Week 5

Cloud over Upper Merion that looked like a tree, 2016.
People travel to wonder
at the height of mountains,
at the huge waves of the sea,
at the long courses of rivers,
at the vast compass of the ocean,
at the circular motion of the stars;
and they pass by themselves
without wondering.
- St. Augustine

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WHY IS THERE A PLACEBO EFFECT? + LESSONS FOR THE WEEK + PLAYLIST





WHY IS THERE A PLACEBO EFFECT?

OUCH!

Did you ever accidentally cut yourself, but not realize it until later? Strange that it didn't hurt when it happened, isn't it? It turns out that your brain has its own pain killers that are released during emergency situations or when you are very focused on something. A friend of mine once told me that his brother was in a motorcycle accident - he was badly hurt lying on the pavement, but he picked himself up, walked back to his bike, stood it up and put down the kickstand, and then collapsed to the ground.

The odd fact is that prescription pain killers work because they mimic the chemicals you already have in your brain. This is just one of the mechanisms behind the placebo effect.

So many aspects of life seem to be controlled by what's going on in your mind: your experience of ailment, hurt and disease is no exception. Scientific research has shown that the placebo effect is very variable and can be affected by your expections, your cultural background, your mood - even the color of the placebo pill!

The placebo effect can't cure a broken leg, but it can help to manage the symptoms that can be the most debilitating thing about a disease. It shouldn't be a surprise that evolution has selected for such a thing, and especially that it would be connected to your psychology. What an evolutionary advantage it would be to be able to manage health issues merely by believing that you can!

So how do we know that pain killers and other medications for symptoms actually work and aren't just the placebo effect? The answer next time.





CP LESSONS



Lesson 1: Collisions & Impulse

Impulse is a way of getting a handle on collisions and what makes them dangerous.

First, there is a basic video on Impulse. Then, there is the first part of a video on collisions put together by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Those are the folks who crash test cars and give them safety ratings.

Watch the videos and answer the questions below. Send me a pic of your answers and I'll let you know how you did.

Questions on Impulse


Lesson 2: Safe Vehicle Design

Safe vehicle design involves using the physics of impulse to protect the occupants of a vehicle during a collision.

The first video is the rest of the Insurance Institute video. It shows the three elements of safe vehicles design. It contains vital information to help you do the Crash Project in the next lesson.

In the optional second video, I talk about how unsafe older cars are. Although larger heavier vehicles do have some advantages in a crash, older cars had few or none of the safety features that are now required. You also get to see a head-to-head collision between a new car and a classic car to see the difference!
Lesson 3: Crash Project!

Purpose: To reduce crash forces in a model vehicle.

Materials:
3 DVD or video game cases (or a single cardboard box of similar size)
Tape
Paper
Cell Phone/Laptop Camera
Ramp
Something to prop up the ramp
Passenger (Lego block, iPhone charger block, or cell phone)

In the video, Mr. Restad demonstrates the crash test project.
Full Instructions

If you do not have the materials, you may do this alternative virtual crash project:
Worksheet
Link to the Crash Sim



HONORS LESSONS



Lesson 1: Collisions & Impulse

Impulse is a way of getting a handle on collisions and what makes them dangerous.

First, there is a basic video on Impulse. Then, there is the first part of a video on collisions put together by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Those are the folks who crash test cars and give them safety ratings. (The video starts at about the 12 second mark.)

Watch the videos and answer the questions below. Send me a pic of your answers and I'll let you know how you did.
Questions on Impulse
Lesson 2: Impulse & Change in Momentum

Taking another step on the road to trying to quantify collisions.

Take a look at the video and try the worksheet below. Send me a pic of your answers and I'll let you know how you did.
Impulse & Change in Momentum worksheet


Lesson 3: Crash Project!

The first video is the rest of the Insurance Institute video. It shows the three elements of safe vehicles design and contains vital information to help you do the Crash Project.

In the second video, Mr. Restad gives information about the Crash Project.

Purpose: To reduce crash forces in a model vehicle.

Materials:
3 DVD or video game cases (or a single cardboard box of similar size)
Tape
Paper
Cell Phone/Laptop Camera
Ramp
Something to prop up the ramp
Passenger (Lego block, iPhone charger block, or cell phone)

Full Instructions

If you do not have the materials, you may do this alternative virtual crash project:
Worksheet
Link to the Crash Sim
(Optional) Older Cars & DU Problems

In the video, I talk about how unsafe older cars are. Although larger heavier vehicles do have some advantages in a crash, older cars had few or none of the safety features that are now required. You also get to see a head-to-head collision between a new car and a classic car to see the difference!

Here are some trickier problems if you want to go for the DU this week. Choose any two: DU Problems



THE PLAYLIST

Corona Week 5 Playlist Some exceptions (see below).

SongArtistYearComments
Bird's Lament Moondog & London Saxophonic 1997 Imagine a tall blind man in a long beard dressed as a viking with horned helmet & spear on the streets of New York City in the 1940s and 50s, busking for money. That was Moondog. Many thought he was homeless, but he was not - he just preferred to perform on the streets. His music is an interesting mix of jazz, classical and what sounds like movie music. He was influential for modern composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Here's more info.
Subdivisions Rush 1982 Hard to believe that all that sound is coming from a three-piece band. Yes I know there are overdubs, but I don't think there's that many on this song. The lyrics are about conformism, written by the recently deceased Neil Peart.
Satellite Luscious Jackson 1992 The only popular song I heard from Luscious Jackson at the time was "Naked Eyes" which I didn't much like. But I recently discovered some really good ones on their album Searching for Manny which I thought were nicely bluesy with bit of grunge/punk attitude.
Time (Clock of the Heart) Boy George 1982 Not a huge fan of Boy George's music, but I really like this one.
Blow Out Radiohead 1993 Everyone was listening to "Creep" off of their first album. I thought this song was better. I love a beautiful melodic tune that starts to slip into chaos, but then comes back.
Her Majesty's Socialist Request RJD2 2013 Sounds like a marching band to me.
Building Steam with a Grain of Salt DJ Shadow 1996 Somehow I missed this album when it first came out: Endtroducing... Apparently, it was the first album composed completely of samples. Good album.
Witches Promise Jethro Tull 1970 I always visualize pennants streaming in the wind at some sort of medieval fair when I hear the opening flutes.
She's Gone Tindersticks 1995 I love the unusual instrumentation and the baritone voice. So often in pop and rock, you only hear tenors.
Alone Again (Or) The Damned 1986 The Damned's take on the Arthur Lee & Love song.
Ceremony New Order 1981 The version of this song on Spotify is not the same as the one on the actual album.. It sounds like a demo or live version. I recommend the version on disk 1 of their double CD Substance.
The Tourist Radiohead 1997 From what I think is Radiohead's best album, OK Computer. Certainly one of my top albums of all time.

They ask me where the hell
I'm going at a 1000 feet per second
Hey man, slow down, slow down
Idiot! slow down


Good advice in a too busy world.
Pipeline The Chantays 1962 Excellent early surf music.
Paraffin Brain The Nightingales 1982 Found this on a compilation CD: Ambition: The Best of Cherry Red Records v1 & 2.
Jungle Love Steve Miller Band 1977 The whistly stuff reminds me of R2D2 from Star Wars. Considering that the song came out a few months after the movie, I wonder if it's not a coincidence.
Atomic Blondie 1980 Great Blondie song that you don't hear all that often. There's a strange intro on the Spotify version that I've never heard before.
Out of Time Rolling Stones 1966 I like the version with strings on the album Metamorphosis better than the version with marimba that you sometimes hear.
The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) Greg Kihn Band 1981 Great opening guitar riff.
Suite #2 Badinerie J.S. Bach Amazing little tune.
Dry the Rain The Beta Band 1998 I usually skip to 3:30 for the best part of the song. First heard it in the movie High Fidelity.
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) Talking Heads 1983
She Blinded Me with Science Thomas Dolby 1982 This song certainly made it out of the 80s in a big way, probably thanks to the video getting heavy airplay on MTV. I think it's a good song, though.
Ashes to Ashes David Bowie 1980
Human The Human League 1986
Turn to Stone ELO 1977