When his tears fell during Wednesday's 'American Idol' finale, Phillips instantly became the most relatable champ in the show's history. By James Montgomery
Phillip Phillips Photo: Michael Tran/ FilmMagic
I think I'm finally coming around on Phillip Phillips.
Yes, I'm aware that I've spent the past 19 weeks making fun of his grouting delivery (that's "growl/shouting," for the uninitiated), criticizing his every performance and referring to him as "Kris Allen 2.0," but none of that comes into play here. Because what changed my opinion of Phillips had nothing to do with his singing — in fact, the moment of reconsideration actually occurred when he wasn't singing. It happened when he was crying.
See, when Phillips broke down in tears during his performance of "Home" on Wednesday night's "American Idol" finale, it wasn't just the show's most touching moment in years, it was the most personal he's gotten all season. It taught me more about him than any hometown-visit piece or expertly edited contestant-confessional vignette ever could. For the entire season, he's been an enigma, a slightly scruffy oddball who never really seemed to be that interested in actually winning (or taking Tommy Hilfiger's fashion advice). Early on, he built a wall around himself, and he never let viewers get a glimpse at what lay inside — until he finally allowed himself to get lost in the moment of triumph, as the confetti fell and the audience cheered. That's when the wall came down and the tears began to flow.
And that's when I realized that everything I knew about him was probably wrong.
Because Phillips isn't some aloof, obstinate singer/songwriter dude who's been to a ton of DMB shows. He doesn't possess the supreme ego required to believe that his words are poetry and his songs can save the world. He is just a regular kid from Leesburg, Georgia, one who says stuff like "Music's fun, dude," and one who was overcome with the emotions of the moment and the sheer magnitude of his "Idol" win, to the point where singing his coronation song became secondary and all he wanted to do was share his triumph with his family. And that's exactly what he did, performance be damned. In other words, he acted exactly like you or I would, had we just won an internationally famous singing competition and suddenly become a star.
In that instant, I realized that Phillips has never had a day of stage training in his entire life, that, unlike pretty much everyone else who auditions for "Idol," he hadn't been dreaming of this moment since he was a talent-competition tyke. He truly never believed he could win, because normal people never would. And so he started crying, real genuine tears, the kind that seize your body and make everything else an afterthought — the kind that professional entertainers rarely get, mostly because they prevent them from entertaining. I've never been able to fathom how a person could cry and sing at the same time, and yet, each year on "Idol" (and on stages around the world), I see trained talent do exactly that, shed crocodile tears while still nailing the chorus. It is oddly robotic, not to mention slightly off-putting. I'm glad Phillips didn't try to do it, and now I know why.
I'm not sure if his "Idol" victory is good for the show (probably not), or if he'll be able to buck the recent trend and actually become a superstar (though "Home" is a nice start), but for one night, I wasn't concerned with either of those things. Phillips' emotional outpouring may very well have been the Cry Heard 'Round the World, serving notice that he's much more than the realest "American Idol" champ in history: He's an actual human being. In that moment, he became instantly relatable, even to his staunchest of detractors (like me). And because of that, I'm willing to let my icy heart thaw just a little bit and wish him the best. And even though it goes against my every willfully difficult impulse I'll close with this: All hail Phillip Phillips, the People's King. Long may he reign.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
The Goldilocks effect: Babies learn from experiences that are 'just right'Public release date: 23-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Susan Hagen susan.hagen@rochester.edu 585-576-5945 University of Rochester
Long before babies understand the story of Goldilocks, they have more than mastered the fairy tale heroine's method of decision-making. Infants ignore information that is too simple or too complex, focusing instead on situations that are "just right," according to a new study to be published in the journal PLoS ONE on May 23.
Dubbed the "Goldilocks effect" by the University of Rochester team that discovered it, the attention pattern sheds light on how babies learn to make sense of a world full of complex sights, sounds, and movements. The findings could have broad implications for human learning at all ages and could lead to tools for earlier diagnosis of attention-related disabilities such as ADHD or autism, says Celeste Kidd, lead author on the paper and a doctoral candidate in brain and cognitive sciences at the University.
With the aid of eye-tracking devices and statistical modeling, the research is the first to provide both a theory and quantifiable measures of what keeps a baby's attention, says coauthor Richard Aslin, the William R. Kenan Professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University.
For years, researchers have explored what types of events most effectively capture babies' attention. In some situations, infants reliably prefer familiar items, such as a favorite toy; in others, they favor novel objects. The new study resolves such seeming contradictions. Instead of novelty or familiarity per se, the research shows that babies seek out situations with just the right amount of surprise or complexity.
To measure complexity, the Rochester team developed a test based on the probability of surprising events in a video. Unlike hard-to-quantify concepts such as novelty or unlimited dimensions such as size, probability exists in a well-defined range from 0 (never happens) to 1 (always happens). Probability provides a continuous measure and is often employed by computer scientists and engineers to describe complexity, says Aslin.
In the study, researchers measured the attention patterns of 72 seven- and eight-month-old infants in two separate experiments. The babies watched video animations of fun items, such as a pacifier or ball, being revealed from behind a set of colorful boxes. The researchers varied where and when the objects would appear across dozens of short trials.
To measure attention, an eye-tracking device located below the computer screen followed the infants' gaze. As long as they looked at the screen, the events continued; as soon as they looked away, the trial ended. Babies quickly learned that they were in control. If they wanted to continue watching they just needed to keep their eyes on the screen. To reduce distractions, infants sat in a darkened space on the lap of their parent, who wore headphones playing music and a visor to prevent them from biasing their infant's performance.
Using a specialized statistical model, the researchers were able to calculate and predict how likely infants were to lose interest based on the complexity of each event depicted in the video. Complexity was defined as how surprising each event was in light of the previous events an infant had observed in the video.
Across both experiments, babies reliably lost interest when the video became too predictable when the probability of a subsequent event was very high. "But here's the counterintuitive part," says Aslin. "You would think that the more complex something is, the more interesting it would be. That's not the case with babies." They drifted away from the screen when the sequence of events also became too surprising when the pattern seemed random and unpredictable because the probability of something happening was very low.
"The study suggests that babies are not only attracted by what is happening, but they are able to predict what happens next based on what they have already observed," says Kidd. "They are not passive sponges. They are active information seekers looking for the best information they can find."
Although the experiments were limited to infants, the results provide a window into the way the brain works in general. "If you are interested in human nature, then babies are the place to look," because their reactions are less complicated by cultural filters and learned responses, says Steven Piantadosi, a coauthor and post-doctoral fellow in brain and cognitive sciences.
For example, the "Goldilocks" attention pattern supports other theories of adult learning, the authors note. Cognitive scientists have proposed that learners direct their attention to material that contains just the right amount of challenge, because this optimal complexity triggers the right amount of stimulation in learners.
In real life, babies are also attracted to faces, voices, foods, and other aspects of their world that are key to survival. These "special" stimuli may trigger attention in a different way, the authors acknowledge. But complexity does help to explain how infants gather information about the rest of their environment, they write.
Does this mean that parents should worry about providing material that is "just right" for their little ones? Not really, says Aslin. "Infants are learning all the time, as long as they have reasonably stimulating environments. They focus in on what they can handle and filter out the rest," he says.
Kidd agrees: "Parents don't need to buy fancy toys to help their children learn. They make the best use of their environment. They are going to look around for what fits their attention level." And even though the experiment employed an animated video, the scientists emphasize that human interactions are the most critical for development. "Kids learn best from social interaction," reminds Kidd.
The study's insights into attention patterns may help to explain why children ask to hear the same story over and over. For an adult, the repetition can be mind numbing, says Kidd, "but for a child, they are likely getting something new out of the story every time. Because adults know so much, we often take for granted how many new things an infant needs to learn."
###
The research was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and the J. S. McDonnell Foundation.
About the University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The Goldilocks effect: Babies learn from experiences that are 'just right'Public release date: 23-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Susan Hagen susan.hagen@rochester.edu 585-576-5945 University of Rochester
Long before babies understand the story of Goldilocks, they have more than mastered the fairy tale heroine's method of decision-making. Infants ignore information that is too simple or too complex, focusing instead on situations that are "just right," according to a new study to be published in the journal PLoS ONE on May 23.
Dubbed the "Goldilocks effect" by the University of Rochester team that discovered it, the attention pattern sheds light on how babies learn to make sense of a world full of complex sights, sounds, and movements. The findings could have broad implications for human learning at all ages and could lead to tools for earlier diagnosis of attention-related disabilities such as ADHD or autism, says Celeste Kidd, lead author on the paper and a doctoral candidate in brain and cognitive sciences at the University.
With the aid of eye-tracking devices and statistical modeling, the research is the first to provide both a theory and quantifiable measures of what keeps a baby's attention, says coauthor Richard Aslin, the William R. Kenan Professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University.
For years, researchers have explored what types of events most effectively capture babies' attention. In some situations, infants reliably prefer familiar items, such as a favorite toy; in others, they favor novel objects. The new study resolves such seeming contradictions. Instead of novelty or familiarity per se, the research shows that babies seek out situations with just the right amount of surprise or complexity.
To measure complexity, the Rochester team developed a test based on the probability of surprising events in a video. Unlike hard-to-quantify concepts such as novelty or unlimited dimensions such as size, probability exists in a well-defined range from 0 (never happens) to 1 (always happens). Probability provides a continuous measure and is often employed by computer scientists and engineers to describe complexity, says Aslin.
In the study, researchers measured the attention patterns of 72 seven- and eight-month-old infants in two separate experiments. The babies watched video animations of fun items, such as a pacifier or ball, being revealed from behind a set of colorful boxes. The researchers varied where and when the objects would appear across dozens of short trials.
To measure attention, an eye-tracking device located below the computer screen followed the infants' gaze. As long as they looked at the screen, the events continued; as soon as they looked away, the trial ended. Babies quickly learned that they were in control. If they wanted to continue watching they just needed to keep their eyes on the screen. To reduce distractions, infants sat in a darkened space on the lap of their parent, who wore headphones playing music and a visor to prevent them from biasing their infant's performance.
Using a specialized statistical model, the researchers were able to calculate and predict how likely infants were to lose interest based on the complexity of each event depicted in the video. Complexity was defined as how surprising each event was in light of the previous events an infant had observed in the video.
Across both experiments, babies reliably lost interest when the video became too predictable when the probability of a subsequent event was very high. "But here's the counterintuitive part," says Aslin. "You would think that the more complex something is, the more interesting it would be. That's not the case with babies." They drifted away from the screen when the sequence of events also became too surprising when the pattern seemed random and unpredictable because the probability of something happening was very low.
"The study suggests that babies are not only attracted by what is happening, but they are able to predict what happens next based on what they have already observed," says Kidd. "They are not passive sponges. They are active information seekers looking for the best information they can find."
Although the experiments were limited to infants, the results provide a window into the way the brain works in general. "If you are interested in human nature, then babies are the place to look," because their reactions are less complicated by cultural filters and learned responses, says Steven Piantadosi, a coauthor and post-doctoral fellow in brain and cognitive sciences.
For example, the "Goldilocks" attention pattern supports other theories of adult learning, the authors note. Cognitive scientists have proposed that learners direct their attention to material that contains just the right amount of challenge, because this optimal complexity triggers the right amount of stimulation in learners.
In real life, babies are also attracted to faces, voices, foods, and other aspects of their world that are key to survival. These "special" stimuli may trigger attention in a different way, the authors acknowledge. But complexity does help to explain how infants gather information about the rest of their environment, they write.
Does this mean that parents should worry about providing material that is "just right" for their little ones? Not really, says Aslin. "Infants are learning all the time, as long as they have reasonably stimulating environments. They focus in on what they can handle and filter out the rest," he says.
Kidd agrees: "Parents don't need to buy fancy toys to help their children learn. They make the best use of their environment. They are going to look around for what fits their attention level." And even though the experiment employed an animated video, the scientists emphasize that human interactions are the most critical for development. "Kids learn best from social interaction," reminds Kidd.
The study's insights into attention patterns may help to explain why children ask to hear the same story over and over. For an adult, the repetition can be mind numbing, says Kidd, "but for a child, they are likely getting something new out of the story every time. Because adults know so much, we often take for granted how many new things an infant needs to learn."
###
The research was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and the J. S. McDonnell Foundation.
About the University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Your power to hear is an important part of life. In that place are many people who could have more good hearing but do not take advantage of the technology of today. A true small number of people who have missing some ability to hear actually take favorable opportunity of this technology when compared to the count of those who need it and would benefit from it. If you are one of these tribe avoiding it, your life could be changed by looking into your options.
Perchance part of your problem with acquisition a hearing aid is that you do not really know abundant about them. They are a device that power of determination go in the ear or behind it that are made up of a speaker, microphone, and an amplifier. The course of how aids work is that it begins through the microphone. This is where the sound comes in. From in this place it is changed to a signal, and from there they are moved to the amplifier and at that time the speaker.
The hearing aid is only beneficial to those who silence have some hair cells left that act. If these cells have been damaged at that time the loss of the ability to hear is called sensorineural. This can be caused from a count of problems. The hair cells are in the inner ear, and as lengthy as they are not all damaged then technology of this species might benefit the individual.
If you had an accident or above the years have been exposed to resounding noises on a regular basis then you may hold some damage to your inner ear hair cells. If you do struggle through being able to hear then you would be sensible to go to your doctor who may suggest you go to an audiologist or an ear, nose, and pharynx doctor who will be able to determine whether you power be a good candidate for a hearing aid.
Once you go to them, they should be clever to put you on the right track for treatment. They power sell aids right there, or they may hint a place to go where you can purchase them. You power of determination want to make sure that you discover the technology that will best act for you. The specialists should be able to tell you whether a contrivance will even help you. If it will not at that time they will hopefully help you to discover another option to help you.
Do not be one of the statistics that could be existence helped by a hearing aid but are not doing so. You may be young or you may be older, anything the age, you will not regret helping yourself in this way for as it helps you it will benefit those round you as well.
Your local Hampton Rhodes VA sense of ~ aid?expert can fit you with the perfect device for your situation, needs and lifestyle. Find out more at http://www.marvel-ear-hamptonroads.com/.
Investors interested in putting their cash behind precious metals have a new downloadable kit to help them maximize their ROI. Gold and silver dealer WholesaleGoldGroup.com has just unveiled a new version of their popular kit, which as of May 15th, has been downloaded over 1,000 times by would-be investors.
According to Michael MacDonald, founder and CEO of Wholesale Gold Group, the updated kit contains new, cutting-edge investing insights for 2012: 'While much of the information in our original kit is timeless, we realized that some of the nuggets of wisdom were a bit outdated. As many investors know, the precious metal market changes just like any other. To help investors keep up with the recent trends in precious metal investing, we decided to completely overhaul the kit for today's investors.'
According to MacDonald, one of the fundamental differences between this and the original Gold and Silver Investing kit of the emphasis on silver. As MacDonald states: 'While gold remains a strong and reliable investment for the long-term, it's my opinion that silver is the precious metal of choice for now and into the near future. With currency values plummeting and silver reserves at an all-time low, this is the best time in the young century to buy silver.'
What makes silver such a lucrative investment? According to MacDonald's investing kit, silver has a practical value as it's commonly used in over 10,000 high-tech consumer products, from cell phones to computers. MacDonald's kit adds that we may be close to reaching 'peak silver' due to the fact that more silver is thrown away than mined. However, the kit is quick to note that silver investing is far from straightforward and strongly suggests that investors do their homework before making a final decision. Or as MacDonald kits: 'Even though silver is an incredible investment opportunity doesn't mean you can simply trade dollars for silver and expect to come out on top. It's imperative that investors learn the ins and out of silver investing.? In essence, that's why we penned this new kit.'
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Question by Bria : What are some good jobs / careers include traveling That I?m 19 and I really love to travel and I kind of might want to make it a career one day. What are some good careers / jobs out there That might include seeing The Whole World? Best answer:
Answer by JEDI Master YODA U.S. Military ServiceGreat retirement benefits, great travel, free food and clothing, great Educational Training and Reimbursement.U.S. Peace CorpsAmerican Red CrossPrincess Cruises ? Boat LinersAirline StewardessYou Can see job positions for jobs at:www.monster.comwww.careerbank.comwww.retailjobs.comGOOD LUCK!
Play All Your Favorite PlayStation 3 Games in One Console
When you hear people say PlayStation, you primarily think of great games on a great game console. You think of Sony as the developer of a one-of-a-kind high quality game console and you also think of a gaming console that changed the way people think about home entertainment systems.
Today, one of the most enthusiastically awaited game consoles in the market is the PlayStation 3. This gaming console promises to yet again, revolutionize the way people play games on game consoles all over the world. With features that are considered as state-of-the-art and integrated technology that are highly advanced, people will really want one for their own home.
Aside from the sleek and attractive looking outer shell, PlayStation 3 packs one of the best technologies in the gaming console world. This particular gaming console is expected to be one of the greatest gaming consoles ever developed and released in the market.
PlayStation 3 has a powerful graphics chip together with a powerful 3.2 GHz CPU and 512 MB of RAM that will make you experience a one-of-a-kind game play. Another contribution for maximum enjoyment is the Blu-ray drive. The Blu-ray disc can handle data 5 times higher than your conventional DVD. This means that game developers will have more leverage in designing PlayStation 3 games and this will result in more realistic characters with detailed and also realistic environment.
Because of this, games will far more be realistic and detailed than ever before. In fact, Playing PlayStation 3 games on blu-ray discs will make you feel as if you are a part of the game itself and not just a person on the outside world playing with some game.
PlayStation 3 can definitely give you that extra spice you want in a game.
Another great contributor in PlayStation 3 is the game controllers. The game controllers for PlayStation 3 games are Bluetooth capable. This means that you can play PlayStation 3 games wirelessly. This will give you more freedom when playing with your PlayStation 3 games. For example, if you like football or soccer, you can literally run around your room like a football or soccer player who just scored a goal while holding your PlayStation 3 controller.
PlayStation 3 controllers are also integrated with the multi-axis motion sensing system technology that will allow you to control the game in real time and with maximum precision. With this system, the game controller will virtually become a natural extension of your body.
PlayStation 3 also has a backward compatibility feature. This feature will enable you to play with your old PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games in this console. This means that your investment in your old games will not be wasted. With PlayStation 3, you can play all your PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 games. In fact, because of the HDMI features of the PlayStation 3, it will even further enhance your old games.
Not only that, PlayStation 3 will enable you to play your DVD movies, and Audio CDs. PlayStation games aren?t the only discs that this game console can play. It is a game console that is also a DVD player and CD player.
So, investing in this game console is definitely not a wasted investment at all. So, watch out for it when it is released on November 2006 in Japan, United States, and Canada and on March 2007 in Europe and Australasia.
GitHub, the version tracking and collaboration platform for developers, has proven quite popular, especially with the open source crowd. There's been one glaring issue with the dev hub, though -- lack of an easy to use Windows client. Sure, app creators could sync their changes though command line tools and SSH, but Mac devs have had a slick desktop app to call their own for sometime. Now Microsoft users get the same benefits, including the ability to merge branches and roll back changes, wrapped in pretty Metro-friendly package. You'll find more info and a download link at the source.
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Public release date: 23-May-2012
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