Salon Des Geeks

I came across this interesting article about some recent research that suggests that babies learn to make social judgements during their first year of life. In the study, babies watched a doll act out either helping or pushing down another doll climbing a hill. Most of the babies chose the doll that helped over the one that hindered, as well as over one that was neutral. It’s easy to see why choosing helpful companions would be an important skill from an evolutionary standpoint, but I think it’s fascinating that it seems we learn this from so young an age. It also made me think wryly of adults I know who still seem to consistently choose the person who pushes them down the hill. We all need some baby wisdom!

Hi all,
This is basically a vocabulary quiz that enables you to donate rice via the UN. It’s highly addictive for those of us who love words, so clicker, beware.
Kim

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=3225368&page=2

For many American readers of his books, Hosseini is their only window into a culture and world that is very distant. “It’s really such an insider’s view of a country that we don’t get to see inside of very often,” said Elizabeth Santoro, who attended a book signing and discussion at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. “You see the violence on the news, but you don’t see the richness of the culture and its history.”