Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Irradiated For Longevity. ScienceDaily reports on experiments suggesting that low levels of radiation exposure increase longevity - in small mammals at least. This isn't of immediate practical value, but it adds to the body of knowledge surrounding hormesis, or the "phenomenon in which low doses of an otherwise harmful agent can result in stimulatory or beneficial effects." This study does suggest an underlying biochemical mechanism: "a moderate increase in glucocorticoid levels, associated with low-level radiation, could be an important factor underlying the increase in longevity that has been observed in other shorter studies on small mammals exposed to low-level radiation." View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050128222047.htm Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/ [Longevity Meme News and Commentary] 7:07:50 PM  comment []  Trackback []     Ooh, toys... New baby at our house is a trebuchet, says crazed marsupial. We're oohing and ahhing over a new arrival these days--a trebuchet built by eccentric genius Kaden. This was a suprise--and rather late--Christmas gift I ordered for Frank, after reading about Kaden's toys in BoingBoing. I loved it that this particular hanging counterweight trebuchet was "based on the familiar Monty-Python "dead-cow-over-the-castle-wall" catapult." Kaden invites special requests--for Frank, of course, I wanted "lots of physics." Kaden dug right into it: This whole physics angle is challenging...I dug up a chunk of brass heat exchanger tubing at Capital Salvage that I'm using half of the outer shell of for the launch trough...representin' thermodynamics in da hood, I guess. I'm gonna put a hidden compartment in the inside of the weight box. Who doesn't like secret compartments, and the measurable discrepancy between apparent volume and actual mass will serve as a piquant and ironic nod to the ongoing uncertainty regarding Dark Matter. Or not. Levers we got covered. More later... K The trebuchet arrived in a large wooden box stamped "ECCENTRIC GENIUS"--I'm sure we'll find a use for the box somewhere too. So far we've used it to shoot blueberries (which the dog likes to fetch but also likes to eat), small potatoes, and more-or-less round chunks of portobello mushroom, which are too light to go far. It's a gorgeous object, and sits in front of the fireplace when nobody is using it to launch pieces of food. I asked Kaden if I could share some of his email, and he replied: I'm glad the piece was well received, and that your fireplace is now properly defended. Here's some pictures I took of it prior to shipping...do what you want with 'em, and blog like a crazed marsupial...as long as you spell my name right. It's Kaden. Thank you, Kaden! We love our new toy. [Betsy Devine: Funny Ha-Ha or Funny Peculiar?] 6:53:39 PM  comment []  Trackback []     Under One Roof, Aging Together Yet Alone. In the past decade, the number of elderly Americans in assisted living has tripled, to nearly one million. By By JANE GROSS. [NYT > Health] 6:51:39 PM  comment []  Trackback []     It's a beast and a beauty. Wait for the third version (traditionally the best of MS offerings on any product...) SharePoint?. SharePoint? -- At my 9-to-5 (or 7:30-to-whatever), we're dabbling with the use of Microsoft's SharePoint Services to replace our shared server directories as a central access point for project information. I'm personally having a tough time warming up to it, compared to the simplicity of other web-based services like the new Basecamp. I'd be interested in pointers to info, tips, hints on efficient and effective use of SharePoint. (Most Google responses on the subject are about tips and hints for the technical underpinnings; what I'm looking for is info on using the portal.) Comment below, please. Thanks. File under project management, SharePoint [Frank Patrick's Focused Performance Blog] 6:50:34 PM  comment []  Trackback []     Oh, goody. I'm so glad... Drink a Day May Keep Older Women Sharp. Not only red wine but also white wine, beer and hard liquor appear to protect against mental decline in older women, two new studies have found. By By NICHOLAS BAKALAR. [NYT > Health] 6:48:57 PM  comment []  Trackback []     Open Source is Worldchanging. Jon Lebkowsky: Among Open Source developers and devotees, there's been a growing awareness of its impact as a philosophy and practice that extends beyond the world of... [WorldChanging: Another World Is Here] 6:46:34 PM  comment []  Trackback []     A Twelve Step Program For Identifying and Eliminating Organizational Change. No matter what side of the management / engineering fence one is on, there comes a time when one may need to stay right where one is, or to engage in the fine art of stalling. Before the reader passes moral judgment on a word with such pejorative connotation as "stalling," let him stop and reflect on reasons that he might want to stall. [kuro5hin.org] 6:46:04 PM  comment []  Trackback []

© Copyright 2005 Gail Marsella. Last update: 2/21/2005; 5:53:56 PM.

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