Maggie is a science experiment!
Last week I took Maggie in to be a participant in a research study at Children’s Hospital. We volunteered somewhere along the line to be contacted if there were ever a study about children Maggie’s age. And here we are!
This particular one involved measuring brain activity when the baby looks at an actor’s face making a certain expression. The actor looks either completely neutral, happy, or scared. Maggie sits on my lap in front of a computer screen, the whole room is dark, and she’s just supposed to stare at the images and let her brain do the work. I was a bit skeptical that she would stand for this. Or sit for this, more to the point. For a baby who doesn’t want to be still ever, she was incredibly willing to do as they asked of her on this day. She just sat there for the entire 10 minutes of the study (10 minutes!) with her jaw slightly slack and her cute little cap on to measure her electrical impulses.
We went back a couple days later for a follow-up session which involved faces on the computer screen again, but this time with a geometric figure popping up to the left or right of the face. The computer tracked and measured her eye movement as she looked at this or that or the other. And again she just sat for the entire thing without any breaks and stared at that screen.
The researchers (who were super nice and friendly) said Maggie was an incredible subject. They said they got lots of great data from her and were very impressed with her ability to do the whole test in one sitting without breaks or crying fits or fidgeting or distraction. What a rock star! Even the professionals think so!
It was really fun. For me, at least. And Maggie obviously didn’t seem to mind. Not only that, I got transportation reimbursed (plus probably a little extra, once it’s all said and calculated), and Maggie got a book of our choosing, a toy of our choosing, and a onesie that proudly states “Neuroscientist in Training.”
Next up, a Harvard study later this week. Her services are in demand already!
Magrilless 
She is such a beautiful little girl that she even looks great with those cheerios glued to her head! I'm wondering when they will send her an application to MENSA! I think that when she starts school it's going to be a challenge for the teacher to keep her interested because she'll already be so far ahead of everyone. Cecil's little one, Avery, is five but is going into first grade in the fall. She's already doing math and reading at a 3rd grade level but her mom & dad don't want her with kids any older than first grade. You'd better plan ahead for those days!!Love to you all!
I tried to send this earlier but it did not compute so here goes again. She is so active and interested, I bet they were delighted to have her. The little button hat is really cute, she will make a good scientist.
Susan and Scott came up Sat. and had lunch with us, Susie looked good and is really looking forward to seeing you two and ,of course, the third member of the family.
love to all , Margie nd Bill
quite the styling little lady! and a neuroscientist at that! 🙂