Counterintuitive Spring 2023

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/08/men-defining-rape-history

I think it’s counterintuitive that since the beginning of early civilization, men controlled the leniency of laws and consequences of rape, even tough in most cases, the men were the ones to blame for the incident. It is ironic that men and men alone were responsible for making these rules and choosing punishments, when in all actuality, it seems as though those specific laws were chosen to save the  men who committed the crime and not to serve justice to the women who were violated and stripped of their dignity.

Most of these rules in fact– were against women. From time periods as early as 1780 BC to the 17th century, some consequences were owing her father money or property damage for taking their daughters virginity and women being thrown in rivers.  It is counterintuitive that the women who were tragically targeted, are the ones paying the price perpetuating the cycle of assault considering nothing major happens to these men.

Up until 1998– 17 years ago– there were still laws in place saying if a woman was “impure”, the abuser could not get the charge of statutory rape. Also, it took  until 1993, to make it illegal in our country to rape your wife. I find it counterintuitive that all of these laws are targeted towards women and women alone, yet set by men, the ones committing these crimes.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/02/econundrums-do-vitamin-supplements-work

I think it is counterintuitive that doctors and professionals will always recommend a multi vitamin, but it turns out they aren’t as beneficial as they seem. Big vitamin corporations make a fortune off of everyone thinking they have a vitamin deficiency because their doctor says so.

Studies have been showing that the vitamins you should be taking, can actually cause health problems. The labeling of vitamins are not regulated, therefore, how do we know as consumers what they’re actually doing to our body?

I find it counterintuitive that the things society has drilled into our heads are not always what they seem to be.

http://www.examiner.com/article/doctors-who-see-poorer-patients-get-poorer-performance-ratings?cid=rss

I think it’s counterintuitive that poorer patients would rate their doctor’s lower than people of higher socioeconomic classes because people of lower incomes I would assume are more grateful for good care. I think the amount of doctors caring for poorer patients would ultimately be based on their location and the average income of the area their practice is located in.

From what I have personally seen, generally, wealthier people have more to complain about than poorer people. Therefore it is counterintuitive that someone who is poor, would give their doctor a lower rating than someone of money who wouldn’t think their care is good enough because they can afford better.

Men Defining Rape: A History

It seems counterintuitive that there is a long history of men defining the rules of rape and its consequences, and there is still room for improvement in the seemingly advanced twenty first century.

Todd Akin’s claim that as long as the rape is “legitimate,” a female’s body has ways to “shut that whole thing down” mirrors ancient concepts of rape. In previous eras, rape had outlandish definitions, such as property damage against the victim’s father or the abduction of a woman against the man who had control over her life. Even more absurd, men decided that there virginity tests must be supplied in order to provide evidence of a rape. Men also explained that women could not get pregnant unless they had an orgasm, so if an “absolute rape” were to occur, there would be no way a woman could get pregnant. It’s ludicrous that such ideals of rape were in place, but even more so that a man in power based his concept off of them.

The definition of raped has changed recently, and this time for the better. The new definition includes other forms of sexual assault, genders, and the chance that a victim is incapable to give consent due to their mental and physical state. This is an improvement, no doubt, but we cannot deny the demand for more according to the backwards ideas that some men still have today.

Prozac: What’s Race Got to Do With It?

It seems counterintuitive that with all of the advancement America has gone through, discrimination in the medical realm would still be an issue.

Prozac is an extremely popular type of anti-depressant; it is prescribed for more than 33 million Americans a year. Unfortunately, studies have shown that the majority of those who are prescribed Prozac are White.

Researchers do not have empirical evidence to explain why minorities are less likely to be prescribed such an effective, popular pill. What’s even more frustrating is that it is hard to conduct an experiment to find a genuine answer to the question due to the uncomfortable facts that must be faced.

The fact of the matter is, the research studies that have been conducted prove equality is still a goal Americans must strive for; there is a need for change in the way minorities are treated.

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-02-04/vancouver-combats-heroin-giving-its-addicts-best-smack-world

It seems counterintuitive that a city would subsidize the very dangerous habits of heroin addicts, yet it has proven to succeed. Vancouver proposed a program, Insite, which offers heroin users to shoot up under supervision with clean supplies.

The program is conducted with only 26 people who were previously involved in research studies. They have the worst additions because they do not take to heroin alternatives. So, the addicts are given heroin two or three times a day as their “treatment” according to their doctors.

The justification of Insite is explained through harm reduction. Since the users are shooting up in a safe environment, the chance that they will cause harm on themselves or the city is reduced; therefore, both the addicts and the city benefits.

The program, however, is a form of blackmail, and everyone involved knows it. Either way, these heroin addicts are dying, and if less harm can be done from that, so be it.

Practice stuff in class

1)  It seems counterintuitive that men should be the ones who define what rape is, given that they are statistically less likely to be raped.  However, throughout the entirely of history, this has largely been the case.  Even as long ago as almost 1800 BC, rape was considered a crime—however, the harshest punishment did not fall upon the rapist, but rather the raped woman.  The raping of a virgin, according to the code of Hammurabi, was property damage, and a married woman who was raped would be found guilty of adultery and be sentenced to drowning.

Thousands of years later, rape was still defined by men, with no regard to women.  According to one of the oldest legal texts in England, rape that resulted in pregnancy was not, in fact, rape.  It was claimed that without giving consent, a woman could not conceive.  This notion can still be found as recently as 2013, when former Representative Todd Akin claimed that “[in the event of] a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try and shut that whole thing down.”  Who knew?

It was only at the end of the 13^th century that anyone gave a thought to women rape cases.  King Edward I of England was the first man to legislate that rape of a woman was a crime, regardless of virginity, social status, or age.  While it was not a crime to rape women of color for centuries afterwards, this was still a step in the right direction.

Recently, the FBI updated its definition of rape for the first time since 1929.  The new definition includes the cases in which date rape or other drugs, as well as alcohol, have been used. Though it is still a case of men defining rape, the new definition of rape is much more considerate of women.  Though it is, of course, completely possible for men to be raped, it is nevertheless concerning that consideration of women in rape cases has only recently been the case.

2) It seems counterintuitive that the solution to drug violence is to give violent drugs addicts more drugs, but it seems to be working for the city of Vancouver.  Recently, the city has started a program to prescribe the highest of heroin to the most dangerous of addicts, which can be taken with no legal repercussions and minimal health risks.

Currently, the program is only in place for 26 addicts in the city of Vancouver.  Each of these addicts has made an attempt to get clean using traditional methods, but with no success.  Therefore, doctors are prescribing the finest heroin to each of these addicts, to be administered twice or thrice per day with no charge.  The drug is administered through clean hypodermic needles, and the arm into which it is injected is first cleaned with an alcohol wipe.  The only real risks are the side effects that inherently come with heroin use.

The primary focus of the program is to minimize the damage done to the addicts themselves, as well as to the everyday residents of Vancouver.  According to Allen Schauffler, “If you give these people doses of heroin every day and keep them comfortable and keep them docile and keep the sort of demons of heroin addiction at bay, then those people are much less likely to end up in an alley, dead with a needle in their arm, or much less likely to sell themselves sexually for money to buy drugs, or much less likely to break into somebody’s car to steal something, or to shoplift or to strong-arm rob or to whatever. So the harm that they can cause to themselves and society is reduced if you simply give them the drug.”

Schauffler also says that the program sends a very odd message to its participants.  It says, “[Y]ou’ll always be heroin addicts, there is no hope of you getting off heroin, therefore let’s provide you with heroin so you are the least dangerous drug addict you can possibly be.”  However, while this program may be, as Schauffler says, “[A] very odd moral line to walk,” it seems nevertheless effective.

3) It seems counterintuitive that a Jewish girl might be baptized by a church to which she does not belong.  However, in February of 2012, that is exactly what happened.  According to Helen Radkey, the posthumously famous Holocaust victim Anne Frank was baptized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just over three short years ago.

In the Mormon faith, it is rather common to posthumously baptize those who have passed on before being baptized by the Church.  Evidently, the Church, in a manner most considerate, extends baptism to those who are not, in fact, Mormon.  Furthermore, it appears that one can even be living at the time of this unsolicited ritual—the Mormon Church recently attempted to posthumously baptize famed Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Weisel, graciously ignoring the fact that Weisel is a devout Jewish man, has written over 40 books about the horrors of the Holocaust and is—although perhaps least importantly—not actually dead.

Despite agreements between the Mormon and Jewish churches to cease the post-mortem baptisms of Holocaust victims, as well as Jews who are not descended from Mormons, the Church has cordially taken matters into its own hands.  It has saved the souls of countless Jews, regardless of state of life, age, number of descendants, and so on.  For example, Anne Frank—who died at the age of fifteen, was Jewish, was not married, and had no descendants whatsoever—had her name submitted for posthumous baptism at least nine times.

Following the announcement of Frank’s baptism, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement saying that “The Church keeps its word and is absolutely firm in its commitment to not accept the names of Holocaust victims for proxy baptism.”  It is likely that there is some doubt about whether this will prove true or not, though it is anyone’s guess as to why.

The Cruelest Show on Earth

It seems counter-intuitive that circuses are taking majestic and docile creature out of their natural habitat and exposing them to disease. Elephants are currently on the list of endangered species and circuses are doing very little when it comes to proper care and maintenance. more often than not, the elephants are being transported in train box cars. they’ve been known to be crammed up and chained for up to 70 hours.

These large beautiful animals are developing diseases like tuberculosis and herpes. Diseases which have been linked to captivity. Only after an elephant begins to perform insufficiently do the trainers seek veterinary assistance.

A Meditation on Elderly Animals

It seems counter-intuitive that a women who doesn’t wish to photograph elderly people finds peace in photographing elderly animals. A photographer who decided to avoid photographing her family was able to begin a project that focused on photographing elderly animals. One must wonder why she is able to take pictures of these old feeble animals who look so close to death but she wasn’t able to take picture of the people who gave her life.

Men Defining Rape: A History

It seems counter-intuitive that there is such a concept as “forcible rape”. It also seems counter-intuitive that men are the ones determining what constitutes rape. It is any form of contact not desired by both parties involved. Without consent it is rape. Why is it that in over hundreds of years, we have made minimal progress in avoiding rape and punishing it to the fullest extent of the law.

Do Toms Shoes Really Help People?

It seems counterintuitive to think that “buy-one-give-one” companies like Toms actually may not be helping as much as one might think, however that seems to be the problem.

Certain companies, such as Toms, have a system where whenever a good is bought, another one of those goods is given to a child in another country. This is great… In theory. However, it turns out that not only does transporting the items (such as shoes in the case of Toms) destroy the environment, but most of the times those items simply are not needed. The shoe distributors in these other countries generally give the shoes to students of school systems. This sounds great until you realize that these children already have shoes (as if they did not they would not be able to even enter the school). So on that front no one is helped. On another front, when a large tsunami struck Indonesia, aid from all over the world (food primarily) came in. Yes this sounds very helpful… Until you realize that the people not immediately on the coast (which is where most farms were) were not affected at all. In an attempt to help, we hurt farmers in the mainland who now could not sell their rice and goods because it was given out for free by “helpful” other countries.

Perhaps we would be more helpful if we asked what was needed before we assume what is needed.

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-02-04/vancouver-combats-heroin-giving-its-addicts-best-smack-world

It may seem counterintuitive to tree drug addiction with free drugs, however in some ways it makes sense.

Very close to some of the tourists sports in Vancouver, Canada is a are called the “Downtown Eastside” which has a large drug problem and is actually the drug epicenter of Vancouver. In the city a safe zone called Insite was established. This is a safe place for those who qualify to inject heroine with clean needles, and high quality heroine. This is for those who did not take to alternatives in an attempt to get clean; they are addicts who cannot get clean. The reason for this area is quite genius. If someone NEEDS heroine they will do anything to get money to buy it: prostitution, breaking into cars, or even robbery. So to cut down on crime, why not just provide those who cannot get clean with free drugs. This cuts down on crime, and allows the addict to continue on life without having to worry about where to get their next fix. Indirectly, the city is killing these users, thus indirectly cleaning up their streets.

Perhaps this is a strange way to take care of the problem, but the logic, once you get over the idea of giving addicts free drugs, is quite sound.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/02/econundrums-do-vitamin-supplements-work

It seems counterintuitive for something like a multivitamin to do more harm then good, however that exactly what they might be doing.

In all actuality most people get all of their necessary vitamins from the foods they eat, unless you are a picky eater or anorexic. Well, so what if you keep eating multivitamins? To much of a vitamin cannot hurt right? Wrong actually. To much folic acid, for example, can lead to lesions. The main problem is that the FDA does not regulate the labeling of supplements, so false claims are everywhere. That, and some supplements have more then the needed dose of certain vitamin. Honestly, we should all just forget about vitamins. Link to a pictures of cats

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/science/jared-diamonds-guide-to-reducing-lifes-risks.html?src=me&ref=general

It seems counterintuitive that we, as Americans, are aware of many small but imminent dangers in our lives and continue to think that we are invincible. Small things like slipping in the shower or or not locking a ladder properly threaten us everyday.

We tend to obsess about the unimportant things in our lives, when other things we do are careless and dangerous. We just don’t stop to think about them like that. Other cultures are acutely aware of the every-day dangers they face. They have less trivial things in their lives to distract them from being thoughtful and careful with their lives; the most precious things they – and we – could ever own.

2.  http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/09/counterintuitive-world

It seems counterintuitive that our human psyches process things in a backward manner a lot of the time. If we get praised for good work on an assignment or a job that we’re doing, we relax. Therefore, we tend to not do as well the next time. The opposite seems to also be true. Harsh words or punishment for a job poorly done seems to motivate, as we don’t want to suffer embarrassment again.

We visit a doctor only when it seems as if we are really sick; it seems to make more sense to get more regular check-ups when we’re healthy, and catch illnesses in the beginning before they get worse. But our minds don’t think that way, we don’t think we need a doctor unless we know there is something abnormal about our health.

3. http://www.npr.org/2011/05/12/135598390/mind-reading-technology-turns-thought-into-action&sc=nl&cc=nh-20110512

It seems counterintuitive that technology for monitoring brain activity has been around since the 50’s but we’re only tapping it’s true potential now. With the EEG and ECoG systems, we can monitor the brainwaves of the disabled and help them communicate effectively with us, making it possible to restore our personal relationships with someone who suffered a terrible illness or accident.

It seems counterintuitive that learning begins in the womb and that some of the most important learning we do happens before we’re born. Though it might sound strange this theory is backed up. For example they learn the sound of their mothers’ voices. Babies once born prefer to listen to their mothers’ voice. They also begin to learn language while listening to things around them inside the womb.

Another thing babies learn in the womb is taste and smell. When the mother eats something the baby can taste it and they will remember it once born. This shows that fetus’s are constantly being taught by their mothers’ about what is safe and good to eat along with their culture. They learn critical survival skills may it may not seem like that.

Annie continues to go into details about how little things in life while pregnant can affect the baby’s health in the long run for both good and bad. An example would be how she talks about passing down PTSD to her child. If the child is born with this it will make them aware of their surroundings or a quick trigger to danger. But with something like this, it could save a child’s life.

Essentially mothers’ are giving their child a pre-warning to the world they are about to enter. And we make sure that our child is prepared to come into the real world whether we know we’re doing it or not.

The Counterintuitive World

It seems counterintuitive that you would fix the bullet holes on a plane arriving back from war. But this is indeed false. As Abraham Wald explained, you want to improve the areas on the returning plane that was least hit because the planes not coming back were most likely hit there. And if the planes aren’t coming back we will never see where those planes were hit. Causing those spots to be a crucial spot on a plane.

In the article they then jump kind of off topic and talk about students and the work they do. If a student did poorly and was “chewed out,” the next time the student did something, he would improve. If you praise a student, then the next time they won’t do as good.

They relate this to people going to the doctors. A lot of the times we don’t wait to go to the doctors until our sickness is really bad. With that being said, maybe you’re sickness is at its lowest and all it can do is go up now. When you go to the doctors it might not be what the doctor did that made you get better, it could be the fact that if you just waited a little bit longer you were going to get better.

A Meditation on Elderly Animals

It seems counterintuitive that someone would not take so many pictures of elderly animals. That maybe after a certain point it was weird to have so many pictures. But to Isa Leshko it was normal and to her it was like therapy to take these pictures which then turned into a project.

Isa talks about her family and how she is now taking care of both her parents. Shes a photographer and while with her family she decided she was not going to take pictures of her parents. While in New Jersey, she visited relatives. They had an old horse on the property which caught Isa’s attention. This is what triggered her to take pictures of elderly animals.

She talks about fighting back tears when taking pictures of the rooster because of how badly he was in shape. To me seems like it reminded her of her parents. Also when taking these pictures, the care givers found a lot of comfort in the images particularly after the animals have past. Isa talks about looking at the animals ageing and mortality and how that’s not an easy subject. These pictures help Isa find meaning in joy and life and face the physical limitations and challenges.

Do Toms Shoes Really Help People?

It seems counterintuitive but true that the company Toms make shoes that are extremely popular since 2006. Tom’s is a company that has a benefit to it to help those in need. When you buy one of these shoes you are also giving a shoe to someone who is in need of it. This company makes sure to give shoes to everyone they can. They have given more then one million shoes away to those in need.

Tom’s works with communities to help them out as well. For example the manufacturing company is in Indonesia. The kids that attend school get shoes to wear to class. The town gets help from these companies as well. They help their community and don’d just dump work on them and not appreciate the hard work they give. Helping those in need in their community is what they do best.

Many say that Toms doesn’t give a big open story on what exactly they may be doing with all the money they earn. But does it really matter? Everyone needs to make money right? But as long as they are helping out others and doing a good deed why does it matter where all the other money goes? Greedy much.

http://www.propublica.org/article/how-moms-death-changed-my-thinking-about-end-of-life-care

It is counterintuitive that we as humans spend way to much money trying to keep someone alive that we love so much knowing that they are on the verge of death. We tell our self that the longer we keep them maybe a miracle can happen.

We have so much hope even when the parctritioner has told us that the person is ready to go. They say to never give up right? But at the end of it all, all this money is being put in to just see a life die slower and slower. Knowing that my mother is on the edge of dying I would do anything to keep her longer with me. I just want her to know I still love and care for her.

Is it bad to say that we may be acting selfish? Maybe even nervous of what people may say if we were to say nope out with my mom thats it, what would family and friends say? But its my money my feelings why should it matter right ?

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2012-10-17/what-does-the-marshmallow-test-actually-test

It seems counterintuitive that we cannot resist something so good even if someone tells us they will give us double the amount of what we may have in front of us. It amazes me to know how a child’s mind thinks and how many would have taken the first amount given instead of waiting for more.

Kids were given a masrshmallow and were told that if they can wait 15 mins without touching or eating the delicious treat that they would get acouple more if they can not give into temptation. Of course many gave in and didn’t believe the person that promised to give them extra treats if they waited. As a child three to five years of age of course I would eat it and not care as long as I had something yummy in my tummy.

I imagine my self in that room right now with this diet i’m on and someone were to place me a salted caramel cheesecake and told me if i waited they would give me the whole cheesecake instead, screw that I would honestly be so satisfied that I actually got a bit of something good. But really would you be able to resist that small squishy, white, candy smelling ball shaped delisiousness?

1. Counterintuitive Psychology Studies

It seems counterintuitive that the study of psychology is based on abstract concepts and theories when the general public believes that the science is common sense. The field of psychology itself is full of counterintuitive ideas, and many people are unaware of the actual science or tests conducted behind them. In fact, many things backed by studies work against what is commonly believed.

Concepts such as cognitive dissonance work counterintuitively by proving true exactly the opposite of what one would think is true. Humans are rationalizing creatures, not rational ones, so we try everything to see right in things we do. While these things may not actually be true, our brains make them true to ourselves through cognitive dissonance.

The brain is an extremely powerful organ, as it operates in ways that not even the individual on which it is operating upon can understand. Effects like the placebo effect may not make sense, because how could taking an aspirin pill relieve a headache in seconds when in reality it takes about fifteen minutes to take chemical effect?

2. Japan’s New Economic Plan

It seems counterintuitive that Japan is unveiling a stimulus package and spending a large deal of money in an attempt to get out of a massive debt slide. It seems to be working against common sense that they are putting themselves further in debt while trying to get out of debt.

The country’s government recently approved the decision to implement this stimulus package in order to keep old companies alive, dubbed “zombie” companies. They are on the brink of bankruptcy yet the government seeks to bail them out as they see them as their only economic outlet.

Are there any other solutions to this crisis? Many other countries are in the same predicament and are taking a similar approach.

3. End of Life Care

It seems counterintuitive that so much money is required to keep somebody alive who is inevitably going to die soon. When death is imminent, many people would opt just to be let go and not suffer even if it means staying alive.

Why is it that people cannot resist paying to keep someone alive when they know they are going to eventually die? Is it fear that keeps them paying? They have no logical reason to keep the money flowing.