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cannedebonbonThis is what happens if you read too many journal articles. D: Oh sanity, where art thou?
WARNING: (under the insistence of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
xtwilightzx)
PRODUCT OF CANDY'S MIND; READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. PLZ TO NOT BE EATING OR DRINKING WHILE READING.
Journal of WTFery. 38 (2009) 59-63
The symbiosis between fandom and schoolwork in the human brain: a case study of a 19-year-old forensic science undergraduate.
Introduction
Sending teenagers and young adults into an institution called the "post-secondary education" has been the practice in many countries of the world, resulting in the murder of the subjects' creativity and free thinking and transforming them into lifeless, anit-social, textbook-carrying drones. There have been many researches in the past on this particular phenomenon. As suggested in the studies done by OmgIcan'tbelieveI'mwritingthis, et al., the disappearance of higher-power creativity is caused by the introduction of schoolwork (Educationiidae examus)--a very effective predator of fandom (Pornicus interneta)-- into the human brain.
However, some other recent studies proposed that a symbiotic relationship is possible between schoolwork and fandom in the brain of a single individual through a process called procrastination. Procrastination is described as the intermittent population explosion of fandom in a schoolwork infested brain during periods of high stress. Through this case study, we hope to uncover the possible correlation between the amount of stress and the viability of fandom inside the brain of an average university student and other possible factors that might affect the symbiotic relationship.
Materials and Methods
The subject of our case study was an undergraduate student, age 19, forensic science major, exposed to conditions of high stress by scheduling consecutive midterms on the same day while taking 6 courses (with laboratory components) in one academic semester. The population of schoolwork is measured by the sum of all the exams and assignment deadlines in a week while fandom is measured using the number of fanfic/fanart produced by the individual. The populations are measured weekly over a period of 8 weeks starting January of 2009. The subject was kept under a controlled condition with a fixed class schedule, 2 hours of bus commute daily in a snowy wintery weather of approximately -5 to -10 degrees Celsius, 3 meals and a minimum of 6 hours of sleep everyday.
Results
Our results confirms the observation of a possible symbiotic relationship between fandom and schoolwork, as shown in figure 1. In the first 4 weeks of school, before the onset of the infamous 'February: month of evil midterms', the population of fandom exceeds the population of schoolwork. Procrastination was observed on the 4th week with the sudden increase of fandom from previous week's 5 to 7. In the next four weeks, the population of fandom was consistently lower than the population of schoolwork with th exception of week 7 when there were no deadlines and exams due to reading week.
Figure 1. Line graph of the population of fandom and schoolwork in the 8 week observational period. Measurement was done weekly with the week beginning on Sunday and ending on Saturday.
Discussion/Conclusion
The research was conducted in such a low and inhumanly cold temperature because it would effectively limit the subject's choices of activities; there weren't a lot of things one could do when one refuse to leave the apartment in fear of freezing to death. The emergence of procrastination in the 4th week suggested that fandom seemed to have the ability to predict schoolwork's sudden population increase in the following week. To ensure its survival, they increased their reproductive rate such that the higher than usual amount of schoolwork in the first week of February exerted no detrimental effect on the population. The exact mechanism as to how fandom detects schoolwork's plan of population growth is still unknown and we are unsure if it is only a anecdotal situation due to our small sample size. This warrants a further study on the subject and may shed new lights on how we can properly prevent fandom from going into extinction from excessive schoolwork-induced predation.
cannedebonbon knows nothing about ecology, and it shows. Also, that thing up there is not proofread, so I don't know how much sense it makes. ...I-I'll go study for my midterm now. *hides from thrown tomatoes*
WARNING: (under the insistence of
xtwilightzx)PRODUCT OF CANDY'S MIND; READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. PLZ TO NOT BE EATING OR DRINKING WHILE READING.
Journal of WTFery. 38 (2009) 59-63
The symbiosis between fandom and schoolwork in the human brain: a case study of a 19-year-old forensic science undergraduate.
Introduction
Sending teenagers and young adults into an institution called the "post-secondary education" has been the practice in many countries of the world, resulting in the murder of the subjects' creativity and free thinking and transforming them into lifeless, anit-social, textbook-carrying drones. There have been many researches in the past on this particular phenomenon. As suggested in the studies done by OmgIcan'tbelieveI'mwritingthis, et al., the disappearance of higher-power creativity is caused by the introduction of schoolwork (Educationiidae examus)--a very effective predator of fandom (Pornicus interneta)-- into the human brain.
However, some other recent studies proposed that a symbiotic relationship is possible between schoolwork and fandom in the brain of a single individual through a process called procrastination. Procrastination is described as the intermittent population explosion of fandom in a schoolwork infested brain during periods of high stress. Through this case study, we hope to uncover the possible correlation between the amount of stress and the viability of fandom inside the brain of an average university student and other possible factors that might affect the symbiotic relationship.
Materials and Methods
The subject of our case study was an undergraduate student, age 19, forensic science major, exposed to conditions of high stress by scheduling consecutive midterms on the same day while taking 6 courses (with laboratory components) in one academic semester. The population of schoolwork is measured by the sum of all the exams and assignment deadlines in a week while fandom is measured using the number of fanfic/fanart produced by the individual. The populations are measured weekly over a period of 8 weeks starting January of 2009. The subject was kept under a controlled condition with a fixed class schedule, 2 hours of bus commute daily in a snowy wintery weather of approximately -5 to -10 degrees Celsius, 3 meals and a minimum of 6 hours of sleep everyday.
Results
Our results confirms the observation of a possible symbiotic relationship between fandom and schoolwork, as shown in figure 1. In the first 4 weeks of school, before the onset of the infamous 'February: month of evil midterms', the population of fandom exceeds the population of schoolwork. Procrastination was observed on the 4th week with the sudden increase of fandom from previous week's 5 to 7. In the next four weeks, the population of fandom was consistently lower than the population of schoolwork with th exception of week 7 when there were no deadlines and exams due to reading week.
Figure 1. Line graph of the population of fandom and schoolwork in the 8 week observational period. Measurement was done weekly with the week beginning on Sunday and ending on Saturday.
Discussion/Conclusion
The research was conducted in such a low and inhumanly cold temperature because it would effectively limit the subject's choices of activities; there weren't a lot of things one could do when one refuse to leave the apartment in fear of freezing to death. The emergence of procrastination in the 4th week suggested that fandom seemed to have the ability to predict schoolwork's sudden population increase in the following week. To ensure its survival, they increased their reproductive rate such that the higher than usual amount of schoolwork in the first week of February exerted no detrimental effect on the population. The exact mechanism as to how fandom detects schoolwork's plan of population growth is still unknown and we are unsure if it is only a anecdotal situation due to our small sample size. This warrants a further study on the subject and may shed new lights on how we can properly prevent fandom from going into extinction from excessive schoolwork-induced predation.
cannedebonbon knows nothing about ecology, and it shows. Also, that thing up there is not proofread, so I don't know how much sense it makes. ...I-I'll go study for my midterm now. *hides from thrown tomatoes*
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no subject
Date: 2009-02-26 12:11 am (UTC)I have never been happier being in a (semi) science major because HAHAHAHA all the scientific journal references!! Journal of WTFery! Educationiidae examus and Pornicus interneta!OmgIcan'tbelieveI'mwritingthis, et al. AHAHAAHAHA et al, I am so amused. "The murder of the subject's creativity and free thinking and transforming them into lifeless, anit-social, textbook-carrying drones." YOU LIAR, YOU CAN TOO WRITE.
Okay I will stop quoting your whole entry at you. I can't believe you actually made a graph for this. This reminds me so much of that Critique fic from the PW kink meme.
"To ensure its survival, they increased their reproductive rate such that the higher than usual amount of schoolwork in the first week of February exerted no detrimental effect on the population." CRYING. WHY SO SCIENTIFIC. IT'S ACTUALLY SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND. It's only a correlation, after all!
This needs to come with a warning label. Or maybe university has cooked our brains which only further supports the basis of this scientific investigation.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-26 03:28 pm (UTC)I'm glad you find amusement in this? This is a test of your geekiness--only geeky people can find this amusing. XD WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN WRITE? This is a "scientific paper" we're talking about here, it doesn't count. I write these kind of crap for marks!
It's only a quick excel graph. That Critique fic was epic.
That was me trying to make sense of my data (I didn't make the data up btw, they're REEEEAAAAAAAL). LOOK AT MY BS-ING SKILLAGE GOOOOOO!!!
Pffft. What? WARNING: PRODUCT OF CANDY'S MIND; READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. PLZ TO NOT BE EATING OR DRINKING WHILE READING. I think someone really should do a study on this. I would read the paper.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-26 06:09 pm (UTC)So that means I have to be seriously geeky because I found this highly amusing. Scientific writing IS STILL A FORM OF WRITING. And this was very humorous writing! (aren't you glad you can get marks so "easily"?)
This was epic too. I was trying to imply it. EPIC fandom/science program fusion. BS skills are super useful. They get us through university. AND YES. YES YOU SHOULD TOTALLY PUT THAT WARNING ON. And I wouldn't be surprised if someone has researched this, since procrastination is like a virus amongst all working people.
BTW, I'm stuck doing one of my WRI experiment thingies tomorrow at 12 - I should be done by 12:30. Up to you if you want to meet me at 12:30 or hide out somewhere?
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 01:17 am (UTC)Scientific writing is different from most forms of writing. No flowery descriptions and vocabulary required. ;D And they're purpose is not to entertain but to bore people to death.
I...I'm going to check the databases for articles on procrastination now.
I'll meet up with you at 12:30 I guess? Just phone me when you're finished.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-26 01:04 am (UTC)EPIC LOVE.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-26 03:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 03:24 am (UTC)I had a shitty week, too. And it's not over yet. Ughhhh. Six+ hours of sleep would be SO WELCOME OMG. Slept at 6.20 yesterday, woke up at 8, 10, then 11, finished paper, handed in, came back, showered, slept ~3-5, ate, and is watching tv shows when I have a midterm tomorrow. XD YAY. Procrastination is at its best on the foreheels of 'school'. It's so hard to sleep and my body feels so stiff. How is it that I am so tired doing nothing? How!? I really do feel I cannot survive without shrimp. Ahhh, watched Iroku Irokoi Romantan (Yamane Ayano --> OVA) and it was quite good. V. pretty and non-shiny and funny.
Is it still blizzardy there? I had some snow last night and it's cold now. I know some ecology (erm, sociology? ethnography?) stuff! Huhuhu, Chicago School! How does your lack thereof show? o__o though, it's more a parasitic relats than a symbiotic one...
no subject
Date: 2009-02-28 11:13 pm (UTC)That's because you're not a science major and you couldn't tell? I don't know. If an ecologist student read my discussion, they probably would have seriously facepalmed. XD;;;
It's not snowing here anymore (at least for now) but it's still friggin' cold, around -10 to -20. D:
no subject
Date: 2009-03-01 09:17 pm (UTC)Oh, that makes sense. >> I feel stupid. XDDD Nonetheless, if I cannot tell, then you will seem unfathomably intelligent to the general population! Huhuh.
Crap, that's cold. Dress warm, you butt. I bought a woolen jacket and it's so thin. It's okay for out/inside, so I wonder if it'll really keep me warm. All those children wearing it seem alright.