Survival after Death, is it possible ?

This intriguing photo, taken in 1919, was first published in 1975 by Sir Victor Goddard, a retired R.A.F. officer. The photo is a group portrait of Goddard's squadron, which had served in World War I aboard the HMS Daedalus, a land based ship in Gosport. An extra ghostly face appears in the photo.
In back of the airman positioned on the top row, fourth from the left, can clearly be seen the face of another man. It is blown up here for you. It is said to be the face of Freddy Jackson, an air mechanic who had been accidentally killed by an airplane propeller two days earlier. His funeral had taken place on the day this photograph was snapped. Members of the squadron easily recognized the face as Jackson's. It has been suggested that Jackson, unaware of his death, decided to show up for the group photo.

This, as far as we know, is agenuine photograph. Is it convincing evidence for the survival of the human mind after death. Comment on the blog with experiences and opinions. We will discuss this at the Tea and Toast next Tuesday.

Dr. Brown

Great meeting!

Thanks to all those girls who enjoyed tea and toast together with an intelligence quiz this lunchtime. A food, sorry good, time was had by all. The next meeting will be at 1-15pm next Tuesday. Topic to be announced.

Intelligence in the brain may possibly be mapped

A team of neuroscientists have now taken a step forward and mapped the cognitive abilities in the brain. This is said to be the most wide-ranging mapping to have been done on the brain. These cognitive abilities in the brain were gauged through the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, which is believed to be the most frequently used intelligence test, globally. This study was conducted by the California Institute of Technology.
Neuroscientist Ralph Adolphs, from the California Institute of Technology and his colleagues assembled the brain maps of around 241 neurological patients, which were enlisted in the extensive brain lesion registry of the University of Iowa. These patients were said to have cognitive impairments due to stroke, tumor resection, and traumatic brain injury.
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale test includes four indices of intelligence. The first index is the verbal comprehension index, which represents the ability to understand and produce speech and use language. The second is the perceptual organization index, which involves visual and spatial processing. Third is the working memory index, which represents the ability to hold information temporarily in mind; while the last is the processing speed index.


Adolphs says, “The first question we asked was if there are any parts of the brain that are critically important for these indices or if they are very distributed, with intelligence processed globally in a way that can’t be mapped.”

The tests revealed that except for processing speed, the remaining cognitive indices depend on specific brain regions. It is also stated that the brain maps produced by the study could be used to diagnose likely areas of brain damage by combining the maps with the patients’ Weschler test results.
Through this test, the neuroscientists have provided additional information as to how certain elements that determine intelligence quotient scores may rely on particular regions of the brain.

1. What relation is your niece's brother to you?
Don't know CousinNephewUncle Son
2. How many birthdays does the average man have?

3. Some months have 31 days; how many have 28?

4. Is it legal for a man in Scotland to marry his widow's sister?

5. Divide 30 by 1/2 and add 10. What is the answer?

6. If there are 3 apples and you take away 2, how many do you have ?

7. A doctor gives you three pills telling you to take one every half hour. How many minutes would the pills last??

8. A farmer has 17 sheep, and all but 9 die. How many are left?

9. How many animals of each sex did Moses take on the ark?

10. How many two pence stamps are there in a dozen?

11. You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

12. Very tricky maths! Note: This must be done in your head only. Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Add another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000. Now add 10. What is the total ?

13. Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?


Try and bring the answers with you to tomorrows 'Tea and Toast@ :)

Anorexia....

As a psychologist girls sometimes ask me what is anorexia and what causes it. This is a complex issue where psychologists first have to say what they mean by 'anorexia', then explain its causes (called aetiology in science) and its possible cures. The most important symptom is obsession and anxiety about body image, a belief that one is too fat, this then becomes linked to dieting and weight loss. It now affects boys as much as girls. Most teenagers are quite happy with their bodies but role models who are size 00 create an unhealthy belief that this stick-like thinness is desirable instead of ugly. The average dress size for a woman in the UK is 16. You would not know this from television programmes and advertising where larger people are often used as comic characters, for example, Heather in Eastenders. In some countries, such as Spain, super-skinny models have been banned from catwalks because of the poor example they set.

Many none-western societies admire women who many in the UK would consider to be over-weight. What can cause weight-obsession ? Personal unhappiness is one key factor where it becomes focussed on body size. Friends sometimes diet together and it can become competitive, there is little need to say how wrong and undesirable this is. Peer assistance can sometimes help in overcoming the loneliness and sadness of such an illness and, of course, the invaluable support of parents.

The best way of avoiding this type of psychological illness is to have many, interests, supportive friends and parents and a healthy sense of independence and self-worth.

Welcome to 'Tea and Toast'

This is the exciting new psychology blog and club run by Dr.Brown and Mr.Marshall the St.Helen's psychology duo. We will be introducing all sorts of features on this blog related to issues of the human mind, from our inclination to conflict and warfare to our love for animals. There will be opportunities for you to take all sorts of fun tests, testing your personality and IQ, but NOT to be taken too seriously. We are also interested in your feedback, what you would like us to discuss, what you're interested in and to comment on our articles and reviews.