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Cell-Phone Users Can't Spot a Clown on a Unicycle

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posted on Oct, 20 2009 @ 12:35 PM
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With a catchy headline like that, it's hard to miss...unless you are talking on a cell-phone that is.

Cell-Phone Users Can't Spot a Clown on a Unicycle



Using a cell phone while walking is so distracting that people are likely to miss a clown riding a unicycle.

And yes, this is the result of real research, which involved mostly college-age students walking across a main campus square while a real clown performed.

The research also found cell-phone users walk slower and weave about more than others.

Funny stuff aside, lead researcher Ira Hyman, Jr., of Western Washington University says the finding speaks to the dangers of cell-phone use while driving. "If [cell-phone use] disrupts something as simple as walking, which I'm assuming most of these people have been doing a long time and are pretty proficient at generally, we know it's going to be a really difficult task driving," Hyman said.


We all know that talking on a cell-phone while driving, even hands-free is bad, mmm okay.

However, if it impairs your awareness of your surroundings so much that it doesn't make you see a clown riding a unicycle desperately trying to get your attention while you are just walking, then how are you going to be aware enough to notice suspect terrorist activity that the Department of Homeland Security wants you to be constantly vigilant and on the look for if you are talking on your cell-phone? After all, terrorists don't usually look any different than the rest of us, and nonchalantly dropping a briefcase under the table at Starbucks is hardly as conspicuous as a clown riding a unicycle!

(Not to insinuate that clowns riding unicycles are terrorists, although I'm sure there is a DHS or FBI report somewhere that classifies them as such.)

I guess the point we should all walk away from this is that out of the myriads of Weapons of Mass Distraction that are available to keep the Masses unaware, the cell-phone is the least innocuous of them yet it is apparently sufficient to keep people blind and unaware of their immediate surroundings. If our government agencies really did want each and every one of us to be their eyes and ears on the lookout for suspicious activities that may be domestic terrorists, then don't you think they wouldn't be allowing us to carry Weapons of Mass Distraction that prevents us from doing that job? It's enough to make you think that they would actually rather have us distracted.

Moral of the story: Even if you can walk and chew bubble-gum at the same time, you can't walk and talk on the cell-phone at the same time and still be aware of your surroundings, even though you may insist on doing just that. Seriously, put the cell-phone down. You don't want to become like this poor schmuck...

Texting Teen Falls Down Manhole

(This post is not endorsed by the American Clown League University...the other ACLU)

[edit on 20-10-2009 by fraterormus]



posted on Oct, 20 2009 @ 12:55 PM
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reply to post by fraterormus
 


What a waste of time. These people are students? At a college? Is this was they are learning to do?

Idiots can't drive and use their phones. Idiots can't walk and use their phones.

Are you an idiot? If you are, then stay off your cell phone. I am not however, and I find it quite easy to stay focused on the road while I move my jaw. Real easy.

I guess we should outlaw stick shifts, y'know because multi-tasking with my shifter is a huge hazard. Also, no eating or listening to music. We should also make all cars with one seat only, because passengers are a distraction.



posted on Oct, 20 2009 @ 01:06 PM
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I have seen enough accidents caused by cell phones... either by talking on or texting. Just because you think you can do it doesn't mean you can or that the other drivers out there can...



posted on Oct, 20 2009 @ 01:19 PM
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I find it funny they used a clown on a unicycle... hah


I can manage to talk while driving but I'd rather not, especially in town. Driving out to my house is much easier since it's a straight shot of just highway. Even then though I have a hard time texting while driving so I gave that up. Good experiment



posted on Oct, 20 2009 @ 01:27 PM
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reply to post by fraterormus
 


This is very similar to other Human cognitive tests, and how concentration on one thing can lead to the inablity to notice other things out of the ordinary...

This is another example:

www.imaginaryplanet.net...



posted on Oct, 20 2009 @ 01:38 PM
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reply to post by janon
 


We all know that cops can. Lord knows Ive seen enough of them zooming all over the place on cell phones swerving left and right in states where that activity is allegedly illegal.

They must have super-powers or something.


Of course simply stating that or even believing that you are better able to do something than another isnt really worth anything. But the fact remains some people can rub their bellies while tapping their heads and some cannot.

This isnt like alcohol where there is a chemical altering how your mind functions. This is simple multi-tasking.

As far as texting goes, that's just idiotic. Travels far beyond multi-tasking and enters deep into stupidity. Of course you can't take your eyes off the road and drive. It's like trying to drive while playing Operation. You'll be buzzing all over the place.

But what do I know. I use my cellphone for 5 minutes a month. It isnt even charged most of the time.



posted on Oct, 20 2009 @ 01:55 PM
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hehe - I like this, reminds me of this one time a supervisor was cashing up a large amount of cash ready to hand shifts over to me - she was in a text conversation with someone on her phone as she was doing it... Bit by bit I took all the notes in bundles of about £100 - £200 at a go...

By the time she had finished counting there was about £600 taken from right under her nose and placed behind the computer monitor
- I can still see her face drop when she finally caught on... Me and the other 2 guys who were witnessing the whole thing didn't react at all!!! - She calmly stood up and walked back out the the bar... We let her go for a few minutes before we caught her up and let her in on it.

She honestly counted all the money into piles with me sat right next to her, and after finishing the text conversation she was left with £100... It was almost if she didn't actually remember the previous 5 minutes counting on auto pilot


Good job we were honest - she was responsible for that money until I signed for it



posted on Oct, 20 2009 @ 11:50 PM
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Originally posted by nine0099thousand

Idiots can't drive and use their phones. Idiots can't walk and use their phones.

Are you an idiot? If you are, then stay off your cell phone. I am not however, and I find it quite easy to stay focused on the road while I move my jaw. Real easy.


Well that only makes you **slightly** better than idiots..

Cheers!



posted on Oct, 21 2009 @ 12:31 AM
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Besides the fact that most people can't consciously process multiple streams simultaneously, cell phones cause brain damage! It literally heats the surrounding tissues. In a child this is most pronounced, covering an area larger than half of the head. Blood-brain-barrier disruptions occur from cellphone usage. It's a big no-no, period. I use a corded headset, and have never had an issue talking and doing other things at the same time, including driving.



posted on Oct, 21 2009 @ 12:54 AM
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Originally posted by Estharik

I find it funny they used a clown on a unicycle... hah




I don't.. it just means that some researcher is going to get a government grant to go validate the data.



posted on Oct, 21 2009 @ 12:13 PM
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Originally posted by weedwhacker
This is very similar to other Human cognitive tests, and how concentration on one thing can lead to the inablity to notice other things out of the ordinary...


Precisely!

This is called inattention blindness. It is caused when an intense focus of attention on one thing causes us to miss really obvious things, like the clown on the unicycle. This is a powerful demonstration of how, if we overly focus on any one thing, we are much more prone to miss key elements of the bigger picture.

The FBI has known this for decades. It is why eye-witness testimony is unreliable for the purpose of accurate law enforcement, even if it is the basis for our Justice system.

The problem with inattention blindness is that no one is immune. Focused activity lasting on 15 seconds will cause inattention blindness to anything other than that activity for at least a minute after ceasing that activity.

This isn't a foreign concept to scientists and psychologists. It has been known about for a very long time. However, people always want to think that they are immune, but research has shown, even when you alert the subjects ahead of time, they are still impaired by inattention blindness.



posted on Oct, 21 2009 @ 12:21 PM
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Originally posted by RoofMonkey
I don't.. it just means that some researcher is going to get a government grant to go validate the data.


True, although it doesn't take much to get a government grant for research any way. My High School Chemistry teacher, as a joke, submitted a Research Summary called "C.R.A.P. - Catabolic Recycling of Animal Products that proposed hooking up cows to a device to capture methane from them passing gas to power cities in the United States. The joke turned bad when he was given a 24 Million dollar Research Grant to do the Research. He returned the money with an apology, but the Grant Office didn't find it rather humorous and considered bringing him up on Fraud Charges. The ironic thing is that at least 3 other federal grants have been given to research the same thing since.

However, studies like this don't establish anything new as far as the scientific community is concerned. See the previous post about Inattention Blindness. This is an established fact. Studies like this are demonstrative, being that they show to the layman scientific principles that are already known and proven.



posted on Oct, 21 2009 @ 04:59 PM
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reply to post by fraterormus
 


Damn. That teenager who fell in the manhole is an idiot. Next time, watch where you're walking. Its no surprise the parents are blaming the city. I see the fault on both parties:

a) Manhole should have been blocked or attended by employee
b) Teenager should be aware of her surroundings

I bet if the manhole was blocked by cones, she'd still fall in it.

As for the clown, funny. I'm against using cellphones while driving. I'll even settle with using only hands-free devices while driving and talking on cellphone.



posted on Oct, 21 2009 @ 05:22 PM
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I find when I drive I often tend to blank talking passengers while concentrating on whats going on around the car. If people are more interested in their conversation or what they are eating or poking the satnav that they are the road in front of them, they will cause accidents. Doesn't take a study to know that, nor is it a mobile phone problem. It's a people problem.



posted on Oct, 21 2009 @ 06:03 PM
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reply to post by fraterormus
 


Yeah... I hear ya. We ordered a missile once, just to see if we could get away with it. SM-1MR surface to air missile. Got the forms filled out and signed by the Division Officer and the Department head.

Sometimes you have to wonder about the individual links in the chain of command.

The Supply Department were the ones who finally caught on to it.



[edit on 21-10-2009 by RoofMonkey]



posted on Oct, 21 2009 @ 06:37 PM
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reply to post by RoofMonkey
 


Oh man you are gonna get a visit from some suits with shades talking into their lapels
Mind you people are buying missile defence systems for their superyaughts now a days.

Maybe I should see about getting a black hawk helicopter? Or maybe send a declarations of war between 2 neighbouring eastern European countries



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