On 05/28/2015 04:09 PM, Autonomous wrote:
Consider the case where cognitive problems arise from traumatic brain injury.
-- OK, yes, there are such cases. But I'm saying that scientists often jump to conclusions abt this kind of thing. But what's worse is a whole bunch of non-scientists who jump to conclusions & claim that "research shows" this or that when they don't even understand the research. I shd mention that I have an MS in educational psychology, a special certificate in statistics, & have presented 4 times @ the Int'l Conference on Critical Thinking in Education. I studied the philosophy of science as part of my degree. I've done my homework, including speaking to the UC Broccoli prof who "proved" that people of color have slower neurons & so cannot benefit (@ least not much) from educational assistance.

   Again, yes, there are cases where brain injury causes cognitive problems. I do not mean to belittle anyone's injury of any type. I do mean to puncture snap judgements based on research that doesn't reveal the whole picture.

   My best friend had a stroke, & now he can hardly talk. He can pronounce words fine, but his brain often can't find them or string them together.

Autonomous wrote: >> As a small child I received a severe concussion and was unconscious for some time after the accident... facial expressions...

Adam replied:

As a small child who recovered from getting tossed 6 feet in the air by a car, completely KO'd, and had to relearn similar things, I can say, the brain is *really, really freakin' adaptable*.
-- I wuz born 2 months prematurely, had to be pulled out of my mom w/ tongs, & the Drs said that I would prolly not survive 24 hrs. Even if I did (they said), I would be physically & mentally stunted for life. When I was eight y/o, I fell 40 ft from a tree, stopped my heart (it started up again), wuz in a coma for 2 days (in hospital for 9 days), had severe concussion. I know this shit's not a joke. I also know that fatalism injures the spirit/soul far worse than any brain injury, & that "science" is often used as an excuse to write people off.

   If there is anything I can do to support you, pls lemme knw.

Ed