Second Life

I recently heard that men relax more when driving because they consider the car to be an extension of their own body, while women are less likely to do so. I have not sought any evidence to verify this, though I can think of several examples that support and several that contradict it. What it does do, however, is remind me of the idea that any technology can be considered to be an extension of ourselves. A telephone allows us to project our voice and ears around the world; the Internet allows our eyes, ears, and minds to travel just as far.

Second Life takes this a step farther. It allows us to project a visual image of ourselves (as an avatar) into a virtual environment. On the surface it evokes the familiarity we have with typical video games, but when you dig deeper, it allows us to form a deeper connection with our avatar and the others we meet in the virtual world. Perhaps it's because unlike a video game, where we conform ourselves to pre-designed characters, actions, worlds, and activities, Second Life allows us to adapt our avatars, world, and activities to ourselves. We have a vested interest in our avatar and realize that the avatars around us somehow reflect real people, not the engineering of commercial game designers. This reflection of actual individuals also opens the door for tremendous amounts of variation in what avatars look like, how they talk, what they do, and the resulting world and society created. If taken to its full potential, the Second Life world may never get boring.

A limiting factor, though, is that it's difficult to get avatars and other elements in Second Life to do just what their users want them to do. If I want to shake hands, gesture as I talk, or give a certain appearance, I have to remember the mouse movements or keyboard shortcuts to do it. Even if I do remember, it becomes so much work, I don't want to. And then after not doing it for awhile, I forget how to do it altogether, and I'm back at square one. So, while the potential exists for reflecting many aspects of physical life and its varieties, the technological weight of the medium presents a barrier. Thus, as with many forms of mediated communication, many of the factors that give richness to face-to-face communication do not come across yet in Second Life, leaving it somewhat information-deprived, yet still full of potential.

Here's an interesting video that introduces SL (Second Life) and considers its potential for use in education. Note how many people are estimated to be using virtual immersion programs such as this a mere four years from now.

The link to this video and much more information about SL is on the SL Web page at http://secondlife.com/

Order Effect and Balance Theory of Cognitive Dissonance

When you build a survey, the order in which you present questions can affect the way people answer them. For example, if people were asked "Should the United States be given unlimited access to inspect weapons in the Soviet Union," they would typically answer, "Yes." Then, if they were asked whether the Soviet Union should have unlimited access to inspect the United States, they would be forced to say yes to maintain the appearance of being fair. Conversely, if they were first asked whether the Soviets should have unlimited access to the U.S. weapons, they'd say no. When this was followed by the question of whether the United States should have unlimited access to the Soviet's reserves, they'd answer no.

This can be a problem when trying to get honest answers in surveys, but it can be a good tool for getting people to realize where they have cognitive dissonance - conflicting logic or loyalties. Here's an example by Ray Comfort using this strategy to get people to see their own inconsistencies:

Clouds Without Rain

Here's a picture of the last bit of today's sunset over Marquette. It was supposed to rain, so I put off working on the roof because the gray clouds rolled in, but they just hung doing nothing, then went away. It seems our culture usually thinks sun = good and rain = bad. I'm the opposite. The sun burns and dries out the land, while rain causes plants and wildlife to flourish. The sun makes my eyes hurt and my skin peel; the clouds provide shelter and humidity is a free moisturizer. Even though songs such as "Sunny With a High of 75" still gain an approving audience, more people are starting to come over to the gray side, now that global warming is tightening its clutches on water. Boise has become even more of a desert, and Marquette is in grave need of rain.

So the clouds today were just teasing. They looked dark enough to provide relief, but they wouldn't give. How many people around us are like that? How many philosophies and religious doctrines are like that? How often have we been like that? It seems many people convince themselves and others they have something good to offer (usually for a price), and that gets them through life despite having little substance to support the image. Image is easy to buy and build; substance takes perseverance and discipline. Image pays off quickly; substance may go completely unnoticed, unappreciated, or even cause attacks from others. For example, some teachers throw up smoke screens when students ask them questions they can't answer. I prefer to say that I don't know for sure, provide a possible answer, and ask whether any other students have an idea. I like to end the discussion with ways we might find a more certain answer. It's an honest approach that spurs thinking, but there are students who will blast me for it. I haven't met a teacher yet who knows every answer; do these students realize when professors take them for a little ride instead of saying they don't know?

I could just be the cloud, the image, but I would rather work to actually be the substance of rain. I want my image to represent what I really provide, and what I provide will be the genuine article. It will help those around me flourish. That's what I strive for anyway, in my actions, what I believe, and what I teach. I don't always do it well, but as I get better, the more rain I'll be able to provide.

Enjoy your rainy days!

p.s., Yes, I realize that too much rain can create disasters. Perhaps we can talk about too much of a good thing sometime. Can there be too much "substance" or "character " in a person? I argue no; that's just where this particular analogy breaks down. And, yes, I do really like days that are sunny with a high of 75 - just as long as they don't get much warmer than that.

The trip to Bologna was a good one. I met new people at every meal, many of them leaders of the field. I learned new information and was invited to present more research and perhaps even write a book chapter. All of this took place over some of the best food in the world, in ancient stone buildings. Now that's the way work should be!

I'm happy to be back home, though. Idaho has charms of its own. It's where I can get my work done. It's where my family and guitar are. 

The Nutty Professor

One of the first times Cheri showed me that she really liked me was when she served my roommate and I Nutella on toast. My roommate and I laughed and laughed - what is Nutella? What kind of name is that anyway?

Well, the jokes on us. Nutella is so popular in Bologna that they even have a Nutelleria - a nutella cafeteria. This was just south of my hotel. 

Ravenna had incredible mosaic pictures in its 5th and 6th century churches. The one here shows Abraham's life, where he served lunch to the three angelic messangers, and then later was willing to sacrifice Isaac. Notice God's hand coming out of the sky to stop his sword. This picture doesn't come close to showing the way it really looks. The picture was dark, and the software that lightened it up also made it grainy. I bought a book with professional photos, but even they don't really show you what it's like. Ya just gotta see the mosaics in person. 

Scooters

Lots of scooters lined the streets. The Europeans have the right idea for that - they get over 80 miles per gallon. There's a scooter shop in Boise that's been doing good business since the gas prices climbed so high. The streets in Bologna were more conducive for safe scooter riding than Boise, though. 

M.C. Escher?

As we decended the stairs inside the tower, my friend said it reminded him of an M.C. Escher drawing. It was funny, because I was about to say the say the exact same thing. Did Escher spend any time in Bologna? 

A view from the top

This is looking south from the top of the tower. A lot of the green is from gardens. 

Tower

This is another view of the tower. I took this picture from the place where I'd almost been pick-pocketed the day before. I turned around, and a guy had his hand in my backpack. When he pulled it out, my camera fell on the ground. It still worked, and nothing else was stolen. 

High Rise

In ancient times, the rich families built towers. We weren't sure why; I thought it might be to get some air conditioning on hot days from the breeze at the top. Some friends and I climbed the stairs in the one on the right. It was 87 meters high and gave a wonderful view of the whole region at the top. We could see other towers scattered across the city, rising above the other buildings. 

Church time

As I took this picture, an older gentleman stood outside his apartment behind me and said I should go inside the church. I already had on a previous day, but I went again. It was beautifully decorated, with many alcoves containing paintings and sculptures of Jesus' life. A small mass was in session, so I sat in the back of the sanctuary and watched the candles and listened to the singing echoing from the high walls and ceiling. I prayed with them, even though I couldn't understand their language. It was refreshing.

I noticed that a lot of the doors were really tall in Bologna. Most of the sidewalks were covered porticos as shown in the right side of the picture. The conference area was through a little gateway to the right. 

Courtyard

This is one of the courtyards where we would get fresh air and refreshments between presentation sessions. It's also where we'd eat lunch. Although, sometimes I went to restaurants for lunch when invited by special groups. 

Nourishment

I ate lunch each day in a courtyard buffey with the other conference delegates. Here's a typical dish consisting of meat, beans, a breadstick, rice, tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and fruit. The company at the lunches was even better than the food. 

Home away from home

The inside of the hotel was elegant, but not as fancy as the really ritzy hotel where some of my friends stayed. Still, I liked the cheerful wallpaper, and it was very comfortable. The staff was friendly, the rooms were clean, and the breakfasts were fulfilling. It was Hotel Regina. My door is at the end of the hall in this picture. 

While at the conference, I was struck by this view out of a bathroom window. Many of the roofs looked like this. No, I wasn't sitting down when I took the picture. 

The busses cruised down allies like this, not at a break-neck speed, but fast enough to feel like a carnival ride. I'd hope to keep my bearings as I rode the bus, but after twisting and turning down narrow passages for a few minutes, I was lost and had to just hope the bus driver knew where he was going. The street names are on the sides of the buildings on the corners, so you have to look just in the right place at the right time to see them. 

Lots to do

This is the lot behind my hotel. It stayed open like this most of the week, but when I looked on Friday morning, the place was filled with vendors setting up tents and opening awnings that electrically unfolded like fans from the tops of their vans. I bought Cheri a nice dress for 10 euros on Saturday.

To the left, beyond the picture was a street and a large statue. To the right was a Chinese Restaurant. I'd hoped to try it to see what Italian Chinese food was like, but I didn't get the chance. 

This sculpture was near the central bus / train station, just north of my hotel. Stairs on each side of it switched back and forth to the top, leading to what I think was a big park (according to my map.) I could see a lot of tree tops back there. 

Bologna Ruins

These ruins were near my hotel on via Independenza. They continued below street level.