The authorship list in science: Junior physicists’ perceptions of who appears and why

A questionnaire probing the distribution of authorship credit was given to postdoctoral associates (“postdocs”) in order to determine their awareness of the professional society’s ethical statement on authorship, the extent of communication with their supervisors about authorship criteria, and the appropriateness of authorship assignments on submitted papers. Results indicate a low awareness of the professional society’s ethical statement and that little communication takes place between postdocs and supervisors about authorship criteria. A substantial amount of authorship credit given to supervisors and other workers is perceived by the postdocs to violate the professional society’s ethical statement.     

Animacy and propulsion in infancy: Tracking,waving and reaching to self-propelled and induced moving objects

Infants from 16 to 20 weeks were videotaped while being presented with objects traversing a 60 cm distance. Four conditions were tested: (1) induced movement, holding the object; (2) induced movement, pushing the object; (3) self-propelled mechanical movement, object moving by an internal clockwork; (4) self-propelled biological movement, animate object moving by internal impulse. In tracking, the self-propelled but inanimate and mechanically moving object with the more straight and predictable trajectory attracted most visual attention. In arm movements, the self-propelled but relatively unpredictably moving animate object was reliably distinguished from inanimate objects. It appeared that the action system was less dependent on objects taking a straight and predictable course. Emerging with the onset of goal-directed reaches, the distinction of an internal locus of propulsion in objects was overriding the nearly exclusive response towards animacy occurring in waving. Thus, a distinction of different types of object motion could be found in infants’ developing action system.     

Guatemalan women's paper making co-op

Founded in 1992, is an independent grassroots organization whose goal is to assist community development, health, education, clean water and income generation. The Q'eqchi' Maya Indians constitute the fourth largest indigenous group located on the banks of Rio Dulce, in the eastern rainforest of Guatemala. Project Ak'Tenamit helped the Q'eqchi' people revive their ancient art of paper making as a viable and self-sustainable source of income. As the material used by the ancient Maya--cork husk and banana stalks--are still abundant, it was decided that this art could be successfully re-introduced. With papermaking, the Q'eqchi women were able to earn money from their own production without even compromising their respective households. Ak'Tenamit was responsible for the distribution of paper making products in stores throughout Guatemala. Although there are still many obstacles confronting these women, the paper making cooperative provides employment opportunities and is indeed a great help to them. They produce a total of 15 different products including bowls, cards, and bookmarks.     

Intrusive memories and depression in cancer patients

Matched samples of depressed and nondepressed cancer patients were interviewed about past life events, particularly experiences of death and illness. They identified and described any spontaneous intrusive visual memories they had experienced in the past week corresponding to these events. About one quarter reported such memories and, as predicted, the majority of intrusive memories concerned illness, injury and death. The mean levels of intrusion and avoidance were equivalent to patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Consistent with prediction, depressed patients reported significantly more intrusive memories than controls, and described the memories as typically beginning with or being exacerbated by the onset of depression. Greater numbers of intrusive memories were associated with more maladaptive coping, and greater avoidance with deficits in autobiographical memory functioning.     

Hong Kong Versus U.S. Negotiations: Effects of Culture,Alternatives, Outcome Scales,and Mediation1

This study investigates the effects of culture, BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), outcome scales, and mediation on negotiation outcomes. Six hundred three subjects from 2 countries (288 from Hong Kong and 315 from the United States) participated in 2-party negotiations that were either mediated or observed by a third party. In these negotiations, the Hong Kong negotiators obtained higher joint outcomes than did their U.S. counterparts. Also, in both Hong Kong and the United States, negotiators with a high BATNA obtained larger individual outcomes than did those with a low BATNA. Finally, mediation resulted in higher joint outcomes than did no mediation and had a stronger effect in US. (vs. Hong Kong) negotiations.     

Complex Predicates and Logics for Properties and Relations

In this paper I present a formal language in which complex predicates stand for properties and relations, and assignments of denotations to complex predicates and assignments of extensions to the properties and relations they denote are both homomorphisms. This system affords a fresh perspective on several important philosophical topics, highlighting the algebraic features of properties and clarifying the sense in which properties can be represented by their extensions. It also suggests a natural modification of current logics of properties, one in which some complex predicates stand for properties while others do not.     

The eyes have it! Reflexive orienting is triggered by nonpredictive gaze

Normal subjects were presented with a simple line drawing of a face looking left, right, or straight ahead. A target letter F or T then appeared to the left or the right of the face. All subjects participated in target detection, localization, and identification response conditions. Although subjects were told that the line drawing’s gaze direction (the cue) did not predict where the target would occur, response time in all three conditions was reliably faster when gaze was toward versus away from the target. This study provides evidence for covert, reflexive orienting to peripheral locations in response to uninformative gaze shifts presented at fixation. The implications for theories of social attention and visual orienting are discussed, and the brain mechanisms that may underlie this phenomenon are considered.     

Nuclear waste, secrecy and the mass media

Invited media scholars and journalists examine the general issue of nuclear waste, risk and the sicentific promises that were made, but not kept, about safe disposal. The mass media uncovered and reported on nuclear waste problems at Rocky Flats in Colorado and Hanford in Washington. Two environmental journalists review efforts to expose problems at these sites, how secrecy hampered reporting, and the effects of media coverage on nearby residents. An environmental communications scholar evaluates media coverage, the role of the U.S. Department of Energy, and the impact of secrecy on public risk perceptions and attitudes toward government nuclear waste policies.