SASA Banquet

South Asian Student Association

Friday, February 24, 2012

7:00pm

University Center, Ballroom

UMBC ID = FREE (limit 1 per ID)

General Admission = $7.00

Ticket #: 157

Se7en Fashion Show

Black Student Union

Saturday, February 25, 2012

7:00pm

University Center, Ballroom

UMBC ID = FREE (limit 1 per ID)

General Admission = $10.00

Ticket #: 35

Philly Bus Trip

Student Events Board

March 3, 2012

Bus departs The Commons Circle @ 9:00am

All Guests = $15.00

Ticket #: 39

Norouz

Persian Student Association

Saturday, March 3, 201

8:00pm

University Center, Ballroom

UMBC ID = FREE (limit 1 per ID)

General Admission = $15.00

Ticket #: 3

fun.

Student Events Board

Sunday, March 4, 2012

8:00pm (doors open at 7:00pm)

University Center, Ballroom

All Guests = $10.00 (must show UMBC or photo ID)

Ticket #: 1116

D. C. Bus Trip

Student Events Board

March 31, 2012

Bus departs The Commons Circle @ 10:00am

All Guests = $15.00

Ticket #: 17

Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail.

Students Beware…

A new study in Science News  magazine explains exactly what happens to our brains when we don’t get enough sleep… and it isn’t pretty.

Since sleep allows our brains to clear up excess connections formed during the day, our brains become, “more reactive as hours awake accumulate.” This helps explain why sleep deprivation can trigger seizures and hallucinations in some people.

Sleep, as any student in an 8:30 am class will tell you, is an essential bodily function.

One study has shown that depriving rats of REM sleep limits their lifespan to 5 weeks and depriving them of all stages of sleep will kill them within 3 weeks (rats typically live 3-5 years).

One survey finds two thirds of college students pull at least one all nighter in a given semester. We can only recommend to those of you reading this at 3AM that you put down the NoDoz and head for bed…or the couches outside the game room…whichever is closer.

Engineering Week IEEE Student Branch Seminar
in conjunction with CSEE Graduate Seminar

Brain-Computer Interface Technologies
in the Coming Decades (with Demonstration)

Dr. Kaleb McDowell
Translational Neuroscience Branch Chief
Army Research Laboratory

11:30-12:30 Friday, 24 February 2012, ITE 227, UMBC

As the proliferation of technology dramatically infiltrates all aspects of modern life, in many ways the world is becoming so dynamic and complex that technological capabilities are overwhelming human capabilities to optimally interact with and leverage those technologies. Fortunately, these technological advancements have also driven an explosion of neuroscience research over the past several decades, presenting engineers with a remarkable opportunity to design and develop flexible and adaptive brain-based neurotechnologies that integrate with and capitalize on human capabilities and limitations to improve human-system interactions. Major forerunners of this conception are brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which to this point have been largely focused on improving the quality of life for particular clinical populations and include, for example, applications for advanced communications with paralyzed or "locked-in" patients as well as the direct control of prostheses and wheelchairs. Near-term applications are envisioned that are primarily task-oriented and are targeted to avoid the most difficult obstacles to development. In the farther term, a holistic approach to BCIs will enable a broad range of task-oriented and opportunistic applications by leveraging pervasive technologies and advanced analytical approaches to sense and merge critical brain, behavioral, task, and environmental information. Communications and other applications that are envisioned to be broadly impacted by BCIs are highlighted; however, these represent just a small sample of the potential of these technologies.

Kaleb McDowell (M'08-SM'11) was born in Frederick, MD, USA on July 10, 1970. He has a B.S in operations research and industrial engineering from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA in 1992, an M.S. in kinesiology from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA in 2000, and a Ph.D. in neuroscience and cognitive science from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA in 2003.

He is currently the Chief of the Translational Neuroscience Branch and Chair of the Neuroscience Strategic Research Area at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA. Since joining ARL as a Research Psychologist in 2003, he has contributed to over 30 reviewed publications, and has led several major research and development programs focused on neuroscience, indirect vision systems and vehicle mobility. His current research interest focuses on translating basic neuroscience into applications for use by healthy populations in everyday, real-world environments.

Dr. McDowell received Department of Army Research and Development Achievement awards for technical excellence in 2007 and 2009 and the ARL Award for Leadership in 2011.

Host: IEEE UG and Grad Student Branches (cookies drinks available 11:15am)

Monday was Presidents Day, which afforded us all a good opportunity to reflect on the line of crusty generals, paranoid lawyers, and other semi-respectable types who have lead our country over the past 223 years.

The Washington Post reports that the Founding Fathers have never been more “in.”

On the campaign trail, Republican presidential contenders have been unusually explicit in their allegiance to the ideals of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and the rest.

GOP candidates have imagined the FFs as a monolithic group who thought this and didn’t think that, who would have applauded this and would have abhorred that.

In reality, as the Post reminds us, the Great Wigged Ones “often bitterly disagreed with each other” and held opinions that historians have illuminated as ambiguous, contradictory, or just plain wrong.

Ben Franklin’s suggestion of the turkey over the bald eagle as the national bird, for example, can safely be said to have been moronic and tasteless.

It is curious that our politicians are fond of throwing the FFs names around in debates on issues that weren’t even on the radar in the 18th century, like abortion and gay marriage. In any case, if there were gay marriages happening in 18th century America, the radar technology to detect them had yet to be invented.

For that matter, what would the Founding Fathers have to say about the KFC Double Down? How about Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D? (”Three dimensions is just one more for me to hate it in,” J. Adams, 1801.)

Still, with all this attention being drawn to these deified colonials is also curious that we know exactly what a politician means when he or she talks about our Founding Fathers (as if we all grew up in the same house with our Founding Daddies drinking the Founding Daddy Kool Aid).

It is true many of the Founders were among the most forward-thinking people alive in their day, but they were human too and would be the first to confess that they weren’t perfect.

After all, had Barack Obama been present at the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, he would have been welcomed, at best, with something along the lines of: “This inkwell isn’t going to refill itself.”

So the next time a politician makes claims about their Founding Fathers, perhaps we should ask for a paternity test… Because the kid doesn’t show very much resemblance. . . .

Isaiah 40:12-20

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD,
or instruct the LORD as his counselor?
14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?
To what image will you liken him?
19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol that will not topple.

Reflection
God is truly great! And there is nothing in all creation that He can be compared to. In fact, everything we see, from the stars in the sky to the waters in the ocean are the very works of His hands. Yet, in the midst of this unfathomable power and glory, God chose us and called us His own. The very One that created the universe, has called us His sons and daughters. What else can we say, how else can we respond but to give Him all praise and honor with all of our lives. Let’s worship the Lord!

Response
Let’s respond by spending some time reflecting on all the things that God has done in our lives, whether it be how He worked through certain situations, or just the fact that He was able to create something as magnificent as the earth. Let’s spend time thanking Him for all that He has done, and will do among us.

A film shot last spring about the research of Robert Provine, psychology, and his undergraduate researchers aired in France and Germany on Dec 30.  The English version is forthcoming, but the German version can be seen below.

The program is mainly focused on Provine’s research into laughter and his book.  The crew spent about a week in Baltimore and UMBC, shooting material in Provine’s lab, one of my lectures, the Commons, and the American Visionary Arts Museum that had an exhibit featuring his work. Matt Groening of The Simpsons, Patch Adams and others were collaborators in the AVAM show. 

See the German language film here.