Research shows we all experience fantasy differently, which determines how much we enjoy it
November 8, 2011
Whether you love the “Harry Potter” series or despise it, there may be a psychological explanation behind your opinion.
Russell Webster, Kansas State University doctoral student in psychology, Sherwood, Ill., recently discovered that people experience fantasy differently, which explains why some people enjoy it more than others.
According to Webster’s research, people participate in fantasy at different levels of cognitive and emotional intensity, which helps determine how much they enjoy a fantasy book or movie.
“With films like the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter,’ there are so many aspects that attract people to them,” Webster said. “Fantasy is a general framework with which people can work in. You have fantasy, but then you also have action, drama, relationships and other things happening within it.”
For the research, Webster defined fantasy as a type of narrative — such as a book, film or piece of art — that includes supernatural, unreal or impossible aspects in it. This differs from science fiction, which often has an explanation behind an incredible power.
Webster conducted two studies: one involving written narratives and another involving visual narratives. For the written narratives, participants read a passage describing the sunrise and had to imagine themselves as either watching the rising sun or flying toward it. For the visual narratives, participants looked at a painting that featured a man floating in the sky and a man sitting in a cottage. Participants had to imagine themselves as either the man floating or the man in the cottage.
“We wanted to see if we could predict people’s subjective vividness of their imagery,” Webster said. “We also assessed people’s engagement: how much they enjoyed it, how much they were immersed in it and how they felt afterward.”
To understand people’s experiences with the narratives, Webster looked at two very similar yet different personality traits: fantasy proneness, which is the tendency to experience more intense daydreams and fantasies; and absorption, which is the tendency to be absorbed by mind-altering tasks. Fantasy proneness relates to what is going on in a person’s mind, while absorption deals with what is going on in a person’s heart.
People with higher fantasy proneness traits experienced more vivid imagery, but not as much emotional engagement, according to Webster’s research. People with higher absorption traits were more emotionally engaged in the narratives and were in a more positive mood at the end.
“If the heart is invested, that’s where the enjoyment comes from,” Webster said. “What’s also interesting is that while some people reported seeing more vivid images, that doesn’t necessarily determine how emotionally engaged they are or how much they enjoy it.”
That explains why some people find the fantastical images in “Lord of the Rings” or “Game of Thrones” visually appealing but they may not enjoy the movie or show as a whole.
The type of fantasy narrative — whether written or visual — might also make a difference in enjoyment. A person has to put more effort in reading and imagining written narratives than visual narratives.
“It might be easier to engage in a visual narrative because you have a picture in front of you,” Webster said. “It is easier when there is a motion picture, because there are moving images, action and drama. There’s not just the fantastical element.”
Webster also discovered that even in situations that don’t include fantastical elements, people still inserted fantasy into them. For instance, when participants higher in fantasy proneness or absorption were imagining the rising sun in his first study, they were more prone to imagine themselves flying.
“They seemed to inject supernatural elements into narratives that don’t involve fantasy,” Webster said. “This shows that people might try to create their own experiences and their own fantasies in everyday life through daydreaming.”
Webster attributes resurgence of the fantasy genre in recent years to improved film production capabilities. The technology behind special effects has finally reached a point where filmmakers can create fantastical elements on screen that are both believable and enjoyable to watch.
“It all goes back to it’s a good story,” Webster said. “People like good stories.”
Webster’s research appears in a recent issue of the journal Imagination, Cognition and Personality. His doctoral adviser is Donald Saucier, associate professor of psychology. Webster is planning a few follow-up studies that deal with supernatural powers and how people perceive them.
Contact: Russell Webster
webster@k-state.edu
Kansas State University
Personalized 3-D avatars for real life
September 15, 2011
An avatar is really no more than a graphical representation, generally human, which is associated with a user for identification purposes. Avatars can be either photographs or art drawings, and certain technologies enable their use in three dimensions.
Until now, 3D avatars were mainly used as fun objects for diversion and entertainment purposes of the end user. However, the Media Unit at Tecnalia has developed a “Personalised 3D avatars” technology, the aim of which is to facilitate the building of low-cost 3D avatars.
This 3D avatar is used as a responsible interface to give advice to users, motivating them and guiding them while interacting with the computer. This new technology enables the provision of a novel solution in the use of these avatars in fields such as plastic surgery and Alzheimer’s disease, and with which, based on high-quality 3D laser scanners and 2D photographs, Personalised 3D avatars are achieved.
In the case of plastic surgery, and using MODELVIR (Virtual Modelling) within the field of plastic and repair surgery, the surgeon is provided with an easy-to-use tool which enables graphically representing the current state of the patient, as well as a novel, three-dimensional representation of his or her external aspect after the operation. In this way the patient has a better idea of what the plastic surgeon can achieve, without creating illusions or raising false hopes that could give rise to subsequent disappointment.
Then there is ALZHERAPY, a technical project linked to the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and that aims to provide rapid diagnosis for this pathology. Thus, the rate of advance of the disease slows on carrying out cognitive exercises. It has the added possibility of undertaking the daily monitoring and evaluation of the patient in a personalised manner, using an avatar that represents a person with a close likeness to him or her, and without having to leave the house. It even provides the possibility of enabling the patient to leave home without accompaniment (thus leading a normal pace of life) with total security, thanks to a device capable of detecting his or her position at any time.
Contact: Irati Kortabitarte
i.kortabitarte@elhuyar.com
34-943-363-040
Elhuyar Fundazioa
A more progressive tax system makes people happier
September 6, 2011
New tactic for controlling blood sugar in diabetes contradicts current view of the disease
September 4, 2011
Hollywood screenwriters and scientists: More than an artistic collaboration
August 29, 2011
In this International Year of Chemistry (IYC), writers and producers for the most popular crime and science-related television shows and movies are putting out an all-points bulletin for scientists to advise them on the accuracy of their plots involving lab tests, crime scenes, etc., and to even give them story ideas.
They really do want to get it right, and this is very good news for young people who absorb the information from these shows, and this helps shape their positive career decisions. That’s the message delivered here today by producers and writers from top television shows speaking at a special Presidential Event at the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) 242nd National Meeting & Exposition.
Producers and writers for some of television’s most popular medical, crime, science and science fiction shows today said they do strive for accuracy and ask more scientists to get involved and lend a hand in helping TV accurately portray science. They spoke at a symposium entitled “Science on the Hollywood Screen.” In addition to CSI, other shows represented were Breaking Bad, CSI New York, Buffy, Battlestar and Torchwood.
“Science on the Hollywood Screen” is one of the meeting’s special Presidential Events, and was co-organized by Nancy B. Jackson, Ph.D., ACS President, and Donna Nelson, Ph.D. Nelson, a chemist adviser for the six-time Emmy Award-winning AMC Channel show Breaking Bad, organized the program with Jackson and said Hollywood needs more scientists to volunteer to vet the scientific accuracy of scripts and storyboards.
“CSI is a great example of how a highly popular show can be both entertaining and make science understandable to the public,” said Nelson, who is with affiliated with the University of Oklahoma and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The people who make TV shows and films really are interested in presenting science accurately. That’s why they have been encouraging scientists like myself to serve as technical advisers. It’s been great fun for me and I even have appeared in a cameo role on Breaking Bad.”
The producers of this show are serious in striving for accuracy and realism, she said. For example, the credits at the start of Breaking Bad feature symbols of chemical elements from the Periodic Table. The symbols Br and Ba, which stand for the elements bromine and barium, are depicted in the title of the show.
Not only should chemists and other scientists volunteer to advise the staffs of these popular shows, Nelson said, but “we should offer script ideas. The writers and producers are open to this. The more collaboration we in our profession have with these shows and with Hollywood films, the more we can raise the public’s awareness about the importance of science.” She also contended that the better writers get to know scientists the better equipped they will be to accurately portray them.
With 2011 being the International Year of Chemistry (IYC), Nelson said that chemists have a perfect opportunity to help increase public awareness of chemistry’s major role in improving everyday life.
Nelson said that the producers and writers in the symposium will discuss how – – with the help of advisers – – they accurately portray scientists at work and suggested how chemists and other scientists can help with scripts in the future. In addition, the symposium focused on new ideas and evaluated existing ones for better communicating science to the public.
Here are titles of presentations in the “Science on the Hollywood Screen” symposium, with summaries of the presentations:
- CSI New York: Science personified. Aaron Thomas, Writer, Producer, CSI New York. For writers who do not have a science background, thorough research is essential. The producers of CSI New York go to great lengths ensuring that the stories they tell are grounded in reality. This includes the science and forensic aspects of the show. They base many of their stories on actual cases. The show has an intelligent and diligent staff of assistants who thoroughly cross-check their ideas with the latest science journals and publications to ensure that they are as accurate as possible with their research. Often, ideas that are pitched for episodes of the show begin with interesting science mysteries.
- CSI: Entertaining science via methodology and analysis. Corrine Marrinan, Writer, Producer, CSI. Forensic chemistry and materials analysis is the cornerstone of any forensic drama, just as it is considered the strongest physical evidence to be presented in a legal case. Accurately depicting these microscopic events in entertainment is considered one of the greatest challenges in on-screen storytelling. Fortunately, advancements in forensic chemistry have developed in tandem with great advancements in the entertainment technology, special effects and computer-generated images. CSI has mastered the visual expression of forensic chemistry in order to make specialized scientific information more accessible to worldwide audiences.
- Buffy, Battlestar, Torchwood – – Chemistry vs. Magic on Sci Fi TV. Jane Espenson, writer, producer for a variety of television shows. While writers do at times attempt to include science, including chemistry, they find that magic, which serves many of the same basic functions as science, is often more adaptable. The presentation will describe a scene showing some well-researched chemistry and will include a montage of clips from various episodes that depict uses of magic, especially chemical-type potions. For chemistry to get more screen time, it would be advantageous for it to more closely resemble magic.
- Breaking Bad: Factual and fabulous. Donna Nelson, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Oklahoma. The presentation will describe what it is like to be a chemist adviser for Breaking Bad and explain why more chemists should offer their talents to help producers of science-related shows and movies. Today is the perfect time for more scientists to volunteer, as show producers say they are working to create programs that are as accurate as possible.
- Damn it, Jim (Cameron) – I’m a screenwriter not a chemist! Ann Merchant, The Science & Entertainment Exchange. The presentation will outline the mission and the history of The Science & Entertainment Exchange and examine some of the realities of the relationship between science and entertainment as a way to explore a “win-win” collaboration. It will cover the origins of The Science & Entertainment Exchange and its expertise in both the entertainment and science communities. It will also describe a “typical” consultation, highlight some of the special events The Exchange has hosted and ground the program objectives in the research on education/entertainment.
The American Chemical Society is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
303-228-8532 (Aug. 25-Sept. 1)
202-872-6042 (Before Aug. 25)
Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
303-228-8532 (Aug. 25-Sept. 1)
202-872-6293 (Before Aug. 25)
Three quarters of those who have lost jobs and health insurance are skipping needed health care
August 24, 2011
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of people who lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs over the last two years said that they skipped needed health care or did not fill prescriptions because of cost, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. The same proportion is also struggling with medical bills or medical debt, compared to about half (49%) who lost jobs but not their health insurance.
Six in 10 working Americans rely on health insurance obtained through their employer, and when an estimated 15 million working-age adults lost their jobs and their employer-based insurance between 2008 and 2010, 9 million became uninsured. Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), people employed by companies with 20 or more workers and have health insurance sponsored by that company can keep their health insurance for up to 18 months if they lose their job. However, because unemployed workers must pay the full premium, few people elect to continue their coverage through COBRA.
The report finds that once the major coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act are implemented in 2014, job loss will not automatically mean going without health insurance, because the newly unemployed will have greatly expanded health insurance options, including subsidies to purchase insurance through exchanges, and expanded access to Medicaid coverage.
“Currently, for a majority of Americans, losing a job also means losing health insurance,” said Commonwealth Fund Vice President and report co-author Sara Collins. “To make matters worse, once you are unemployed and uninsured, it’s nearly impossible to afford COBRA or buy an individual policy. However, when it is fully implemented in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will usher in a new era for the unemployed, who will have a variety of options for comprehensive and affordable health insurance.”
Unemployed, Uninsured, and Without Insurance Options
The report, based on findings from The 2010 Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, notes that in 2010, 57 percent of those who said they had lost their job with health benefits in the past two years became uninsured because they had limited options for acquiring affordable health insurance that met their needs. In Realizing Health Reform’s Potential: When Unemployed Means Uninsured: The Toll of Job Loss on Health Coverage and How the Affordable Care Act Will Help, the authors find that COBRA is less likely to be an option for those who need it most: only 25 percent of workers with incomes less than 133 percent of poverty (just under $30,000 for a family of four in 2010) would have been eligible for COBRA if they had lost their jobs, compared with 73 percent of workers with household incomes at 400 percent of poverty or more (just over $88,000 for a family of four in 2010).
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 substantially offset the cost of COBRA for some unemployed workers by covering 65 percent of their COBRA premiums. Despite the fact that several studies have found that COBRA enrollment among eligible individuals increased after the subsidies went into effect, helping millions of people who lost their jobs stay insured, these subsidies have not been offered to newly laid-off workers since last year.
“Clearly COBRA subsidies made a big difference for millions of unemployed people who had no other option for affordable health insurance coverage,” said Michelle Doty, Commonwealth Fund Vice President and co-author of the report. “As the economy continues to struggle to recover, extending those subsidies would assure that workers, particularly those with lower incomes, could maintain their health insurance.”
The individual insurance market is also not a viable option for those who have lost a job and health insurance. The report finds that 60 percent of people who shopped for individual insurance policies over the last three years were unable to find a plan they could afford, and 35 percent were turned down by an insurer, charged more because of their health status, or had a specific health problem excluded from their coverage.
According to the report, the lack of viable health insurance options can take a toll on the health and financial security of those who have lost jobs along with their health insurance benefits:
- 72 percent of respondents who became uninsured when they lost their job-based benefits said they didn’t fill a prescription, skipped a recommended test, treatment, or follow-up, had a medical problem and did not visit a doctor or clinic, or did not get specialist care because of cost.
- 72 percent of respondents who became uninsured when they lost their job-based benefits reported problems with medical bills, including not being able to pay their bills; paying off medical debt over time; being contacted by a collections agency over unpaid bills; and changing their way of life to pay medical bills.
- 40 percent of adults who lost their job-based benefits and became uninsured were forced into making difficult financial tradeoffs in the past year because of medical bills: 32 percent had used up all their savings; 27 percent could not pay for basic necessities like food, heat or rent; 14 percent took on credit card debt; and 9 percent took out a home mortgage or loan.
How Health Reform Helps The Unemployed and Uninsured
The report finds that some early health reform provisions, including allowing young adults up to age 26 to remain on their parents’ health insurance, and the creation of pre-existing condition insurance plans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, are already helping some of the unemployed and uninsured. However, the reforms that will have the most significant impact will take effect in 2014 when Medicaid is substantially expanded to cover single adults earning up to $14,484 a year and families of four making up to $29,726 a year. In addition sliding scale premium tax credits will be available for single adults earning up to $43,560 and families of four making up to $89,400 to purchase private policies through new state insurance exchanges. People who buy health insurance through the exchanges will enjoy new consumer protections that will assure they won’t have to pay high premiums or be denied insurance because of their health status.
Despite the new protections, the report authors say that there will still be a role for COBRA in 2014, to reduce the burden switching insurance plans places on families, and to curb federal and state administrative costs associated with changing plans to fill short gaps in coverage.
Between now and 2014, the report authors recommend that policy makers continue the current protections in place for unemployed Americans, including extending jobless benefits and re-establishing the COBRA subsidies that helped millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the recession keep their health insurance coverage.
“It’s clear from this report that losing a job and health insurance simultaneously is a serious threat to a family’s health and financial stability,” said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. “The Affordable Care Act will assure that families already struggling with the devastation of unemployment will still be able to get the health care they need and will be protected if they become seriously ill.”
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation supporting independent research on health policy reform and a high performance health system.
Doris Day releasing a new album after 20 years
August 16, 2011
Doris Day is making a musical comeback, releasing her first album in almost 20 years.
The 87-year-old screen legend, had her first hit record Sentimental Journey in 1945. She went on to become a Hollywood movie star in such film classics as Calamity Jane and The Man Who Knew Too Much and has won both an Oscar and a Grammy. Read more
Mike Myers Signs For ‘Austin Powers 4′ Sequel
August 13, 2011
HitFix reports that star and creator Mike Myers has signed on to a fourth film in the iconic role of Austin Powers, as the groovy, transported 60s-era British secret agent The last Austin Powers film was 2002′s critically maligned but massively successful, “Goldmember,” which co-starred Beyonce and made $296,000,000 at the box office. Meyers made three mega-hit Austin Powers spy spoof flicks in five years before calling it quits. But Meyers movie career has hit some bumps in the road and this will be his first trip back to the starring live-action big screen since his 2008 bomb. No word yet on who will be directing, but one has to imagine that the studio and Myers would be interested in bringing back Jay Roach, who directed all three previous films.
Warrant Singer Jani Lane Dead At 47
August 12, 2011
Jani Lane (born John Kennedy Oswald), the former lead singer of the of 1980s hair-metal band Warrant, has died in Los Angeles. He was 47.
Police report that Lane’s body was found Thursday in a Woodland Hills hotel, but no immediate information on the cause or circumstances of his death. Read more
Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos’ science series to be relaunched on FOX
August 7, 2011
Beloved astronomer-astrophysicist scientist Carl Sagan died in 1996. Through his books and TV shows he was able to bring the fascination of science to the average person. The original universe-spanning “Cosmos” TV series (subtitled “A Personal Voyage”) with Sagan was first shown on PBS from September to December 1980, and was a major breakthrough for science-themed television programming.
The new 13-part docu-series “Cosmos: A Space-time Odyssey” is scheduled to launch in 2013, Fox announced Friday, with “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane participating. MacFarlane will team with Sagan’s original creative collaborators with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, hosting according to Fox.
National Geographic Channel will air a same-night encore of the episodes following their broadcast on Fox.