Corpus Callosum is written by a psychiatrist at a small community hospital somewhere in midwestern USA. Email to cc.scienceblogger at gmail dot com.
October 31, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 4:43 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:33 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:11 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 30, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:35 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Photos of Interest
This is a macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus). Photo by Jungleboy, on Flickr. ...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:50 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:18 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:32 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 29, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:05 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Chatter
When he said: We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. --Dwight D. Eisenhower (source)...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:20 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 28, 2007
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,...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:37 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 27, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:46 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:54 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 26, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:15 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 25, 2007
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....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:01 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 1:21 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Humor
From BoingBoing, an illustration of the neuroanatomy of balloon dogs: Original source: Pneumatic Anatomica....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:00 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 24, 2007
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....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 4:07 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:36 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:27 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 23, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 10:07 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:12 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 22, 2007
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. ...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 6:52 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Photos of Interest
This one is good for several seconds of enjoyment. Source: Mighty Optical Illusions....
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 3:24 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:37 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 21, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:15 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 20, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:08 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:36 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 2:04 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 16, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:03 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 1:41 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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,...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:07 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 1:45 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 15, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:01 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:56 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:09 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 14, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 6:20 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Photos of Interest
What will they think of next?...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:45 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 13, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 5:26 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 2:50 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:43 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 12, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:32 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 7:42 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 11, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 2:18 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 10:48 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:27 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 10, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:46 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 9:02 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 9, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:55 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:02 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 8, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 11:35 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 12:14 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 7, 2007
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 10:40 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 8:16 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
October 6, 2007
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,’’...
Posted by Joseph j7uy5 at 10:50 PM &bu
