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Archive: OTHER >please note: some links may no longer be active.
Virtual Keyboard: now that is cool!
From the Think Geek website: An amazing glimpse of [the] promised future has just arrived at ThinkGeek in the form of the Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard. This tiny device laser-projects a keyboard on any flat surface... you can then type away accompanied by simulated key click sounds. It really is true future magic at its best. You'll be turning heads the moment you pull this baby from your pocket and use it to compose an e-mail on your bluetooth enabled PDA or Cell Phone. With 63 keys and and full size QWERTY layout the Laser Virtual Keyboard can approach typing speeds of a standard keyboard... in a size a little larger than a matchbook. Link
BEK
Some of you may not know that aside from authoring some of the best New Yorker magazine cartoons, Bruce Eric Kaplan was also the Executive Producer of the excellent, recently retired HBO series Six Feet Under.
Indeed It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. –Upton Sinclair
New York Taxis
From Mo Khan's essay on NYC taxi drivers: After moving to New York a couple of years back, my cabbie obsession took on a new twist – normal conversations with my driver of the moment began to take on a decidedly desi flavor. Over the last 15 years, taxi driving has been embraced by large numbers of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants – the latest in a long line of immigrant populations (which includes Irish, Italian, Jewish and Haitian people) to drive in the city since the famed Checker Cab Company of the early twentieth century. The South Asian takeover has been swift and obvious – a majority of the time you hail a taxi in New York now, you will get someone who speaks Hindi or Urdu. Read the full piece at the EGO magazine site
Nukak Maku
The Amazon's last nomadic, indigenous tribe, is forced our of the jungle by Marxist guerrillas. From The Scotsman: NAKED and armed only with blowpipes, members of Colombia's last nomadic indigenous tribe emerged from the Amazonian jungle and gathered in the central plaza of a remote town, saying that Marxist guerrillas had threatened to wipe them out. "The guerrillas told us they did not want to see us ever again," said one of the few Indians that spoke any Spanish, as the members of the Nukak Maku tribe walked into the town of San Jose de Guaviare, situated deep in the southern jungles. The tribal group, 76 in total, of whom 27 are children, had been fleeing guerrillas for two months, moving through the dense jungle on foot, surviving as they have done for centuries on what the Amazonian forest provides. One of the women was heavily pregnant and delivered a baby boy on arrival. This was done in the traditional manner with the woman taken into the jungle with only other tribeswomen allowed to witness the birth. The group had 14 monkeys with them carried by several of the children. The monkeys are not just companions but also help feed the tribe. The top halves of faces of the adult Indians are dyed red. "With this arrival, almost half of the Nukak population has moved into civilisation," said Humberto Ruiz, an anthropologist who has studied the tribe for 14 years. "This is a problem of the utmost gravity which we must deal with immediately." Thanks to Apostropher (who also has a link to a brilliant photo essay on the tribe)
"Nightmare Science" Brad Allenby, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Arizona State University, has some very interesting thoughts on the dangers of scientists as activists. What, then, are the nightmares of the scientific discourse or, more precisely, the environmental science discourse? Surely a major one is that, despite the claim of the scientific discourse to primacy in creating a valid understanding of the world, the reality is that the postmodernist critique is right, and science is no more than another normative discourse, of no greater ontological value than any other. Evaluating the potential for this nightmare science scenario is tricky, but a few observations are possible. To begin with, it is useful to recall perhaps the principal way science distinguishes itself from other discourses: the reliance on discovery of facts through observation, and validation of theory through test and falsification - in short, the scientific method. This procedure evolved in Western Europe in contrast to the medieval mechanism for establishing truth, which was reference to authority, in the form of the Church Fathers, Aristotle, or other accepted texts. The seismic shift in worldview that a change from authority to observation as source of truth induces is difficult to appreciate in hindsight, but there is little question that it was a seminal step in the rise of the West and the creation of modernity. But it is precisely the strength of this core characteristic of the scientific discourse that creates the potential for nightmare science. The nightmare arises in this way. We have, as scientists, established the validity of science through adoption of a process that institutionalizes observation, and thus grants us privileged access to truth, at least within the domains of physical reality. In doing so, we have destroyed authority as the source of privileged knowledge -- and, concomitantly, assumed much of the power that used to reside in the old elite (e.g., the Church). But now suppose that scientists become increasingly concerned with certain environmental phenomenon -- say, loss of biodiversity, or climate change. They thus not only report the results of the practice of the scientific method, but, in part doubting the ability of the public to recognize the potential severity of the issues as scientists see them, become active as scientists in crafting and demanding particular responses, such as the Kyoto Treaty. These responses, notably, extend significantly beyond the purely environmental domain, into policies involving economic development, technology deployment, quality of life in many countries, and the like. Read the full post at Allenby's blog
A link to prostate cancer? A CHEMICAL used to make food wrapping and line tin cans could be the cause of surging prostate cancer rates in men, says a study. Bisphenol A is widely used in the food industry to make polycarbonate drinks bottles and the resins used to line tin cans, even though it is known to leach into food and has long been suspected of disrupting human sex hormones. The new research suggests the small but constant level of bisphenol A entering people’s diet has a particular impact on pregnant women, disastrously altering the development of unborn baby sons. The chemical causes microscopic changes in the developing prostate gland but these are not apparent at birth. Instead, they show up years later when they lead to a range of prostate diseases, such as enlargement and cancer. The changes can also cause malformation of the urethra, the channel for urine. Read the full article at the Times (UK) online
Ginger and peppers kill cancer cells
Ginger can kill ovarian cancer cells while the compound that makes peppers hot can shrink pancreatic tumors, researchers told a conference on Tuesday. Their studies add to a growing body of evidence that at least some popular spices might slow or prevent the growth of cancer. [snip] "In multiple ovarian cancer cell lines, we found that ginger-induced cell death at a similar or better rate than the platinum-based chemotherapy drugs typically used to treat ovarian cancer," said Dr. Jennifer Rhode, who helped work on the study. That's great news, but there is a sad, albeit predictable aspect to the story. Why would it take Read the full Reuters article here (via 3quarksdaily)
A creative, albeit radical solution to the HIV problem? Carl Zimmer has written a thought provoking article, in which he suggests the intriguing possibility that the most effective way to combat the HIV virus may be to insert it into our own genomes! Recent research indicates that certain groups of monkeys (from which humans originally contracted HIV) don't suffer ill effects from the virus because they carry copies of them in their own genomes, and therefore their bodies don't attack or overstimulate cell production (both classic behaviors in human HIV patients). Muller and De Boer propose an intriguing hypothesis to explain all of this: perhaps apes and monkeys don't suffer ill effects from these viruses because they carry copies of the viruses in their own genome. After all, the authors point out, HIV's genes have been isolated in human sperm DNA, so these viruses clearly have the potential to make their way into a host genome. Muller and De Boer suggest that primate viruses got into their hosts' genome. The young primates then began making proteins from the virus, which their developing immune system recognized as part of their "self." When the primates then got infected with new copies of the virus, they didn't mount an attack or become overstimulated. The viruses infected the primate's immune cells, but they were only a minor burden to the primates compared to a collapsed immune system. Natural selection would have favored the primates who carried these in-house viruses, as those without them died from viral infections. Read the full article here (thanks to my friend Abbas at 3quarksdaily)
What the hell? Actually, I'm going to lighten things up for a moment. The following is an actual question given on a Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs One student, however, wrote the following... Urban legend or not, read the clever answer (thanks to whiskeytango)
A cute squid? Not only is the answer a resounding yes, but, irrational as it may be, I expect that it would be difficult to fully enjoy a plate of grilled squid (a dish I happen to like) if I knew that I was eating this particular type.
Technically a "Sepioloidea lineolata, or Striped pyjama squid". (Thanks to Mark Norman, and the Cephalopod Page)
Branding: with the internet, the game has changed Paul McNamara, CEO of Versai Technology, has some interesting observations on how the internet is changing the way in which products become branded. Before the Internet-age, companies would communicate with customers in a very scripted, managed way. Typically, a company would create some printed material like a brochure, or would create print or broadcast ads, or occasionally would have an executive give a speech. Each of these communications methods involved delivering a relatively small amount of information that was very, very carefully crafted. Messages were often the outcome of a focus group or some other form of primary research performed by a Madison Avenue ad agency. The messages were carefully scripted to match what the ‘target demographic’ wanted to hear. [snip] In this environment, brands developed over time and were generally the product of recurring advertising themes. These advertising themes established the collective character of a company’s customer base through a sort of selection process. If the advertiser showed cool people like Bono using its products, then lots of people who wanted to be like Bono would be attracted to that particular product. Eventually, the brand would take on 'cool' as a brand value. The Internet changed how brands are developed. Companies can now have extended conversations with customers. The communication channel is two-way, and the conversation is frequent and verbose. Companies can now talk at great length about products and ideas. They can also talk at great length about their core values and beliefs. They don't have to show Bono using their product, rather they can talk about how producing a 'cool' product is important to them as a core value. Read Paul's full post at his charterstreet blog
Death of the world's oldest living animal
Reportedly, a 250 year-old tortoise died in a Calcutta zoo recently. For some perspective, if accurate, that would mean that she was born in 1756, the year that Mozart was born! Her name was Addwaita (Bengali for "the one and only"), and records suggest that she arrived at the zoo in 1875. An account of her death can be read at The Independent. Also, The Speculist has an interesting related post, in which Kathy wonders about what researchers have learned from these remarkably long-lived creatures.
"To be well informed, one must read quickly a great number of merely instructive books. To be cultivated, one must read slowly and with a lingering appreciation the comparatively few books that have been written by men who lived, thought, and felt with style." - Aldous Huxley
I know, it sounds absurd... but if you have a few minutes, click on the link below and watch the "finger breakdance" performance. It really is very well done–and fun! Be patient, though, as it takes a while to load, so hit the pause button, and don't hit play until it's almost fully loaded.
Cool and clever
Micreon GmbH is a German technology company which is at the cutting edge of precision laser research and development. According to this press release, the company... ...is the first to use ultra short pulse lasers for the manufacture of highly-precise components. Any material can be processed by ultra short pulse lasers without any damage, and, in addition, precisions of less than one thousandth millimetre can be achieved. The image above is of a housefly wearing designer glasses manufactured by Micreon. Thanks to neatorama
Is Rainwater right to be so worried? Richard Rainwater became a billionare by recognizing opportunities in crises, and taking advantage of them. He is now extremely concerned about the possibility of a catastrophic chain of events triggered by oil shortages. From an interview in Fortune: His instincts tell him that another enormous moneymaking opportunity is about to present itself, what he calls a "slow pitch down the middle." But, at 61, wealthier and happier than ever before, Rainwater finds himself reacting differently this time. He's focused more on staying rich than on getting richer. But there's something else too: a sort of billionaire-style civic duty he feels to get a conversation started. Why couldn't energy prices skyrocket, with grave repercussions, not just economic but political? As industry analysts debate whether the world's oil production is destined to decline, the prospect makes him itchy. "This is a nonrecurring event," he says. "The 100-year flood in Houston real estate was one, the ability to buy oil and gas really cheap was another, and now there's the opportunity to do something based on a shortage of natural resources. Can you make money? Well, yeah. One way is to just stay long domestic oil. But there may be something more important than making money. This is the first scenario I've seen where I question the survivability of mankind. I don't want the world to wake up one day and say, 'How come some doofus billionaire in Texas made all this money by being aware of this, and why didn't someone tell us?'" Look, guys like this are able to make a fortune precisely because they have a knack for seeing probabilities which the masses dismiss, and for that reason alone, his views are worth considering. Here's the link to the Fortune article, and here's another to a related Wolcott post
Ah yes, kids Letters to God from kids, thanks to ilovebacon.com
Badly broken The American medical system is so convoluted, so flawed in so many respects, that fresh, or little-known problems often fail to attract attention. I must say, though, that this small item from a recent NY Times article really caught my eye. "Last year, Genentech raised the price of Tarceva, a lung-cancer drug, by about 30 percent, to $32,000 for a year's treatment. In an interview last month, Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann, the president of product development for Genentech, said that the company had raised Tarceva's price because the drug works better than Genentech had anticipated. 'Tarceva was a more powerful and more active agent than what we understood at the time of launch, and so more valuable,' she said." Think about the implications. (thanks to Thomas de Zengotita at huffingtonpost)
Truth, humor, and Barry Bonds I had a irreverent friend once named Noah, who liked to remind everyone that there is a little truth in all humor. Well, that's quite an understatement when it comes to the recent "Special Report" on Barry Bonds in The Onion.
With the publication of a book detailing steroid use by San Francisco Giants superstar Barry Bonds, two San Francisco Chronicle reporters have corroborated the claims of Bonds' steroid abuse made by every single person who has watched or even loosely followed the game of baseball over the past five years. [snip] "Everyone in our front office has known about Bonds since the 2001 season," said San Francisco-area accounts-receivable secretary Mindy Harris of McCullers and Associates, Ltd. "People in our ninth-floor office, too, and all seven branch offices. None of us were sure exactly which kind of steroids he was on, but we were pretty sure it was the kind that causes you to gain 30 pounds of muscle in one offseason, get injured more easily, become slow-footed, shave your head to conceal your thinning hair, lash out at the media and fans, engage in violent and abrupt mood swings, grow taut tree-trunk-like neck muscles, expand your hatband by six inches, and hit 73 home runs in a single season." "Come to think of it, we're all fairly certain he's on all of them," Harris added. Giggle away while reading the full report here
China considers cutting edge, high-speed train technology While the details have yet to be fully sorted, China is on the verge of investing in a remarkable German technology which allows trains to travel at extremely high speeds on a magnetic cushion. CHINA is to build the world’s longest magnetic levitation railway that will slash a two-hour journey to twenty-six minutes and burnish the image of Shanghai as one of the most modern cities on the planet. [snip] Hangzhou, 105 miles (170km) southwest of Shanghai, is also the capital of Zhejiang province, one of the most prosperous regions in China. German technology is likely to be used to lift the train above a magnetic track, allowing it to reach speeds of 270mph. That's correct: 270 mph. To put that into perspective, such a train could conceivably allow passengers to ride from New York to Washington in an hour or less. Imagine the reduction in stress (vis-a-vis flying), and, even more importantly, the drastic reduction in oil dependence. Read the full article at the Times (UK)
Tony Soprano, Scarface, and Nabakov There has been, and will continue to be plenty written about America's favorite TV drama, The Sopranos. But if you yearn for something out of the ordinary, I encourage you to read Husain Naqvi's interesting, and eloquent take. Since our incarnation as a destitute and sometimes diligent academic, we haven’t possessed a TV, much less cable. We lead a wonderfully Spartan life here in Cambridge, reading, writing, braving the Massachusetts winter. Like hermits, ascetics, Eskimos, or those lost natives of the Amazon with dangling members, it seems we have also lost the talent for chit-chat, small talk. Consequently, the opening episode of “The Sopranos” Season Six presented us with a project. We had to call up old friends, mend tenuous if not severed relationships, invest in wine, crackers, a pricy lump of cheese. It was an awkward encounter, a bona fide production. Had he been in a similar predicament, Tony Soprano, the balding, bearish, flinty-eyed antihero of the show, would have shown up unannounced to a friend’s – arguably, chez Arty – brought along a six-pack of beer which he would have finished by himself sprawled on a couch, hand jammed in trousers, cradling his testicles. Strangely, we understand the impulse. In fact, we have a visceral appreciation of Tony’s likes and dislikes, his aspirations and motivations, his rages, his lusts. Read the full post at the always worthwhile 3quarksdaily
"Fragrant bone in garlic in strange flavor" Yum! We've all seen the occasional, amusing Chinese restaurant menu translation, but this really is exceptional.
There are more classics here, courtesy of rahoi.com (via boingboing)
Volvo: ahead of the curve, again I've had an interest in ergonomics–particularly with respect to seating–for a very long time. When I was in High School (around 1975), the only automaker paying serious attention to seat ergonomics was Volvo. The seats which they were manufacturing then, thirty years ago, were better than many found in today's automobiles. They were highly supportive, and often included adjustable lumbar supports. Well, it appears that the Swedish automaker is again at the forefront of an important technological breakthrough, and the implications of this one are far more profound than well-designed seats. STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Swedish truck and bus manufacturer AB Volvo said that it had developed a hybrid diesel-electric engine for trucks and buses which could go into production by 2009. Hybrid technology, which allows vehicles to run alternately on diesel or electricity or both simultaneously, has become increasingly popular for passenger cars, but Volvo said it was the first to produce hybrid technology for heavy vehicles. "Hybrid technology has been used for cars for five or 10 years now. The oil price, technology and the lower cost of batteries now makes it an efficient option for trucks and buses, too," Volvo Technical Director Lars-Goeran Moberg told AFP. There isn't a major city in the world which wouldn't benefit dramatically from such a design. Read the full article here
Neddie and Homer Neddie (Ned) is an excellent blogger, and his recent post is quite amusing. Here's the first paragraph; I have a meager appetite indeed for the opinions of the people I've come to think of as The Loveless Ones. The farther I can stay from the issue of their cramped and crabbed and tightly clenched minds, the saner my brain and calmer my liver. I'm not saying I hide from discourse inimical to my prejudices; it's just that sometimes people say and do things that are so ugly and uncharitable and ice hearted and spiteful that unless I look away sharply and hold my breath and count to ten I will melt to an enraged little grease spot. I'm reminded of Homer Simpson's retort at the gun shop: "Seven-day waiting period? But I'm angry NOW!" Read the full post at Neddie Jingo's blog Oh, and one of Ned's funniest recent posts appeared during the Winter Olympics. Here's the link, but be sure not to click if you are offended by any use–no matter how comical–of the dreaded "C-word"!
Forensic Economics? I didn't realize that such a discipline existed. But it does, and this article in the NY Times provides a simple, yet interesting example of a practical application. Here's an excerpt from the article: Mr. Wolfers has collected the results of nearly every college basketball game over the last 16 years. In a surprisingly large number of them, it turns out that heavy favorites just miss covering the spread. He considered a number of other explanations, but he thinks there is only one that can explain the pattern. Point shaving appears to be occurring in about 5 percent of all games with large spreads.
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