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Tuesday, June 17, 2003
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Howard Bloom writes: Before eukaryotic cells emerged, information had been saved in chromosomes-welded chains of coded nucleotides. In bacteria, altering these genetic files had been relatively easy. But the complexity of eukaryotes had a drawback: their DNA archives were a thousand times vaster than those of their predecessors. This size had pluses and minuses. The functions eukaryotes could handle expanded exponentially. But their flexibility and swiftness of adaptation underwent a staggering decline. The genetic libraries which had been RAM now approached the immobility of ROM. When neural memory appeared, the effect was dramatic. A multi-celled creature could quickly store experience in flexible circuitry. Hardware alteration led to equally startling software. A new data device augmented the gene. Zoologist Richard Dawkins calls it the meme. Memes were not transmissible via inch-long chains of adenine, cytosine, guanosine, and thymine corkscrewed in a microscopic clump. They were relayed via scent, sight and sound. Memes were form indifferent to the substance which carried them. They would provide the key first to a knowledge explosion, and later to the evolution of a whole new style of worldwide web. This episode will chronicle the early rise of memory's child-learning - the medium in which memes thrive. It will also move from the networks which turned several trillion cells into a larger organism to the meta-networks which could knit a group of 30,000 or more multi-cellular animals into a superorganism, one endowed with 60,000 eyes, 60,000 ears, trillions of scent receptors, and 30,000 brains. Virtually all the phyla swimming, walking, flying and crawling the earth today arose in a blink of geologic time. The event-the Cambrian explosion-lasted a mere 40 million years. (06/17/03) | |
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The hazards of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to biodiversity and human and animal health are now acknowledged by sources within the UK and US Governments. Particularly serious consequences are associated with the potential for horizontal gene transfer. These include the spread of antibiotic resistance marker genes that would render infectious diseases untreatable, the generation of new viruses and bacteria that cause diseases, and harmful mutations which may lead to cancer. ... GM crops offer no benefits to farmers or consumers. Instead, many problems have been identified, including yield drag, increased herbicide use, erratic performance, and poor economic returns to farmers. GM crops also intensify corporate monopoly on food, which is driving family farmers to destitution, and preventing the essential shift to sustainable agriculture that can guarantee food security and health around the world. (06/17/03) | |
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 New York Times: Technology --With light-speed agility, an experimental chip in a QuickSilver Technology laboratory here fluidly executes the three distinct tasks of conducting a cellular phone call. The chip searches for a local cell site, verifies that the caller is an authorized network user and then puts the call through. It may sound as mundane as phoning home. But to a growing school of chip designers, the three-step feat exemplifies the most fundamental change in computing in decades. Today's cellphones require three different chips to perform the same tasks that the single QuickSilver prototype can execute — thanks to an emerging type of chip architecture known as adaptive, or reconfigurable, computing. "Until now, the hardware had to match the problem," said Paul Master, QuickSilver's chief technology officer. "Now we can change that." Under this new approach, software is able, on the fly, to effectively redraw a chip's physical circuitry. Not only can adaptive computing enable a single chip to perform tasks normally requiring several, it can add speed while saving cost and energy when compared to today's conventional static chips in which circuitry is inflexible. "We're coming upon a sea change in the world of semiconductors," said Nick Tredennick, a technical adviser to QuickSilver who was the designer of the Motorola 68000 microprocessor, which powered the Apple Macintosh in the 1980's and early 90's, and is now the editor of the Gilder Technology Report newsletter. "There are compelling advantages to reconfigurable chips in terms of performance and power consumption." (06/17/03)
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 BBC Health -- Computer technology could soon transform the lives of people with artificial arms. British scientists are developing a microchip which gives people with prosthetic arms greater control over these limbs. The technology works by turning thought processes in the brain into actual physical movements. Many people who have lost their arms still have some movement in the surrounding muscles. They can flex these muscles as if they were trying to move their arms. Many people already have high-tech prosthetic arms which can read this flexing, enabling them to open or close their hand. But scientists at Advanced Control Research in Plymouth have developed a new microchip which can read more of these signals and enable users to move their artificial arms much more freely. The microchip, which is placed inside the prosthesis, can read up to four different signals at any one time. This enables users to not only open or close their hand but also to move their wrist and elbow. (06/17/03)
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 BBC Technology -- Text messages have superseded phone calls as the most common use for a mobile phone among young people, a new survey reveals. Mobile phone text messaging has more than doubled since March 2002, according to the survey by mobile phone insurer CPP. And, the younger people are, the more likely they are to text. More than eight out of ten people under the age of 25 are more likely to send someone a text message than call. But, at the other end of the scale, just 14% of those aged over 55 said they preferred to text. Using text to make flirtatious suggestions was popular, as was contacting an ex-partner. But sending a birthday or other greeting was the most popular use of text, closely followed by arranging and cancelling a social engagement. (06/17/03)
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 BBC Technology -- Energy pioneers have launched the world's first offshore tidal energy turbine off the Devon coast. The £3m turbine has been built into the seabed about a kilometre and a half (one mile) offshore from Lynmouth. The single 11 metre-long rotor blade will be capable of producing 300 kilowatts of electricity and will be a test-bed for further tidal turbines. It is hoped to convert the system to twin rotors by the end of next year. Project developers Marine Current Turbines Ltd and Cornwall-based Seacore hope to have the turbine hooked up to the national grid by the end of August. Martin Wright, of Marine Current Turbines Ltd, said: "We estimate that there is at least 10 gigawatts of power available from tidal power in the UK. "That's the same as about half of the existing nuclear industry." (06/17/03)
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 BBC Environment -- The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has opened its annual meeting in Germany amid threats that Japan may pull out of the talks. In an unprecedented and bitter attack, a senior Japanese delegate said the US, the UK and their anti-whaling allies were "liars". He said Japan had almost lost patience with the organisation. Sources say Japan will end its IWC subscriptions unless there is progress towards resuming whaling. Many members expect the four-day meeting to be yet another ritual confrontation between the pro-whalers - Japan, Norway and Iceland - and the countries which are resolutely opposed to any resumption of the hunt. Japan and Norway each kill 600-700 whales a year, as they are allowed to do under IWC rules, and Iceland wants to restart research whaling and probably resume a commercial killing programme soon. (06/17/03)
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6:01:33 AM 
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© TrustMark
2003
Timothy Wilken.
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7/1/2003; 5:51:07 AM.
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