Stereotypes in Williams Syndrome Children

A new study (journal article here) suggests curious findings pertaining to stereotypes in children with Williams Syndrome. Williams Syndrome is a disorder caused by the deletion of about 28 genes from chromosome 7. This genetic disorder is most often manifest in cognitive delays, inimitable physiological (namely facial) features, a penchant for music, and a strikingly unrestrained social nature. Stereotypes, which the article succinctly expresses as "implicit attributions to an individual based on group membership categories such as race, religion, age, gender, or nationality," seem to have a peculiar role in our mental life. The unique social nature of individuals with Williams Syndrome posed an interesting subject for analysis. In the study, researchers contrasted a control group with that of one in which all members were children diagnosed with Williams Syndrome. The results indicated that children with Williams Syndrome lacked any racial stereotypes. Oddly, the same group did, however, display stereotypes regarding gender - in fact, gender stereotypes were uniform across children in both groups. The research concluded that heretofore no human group has ever displayed a lack of racial stereotyping. Further, causes for the formation of stereoptypes across disparate categorizations must not be acquired in a consistent manner.

Truck art of Pakistan

Triggerfish

A new contact lens from Sensimed, called the "Triggerfish," could provide great potential in learning about the relatively poorly understood condition of glaucoma, a deterioration of the optic nerve. The lens is made of a typical silicon hydrogel used for soft contact lenses, yet it contains a microprocessor and strain gauge. The strain gauge measures changes in the diameter of the cornea that are a result of variations in the amount of fluid within the eye. This fluid accumulation causes the high intraoccular pressure that has been linked to the disease. This noninvasive machine interface collects data on any fluctuation in the cornea diameter and transmits the data via radio waves, permitting a close monitoring of the progression.