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Corpus Callosum is written by a psychiatrist at a small community hospital somewhere in midwestern USA. Email to cc.scienceblogger at gmail dot com.


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October 31, 2007

The Next Presidential Candidate Debate

Category: Politics

This won't happen, but I think it should.  Television media should not be allowed to participate, other than to do the broadcast.  The media performance in the 10/30/07 Democratic debate shows that MSM do not know how to conduct a...

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Pico Projector

Category: Computing

This is a pico-projector from Texas Instruments.  The idea is to have a device that can project an image onto a screen, using a very small device such as a PDA.  Right now the usable image size is about 15...

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Consumer Safety Does NOT Equal Homeland Security?

Category: Politics

It was kind of depressing to see the post on Effect Measure (Chemical plants: internal dangers, external costs) about the half-measures being taken to safeguard chemical plants and facilities. The chemical security problem is as urgent as it is obvious....

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October 30, 2007

Crazy justice: Conference to Discuss Criminizalization of Mental Illness

Category: Psychiatry

Nov. 5 event at U-M will feature top experts discussing alternatives to “criminalization” of America’s mentally ill ANN ARBOR, MI – Across America, prisons serve as an unofficial holding system for the mentally ill. Families desperate to get treatment...

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Flickr Pic(kr) 5

Category: Photos of Interest

This is a macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus).  Photo by Jungleboy, on Flickr.   ...

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Smarter People Get Demenia Faster

Category: Neuroscience

Medscape has an article about a study that shows a relationship between the amount of eduction a person has, and how rapidly memory loss occurs when they get senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT).  The more education a person...

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Don't You Hate It When That Happens?

Category: Chatter

A guy was sitting at a stoplight, minding his own business, when a wrecking ball crashed into the trunk.  The man was not seriously injured. The wrecking ball was being used in demolition, but apparently had a defective cable....

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October 29, 2007

Blazing Stupidity

Category: Environment

I don't think I am being unduly harsh in saying that this was an incredibly stupid thing to do: U.S. Forest Service investigators were on campus last week to question Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members about an Oct. 11 incident...

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Eisenhower Was Right

Category: Chatter

When he said: We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security.     --Dwight D. Eisenhower (source)...

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October 28, 2007

More on Gerberding, Testimony Part II

Category: Environment

Today I watched the C-Span broadcast (link to Real Player file, 80 minutes) of Dr. Gerberding's testimony to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.  The topic: The potential effects of climate change on public health. After seeing it,...

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October 27, 2007

Humans to Undergo Speciation?

Category: Science in the Media

PZ has already written about this, primarily to dismiss it as nonsense.  He is correct, but there is one point (or two) that I want to add. Oliver Curry  is described in WIkipedia as an evolutionary theorist as well as...

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Valerie Plame Wilson , Postpartum Depression

Category: Psychiatry

Not much to add to this.  I do want to make sure that more people see it. Why did you include a chapter on your bout with postpartum depression and were you concerned that the CIA would look unkindly on...

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October 26, 2007

Element 82 and Violence: Evidence for Benefit from Pollution Control

Category: Neuroscience

The Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, and amended in 1977 and 1990.  It has been mildly controversial, but most people supported it then and support it now.   A retrospective economic analysis done in the early 1990's indicated...

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October 25, 2007

Follow-up on Gerberding's Testimony

Category: Social Issues

Dr. Gerberding's congressional testimony was heavily edited by the Administration.  Fortunately, that fact was picked up by the MSM.  As of now, there are 711 mentions on Google News.   In the interest of completeness, however, I noted that Dr....

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Bizarre Dialog Box

Category: Computing

One of the occasional problems with commercial software is the need for "activation."  One problem with any software is the potential for inevitability of bugs. Both problems are illustrated in the screenshot. So I only have 12,209 years to act....

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Balloon Neuroanatomy

Category: Humor

From BoingBoing, an illustration of the neuroanatomy of balloon dogs: Original source: Pneumatic Anatomica....

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October 24, 2007

Legislation to End War in Iraq

Category: Politics

The Honorable John Dingell has drafted legislation that would bring an end to the war in Iraq.  There is no bill number yet, so it is a bit too early for us all to write our Representatives to urge support....

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Home Testing for Sleep Apnea?

Category: Medicine

The Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee currently is in the process of examining the question of whether to pay for in-home testing for the diagnosis of sleep apnea.  If approved, this could lead to a significant loss of...

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Guy Calling Tech Support Faces Very Long Wait

Category: Computing

Most people expect a wait when they call tech support.  Knowledgeable users arrange to have something to do to kill some time: a book, magazine, something like that. This is the story of Timothy Scott Short, who is going to...

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October 23, 2007

About Those Reforms...

Category: Public Health

A couple of days ago, I wrote about the government reforms proposed by The Center for Inquiry.  Specifically, Enact legislation to specifically permit government scientists to communicate freely with the media and the public. Re-establish the Office of Technology...

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Vindication

Category: Chatter

When I was in junior high, I used to do this.  I don't know why.  Probably I was bored with something that is inherently boring.  It does not spice things up very much.  But some spice is better than none....

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October 22, 2007

Flickr Pic(kr) 4

Category: Photos of Interest

This is a storm over Chaco Canyon.  Photo by swirling miasma, on Flickr.  It shows an effective use of a wide-angle lens.  ...

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Perpetual Zoom Illusion

Category: Photos of Interest

This one is good for several seconds of enjoyment. Source: Mighty Optical Illusions....

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Let's Improve the Quality of the Data Quality Act

Category: Politics

One of the first things I wrote about on Corpus Callosum was the tense and ambivalent relationship the current Administration has with the scientific community.   Note that the ambivalence is one-sided: it occurs entirely on the side of the...

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October 21, 2007

Despots and Money

Category: Politics

Sometimes we hear the allegation that the war in Iraq is about oil.  That is only an approximation of the truth.  Really, it is about money.  Oil at this point is merely a proxy for money. Certain corporations that are...

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October 20, 2007

Brain Links

Category: Psychiatry

BMC Psychiatry, an open-access journal, has an article on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Altered oscillatory brain dynamics after repeated traumatic stress.  This is yet another indication that PTSD has an enduring physiological basis.   The insula, as a site...

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The End of Propaganda?

Category: Propaganda

The FCC is doing something unusual.  Instead of acting like footsoldiers for corporate America, they are imposing fines on a broadcaster for pushing State-paid propaganda.   FCC Pushes Ahead with ‘No Child Left Behind’ Fines Sonshine, Sinclair Broadcast Group Fined...

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Sell ScienceBlogs To Microsoft?

Category: Armchair Musings

Steve Ballmer tells reporters that Microsoft will buy 20 companies a year for the next 5 years, paying "between 50 or 100 million to a couple hundred million each."  He also gave his email address, for anyone to use...

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October 16, 2007

Quick Update on Peak Oil

Category: Energy

Traditionally, the oil industry has tried to paint a rosy picture when it comes to Peak Oil.  That is changing, according to industry insiders: New findings on peak oil timing and impacts to be presented at Houston Conference by: OilOnline...

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Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study

Category: Psychiatry

The Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS) is a major NIH-sponsored study of the treatment of adolescents with depression, in which fluoxetine-only, cognitive-behavioral therapy only, combination treatment, and placebo are compared.  The study is expected to generate a number...

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More Nonsense From Our Buddies On Wall Street

Category: Armchair Musings

NY Times reports that large banks are working on a perpetual motion machine: The new entity, called a Master Liquidity Enhancement Conduit, or M-LEC, could raise as much as $200 billion or more through the issuance of its own securities,...

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Medicare Part D Administrative Expenses

Category: Medicine

Yeah.  Private companies are always more efficient that government programs.  According to a recent study by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee: The private Part D insurers report administrative expenses, sales costs, and profits of almost $5 billion in...

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October 15, 2007

How Climate Change Is Like the Iraq War

Category: Environment

Today is Blog Action Day, during which many persons have agreed to write a blog post about environmental concerns.  This is one of thousands. Consider Climate Change, and consider the Iraq War.  Other than both being among the biggest mistakes...

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Migraine and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Category: Neuroscience

Previously, I wrote about investigation of tDCS for treatment of fibromyalgia.  Now there is evidence that it may have a role in treatment of an entirely different pain syndrome: migraine.   Researchers Testing New Electric Treatment for Migraines By Morgen...

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Benefits of Immigration

Category: Armchair Musings

I suspect that the recent article by Shankar Vedantam, in the Washington Post, will largely be taken as fuel for the immigration debate.  However, that is not why I find it interesting. When Immigration Goes Up, Prices Go Down By...

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October 14, 2007

OpenSUSE 10.3 Experience

Category: Computing

This is not a traditional review, in that I am not going to discuss the distro in any systematic or comprehensive fashion.  There already are several reviews out there in the usual places.  Rather, I am going to outline my...

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Solar Powered Donkey

Category: Photos of Interest

What will they think of next?...

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October 13, 2007

Romney's Bid For Michigan

Category: Politics

Romney thinks he has a winning strategy, but he's wrong. Presidential hopeful Romney vows to help pull Michigan out of economic slump Gordon Trowbridge / Detroit News Washington Bureau Saturday, October 13, 2007 GRAND RAPIDS -- Republican presidential hopeful Mitt...

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Rice on Russia

Category: Politics

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has some choice words for Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.   Rice Worried by Putin's Broad Powers Rice Criticizes Putin's Concentration of Power, Says It Interferes With Move to Democracy By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writer...

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Anatomy Lesson

Category: Armchair Musings

His bare buttocks rest on the cold steel shelf; the smooth, hairless skin has a ghastly pinkish-orange hue. That is the opening to an article (in the IEEE magazine) on the anatomy of crash-test dummies.  Geeks can have a sense...

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October 12, 2007

Blog Action Day for Environmentalism

Category: Environment

On October 15, 2007, over six thousand blogs will have a post about the environment.  It was not intended as a tribute to our new Nobel Peace Prize recipients (Al Gore and IPCC), but it will be a fitting recognition...

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Jim Holt on Iraqi Oil

Category: Politics

He alleges that the war in Iraq was botched for a reason: it will be easier for us to steal their oil if they do not have a functioning government.  Some excerpts: Indeed, the US may be ‘stuck’ precisely where...

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October 11, 2007

Eat A Lot of Peaches

Category: Chatter

Just in case people did not get the allusion in my post about peak oil and health care. Artist: Prine John Song: Spanish Pipedream Album: Great Days: The John Prine Anthology She was a level-headed dancer on the road...

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Please Don't Eat My Head

Category: Photos of Interest

This photo is from the Wikimedia Commons featured pictures section.  It depicts Two gold dust day geckos (Phelsuma laticauda laticauda) fighting on a banana plant in central Saint-Denis, Réunion.  The photo was taken by Thierry Caro.  It carries a creative commons...

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Poststroke Laughing and Crying

Category: Psychiatry

The Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (Canadian, bilingual), an open-access publication, has a regular column entitled Psychopharmacology for the Clinician (Psychopharmacologie pratique).   Typically the column contains a case report and a brief discussion of practical issues in treatment. The...

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October 10, 2007

Fred Thompson's Ethics

Category: Politics

Fred Thompson's campaign site has the following quote on the home page: "We are steeped in the tradition of honor and sacrifice for the greater good.  We are proud of this heritage.  I believe that Americans are once again ready...

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Peak Oil and Health Care Challenges

Category: Public Health

The Journal of the American Medical Association has a sort-of-surprising article on the subject of peak oil.   "Peak Oil" is a catchphrase that denotes the phenomenon of declining oil production that is anticipated to occur in a matter of...

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October 9, 2007

Two Problems, One Solution

Category: Social Commentary

Problem #1: College Republicans were shamed by Operation Yellow Elephant.  They think it is a good idea to have a war, so long as they do not have to risk their own lives.  Now they need a way to redeem...

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Rock, Paper, Scissors, Politics, and Reptile Sex

Category: Armchair Musings

Researchers studying the European common lizard (Zootoca vivipara, formerly Lacerta vivipara) have learned of a three-part mating strategy.  Different members of the species have disticutly different mating strategies.  Additionally, the colors of the bellies are correlated with the mating...

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October 8, 2007

Psychedelica in Medical Advertising

Category: Medicine

This is from a site on Medscape, Infosite.  It is a multimedia program about Vyvanse® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate), a long-acting amphetamine.  The video is positively mind-blowing: This shows a person who is about to take a Vyvanse capsule.  Next we see...

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Shock Doctrine

Category: Armchair Musings

Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine is a powerful piece of work.  I became aware of it after a tip from a reader.  I saw the video "trailer" for the book, and knew I had to blog about it.  But it has...

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October 7, 2007

Speaking Peace to Power

Category: Photos of Interest

In this case, peace won. Marisa Crockett speaks to an Albuquerque Police Department officer at UNM about her free hugs project to travel across the United States in her bio-fueled car, offering hugs and hoping to get the word out...

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Finally, a cool way to commute via bicycle!

Category: Chatter

Finally, a cool way to commute via bicycle!  Actually, it is not a new idea, but perhaps the cooling aspect has been overlooked. One thing that has kept me from riding a bicycle to work has been the concern that...

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October 6, 2007

Bush: 'Never really thought about' war

Category: Politics

I wonder if he really believes this? If so, he dementia is worse than I thought: Bush: 'Never really thought about' war Posted by Mark Silva on October 5, 2007 President Bush, interviewed “in the room where I make decisions,’’...

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