[rescue] fwd: [Suns-at-Home] S-bus, M-bus, RAM, odds and ends free to good home 08822 NJ US

[Steve Sandau]

Phil Stracchino wrote:
> On 08/31/10 14:54, der Mouse wrote:
>>> Personally, I have a very well-developed "Oh shit, I dropped it, get
>>> my feet the *(&%*&%^$# out of the landing zone" reflex.
>> So do I...except that it doesn't appear to truly be a reflex.  If it's
>> something heavy or pointy or some such, that's my reaction.  But if
>> it's something brittle and not particularly damaging if it _does_ land
>> on my foot (a china teacup, a light bulb, that sort of thing), my
>> "reflex" is the reverse: stick my foot under the falling object.
>>
>> I've wondered if I have two reflexes and my reflex system is configured
>> to use one or the other by my knowwledge of what I'm potentially
>> dropping, or whether there is something like cognition going on much
>> faster than usual, or what.
> 
> A good point.  Yes, I've noticed the same thing.  It'd be interesting to
> know exactly what goes on.  My guess would be there is something like a
> "Object falling, try to catch it with any available limb" reflex, which
> gets overridden if needed by the priority-interrupt reflex "DANGEROUS
> object falling, GET OUT OF THE WAY."
> 
> 
I suspect it goes one way or the other because you are aware of the 
weight of the item before it falls. When carrying something heavy and 
dropping it, the reflex is definitely to move because you were probably 
already thinking of the weight.

With a fragile item, you're probably already thinking that you don't 
want to break it before you drop it.

So, I think the appropriate reflex is already lined up in advance, just 
waiting for you to need it.

Steve