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Marzshox last won the day on January 13 2018

Marzshox had the most liked content!

About Marzshox

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  • Birthday 12/12/1984

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    I love the original iMac
  • Experience with Objectivism
    Any Rand's novel
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    Tufts Uni
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    Flower shop web domain

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    Heading down to Jaspers' junk yard and collecting me some metal.

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  1. Your first year at college can be intimidating. Especially since most high school students in the US have not been explicitly taught to excel at a collegiate level. More often than not, high schoolers are simply not equipped with the tools, mentality or skills to make the smooth transition from 12th grade to their freshman yr at their University of choice. However, with effort, focus and some determination... anyone can do well in their preferred fields, get their full credits and pass their classes with a solid understanding of the material that they are expected to have learned. This short video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37X_CEzG-xY) is designed to give you a blueprint of what to expect in college and how to tackle each course, and hopefully will leave you feeling optimistic regarding your studies in such Universities. Please watch the full video as I will outline some important information you should know and give you a "basics" 101 video of what to expect and how to apply yourself and study effectively at college. You must know first that college consists of lectures. (alas, on line) Generally your professor will be teaching his/her student's the most important information and facts relative to the subject of study. Don't be confused and think that you will be reading large manuals and texts that cover the entire subject from A-z. Actually the most important material will be what the teacher transmits to her students. It's important to be perceptive of what the teacher is explicitly highlighting or writing on her chalk board during class. Taking notes is important. But remember again that the most important information is what the professor directly feeds from the front of the classroom, in to the minds of his students. Taking notes is simple enough. But some people can not keep up with their professors. This is why they abbreviate words that their professor seems to stream out endlessly without pause. One tip for students, is to paraphrase the notes into something easily digestible while retaining the general sentiment and facts. Not only does writing it in your own words make it an easily understood reference. But rephrasing in your own words, will enforce it into long term memory. This is important to know as your notes will increase in size. Dumbing over excerpts in your notes that you do not understand or remember writing will just send you in the wrong direction. Put it in your own words. What you must know is that studying time, varies among student's. Some may need more time, others may study faster. Do not compare yourself to other students. Everyone is unique and their study times will varry. No worries there. Pay attention to terms and concepts that are addressed during class. Most of this in class material usually ends up on a test or final exam. It's important to remember that study time will include reading essays, papers or otherwise daunting chapters of various texts. One thing you must be aware of, and expect... is the complex discourse or syntax that college texts utilize. This means that material that you are required to read, may seem very difficult at first. But there are effective ways to power through this, even for someone with average or weak reading skills. The more you read, the easier it is to read. So make sure you read a lot especially related texts to your field of study. If something read does not make sense, but is of importance to your overall understanding, don't hesitate to reread the section several or more times. Often reciting and re-reading is a big part of college. Some texts will require your attentiveness, patience. Sound it out like a baby reading dr suess, slow and steady, repeat repeat repeat. This pays off in big ways. There is something called previewing. This is a very affective way of conquering long texts or full chapters. Before reading a chapter it is ideal to skim the entire chapter page by page . Making note of the titles, sub headings, highlighted words, introductory and ending paragraphs. Plus underlined or otherwise emphasized words or concepts. By skimming the entire chapter (briefly flipping through all pages). Your brain will make inferences and give you an idea of what to expect or clue you in to the main line of argument and supporting details. Organization is important. For each subject, you should have a separate note book, or folder. Also several writing utensils. College is a fun and rewarding experience. Generally you will find that college essentially creates fine minds capable of learning and expanding their possibilities, collaborative skills are obtained and you are left with a well rounded individual.
  2. Poker is one of my most favored activities that also happens to have long lasting neurological effects (as a result of extensive playing). I’ve had the fortunate opportunity of playing upwards of 8,500 hands of poker in the last several months alone (online play). While this isn’t a long enough period of time to result in the “burned in” synaptic wiring that corresponds to the many repeated-a-session. It’s certainly a start! The more I played the more I built up a repertoire of strategy and techniques that I could apply to every succeeding hand after learning something from the previous one . It’s also very true that playing somewhat heavily for hours, I would increase my understanding in almost epiphany like strides where deep understanding merely emerged subconsciously at integral parts, periodically. Kind of like a scientist looking for a big solution when finally all his efforts lead to a result, that just “clicks”. It’s all so clear. Accomplishing a feat of poker or executing “intermediate” like abilities is quite pleasing and a result of playing such hands technically and intuitively “brilliantly”, releases a surge of dopamine all on its own (Hello! Gamblers Anonymous!). However the buzz kill most surely occurs in no time at all. Suddenly your confidence is trifled, you make very amateur mistakes. It’s as if you learned absolutely nothing. You’re back at stage one. Much of life is like this. :/ The reason I’ve chosen Poker as the main emblem of this discussion is simply because of it’s many benefits that carry over in to everyday human life. Learning the game/playing often not only hones your intuition and understanding of others, but radically will improve memory and decision making. Above all else I feel emotional control trumps the list. The game will teach you to think with your head, remain calm and not act on impulsive emotions in daily life. Best of all the game will teach you how to think for the future, deal with failure, and make wise choices throughout the day! You will weigh all options at superior levels. Added: I haven't posted in awhile. Most often my posts reflect what I'm reading at the time. As of late it's been only poker, or Star Trek fiction!!
  3. Perhaps this subject has been exhausted or maybe it hasn't been touched upon. I'm not really sure. But I would like some of your thoughts nonetheless. There has been a resurgence in the online community in the last couple of months regarding IQ tests and their viability. You may have heard people discussing the topic of famous people with high IQ's, such as Madonna, Bill Gates, even Mr. Bean. Whom all showed phenomenal scores on their IQ assessments. Most likely, many of you have taken these online tests. I know my friends have. And to my initial disbelief, many of whom were administered these short-hand tests, scored surprisingly well (even those whom I assumed were quite bland in their capacities) - Don't judge a book by it's cover! Sites such 123test.com or free-iqtest.net are among some of current popular one's. And many of these multiple choice tests claim to be within 5 points of an accurate IQ assessment. I too scored relatively high. The tests are comprised of roughly 20-45 questions (depending on the site), usually multiple choice and are to be completed within an allocated time. Typically, if you receive a score of 111+, you may delude yourself into believing you are in fact of very high intelligence as you would be classified among a small percentage of people who are considered quite gifted. The problem arises when you receive inconsistent results when testing yourself on multiple sites. Let me give you an example. Over 10 years ago when I completed my first online IQ test, I was pleased to discover that I had a score of about 140. I thought that was great and I convinced myself that my brain isn't a god awful shipwreck after-all. Then several years ago, I tested myself again using several sites, and despairingly I found that my "unofficial" IQ had degraded some. By oh, about 20 points. Today I decided to give it another go. Again using a few different sites, I completed the quizzes hoping to obtain an average score that I thought might beat my original scores as I have been more academically active and thought a high score would be a reflection of my improved brain power. Wrong. I thought I had answered at least 40 of the 43 questions in a proficient time and expected some pleasing results. Nope. My IQ had dropped another 20 whole points. This time averaging at about 100, or 99. While this isn't a cause for concern, it is still quite average. Smart people don't want to be average. Then again, average people are not smart Then I got to thinking. Maybe this new score is accurate. When I watch CNN, I generally do not understand what they are talking about. For the first twenty years of my life, I had no idea what the sports broadcasters were saying. I didn't understand batting averages, what a fumble is, or exactly what football players yell out before a big play. Perhaps my issues of comprehension is nothing but a reflection of a lower IQ. I feel if I take a real IQ test, I could increase my IQ by at least several points. But for now, you can just call me Joe, "Average Joe."
  4. I may have a simple remedy for you, as I myself have been burdened with an indecisive brain. You evidently have a particular way of addressing choices or decisions that average people may not quite understand. So immediately I'm left to believe most people will not be able to advise you, as the variables of your situation are a bit diverse and uncommon (not easily relate-able). Generally you get a sense of the feelings that manifest in a character of a book, by relating to their tribulations. It seems to me that your tribulations are a bit more unusual! The technique I'm going to mention here, is fundamentally at it's core applicable to anyone. And really quite simple! The way to do this is to simply choose one route or another without trying to weigh your options or use any logic to guide your course of action. Just make a choice and stick to it, confidently... and feel pleased with your choice even if you have to "fake" it. Just have faith your choice will yield positive results. In fact, pretend it will if you must. Just say "I'll try doing it this way" and as if for no reason, do it! Once you have made the choice, see how things unfold and when you realize there is no immediate consequence to the decision you made, every sequential decision should be easier and approached with the same tenacity and randomness. Pick one or the other. And just do it!
  5. Intelligence is expressed in lots of ways. Typically in this day and age, smarts is synonymous with academic achievement. Sometimes adults who did not go to college, feel they essentially have not achieved a level of raw intelligence that their peers in contrast may have developed as a result of extensive schooling. However, what most modern stigma-setters fail to acknowledge, is that studying at university is not the end all be all to developing a robust flourishing brain . Take for example athletic achievement. Sure, an athlete utilizes a form of intelligence that is much different than what your typical school procedures may require-- But you may not see the bigger picture. Take for example the playing of a musical instrument. This simple act alone requires hand eye coordination and higher brain faculties that work in unison. In analyzing instrument players MRI Scans, it has been revealed that the subjects scanned had increased brain volume in a very specific area of the brain and overall better connectivity throughout. While the two aforementioned activities are commonly known to improve crystallized intelligence (in one form or another), there are in fact many ways to improve your brain capacity that you probably have not considered. Many of these activities you already do. So you may be smarter than you think! Below are just some ways that you use your brain to an effective end, that an academic career alone would not quite manifest. Some of these activities require a relatively high amount of adeptness, execution and ability and I will continue to allude to these terms as simply “intelligence” in the very basic sense of the word. Chess: Take chess for example. You don’t go to school to learn Chess. In fact Chess is more often than not, somewhat of an “extracurricular” activity not part of any curriculum. Yet to play the game requires the memorization of many chess openings, strategies of attack etc. The game itself is a puzzle, only solved by utilizing highly competent cognitive faculties. Would you deprive yourself by playing Chess everyday instead of tending lectures? I think not. Good! You’ve told me 3 things I already knew (you are saying to yourself.) But this topic has more depth... ...Playing Poker requires a fair amount of intuitive ability. You’ll be surprised to find that there are many people who do not understand this beautiful game . From the rules of the game, to the terminology you must learn, to the meticulous math you may hold in your head as you make calculated assessments. There are lots of things going on in the brain during a poker game. It’s hardly a passive activity! Painting. Yes who would have thought. Creating a piece of art is not only a form of meditation for some people, but it takes a very precise level of focus and ability. And motor functions. My favorite of all is carpentry. Imagine you are a surgeon and you are to perform brain surgery on a patient. “It’s not brain surgery” - usually that attribution is correct when referring to anything that does not require you to exert yourself. It’s not brain surgery? Well, maybe it is... When you build a home, there is lots of “brain surgery” that goes in to the project. Take for example the foundation you must lay of concrete, making sure the surface is flat. Then there’s adding the support beams, framing, finally the drywall. Installing electricity comes next. Plumping. And all of this requiring your highly developed math skills as it all comes down to your math and measurement. A total of 600,000 calculations you made in the three months it took to erect the structure. Did I mention installing the Septic? Ew. Tell me this! Does drilling a hole, slicing a slab of brain matter, and removing a glutenous chunk of mysterious plaque any different than playing a nintendo wii game that requires a little getting used to? I think building the Empire State building would be a lot harder than “Brain Surgery”. Of course, I’m not a doctor. So I wouldn’t know.
  6. Don't confuse the mere decoding of words and fluent pronunciation of them with deep comprehension of material. Often times if you do not focus, you generally will read entire paragraphs having not understood any of the concepts within. This happens when you do not have a vested interest in the topic you are reading, thus you make very loose if any associations in your brain. Understanding is jeopardized by a lack of enthusiasm as reading feels more like a burdensome task rather than a rich exciting exploration of literary world's. It's often recommended to slow down your reading, rereading sections often and really digesting the material. Complex sentences can be unraveled only through deliberate concentration and rich background knowledge that allows for applying what you read to what you already know. In an attempt of remedial intervention, educators found that through 100 hours of reading, test subjects or students were able to increase the white matter in their brains. (significant brain development had occurred.) So if you want to change your brain and possibly increase your crystallized intelligence, try reading for 100 hours (Not all in one day!) It's also important to read material that is of average or higher complexity. The harder the reading material, the more you must exert and challenge yourself. Hence, the payoffs are much larger! (Because the analogical workout is heavier!) At the very least you should read everyday for a minimum period of time. As the days go on, the amount you read adds up. Reading is truly a unique neural workout. And Everyone who has goals to be successful in this day and age, will reach such levels only by reading as it is the best exercise for the organ that is your brain.
  7. I would like to expand on a topic that I originally wrote about in the Objectivismonline Chat room. The topic of human evolution and survival. You may or may not be aware, but our sun (like many stars) eventually will burn out after a period of initial expansion in which the Earth will be consumed by the expanding and dying star. Most scientist's today realize that such an event is far off (5 billion years from now) and due to the very long length of time in which this will eventually occur, there is no immediate need to prepare for such an event. When scientists grapple with the inevitable result of the expanding sun, usually they are thinking in modern terms. In other words, they are looking through the lens of our current time period and our current capabilities. Leaving the Earth in spaceships seems like the logical consensus (instead of burning up with our planet.) However, what variables do our current scientists leave out of the "equation" (for retaining life)? For one, the advances in technology alone over the next "billions" of years, would surely provide us with more options and technical abilities that we simply can not fathom as this time. Imagine trying to restore a famous painting or maintain an ancient building that has historical significance. People go to great lengths to keep our past alive! Now imagine, 5 billion years of that history, and it is all on the Earth. It seems that keeping the Earth safe would be a priority. What I propose we do is simple. Move the Earth. Move it out of orbit of the sun. Technology in 5 billion years likely will be able to help us move cosmic bodies, and also construct artificial atmospheres and heat without the need of a sun to provide sustenance. We are far off from worrying about doomsday. If we can get our heads in the game now, and work toward a goal of maintaining Earth at all costs, we'll be ready when the time comes! I don't mean attach big rocket boosters to our planet. I mean, future scientists working toward a way to sustain our planetary home! Please advise if you have an alternative solution or idea worth sharing. Cheers.
  8. In his book, The Shallows, blog writer Nicholas Carr shares his view on how internet use in the modern age is effectively limiting the cognitive capacities of the current generation plus future generations to come. Inferring from just the title of his book, The Shallows, Nicholas Carr depicts a world whose reading habits barely graze the surface of content and rarely plunge deeper than the superficial levels of reading we are so accustomed to in our current digital age. In contrast to some popular research findings that internet use and digital immersion is in fact beneficial for the human brain (refining and full globalization of cerebral brain networks), this books implications, that the developed digital brains of tech users are far less likely to be sufficient for embracing and excelling in today's modern society... seems a bit prematurely exaggerated. Though his proclamations are specific and sometimes a little thought provoking, it's silly to make claims that digital reading is sub par based on the declaration that a digital book lacks spacial navigability that one would get from print literature (page numbers in a book). In other words, the heft of pages read on the left side of the book and the pages not read on the right side of a book, somehow gives aid to overall understanding... "location cues" To say that ones comprehension is impeded because there is no heft of pages on the left of the book which would indicate how much of the book is completed, is a bit overly obtuse. Moreover, the authors claims that the presence of hyperlink's in digital text work as a distraction and can take away from the immersive experience one would expect from a printed book, hence 'should I click this link or not' falters the reading experience. Again, such silly arguments insinuate digital reading is sub par, however, what of those who simply ignore the hyperlinks? They can continue reading on their own accord and just because there is one link in an article, does not mean apprehension has suffered. A big part of being a digital native is dealing with multi-tasking, which is paramount in today's technological age. Checking emails, following hyperlinks, dividing attention among social media, smart phones, and family obligations are all familiar to today's fast paced human brain. This rapid altering of attention among different tasks, Carr states is also a cause of distraction and jumpy brains, which takes away from the concentration one must develop to immerse themselves in prolonged reading of good literature. My take away is... multitask to your hearts content, be rapid in your attention shifts and focus for as long or as short as you want. Just don't allow other parts of your brain that are developed for slow immersive learning, atrophy. Be a multi-tasker. But also, train your brain to read for sustained periods of time and achieve the deep comprehension afforded by societies original medium, print literature. My next book review will be on Smarter Than you Think: How technology is changing our minds for the better, by Clive Thompson. This book will demonstrate the opposing view, and is more in line with what I think technology does to the human brain. Cheers.
  9. Gee Wiz. First of all, thank you for the post. I enjoyed reading it from start to finish! I am someone who tends to talk a lot. But I try to do 50% listening and 50% speaking. Usually I will ask questions about someone, and give them ample opportunity to tell me about themselves as I do not swarm the entire conversation (monopolize talking). And I let them express their ideas as much as they'd like because I love learning via listening. I will also bring up subjects that interest me, and ask someone what they think of a topic. I will often also ask them what definitions are of different words I'm using, and I ask them if they know synonyms, or better words to express similar ideas. All this, just so both of us actually get some blood flowing to our brains! Also, sometimes I will read to friends articles I have wrote, or a writers small excerpt or synopsis, and ask what they think of the content. Also, to make sure people are following, I sometimes ask them to paraphrase such content, and tell me in their own words what the material is saying. If you're not part of a book club, or collaborating/studying with peers - than everything I have mentioned is great for expanding conversations and reaching new levels of social bonding. I think, sometimes being quiet is the best course of action. But, conversation creates social bonds and connects people with each other. Humans are social animals, and it's old news that socializing and bonding with others is one of the best medicines for your brain. But your sentiment is right. I have been told to before by people, to please stop haggling them with questions. Or they politely cease talking, and return their attention to their iPad. That doesn't mean that we can't sometimes have great conversations (With the perfect company).
  10. Actually, in most places on earth, an intelligent mind is considered the best asset of all human characteristics. A smart brain, is a sexy brain. However, physical insecurities run rampant even through the most beautiful of peoples minds. In fact, some may have inferred that the prettier one is, the stronger their physical insecurities are (as a fragile ego) - swayed in to insecurity by one backwards cap comment about how "unattractive you are!" I may be a bit overweight. But I am strong, like a football player. I try to manifest a strong bubble of confidence. I am smart and fun. Also, I exercise my mind, knowing that a healthy, well endowed brain is one attribute that will keep me sharp well into the sunset years of my life. My suggestion for you, is to read as much as you can. Find what interests you and pursue that field, practice in that field, and develop a set of expertise and tools used within that pursuit. Learn what you love, and learn it inside out, upside down, sideways and backwards. Master something, and study all the theory behind it! Or discover your own theories, strategies and techniques by repetitious practice and trial and error learning. As one article I read put it: No matter what. If you lose your money, if you lose your health, even if you lose you belongings... You will never lose your brains and knowledge you acquire. A smart brain, is a sexy one.
  11. Thank you for an interesting response. You made some great points. I guess what I am left with considering, is how on earth one could obtain the level of creativity needed to create advanced technologies... Such as understanding of say, creating transmissible data, through optic cables that break down an image into bytes, travel such data through optic cables, and then recreate the image on a PC Monitor, half way across the globe. (Sorry if that is a mouth full.) Such a technically complex action is greatly possible due to human innovation. I just would like to believe that such a person with highly advanced technical know how who has conceived such modern phenomenon, likely lives in some sanctuary of the mind, where average people simply will never lay eyes. Very lovely way of explaining what higher education is presumably good for. (Organizing the mind and creating efficient pupils who can grapple with life's demands and apply themselves effectively.)
  13. Paperback and hardcover are so cheap on Amazon, when they are used. I don't mind a little wear on the books I buy. I'm getting Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged in a 2 book boxset. http://www.amazon.com/Ayn-Rand-Box-Set/dp/0451947673/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456290252&sr=1-4&keywords=ayn+rand I've lost my previous editions. I'm going to read these, then I can really join the discussion.
  14. It's the home of the great Burt Monroe, whose Indian motorcycle won him records at Bonneville Salt Flats!
  15. I believe to understand Shakespeare requires familiarity with a lot of other similar works (writing and plays - new and old). More exposure to various supports, likely aids in understanding. A novice like me simply can not muster the ability to leave the shallows, in hopes to swim in the deep end (understanding Shakespeare). Understanding Shakespear is no easy task.
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