gregladen | April 8, 2009Discover Magazine Dot Com, which has been expanding its blogospheric presence recently, has just reached the one million plus monthly page view mark, having shown a steady expansion since last year. Since Science Blogs has also been growing (though I'm guessing much more slowly since we are not brand new ... I don't really know) this is great news. It means the science blogosphere is growing, and hopefully because more people are paying attention to science stuff. Of coruse, without a more sophisticated analysis, it is hard to say.
Of course, I question the wisdom of Phil Plait and…
gregladen | April 8, 2009I havn't served up any real Linux Jingoism in several hours, so here's a dose. From Ben Zvan via facebook, we have YAhead10 list of why you should use Linux. Here.
And, for you Windows users, here's a little item on Windows Explorer.
gregladen | April 8, 2009Simply harnessing the wind in relatively shallow waters -- the most accessible and technically feasible sites for offshore turbines -- could produce at least 20% of the power demand for most coastal states, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, unveiling a report by the Minerals Management Service that details the potential for oil, gas and renewable development on the outer continental shelf.
The biggest wind potential lies off the nation's Atlantic coast, which the Interior report estimates could produce 1,000 gigawatts of electricity -- enough to meet a quarter of the national demand.
The…
gregladen | April 8, 2009For the first time in 200 years, a ship of the sea sailing under a US flag has been taken by pirates. And, in an unusual move, the ship's crew went ahead and took the ship back.
"It's reported that one pirate is on board under crew control - the other three were trying to flee."
Reports suggest the other three pirates jumped overboard.
Details here.
It is not sure yet how this will affect global warming.
UPDATE: The pirates are in a life boat and are holding the ship's captain hostage. A US destroyer is about 10 hours away, but in six hours or so will be in helicopter range.
The good…
gregladen | April 8, 2009You may remember this earlier announcement. Here is the update on event, this time bilingually.
Premios Puño Arriba 2009
Anoche en el Teatro Rivera en la ciudad de La Habana se realizo la ceremonia de premiación Puños Arriba, producido localmente por el grupo Matraka. Contó con espectáculos de Anónimo Consejo, Silvito el Libre, Cuentas Claras, Raudel de Escuadrón Patriota, Soldier Squad, Maikel Xtremo, y muchos mas. Pero antes que pudieran entregar los últimos premios y las presentaciones de clausura se mando a parar el show. La única justificación ofrecida al publico del evento…
gregladen | April 7, 2009From John Lynch Via Twitter:
PROVO, Utah -- Thousands of issues of the Daily Universe student newspaper at Brigham Young University were pulled from newsstands because a photo caption on the front page misidentified leaders of the Mormon church as apostates instead of apostles.
source
gregladen | April 7, 2009Although they are mostly good at basic arithmetic.
Scientists from the universities of Padova and Trento demonstrated chicks' ability to add and subtract objects as they were moved behind two screens.
Lucia Regolin, an author of the study said [they] "performed basic arithmetic" to work out which screen concealed the larger group of objects.
The findings are reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Details
gregladen | April 7, 2009Those people are steeped in bling. Check it out:
Fearing the appearance of their well appointed properties on the Web site would attract criminals scouting for burglary targets, villagers in Broughton, north of London, summoned the police after spotting the car.
The car being the Goolge Camera Car that puts the street level view on Google Maps.
"I was upstairs when I spotted the camera car driving down the lane," resident Paul Jacobs told The Times of London.
"The lane." That makes me laugh.
"My immediate reaction was anger: How dare anyone take a photograph of my home without my…
gregladen | April 7, 2009Perchlorate, a hazardous chemical in rocket fuel, has been found at potentially dangerous levels in powdered infant formula, according to a study (pdf) by a group of Centers for Disease Control scientists. The study, published last month by The Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, has intensified the years-long debate about whether or how the federal government should regulate perchlorate in the nation's drinking water.
Details here.
gregladen | April 7, 2009For the first time, MIT researchers have shown they can genetically engineer viruses to build both the positively and negatively charged ends of a lithium-ion battery.
The new virus-produced batteries have the same energy capacity and power performance as state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries being considered to power plug-in hybrid cars, and they could also be used to power a range of personal electronic devices, said Angela Belcher, the MIT materials scientist who led the research team.
The press release is here.
gregladen | April 7, 2009According to news reports, the Minnesota Election Contest Judicial Panel finished their review of votes, counting just under 400 absentee ballots that were previous excluded. These votes were included as the result of Former Senator Norm Coleman's legal challenge to the election. With Senator Al Franken's lead over Former Senator Norm Coleman rising from 225 at the start of the process to 312 as of a few moments ago, it would appear that Coleman's challenge has backfired.
The judicial panel still has a few more issues to rule on.
One of the issues os the ca 130 votes that were lost in a…
gregladen | April 7, 2009One of the arguments in favor of unrestricted ownership of firearms in the united states is that the 2nd Ammendment guarantees gun ownership as an inalienable right for all Americans. It doesn't of course. Depending on which version of the Contitution you look in, it says this:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
or
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
What it really means is…
gregladen | April 7, 2009Some of the symptoms of the autistic condition Asperger Syndrome, such as a need for routine and resistance to change, could be linked to levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research led by the universities of Bristol and Bath.
Normally, people have a surge of this hormone shortly after waking, with levels gradually decreasing throughout the day. It is thought this surge makes the brain alert, preparing the body for the day and helping the person to be aware of changes happening around them.
However, a study by Dr David Jessop from the University of Bristol and Drs Mark…
gregladen | April 7, 2009He wore sex appeal like good cologne, just enough to be a constant undercurrent without knocking anyone over at ten paces..... he stood out against the backdrop of her sleek modern office of steel, leather and glass like a bonfire in a snowdrift.
... No, just fiction. Good fiction by Stephanie Zvan. Check it out.
gregladen | April 6, 2009Do you believe that indoctrination of children into the fundamentalist christian is child abuse? If so, skip this video. If not, watch it and I'm sure it will change your mind.
Hat tip: Colloquy
gregladen | April 6, 2009The latest comprehensive survey of Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor has revealed a decrease in the number of wintering birds, with 2,041 individuals counted compared to 2,065 in 2008. Coordinated by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (BirdLife in Hong Kong) and supported by Wild Bird Society of Japan (BirdLife in Japan), Chinese wild Bird Federation (BirdLife in Taiwan), and the Indochina Programme Office, plus input from Chinese and Korean birdwatchers. This census is one of the best examples of single-species population monitoring in Asia.
In the late 1980s, only a few hundred birds…
gregladen | April 6, 2009A new blog carnival, called Scientia Pro Publica, has been launched at Living the Scientific Life. Have a look at edition numero uno.