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cortex | March 23, 2009I've got a new feature in Wired Magazine on the Allen Brain Institute and their heroic attempts to construct a gene expression map of the human brain. I was most impressed by the way the Institute has "industrialized" the scientific process, as it transforms the artisan model of lab benchwork - post docs playing with micropipettes - into a high-throughput model, in which massive robots execute most of the actual "science".
The article is now online, but the photographs are pretty stunning (in a gruesome sort of way), so be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine.
The human brain is…
gregladen | March 23, 2009In 1997, the sandbagging was not enough to save Grand Forks. The river rose higher than it had been since 1826. Downtown Grand Forks was destroyed by explosions and fire that added on to the damage caused by the water. ... The local TV stations carried stories of cattle stranded in flowing water, unable to reach higher ground. Some cattle were frozen standing in place as the floodwaters froze at night.
From A Simple Assignment . Go read it!
cortex | March 23, 2009Brad Delong summarizes an important point when it comes to evaluating whether or not the latest plan to rescue banks from their own toxic assets is going to work. In this interesting post, he contrasts his own tepid support for the plan with Paul Krugman's pessimistic opposition:
I think the private-sector players in financial markets right now are highly risk averse--hence assets are undervalued from the perspective of a society or a government that is less risk averse. Paul judges that assets have low values beceuse they are unlikely to pay out much cash.
I think one way to evaluate these…
mspringer | March 23, 2009Missiles are a problem if you're fighting a modern war. You can get out of the way or you can hide behind something, but that's about it. Now anti-missile technology has had some success dealing with mid-range missiles. The Patriot system whose success was limited during the Gulf War has since been improved into a system that's quite effective in dealing with the large and somewhat lumbering tactical ballistic missiles fielded by a number of adversaries.
But smaller missiles and mortars remain an intractable menace. It takes mere seconds for something like a Qassam rocket to travel its…
sb admin | March 23, 2009by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure
One of the nastiest things about the years after the Republicans took control of the Congress in 1994 and Bush the White House in 2001 was the increase in inequality in the US. The rich not only got richer and the poor, poorer, but rich got more comfortable and led better lives. The idea that they got rich because all they did was work is nonsense. They had plenty of time to spend their money and relax. Moreover the prosperity in the economy didn't accrue to everyone. It was the folks at the top that benefitted. We all know that the rising tide only…
gregladen | March 23, 2009Minnesotans: Don't forget about the Flying Spaghetti Monster Dinner Fund raiser on March 29th. Details here.
Dear readers: Go visit the Big White Gorilla and be nice to him. Or kick his pink ass. Whichever seems appropriate depending on your take on civility.
Build your own solar panel.
Upgrade to Gnome 2.26
Take Over the World! (Don't listen to Steve! He's a villain!)
Stop Telling sudo Your Password
stoat | March 22, 2009 The recipe (apparently: I was out) is a jar with a little honey in it that you wish to soften; place in the microwave and accidentally type "20 mins" when you meant "20 secs"; go away and return when the room is full of smoke. But the effect is good.
gregladen | March 22, 2009From my homey Emetrece:
El 3 de abril, en la Ciudad de La Habana, se realizara la ceremonia de premiación "Puños Arriba" en el Cine-Teatro Rivera de 23 y G // 8PM
CategorÃas en competencia incluyen:
Canción Beef, Canción Social, Canción al amor. Canción mas popular, Mejor featuring, Mejor Beat, Mejor Grabación, Mejor Video Clip, Mejor mini reportaje, Mejor cover CD, y CD del año.
Discos en competencia:
Mi Testimonio (Escuadrón Patriota). El Atropello (Los Aldeanos), Miseria Humana (El Aldeano), Dr. jekill & Mr Hyde (El B.), Redención (Papá Humbertico), La Segunda Temporada (…
gregladen | March 22, 2009... known to us as The Gene Genie, has been transcribed in the form of volume 44, here, at Mary Meets Dolly Dot Com.
cortex | March 22, 2009In the NY Times Book Review, Steven Johnson has a very kind review of How We Decide:
Jonah Lehrer's engaging new book, "How We Decide," puts our decision-making skills under the microscope. At 27, Lehrer is something of a popular science prodigy, having already published, in 2007, "Proust Was a Neuroscientist," which argued that great artists anticipated the insights of modern brain science. "How We Decide" tilts more decisively in the thinking- person's self-help direction, promising not only to explain how we decide, but also to help us do it better.
[SNIP]
Explaining decision-making on the…
gregladen | March 22, 2009The Red River is flooding again, and people up there are filling sandbags again. So I thought I'd provide a little context to this important news.
The Red River in Minnesota flows backwards in its channel, in a northerly direction. Its course is backwards not because it's going north (many people in America do think that rivers flow south), but rather, because its channel is part of a larger channel that historically carried more water than any other river on this planet has ever carried. This was the Warren River, which emptied Lake Agassiz (the largest fresh water lake ever) via the Red…
gregladen | March 21, 2009I've got two unrelated breaking news stories for you. The first is totally confirmed and real:
Rebecca Skloot has got a new column at Slate:
I'm pleased to announce that, starting in May 2009, I'll be writing a weekly science and health column for Slate's new Double X Magazine. I'll be covering any and all science that might be of interest to women (note: I won't just be covering science about specific female issues -- though I'll definitely cover those). Here, from Double X's website, is a description of the new magazine:
Go here to read the rest and get to the links and stuff.
The second…
gregladen | March 21, 2009Mythical Creaturs Stamps to be released by Royal Mail this summer
Nature's Artificial Divide: The best hope for science journalism is a marriage of new and old media
There is now a Brian Bat Foundation. I suppose it is to raise money to send more bats into orbit.
NPR: Obama Backers Return To Streets To Push Plans
President Obama's grass-roots political machine has been reactivated for a weekend door-knocking crusade designed to sell the administration's economic plan -- and its record-busting $3.6 trillion budget.
But the task for the Organizing for America volunteers -- tapped from…
gregladen | March 21, 2009Is teaching a way of life or a profession?
It probably depends on the teacher.
gregladen | March 21, 2009I interrupt this seemingly endless stream of YouTube Videos to announce that Tomorrow (Sunday) Morning, PalMD, of Scienceblogs.com, (White Coat Underground) will be interviewed on Atheist Talk Radio.
The interview will be conducted by Stephanie Zvan, and the director of the show is Mike Haubrich, both of Quiche Moraine Dot Com.
AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9AM Central
Details here.