Wednesday, January 28, 2004

The Hi-Tech Gift Economy Richard Barbrook writes: Following the implosion of the Soviet Union, almost nobody still believes in the inevitable victory of communism. On the contrary, large numbers of people accept that the Hegelian 'end of history' has culminated in American neo-liberal capitalism [24]. Yet, at exactly this moment in time, a really existing form of anarcho-communism is being constructed within the Net, especially by people living in the U. S. When they go on-line, almost everyone spends most of their time participating within the gift economy rather than engaging in market competition. Because users receive much more information than they can ever give away, there is no popular clamour for imposing the equal exchange of the marketplace on the Net. Once again, the 'end of history' for capitalism appears to be communism. For the hi-tech gift economy was not an immanent possibility in every age. On the contrary, the market and the state could only be surpassed in this specific sector at this particular historical moment. Crucially, people need sophisticated media, computing and telecommunications technologies to participate within the hi-tech gift economy. A manually-operated press produced copies which were relatively expensive, limited in numbers and impossible to alter without recopying. After generations of technological improvements, the same quantity of text on the Net costs almost nothing to circulate, can be copied as needed and can be remixed at will. In addition, individuals need both time and money to participate within the hi-tech gift economy. While a large number of the world's population still lives in poverty, people within the industrialised countries have steadily reduced their hours of employment and increased their wealth over a long period of social struggles and economic reorganisations. By working for money during some of the week, people can now enjoy the delights of giving gifts at other times. Only at this particular historical moment have the technical and social conditions of the metropolitan countries developed sufficiently for the emergence of digital anarcho-communism. (01/28/04) NanoTools in Medicine BBC Health -- Sensors smaller than the width of a human hair could prove 1,000 more sensitive than standard DNA tests. The US scientists behind them suggest they could allow a host of tests to be carried out at a doctor's surgery from one sample of blood. They suggest that their sensor is the first example of electrical detection of DNA using nanotechnology. The advance, detailed in the journal Nano Letters, could send instant results back to a handheld organiser. The research was carried out at Harvard University, and preliminary research focused on its ability to spot genes responsible for cystic fibrosis. The research team suggest that a practical sensor for the doctor's surgery could be five years away. At the moment the experiment consists of a business card sized device with a single nanowire. Nucleic acids - the building blocks of DNA strands in the cell - are grafted onto the wire. These are designed to pick out only the specific mutation in the DNA of the sample linked to cystic fibrosis. The wires were then exposed both to normal non-CF gene fragments, and some including the mutation. The wire could successfully tell the difference between the two types. Each genetic trait tested for would require a differently loaded nanowire, but scientists believe that the method offers a viable alternative to traditional gene testing, which is time consuming and expensive. The device could also look out for distinctive gene fragments from viruses. Professor Charles Lieber, who led the project, said: "This tiny sensor could represent a new future for medical diagnostics. (01/28/04) Understanding Alzheimer's Disease BBC Health -- Scientists have identified two proteins that may help prevent the brain plaques that are linked to Alzheimer's disease. The proteins appear to work in tandem to orchestrate removal of potentially hazardous molecules from the brain. However, unless the two are in the correct balance they actually seem to promote deposition of the amyloid protein which forms the plaques. The research, by Washington University of Medicine, St Louis, is published in the journal Neuron. The key proteins are called apoliprotein E (apoE) and clusterin. Lead researcher Professor David Holtzman said: "This is one of the first demonstrations in living animals that these proteins affect amyloid clearance. "Our findings suggest it is worthwhile to explore the use of drugs or therapies to alter or perhaps increase the expression of these proteins as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease." Studies suggest that plaques form when the protein amyloid beta is converted from its soluble to its insoluble form and forms stringy threads that build into tangles. In previous studies, Professor Holtzman's team has shown that both apoE and clusterin promote the formation of plaques. Sure enough in their latest study mice developed fewer plaques when they were genetically engineered to lack either one of the two proteins. However, mice that lacked both proteins - far from developing even fewer deposits - actually developed them significantly earlier in life. Such extreme deposition at a young age is akin to that in humans with the rare, genetic form of the disease called familial Alzheimer's. The mice who lacked apoE and clusterin showed signs of higher levels of amyloid protein not only in their brain tissue, also in the fluid surrounding individual brain cells and the fluid surrounding the entire brain. (01/28/04) A Different Species? BBC Science -- The Neanderthals were not close relatives of modern humans and represent a single species quite distinct from our own, scientists say. 3D comparisons of Neanderthal, modern human and other primate skulls confirm theories that the ancient people were a breed apart, the researchers report. Others claim Neanderthals contributed significantly to the modern gene pool. Details of the research are published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "If we accept that Neanderthals were not the same species, what we're really saying is they did not contribute at all to modern human populations and in particular modern Europeans," co-author Dr Katerina Harvati of New York University, US, told BBC News Online. Researchers collected data on 15 standard "landmarks", or features, on over 1,000 primate skulls. Computer software transformed this data into 3D coordinates for each skull and superimposed them on each other. Using statistical analysis, they compared differences between modern human and Neanderthal skulls with those found between and within 12 primate species. The results support the view that Neanderthals were indeed a distinct species. However, other researchers view Neanderthals as a sub-species or population of Homo sapiens that passed on genes to modern humans either by evolving into them or by interbreeding with them. (01/28/04) Evidence of a Wet Mars? BBC Science -- Nasa scientists have discovered what might be the most compelling evidence yet of rocks formed in water on Mars. The Opportunity rover has sent back pictures of rock slabs that appear to contain thin layers, say researchers. On Earth, this feature is suggestive of sedimentary rocks that are the product of material deposited by water or wind. The layers are as thin as a centimetre in places which indicates they are unlikely to be old lava flows, but Nasa cautioned further analysis was needed. Mission scientist Dr Andrew Knoll told a news conference that if the rocks were in fact sedimentary and not volcanic, they were probably formed by water and not by wind-borne sediments. "When you look at the layers, these are really, really thin layers and that places some constraints on what this could be. These aren't lava flows, they're something we haven't seen before," said Steve Squyres, payload principal investigator. "We are about to embark on what is arguably going to be the coolest geology field trip in history," he added. But the rover will need to drive up to the rocks to examine them closely with its science instruments to rule out a volcanic origin. The rover will be looking for several pieces of evidence. If the rocks are sedimentary, they may well display inclined surfaces. This "cross-bedding" is a characteristic feature of sedimentary rocks - but not exclusively so. The rock would likely show evidence of chemical alteration and its constituent particles should be rounded and "cemented" in place, said Dr Knoll. The rover may be able to determine whether this is the case using its microscopic imaging equipment. (01/28/04) 5:42:43 AM

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