 |
Tuesday, March 07, 2006 |
Congress Renews Patriot Act. In a close vote, the House extends the USA Patriot Act just before it would expire. Though a filibuster forces Bush to accept some new restrictions on terrorism probes, Republicans declare a legislative victory. [Wired News: Top Stories]
7:53:23 PM 
|
|
The Trouble With Software Upgrades.  [Slashdot] the option to not upgrade is one of the unsung beauties of open source -- to change software on your own timeline and keep the stuff that works for you as long as you need it. The hassle of changing software versions is a humanly expensive process that can offset the "wonderful updated features" in this years upgrade. The hanging on to "what works" is often made very difficult by commercial software vendors who understandably need more income. --BL
7:05:34 PM
|
|
Playing the World From a Basement.  [Slashdot] this clearly shows the leveling of the music production playing field and the potential of internet "events" like concerts to draw big crowds (60k+). --BL
6:57:42 PM
|
|
Research holds promise for Huntington's treatment. Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have identified a compound that interferes with the pathogenic effects of Huntington's disease, a discovery that could lead to development of a new treatment for the disease. There is no cure for Huntington's, a neurodegenerative disorder that now afflicts 30,000 Americans, with another 150,000 at risk. The fatal disease, which is genetically inherited, usually strikes in midlife and causes uncontrolled movements, loss of cognitive function and emotional disturbance. [Science Blog -]
6:52:16 PM
|
|
Visual disconnect demonstrated for first time. The dissociation in the visual system between two separate functions – one that enables us to identify objects and the other to interact with them – has been clearly demonstrated for the first time in healthy humans by researchers in Israel. [Science Blog -] what and where are differnt visual questions with different systems to provide answers
10:24:39 AM
|
|
Probiotic microbes could be a key to good health. Researchers are discovering that this “good� bacteria helps not only to stimulate digestive health, but may stimulate a healthy immune system. These probiotic bacteria may even be a key to understanding obesity. Gary Huffnagle, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan Health System, is one of the country’s leading researchers into the world of probiotics. [Science Blog -]
10:22:05 AM
|
|
How to grow a bigger brain. Hatchery-reared steelhead trout show increased growth of some parts of the brain when small stones are scattered on the bottom of their tank, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis. The brains of those young fish were closer to those of salmon reared in the wild, and the fish also showed behavior closer to wild than to hatchery-reared fish. [Science Blog -]
10:20:06 AM
|
|
The IE7 team's radar screen. In a column entitled Browser as orchestrator I waxed optimistic about the notion that we'll be able to leverage standards-based browsers to compose and remix services client-side as well as server-side. Not long afterward, though, I found myself in that same old place, trying to sort out which features of various standards are supported in Internet Explorer. Worse, the cause of the headache was IE7.
... [Jon's Radio]
10:14:54 AM
|
|
Battery Promises Portable Power. The new M1 battery beefs up the lithium-ion technology in cell phones and laptops to a duration and power density that can handle power tools, lawn mowers and hybrid cars. By Spencer Reiss from Wired magazine. [Wired News: Top Stories]
10:12:47 AM
|
|
New tools to create learning materials - NGFL. A new partnership will test the use of an online learning toolkit to create, share and use interactive learning objects. The programme combines the efforts of the ICT Register, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), and MWR, a producer of intera [Online Learning Update]
10:06:32 AM
|
|
Mouse Moms that Run Have Brainier Pups. Jogging is apparently beneficial for brain development. This is the implication of the latest findings of brain researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and the Charité – University Medical School Berlin. According to the study, mouse offspring whose mothers exercised voluntarily during pregnancy by running on an excercise wheel developed about 40 percent more neuronal cells than the offspring of inactive mouse mothers. [Science Blog -]
9:32:57 AM
|
|
To learn something, testing beats studying. Remember the dreaded pop quiz? Despite their reputation as a cruel tool of teachers intent on striking fear into the hearts of unprepared students, quizzes -- given early and often -- may be a student's best friend when it comes to understanding and retaining information for the long haul, suggests new psychology research from Washington University in St. Louis. [Science Blog -]
9:30:09 AM
|
|
© Copyright 2006 Bruce Landon.
|
|
|
