clock | October 3, 2008
There are now 142 people registered and the Program is becoming more and more impressive by the hour!
If you have a cool website, software or application that you would like to showcase, add your name to the Demo page - all the demos will be screencast and posted on the site, with links to you - easy PR for you.
But first, you need to register.
clock | October 3, 2008Can You Heal Me Now?
While many Americans view cell phones as indispensable to their social and professional lives, more and more Africans are finding cell phones to be indispensable to good health. In sub-Saharan villages, for example, mobile phones are playing a key role in health care delivery, says Dr. Fay Cobb Payton, an associate professor of information systems and technology in the NC State College of Management.
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"The pervasive use of mobile technology surprised me," she says, noting cellular towers have arrived in many parts of Africa before land lines. "The…
clock | October 3, 2008Lots of stuff happening locally at Community Cartographies Convergence:
OCTOBER 16: DURHAM, 5:30pm-7:00pm
Talk by Berkeley-based radical cartographer Trevor Paglen at the Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University
in conjunction with the Visiting Artists Series of Duke's Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, and the 2008 Conference 'Scenes of Secrecy'
OCTOBER 17: DURHAM, 7pm-10pm
Evening refreshments at Golden Belt for open studios and mapping exhibitions on Durham's traditional '3rd Friday of the month' celebration.
OCTOBER 18: DURHAM
North Carolina Counter Cartographies…
clock | October 3, 2008In today's Grist - Politics and the Dinner Table: Weighing Obama's and McCain's stances on food and farm policy:
In the end, Pollan is likely right: Whatever the candidates are saying now (or not saying at all), events may require the 44th president to deal with food issues in ways that break radically with past policies. Silly ideas like propping up ethanol production may soon be unthinkable. One candidate has demonstrated openness to the notion of sustainable agriculture and "local and regional food systems"; the other hasn't. Neither will likely push bold change unless forced to do so.…
clock | October 3, 2008Wow! Six of my DonorsChoose projects - Science Laboratory Kits, Who Gives A Hoot!, No More Worksheets!, Vroom! Vroom! Forces and Motion, What's the weather for today? and Math Mania have now been fully funded!
Unfortunately, not by my readers.... (pout)
If this keeps happening I'll add some more projects. All for science/math teaching projects in schools in low-income areas of North Carolina.
Your turn...
clock | October 3, 2008New Fish Species May Emerge Because Of How Females See Males:
Eye colour and hair colour play a role in human partner choice, but visual stimuli can also determine mating preferences in the animal kingdom. In many species, the male's fortunes in the mating stakes are decided by a conspicuous breeding dress.
New Dinosaur Species, Pachyrhinosaur Lakustai, Had Bony Frill And Horns:
The fossils revealed a herd of dinosaurs that perished in a catastrophic event 72.5 million years ago. The animals are characterized by a bony frill on the back of the skull ornamented with smaller horns. They also…
clock | October 2, 2008An error can never become true however many times you repeat it. The truth can never be wrong, even if no one hears it.
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
clock | October 2, 2008So, let's see what's new in PLoS Genetics, PLoS Computational Biology, PLoS Pathogens, PLoS ONE and PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases this week. As always, you should rate the articles, post notes and comments and send trackbacks when you blog about the papers. Here is my pick for the week - you go and look for your own favourites:
Mutation and Evolutionary Rates in Adelie Penguins from the Antarctic:
Molecular evolutionary theory suggests that for neutral DNA sequences, rates of mutation and evolution should be equal. However, there has been considerable variation in empirical estimates of…
clock | October 2, 2008
Open Access Day is on October 14th. This day is organized by SPARC, Students for FreeCulture and PLoS.
Why?
Open Access is a growing international movement that uses the Internet to throw open the locked doors that once hid knowledge. It encourages the unrestricted sharing of research results with everyone, everywhere, for the advancement and enjoyment of science and society.
You should participate and register. Already, there are 100 organizations taking part, and the registration closes tomorrow so you have to act fast!
You can help by spreading the word. On October 14th, there will be a…
clock | October 2, 2008Great article in Carrboro Commons today - I know because I'm in it! The concepts of 'work' and 'office' are changing and those in the information economy are starting to adapt to the new world:
Creative Coworking offers a new dynamic:
"People left the office and cubicle and they say, 'OK, I'm going to break out.' ... So you start doing that. You work at home. You want to get something better than the couch, so you get a table. ... You start creating an office in a spare bedroom. That works great for a while," Russell said.
"Then you get a little bored, and your spouse is like, 'Why haven't…
clock | October 2, 2008There are 13 new articles published last night and another 12 new articles published today in PLoS ONE. As always, you should rate the articles, post notes and comments and send trackbacks when you blog about the papers. Here are my own picks for the week - you go and look for your own favourites:
An Intracellular Antioxidant Determines the Expression of a Melanin-Based Signal in a Bird:
To understand how traits used in animal communication evolved and are maintained as honest signals, we need to understand the mechanisms that prevent cheating. It has been proposed that honest signaling is…
clock | October 2, 2008SCONC
Saturday, Oct. 11
All Day
SCOPE academy at NC State
NC State's College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences is again offering their one-day "SCOPE academy" and inviting you to "indulge your curiosity and explore today's exciting frontiers of science. " The keynote is mathematician Donald Saari looking at the craziness of voting. Registration required.
http://www.pams.ncsu.edu/weekend/