Why do we dream?

About 100 years ago, Freud declared that dreams are the path to the unconscious. Oddly enough, despite all the progress in science today, we are no closer to understanding why we dream. Does dreaming have a biological function or is it just noise? Dreams can be in color or black and white, with or without sound, and yet we still don't know why it happens at all. So I put it to you - what do you think is happening when we dream?

Your Inner-Pack Rat

Last weekend, I spent two days going through stuff. I decided what I wanted to keep and what it was time to get rid of. I do this about twice a year and yet no matter how many times I swear I will buy fewer unnecessary things, there are always more things to get rid of biannually. I don't want to be a pack rat, but I'm afraid I am. I sometimes think that I want to have things in order to be prepared for the need, even if the need has not yet arisen. The result is I'm always accumulating. Am I alone in having this compulsion? I would really like to hear your thoughts and suggestions. How do you deal with your inner-pack rat?

New Findings about Mental Distress

I listened to a very intriguing news report that discussed the issue of mental distress caused by having abortions. It had often been stated that a woman who has an abortion will frequently suffer from psychological distress, depression and other potential difficulties. A recent study has however revealed that no psychological distress results from women having abortions. The findings of this study have sparked a lot of debate. I urge you to listen to this 4 minute clip of the news report and tell me what you think. (Click on the link below and then click on "Start Download")

http://www.mediafire.com/?jydiveyptnv

Olympic Fever

The last few topics up for discussion have been pretty intense, not to mention a bit dark. I therefore opted for something lighter: The Olympics. Are you following the Olympics? Usually, I'm not much for watching sports on Tv, but I have to admit I started watching women's volleyball and wow, those atheletes are fierce! Pretty disappointed about Taiwan's performance in baseball, though. I was really hoping to see them get further. What are you watching or are you sick of the Olympics already?

Torture

Recently on a BBC radio program called the "Moral Maze", the issue under discussion was torture. The central question was whether there is ever a time when torture is acceptable. The panelists, in addition to the guests, involved were of radically different opinions on the matter.

The situation they were given was if a man in police custody claimed to have knowledge of a bomb that would potentially kill hundreds or even thousands of people and would not share that information willingly, would it be acceptable to torture that man for information? Some argued torture was immoral in any situation. Others said that in some particular situations torture may be an effective means of getting valuable information that may save lives. Others still suggested that torture should in fact be legalized. How would you respond to this extremely difficult moral choice?

Cheating

Today, our conversation class discussed academic cheating. The discussion was for me very eye-opening as I discovered some students who directly and plainly stated that cheating was a natural part of education and it wasn't really a big deal. They openly admitted to cheating in school at certain times and felt sometimes it was necessary. How do you feel about people who cheat on exams or other forms of testing? Are you outraged or is it just something that we have to accept as being part of an educational system? Can anything be done about it? What experiences have you had with cheating? What motivates one person to cheat and the other not to cheat when given the choice?

Animal Instinct or Human Invention?

The Green Eyed Monster - Jealousy

Today's topic is jealousy. Is it animal instinct or human invention? In a very interesting interview, psychologist David Buss stated that in many ways jealousy is "a survival mechanism for long term relationships." What Buss suggests is that jealousy is a reaction by men and women to a looming threat to their relationship. For men, jealousy is often triggered to fend off rivals. For women, jealousy is often used as a test of the strength of the relationship. What's your take on jealousy?