The tomato lovers

Joel Sternheimer (aka Evariste the time he was a singer) is the inventor of a theory, Genod which rescucitation myth plant lovers. Against the backdrop of a scientific discourse, he rehabilitated the idea that music can help plants grow. For this, he claims that use melodies called protéodies, sequences of sound that would thrill of selected proteins or specific parts of DNA. That idea upsets or amuse scientists, for the simple reason that such a great advance in science that require experimental validation is still lacking after 20 years of existence.

THE APPEAL AGAINST LOSS OF LICENCE POINTS

Such a treasure, the secret and mystery of the method to retrieve his points are well guarded by a few insiders. More and more drivers are facing a situation where they may no longer have sufficient credit points to continue to drive and are unaware that there is a judicial process to avoid losing points or for again. Indeed, there is a radical procedure to recover the lost points on his driver's license (30% increase in litigation between 2006 and 2007 + 40% between 2007 and 2008). Since the introduction of the system of driver's license points, the judges awarded the administrative procedural flaws such as failure to notify in due form of violations, remedies and their deadlines.

National Congress "Communication, Culture and Tourism" in Colombia

From 4 to 8 May in Armenia Quindio Colombia, will be held at XIV National Congress of Students of Social Communication "Communication, Culture and Tourism" to which I have been invited to participate as speaker.

It is organized by The Faculty of Humanities and Fine Arts and the Social Communication Program - Journalism at the University of Quindio. As shown outstanding academic agenda will speak to national and international figures who some had the pleasure to hear and learn at the World Marketing Congress of Cities and others have the pleasure of knowing at this time.

Congress has as central characters call, local, regional, national and international theoretical and methodological approach of what it means today, Tourism in Colombia.

As expressed in my previous post, Colombia is undergoing a major transformation stage and in this context arises the need for such conferences by way of exchanging experiences and build a guide for the development of urban positioning strategies.

Quindío currently is ranked nationally as a leading tourist destination within the country thanks to the advancement of its main product: rural tourism.

Quindío visit is to discover much of the country's history, built up on ax and mule, is to feel the daily life of a race that arose based on the traditional coffee growing and now is in a tourism new alternative of life.

We are getting very modern

ICT training for teachers is the issue that has entertained me this year. With training centers in my school (IES El Palo), experimentation with digital books, a course in CEP de Málaga, and many breaks in the comment I gladly and resolve the difficulties posed by the use of ICT in the classroom keep boredom at bay since last September.

The first conclusion after the first half of course is that the arrival of the School ICT 2.0 has been a shock final for the effective incorporation of ICT in teaching practice in the IES El Palo, the fact that students of 1 º ESO bring your laptop has been a huge boost and more than twenty teachers have decided to complicate your life, also with ICT. In addition to the School of Languages, in addition to the tutorials, etc..

Surely there are several factors behind this change, the educational potential of these tools, the fact that we no longer decide when to ICT for students in the classroom and bring in the backpack, the possibility of receiving training in the center ... For these and other reasons the fact is that there is a very interesting dynamic of experimentation with different types of tools (blogs, Moodle, digital books, ...) which is already beginning to bear fruit.

Nini told me recently, a colleague of Physical Education, students told their teachers that we were getting very modern this year, that many e-mail asking, they have to read (and even write) blogs, we send homework digital platforms, etc.. Another partner, Eulogia, recently told me that his class of 1 º ESO looked like a school as his students worked on our Moodle platform focused on the tasks she had prepared.

Mind the Gap Between the train and the platform

Imagine have to take the train to the 2.0 and Social Media, involves abandoning the platform. But to do so, before we hit a jump to avoid falling into the gap in the middle.

In this breach of the half, I've been down more than a brand they believe to be in a democratic direction to the 2.0 and Social Media and do nothing but use the tools without content of value. It would be good to remind the annoying but conscientious London Underground announcement "Mind the gap, Between the train and the platform"

As my friend Albert, "Social Media is serious" and only talk without having a clear strategy is to generate unwanted content or "falling into the gap. "

I understand that everything new revolution and a revolution will make mistakes, but be more careful and plan well enough not to reap negative consequences. Sometimes it's better to let a little deafening noise and start planning how it will be the real social personality of the brand. Relax, the tools are not necessary to use them all because if it is time to use your head and be creative

ELECTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, THE CHOICE IS BETWEEN OBAMA AND MC CAIN

The Nov. 4 election approaching, U.S. citizens must decide between Barack Obama and John McCain to lead their nation, and the population is still divided between both candidates. The decision is based primarily on the benefits each offers to improve the country, which at the end of the period of George W. Bush, seems to be getting worse.

Both came to the nomination by their respective parties through the process of pre-candidacies for McCain, belonging to the Republican Party, the road was shorter and less costly, for Obama, enlisted in the Democratic Party, found it difficult to be faced with Hillary Clinton, who ultimately conceded defeat.

Political marketing plays an important role for the electorate, can make a decision, and have a common denominator campaign "dirty" to discredit each other. However, the time when mass media is used to carry voters to the main ideas of their campaigns, such as goals or targets priority in their plans.

Among the main topics on the agenda of both candidates, found the discussion of withdrawal or troop deployments in Iraq and the economic crisis afflicting the country and has been compared with that of 1929, about the positions they have assumed each will support the program that Bush raised for the rescue of the economy, on the other hand McCain decided to suspend his campaign to assist in resolving the crisis.

In addition, as part of their political strategies, the election and appointment of second in command, ie which will be Vice-President of the United States should Deuno side wins, for that McCain has chosen Sarah Palin, who was governor of Alaska until just before his nomination, and Obama introduced Joe Biden as an option to promote their way to the presidency.

Barnum and Forer effect

In the 1940s, psychologist Bertram Forer, following a discussion with a handwriting night-club, carried out an experiment with (or?) 39 students. They passed a projective test (that is to say a Rorschach test type) which is to establish a picture of their personality. They then makes a 13-point description of their personality, supposedly established on the basis of the test. In fact, they all have the same description. The results are published in the 1949 article.

So quite striking, students felt that their picture was a very good description of themselves. In reality, the descriptors used by Forer are very vague, rather positive or neutral, often double-meaning, but mostly they apply to 'anyone. Thus, everyone can find something like it: this is what the phenomenon called Drill subjective validation, but we then called "Forer Effect". In 1956, Paul Meehl renames the "Barnum effect"because the publicity circus Barnum says there there's a little something for everyone

Obama is elected President of the United States of America

Obama capped the end of his campaign for the presidency of the United States to victory over Senator John McCain. On Tuesday 4 November, U.S. citizens went to the electronic ballot to elect the president of his country.

The context surrounding this election process, was unique in history, a global crisis that was triggered by its beginnings in the U.S. economy, lack of faith in George W. Bush, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and the fervent desire to change the basis of the economy.

Previous days, several media showed statistics and surveys pointing a lead of eight points for Barack Obama, but McCain declared that the last time he surprised at the polls and would be victorious.

Around 20:00 hours, showed Obama winning, and delivered his speech in Chicago, where he pointed out the equity in their next government. He thanked his colleagues and his family, and remembered his grandmother, who had died the day before the election.

Which will now be the first African American President of the United States of America, working for his campaign establcer a plan for the economy of the poor and middle class

Finally demonstrated precognition?

An article by Daryl Bem forthcoming (in a few months) in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, claims to have scientifically proven the existence of precognition. Many websites and newspapers have spoken, and the article is already criticized the methodological point of view by James Alcock in this article.

Other researchers have criticized the way Bem uses statistics, and advocate a Bayesian approach in the humanities. Their article should appear in the same journal.

I would add just a little note of importance, which greatly join those of Wagenmakers et al. In Experiment 1, Bem asked subjects to guess which side is an image that is sometimes erotic. In reality, there is no image before the subjects choose. Since the latter are in more than half of the erotic image, Bem concluded that precognition exists.

This result is valid at risk of 1% with one-tailed test. Surprising? No!

Bem because A does not test, but the equivalent of 16: First, it tests four sets of images to the same conclusion (the existence of psi). Each series is tested using 2 test (a test of Student, then a binomial test: we really wonder what the Student test doing here!). In addition, while an error rate well below 50% also show the existence of psi (one can imagine that people are reluctant to choose in an experiment erotic image, and avoids, for example ), Bem has chosen unilateral tests.

In the end, everything happens as if Bem was tested 16 times the same event ... he must correct the error for multiple testing, which led to accept the overall conclusion to 5% if one test is valid ... About 0.3%, meaning that none of the tests does Bem.

A re-analysis data Bem thus leads to the conclusion that they are in no way evidence of phenomena of precognition. The same phenomenon occurs on 9 (duffer!) Experiments reported in the article.

Besides if Bem was right, we should now understand why this wonderful effect that allows us to destroy the casino does not operate in such establishments.