Drew’s Inner Dialogue

As I read in the LA Times, researchers have proven that in people involved in a financial transaction, inhalation of oxytocin significantly increases their willingness to trust a complete stranger with no proven track record.

Oxytocin is a hormone which is normally produced in people, and is known to help induce contractions during labor and milk production in the breast. This is a further example of the role this hormone likely plays in other aspects of our biology.

The researchers are careful to point out that while this knowledge could be used for nefarious purposes, the required dosages to achieve any significant effect would require a very visible mist in the air. The hormone has to be inhaled - otherwise it degrades too quickly to have any effect (no pills).

LA Times: Researchers Find Trust to Be a Hormonal Affair

Hmm. The photos for her graduation were the whole reason I finally put my website back up. I shared them with family and friends, but didn’t mention it here.

So, belatedly, I’d like to announce the graduation of my littlest sister, Audrey, from Claremont McKenna College in May of 2005. She majored in Psychology, is working for Americorp for a year at Turning the Page, and plans to apply for graduate school to study psychology further. Eventually, she wants to work with schools and kids.

So…last Thursday I swung by the house for some food between rounding at the hospital and reporting for clinic in the afternoon. Spike, as usual, walks from the garage to the back yard with me, and what do I see?

Two unexpected guests swimming around in the pool like they owned the place. I didn’t chase them away, as I figured they wouldn’t be coming back anyway, and I wanted to grab my camera for some shots.

At first, Spike was so focused on getting pet that he didn’t notice them swimming around on the other side of the pool (he can’t get to that side because of the invisible fence). Once he did spot them, he crouched at the edge of the pool, whipped his tail around, and did that teeth chattering thing cats do when hunting.

[http://elliston.net/drew/photoalbum.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=67|Oh - the couple was a pair of Mallard ducks.]