that doesn't mean we understand exactly how it works, or that it's unworthy of scientific study.

But the article doesn't talk about the why. The article says things like:

the first evidence of "analog acoustic expression" -- people unconsciously modulating their voices in ways that provide an additional channel of expression understood by others

In case your bafflement included me, I never claimed that studying it baffles me. Talking about it as a discovery does. Also note that I wondered about the discrepancy between the paper itself and the article on it, hoping that the paper had a spin that the article lacked.

serial, so it doesn't get lost:

it's really more of an efficient way to study something we already know about than it is a new phenomenon.

Thank you! I knew you could be relied upon for more perspective than the article.

(subjects talked faster when the dots moved to the right then when they moved at the same speed to the left)

Would the reverse be true for those whose written languages go right to left, I wonder. Or what about the up-down languages? I wonder if they have a similar r-l correlation or not. and now you see how these things get started....

I dislike her quite a lot just on incredibly annoying and useless grounds, so I'm with you, but what's the lactivist connection?

Barbara said on The View that a woman breastfeeding on a plane next to her made her "uncomfortable". I wonder how uncomfortable Babs would be if she had a hungry, squalling infant in her face for the whole flight.

Can I call in sick with elven princess syndrome?

I'm going to use this someday.

Emily, sorry about the job. Much job-ma, though. You'll find something wonderful.

I really am moving across the country with no particular prospect of a job

It's a time-honored tradition!! (Remember, sweetie, I did the same thing. You'll be fine! Whee!)

I am sorry that the job fell through, though.

It's a time-honored tradition!! (Remember, sweetie, I did the same thing. You'll be fine! Whee!)

Totally! Think of yourself as a pioneer going west for new opportunities. Just make sure you avoid that pass where people ate people.

Would the reverse be true for those whose written languages go right to left, I wonder. Or what about the up-down languages? I wonder if they have a similar r-l correlation or not. and now you see how these things get started....

Yes, I'm sure that the authors heard from potential collaborators in Israel the same day that the paper came out. That's how methods (even simple ones) drive ideas in science.

Would the reverse be true for those whose written languages go right to left, I wonder. Or what about the up-down languages? I wonder if they have a similar r-l correlation or not. and now you see how these things get started....

This would be a fascinating thing to study? Were all of the participants in the study speakers of the same language? I suppose I could go back and read the paper myself, but I'm lazy.

Also, much job-ma to Emily. If the principal at the school thinks classroom management is the NUMBER ONE thing to probe during the interview, you didn't want to work at that school anyway.

If the principal at the school thinks classroom management is the NUMBER ONE thing to probe during the interview, you didn't want to work at that school anyway

Yeah, especially if it's true.

Some people shouldn't wear Hawaiian shirts.

Creepy + security guard = extra creepy.

If you call and I tell you it's a wrong number, don't ask for my name.

Okay, back to updating the project plan and trying to find the missing meeting attendees.

Barbara said on The View that a woman breastfeeding on a plane next to her made her "uncomfortable". I wonder how uncomfortable Babs would be if she had a hungry, squalling infant in her face for the whole flight.

Right. I'd rather sit next to a nursing infant than a miserable infant, any day of the week. What complete asshattery.

Where the heck was the woman supposed to feed her baby—in an airplane bathroom?