Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A type of learning style in which the child is participating fully, using various sensory modes, as in building a model or conducting an experiment, not just sitting and listening.  

The most common form of immunization, in which a vaccine is introduced into a person’s system, either by injection or by mouth, triggering the formation of anti¬ bodies and the development of immunity for a limited time or a lifetime, depending on the vaccine; in contrast to passive immunization.  

A benign brain tumor involving the auditory nerve, which transmits electrical signals from the ear to the brain; also called eighth nerve tumor, neurinoma, or Schwannoma. If detected early, the tumor can be removed without hearing damage; but if diagnosed late, acoustic neuromas (though not malignant) can be life-threatening, or surgical removal can at least…

Legal term for a man who has admitted or stipulated that he is the biological father of a child whose birth parents are unmarried.  

A prescription drug whose generic name is isotretinoin, a synthetic derivative of vitamin A used to treat severe types of cystic acne unresponsive to other medications. Known from the time of its approval to cause birth defects, Accutane continued to be used by many women who became pregnant. Often it was used in the first…

In education, programs proceeding at a faster-than-usual pace, generally meaning that a student covers course material more quickly than usual, perhaps two years’ work in one year, or that a student skips a year’s coursework altogether, to take more advanced courses. In decades past, skipping grades was common for gifted children, but faster-paced programs, often…

A parent who does not live with a child, including a parent who has lost custody of the child, a parent who has abandoned a child, and a father who has never acknowledged paternity. Though absent, such parents retain the parents’ responsibility of providing support for a child, so various child support agencies spend great…

A type of test designed to measure performance of a particular skill or skills, such as a typing test; also an alternate term for intelligence test.  

In family law, deserting a child or leaving the child without effective supervision and provision for basic needs for too long a time. The age of the child, nature of the supervision (or lack of it), and the length of the unsupervised period all affect legal judgment as to whether abandonment has occurred, and state…