Spit and Twitches: The Animal Cognition Podcast - Pilot Episode

Well here it is, the much anticipated, ok, not anticipated much, but well you know, the pilot episode is here!  I sat down this afternoon with Laurie Bloomfield of the Psychology Department at Algoma University here in Sault Ste. Marie.  We talked about her specialty, bird communication. Photo credit: Oregon State University ArchivesLaurie studies chickadees mostly, but of course, as we all know, it is not the species that is important, it is the problem.  (Or, as my PhD supervisor once said to an ornithologist, "I don't study species, I study problems").  Well, Laurie and I talked about a lot of stuff, her career, how she started out in animal cognition, and about fist fights between eminent researchers.  (That last part came in the final bit, where I asked her four questions, an idea I have stolen borrowed from FourCast).  

I would really like feedback on the show, what do you think?  Feel free to comment here, on facebook, google + or whatever.  

I really appreciate Laurie sitting down with me and talking today.  I had a really good time.  

The music in this episode is by Battery Life and is called "Beer Rights"

download mp3

Words I Hate

I understand that languages evolve, and that new words get invented to deal with new stuff, and I have no problem with that.  What I do have a problem with is imprecise or innaccurate language.

As a psychologist, I truly despise when new 'disorders' are invented that are not disorders at all, but just being an asshole.  So, this post is inspired by those two things.

I guess the two current buzzwords that I hate the most are homophobia and islamaphobia.  Now, I know what both of these mean, as do you.  What pisses me off is the use of the term 'phobia'.  Homophobia is hatred of LGBT people, and Islamaphobia is hatred of Muslims.  THESE ARE NOT PHOBIAS.  A phobia is an irrational fear, a real psychological problem, and they can be debilitating.  

Islamaphobia and homophobia are simply bigotry.  They are simply hatred.  These are not disorders, they are being a bigoted asshole.  That is not a disorder.  Why in the hell can't we just use the word 'bigot'?  Perhaps we could come up with a better term, anti-Semtisim is not called 'Jewphobia' or something. 

Now, I don't think (or I certainly don't hope) that most people thinnk of these two things as disorders, but the words themselves imply that they are disorders.  I also am not naive enough to believe those words will change.  Anyway, as usual, I am starting to ramble.....

Lecture Notes for Fall 2011 Available At Davebrodbeck.com

While my home for my lectures is of course still active, I thought I would also post the lecture notes/powerpoint presentations here.  So, you can see both Brain and Behaviour and Animal Behaviour tabs at the top of the site.  Even if you are not in the class, feel free to download the lecture notes, and the lecture audio when they come out in the fall.