This isn't a joke, but seriously there was a Land Rover on top of the highest mountain in Europe, Mt. Elbrus in Russia.
"Land Rover on Mt. Elbrus." Mount Everest News
Land Rover climbs Mt.Elbrus
nedeľa 8. novembra 2009
Land Rover climbs the highest mountain in Europe
This isn't a joke, but seriously there was a Land Rover on top of the highest mountain in Europe, Mt. Elbrus in Russia.
"Land Rover on Mt. Elbrus." Mount Everest News
Land Rover climbs Mt.Elbrus
piatok 3. júla 2009
North Korean Beer Commercial
North Korean beer. Supposedly in 2002, the North Koreans bought a beer factory in the UK and moved it over to North Korea. Now they're making beer.
pondelok 15. júna 2009
Below Antarctica
Geology/Biology:
"Scientists have found an ancient ecosystem below an Antarctic glacier and learned that it survived millions of years by transforming sulfur and iron compounds for growth.
Described in the latest issue of Science, the ecosystem lives without light or oxygen in a pool of brine trapped below Taylor Glacier and next to frozen Lake Bonney in eastern Antarctica, said John Priscu, co-author of the Science article. Priscu is a longtime Antarctic researcher and professor in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University.
The ecosystem contains a diversity of bacteria that thrive in cold, salty water loaded with iron and sulfur. The water averages 14 degrees Fahrenheit, but doesn't freeze because the water is three or four times saltier than the ocean.
The scientists made a breakthrough discovery when they learned that the bacteria convert key elements on Earth into food, Priscu said. The bacteria cycle sulfur compounds to access iron in the bedrock."
"Ancient Ecosystem Thrives Millions of Years Below Antarctic Glacier." Space Daily
Ancient Ecosystem Below Antarctic Glacier
"Buried beneath several miles of ice in Antarctica are lakes ranging in size from Lake Ontario to lakes the size of Manhattan. Lake Vostok, the largest subglacial lake on Earth, is believed to harbor ancient life that has been isolated from open exchange with the atmosphere for several million years."
"Ancient Lakes of Antarctica - Living Biological Labs Millions of Years Old." The Daily Galaxy
Ancient Antarctic Lakes
"Scientists have found what they say is the first evidence of a volcanic eruption under the Antarctic ice sheet.
They believe the volcano erupted about 2,000 years ago, and would have burst through its ice covering, producing a burst of steam and rocky debris."
"Ancient Antarctic Eruption Noted." BBC News
Ancient Antarctic Eruption
"Scientists have found an ancient ecosystem below an Antarctic glacier and learned that it survived millions of years by transforming sulfur and iron compounds for growth.
Described in the latest issue of Science, the ecosystem lives without light or oxygen in a pool of brine trapped below Taylor Glacier and next to frozen Lake Bonney in eastern Antarctica, said John Priscu, co-author of the Science article. Priscu is a longtime Antarctic researcher and professor in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University.
The ecosystem contains a diversity of bacteria that thrive in cold, salty water loaded with iron and sulfur. The water averages 14 degrees Fahrenheit, but doesn't freeze because the water is three or four times saltier than the ocean.
The scientists made a breakthrough discovery when they learned that the bacteria convert key elements on Earth into food, Priscu said. The bacteria cycle sulfur compounds to access iron in the bedrock."
"Ancient Ecosystem Thrives Millions of Years Below Antarctic Glacier." Space Daily
Ancient Ecosystem Below Antarctic Glacier
"Buried beneath several miles of ice in Antarctica are lakes ranging in size from Lake Ontario to lakes the size of Manhattan. Lake Vostok, the largest subglacial lake on Earth, is believed to harbor ancient life that has been isolated from open exchange with the atmosphere for several million years."
"Ancient Lakes of Antarctica - Living Biological Labs Millions of Years Old." The Daily Galaxy
Ancient Antarctic Lakes
"Scientists have found what they say is the first evidence of a volcanic eruption under the Antarctic ice sheet.
They believe the volcano erupted about 2,000 years ago, and would have burst through its ice covering, producing a burst of steam and rocky debris."
"Ancient Antarctic Eruption Noted." BBC News
Ancient Antarctic Eruption
Ancient Microbe Comes Back To Life
Biology:
Ancient microbe comes back to life. Now that's something! Old bugs waking up after being dormant for thousands or millions of years. Is it Bug Park in the making? Will we see ancient bugs running around?
"After more than 120,000 years trapped beneath a block of ice in Greenland, a tiny microbe has awoken. The long-lasting bacteria may hold clues to what life forms might exist on other planets. The new bacteria species was found nearly 2 miles (3 km) beneath a Greenland glacier, where temperatures can dip well below freezing, pressure soars, and food and oxygen are scarce. "
"Microbe Wakes Up After 120000 Years." Live Science
Ancient Microbe Wakes Up
"Ressurection bug' revived after 120000 years." New Scientist
Ressurection Bug
Ancient microbe comes back to life. Now that's something! Old bugs waking up after being dormant for thousands or millions of years. Is it Bug Park in the making? Will we see ancient bugs running around?
"After more than 120,000 years trapped beneath a block of ice in Greenland, a tiny microbe has awoken. The long-lasting bacteria may hold clues to what life forms might exist on other planets. The new bacteria species was found nearly 2 miles (3 km) beneath a Greenland glacier, where temperatures can dip well below freezing, pressure soars, and food and oxygen are scarce. "
"Microbe Wakes Up After 120000 Years." Live Science
Ancient Microbe Wakes Up
"Ressurection bug' revived after 120000 years." New Scientist
Ressurection Bug
piatok 12. júna 2009
Speeding up brain network might boost IQ
Biology:
So you want to get smarter?
"For decades scientists have tried, mostly in vain, to explain where intelligence resides in our brains. The answer, a new study suggests, is everywhere.
After analysing the brain as an incredibly dense network of interconnected points, a team of Dutch scientists has found that the most efficiently wired brains tend to belong to the most intelligent people.
And improving this efficiency with drugs offers a tantalising – though still unproven – means of boosting intelligence, say researchers.
The concept of a networked brain isn't so different from the transportation grids used by cars and planes, says Martijn van den Heuvel, a neuroscientist at Utrecht University Medical Center who led the new study.
"If you're flying from New York to Amsterdam, you can do it in a direct flight. It's much more effective than going from New York, then to Washington, and then to Amsterdam. It's exactly the same idea in the brain," he says."
"Speeding up brain networks might boost IQ." New Scientist
Brain Networks and Higher IQ
Environment:
Mount St. Helens has blown once before in recent memory. Is a much larger explosion coming?
"IS A supervolcano brewing beneath Mount St Helens? Peering under the volcano has revealed what may be an extraordinarily large zone of semi-molten rock, which would be capable of feeding a giant eruption."
"Supervolcano may be brewing beneath Mount St. Helens." New Scientist
Supervolcano Mount St. Helens
Astronomy:
Scientists have observed that a star about 600 light years away from Earth is shrinking and showing signs that it will go supernova. Of course what we're observing in the sky right now is 600 year old history, since it takes that long for the light from that star to reach us. So the star in present time could already have exploded.
"Nearby Star May Be Getting Ready To Explode." Fox News
Nearby Star May Go Supernova
Chemistry:
New element added to the periodic table, element 112.
"New Chemical Element In The Periodic Table." Science Daily
New Element 112
Element 118, one of the superheavies also discovered.
"Livermore Scientists Team With Russia To Discover Element 118." Science Daily
New Element 118
So you want to get smarter?
"For decades scientists have tried, mostly in vain, to explain where intelligence resides in our brains. The answer, a new study suggests, is everywhere.
After analysing the brain as an incredibly dense network of interconnected points, a team of Dutch scientists has found that the most efficiently wired brains tend to belong to the most intelligent people.
And improving this efficiency with drugs offers a tantalising – though still unproven – means of boosting intelligence, say researchers.
The concept of a networked brain isn't so different from the transportation grids used by cars and planes, says Martijn van den Heuvel, a neuroscientist at Utrecht University Medical Center who led the new study.
"If you're flying from New York to Amsterdam, you can do it in a direct flight. It's much more effective than going from New York, then to Washington, and then to Amsterdam. It's exactly the same idea in the brain," he says."
"Speeding up brain networks might boost IQ." New Scientist
Brain Networks and Higher IQ
Environment:
Mount St. Helens has blown once before in recent memory. Is a much larger explosion coming?
"IS A supervolcano brewing beneath Mount St Helens? Peering under the volcano has revealed what may be an extraordinarily large zone of semi-molten rock, which would be capable of feeding a giant eruption."
"Supervolcano may be brewing beneath Mount St. Helens." New Scientist
Supervolcano Mount St. Helens
Astronomy:
Scientists have observed that a star about 600 light years away from Earth is shrinking and showing signs that it will go supernova. Of course what we're observing in the sky right now is 600 year old history, since it takes that long for the light from that star to reach us. So the star in present time could already have exploded.
"Nearby Star May Be Getting Ready To Explode." Fox News
Nearby Star May Go Supernova
Chemistry:
New element added to the periodic table, element 112.
"New Chemical Element In The Periodic Table." Science Daily
New Element 112
Element 118, one of the superheavies also discovered.
"Livermore Scientists Team With Russia To Discover Element 118." Science Daily
New Element 118
streda 10. júna 2009
Guy catches air-to-air guided missile
It's a fish! It's a whale! No, it's an air-to-air guided missile! Imagine catching that while fishing!
"Fisherman hooks air-to-air guided missile." News.com.au
Fisherman catches missile
"Fisherman hooks air-to-air guided missile." News.com.au
Fisherman catches missile
Robot Scientist
Robotics:
Robots can make scientific discoveries on their own now. Hope it's not a step towards them taking over the world! Kidding...
Robots can make scientific discoveries on their own now. Hope it's not a step towards them taking over the world! Kidding...
Massive Black Hole
Astronomy:"A pair of pioneering astronomers revealed Tuesday how they used a supercomputer to show that a nearby black hole is vastly more massive than scientists ever imagined.
The black hole at the heart of the relatively close Messier 87 Galaxy (M87) weighs in at 6.4 billion times the mass of our Sun, according to US astrophysicist Karl Gebhardt and Germany's Jens Thomas, who say it's the largest ever measured with a reliable technique.
One of the more enigmatic features of astronomy, a black hole is a region in space that is inferred by tracking stars that orbit it. Objects fall into its stupendous gravitational field but nothing, not even light, can return.
Gebhardt and Thomas' revelation, they say, sheds light on how galaxies grow, and may solve the paradox of quasars -- active black holes guzzling matter in distant galaxies that scientists are struggling to understand."
"Black Hole more massive than imagined." Space Daily
Massive Black Hole
Energy:
Nuclear fusion is an interesting thing. The sun and the stars work through nuclear fusion. In this process, several lighter nuclei fuse together and form one larger nucleus. Energy is then released.
"A multi-billion-dollar project to prove whether nuclear fusion, the power that fuels the Sun, can be a practicable energy source is to be scaled down in its early stages, sources said on Monday.
The test reactor, to be built at a site in southern France, will start its experiments in 2018 as scheduled but will initially be built in a slimmed-down form, they said."
"Nuclear fusion power project to start in slimmed-down version." Space Daily
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is an interesting thing. The sun and the stars work through nuclear fusion. In this process, several lighter nuclei fuse together and form one larger nucleus. Energy is then released.
"A multi-billion-dollar project to prove whether nuclear fusion, the power that fuels the Sun, can be a practicable energy source is to be scaled down in its early stages, sources said on Monday.
The test reactor, to be built at a site in southern France, will start its experiments in 2018 as scheduled but will initially be built in a slimmed-down form, they said."
"Nuclear fusion power project to start in slimmed-down version." Space Daily
Nuclear Fusion
utorok 9. júna 2009
Parrot dances to the Backstreet Boys
A cockatoo parrot keeps the beat and dances to a song by the Backstreet Boys. He's a better dancer and has more rhythm than most guys!
pondelok 8. júna 2009
Deep-Sea Frilled Shark
Oceanography:
This is a Deep-Sea Frilled Shark filmed off the coast of Japan. Usually these are found in deep water, however this one ended up closer to shore and died. These types of sharks are very ancient and their shape and form has changed very little from what it looked like millions of years ago.
This is a Deep-Sea Frilled Shark filmed off the coast of Japan. Usually these are found in deep water, however this one ended up closer to shore and died. These types of sharks are very ancient and their shape and form has changed very little from what it looked like millions of years ago.
Space Junk
Space:
"The spacefaring nations of the world are coming to the conclusion that the space debris issue has evolved from a minor nuisance to a full-blown imperative. Hundreds, if not thousands, of decision makers, engineers, managers, politicians and policy makers have focused their attention on how to deal with the fast-growing threat to operational satellites and future access to space."
"Space Traffic Management in the Earth 21st Century." Space Daily
Space Debris Management
"The spacefaring nations of the world are coming to the conclusion that the space debris issue has evolved from a minor nuisance to a full-blown imperative. Hundreds, if not thousands, of decision makers, engineers, managers, politicians and policy makers have focused their attention on how to deal with the fast-growing threat to operational satellites and future access to space."
"Space Traffic Management in the Earth 21st Century." Space Daily
Space Debris Management
Ancient Antarctica and the Origin of the Ice Sheets
Geology:
Ancient Antarctica millions of years ago supposedly looked like what the Alps look like today. There were mountains and valleys. It was only about 14 million years ago that the ice sheet covered those up.
"Many studies hint that Antarctica’s ice sheet began to form about 34 million years ago, but where that ice sheet originated and how it evolved have long been mysteries. Now, scientists who used ice-penetrating radar to survey a 30-by-30–kilometer area in East Antarctica report in the June 4 Nature that they may have discovered the birthplace of the Antarctic ice sheet.
The area surveyed during two field seasons — the Antarctic summers of 2005 and 2007 — sits more than 4 kilometers above sea level and is known as Dome A, says Simon M. Mudd, a geomorphologist at the University of Edinburgh. Buried far beneath that region’s relatively flat surface, however, lies a chain of peaks called the Gamburtsev Mountains. The new data, the first collected in the region since an aircraft-mounted radar probed the ice nearby in the 1970s, provides the first detailed glimpse at the subglacial topography there, Mudd says. “The topography here is less well known than the surface of Mars,” he notes."
"Ancient Antarctica, Before the Ice." Science News
Ancient Antarctica
Ancient Antarctica millions of years ago supposedly looked like what the Alps look like today. There were mountains and valleys. It was only about 14 million years ago that the ice sheet covered those up.
"Many studies hint that Antarctica’s ice sheet began to form about 34 million years ago, but where that ice sheet originated and how it evolved have long been mysteries. Now, scientists who used ice-penetrating radar to survey a 30-by-30–kilometer area in East Antarctica report in the June 4 Nature that they may have discovered the birthplace of the Antarctic ice sheet.
The area surveyed during two field seasons — the Antarctic summers of 2005 and 2007 — sits more than 4 kilometers above sea level and is known as Dome A, says Simon M. Mudd, a geomorphologist at the University of Edinburgh. Buried far beneath that region’s relatively flat surface, however, lies a chain of peaks called the Gamburtsev Mountains. The new data, the first collected in the region since an aircraft-mounted radar probed the ice nearby in the 1970s, provides the first detailed glimpse at the subglacial topography there, Mudd says. “The topography here is less well known than the surface of Mars,” he notes."
"Ancient Antarctica, Before the Ice." Science News
Ancient Antarctica
sobota 6. júna 2009
Berlusconi House Nakedness and Sex
News:
Photos of happenings at the Berlusconi villa have recently been leaked. After the wife of Silvio Berlusconi filed for divorce over the alleged affair of her husband with a 17-year old model (now 18) Noemi Letizia, more scandalous information has surfaced. A paparazzi took pictures of naked models frolicking in the gardens and sunning themselves next to the pool at the villa of Silvio Berlusconi. Some of the pictures leaked also include the nude photos of the former Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolanek, during his vacation at the villa. Yes, that's him, one with the pippy showing!
Photos of happenings at the Berlusconi villa have recently been leaked. After the wife of Silvio Berlusconi filed for divorce over the alleged affair of her husband with a 17-year old model (now 18) Noemi Letizia, more scandalous information has surfaced. A paparazzi took pictures of naked models frolicking in the gardens and sunning themselves next to the pool at the villa of Silvio Berlusconi. Some of the pictures leaked also include the nude photos of the former Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolanek, during his vacation at the villa. Yes, that's him, one with the pippy showing!
štvrtok 4. júna 2009
Gold mining in the Sewers!
Interesting:
So how to strike rich? Well one option is to go gold prospecting in the sewers! Seriously. In Japan, one of the sewers is literally a gold mine!
"A sewage treatment facility in Nagano prefecture, north-west of Tokyo, has reported a yield of gold extracted from sludge to rival production levels at some of the best mines in the world.
Tens of thousands of pounds worth of gold has been found at the Suwa treatment facility in the past year, with more than 1,890 grammes of gold per tonne of ash recorded from incinerated sludge. The gold yield significantly surpasses levels at Japan's Hishikari Mine, one of the world's leading gold mines, where 20 to 40 grammes of the precious metal are found per tonne of ore. "
"Japan's sewers paved with gold." The Telegraph
Gold in Sewers in Japan
So how to strike rich? Well one option is to go gold prospecting in the sewers! Seriously. In Japan, one of the sewers is literally a gold mine!
"A sewage treatment facility in Nagano prefecture, north-west of Tokyo, has reported a yield of gold extracted from sludge to rival production levels at some of the best mines in the world.
Tens of thousands of pounds worth of gold has been found at the Suwa treatment facility in the past year, with more than 1,890 grammes of gold per tonne of ash recorded from incinerated sludge. The gold yield significantly surpasses levels at Japan's Hishikari Mine, one of the world's leading gold mines, where 20 to 40 grammes of the precious metal are found per tonne of ore. "
"Japan's sewers paved with gold." The Telegraph
Gold in Sewers in Japan
nedeľa 31. mája 2009
Business in China: End of the Good Times
Business:
"The Chinese government has begun turning a cold shoulder to Western corporations hoping to cash in on its consumers. Meanwhile, corporations are paying much closer attention to the risks and hidden costs of supplying their home markets with stuff made thousands of miles away in China. None of this necessarily means an end to the extraordinarily co-dependent economic relationship that China and the U.S. in particular have built up over the past decade. But it does mean big changes."
"The End of the Big Business-China Love Affair" Time magazine
China and Big Business
"The Chinese government has begun turning a cold shoulder to Western corporations hoping to cash in on its consumers. Meanwhile, corporations are paying much closer attention to the risks and hidden costs of supplying their home markets with stuff made thousands of miles away in China. None of this necessarily means an end to the extraordinarily co-dependent economic relationship that China and the U.S. in particular have built up over the past decade. But it does mean big changes."
"The End of the Big Business-China Love Affair" Time magazine
China and Big Business
utorok 26. mája 2009
Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang
Buildings:
They have once again resumed construction on the huge pyramid shaped hotel in the middle of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Construction began in 1988, but stopped in 1992. Construction has once again been resumed in late 2008.
They have once again resumed construction on the huge pyramid shaped hotel in the middle of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Construction began in 1988, but stopped in 1992. Construction has once again been resumed in late 2008.
Interesting Posts from Blogs
BLOGS:
This is an interesting post about a stock simulator. Here instead of investing money, you can practice your stock picking skills with fake money. Once you learn how to invest, then you can go stock-picking with real money!
Stock Simulator
Post on comedians to follow on Twitter.
Comedians to Follow on Twitter
Comments by Marc Lynch(Abu Aardvark) on the recently released survey of Arab public opinion
Arab Public Opinion 2009
How to gather intelligence on the intentions of groups like Hezbollah? Spy agencies try to do it through wire-tapping, secret agents and the like, but one big source is sometimes overlooked: open-source intelligence!
Open-Source Intelligence
The Five Eras of Social Marketing. Comments by Joshua Owyang.
Five Eras of Social Marketing
Home Security Bots at Popular Science. Now you can make your home finally safe!
Home Security Bots
The Hubble Telescope always fires up the imagination. Here are some of its greatest discoveries.
Greatest Hubble Telescope Discoveries
Post on the current level of evolution within the human species.
Has Human Civilization Turbo Charged Evolution?"
This is an interesting post about a stock simulator. Here instead of investing money, you can practice your stock picking skills with fake money. Once you learn how to invest, then you can go stock-picking with real money!
Stock Simulator
Post on comedians to follow on Twitter.
Comedians to Follow on Twitter
Comments by Marc Lynch(Abu Aardvark) on the recently released survey of Arab public opinion
Arab Public Opinion 2009
How to gather intelligence on the intentions of groups like Hezbollah? Spy agencies try to do it through wire-tapping, secret agents and the like, but one big source is sometimes overlooked: open-source intelligence!
Open-Source Intelligence
The Five Eras of Social Marketing. Comments by Joshua Owyang.
Five Eras of Social Marketing
Home Security Bots at Popular Science. Now you can make your home finally safe!
Home Security Bots
The Hubble Telescope always fires up the imagination. Here are some of its greatest discoveries.
Greatest Hubble Telescope Discoveries
Post on the current level of evolution within the human species.
Has Human Civilization Turbo Charged Evolution?"
The Pirate Party in Sweden
Politics:
There is one potential new party from Sweden that could make it into the European Parliament this year. It's the Pirate Party! They have been gaining a lot of popularity lately, especially after the recent conviction of the founders of Pirate Bay, a torrent sharing site. Their platform is based around the idea of copyright law reform. In their opinion P2P sharing on the internet should be legal. This comes at a time when many media and music companies have been trying to crackdown hard on downloaders. They have enlisted the help of many politicians. For example in the recent telecoms legislation at the EU level, the French, led by Nicholas Sarkozy, had tried to make it mandatory for internet providers to cut connection to downloaders. Luckily, the EP did not pass this package.
Pirate Party
Pirate Party
There is one potential new party from Sweden that could make it into the European Parliament this year. It's the Pirate Party! They have been gaining a lot of popularity lately, especially after the recent conviction of the founders of Pirate Bay, a torrent sharing site. Their platform is based around the idea of copyright law reform. In their opinion P2P sharing on the internet should be legal. This comes at a time when many media and music companies have been trying to crackdown hard on downloaders. They have enlisted the help of many politicians. For example in the recent telecoms legislation at the EU level, the French, led by Nicholas Sarkozy, had tried to make it mandatory for internet providers to cut connection to downloaders. Luckily, the EP did not pass this package.
Pirate Party
Pirate Party
pondelok 25. mája 2009
The Most Distant Object in the Universe
Astronomy:
A NASA satellite recently snapped a picture of the most distant object in the universe discovered so far. It's located 13.1 billion light years away from Earth! Meaning the light had to travel that many years to get to our planet. So basically we are looking at the distant past.
"NASA's Swift satellite and an international team of astronomers have found a gamma-ray burst from a star that died when the universe was only 630 million years old, or less than five percent of its present age. The event, dubbed GRB 090423, is the most distant cosmic explosion ever seen."
"New Gamma-Ray Burst Smashes Cosmic Record" NASA
Most Distant Object in the Universe
A NASA satellite recently snapped a picture of the most distant object in the universe discovered so far. It's located 13.1 billion light years away from Earth! Meaning the light had to travel that many years to get to our planet. So basically we are looking at the distant past.
"NASA's Swift satellite and an international team of astronomers have found a gamma-ray burst from a star that died when the universe was only 630 million years old, or less than five percent of its present age. The event, dubbed GRB 090423, is the most distant cosmic explosion ever seen."
"New Gamma-Ray Burst Smashes Cosmic Record" NASA
Most Distant Object in the Universe
Brain Parasites spread by Cats drive Human Culture
Biology:
This is actually a serious scientific study. According to research by one scientist brain parasites spread to humans by cats shape how humans behave.
"Now, Kevin Lafferty from the University of California, Santa Barbara, has found startling evidence that a common brain parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, could be influencing human culture across the globe.
Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled brain parasite spread by cats. Our feline companions are its preferred home and only there can it mature and reproduce. So like most parasites, T.gondii has a complex life cycle designed to get it into its final host."
"Brain parasite drives human culture" NotExactlyRocketScience
Brain parasite drives human culture
This is actually a serious scientific study. According to research by one scientist brain parasites spread to humans by cats shape how humans behave.
"Now, Kevin Lafferty from the University of California, Santa Barbara, has found startling evidence that a common brain parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, could be influencing human culture across the globe.
Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled brain parasite spread by cats. Our feline companions are its preferred home and only there can it mature and reproduce. So like most parasites, T.gondii has a complex life cycle designed to get it into its final host."
"Brain parasite drives human culture" NotExactlyRocketScience
Brain parasite drives human culture
AI is Coming!
Robotics/Computer Science:
Researchers in artificial intelligence aim to create machines that think. Science is still at its early stage on this path and nowhere close to designing machines that are self-aware or robots like seen in science-fiction movies. As Michio Kaku puts it: "the smartest machines today are about as smart as cock-roaches." However, there has been some amazing progress. A machine was able to beat the world's best chess player at chess and many machines can perform actions that were impossible not that long ago, such as walk up and down stairs or dance.
"The concept of ultrasmart computers--machines with "greater than human intelligence"--was dubbed "The Singularity" in a 1993 paper by the computer scientist and science fiction writer Vernor Vinge. He argued that the acceleration of technological progress had led to "the edge of change comparable to the rise of human life on Earth." This thesis has long struck a chord here in Silicon Valley.
Artificial intelligence is already used to automate and replace some human functions with computer-driven machines. These machines can see and hear, respond to questions, learn, draw inferences and solve problems. But for the Singulatarians, A.I. refers to machines that will be both self-aware and superhuman in their intelligence, and capable of designing better computers and robots faster than humans can today. Such a shift, they say, would lead to a vast acceleration in technological improvements of all kinds."
"The Coming Superbrain" The New York Times via CNET
The Coming Superbrain
Will the Machines take over?
Missing Link in the Evolution of Apes and Humans Found
Anthropology:
Scientist on a dig in Germany discovered a 47 million-year old fossil of an ancient primate. Some have called it the "Missing Link" as it is probably located at one of primate evolution's turning points, when the ancestors of monkeys and apes split off from the line that also included lemurs. Click on the link below!
"Missing Link Found: New Fossil Links Humans, Lemurs?" National Geographic
Missing Link
Will the Apes take over?
sobota 23. mája 2009
štvrtok 21. mája 2009
Hot Cars
Hot Cars
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
Car hotness means how the car looks overall (the exterior). Car coolness means how smooth the ride is (and the features).
streda 20. mája 2009
Alternative Energy and the Future of the World
Hydrogen Economy:
The current addiction of the world economy to fossil fuels is unsustainable in the long-run. Fossil fuels are a finite resource and will run out. Currently we can see that most of the easy to get to oil fields are getting depleted and oil companies have to drill in harder to reach places to get more oil. This of course brings the oil prices up, as it is rentable to drill in those places if the prices of oil are high. Plus fossil fuels are dirty and contribute to global warming. That's why the world needs alternatives. One long-run possibility that is being discussed is to replace the hydrocarbon economy (fossil fuels) with a hydrogen economy. In a hydrogen economy, things such as cars would run on fuel cells powered by hydrogen, houses and the entire economy would be powered by hydrogen. Hydrogen is not a primary energy source, but instead an energy carrier. Hydrogen will give off energy, when it is combined with oxygen. The problem with this is that in order for this to happen, some other type of energy needs to be used first. At the moment this is very expensive. However scientists are trying to find way to bring this about, for example by using alternative energies. Maybe when the price of alternative energies such as solar power will come down enough, then a hydrogen economy might be more rentable.
"Why we need the solar-hydrogen economy now" Hydrogen Now
Solar-Hydrogen Economy
"How the Hydrogen Economy Works" HowStuffWorks
How the Hydrogen Economy Works
Alternative Energy:
There is an interesting proposal on how Europe could generate its power in the future. North Africa and the Middle East are full of desert and sunlight, ideal places for solar energy. There is a plan that in the future that area would be dotted by concentrated solar power stations. These would then bring the electricty through undersea cables to Europe.
"How Africa's desert sun can bring Europe power" The Guardian
CSP in the desert plan
Desertec
Desertec
utorok 19. mája 2009
Multiverse
Physics:
Multiverse: Multiverse theory states that our universe is just one of many universes. Imagine if you could go back and redo some decision that you had made in the past. According to multiverse theory, there probably is a universe where you made the decision differently. "You" in one dimension could be a millionaire, in another a sports star, in another a bum living under a bridge and in some not exist at all! Under the premise of multiverse theory, the universe divides at each quantum decision. So each second just by waving your hand you're creating millions of new universes!
"How to map the multiverse" New Scientist
How to map the Multiverse
Social Media:
We have entered the era of social media. Social media basically means content created by people. This can be anything such as forums, blogs (by writing a blog you're participating in social media!), wikis and all types of other things. Big social media platforms have emerged such as facebook, where you can create your profile and stay connected to your friends, twitter, where you post micro-comments, or youtube, where you can post your own videos. All this means that user-generated content is becoming dominant over traditional media on the internet such as newspapers or static webpages. This could mean a revolution in ways how our society is organized, how we buy products and how these products are sold. Social media is changing fast. A few years ago, things such as facebook didn't exist and now many people cannot stay connected to their friends without it. The future will bring new ways of using social media.
"The Future of Social Media" Social Media Explorer blog
The Future of Social Media
Social Media/ Government:
The advent of social media could mean a new relationship between the people and their governments. It is impossible to control the internet and it has emerged as the primary source of news and information for many people. Traditionally the government has been in many ways disconnected from the people. Even in democratic societies it was very hard to comment on legislation and control what the government is doing. In many ways this disconnect resulted in democratic deficits. However social media could mean a new way of tracking what is being done by the government and the legislators and even greater individual citizen participation in the drafting and commenting on legislation. There is an interesting website, which tracks what bills are being discussed and passed in the US Congress. People can write their opinions on those bills, make suggestions on improvements or comment on how these bills could impact everyday life.
Open Congress
Open Congress
Business:
The business world is quickly changing and there are different ways to approach it. Several top business professors keep blogs with their comments on the current economic situation, their theories on different aspects of business and on many other things such as strategy.
Top 50 Business Professor Blogs
Business Professor Blogs
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