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 Friday, October 4, 2002
The Media Got it Wrong. The Salt Lake Tribune this morning has a story on a "blond extinction hoax." Seems that the media (including the major outlets like ABC and CNN) got taken by a hoax that claimed a World Health Organization (WHO) study found that true blonds were becoming extinct. Turns out not one journalist bothered to call WHO. If you've never dealt much with the media, this may come as a shock to you. It doesn't surprise me. Since every story that's been written about me (good and bad) has contained major factual errors, I have to believe that most stories contain factual errors. Journalists are frequently sloppy with the facts, not bothering to investigate or verify them---just reporting on other reports. They're like everyone else---in a hurry to make a deadline, overloaded with information, and trying to impress their boss. That's a recipe for errors. [Windley's Enterprise Computing Weblog]
While some in the media are making fun of Streisand for quoting from a hoaxed speech by Caesar, they should be examining themselves. I commented on this topic a few days ago, from a BBC article. It was a bad report on a bad topic. I could look at it and determine that it was bad science. I just figured that the bad science was done by the group at WHO. But no, the media itself was taken in by a hoax. No fact checking at all anymore. Now I do not really have any expectations that a pop singer at a partisan fund raising function would check her facts. Politics often deal with such nonfactual 'facts'. But the public DOES expect that the media WILL check their facts. What I love is the apparent expectation by the media that IF they do produce bogus articles, it is up to the particular group to correct them. Some compained that WHO did not contact them to provide a correction. WHO's response: Honestly, we have better things to spend our time on. I agree with Windley here. Most times when they write about something I know about, there are huge factual mistakes. 11:00:50 AM 
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Researchers successfully deliver drugs to the primate brainstem. Current drug treatments of brainstem tumors are largely unsuccessful, because the drugs often fail to bypass the blood vessel lining protecting the brainstem. Now, an NIH study shows that researchers can effectively deliver drugs to the primate brainstem and monitor how the drugs spread inside the brain. The study provides hope for improving treatment of brainstem tumors and other brain diseases. NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [EurekAlert - Biology]
This could have some really important uses. Getting drugs across the blood-brain barrier has been problematic. If this procedure pans out with humans, and there are no long term side effects, it would be quite a boon to medicine. 10:52:08 AM
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Scientists at Scripps Research develop new technology to map spread of malarial drug resistance. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), Harvard University and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation have found a way to use a relatively new but readily available technology to quickly detect markers in the DNA of the most deadly type of malaria pathogen. NIH/National Institutes of Health, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Ellison Medical Foundation, Program in Career Development, Research and Training in Global Infectious Diseases; et.al [EurekAlert - Biology]
Parasite, mosquito genomes complete malaria picture. Genome sequences of Plasmodium falciparum, the most lethal malaria-causing parasite, and Anopheles gambiae, a mosquito that transmits the parasite to humans, are now complete, two international research teams announced today. The simultaneous publication in Science of the Anopheles genome and in Nature of the Plasmodium genome was marked by press conferences held in Washington, DC, and London. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [EurekAlert - Biology]
Sequenced malaria genome exposes novel drug targets. The genectic code of the malaria parasite has been cracked and is already revealing novel drug targets that could lead to effective treatment of the disease. Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Howard Hughes Medical Institute [EurekAlert - Biology]
New discovery in malaria. Scientists at NYU School of Medicine have for the first time identified genes in mosquitoes that reduce the natural transmission of the most lethal malaria parasite. The findings, reported in the October 4 issue of Science, could potentially open new avenues to preventing malaria, one of the world's greatest scourges. National Institutes of Health [EurekAlert - Biology]
It's Malaria Week at Nature and Science. We have the sequencing of both the mosquito and the malarial parasite, Plasmodium. The mosquito may very well be responsible for more human deaths (2.7 million deaths a year) than any other organism (at least multi-cellular ones). Having this information will be extremely helpful in attacking the problem, if we can generate enough funds to do so. 10:48:39 AM
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Briefly - Microsoft reports security flaws. Microsoft disclosed several security flaws Thursday, including ``critical'' problems in many versions of its Windows operating system. The flaws were detailed in four security bulletins, which urged users to download software patches from Microsoft's Web site (www.microsoft.com/technet/security). [Business]
More on Bugbear. Microsoft has said that 80% of all its crashes problems are caused by 20% of the bugs. They seem to be amazed at this but this is a classic rule. Economist have shown that 80% of the economy is driven by 20% of the companies. The 80:20 rule is quite well known. The other interesting highlight here is that the CEO for Cisco Systems was only paid $1 this year. He took a pay cut because of the cutbacks at the compnay. Of course, he did accept 4,000,000 stock options. But I would imagine that they will only be worth anything if Cisco's stock price goes up. And I would bet that the option price is pretty low. So he may make out like a bandit in 5-10 years when the economy rebounds. 10:42:34 AM
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Bugbear set to topple Klez. VNUNet - After a slow start the Bugbear worm looks set to become the number one threat to computer users, with over 130000 cases already recorded by MessageLabs.
Bugbear eats credit cards, passwords GamblingMagazine.com
Bugbear virus shows its claws TechCentral
ZDNet - Security Focus - Business Week - and 17 related » [Google Technology News]
Oh God. I ahve been dealing with a klez infection for the last week. Not me. I have a mac and keep my antiviral stuff up to date. But someone has my name in their contact list. The klez forges headers in emails and randomly adds my email address in the reply header. So, when it sends out emails from the infected machine, it puts my email address on it. Then, if some of these bounce, I get the bounced email. So far I am averaging about 1 bounced email an hour, threatening to fill up my email box. And there appears to be no easy way to stop it until the infected computer is fixed. Bugbear is even worse but it only affects PCs, because of a flaw in MS. Great. EVen though I do things right and have a great OS, I get dumped on because others are idiots. 10:23:49 AM
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Amorous ostriches scoop Ig Nobel prize. New Scientist - An investigation into why amorous UK ostriches were failing to breed is just one of the winners of the 2002 Ig Nobel Prizes. The annual awards for achievements that "cannot or should not be reproduced" were presented at Harvard University on 3 October.
Science of belly lint, ostrich love honored CNN
Science's Dubious Distinctions Noted CBS News
BBC - Boston Herald - ABC Regional Online - Minneapolis Star Tribune - and 52 related » [Google Technology News]
I love the Ig Nobels. It demonstrates the playfulness that is found in the 'best' science. And the one on scrotal assymetry was published in Nature!! Looks good on the cv. Most scientists are glad to get recognition of their work, even if it is with a jaundiced eye.Check out the winners in Economics, as well as the citation: The executives, corporate directors, and auditors of Enron, Lernaut & Hausbie [Belgium], Adelphia, Bank of Commerce and Credit International [Pakistan], Cendant, CMS Energy, Duke Energy, Dynegy, Gazprom [Russia], Global Crossing, HIH Insurance [Australia], Informix, Kmart, Maxwell Communications [UK], McKessonHBOC, Merrill Lynch, Merck, Peregrine Systems, Qwest Communications, Reliant Resources, Rent-Way, Rite Aid, Sunbeam, Tyco, Waste Management, WorldCom, Xerox, and Arthur Andersen, for adapting the mathematical concept of imaginary numbers for use in the business world. [NOTE: all companies are US-based unless otherwise noted.]
Hint:in reality, imaginary numbers are those bases on the square root of -1. However, in thie context of the Ig Nobels we know exactly what they mean. Get more info at the Annals of Improbable Research. 10:19:08 AM
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Okay, a new day and hopefully better luck. We had some phone work done yesterday and it made it difficult to stay connected (Yes, I am still on dial-up). The new house we moved into last year is too far from a substation for DSL and does not have digital cable (But the neighborhood makes up for that. And I can get digital satellite). I'll go see what is out, in particular, some new articles in Nature and Science. 9:25:07 AM
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