Monday, February 27, 2006

assessment Study Finds Test Scores Not Lowered by Television. A new study taps into a trove of data from the 1960's to argue that when it comes to academic test scores, parents can let children watch TV without fear of future harm. By ELIZABETH JENSEN. [NYT > Education] 6:36:41 PM    comment

genetics Prematurity 'affects personality'. Being born very premature can affect a child's personality into adulthood, a study has suggested. [BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition] 6:35:18 PM    comment

python Multi-language runtimes. All programming languages present subtleties that I must constantly relearn. To minimize friction, I standardize on common idioms where possible. So for example, I added map and filter functions to JavaScript in order to emulate Python's built-ins. It can be amusing to create these kinds of illusions, but there are better uses of brain cells. The fact that JavaScript's library lives inside the browser, and Python's lives outside, is merely a historical accident. If I could erase that distinction tomorrow, I would. Today the ratio of languages and libraries is still roughly 1-to-1. But the numerator will grow faster than the denominator. We don't need more of the same old ways to say the same old things, but we do need new ways to say new things. [Full story at InfoWorld.com] The proliferation of language runtimes (virtual machines) both fascinates and frustrates me. Here on my Windows machine I use the .NET Common Language Runtime, the Java VM, the Flash player, and one VM per dynamic language (e.g., Python, JavaScript). Over on my Mac, subtract .NET but don't (yet) add Mono. On servers, add the PHP and Ruby VMs. ... [Jon's Radio] 6:18:40 PM    comment

AI therapy Neuro-Tech Shows Medical Promise. New implantable devices called neuromodulators -- tiny machines that stimulate the central nervous system -- could help treat a host of disorders, including Parkinson's. They may be the next big thing, but they're pricey and involve complex surgery. [Wired News: Top Stories] 5:04:25 PM    comment

authentication Dragnet, Reinvented. The City of Angels is stolen-car hell. But the mean streets just got a lot meaner for bad guys. Wired magazine's David Downs goes on patrol with the LAPD's high-speed plate-reading network. [Wired News: Top Stories] 5:02:24 PM    comment

melanoma Researchers reprogram malignant melanoma cells. Scientists have reprogrammed malignant melanoma cells to become normal melanocytes, or pigment cells, a development that may hold promise in treating of one of the deadliest forms of cancer. [Science Blog -] 5:00:04 PM    comment