What is the newest installment of 'Random Thoughts' on Physics Forums?

[Pepper Mint]

Yeah, sh** happens. I once tried to avoid this with $C_2H_6O$ but it didn't work. I think, we have to live with it. It is one reason I prefer documentary channels over news channels.

If you take it, you'll probably have a lot of ideas or thoughts.

 

[jim hardy]

I once tried to avoid this with C2H6OC_2H_6O but it didn't work.

The come back with vengeance, don't they ?

 

[WWGD]

Interesting show "Through the Wormhole" narrated by M Freeman. In this show, someone had found a high correlation between certain brain states ( described in terms of wavelength) and high performance. The person then proceeded to train some subjects on transforming into the desired brain state at will, who were then able to consistently perform at such high level. I can't vouch for the rigor, but at least the show was on the Science channel, and the show seems to be in general well-respected by the science community.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

In this show, ...

Sounds interesting - which episode, please?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Interesting show "Through the Wormhole" narrated by M Freeman. In this show, someone had found a high correlation between certain brain states ( described in terms of wavelength) and high performance. The person then proceeded to train some subjects on transforming into the desired brain state at will, who were then able to consistently perform at such high level. I can't vouch for the rigor, but at least the show was on the Science channel, and the show seems to be in general well-respected by the science community.

Sounds like you're talking about brainwaves:

http://www.doctorhugo.org/brainwaves/brainwaves.html

The idea of training people to deliberately produce alpha waves for enhanced performance seems to come up over and over again without ever firmly taking hold. I have been hearing about this off and on literally for decades. (Someone should do a study of the frequency of the recurrence of the brainwave theory of performance, i.e. 'Brainwave Waves'.)

 

[Sophia]

Sounds like you're talking about brainwaves:

http://www.doctorhugo.org/brainwaves/brainwaves.html

The idea of training people to deliberately produce alpha waves for enhanced performance seems to come up over and over again without ever firmly taking hold. I have been hearing about this off and on literally for decades. (Someone should do a study of the frequency of the recurrence of the brainwave theory of performance, i.e. 'Brainwave Waves'.)

When I was at high school I studied for a certain exam while listening to such waves. I found the program somewhere on the Internet. It got me to a very strange state and I learned several chapters at once. I thought that a long time had passed, but actually, it didn't (my guess was about twice as much as reality). I felt very strange and dizzy afterwards, one person actually very seriously asked me if I had taken drugs because I looked strange.
Bottom line : studying was easy and I got an A from the exam but I felt totally weird afterwards and I was afraid it might make me crazy so I never did it again.

 

[zoobyshoe]

When I was at high school I studied for a certain exam while listening to such waves. I found the program somewhere on the Internet. It got me to a very strange state and I learned several chapters at once. I thought that a long time had passed, but actually, it didn't (my guess was about twice as much as reality). I felt very strange and dizzy afterwards, one person actually very seriously asked me if I had taken drugs because I looked strange.
Bottom line : studying was easy and I got an A from the exam but I felt totally weird afterwards and I was afraid it might make me crazy so I never did it again.

That doesn't sound like the kind of training I'm talking about. What you did seems like some sort of outside to inside entrainment, kind of on the same principle of being hypnotized by an external stimulus.

The brainwave control I've read about is the reverse, where you consciously manipulate your mental state to cause an EEG to give alpha wave readings. In that way, you can do it quite deliberately and at will (according to the theory). It's a form of biofeedback specifically aimed at brainwaves:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback

I haven't ever tried it myself, though.

 

[Sophia]

That doesn't sound like the kind of training I'm talking about. What you did seems like some sort of outside to inside entrainment, kind of on the same principle of being hypnotized by an external stimulus.

The brainwave control I've read about is the reverse, where you consciously manipulate your mental state to cause an EEG to give alpha wave readings. In that way, you can do it quite deliberately and at will (according to the theory). It's a form of biofeedback specifically aimed at brainwaves:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback

I haven't ever tried it myself, though.

Oh, I see. Sorry I didn't read the article before.

 

[WWGD]

When I was at high school I studied for a certain exam while listening to such waves. I found the program somewhere on the Internet. It got me to a very strange state and I learned several chapters at once. I thought that a long time had passed, but actually, it didn't (my guess was about twice as much as reality). I felt very strange and dizzy afterwards, one person actually very seriously asked me if I had taken drugs because I looked strange.
Bottom line : studying was easy and I got an A from the exam but I felt totally weird afterwards and I was afraid it might make me crazy so I never did it again.

And now every time someone mentions the exam you start barking uncontrollably, right?

 

[WWGD]

Sounds like you're talking about brainwaves:

http://www.doctorhugo.org/brainwaves/brainwaves.html

The idea of training people to deliberately produce alpha waves for enhanced performance seems to come up over and over again without ever firmly taking hold. I have been hearing about this off and on literally for decades. (Someone should do a study of the frequency of the recurrence of the brainwave theory of performance, i.e. 'Brainwave Waves'.)

Yes, but Freeman looks so distinguished with his beard and his suit, how could it ever be wrong?

 

[WWGD]

Sounds interesting - which episode, please?

Sure: Through The Wormhole, Season 4 Episode 5 - "Can our minds be hacked?"



Could not find the full episode, will send you a link if I do.

 

[fresh_42]

And now every time someone mentions the exam you start barking uncontrollably, right?

No, that was me every time I hear a bell.

 

[WWGD]

No, that was me every time I hear a bell.

Quasimodo rings a bell

 

[fresh_42]

Quasimodo rings a bell

Hey, I thought I'd have no cam on this device here!

 

[zoobyshoe]

Yes, but Freeman looks so distinguished with his beard and his suit, how could it ever be wrong?

Didn't mean to imply it's wrong. In fact, I'd say it's established and non-controversial science. What I meant was, it never seems to go much of anywhere, kinda like solar and wind power.

 

[WWGD]

Didn't mean to imply it's wrong. In fact, I'd say it's established and non-controversial science. What I meant was, it never seems to go much of anywhere, kinda like solar and wind power.

Sadly, sort of like my life :(.

 

[jim hardy]

Brainwaves ?
With today's sophistication you would think there'd be a smartphone app to display your brainwave activity . They already do realtime FFT frequency analysis of music, some minor tweaking would change the range down to brainwave bands.
Could one put sensors in the headband of his headphone , or a ball cap, and bluetooth them in ?
Or with today's miniaturization make the whole thing in an eyeglass earpiece ?
Poker players would buy that .

 

[Pepper Mint]

There were times I believed someone *could* predict the next output of a random generator.
The truth was they could tell exactly what the outcome was.

 

[Pepper Mint]

Come on, I wanted to make a reply badley, but right after I clicked the submit button, I was reported that the thread was closed. Oh noo, I am seething with anger.

 

[WWGD]

Freudian slip from my rental agent. (something to the effect of) " We are about business not about helping people"

 

[zoobyshoe]

Brainwaves ?
With today's sophistication you would think there'd be a smartphone app to display your brainwave activity . They already do realtime FFT frequency analysis of music, some minor tweaking would change the range down to brainwave bands.
Could one put sensors in the headband of his headphone , or a ball cap, and bluetooth them in ?
Or with today's miniaturization make the whole thing in an eyeglass earpiece ?
Poker players would buy that .

It seems like they have it pretty well miniaturized in WWGD's linked video: there's a simple headband with an electronics module toward the rear.

 

[Astronuc]

Apparently - Student missing since ‘04 was kidnapped by North Korea
https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/cfedfaa8-264a-32b4-bcb2-6394087ceed4/student-missing-since-%E2%80%9804-was.html

This is interesting considering David Sneddon, a Brigham Young student, disappeared at the age of 24 in Yunnan Province in what Chinese police said was likely a hiking accident. Yunnan in southern China borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, and isn't anywhere near N. Korea. So, was this student kidnapped by Chinese criminals or N. Korean agents who would seem to move freely about China?

 

[jim hardy]

It seems like they have it pretty well miniaturized in WWGD's linked video:

Thanks !
From the title i'd assumed that was a sci-fi show, shame on me .

That's exactly the idea i had in mind. She uses two laptops, surely it can be miniaturized to an Arduino or single DSP IC.

As to that frame of mind - I'm a believer, i call it "state of grace" . Things just go right when you're in it. I've long been able to tell when I'm there but cannot will myself into it.

A quadruple Vu-Meter or Fourier plot gizmo that indicates intensity in brainwave frequency bands would be "The New Age Hula-Hoop".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroencephalography

Searching FFT for Arduino turned up this
https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/downloads/pdf/fft-fun-with-fourier-transforms.pdf

Of course brainwaves are a decade below audio frequency range and analog filters in that range get cumbersome . But for digital filters you just slow down the clock.
It needs a thoroughly modern hobbyist who's not afraid of software to get it to market .

old jim

 

[zoobyshoe]

I've long been able to tell when I'm there but cannot will myself into it.

That's the whole point of this biofeedback training. You get objective proof of when you're in this state and learn to induce it at will.

My guess about why this hasn't really gone anywhere is that it's probably harder than the explanation makes it sound, that it actually requires a lot of discipline and practice.

 

[OCR]

" We are about business not about helping people"

Oh! ... I thought you were talking about Mylan and the price of their EpiPen....

Is Heather Bresch your rental agent ? .

In 2016, Mylan's pricing of the EpiPen became controversial and was widely referred to as "price gouging".

 

[Astronuc]

Cornell University welcomes 12-year-old college freshman
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/cornell-university-welcomes-12-old-college-freshman-043357342.html

Can we get him on PF?

 

[Sophia]

Cornell University welcomes 12-year-old college freshman
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/cornell-university-welcomes-12-old-college-freshman-043357342.html

Can we get him on PF?

That would be cool. But we've got @ProfuselyQuarky, she's very young and very smart, too :-)

 

[jim hardy]

My guess about why this hasn't really gone anywhere is that it's probably harder than the explanation makes it sound, that it actually requires a lot of discipline and practice.

Most skills require that.

Having our first child was an eye opener for me. She wouldn't fall asleep on my shoulder if my brain was still churning te workday "crisis du jour' . She'd squirm and cry. When i'd finally get myself decompressed she would snuggle up, yawn and drop right off to sleep. I'm absolutely convinced infants sense our state of mind .

Babies are great biofeedback. How it works i have no idea. I don't think it's electromagnetic, though.

old jim

 

[Ibix]

Having our first child was an eye opener for me. She wouldn't fall asleep on my shoulder if my brain was still churning te workday "crisis du jour' . She'd squirm and cry. When i'd finally get myself decompressed she would snuggle up, yawn and drop right off to sleep. I'm absolutely convinced infants sense our state of mind .

Babies are great biofeedback. How it works i have no idea. I don't think it's electromagnetic, though.

I found this with my son, too. I've done no research on this, but my money is on body language because that's the same as how adults spot emotion in others. If he's leaning on my shoulder then he's going to be able to notice tense muscles and/or increased heart and breathing rate.

 

[WWGD]

I found this with my son, too. I've done no research on this, but my money is on body language because that's the same as how adults spot emotion in others. If he's leaning on my shoulder then he's going to be able to notice tense muscles and/or increased heart and breathing rate.

Somewhat related is the issue of babies, children, learning what is socially acceptable . I imagine it is done
by trial and error, while receiving feedback. It always astonished me how people would know by a certain
age the behaviors their society considered acceptable.