I forget the word "dissertation". This is because there are two answers to this question. There's my idealistic answer ("I want to graduate by next May"). And then there's the same answer, laced with more truth ("I want to graduate by next May, but a lot of the process is out of my hands"). See, with the dissertation-writing process, I have a certain degree of control over my work: I control when I write proposals, when I schedule data collection or interview sessions with participants, when I read supporting materials or learn a statistical technique, and when I organize meetings as appropriate.But note I said a certain degree of control. It's the revisions to the dissertation is the variable over which I have no control at all:First, ke...
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Phobia Art Show
2008-05-22 15:20:00
All of the artists were required to register a phobia with the production company. Then, they had to explore their phobia through their chosen media and style.
More About: Show , Phobia

To sleep, perchance to...well, sleep.
2008-05-22 04:13:00
Insomnia sucks.Often we think of it as an inability to get to sleep. There's another side, though, that's all too familiar to me: constantly waking up after being peacefully deep in slumber. And for the last little while (on and off), I keep waking up. Hell, let's be honest: I do not remember the last time that I slept soundly throughout the night. Likely, it was a few months ago.No one knows why we need sleep for certain, but we all know that we need it. Is it purely physiological, or do we consolidate memories or sort out the brain's inbox as we dream of pink balloons with fangs chasing us down across a grassy knoll? It's a seemingly simple question but could easily span several researchers' lifetimes. Being a graduate student, lack of sleep is not foreign territory. In fact, I don't think that "grad student" and "lack of sleep" should be part and parcel of the PhD experience (although some proudly wear insomnia like a badge of honour, meaning you've worked harder than the...
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The City of Unseen Light
2008-05-20 02:18:00
Being from a small city, I have grown accustomed to seeing fellow classmates leave the city for "brighter horizons". And having chosen to stay in said city, I created quite the confusion with these folks: how can someone smart want to stay in what they consider to be a cultural and occupational wasteland...? - - -The City of Unseen Light The ambient light is a juicy orange and all I can smell is wet pavement and exhaust. The street lights are glowing behind the fog, but I can?t tell where they start or stop. And you: you are also shapeless.  My memory doesn?t give you a name or a face anymore; it could be any one of a number of people. We get in your car and we drive around, drinking, sipping, venting. The windows are cranked open to let in the scents of wet ground, hydrocarbons from the nearby refinery and the burnt coffee that came from the last pot of the evening. The coffee was our initial excuse to get together.We decided to stay here in Fogtown whereas others have left, to hol...

The Chapters Manifesto, pt. V
2008-05-20 01:42:00
How's this for progress? Over the rainy long weekend, I was running errands when I stopped by the newest bookstore-to-be!The future Indigo Books & Music, East Point Shopping Centre. My future Mecca.Is it completely sad - or wrong - to think about camping out for a bookstore opening?
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Introspection on Sesame Street
2008-05-15 14:22:00
I found this little discussion on abnormality when looking for recent psychology news. In it, the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street * engages in a little introspection and questions his label of "monster". Why is he so "abnormal"? In one passage, he wonders: Me thinks me have serious problem. Me thinks me addicted. But since when it acceptable to call addict monster? It affliction. It disease. It burden. But does it make me monster?How can they be so callous? Me know there something wrong with me, but who in Sesame Street doesn't suffer from mental disease or psychological disorder? They don't call the vampire with math fetish monster, and me pretty sure he undead and drinks blood. No one calls Grover monster, despite frequent delusional episodes and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. And the obnoxious red Grover?oh, what his name??Elmo! Yes, Elmo live all day in imaginary world and no one call him monster. No, they think he cute. And Big Bird! Don't get me started on Big Bird! He u...
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Different From Who?
2008-05-15 13:50:00
Class has now been underway for two weeks: a spring course on psychopathology, or "abnormal psychology" (as it used to be called). Before tackling the main mental disorders, we have been devoting our time to discussing preliminary definitions and details. The main question guiding the first three lectures is deceptively simple: what is abnormal? When is abnormal a problem, and when is it just "different"? It turns out that a judgment of abnormality is by no means black-and-white; instead, social and cultural influences play a heavy role in our views of abnormal behaviours. And you hoped that diagnosis and treatment was based on something more the whims of our society?At the end of the first class, I had the students define "abnormal". They had interesting definitions of "abnormal", using words like strange, weird, bizarre, inappropriate, attention-seeking, unusual and different to describe an abnormal behaviour. Or, they defined it as something "differing from the norm" - a popular ...

Well-Played...?
2008-05-13 00:47:00
As an adult who enjoys some apparently controversial video games (e.g., Grand Theft Auto series, Hitman), I have sometimes experienced a guilty conscience for enjoying them so much: don't these games create monsters out of children? Although I've always maintained that a chief part of the problem is parents letting their children play inappropriate games for their age, I've felt that I was part of a immoral minority. Thankfully, we have psychologists to set us straight! Sure, that was a bit tongue-in-cheek - but check out this award-winning study by Chris Whitehead from Sunderland University. Instead of blaming these games for instilling violence in children, he argues - and shows - that these games can promote pro-social behaviours and increased self-esteem and confidence: "A lot of research has shown a link between aggression and video games...I would argue that the main cause of this link is due to parents ignoring ratings and allowing their children to play games not suitable...

Hunting for Herons
2008-05-10 16:10:00
On the boardwalk at the Irving Nature Park, leading across a salt marshBlue heron finally comes out from tall grass for a photo - then eyes me suspiciously...I began Google searching my brain for "attack + heron + evil"
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The Balancing Act
2008-05-08 02:19:00
First of all, it's National Mental Health Week, as sponsored by the Canadian Mental Health Association. The theme this year is 'Work/Life Balance - Make it Your Business', encouraging a healthy balance across the many roles that Canadians now hold (e.g., parent, child, employee, caregivers, basketball coach for small, hyper children). Our society coaxes and facilitates the 'multi-tasking' lifestyle; in fact, we feel inadequate if we cannot confess to juggling many hats. There's a difference between productivity and burnout, and none of us are truly capable of being superheros for extended periods of time. (Type 'A' personalities, such as graduate students in the throes of dissertation writing, often need to be reminded of the importance of balance.)Check out this video of 5 Microsoft employees discussing this very topic:OR, there is analogy by stick figures:

Flooding in New Brunswick
2008-05-05 23:05:00
Springtime in New Brunswick , especially along the St. John River, often includes some flooding as the snow and ice on the river melt. This year rivals records from the 1970's though, with many in the capital region of Fredericton looking for assistance in the past week. Downtown streets were submerged, and many of the farmlands lining the river have been quite damaged.In Saint John (an hour south of Fredericton), we haven't seen too much out of the ordinary. That was, of course, until the river up north started to follow its natural course and drain into the Bay of Fundy. Now, homes along the river are finding themselves in similar predicaments. Although the flood waters have not reached 8.2 m above sea level as in Fredericton, the river here meets the rising tides of the Bay of Fundy.We went out Sunday to take photos of the Royal Kennebecasis Yacht Club, which sits at a dead end at the bottom of Millidge Avenue (our street). First, check out this picture over at a local's Flickr...
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Throwing Little Albert Out With the Bathwater
2008-05-02 21:01:00
Whenever a person forms an opinion and makes it public, they open themselves up to comments and criticisms from the public. Being in graduate school, defending a thesis or an idea comes with the territory; same goes for anyone who writes and publishes it for all to read. It's a circle of opinionated life, though, as critics and observers then open themselves up to similar commentary. Case in point: recently I made it known that I published an article for the online magazine Inkling. I discussed one of psychology's famous studies, the Little Albert study by Watson and Rayner (admittedly, a piece of work that is both questionable ethically and scientifically). A few days after the article was posted, a comment appeared below it. Couched in positive comments was the following:...and such a story makes one wonder about the value of the discipline of  psychiatry...There are two things wrong with this statement:First, I wasn't discussing psychiatry (the medical treatment of the psyche)...

Inside Carly
2008-05-01 02:52:00
Simply put, this story fascinates me.Often, the word autism is associated with images of poor social skills, the need for a regimented schedule, and difficulties controlling behaviours that are counter-intuitive to complete social integration (i.e., acting out with tantrums, hitting and screaming). But Carly, a 13-year old autistic girl, is changing the way that we view the disorder. Through intensive behavioural therapy, she has been able to communicate with her family, friends and therapists. Although she is unable to physically speak, she is able to articulate pretty standard thoughts and feelings for a teenager. Her behaviours and lack of speech create that stereotypical image of "autism", but through her writings she demonstrates that she is, in a sense, locked behind the barrier of her overt behaviours. For example, when asked what other autistic kids could learn from her story:To tell you the truth I don't know I am a girl with autism that learned how to spell and is now ab...
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The Curative Power of a Hug...
2008-04-28 05:10:00
Research shows that cuddling with a mother's bare skin can have a wonderful effect on a premature infant's experience of pain. When a host of medical procedures are required to keep the tiny infants alive and well, feeling a physical connection with mother helps to reduce recovery time from the pain (as measured by physical indicators of heart rate, facial expressions, etc.). Interesting study, although in terms of attachment, this comes as no surprise. Babies look to the primary caregiver (even at a young age) for comfort, warmth and support. Physical interactions such as cuddling, holding, hugging, and so on, are necessary to create the emotional attachment between caregiver and infant. (Check out my earlier post on Harlow's monkey attachment research for evidence of this.) Although a baby doesn't sit and think, "I need my mom now! Hospitals scare me...", they do recognize and respond to soft, warm "objects". If anything, the effects found in this research are just as importan...
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Digital Age Be Damned
2008-04-28 05:04:00
Professing undying love in the forest, the old-fashioned way.
More About: Digital , Digital Age

Yours Truly
2008-04-24 12:34:00
So, we've gone from piles of crispy, rotten snow, to tufts of green grass, pollen and...lightning. I was getting ready to post last night, when a decent lights and sounds show rolled into town. And being that neither Ryan or I have purchased surge protectors (naughty, naughty geeks), we pulled the plug on the operation (i.e., no blog post last night).While I ate my lunch and surfed the usual blog haunts, I came across a neat biographical post (over at Catatonic Kid) - basically, the type of meme/quiz that gets sent around via e-mail to friends and family. This particular quiz simply asked for eight random facts about you. After all, what makes us all really unique is that grab bag of random experiences and quirks, not the typical bland and biographical. What speaks more to personality: that some quiz says that I'm an extrovert (and then everyone conjures up the same list of associated characteristics, like "outgoing", "personable" or "friendly") - or the fact that I have worked as...

Inkling Magazine: Publication
2008-04-23 02:53:00
This time, I went on a hunt for the missing subject of a psychological experiment gone awry.Just got notice of another publication, entitled "Whatever Happened to Baby Albert?" in the online magazine Inkling. The tagline for the 'zine is "on the hunch that science rocks", and is intended to report the tangential side of science. In my case, every psychology student and their Pavlovian-conditioned dog knows about John Watson's behavioural experiments; specifically, the inducement of a rat phobia in an infant known as Albert B. Invariably, students are more interested in Little Albert's well-being post-research, rather than the impact of the experiment on psychological science.I loved the idea that a science magazine would educate as well as entertain, and definitelywanted to provide my perspectives. Take a read, and as always input is appreciated! The editors also provided links to suggested reads, which are well worth a browse.Of course, when you do read it you'll have noticed t...
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Hooray for Books!
2008-04-22 00:54:00
No excuses - I'm simply an unabashed science geek. Even going away for a few days to Maine, I'm going to latch onto the opportunity to shop at a bookstore or science shop. From a toy store in Freeport that sold life-size brain models, to a super-mega-bookstore in Bangor, I was simply gleeful. Simply, it's just hard to tear myself away from my "roots". I didn't get the brain model, but I spent a lot of time in the psychology section of Borders.Check out the goodies I picked up:Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes): in the middle of reading this one, a diary-esque story about a mentally handicapped man who increases his IQ through an experimental surgery - and learns that the world he thought was friendly was instead lonely and cruel.Man's Search for Meaning (Victor E. Frankl): Have heard a lot about this in undergrad history of psychology. Frankl is a psychiatrist who discusses finding the meaning in life's ups and downs, speaking from personal experience as a prisoner of Auschwitz.
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Creative Writing for Cookbooks
2008-04-18 12:46:00
Yes, this post is actually a writing post related to cookbooks. My mom has been working diligently on a family cookbook for months, and is now ready to have it published (going the self-publishing route for quality and ease of ordering/delivery to scattered relatives across the country). It's almost done except for this blank space at the front of the book, typically reserved for a foreward.Of course, I recognized an opportunity when one was presented. Instead of crafting a sappy and contrived ode to families, I decided to take a different approach altogether...what follows is my contribution to the "Ross Family Cookbook". I hope you enjoy my foray into the world of recipe writing.- - -The Ross Family Cookbook | Foreward by Bryn RobinsonThe foreward is meant to offer the reader a different perception of the book about to be read. But hell, this is a cookbook, not The Illiad, and since a) most people skip over this section of a book anyways, and b) I haven?t read this book at all, ...
More About: Creative , Writing , Creative Writing , Cookbooks

Saint's Rest Beach & Lower West SJ
2008-04-18 04:19:00
Lower West Side (Prince St.), from across the RiverThe road leading up from Saint's Rest Beach / Irving Nature ParkBroken fence surrounding an Irving tree farmSunset overlooking the Irving Nature Park & adjacent marshesLooking over to Saint's Rest Beach / Irving Nature Park
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Pick My Brain?
2008-04-16 20:54:00
What the heck? I'm not sure if I should take offense to people searching my brain or feel special.Apparently, this is a visual search engine: it provides search engine results, in the form of tiles/thumbnails of each web page that comes up.Strange. What's wrong with text?
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What It Feels Like For a Scientist
2008-04-16 14:12:00
There's a saying that doctors often make the worst patients. Perhaps their knowledge of the human body makes them skeptical of others' work, a "back-seat driver" when being a patient instead of the healer. However, in this case the doctor used her spiral downwards as a chance to truly understand the subject of her life's research: the brain and all of its' abilities.Another TED Talk (Technology, Entertainment, Design conference), this time presented by Jill Bolte Taylor from Harvard. As she experienced the symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke, she began to realize first-hand the immense capacity of the human brain to think, act, feel and coordinate our bodies and our lives. She brings out a real human brain and basically offers a great explanation of how the two halves of our brain make a whole person. Great information for caregivers of stroke victims, but I think this video serves as a good teaching tool for students also.For a more local-to-Fogtown look at doctors-as-patients, ch...
More About: Scientist

A Bit Belated: Retrospective on the Rabbit Hole
2008-04-14 18:52:00
I've been so preoccupied lately that I forgot to make note of the 1 year anniversary of innkblotz - and it was on April Fool's Day, to boot! After taking a look at the first post here at this blog, I decided to reflect back on this past year. In the very first post, I talk about wandering down this rabbit hole to see what treasures would be unveiled. I never made any specific goals, because I was completely uncertain but open to any opportunities available. So, where did I find myself this past year - and where will things go for this next year?I have to say that I am pleased that I did get some freelance opportunities under my belt, although I wish I had attempted a few more. Given the intensity of my thesis proposal for most of this first year, though, I suppose I could forgive myself? Nonetheless, I managed to get mental health articles in a few online/print magazines, as well as developed volunteer opportunities with one mental health agency in the city. In the later part of t...
More About: Hole , Retrospective

The Brownies, The Paramedic and Lassie
2008-04-11 20:19:00
In another episode of "Interactions with Small Folks", I drove my sister to a local Brownies troop last night. She's doing her clinical work for paramedic school, and one of the requirements is a series of volunteer activities in the community that will raise awareness about her new profession. In this case, teaching young people about the paramedic's life. Incidentally, this is my other little sister's troop (who was more than excited to show off her big sisters). En route to the Fire Hall in the Middle of Nowhere: Me: "So, what do you have prepared for your talk? Notes?"T: *tapping her skull* "All up here."Me: ?! "Are you going to do a situation?"T: "Dude, don't worry, I've got it under control. You can be my patient."Me: !!When Brown Owl (the leader) asked her if she would be absorbing the entire 1.5 hours, I started to consider a religious consultation on T's behalf. Admittedly, it went well, since T is much better suited to that off-the-cuff style. The first half was a di...
More About: Lassie

Celebrity Status
2008-04-09 18:37:00
Every so often, I hear someone in the media claim that this generation is fascinated - to the point of fixation - of celebrity without cause. People nowadays are more intent with being famous for something that in previous years would barely merit a moment's breath at the water cooler. Reality TV has played a massive role in this: we know winners of past shows over winners of scientific or artistic awards, and being obnoxious or mindless has beaten out real talent and skills. Why is our generation hell-bent on being known for something, even if that something is really nothing at all?Today we're crossing philosophical and psychological borders. I frequent the blog 'Rethink', a philosophy PhD student down in the States who is also working on his dissertation. His post today ("Is it possible to be a small but influential blog?") really got me thinking, as would any good philosopher! The post discusses the idea of being a small blog with influence, with the early admission that he ...
More About: Celebrity , Status