New ToPIX Content: 7/1/2011

The last 6 weeks have been quite a ride.  The quarter ended, ten days at the AP Psych reading in Kansas City with 400 of my closest friends, followed by a week in Wisconsin visiting family.  I'm happy to report that I am not teaching this summer! That means I have some time to devote to ToPIX.


I want to thank Xin Zhao for his continued excellent work on the books section of ToPIX. In the completed sections, each book cover is displayed with a short description, a link to a review, and, where available, a video of the author.  It's been a lot of work for him, so if you find these resources valuable, please let him know (click to email).

On June 22nd, the New York Times ran an article (Baby Makes Four, and Complications) about a woman, her friend and sperm donor and his male partner.  It raises interesting questions about what is family.  You can find it in Development-in-the-News.

I have several new videos for you.  They are all embedded, so when you follow the link, scroll down to embedded video section to view them.

Perception: There are several videos of Derren Brown of the British TV show Trick or Treat available online.  I've posted a 4-minute clip where he pays, or attempts to pay, for goods with blank paper.  Also in this section is an 11-minute TED video of Daniel Tammett talking about his synesthesia.

Disorders: Joshua Walters, a performer with bipolar disorder, discusses pros and cons of the disorder. (TED video, 6 mins.)

Development: Ric Elias was sitting in the front row of Flight 1549 when it went down in the Hudson.  He discusses the impact that experience has had on his life. (TED video, 5 mins.)

Cognition: Kathryn Schulz argues that it's time we reframe what it means to be wrong.  She notes that being wrong feels the same as being right.  It's when we find out that we were wrong that things change. (TED video, 18 mins.)

Therapy: JD Schramm makes a plea for more compassion and resources for those who have made failed attempts at suicide. (TED video, 4 mins.)

Gender/Sexuality: "Alice Dreger works with people at the edge of anatomy, such as conjoined twins and intersexed people. In her observation, it's often a fuzzy line between male and female, among other anatomical distinctions. Which brings up a huge question: Why do we let our anatomy determine our fate?" (TED video, 19 mins.)

If your favorite videos aren't listed in ToPIX, you're welcome to add them yourself or email me their links at sfrantz@highline.edu.