Many young adults of mixed backgrounds are rejecting color lines that have defined Americans for generations.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Mixed race? Great - and not what it used to be.
RACE REMIXED: Black? White? Asian? More Young Americans Choose All of the Above
NYTimes: Government’s Dietary Advice: Eat Less
"Eat less pizza, cheese, snack food and desserts. Half your plate should be fresh fruit and vegetables."
Government's Dietary Advice: Eat Less
The latest federal nutrition guidelines reiterate much from previous years, but this time, they also suggest just consuming less.
They did what? Millions of gallons of diesel injected into the ground. : Diesel Use by Gas Drillers Cited as Risk to Water
Diesel Use by Gas Drillers Cited as Risk to Water
Chemicals used in a process called fracking contaminate water sources, Congressional investigators told the E.P.A.
Friday, January 28, 2011
GM Accelerates Rollout of the Chevy Volt
Thought you'd be interested in this article: GM Accelerates Rollout of the Chevy Volt
Got an iPhone or an iPod Touch? The PopSci iPhone App will fill you in on all the exciting developments in science and technology today - and the incredible advances that are rapidly changing our daily life. Get your copy of the PopSci App here.
-Tom.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I bet the Coast Guard loves this guy
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2 Behind-the-Scenes
Those who make video games know that kids only want something more if their parents hate it. This video plays it up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jri8LFci4xQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jri8LFci4xQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Monday, January 24, 2011
Online aptitude test to search for a career
This test asks you what skills you feel good at, and lists jobs that match what you select:
http://online.onetcenter.org/skills/
http://online.onetcenter.org/skills/
Sunday, January 23, 2011
TNT-contaminated soil: using sheep to clean it up
The bacteria in sheep's digestion break down the TNT, and there are 1.3 million tons of TNT in military lands from munitions training. Grasses absorb the TNT, the sheep break it down completely. A flock of 20 can clear an acre in a month. Popular Science Feb '11 p. 36
http://www.ebi.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid=99203
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, January 22, 2011
NYTimes: With Retirement Savings, It’s a Sprint to the Finish
"The problem is...reaching your goal is highly dependent on the power of compounding — or the snowball effect... - you’re actually counting on your savings, in real dollars and cents, to double during that home stretch.
"“It’s the cruel irony of retirement planning that those people who most need the markets’ help have the least financial capacity to take the risk”"
YOUR MONEY: With Retirement Savings, It's a Sprint to the Finish
You can save all your life, but those last years before you retire will determine the result.
http://nyti.ms/gqzMwv
"“It’s the cruel irony of retirement planning that those people who most need the markets’ help have the least financial capacity to take the risk”"
YOUR MONEY: With Retirement Savings, It's a Sprint to the Finish
You can save all your life, but those last years before you retire will determine the result.
http://nyti.ms/gqzMwv
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The health hazards of a sedentary lifestyle not mitigated by exercise
"The latest findings, published this week in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, indicate that the amount of leisure time spent sitting in front of a screen can have such an overwhelming, seemingly irreparable impact on one’s health that physical activity doesn’t produce much benefit."
HEALTH | January 12, 2011
Well: The Hazards of the Couch
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Increasingly, research is focusing not on how much exercise people get -- but on how much of their time is spent in sedentary activity, and the harm that it does.
HEALTH | January 12, 2011
Well: The Hazards of the Couch
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Increasingly, research is focusing not on how much exercise people get -- but on how much of their time is spent in sedentary activity, and the harm that it does.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Kraft Foods' "Dinner Decider" Studies Your Face, Suggests (Kraft) Food Choices Based on Gender, Age
A kiosk in a grocery store scans your face, determines your age and demographic, even your expression, and recommends something new for dinner.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Better google searches
1. Use more keywords to refine the search
2. Use AND and OR - white AND chocloate, android OR iphone
3. Exclude words using "-" - katrina -hurricane
4. Search synonyms using '~' - ~elderly finds senior, aged, old
5. Find similar pages using 'related:'
6. Search only for words in webpage title - 'allintitle:'
-other similar search restrictors at http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=675274&seqNum=7
7. use the google directory, with pages hand-picked by editors - http://directory.google.com/
2. Use AND and OR - white AND chocloate, android OR iphone
3. Exclude words using "-" - katrina -hurricane
4. Search synonyms using '~' - ~elderly finds senior, aged, old
5. Find similar pages using 'related:'
6. Search only for words in webpage title - 'allintitle:'
-other similar search restrictors at http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=675274&seqNum=7
7. use the google directory, with pages hand-picked by editors - http://directory.google.com/
Words about words
Someone had to be crazy about words to compile this exhaustive list of words about words.
I like the following because there's so much human nature and irony wrapped up in them...
aposiopesis
a halting or trailing off of speech caused by the speaker seemingly overcome by an emotion such as excitement, fear, or modesty; a form of brachylogy."When your father finds out...."
apophasis
mentioning something by declaring that it shall not be mentioned. Same as "paralepsis" and "preterition." "I need not remind you to get your Christmas shopping done early."
autoclesis
introducing an idea or subject by seeming to refuse discussion of it, thereby arousing interest.
litotes
understatement by negating the opposite; a type of meiosis. "I was not disappointed with the news."
apocope
loss of the final portion of a word. For example, info from information; cinema from cinematograph, tarp for tarpaulin, demo for demonstration, retro for retrospective,
antanaclasis
repetition of a word whose meaning changes in the second instance. "Your argument is sound...all sound." -- Benjamin Franklin.
See the whole list.
I like the following because there's so much human nature and irony wrapped up in them...
See the whole list.
Some airtight advice on home air leaks.
1) Use incense to find draughts.
2) Frost King (V-shaped stripping) breaks down less easily than other stripping.
3) Use 100%-silicone caulking.
4) Fill chimneys with an inflatable plug.
5) Mastic (R) is $25 a gallon and seals air ductwork.
THE PRAGMATIST: Preventing Heat From Sneaking Out of the House
Experts offer advice on how to plug drafts to conserve heat and lower bills.
http://nyti.ms/if4joG
2) Frost King (V-shaped stripping) breaks down less easily than other stripping.
3) Use 100%-silicone caulking.
4) Fill chimneys with an inflatable plug.
5) Mastic (R) is $25 a gallon and seals air ductwork.
THE PRAGMATIST: Preventing Heat From Sneaking Out of the House
Experts offer advice on how to plug drafts to conserve heat and lower bills.
http://nyti.ms/if4joG
NYTimes: Retreat of the ‘Tiger Mother’
Yes, I've seen it in the highly-competitive violin world. Tough expectations for kids to live up to.TE
CULTURAL STUDIES: Retreat of the 'Tiger Mother'
A memoir about strict Chinese parenting reads as criticism of Western practices, but the author, Amy Chua, says some readers are missing the point.
http://nyti.ms/dLRwIa
CULTURAL STUDIES: Retreat of the 'Tiger Mother'
A memoir about strict Chinese parenting reads as criticism of Western practices, but the author, Amy Chua, says some readers are missing the point.
http://nyti.ms/dLRwIa
Drum cover.
Ever heard of a 'drum cover' before? A 'cover tune' is when a performer copies a famous popular song. A drum cover highlights how to play the drums for a popular song. Search YouTube for 'everlasting god drum cover' and you'll see what I mean... And how many different ways there are to play it.
It will definitely help me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxipapxa3hI
P.S. - why do drummers like lots of cymbals? Watch how artfully this drummer uses each cymbal's sound.
And while we're on the subject of drumming there is, of course, the master - Manu Katche. So fast, fluid, artistic, effortless.
It will definitely help me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxipapxa3hI
P.S. - why do drummers like lots of cymbals? Watch how artfully this drummer uses each cymbal's sound.
And while we're on the subject of drumming there is, of course, the master - Manu Katche. So fast, fluid, artistic, effortless.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Bicycling - why people ride.
"It's a fine start, wheeling along with my shadow in pursuit, the desert air as clear and intoxicating as gin, everything reminding me of why I ride: to be outside. The bicycle amplifies life, making good times better." - Jim Malusa, Into Thick Air, p. 50
Also - how hectic Cairo traffic is:
"Because Mohamed's horn was frequently in use, he reserved the headlights as a sort of second horn for running red lights. At first this was deeply alarming. But nobody in Cairo expected anybody to stop at a signal, a muual understanding shared by the farting buses, and the silent Mercedes, the blue-smoke motorbikes and the diesel tractors. Like blood cells jostling to fill a capillary, this honking, headlight-blinking mass of steel, rubber, and flesh pushed into the clot of downtown Cairo." p. 63
Also - how hectic Cairo traffic is:
"Because Mohamed's horn was frequently in use, he reserved the headlights as a sort of second horn for running red lights. At first this was deeply alarming. But nobody in Cairo expected anybody to stop at a signal, a muual understanding shared by the farting buses, and the silent Mercedes, the blue-smoke motorbikes and the diesel tractors. Like blood cells jostling to fill a capillary, this honking, headlight-blinking mass of steel, rubber, and flesh pushed into the clot of downtown Cairo." p. 63
Why Not Regulate Guns as Seriously as Toys?
Exactly. The title says it all. As a Canadian, the prevalence of gun ownership, and lack of constraint, in the US baffles me.
OP-ED COLUMNIST: Why Not Regulate Guns as Seriously as Toys?
After the tragedy in Tucson, let's reframe the debate on gun control as a public health challenge.
http://nyti.ms/glZvGh
OP-ED COLUMNIST: Why Not Regulate Guns as Seriously as Toys?
After the tragedy in Tucson, let's reframe the debate on gun control as a public health challenge.
http://nyti.ms/glZvGh
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
NYTimes: Navigating the Airfare Maze Online Gets Tougher
Itasoftware.com compares flights.
Airfarewatchdog.com actual people surf deals.
Jetblue.com/cheeps
Europe: momondo.com
Hipmunk.com agony index includes price, #connections, leg room, aircraft age & on-time performance.
Airfarewatchdog.com actual people surf deals.
Jetblue.com/cheeps
Europe: momondo.com
Hipmunk.com agony index includes price, #connections, leg room, aircraft age & on-time performance.
Navigating the Airfare Maze Online Gets Tougher
While several large airlines are battling with online travel sites, fliers who are willing to dig can still find deals.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Heartwarming story of rags to riches
What happened to him in just a day...
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/amplifier/51933/golden-voiced-homeless-man-captivates-internet/
"Yesterday morning he was a panhandler; today he's the most in-demand voice personality in the world, thanks to offers from countless radio stations, voiceover gigs and even the Cleveland Cavaliers."
"he's already been offered a bunch of employment opportunities, including one that's a Ohio citizen's dream job. "The Cleveland Cavaliers just offered me a full-time job and a house," Williams revealed."
Here's his CBS debut:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWG6zNf4xY0
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Sikorsky X2
Help me understand. A new Sikorsky counter-rotating rotor design is revolutionary (no pun intended) because they could use stiff flat rotors that could be placed closer together, reducing drag and allowing faster forward speeds.
Jan 2011 Popular Science p. 54
If I understand correctly, a fast forward speed begins to stall the part of the rotor that's retreating as the craft's forward airspeed starts to match its speed. To compensate, rotors had to be wider and hence more flexible to generate lift despite this effect. In the new design, they actually feather the blades during the retreating phase of each revolution, allowing the opposite rotors lift to balance lift. The blade can therefore be shorter, narrower, stiffer, and closer to the other rotor for less forward drag.
"Every conventional helicopter has a maximum speed at which it can no longer produce sufficient laterally balanced lift and maintain controllability on the rotor due to retreating blade stall." - http://www.sharc.co.uk/html/case_sikor.htm
"The goal was to test the premise that rigid counter-rotating main rotors, where the advancing blade on each side produces lift while both retreated blades are feathered, could be used reduce drag and tip velocities to allow for cruise speeds well above the norm for helicopters."
- http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/06/12/214533/x2-marks-the-spot-for-radical-rotor-designs.html
Sent from my iPhone
Jan 2011 Popular Science p. 54
If I understand correctly, a fast forward speed begins to stall the part of the rotor that's retreating as the craft's forward airspeed starts to match its speed. To compensate, rotors had to be wider and hence more flexible to generate lift despite this effect. In the new design, they actually feather the blades during the retreating phase of each revolution, allowing the opposite rotors lift to balance lift. The blade can therefore be shorter, narrower, stiffer, and closer to the other rotor for less forward drag.
"Every conventional helicopter has a maximum speed at which it can no longer produce sufficient laterally balanced lift and maintain controllability on the rotor due to retreating blade stall." - http://www.sharc.co.uk/html/case_sikor.htm
"The goal was to test the premise that rigid counter-rotating main rotors, where the advancing blade on each side produces lift while both retreated blades are feathered, could be used reduce drag and tip velocities to allow for cruise speeds well above the norm for helicopters."
- http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/06/12/214533/x2-marks-the-spot-for-radical-rotor-designs.html
Sent from my iPhone
NASA's 3,500-Ton Deep-Space Antenna Repair | Blogotariat
An engineering challenge:
"Lifting the 7-million pound antenna a quarter inch was like balancing a five-foot stack of dishes on his pinky finger."
http://www.blogotariat.com/node/208230
http://m.desertdispatch.com/articles/nasa-8876-antenna-officials.html
"Lifting the 7-million pound antenna a quarter inch was like balancing a five-foot stack of dishes on his pinky finger."
http://www.blogotariat.com/node/208230
http://m.desertdispatch.com/articles/nasa-8876-antenna-officials.html
Monday, January 3, 2011
NYTimes: Computers That See You and Keep Watch Over You
Computers that detect your facial expressions while you shop, read ads, or consider picking a fight are becoming ubiquitous. "The future of law enforcement, national security, and military operations will most likely rely on observant machines. "
As far as analyzing shoppers, "“You can see and analyze how people are reacting in real time, not what they are saying later, when they are often trying to be polite,” he said. The technology, he added, is more scientific and less costly than having humans look at store surveillance videos, which some retailers do."
The article describes a movie studio distributing a movie to volunteers' laptop computers with webcams as a means of screen-testing movies, scene by scene, using software to analyze each volunteer's facial response to the movie they're watching.
Google 'goggles,' which searches whatever you photograph, decided not to include facial-recognition software for privacy reasons.
Your heart rate can be detected from cameras detecting subtle changes in the color of your face as blood vessels swell with each heartbeat.
Computers That See You and Keep Watch Over You
Computerized surveillance systems can protect hospital patients, watch for criminals — or invade your privacy.
http://nyti.ms/eqRY4u
As far as analyzing shoppers, "“You can see and analyze how people are reacting in real time, not what they are saying later, when they are often trying to be polite,” he said. The technology, he added, is more scientific and less costly than having humans look at store surveillance videos, which some retailers do."
The article describes a movie studio distributing a movie to volunteers' laptop computers with webcams as a means of screen-testing movies, scene by scene, using software to analyze each volunteer's facial response to the movie they're watching.
Google 'goggles,' which searches whatever you photograph, decided not to include facial-recognition software for privacy reasons.
Your heart rate can be detected from cameras detecting subtle changes in the color of your face as blood vessels swell with each heartbeat.
Computers That See You and Keep Watch Over You
Computerized surveillance systems can protect hospital patients, watch for criminals — or invade your privacy.
http://nyti.ms/eqRY4u
NYTimes: The Happy Marriage Is the ‘Me’ Marriage
"How much has your being with your partner resulted in your learning new things?"
SUSTAINABLE LOVE: The Happy Marriage Is the 'Me' Marriage
For a long, fulfilling partnership: give your partner a chance to e-x-p-a-n-d.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
NYTimes: Giving Alzheimer’s Patients Their Way, Even Chocolate
Give alzheimers patients the chocolate or doll or indulgence they want, and mood and care improves.
A German nursing home installed fake bus stops to prevent patients from leaving - they stand awaiting a bus that never comes, then give up or forget why they went outside. Saves a lot of difficult city-wide searches for dementia patients off on bus rides.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2071319/Fake-bus-stop-keeps-Alzheimers-patients-from-wandering-off.html
THE VANISHING MIND: Giving Alzheimer's Patients Their Way, Even Chocolate
A Phoenix nursing home has found that unlimited chocolate, and other comforts, go a long way in reducing patients' distress.
http://nyti.ms/fE99vr
A German nursing home installed fake bus stops to prevent patients from leaving - they stand awaiting a bus that never comes, then give up or forget why they went outside. Saves a lot of difficult city-wide searches for dementia patients off on bus rides.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2071319/Fake-bus-stop-keeps-Alzheimers-patients-from-wandering-off.html
THE VANISHING MIND: Giving Alzheimer's Patients Their Way, Even Chocolate
A Phoenix nursing home has found that unlimited chocolate, and other comforts, go a long way in reducing patients' distress.
http://nyti.ms/fE99vr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)