Accumbens D2: Raters of the Loss Outcome

Zalocusky et al. (Nature 531:642–646, 2016) recently showed that activity in D2R+ cells in the nucleus accumbens is associated with loss sensitivity to prior outcomes and reduced subsequent risky choice, and that optogenetic stimulation of these cells decreased risky choices in risk-prone rats. While their findings are important for understanding trait-level risk-taking, future research should aim to examine the neuronal mechanisms of a broader range of facets of gain and loss processing with respect to different potential reference points.     

Fractals and the large-scale structure in the Universe

During the last decade it has been argued by some investigators that the distribution of galaxies in the Universe is a fractal. This is contrary to the standard view that the Universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales. In this article, the basic concepts of fractals and their characterization are introduced with the help of simple examples. The applications of these concepts in the context of cosmology will be discussed in the second part. A K Mittal is currently a visiting scientist at Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad, on leave from the University of Allahabad. His research interests include chaos, fractals and their applications, partleularly in cosmology and in weather prodiction. T H Seshadri is at the Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi. He is presently on lien from Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad. Areas of his interest include cosmic microwave background radiation, large scale structures in the Universe and application of fractals in these.     

Post-secondary Science Students’ Explanations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Randomness</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Variation</Emphasis> and Implications for Science Learning

The concepts of randomness and variation are pervasive in science. The purpose of this study was to document how post-secondary life science students explain randomness and variation, infer relationships between their explanations, and ability to describe and identify appropriate and inappropriate variation, and determine if students can identify sources of variation. An instrument designed to test statistical concepts was administered to 282 college students from three universities, ranging from introductory non-science majors to science graduate students. Students readily distinguished between causes of variation. A naïve no-pattern concept of randomness persisted from first-year non-science majors to senior-level science majors, contributing to incorrect responses on the variation instrument. Students’ expressions of randomness were better predictors of performance on the variation instrument than their expressions of variation. It is argued that inclusion of everyday language uses of randomness in instruction can bridge the gap between vernacular and scientific uses of this term.     

Parental educational level,gender differences,and seniors' aspirations for advanced study

Many factors affect an undergraduate student's postbaccalaureate plans. Academic interests, career-related factors, finances, and various psychological and sociological factors all have been found to be related to interest in advanced education. Few studies, however, are gender-specific in examining the relation of parental educational attainment to their children's aspirations. Such data would be helpful in the attempts to understand the continued underrepresentation of women in most fields requiring advanced degrees. All seniors at a large Midwestern university with at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average planning to graduate in spring or summer of 1986 were sent questionnaires dealing with their postgraduation plans. Of these 1900 surveys, 791 (42%) were returned. Results reported here examine the relation of future educational plans to gender of student, educational level of parent, and field of study. A modeling effect not noted in previous literature is discussed.     

Towards teaching science for social responsibility: An examination of flaws in science,technology and society

In this paper we continue our search for a socially responsible science education by an examination of the trends in the Science, Technology and Society movement. These trends reflect differing ideological perspectives and result in courses which serve different ends. We identify two major flaws in the movement that inhibits the realization of a schooling in science dedicated to democracy. We propose skills necessary for citizens to participate in debate over issues surrounding the impact of science and technology on society and a teaching stategy to help develop them. Specializations: social responsibility and the curriculum, ideology and comparative science education.