This study of 20 3-month-old infants with Down's syndrome and 20 nondisabled infants found that both groups were successfully trained to produce movement in an overhead crib mobile by kicking, and displayed long-term retention a week later. Conditioning and retention-test performance of the two groups did not differ. (Author/JDD)

This study of single-joint elbow flexion movements by 10 subjects with Down's syndrome (ages 14-19) and 6 control subjects concluded that there are no major qualitative deficits in the motor control mechanisms of individuals with Down's syndrome, but there might be problems with proper modulation of motor commands. (Author/JDD)

Two experiments examined the question of whether blindfolded young children and congenitally blind children show mental practice effects for blind movements that cross the body midline. Results suggested that young children with sight can show mental practice effects in the absence of visual cues. (GLR)

Reviews the history of dualism, examining its implications for physical education. Discusses a nondualistic, embodied view of humans which calls for changes in the way the profession works with people and recommends integrative study and analysis for a more complete understanding of human movement. (SM)

Defines and discusses the proper use of radians in physics equations and problem solving. The article suggests that many physics instructors inadequately explain how and when to use radians to their students. (MVL)

Describes an activity with cars and fans that observes the motion of cars under force. Lists required materials, the procedure, and introductory questions for the activity. (YDS)

Studies with 65 adults found two new visual processing tasks, visual change detection and visual movement detection, to be correlated with inspection time and the nonverbal scores from the Alice Helm 4 test of general intelligence. Results are discussed in terms of the correlation between inspection time and intelligence and the psychobiological…

Describes a stimulating interactive group project on measuring the lengths of solar days that directly supports concepts related to orbits, motion, and time in a physics or astronomy curriculum, and has the flexibility to extend from a few days to several weeks. Provides new measurement experiences for students and teachers and opportunities for…

Discusses procedures for investigating animal motion and makes suggestions for conducting a field or laboratory experiment using video. Recommends using nature videos to perform motion analysis. (YDS)

A study using Metaphoric Triads Task (MTT) of 92 undergraduates found that subjects perceive event metaphors based on similarities in physical movement more frequently than object metaphors based on similarities in stationary characteristics even when presented in still pictures. The results also showed that motion information increases perception…

Suggests that the basic concepts of quantum mechanics can be introduced at the high school level by considering the action of classical mechanics, then introducing Planck's constant as the granularity of that action. Uses the periodic motion of a spring as a practical example. (AIM)

Discusses a modification of and explanation for a common demonstration in which a stick and a ball dropped at the same time from the same height are shown to land at different times. (WRM)

Describes five common youth sport injuries: Little League elbow, swimmer's shoulder, shin splints, Osgood's Schlatters disease, and jumper's knee, also noting their corresponding causes, behavioral symptoms, treatment techniques, and prevention strategies. The information is intended to help teachers identify sports injuries more readily and…

Introduces the Galileo Inclined Plane activity in which students learn about accelerated motion without using modern timing devices. (YDS)

This article discusses electric motors and the many ways in which they are used. Selecting the most appropriate miniature DC electric motor wisely will contribute toward success and satisfaction in designing and building motorized projects and activities. Typical parts suppliers stock a variety of miniature DC motors and provide sufficient…