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#1 |
Muse
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 965
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Getting students hopped up on peppermint before state tests
From my principal:
"Dear Staff, It is a proven fact that peppermint has been known to stimulate the human brain. In your STAR goody bag for tomorrow you will find peppermints for your testing students. Please be sure to hand one peppermint to each of your STAR testing students prior to taking the test." He had me at "it is a proven fact." STAR is Standardized Testing and Reporting here in California. Students are battered with tests in English, math, history/social science, and science. I responded with this from BrainConnection.com: "Yet on the basis of [a] newspaper article, some teachers are giving their students peppermint candy because "research proves that candy improves memory." Is it any wonder that some neuroscientists are beginning to accuse educators of engaging in pseudoscience or worse, becoming "snake-oil salesmen" for products and programs that have no real scientific foundation?" I added the conclusion that if we want test scores to go up, students will simply need to be better prepared for tests. No peppermint, incense, or incantations will help. The irony is that tomorrow's tests are the science tests! And we're invoking woo! Anyway, has anyone out there dealt with this Peppermyth? |
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Dean Baird Phyz Home Page - The Blog of Phyz - Images, Photographs, and Pix Only dead fish go with the flow. |
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#2 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 28,750
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Well, I like peppermint candy.
If "liking" is a behavioural response to a neurochemical stimulus (and I can't imagine what else it is), then peppermint candy stimulates my brain. Look, stop bitching. You got a free candy. If you don't want it, pass it over here... And next I suggest you slip the principal a paper suggesting IQ goes up with chocolate consumption. You're onto a winner here. |
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#3 |
Muse
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 965
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Free candy is OK. Free steamy plate of BS? Not so much.
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Dean Baird Phyz Home Page - The Blog of Phyz - Images, Photographs, and Pix Only dead fish go with the flow. |
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#4 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: The Connecticut School for Rumpology.
Posts: 6,030
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Unlike prayer, pepperment candy can't hurt.
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#5 |
Metasyntactic Variable
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,623
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Don't believe everything you're told...
The following is alleged to have first appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer, date unknown...
Hazards of Bread A recent Cincinnati Enquirer headline read, "Smell of baked bread may be health hazard." The article went on to describe the dangers of the smell of baking bread. The main danger, apparently, is that the organic components of this aroma may break down ozone (I'm not making this stuff up). I was horrified. When are we going to do something about bread-induced global warming? Sure, we attack tobacco companies, but when is the government going to go after Big Bread? Well, I've done a little research, and what I've discovered should make anyone think twice....
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Belief is the subjective acceptance of a (valid or invalid) concept, opinion, or theory; Faith is the unreasoned belief in improvable things; and Knowledge is the reasoned belief in provable things. Belief itself proves nothing.
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#6 |
New York Skeptic
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 13,714
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Hopped up? That would make them hopheads, and wer'e not talkin about an ingredient of beer, here.
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#7 |
Guest
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 21,571
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They'd be pepped up pep-heads.
I love peppermint Altoids, but I don't think they've helped my memory. I have a test tomorrow, so I shall test this "proven fact" by eating four Altoids immediately prior to the test. I should see an improvement over my practice test scores, yes? |
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#8 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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#9 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 10,109
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Looking more at the site reveals that it's, "the research and education division of The Fragrance Foundation, the non-profit, educational arm of the international fragrance industry." - http://www.senseofsmell.org/about/aboutus.php
I have found nothing in the JStor database, the Web of Science database, the Inspec database, the PubMed database, or the Expanded Academic ASAP database yet with regards to this study which implies that it was not published in any peer-reviewed journal, but really just says that it was not published in any of the 4000 journals compiled in Inspec. (4000 being the highest of two counts I have for the databases I looked in.) And if you don't publish your results in a peer-reviewed journal, we have a tendancy to suspect your results. |
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#10 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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The actual research was done by these people, it looks like--
http://www.iitp.ru/iitp/2002/lab8e.pdf They seem pretty legit to me--their one English publication listed was in "Experimental Brain Research," which is a peer-reviewed journal--but I can't look very far into it because I don't speak Russian. |
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#11 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,790
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Gregory, can you get ahold of the actual publication? The first link you posted was to a short blurb with no data and the second was what looked to be an annual report of some type. Is there no publication?
Also, if this phenomenon were true, the principal at the school and the teachers could be charged with practicing medicine without a license as peppermint could be classified as an unapproved drug. |
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#12 |
Gentleman of leisure
Tagger
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Flying around in the sky
Posts: 27,272
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But of course if the school's scores went up then something would be going on.
1. Peppermint does do something. 2. Better students. 3. Better teachers. 4. Something else. |
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#13 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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There was a list of publications in the second article, one of which might be the relevant one. But I already said I don't speak Russian, and if someone is going to hunt down a Russian article, published in a Russian journal, with a Russian title, it's not going to be me.
On the other hand, the claim that certain odors might cause people to do certain tasks better is hardly extrordinary, since a pleasent or unpleasent odor would presumably effect their moods. Popular science ran something about that, and Science did a study about using the scent of roses as a study aid. It's not like I'm trotting out some incredible ESP study with only an annual report from an unknown Russian group as evidence. |
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#14 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 27,766
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Still, without seeing the methodology, there's not much of a way of assessing the summary of results given by an industry association. My guess is that it's a barely measurable difference with small sample sizes, and the effect won't be successfully reproduced.
It's a huge leap to go from one study (on the correlation between the smell of peppermint and test performance) to the claim that "It's a proven fact that peppermint has been shown to stimulate the brain." That's definitely a pseudoscientific statement. Even if, as you say, it's simply a case that a pleasant smell puts you in a better mood and can be the reason for slightly better performance on tests, that would in no way support the claim that the OP is deriding. |
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"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons |
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#15 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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Well, no. I sort of lost track of the OP after my first post, honestly.
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#16 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 27,766
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"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons |
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#17 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,790
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I'm with you there. I'm not literate in Russian either so we have basically an anecdote.
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#18 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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Still haven't tracked down a peer-reviewed article, but here's a little more about it.
It included mention of English language research, but it's been mostly a dead-end for me. Trying to follow up on this article (why oh why don't news articles on scientific subjects site their sources?), I have... ...not been able to find where Warm and Dember presented their results. I've found a more complete citation with a title--"Effects of Olfactory Stimulation on the Vigilance Performance of Individuals with Brain Injury. Thomas E. Sullivan, Joel S. Warm, Bruce K. Schefft, William N. Dember, Michael W. O'Dell, Stephen J. Peterson."--but putting that title or combination of names into Google or JSTOR hasn't turned anything. Could if have been presented at a pannel or something, instead of published? ...succeeded in tracing the claim about athletic performance. The citation is "Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 2001, 23,156-160. Bryan Raudenbush, Nathan Corley, and William Eppich. Wheeling Jesuit University." Unfortunately, it's not on JSTOR, so I haven't been able to check up on it. Do you think it would be weird for a student from another university (not even a psych student) to email Dr. Warm and ask about his research? I'm sort of curious about this, now. |
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#19 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,790
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Pretty good find, Gregory. It's strictly not advanced enough yet to be considered definitive evidence but it's a good start. I think Dr. Warm would be flattered to have you take an interest in his work. I've worked for a few publishing hounds and they just love stuffing reprints into envelopes. Kind of an ego trip for them, I suspect.
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#20 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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It actually might not me necessary. I think I've found what I'm looking for via google (I was going to edit my post, but you responded so quickly...which is better then being ignored, of course.):
Here's the athletic article online--http://www.gungfu.com/pics_info_page...ts_inhaler.htm It includes in its referenses: Dember, W.N., Warm, J.S., & Parasuraman, R. (1996). Olfactory stimulation and sustained attention. In A. Gilbert (Ed.), Compendium of olfactory research (pp. 39-46). New York: Olfactory Research Fund, Ltd. Jones, ICS., Ruhl, R.L., Warm, J.S., & Dember, W.N. (1999). Olfaction and vigilance: The role of hedonic value. In M.W. Scerbo & M. Mouloua (Eds.), Automation technology and human performance: Current research and trends (pp. 193-197). London: Erlbaum Warm, J.S., Dember, W.N. & Parasuraman, R. (1991). Effects of olfactory stimulation on performance and stress in a visual sustained attention task. Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 42, 199-210. ..none of which are on JSTOR, but it's something. |
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#21 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,575
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This is why I love these forums! I get to sit back and watch the facts get dug up and discussed by people with much larger brains than my own!
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#22 |
Muse
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 965
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Cornell says peppermint won't help on tests.
http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/educatio...html?quid=1031 Excerpt: "the research studies that have been conducted have produced very mixed results, and many of the studies that claim to have shown benefits turn out to have been poorly conducted. The most recent scientifically rigorous research studies that have been well conducted mostly have failed to show any significant benefits to performance from either eating or smelling peppermint." (I wonder if the methodology of "The Smell Institute" was found wanting.) BrainConnection.com agrees. http://www.brainconnection.com/content/160_3 Again, the directive from the school's principal was that "it is a proven fact" that peppermint will stimulate young minds. Seems the burden of proof falls upon the original claim. I *am* claiming it's woo, based on my sources (and my general mistrust of strange things proclaimed to be "proven facts"). Once there is satisfactory evidence/proof of this proven fact, we can proceed. |
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Dean Baird Phyz Home Page - The Blog of Phyz - Images, Photographs, and Pix Only dead fish go with the flow. |
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#23 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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If I had a strong opinion on the matter, I don't think your links would substantially alter it. The first one specifically did not address the studies I mentioned, and the second one is extremely vague--all of his assertions are coached in conditional terms ("many of the studies," "mostly have failed,"), and since he declines to mention any specific studies or methodological flaws, he's essentially saying, "Take my word for it."
If you have specific criticisms of the peppermint paper that's available online, for instance--the athletic one--I'd be interested to hear them. |
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#24 |
Muse
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 965
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Again, the schoolwide distribution of peppermint candies, counted out and bagged up to be given one-per-student, was not to induce superior athletic performance. The candies were given in an attempt to improve student performance on state-mandated academic content tests. The practice was bolstered by the unsupported assertion that it was a proven fact peppermint stimulates young brains.
A Russian study supported by The Smell Institute seems every bit as authoritative as "reserch" promoted by The Tobacco Institute. In your view, The Smell Institute ranks above The Cornell Center for Materials Research in terms of reliability? |
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Dean Baird Phyz Home Page - The Blog of Phyz - Images, Photographs, and Pix Only dead fish go with the flow. |
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#25 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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You've mentioned the "Smell Institute" by name in both your posts. I don't know why you're so caught up in them; they didn't perform the research, just quoted it. It was performed by the Institute for Information Transmission Problems, which is part of the Russian Acadamy of Sciences. Is it your position that the Russian Acadamy of Sciences has no more credibility then the Tobacco Institute?
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#26 |
Muse
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 965
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The citation you offered lists only "Moscow School - Laboratory No. 199 (Russia)." Did I miss the association with the RAS elsewhere in the article?
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Dean Baird Phyz Home Page - The Blog of Phyz - Images, Photographs, and Pix Only dead fish go with the flow. |
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#27 |
Muse
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 965
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And not to detract from the debate re the gravitas of the source, but the article mentions tasks that were aided by peppermint smell (not administered by candy, by the way) and tasks that were not.
How would you distinguish the two types of tasks? |
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Dean Baird Phyz Home Page - The Blog of Phyz - Images, Photographs, and Pix Only dead fish go with the flow. |
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#28 |
Muse
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 687
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You have to follow my second link; "The actual research was done by these people, it looks like--http://www.iitp.ru/iitp/2002/lab8e.pdf"
That takes you to a section of the IITP webpage; you have to Google to find out that the IITP is connected with the RIA (well, it probably says so on the web page, but it's in Russian...) I'm not sure it would be possible to distinguish between the types of tasks, except through experementation. The article suggests that "operative memory" is probably improved, but I'm not sure what that means, and poking around the web isn't turning anything up. As pure speculation, I would suggest that it might help with English and math (because improved concentration could reasonably help with problem-solving and reading comprehension) but not, say, social studies (because if you don't already know who the currect Secretary of State is or whatever it is they want to know, all the improved concentration in the world won't help you guess). Again, just speculation. |
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#29 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 27,766
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Also the principal's claim as a "proven fact" was that peppermint (presumably from the context he meant "eating peppermint candy") will "stimulate the brain". I don't think any of these studies did an fMRI or anything that directly measures brain function. (Unless you take his meaning to be the wholly trivial claim that any sensory input stimulates the brain.) As Gregory pointed out early on, the effect might merely be putting people in a better mood can help (or at least get rid of attitudes that would hinder) performance--which is not the claim the principal is making.
Even studies that find improvements in performance related to smelling peppermint wouldn't prove his assertion. Plus, it does sound like the study cited by the Smell Institute hasn't been successfully replicated. Yep, I'd call it a woo claim. |
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"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons |
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#30 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,790
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Phyz, don't be so hard on the Rooskies. I've placed work at Academy-related companies and I've gotten superlative work back. Devoid of working for the state, there are a lot of very good scientists in Russia looking for honest money. Believe me, they will be a force to contend with before too long.
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#31 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,790
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#32 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 27,766
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I wonder if the American Dental Association has anything to say about passing out candy in school. . . .
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"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons |
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#33 |
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 15,404
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It sounds a lot like the Mozart for smarter kids campaign a while back. Maybe you should give the "performance enhancing" peppermints along with continual subliminal Mozart in the background?
Actually--the whole thing is weird and unethical. If you are doing a psychological study to see if peppermints improve performance, you would need to get permission. But if you just assume that it's a "proven fact", then you don't have to... Exactly what sort of brain functioning are peppermints said to enhance? Does sprinkling students with cold water have a similar effect? How about a random blast of a horn or a laugh track? Is peppermint better than spearmint? And where does wint-o-green fit in? Are caffeinated peppermints even better? What if we told the students the peppermints were "smart pills" and that it was a "proven fact" that it would make them perform better? Would you be responsible for imagined "side effects"? How would you distinguish them from actual side effects given the paucity of understanding in those making the "proven fact" claim. It seems to me that if it's a "proven fact" that peppermints influence cognition...than it's an equally "proven fact" that it is a psychoactive agent and could have side effects. Better save the peppermints for us, phyz. We'll be the guinea pigs. |
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#34 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 27,766
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__________________
"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons |
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#35 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,280
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#36 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,917
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#37 |
Gentleman of leisure
Tagger
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Flying around in the sky
Posts: 27,272
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Proven fact or scientific fact = fiction
fact = something probably true. |
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#38 |
Muse
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 965
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Dean Baird Phyz Home Page - The Blog of Phyz - Images, Photographs, and Pix Only dead fish go with the flow. |
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#39 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,790
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I share your caution, too. I was damned petrified in putting work there at first but they acquited themselves admirably.
Two of my favorite visual memories were:
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#40 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 27,766
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"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons |
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