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afx114
Participant[quote=CA renter]BTW, we regularly use the sidewalks in our neighborhood, as do most of our neighbors; it’s a very walkable neighborhood because of the sidewalks and front yards. I think you have a distorted view of what suburban neighborhoods are like and why people prefer to live in them.[/quote]
I wouldn’t say that sidewalks alone are what make a neighborhood “walkable.” My idea of “walkable” is having destinations that you can walk to — parks, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, coffee shops, movie theaters, entrainment, etc. If you need a car to do any of these things, I don’t think that qualifies the neighborhood as “walkable.” Just an opinion coming from a city dweller who grew up in the ‘burbs.
Speaking of the suburbs, has anyone checked out Arcade Fire’s new record? It’s called “The Suburbs” and covers some interesting territory regarding the burbs and sprawl — memories from growing up in the burbs and the empty feeling you get returning to them when you’re older. An entire album about the suburbs! Highly recommended for the poignant social commentary. Some sample lyrics:
“Kids wanna be so hard
But in my dreams we’re still screamin’ and runnin’ through the yard
And all of the walls that they built in the seventies finally fall
And all of the houses they build in the seventies finally fall
Meant nothin’ at all
Meant nothin’ at all
It meant nothin”“You started a war
That you can’t win
They keep erasing all the streets we grew up in”“They heard me singing and they told me to stop
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
‘Cause on the surface the city lights shine
They’re calling at me, come and find your kind
Sometimes I wonder if the World’s so small
That we can never get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there’s no end in sight
I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights”“Took a drive into the sprawl
To find the house where we used to stay in
Couldn’t read the number in the dark
You said let’s save it for another dayTook a drive into the sprawl
To find the places we used to play
It was the loneliest day of my life
You’re talking at me but I’m still far away”Participant[quote=CA renter]BTW, we regularly use the sidewalks in our neighborhood, as do most of our neighbors; it’s a very walkable neighborhood because of the sidewalks and front yards. I think you have a distorted view of what suburban neighborhoods are like and why people prefer to live in them.[/quote]
I wouldn’t say that sidewalks alone are what make a neighborhood “walkable.” My idea of “walkable” is having destinations that you can walk to — parks, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, coffee shops, movie theaters, entrainment, etc. If you need a car to do any of these things, I don’t think that qualifies the neighborhood as “walkable.” Just an opinion coming from a city dweller who grew up in the ‘burbs.
Speaking of the suburbs, has anyone checked out Arcade Fire’s new record? It’s called “The Suburbs” and covers some interesting territory regarding the burbs and sprawl — memories from growing up in the burbs and the empty feeling you get returning to them when you’re older. An entire album about the suburbs! Highly recommended for the poignant social commentary. Some sample lyrics:
“Kids wanna be so hard
But in my dreams we’re still screamin’ and runnin’ through the yard
And all of the walls that they built in the seventies finally fall
And all of the houses they build in the seventies finally fall
Meant nothin’ at all
Meant nothin’ at all
It meant nothin”“You started a war
That you can’t win
They keep erasing all the streets we grew up in”“They heard me singing and they told me to stop
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
‘Cause on the surface the city lights shine
They’re calling at me, come and find your kind
Sometimes I wonder if the World’s so small
That we can never get away from the sprawl
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there’s no end in sight
I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights”“Took a drive into the sprawl
To find the house where we used to stay in
Couldn’t read the number in the dark
You said let’s save it for another dayTook a drive into the sprawl
To find the places we used to play
It was the loneliest day of my life
You’re talking at me but I’m still far away”ParticipantThe human brain is wired to learn language at a very early age. It is a shame we wait until grade school to consider teaching a second language. By that time the ship has (mostly) already sailed.
Babies are born with an ‘excess’ of language synapses. These synapses either strengthen or die out based on the language(s) a child is immersed in. For example, it is well known that the Japanese language can not distinguish between ‘L’ and ‘R,’ but did you know that all babies no matter where they are born can distinguish these and other sounds? They can distinguish ALL sounds of all languages humans speak. It is not until they are brought up in a specific language that their native language processing synapses strengthen at the expense of their non-native language processing synapses being atrophied. And once these non-native synapses are gone, they are difficult to get back. It makes sense — why spend resources building/maintaining nerve connections that won’t be used? This is why it becomes increasingly difficult to learn new languages the older we get.
Language is a purely social experience. Studies show that a child “taught” language by television may not learn anything at all, while a child surrounded by humans speaking will learn it surprisingly quickly. There is something inherently social about language that TVs simply cannot reproduce. Interaction with another human being is required for us to learn language. Sorry, baby Einstein just ain’t gonna cut it.
The Charlie Rose show had a spectacular series on the human brain. Check out The Developing Brain episode for a discussion of language and language acquisition by children. Check out the entire series, it’s fascinating.
ParticipantThe human brain is wired to learn language at a very early age. It is a shame we wait until grade school to consider teaching a second language. By that time the ship has (mostly) already sailed.
Babies are born with an ‘excess’ of language synapses. These synapses either strengthen or die out based on the language(s) a child is immersed in. For example, it is well known that the Japanese language can not distinguish between ‘L’ and ‘R,’ but did you know that all babies no matter where they are born can distinguish these and other sounds? They can distinguish ALL sounds of all languages humans speak. It is not until they are brought up in a specific language that their native language processing synapses strengthen at the expense of their non-native language processing synapses being atrophied. And once these non-native synapses are gone, they are difficult to get back. It makes sense — why spend resources building/maintaining nerve connections that won’t be used? This is why it becomes increasingly difficult to learn new languages the older we get.
Language is a purely social experience. Studies show that a child “taught” language by television may not learn anything at all, while a child surrounded by humans speaking will learn it surprisingly quickly. There is something inherently social about language that TVs simply cannot reproduce. Interaction with another human being is required for us to learn language. Sorry, baby Einstein just ain’t gonna cut it.
The Charlie Rose show had a spectacular series on the human brain. Check out The Developing Brain episode for a discussion of language and language acquisition by children. Check out the entire series, it’s fascinating.
ParticipantThe human brain is wired to learn language at a very early age. It is a shame we wait until grade school to consider teaching a second language. By that time the ship has (mostly) already sailed.
Babies are born with an ‘excess’ of language synapses. These synapses either strengthen or die out based on the language(s) a child is immersed in. For example, it is well known that the Japanese language can not distinguish between ‘L’ and ‘R,’ but did you know that all babies no matter where they are born can distinguish these and other sounds? They can distinguish ALL sounds of all languages humans speak. It is not until they are brought up in a specific language that their native language processing synapses strengthen at the expense of their non-native language processing synapses being atrophied. And once these non-native synapses are gone, they are difficult to get back. It makes sense — why spend resources building/maintaining nerve connections that won’t be used? This is why it becomes increasingly difficult to learn new languages the older we get.
Language is a purely social experience. Studies show that a child “taught” language by television may not learn anything at all, while a child surrounded by humans speaking will learn it surprisingly quickly. There is something inherently social about language that TVs simply cannot reproduce. Interaction with another human being is required for us to learn language. Sorry, baby Einstein just ain’t gonna cut it.
The Charlie Rose show had a spectacular series on the human brain. Check out The Developing Brain episode for a discussion of language and language acquisition by children. Check out the entire series, it’s fascinating.
ParticipantThe human brain is wired to learn language at a very early age. It is a shame we wait until grade school to consider teaching a second language. By that time the ship has (mostly) already sailed.
Babies are born with an ‘excess’ of language synapses. These synapses either strengthen or die out based on the language(s) a child is immersed in. For example, it is well known that the Japanese language can not distinguish between ‘L’ and ‘R,’ but did you know that all babies no matter where they are born can distinguish these and other sounds? They can distinguish ALL sounds of all languages humans speak. It is not until they are brought up in a specific language that their native language processing synapses strengthen at the expense of their non-native language processing synapses being atrophied. And once these non-native synapses are gone, they are difficult to get back. It makes sense — why spend resources building/maintaining nerve connections that won’t be used? This is why it becomes increasingly difficult to learn new languages the older we get.
Language is a purely social experience. Studies show that a child “taught” language by television may not learn anything at all, while a child surrounded by humans speaking will learn it surprisingly quickly. There is something inherently social about language that TVs simply cannot reproduce. Interaction with another human being is required for us to learn language. Sorry, baby Einstein just ain’t gonna cut it.
The Charlie Rose show had a spectacular series on the human brain. Check out The Developing Brain episode for a discussion of language and language acquisition by children. Check out the entire series, it’s fascinating.
ParticipantThe human brain is wired to learn language at a very early age. It is a shame we wait until grade school to consider teaching a second language. By that time the ship has (mostly) already sailed.
Babies are born with an ‘excess’ of language synapses. These synapses either strengthen or die out based on the language(s) a child is immersed in. For example, it is well known that the Japanese language can not distinguish between ‘L’ and ‘R,’ but did you know that all babies no matter where they are born can distinguish these and other sounds? They can distinguish ALL sounds of all languages humans speak. It is not until they are brought up in a specific language that their native language processing synapses strengthen at the expense of their non-native language processing synapses being atrophied. And once these non-native synapses are gone, they are difficult to get back. It makes sense — why spend resources building/maintaining nerve connections that won’t be used? This is why it becomes increasingly difficult to learn new languages the older we get.
Language is a purely social experience. Studies show that a child “taught” language by television may not learn anything at all, while a child surrounded by humans speaking will learn it surprisingly quickly. There is something inherently social about language that TVs simply cannot reproduce. Interaction with another human being is required for us to learn language. Sorry, baby Einstein just ain’t gonna cut it.
The Charlie Rose show had a spectacular series on the human brain. Check out The Developing Brain episode for a discussion of language and language acquisition by children. Check out the entire series, it’s fascinating.
ParticipantParker’s Quote:
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”
King’s Quote:
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Which one is on the rug again?
ParticipantParker’s Quote:
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”
King’s Quote:
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Which one is on the rug again?
ParticipantParker’s Quote:
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”
King’s Quote:
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Which one is on the rug again?
ParticipantParker’s Quote:
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”
King’s Quote:
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Which one is on the rug again?
ParticipantParker’s Quote:
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”
King’s Quote:
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Which one is on the rug again?
ParticipantParticipant -
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