Technology and Life Science Weekly Updates 11/17/08

Technology


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Technology channel photo. Nam June Paik's "Electronic Superhighway" at the National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian - Washington DC. From Flickr, by frozenchipmunk



Reader Reactions

This week's reader reaction quote on the Technology channel comes from a discussion on Gene Expression about the rise of communication technologies over the past few years and how our behavior (and our expectations) has changed along with it.

ScienceBlogger Razib wrote about an experience he had 3-4 years ago:

I recall a woman loudly talking about her boyfriend leaving her, and the consequent emotional devastation, in front of me in the supermarket checkout line once. Only after 5 minutes did I notice the very subtle ear piece she was wearing... Today my first hypothesis would likely be that she had an ear piece, not that she was schizophrenic, which is what I was wondering then.



Reader Ian responded:

“It used to be that we saw people apparently talking to themselves in the street, we'd give them a wide berth. Now it's the norm!“


Life Science


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Life Science channel photo. Clones! From Flickr, by plasticrevolver

Reader Reactions


In the post by GrrlScientist titled Alex the African Gray Parrot: Was Alex a Genius?, reader Janice Boyd wrote in with her response

One reader responded with her personal opinion on the matter:


“Alex may have been smarter than the average African grey, but he demonstrated the intelligence that exists to a greater or lesser degree on all parrots and, by extension, in most if not all animals. They are not unthinking, unfeeling beings that we can use without considering how they perceive our interactions with them.“


Well, ScienceBlog readers, I hope you enjoyed these handpicked photographs and quotes. As always, if there is something you would like to hear about on Page 3.14 from the editorial staff of ScienceBlogs, please email me at millikan@scienceblogs.com and let me know!

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