SnowWorld

[mickeyd]

It's very interesting that virtual technology can be used on severely burned patients to reduce their pain. It looks like another victory of mind over matter.

The version of the program in the military hospital uses high-tech goggles that have a wide field of vision. SnowWorld helps patients who wear the goggles block the unpleasant view of their wounds and charred skin, allowing them to navigate an icy canyon instead.

In it, users can push a button and throw a snowball at a giant penguin or a mammoth, which trumpets angrily in response.
Liberetto says SnowWorld made a big difference for him.

"I think the environment makes you feel like you're at peace," he says.
University of Washington researcher Hunter Hoffman, whose team came up with SnowWorld, says his work with combat burns, which tend to cover up to 80 percent of the body, has been promising.

"What was encouraging was the ones that needed it the most showed the most pain reduction," Hoffman says. "So the patients that were in the most pain showed the most pain reduction from SnowWorld."

The technology is already in use in a handful of civilian hospitals; it's a virtual reality helmet that the patient wears to experience the snowy distraction. But combat burn patients are often too injured to wear the helmet, so Hoffman's team redesigned the VR unit as a set of goggles that patients look through, and a joystick.

For Veterans With Burns, A Virtual Reality Aid : NPR

 

[Buckeye]

It never ceases to amaze me how we use the same brain to do such horrible things to each other and to create such incredible things for the suffering.

 

[Kroeran]

check out right-brain left-brain and alien-hand syndrome.

we each have two very independent brains in our heads connected by the corpus callosum

persons with severed corpus callosums actually experience this independence in their outward behavior, where two hands can actually fight each other

the left hemisphere is selfish and potentially sadistic, and the right is unselfish by nature

in MRIs of brains, men tend to be more active in the left hemisphere, and women (and gay men) tend to be balanced between the hemispheres.

playing a musical instrument increases the thickness of the corpus callosum

for some reason, I find this sort of thing to be interesting

 

[Orchidflower]

Here's a test if anyone is interested:
Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz


SnowWorld's an interesting concept. If it works, all the better for those suffering burns.

 

[happy2bretired]

So wierd... The first time I've ever thought of myself "balanced". Scored 16/16.

 

[FinanceDude]

16/16 also. I am left-handed, but literally all sports are righthanded or ambidextrous, so I guess I am not surprised...............

 

[ls99]

Scored 16/16.

I think something is wrong with the scoring. I'd like to think that I am well balanced, however, no one has ever accused me of being so.

 

[ERD50]

Is it rigged? 16/16 for me. I definitely lean to logic/left, but when logic doesn't apply (no previous or relevant info available), or it says it is 50/50, I go with my gut. It just seems logical to go with my gut in that case

-ERD50

 

[Rustward]

16/16 here also.

 

[MuirWannabe]

16/16. Guessing something is wrong with the calculation.

 

[Rustward]

Yep, looks like it's stuck on 16/16. I went back through and answered yes to all 32 questions without reading them and got 16/16.
Oh well, it's the internet, after all.

 

[Purron]

16/16 also. I am left-handed, but literally all sports are righthanded or ambidextrous, so I guess I am not surprised...............

DH is also left handed. He says left handed people are in their right minds

 

[Kroeran]

here is a different test

Hemispheric Dominance Test determine if your left or right brain hemisphere is dominant

when DW comes home from work, she remains in left dominance until she changes her clothing, then she switches to right dominance

 

[Rustward]

12/6
left/right

 

[Alan]

here is a different test

Hemispheric Dominance Test determine if your left or right brain hemisphere is dominant

when DW comes home from work, she remains in left dominance until she changes her clothing, then she switches to right dominance

0/18 - totally left brained

 

[Kroeran]

I would expect everyone on this forum to be left dominant

 

[Kroeran]

DH is also left handed. He says left handed people are in their right minds

the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body

 

[happy2bretired]

I'm totally left brained (0/18). I'm also left handed. Wonder if that plays a part in all this.

 

[ERD50]

Yep, looks like it's stuck on 16/16. I went back through and answered yes to all 32 questions without reading them and got 16/16.
Oh well, it's the internet, after all.

I would expect that. You would not want all "left" responses to be "Yes", and all "Right" responses to be "NO" (or vice versa), they should be randomly distributed so that all Yes or all No should typically be about a 50/50 mix.

-ERD50

 

[Rustward]

I would expect that. You would not want all "left" responses to be "Yes", and all "Right" responses to be "NO" (or vice versa), they should be randomly distributed so that all Yes or all No should typically be about a 50/50 mix.

I understand what you are saying and agree.

I guess I was not expecting to get a 32/0 or a 0/32, but maybe something like 20/12 or 15/17 -- somethng other than 16/16.

Maybe I'll try it again and attempt to make it go all left or all right.

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz
Edit to add: Went back through it again attempting to tilt it to the right. 16/16
Then pressed the back button on the browser and changed the answer to #32. Still 16/16
Back. Changed #31. Submit. Still 16/16.
Back. Changed #30. Submit. Still 16/16.
Back. Changed #29. Submit. Still 16/16.
Back. Changed #28. Submit. Still 16/16.

Conclusion: It might be broken.

 

[M Paquette]

here is a different test

Hemispheric Dominance Test determine if your left or right brain hemisphere is dominant

Interesting. Like Alan, 0/18, totally left brained. Who would expect this from a retired software engineer?

 

[Alan]

Interesting. Like Alan, 0/18, totally left brained. Who would expect this from a retired software engineer?

hmmmm... I used to be a Software Engineer - developed systems on computers to control chemical plants. DW took the test and scored 11 / 7 and said she wasn't surprised at all with my score - reckoned I was only 1 question away from being defined as OCD

 

[Martha]

My favorite left/right brain test is the spinning woman test: NeuroLogica Blog » Left Brain – Right brain and the Spinning Girl.

First, see what way she naturally spins. Then, see if you can turn her the other direction.

(left and right brain stuff is probably just bunk, except for handedness)

 

[M Paquette]

... reckoned I was only 1 question away from being defined as OCD

... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Let's see what my typical workflow was...

1. Get problem report, or come up with a neat idea and file it as a 'problem report.'
2. Analyze code and determine the set of algorithmic changes to implement whatever is needed to address the problem report.
3. Implement code changes as appropriate.
4. Analyze changes for potential risks, and if any are found, go back to step 2 or 3 as appropriate.
5. Prepare a unit test to exercise changes, if not already covered by test suites. Discuss with Test Engineering as needed.
5. Generate a list of code changes, and possibly review changes with another engineer.
5. Add comments on algorithmic and code changes to problem report.
6. Generate a summary of risks and benefits of the potential changes, and append to problem report.
7. Add changes to the master code base after receiving any needed approvals.

No, nothing there that smacks of obsessive-compulsive behavior. I do have this odd habit of writing lists and checklists, though. That could be leakage from nuclear power training. (Note to self: Ask Nords how long his checklist is for powering up his solar panel system. Is it a grease-pencil laminated checkoff list, or does he use a new form for each startup?)

 

[Alan]

... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Let's see what my typical workflow was...

1. Get problem report, or come up with a neat idea and file it as a 'problem report.'
2. Analyze code and determine the set of algorithmic changes to implement whatever is needed to address the problem report.
3. Implement code changes as appropriate.
4. Analyze changes for potential risks, and if any are found, go back to step 2 or 3 as appropriate.
5. Prepare a unit test to exercise changes, if not already covered by test suites. Discuss with Test Engineering as needed.
5. Generate a list of code changes, and possibly review changes with another engineer.
5. Add comments on algorithmic and code changes to problem report.
6. Generate a summary of risks and benefits of the potential changes, and append to problem report.
7. Add changes to the master code base after receiving any needed approvals.

No, nothing there that smacks of obsessive-compulsive behavior. I do have this odd habit of writing lists and checklists, though. That could be leakage from nuclear power training. (Note to self: Ask Nords how long his checklist is for powering up his solar panel system. Is it a grease-pencil laminated checkoff list, or does he use a new form for each startup?)

yep, that sounds like me