(no subject)

Happy birthday, tree_and_leaf!

But there are other forms of intrusiveness

via that estimable rounder-up of links, hano:
The great Ivy League nude posture photo scandal.

Yes, interesting, but:

An archivist comments that in the UK, this kind of runaround would be (or should be) obviated by resort to the National Register of Archives (and even lacking that admirable resource, wouldn't a national collection of anthropology be a logical starting, rather than finishing, place?).

Archivist also enquires, re the 'made to look at negatives' thing: were the actual photographs in the archive at all, or did just the negs survive? I have in my career catalogued a not insignificant number of collections containing negatives without any corresponding prints. Archivist also notes that given the sleaze factor of these photos, celebrated in song, story, anecdote and comedy routine, it seems entirely legitimate that the person i/c the collection invokes a higher level of access for people who want to look at them.

It also seems to me that this is just one particularly newsworthy instance of students being an available population to do research on, with particular reasons for compliance, even if they realise that what's being asked isn't actually required of them.

Back in the dear departed days when I first went to the Institution of Highah Learninz where I did my first degree (when dinosaurs roamed the earth, etc), as I recall a not inconsiderable number of hours during fresher induction days involved doing Tests, as far as I recollect as part of an IQ research project. Goodness knows memory has faded, and those days were a fog due to unexpected arrival of extremely painful period* along with all the other confusions of the time, but this vague recollection remains. And even in the late 60s I don't recollect anyone asking about it or refusing.

Students have been (I suspect) for a quite a long time one of those captive populations beloved of researchers in the biological and social sciences. Apart from above mentioned tests I was later on in my university career a participant in a research project to do with T-groups for sensitivity training**, but that was entirely voluntary.

But the author of the article is clearly more interested in the nude photos and the dodgy pseudoscience behind them.

On which, literary allusions to Sheldonian theories to do with somatotypes: Aldous Huxley in Eyeless in Gaza, as I recall, and Robertson Davies having his usual fun playing with them in The Rebel Angels.

*This one possibly outclassed in inconvenience even the one that began on Delhi airport, after I had checked my bags containing the necessities, prior to a lengthy and complicated journey back to the UK.

**Jury still out on whether this conveyed any benefit whatsoever.

100 things blogging challenge 79

The 100 things blogging challenge.

Is your cat - a catnip junkie?

via cynthia1960

Last full day, sigh

Teeny crumpled rose-leaf this morning when the steam-room had not been turned on so o horrors, I had to have a (v nice) sauna instead. Tut.

Did another and rather more intense gym workout today (and rather felt the additional intensity afterwards, despite Hydro Pool).

Another rainy walk on the Common, though the rain was not v heavy and the underfoot seemed less sopping, though still fairly muddy in parts. Beautifully fresh air, anyway. And once more, just me up for it, apparently. The weather conditions have rather precluded photo ops even though I did remember to bring my camera.

Today's treatment was the absolutely blissful Hot Stone thing, mmmmmmmmm.

And the usual healthful and delicious food.