View source for Older Interesting Things

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[[Older Interesting Things]]

My blog on idiosyncratically interesting things...
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==== free streaming documentaries ====
while surfing for the Watson AI video, stumbled across a nice streaming documentary site, that organizes videos mostly from youtube: [http://documentarystorm.com/ DocumentaryStorm]

==== an AI milestone ====
the "AI" system [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watson_(artificial_intelligence_software) Watson] created by researchers at IBM and several universities, that won the [http://documentarystorm.com/science-tech/smartest-machine-on-earth ''Jeopardy!'' TV game show], is the first example seen (observing since the 1970s) of a computer system that made me go, "wow, finally getting somewhere interesting with AI research." will be fascinating to see how the "deep QA" ideas applied in Watson are put to practical use.

==== never too old ====
good for [http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/02/i-am-a-90-year-old-bodybuilder him]!

==== coach potato marathon mouse ====
slim, healthy, super fit endurance athlete body -- not by exercising, but by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AICA_ribonucleotide AICAR]? 

salk institute researchers discovered that a key dynamic of slow-twitch muscle endurance exercise (e.g., jogging) is that it triggers the development of more mitochondria that burn fat. and AICAR stimulates this same biochemical process, stimulating the creation of more slow-twitch muscles and fat-burning mitochondria. they did an experiment with mice that were sedentary for months, but fed AICAR daily. the first noteworthy thing was that the coach-potato mice remained slim and healthy looking. and then, without any prior exercise or training, the coach potato mice were put in a high-endurance marathon tread mill run -- and were immediately a champion "marathon mice" that could exercise for a long.

as the researchers point out, this drug could be useful for old people or others who are temporarily bed ridden and quickly losing muscle tone. 

==== where did i leave my walking shoes? ====
a recent study published in [http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/3017 PNAS] showed that 40 minutes 3 times per week (for 1 year) of brisk walking (an aerobic activity) for a group of (prior-sedentary) seniors increased hippocampal and medial temporal lobe volumes by 2%, and was concomitantly associated with improved cognitive/memory function. OTOH, a matched group that only did stretching exercises degraded. 

==== e-eyes ====
interesting for bifocal or progressive glass lens wearers: the introduction of dynamic electronic focusing lens, [http://www.pixeloptics.com/index.html emPower]. the technology is described as "the single most significant advancement in prescription eyewear in the last 50 years" -- that might be true. 

==== fists of fury? ====
a [http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-10-clenching-muscles-willpower.html study] published in ''journal of consumer research'' showed that clenching muscles (such as a fist) was associated with increased self-control, such as resisting your third helping of chocolate mousse. To quote: ''Participants who were instructed to tighten their muscles, regardless of which muscles they tightened—hand, finger, calf, or biceps—while trying to exert self-control demonstrated greater ability to withstand the pain, consume the unpleasant medicine, attend to the immediately disturbing but essential information, or overcome tempting foods.''

==== Thacker -- Turing award ====
another PARC alumni (in addition to Alan Kay and Butler Lampson) has won the Turing award. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_P._Thacker Charles Thacker] has won for the creation of the modern vision of the personal computer (the Xerox Alto) plus Ethernet and the laser printer.

==== that can't be fake ====
when i first saw [http://www.vimeo.com/7809605 this] CGI video, i had trouble believing it was all pure CGI. but it is, created with [http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=13567410 3dsmax], [http://www.chaosgroup.com/en/2/index.html Vray], [http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects/ AfterEffects], and [http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/ Premiere]. [http://vimeo.com/8200251 here is] a related video of the underlying compositing breakdown.

==== Lamarck was actually (sort of) right ====
important trend in inheritance and genetics science...  [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics#Epigenetic_effects_in_humans transgenerational epigenetics] and genomic imprinting. The upshot is that DNA is not the only factor in genetics and inheritance. ''Genomic imprinting is an inheritance process independent of the classical Mendelian inheritance''. Briefly, without changing the content of the DNA, the on/off expression of genes can be altered by a wide variety of environmental factors. The two major factors that control that gene expression are DNA methylation and histone modifications (think of them as surface control switches on the outside of the DNA, in the critically important mis-named "junk DNA" regions, although that is not literally true). This modification of gene expression in response to environmental factors (such as toxin exposure or starving) has been known for quite some time. BUT it was assumed that these modifications were NOT inherited to children. Wrong.

Now, a slew of solid data shows that the genomic imprinting in a parent in response to an environmental factor can be inherited on to the children -- the imprinting survives DNA replication (transcription). 

For example, to quote Wikipedia in one of the most well-known studies:

''Marcus Pembrey and colleagues also observed that the paternal (but not maternal) grandsons of Swedish boys who were exposed during preadolescence to famine in the 19th century were less likely to die of cardiovascular disease; if food was plentiful then diabetes mortality in the grandchildren increased, suggesting that this was a transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. The opposite effect was observed for females -- the paternal (but not maternal) granddaughters of women who experienced famine while in the womb (and their eggs were being formed) lived shorter lives on average.''

When does a potential parent create the conditions to pass on environmentally imprinted epigenetics? 

In the case of human females, it is when they are themselves in utero and their eggs are forming. If pregnant mom ''Jill'' is starving, this can cause imprinting onto the surface of the DNA of newly-forming eggs in her female in utero baby ''Jane''. When Jane grows up and gets pregnant, her egg's DNA still has the imprinting. When her child Bob is born, his DNA carries this imprinting. 

In the case of human males, the environmental factor must happen to the male shortly before puberty, just before the onset of spermatogenesis.

Lamarck was wrong in the sense that the causal factor of imprinting (e.g., famine) does not mean successors are skinny (or whatever). A successor may have a higher incidence of bladder cancer (or whatever). 

But, nevertheless, we now know that Lamarck's idea carried a germ of truth, and this is perhaps a paradigm shift in our thinking about personal behavior, the quality of our environment, and our future generations: ''We are guardians of our genetics for successors. By our actions or environment there is a chance our future generations will experience some consequence.''

==== ikebana ====
[[image:ikebana.jpg|320 px]]
my girlfriend albertina makes beautiful ikebana flower arrangements. here's an example. 

==== plop ====
[[image:oil.jpg|320 px]]
more beautiful images [http://www.sciam.com/includes/gallery_pop.cfm?file=721D7D3A-E7F2-99DF-34810694D5886C2A here].

==== Perl versus Life ====
[http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/06/176226 Craig Venter] has announced that his team have created, for the first time, a synthetic chromosome from lab chemicals. To quote Ventor, "We are going from reading our genetic code to the ability to write it." commenting on that quote, someone at slashdot wrote, "at least it is easier to read than Perl."

==== skycar ====
[[image:Moller-skycar.jpg|320 px]]

i guess like a lot of kids, the idea of a flying car caught my imagination. [http://www.moller.com/skyc.htm the moller skycar] is getting us close.

==== man of plastic ====
[http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6084 Plastic as strong as steel] based on nanotech. Interesting implications for vehicles, protection. To quote: "The scientists solved a problem that has confounded engineers and scientists for decades: Individual nano-size building blocks such as nanotubes, nanosheets and nanorods are ultrastrong. But larger materials made out of bonded nano-size building blocks were comparatively weak. Until now.

'When you tried to build something you can hold in your arms, scientists had difficulties transferring the strength of individual nanosheets or nanotubes to the entire material," Kotov said. "We've demonstrated that one can achieve almost ideal transfer of stress between nanosheets and a polymer matrix.'

The researchers created this new composite plastic with a machine they developed that builds materials one nanoscale layer after another.

The robotic machine consists of an arm that hovers over a wheel of vials of different liquids. In this case, the arm held a piece of glass about the size of a stick of gum on which it built the new material. The arm dipped the glass into the glue-like polymer solution and then into a liquid that was a dispersion of clay nanosheets. After those layers dried, the process repeated. It took 300 layers of each the glue-like polymer and the clay nanosheets to create a piece of this material as thick as a piece of plastic wrap."

==== bird brains ====
Recent [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070926140836.htm research] suggests that birds 'see' magnetic fields. Studies investigating what parts of a migratory bird´s brain are active when the birds use their magnetic compass showed that the cryptochrome-containing neurons in the eye and a forebrain region are highly active during processing of magnetic compass information in migratory birds.

==== causal loops and systems dynamics ====
Many of the groups I serve with don't have a concrete tool to explore and discuss what's going on in their organizations, in terms of the dynamics of the system. Most of us have been well-trained in '''details''' analysis and management, but not '''dynamics''' analysis. Getting together at a whiteboard and sketching causal loop diagrams can help. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_loop_diagram see].

[[image:causal-loop-1.jpg|320 px]]

==== don quixote ====
i've been reading Cervantes' Don Quixote, downloaded from the [http://www.gutenberg.org Project Gutenberg] site of many free older books. The translator's notes are a fascinating insight into the historical context of his critical parody. Translated with skill, Cervantes is revealed as an exquisitely gifted writer. He can shape a character rich with implication in few sentences. Don't miss this wonderful classic story.

==== wave particles ====            
Even after all these years, the strange nature of reality and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave-particle_duality wave-particle duality],
as illustrated in the 2-slit experiment, remains amazing. Its not
really “particles” down there... both "waves" and "particles" are just
metaphors for a quantum micro-level reality that doesn't conform to our
intuitions of how the macro-level world works.
            
==== baby boys ====            
I found this fascinating: Did you know that after World War I, after so
many million males had been killed, that for some time women in the
related countries gave birth to significantly more males than females?
As though nature had a way to re-balance. How could that work? Recent
research (I can't find the link now...) shows that women are less
likely to give birth to males when there is stress, probably because
males were more of an evolutionary risk (more likely to get killed).
The relationship to the WWI story doesn't make sense yet, but broadly
it suggests links between a women's perception of the environment and
sex selection.
           
==== green ====           
Green tea seems to be ridiculously good for you. A [http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7776384%255E1702,00.html recent] study showed strong results that drinking it reduced the risk of prostate
cancer in men by 2/3! That is an extraordinarily strong effect. A key
active chemical is Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) and there is now [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3257237.stm evidence] EGCG
stops HIV binding to cells. A variety of [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3125469.stm studies] show
it is correlated with lower rates of various cancers, reduces the risk
of rheumatoid arthritis and lowers cholesterol levels. 
             
==== alpha-lipoic acid ====            
In addition to research showing that taking acetyl-L-carnitine and
alpha-lipoic acid is associated with improved cognitive function, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3145223.stm new research]
shows that the protein creatine (used by body builders) is associated
with improved memory and intelligence. 

==== beauty ====
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/sci_nat_visions_of_science_/html/1.stm Visions] of our world.

[[image:paperclip.jpg|320 px]]

==== prostrate ====
If you care about prostate cancer, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4284382.stm new research] suggests you should drink pomegranate juice or eat the fruit. 

==== legacy code ====
Lots of my clients have masses of legacy code (usually C), with questions about how to apply test-driven development with it, refactor it, and so forth. I recommend [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0131177052/qid=1128077868/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-3875534-8020161?v=glance&amp;s=books Working Effectively with Legacy Code] by Michael Feathers. 

==== Kay gets Turing ====
In the 1980s I used to develop in Smalltalk (Ruby folks -- nothing really new in Ruby). I've always been a huge fan of [http://www.smalltalk.org/alankay.html Alan Kay], a seminal
figure in computer science, and along with [http://www.squeakland.org/community/biography/ingalls.html Dan Ingalls], the creator of Smalltalk, which influenced me deeply. Kay
won the highest award in computer science, the [http://www.acm.org/awards/taward.html Turing Award] in 2003 (and the Kyoto prize); here's a [http://www.cs.uni.edu/%7Ewallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2004-11.html#e2004-11-06T21_03_42.htm summary] of his speech. 

==== organic ====           
For 30 years, I've bought organic produce when it's relatively
affordable. Not for my own health (though a study of pesticides and
antibiotics in traditional farming should give pause for thought), but
rather to support organic farmers, as I've felt (without strong
evidence) that it's just a better, sustainable approach. Now a
recent study from Oxford indicates it's also better for biodiversity.
To  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4740609.stm quote]: "The
organic farms were found to contain 85% more plant species, 33% more
bats, 17% more spiders and 5% more birds."

==== what did you say? ====            
Senility finally kicking in? Eat Indian food. Here’s [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1668000/1668932.stm why]. Dont forget.

==== wonderful ====
This is a  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4511511.stm wonderful]
story.
            
==== java pathfinder ====            
Are you involved with a Java-based multithreaded highly-concurrent
application (e.g., servers, telecomm switches)? If so, you know that
testing for bugs related to concurrency (e.g., deadlock) is HARD. NASA
has a solution. They have just released as OSS a cool and sophisticated
testing tool,  [http://javapathfinder.sourceforge.net Java Pathfinder], that they have built and used for years (yes, NASA uses
Java, including on the Mars rovers). Pathfinder is special JVM that
systematically explores all potential execution paths of a program to
find violations of properties like deadlocks or unhandled exceptions.
This is difficult, powerful testing, so tell your friends.
            
==== babies ====            
Earlier I wrote about the interesting fact that women after WW I gave
birth to more females than males, but scientists didn't if it occured
at conception or by miscarriages. Now we have more clues. After the
9/11 attack, a similar pattern arose in the USA, and researchers have
discovered that the difference is not in sex variations at conception,
but a greater rate of miscarriages of males when the mother is in a
stressed environment, presumably because males are worse best for the
tribe. 
            
==== acupuncture ====            
An example of well-crafted careful experiments to show if an
alternative medical
therapy works, in this case accupuncture. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4493011.stm Is it] just a
placebo effect, or something more? 

==== exploding toads ====            
Some stories just beg to be read: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4486247.stm Mystery] of German
exploding toads. ... (update) News flash: [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_30-4-2005_pg9_3 Mystery] solved.
            
==== suspended mice ====             
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4469793.stm This] story didn't get major attention, but I predict it will if it works on
humans: Scientists have, for the first time, achieved a state of near
suspended animation in mice, using air laced with 80 parts per million
of hydrogen sulphide. Huge implications for space travel, medical
delays, parents of teenagers, ...
            
==== savant ====            
Some things really inspire my sense of wonder and beauty and mystery in
this universe: wave-particule duality in quantum physics, high heels,
and extraordinary
savant mental abilities, as in the case of  [http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,1409903,00.html Daniel Tammet].  Like some other autistic savants, he can do amazing
feats: recall Pi to 22,514 digits, multiply ridiculously large numbers
in an instant, speak 7 languages... What is unique about Mr. Tammet is
that he is the only autistic that can clearly describe his inner mental
processes, and this gives us a window onto other dimensions of mind.
There are several fascinating aspects of his story. One is that his
powers arose after a head injury and then the onset of epilepsy.
Obviously it suggests that different parts of the brain had to become
engaged in "math" for example, but in ways most of us can't fathom. To
quote: “Since his epileptic fit, he
has been able to see numbers as shapes, colours and textures. The
number two, for instance, is a motion, and five is a clap of thunder.
"When I multiply numbers together, I see two shapes. The image starts
to change and evolve, and a third shape emerges. That's the answer.
It's mental imagery. It's like maths without having to think.” I
think his injury+change story suggests we all have potential for such
radically different mental behaviors. But more deeply, the wonder for
me is that it's so "outside of the box" compared to how i do math and
hints at profound wonders in our minds. It is not impossible to imagine
that scientists will someday unlock a way to such
transformations--without having to hit our heads against the wall.
            
==== dbc ====            
[http://archive.eiffel.com/doc/manuals/technology/contract/ Design-by-contract]
(DBC) is worth knowing, especially for safety-critical and
fault-tolerant applications. Although commonly associated with the
Eiffel OO language and Bertrand Meyer, the roots are much older. They
start with another Bertrand--Bertrand Russells “Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy”,
which introduced the great [http://research.microsoft.com/%7Ethoare/ Dr. Tony Hoare] to the idea of axiomatic theory and assertions (pre- and post-conditions)
while he was developing an ALGOL-60 compiler in the 1960s. In 1974 at
the IBM Lab in Vienna a PL/1 compiler was being developed, and the
researchers desired an unambiguous formal specification of the
language. Out of this need VD, the Vienna Definition Language, was born
by Peter Lucas. VDL borrowed the pre- and post-condition assertion form
earlier explored by Hoare and Russel. Various solutions have been
created for Java, and i'm intrigued by a recent, elegant OSS solution: [http://www.contract4j.org/ Contract4J], that uses Java 5
attributes and AspectJ behind the scenes.
            
==== mad scientists ====            
The USA military is moving seriously closer
to using [http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/10930585.htm fighting]
robots. And of course, in what could be a quote straight out of a
science-fiction movie on robots-gone-mad: “They dont get hungry,” said Gordon
Johnson of the Pentagons Joint Forces Command. “Theyre not afraid.
They don't forget their orders. They don't care if the guy next to them
has just been shot. Will they do a better job than humans? Yes.” The first generation are just remote-controlled, but surely it is only a matter of time before autonomous robots
are used. I feel that when  [http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/051297weber.html Deep] Blue beat Kasparov in 1997, it was a computing milestone; and when
the first autonomous robot kills a human, it will be another (sad)
milestone. 
            
==== grey matter in women ====            
Interesting [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050121100142.htm story]:
Research shows that men have 6.5 times more grey matter (we can call it
'processing' matter) in the brain than women related to general
intelligence, while women have 10 times more 'white' matter
(connections and networking of the grey matter) than men. Both sexes
have equal general intelligence levels, showing that alternate
architectures can lead to similar capacity. Of course, the parallel to
electronic computing is clear. 

==== statistical diets ====            
Recent diet [http://www.pcrm.org/news/archive050105.html study]: Four
popular diets were tested/comparied with four random groups over two
years: Ornish (a relatively low-fat vegetarian diet), Atkins (a
relatively high-fat, high-protein diet), Weight Watchers, and the
Zone diet. Conclusions? One key conclusion was relevant to software
practices: More influential in losing weight than the particular diet
was simply sticking to it. Diet
results? Ornish dieters had the best results in terms of
losing weight (3.3kg), and Atkins the worst (2.1kg); Likewise for
lowering "bad" LDL cholesteral: Ornish dropped 12.6%, but Atkins 7.1%.
            
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==== left gazing face bias -- humans ''and dogs'' ====
did you know that when people look at a face their eyes tend to shift left, viewing the person's right side of face? this left-gaze bias only exists when viewing human faces, not any other object. scientists speculate that the right side of the face (fact: faces are asymmetrical) is better at transparently expressing emotional state.

now, researchers at [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3354028/Dogs-can-read-emotion-in-human-faces.html the University of Lincoln] have discovered that ''dogs'' do this too -- and only when looking at humans. there is a growing body of research that dogs have evolved specific behaviors only for successful interaction with humans, essentially unique among the animal world. 

the pbs science show nova has an interesting show, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/dogs-decoded.html Dogs Decoded], that explores this. one can purchase it at Apple iTunes store.

==== 25 jazz greats ====
an interesting list of [http://matadornetwork.com/nights/25-essential-jazz-albums/ 25 essential jazz albums], with commentary. includes great works such as coltrane's ''a love supreme'', and a personal favorite from 1963, ''getz/gilberto''. 

==== Simple Suppers on the Tor network and cross-platform UIs ====
if you like cooking, and want good *fast* recipes, the UK's "channel 4" maintains a [http://www.channel4.com/4food great collection] (and associated cooking TV or online videos shows) of quick and simple recipes from Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall. also, check out nigel slater's [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vt10m Simple Suppers] at BBC.

if not in the UK and the video content is blocked online, look at [https://www.torproject.org/projects/vidalia.html.en vidalia] and [https://www.torproject.org/ the tor network] to get around the blocks. btw, the UI of vidalia is done with the open-source cross-platform [http://qt.nokia.com/ Qt framework] originally created by two creative norwegian developers, Haavard Nord and Eirik Chambe-Eng (Trolltech); Qt is also used for Skype, Google Earth, and many other applications.

==== sweet for heat ====
not merely a folk remedy belief, there is solid evidence that treating non-major burns with honey is indeed effective. a [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/health/19real.html meta-study] looked at over 12 previous studies, and concluded that burns healed faster (on average) when treated with honey and gauze, than those treated with antibiotic creams and other dressings

==== the social implications of age reversal ====
harvard medical school [http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/nov/28/scientists-reverse-ageing-mice-humans announced] a study not just slowing ageing in mice, but... ''"What we saw in these animals was not a slowing down or stabilisation of the ageing process. We saw a dramatic reversal – and that was unexpected,"'' said Ronald DePinho, who led the study. the work involved an old (no pun intended), well-known mechanism in ageing: telomere shortening over time. it brings a difficult question one step closer: what if old people didn't die?

==== behold ====
when google [http://www.google.com/landing/instantpreviews/ instant preview] was released, i didn't at first grasp it's usefulness; just thought it showed a mini-version of the web page. sort of interesting. but it also shows a large-readable text box of the paragraph on the web page that contains the search term, to learn if the page is worth a closer look. appreciated.

==== mimic octopus ====
well beyond interesting, this is the most fascinating animal in the world; you will be delighted to [http://youtu.be/ygh1-ul6E94 watch].

==== glycemic load of foods ====
recently heard that large rolled oats are ''much'' healthier in terms of glycemic load than small, cut oats, for oatmeal (which i like). that got me curious as to the hard data on glycemic load of different foods. here's some credible data, from university of sydney research: http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

==== the decay of decay ====

[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7914009/Gel-for-decayed-teeth-could-spell-end-to-fillings.html research]  on a gel, perhaps available within 5 years, that stimulates growth of tooth cells, to replace cavities. 

==== it's high time ====
[[image:Red-high-heels-and-fishnet-stockings.jpg| center| 30 px]]

medical researchers have [http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/abstract/213/15/2582 identified]  a key reason (other than, “men”) that women experience pain after removing high heels; it is related to a stiffening and thickening of the Achilles' tendon. and they suggest a simple exercise to prevent this. THIS IS IMPORTANT RESEARCH!

==== influenza ====

influenza virus is notoriously mutable on key surface elements, making a universal vaccine tough. but researchers, reporting in [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7893553/Vaccine-that-will-protect-against-every-type-of-flu.html ''Science''] , may have solution. Rather than targeting the lollipop head of the surface protein called haemagglutinin (HA), the new vaccine, to quote,  ''generates “universal” antibodies that aim for the “stick” of the HA lollipop, which varies little from strain to strain''. 

==== engines of democracy ====

scrum and other agile methods include the principle of self-organizing teams (the 11th agile principle). here is another related story from [http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/28/ge.html Fast Company]

==== vaccine for breast cancer? ====

could be [http://www.more.com/8717/22615-a-vaccine-against-breast-cancer interesting]

==== synthetic life - venter and team ====

most likely all readers heard this, but it is still worth noting: a milestone in synthetic life. Craig Venter and team have [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10132762.stm created] the DNA for a bacterium completely bottom-up from chemicals, injected the synthetic DNA into a cell, which then started to replicate (over a billion times) using, as usual, the DNA for its replication instructions. 

the long-term implications are extraordinary, as scientists learn to master creating more complex DNA. Exxon is funding the research ($600 million usd) to see if they can create a bug that will create oil. 

==== alcohol/etc addiction reduction with Baclofen ====

there is some evidence that the muscle relaxant Baclofen (created in the 1920s) can significantly reduce cravings for alcohol -- and perhaps other addictive drugs. Read the fascinating story of [http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/may/09/alcoholism-health-doctor-addiction-drug Dr. Ameisen] that has a happy ending. 

==== it sucks ====

doctors have discovered that negative pressure (suction) on a wound speeds healing. the cause is not known, but may be due to removal of fluid buildup. there is an existing device for this therapy, costing over $100, but  an mit student has created a [http://inhabitat.com/2010/04/15/3-healing-device-speeds-up-wound-treatment/ $3 device] that achieves the same goal.

==== coma -> german ====

another intriguing example of the mysteries of the human brain: to quote [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/croatia/7583971/Croatian-teenager-wakes-from-coma-speaking-fluent-German.html the story]... ''A 13-year-old Croatian girl who fell into a coma woke up speaking fluent German. The girl, from the southern town of Knin, had only just started studying German at school and had been reading German books and watching German TV to become better, but was by no means fluent, according to her parents. Since waking up from her 24 hour coma however, she has been unable to speak Croatian, but is able to communicate perfectly in German.'' 

==== random matrix theory ====

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_matrix_theory random matrix theory], first proposed by the physicist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Wigner Eugene Wigner] to help determine the probability of a particle moving between discrete energy level states, has been shown to apply, as a model, to a broad range of systems, including the mathematics of certain games of solitaire, the clumping of buses in traffic, and the path traced by molecules moving in a gas. and perhaps most importantly as we enter the age of easy access to massive sets of data (think, Google's collection of statistics), random matrix theory can help distinguish meaningful causal relationships from those that are not, in the case when traditional statistical methods showed "false positives" regarding meaningful correlation. to quote a [http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627550.200-enter-the-matrix-the-deep-law-that-shapes-our-reality.html?DCMP=OTC-rss recent story]:

'''Bouchaud's team has now shown how [the idea that larger data sets leads to better predictions] throws doubt on the trustworthiness of many economic predictions, especially those claiming to look many months ahead. Such predictions are, of course, the bread and butter of economic institutions. But can we believe them?''

''To find out, Bouchaud and his colleagues looked at how well US inflation rates could be explained by a wide range of economic indicators, such as industrial production, retail sales, consumer and producer confidence, interest rates and oil prices.''

''Using figures from 1983 to 2005, they first calculated all the possible correlations among the data. They found [using traditional statistical validity tests] what seem to be significant results - apparent patterns showing how changes in economic indicators at one moment lead to changes in inflation the next. To the unwary observer, this makes it look as if inflation can be predicted with confidence.''

''But when Bouchaud's team applied Marcenko's and Pastur's mathematics [influenced by random matrix theory], they got a surprise. They found that only a few of these apparent correlations can be considered real, in the sense that they really stood out from what would be expected by chance alone. Their results show that inflation is predictable only one month in advance. Look ahead two months and the mathematics shows no predictability at all. '''Adding more data just doesn't lead to more predictability as some economists would hope''', says Bouchaud.''

==== a breathless discovery ====

in a discovery further opening the possibilties of extra-terrestrial life, researchers have [http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/04/anoxic-animals/ found], in the deep Mediterranean seafloor, the first multicellular animals capable of surviving in an entirely oxygen-free environment. the Loricifera species have hydrogenosomes, which require no oxygen to produce chemical energy. they have no mitochondria, the mechanism of other animal cell, that converts oxygen (and other stuff) into energy.

==== quantum teleportation of energy ====

teleportation of information is a fascinating subject, based on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement quantum entanglement]. Now, a scientist has [http://www.physorg.com/news184597481.html proposed] a model of teleportation of energy; the implications are interesting. to quote:

''There is a growing sense that the properties of the universe are best described not by the laws that govern matter but by the laws that govern information. This appears to be true for the quantum world, is certainly true for special relativity, and is currently being explored for general relativity.''

==== light boom ====
2010 could be a milestone year in fusion: the year that the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ignition_Facility National Ignition Facility] achieves controlled fusion by firing 192 lasers at a small target of deuterium and tritium. 

==== internal mental activity by a BBD? ====
is [http://vesicle.nsi.edu/users/izhikevich/publications/large-scale_model_of_human_brain.htm this] the first example of independent "mental" activity by an artificial brain-based device? don't be put off by the academic dry title; read carefully the second-to-last sentence in the abstract to grasp the implications of what is really being reported. the author Gerald M. Edelman is the winner of a 1972 Nobel prize. afaik, it is also the largest neural simulation created. 
 
==== Thru You ====
read [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-karr/the-future-begins-thru-yo_b_174483.html this], and then see the linked "thru you" [http://www.thru-you.com/# music videos] (my favourites are tracks 1, 5, and 7) . the musician has composed new music by only mixing stuff from youtube. that might sound "simple," but when i saw it, it seemed to me he has raised this mixing to a new level of creative art.

==== computational intelligence deduces a law of physics ====
my grad degree was in AI-related subjects (having little of my own), so this research and video struck me as quite interesting. the algorithm identified several laws of physics (without prior information about the domains) by analyzing data of objects in motion. See [http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/apr/02/eureka-laws-nature-artificial-intelligence-ai here].

==== transparency ====
[[image:ButterflyGlasswing.jpg|320 px]]
i just discovered the existence of Glass Wing Butterflies. lovely.

==== fun ====
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmZyB_ghpa0 this] is striking.

==== google robot in your cerebellum ====
Only 11% of USA [http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1378 survey] respondents said they would be willing to implant a proven safe device that enabled them to use their mind to access the Internet. That's probably a good thing, [http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/findings.html given that] 63% of young adult americans can't find Iraq on a map, and 74% think english is the most widely spoken language in the world.

==== frames, self, javascript, ruby, smalltalk, and slots ====
some folks newer to programming assume that the programming constructs and concepts found in languages such as ruby or javascript are newish. in fact, the majority of inspiration for ruby comes from smalltalk, and any smalltalk programmer since 1974 (or even earlier) will see lots of familiar constructs in ruby (i started working in smalltalk in the mid 80s). for example, here's a ruby construct:

<code><pre> 
array = [1, 'hi', 3.14]
array.each { | item | puts item}
</pre></code> 

and here's the similar construct in smalltalk, circa 1970-74:

<code><pre> 
array := #(1, 'hi', 3.14).
array do: [ :item | Transcript show: item]
</pre></code> 


similarly, there are influential AI programming constructs from the mid-1970s (from the great Marvin Minsky) found in wider use today. for example, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_language ''frame'' representation systems] (implemented usually in lisp, prolog, or smalltalk) were an OO system that contained "prototypical" objects blurring the lines of class and instance (i was able to start using frames in the 1980s on lisp machines, in the KEE environment for AI systems), and that contained ''slots'' with pre- and post- action method handlers. these concepts found their way into the [http://research.sun.com/self/papers/papers.html ''Self'' language ] (and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_%28programming_language%29 see]) from dave ungar and randy smith in the mid 1980s, which then inspired the creation of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JavaScript javascript] and its prototype elements.

==== why don't they just fly first class? ====
the 2007 [http://www.improbable.com/ig/ ignoble awards] are out, including:

* The US Air Force Wright Laboratory for instigating research and development on a chemical weapon that would provoke widespread homosexual behaviour among enemy troops.

* A National University of Quilmes, Argentina, team for discovering that impotency drugs can help hamsters to recover from jet lag.

==== explain to me how you forget your leg? ====
any [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7024124.stm story] that begins "A US man who stored his amputated leg in a barbecue smoker..." just sort of begs to be read.

==== APL ====
My first job as a developer was in the extraordinary language [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APL_(programming_language) APL], for which Iverson won the Turing award.

Although i disagree, my favorite APL quote is from Edsger Dijkstra, "APL is a mistake, carried through to perfection."

We used special keyboards (this was on IBM mainframes) with the APL character set. It was a dynamically typed language that had a virtual machine, essentially infinite memory space, and automatic garbage collection. The essential paradigm was of N-dimensional array objects, and all operators could operate on any object. To give you a feel of how powerful and fast it was to program in APL, here's code to calculate the next generation in the "Game of Life." In the 1970s I used to spend 7 hours a day writing this stuff... life was simple then.

[[image:Apl.gif|320 px]]

==== the OLD web ====
did you know that many versions of most of the pages on the web are archived and retrievable at the [http://www.archive.org/index.php Internet Archive]. Fancy to see the original Google page? Playboy.com?

==== censored ====            
Check out  [http://www.projectcensored.org/ Project Censored],
run by
Sonoma State University, that each year publishes the "the top news
stories underreported by the mass media." 

==== readability ====
Why have narrow reading columns? [http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/pages/typography2.html See here.] At normal reading distance, the eye's span of movement is (only) 8 cm. For the average person, this layout supports faster reading.
            
==== light stop ====            
What would you think if you saw a press release that said that
physicists had some evidence that the speed of light was actually
significantly different than they originally thought? Something similar
has happened in the world of biology and genetics: The rate of change
of genetic mutation from generation to generation (which is applied to
many estimates) [http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3816881 appears] to
be faster.
                        
==== vegetarian statistics ====            
Eat what you want, and i’m not even a vegetarian, but it has always struck me as odd when someone says a vegetarian diet is unhealthy--that one needs to eat meat. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/50plus/older_facts.shtml Research] shows that vegetarians visit hospital 22% less often, and spend a
shorter time there. More important: To quote a
major British Medical Association study (BMA Report, 4.11, 1986)
conducted over 10 years with thousands of matched people in veg and
non-veg groups: "Vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, coronary
heart disease, high blood pressure, large bowel disorders, cancers and
gall stones."And the more recent Oxford study of 11,000 people over 13
years (Brit. Med. Journal, 1994, 308); conclusion: "lower rates of
cancer and heart disease amongst vegetarians and 20 per cent lower
premature mortality."(i.e., they live longer). 
            
==== antioxidants statistics ====            
Eating antioxidant foods (or supplements) to reduce oxidation (heck,
let's just admit we're rusting to death) is
associated with lower rates of cancers, heart disease, and Alzheimer's.
A recent [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/06/040617080908.htm USDA]
study clarifies the most effective foods. Among fruits, cranberries
and blueberries are highest (drinking juice from also works).
Among vegetables (including legumes), beans are highest (lentils, etc.,
which are staples of protein in a vegetarian diet), and Russet
potatoes. Among spices, ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano.
            
==== quantum teleportation ====
June 16, 2004 was a milestone date: Report that deterministic [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3811785.stm teleportation]
of quantum states of two separated atoms was achieved, in two
experiments. Has implications for future-generation quantum computing
that will make today's supercomputers look like an abacus. As
demonstrated in these teleportation experiments (known theoretically
since Einstein and [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qt-entangle/ Schrodinger),
you can create two entangled quantum systems (e.g.,
two atoms), send them to opposite ends of the universe -- 100,000,000
trillion trillion light years apart -- and if you read or manipulate
one of these atoms, the other atom
at the other end of the universe will immediately be changed as
well. How is this wonderfully bizarre fact explained by
physicists? The most common is the [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-manyworlds/ many-worlds] interpretation: that there are an infinite (or near-infinite) set
of co-existing similar universes which exist in parallel at the same
space and time. I sometimes think high-school science
should start with this stuff, rather than the usual drill, to help
inspire young people to how wondrous and bizarre the universe is -- and
that science can be.
            
==== burt flies ====            
Another milestone: On June 21, 2004 the great Burt
Rutan's first private-enterprise manned flight into space happened on [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3746313.stm SpaceShipOne].
The software connection? Financed by Paul Allen, co-founder of
Microsoft.
            
==== rule-based programming ====           
My background in the mid 1980s focused on AI and
expert systems development (which led me to general OO development).
Out of this area comes the technique of [http://www.webreference.com/programming/rule/ rule-based]
programming -- practical in a subsystem for many software
applications where complex rules or constraints must be met. I think
developers should be aware of RBP ideas and options. There are a
variety of Java-related components worth checking out: [http://herzberg.ca.sandia.gov/jess/index.shtml Jess], [http://mandarax.sourceforge.net/ Mandarax], [http://drools.org/ Drools], [http://www.pst.com/opsj.htm OPSJ], and this long [http://www.manageability.org/blog/stuff/rule_engines/view list].
       
==== boston and rome ====            
Fact: Boston is around the same latitude as Rome. Same for
Toronto, Canada and Turin, Italy. It's interesting to explore why
the difference in warmth, and the impact of climate change. Will there
be an explosion in popularity of [http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/040126/26wool.div.htm wool] lingerie in France?

==== willows ====       
The amazing Willow bark drug that Hippocrates used. You probably know
that regular low doses (81 mg) of  [http://www.aspirin.org acetylsalicylic]
acid (aspirin) reduces stroke and heart disease risk. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2816375.stm New research]
in a large study shows it reduces by 2/3 (which is miracle-level) the
risk of mouth and throat cancer if taken just once a week. Ditto in
another  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2825065.stm "landmark" discovery]
that it's been shown to significantly reduce the risk of colon and
rectal cancer, the 2nd leading cause of cancer death. Interestingly,
the low 81 mg dose was more effective than a 325 mg dose. 
            
==== bayesian ====           
POPFile uses [http://www.niedermayer.ca/papers/bayesian/ Bayesian analysis].
This is a useful decision support method software developers will
benefit from knowing to create adaptive, learning systems. It captures
the idea of degree of belief, and updating that degree based on new
evidence.            
            
==== body clock ====
Fact: the body has an internal clock. Not just the 24-hour-ish cycle,
but shorter growth/rest cycles too. Until this year, scientists did not
know the mechanism. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2636029.stm Now they do].
There is a special protein in every cell whose two ends are different
shapes. Every 12 minutes it flips over, and the reorientation of the
ends causes new effects. A husband and wife research team made the
discovery after 40 years of investigation, and proved it by lengthening
the 12-minute cycle, and consequently altering all other cycles in the
test organisms. This is really basic stuff, and has implications for
many treatments: jet-lag, ...
            
==== aop ====           
[http://www.aspectj.org AspectJ], and [http://www.aosd.net/ Aspect-Oriented Programming] by Gregor
Kiczales and the AspectJ team at Xerox PARC. AOP as a relatively
fundamental paradigm of programming and design, akin to object-oriented
or function-oriented programming and design. One dimension of AOP that
is not often stressed is that we can look at it as a meta-programming
technology (programs that manipulate /modify programs). Viewed in
this light, we can appreciate ways to use AspectJ that are not
cross-cutting architectural concerns (like injecting logging support in
many places) but still useful, such as writing interceptors or
decorators for single points. Check out [http://www.aosd.net here]
for the big picture.

|}

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