World-Wide News Links

The human brain is not that special

2010-05-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

Biology:
"A British-led study has found striking similarities among the human brain, the nervous system of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans and computer chips. A team of U.K., U.S. and German neuroscientists and computer experts led by University of Cambridge Professor Edward Bullmore compared the way the systems are organized and found all three have the same networking principles. The researchers said they found all three share two basic properties: All have the same architecture, with the same patterns repeating at different scales; and all show what's known as Rentian scaling -- a rule used to describe the relationship between the number of elements in a given area and the number of links between them."

"Study: The human brain may not be special." Space Daily
The human brain may not be special

Astronomy:
"Josh Emery, research assistant professor with the earth and planetary sciences department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has found evidence of water ice and organic material on the asteroid 24 Themis. This evidence supports the idea that asteroids could be responsible for bringing water and organic material to Earth."

"Scientists find evidence of water ice on asteroid's surface." Space Daily
Water ice on asteroid

Energy:
"Two trends are emerging for future renewable electricity. In the first, local solar, wind or biomass plants will produce more energy for small communities or single homes. In the second, large amounts of electricity will be generated by solar power stations in desert areas or extensive offshore wind farms, and delivered over long distances to densely populated areas. But how can electrical power be delivered over long distances without large losses? The solution to this problem is direct current. When electrical power at voltages from 100,000 to 1,000,000 volts is routed through high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission cables, energy losses are significantly reduced."

"How is electrical power carried across the sea." Space Daily
Electrical power transmission across the sea

Orangutan Magic Show!

2010-04-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Sun - Solar Flare

2010-04-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Astronomy:
"Soon after the instruments opened their doors, the Sun began performing for SDO with this beautiful prominence eruption. This AIA data is from March 30, 2010, showing a wavelength band that is centered around 304 �. This extreme ultraviolet emission line is from singly ionized Helium, or He II, and corresponds to a temperature of approx. 50,000 degrees Celsius."

Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupting

2010-04-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Geology:
A volcano eruption (Eyjafjallajökull) in Iceland has been causing a lot of havoc in the Northern Hemisphere in the past week, especially in Europe. It has grounded flights all across the continent and many people are stuck and can't get back home or to their destination. The interesting thing is that flights can get off in the main Iceland airports, since the ash is being carried south and the main airport for example in Keflavik is located more to the north. The last time the volcano erupted in the 19th century, it continued on erupting for more than two years from 1821 to 1823.

Secret rivers in Antarctica

2010-04-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

Biology/Geology:
Antarctica is an interesting continent. Once, millions of years ago, it actually had a lush landscape. However now most of it is a frozen wasteland of ice. Under the ice is a different story though. There are lakes and rivers flowing and they might even contain life.

"Antarctica's buried lakes are connected by a network of rivers moving water far beneath the surface, say UK scientists. It was thought the sub-glacial lakes had been completely sealed for millions of years, enabling unique species to evolve in them. Writing in the journal Nature, experts say international plans to drill into the lakes may now have to be reviewed. Any attempts to drill into one body of water risks contaminating others.

"What this paper shows is that not only could you contaminate a lake, you could contaminate the whole drainage system," lead author Duncan Wingham, of University College London, told the BBC News website."

"Secret rivers found in Antarctica." BBC News
Secret rivers in Antarctica

Czecho-Slovakia national anthem

2010-04-11T04:07:00.001-07:00

Soviet Union anthem

2010-04-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

European Union Concours for Administrators

2010-04-11T03:41:00.000-07:00

There are actually some resources on the web for people trying to pass the concours for the European Union. Here's a webpage with discussions.

"So I won't be a Commission official." Jon Worth Blog
So I won't be a Commission official

How to become a European Commission official

2010-04-10T10:56:00.001-07:00

The European Commission is a pretty powerful body and a job there, especially at the administrator level is a pretty prestigious thing. However it's also hard to get. To get on the reserve list (basically a waiting list) you have to pass through 3 rounds of exams. After each round a large number of the applicants are eliminated.

The first round was a computer round, where you did 3 tests: a test on EU knowledge, verbal test and a numerical test. (in your main foreign language: English, French, German) Then the second round is a grueling 6 hour marathon, where you do written tests on your specialty. So if you're applying as an economist, you do the test on economics. You do a test on economics theory and then write essays on economics topis, one in your foreign language and one in your native language. The third round is an oral interview with a panel of interviewers and they can ask you all kinds of questions from basic CV and personal history questions, to questions about the EU or economics theory (if applying as an economist).

And then if you pass that then you are on the reserve list. So by passing the tests it's all smooth sailing to a job? Not exactly, you can be on the reserve list for years and aren't guaranteed a job and even if they call you for an interview, you still have to compete for the position with a large group of other applicants.

They are now reforming this system and are going to set up a new system. Hopefully they will still renew the old reserve lists as there are still many people on them.

"EU to speed up recruitment in global 'war for talent'." Euractiv
EU to speed up recruitment

Undersea volcano eruption

2010-04-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Mickey Mouse

2010-04-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Mickey Mouse appeared first in this cartoon, Plane Crazy on 15 May 1928.

The first Mickey Mouse cartoon with sound was Steamboat Willie, which appeared on 18 November, 1928.

And the very first cartoon where Mickey Mouse actually spoke was Karnival Kid from 1929.

Kruger National Park

2010-04-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Travel:

Kruger National Park is probably one of the best known areas of South Africa. It's at the total east of the country on the border with Mozambique. (the park is actually joined by a similar park on the Mozambican side of the border; but it's nature, borders are artificial) There are hundreds of kilometers of roads, paved or unpaved throughout the park on which you can cruise in your vehicle and try to spot some animals. Sometimes you're lucky and see different types of animals all the time and sometimes you can drive for hours without seeing anything. The most common animals you'll see are the different types of antilopes, but you can usually also come across elephants, giraffes, rhinos and sometimes even lions or hyenas. There are many and many different types of animals there...

Washing Machine for Dogs!

2010-04-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

What will people come up with next? A washing machine for dogs! The Japanese have come up with another cooky idea! A washing machine for dogs! Seriously

"Washing machine for dogs." BBC News
Washing machine for dogs

Another new human species might have co-existed with modern humans

2010-04-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

Denisova Cave, where the bones were found

Paleontology:
And a new find in Siberia. Supposedly another human species co-existed with modern humans just a few tens of thousands of years ago.

""Scientists have identified a previously unknown type of ancient human through analysis of DNA from a finger bone unearthed in a Siberian cave.
The extinct "hominin" (human-like creature) lived in Central Asia between 48,000 and 30,000 years ago.
An international team has sequenced genetic material from the fossil showing that it is distinct from that of Neanderthals and modern humans.
Details of the find, dubbed "X-woman", have been published in Nature journal.
Ornaments were found in the same ground layer as the finger bone, including a bracelet.""

"DNA identifies new ancient human dubbed 'X-woman'" BBC News
New human species

Homo Floresiensis

2010-04-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Paleontology:

Human evolution is a fascinating topic. Until recently it has been thought that the last two species of humans to co-exist were the Neanderthals and modern humans. The last Neanderthals probably died out 28 thousand years ago, after having co-existed with Homo Sapiens Sapiens, or modern humans, our ancestors, for thousands of years. However recently there have been some exciting discoveries. One of the most exciting has been the discovery of a potentially new human species, that possibly survived on a remote Indonesian island, Flores, until 12 thousand years ago and maybe later!

Homo Floresiensis skull

"New evidence has emerged to show that an extinct, diminutive people known as "hobbits" from the Indonesian island of Flores belonged to a new species of primitive humans and not modern pygmies.
The 1 metre (3ft) tall, 30kg (65lb) people are believed to have roamed the Indonesian island of Flores, perhaps up to 8,000 years ago.
The new anatomical evidence, reported in today's Nature magazine, is based on the examination of lower limbs and especially an almost complete left foot and parts of the right. It shows that the species walked upright, like other known hominids, and there were five toes, as in other primates, but the big toe was stubby, more like a chimp's.
Controversy has been rife ever since the discovery of the species, formally named Homo floresiensis, was announced in 2004. The single skull was unusually small, indicating its brain was no bigger than a chimpanzee's. Some scientists argued that the species was nothing more than modern pygmy humans deformed by genetic or pathological disorders.
But in light of the new evidence, scientists believe it is unlikely that traits such as the small brain, primitive shoulders and wrists as previously reported "were simply a consequence of 'island dwarfing'.""
"Indonesian 'hobbits' were distinct species, say researchers." The Guardian
Homo Floresiensis a new species of ancient human

Mars 500

2010-04-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Space:

New wave of reality show is upon us! Now a bunch of people will spend 500 days locked in a small room in Russia to simulate a voyage to Mars. Imagine the boredom!

"The Mars500 facility, which is located on the IBMP site in Moscow, comprises four sealed interconnected modules. The total interior volume is about 550 cubic metres. There are no windows. The walls in the living quarters have been covered with a wooden panelling to make them feel slightly less austere. Another module holds the Red Planet landscape. Looking after the participants' needs will be a mission control-room sited just outside the containers. But the experiment's designers are determined to make the training exercise as realistic as possible, so they will introduce a time delay in communications after two months. Because it can take about 20 minutes for a message to travel from Mars to Earth, it will take this amount of time in the simulation, also."

"Cosmonauts ready for Mars test." BBC News
Mars flight simulation

Gorillas learn sign language for communication

2010-04-04T03:50:00.000-07:00

Biology:
Some researchers have taught some of the great apes to communicate! They can't reproduce sounds, but they do know a lot of signs in sign language.

Self-recognition in apes:

Weird Fruit

2010-04-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

160 Greatest Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie Quotes

2010-04-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Large Hadron Collider Experiment Live!

2010-04-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Physics:
The Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland does some pretty cool experiments. They recently had a webcast of one of their experiments. (30 March 2010)

"The first high-energy collisions were achieved at 13.06 today at all four points of the LHC ring. Collisions occurred after a few attempts at injecting and ramping beams in the morning. Before the collisions, there was a mixture of excitement, expectation, fear and apprehension in the CERN Control Centre. Nobody had ever attempted to make two proton beams collide at 3.5 TeV before. Only Nature produces collisions like this routinely, in the processes that yield cosmic radiation, but in a way that makes it very difficult to extract meaningful data."

"LHC First Physics : First collisions in the LHC's experiments, afternoon of March the 30th, 2010." Large Hadron Collider
Large Hadron Collider Experiment Video

Here's a short tour and description of the LHC.

"The Large Hadron Collider Introduction." Large Hadron Collider
Large Hadron Collider Introduction

Land Rover climbs the highest mountain in Europe

2009-11-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

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

North Korean Beer Commercial

2009-07-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Tornadoes

2009-06-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Weather:
Tornado in Kansas

Tornado in Oklahoma

Below Antarctica

2009-06-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

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

Ancient Microbe Comes Back To Life

2009-06-15T13:10:00.001-07:00

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

Speeding up brain network might boost IQ

2009-06-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

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

Guy catches air-to-air guided missile

2009-06-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

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

George W. Bush Funny Moments

2009-06-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

Robot Scientist

2009-06-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

Robotics:
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

2009-06-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

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

Parrot dances to the Backstreet Boys

2009-06-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

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!

Deep-Sea Frilled Shark

2009-06-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Space Junk

2009-06-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

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

Ancient Antarctica and the Origin of the Ice Sheets

2009-06-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

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

Berlusconi House Nakedness and Sex

2009-06-06T04:51:00.000-07:00

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!

Gold mining in the Sewers!

2009-06-04T10:54:00.001-07:00

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

Monkey reacts to Cheating!

2009-05-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

Monkeys hate Cheating!

Business in China: End of the Good Times

2009-05-31T03:46:00.000-07:00

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

Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang

2009-05-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

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.

Interesting Posts from Blogs

2009-05-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

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?"

The Pirate Party in Sweden

2009-05-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

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

The Most Distant Object in the Universe

2009-05-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

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

Brain Parasites spread by Cats drive Human Culture

2009-05-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

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

AI is Coming!

2009-05-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

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?

Fristajlo!

2009-05-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

From the Kazakhstan Superstar (Idol)! Borat move over!

Hot Cars

2009-05-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hot Cars
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).

Alternative Energy and the Future of the World

2009-05-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

Multiverse

2009-05-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

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