http://artins.org/ben Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:51:45 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Neat double-blind study in Canada shows that giving flu shots to the children in a community reduces incidence of flu in adults. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/health/10flu.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Pakistani politicians visit the US, tour falls apart when they refuse to subject themselves to additional security checks. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/world/asia/10pstan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss A summary of the history of scurvy, and the science and pseudo-science surrounding it. http://idlewords.com/2010/03/scott_and_scurvy.htm http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15623 Helps scientist and teachers find each other with the goal of improving kids' learning experience http://www.nationallabday.org/ One man's quest to figure out what makes a good teacher, and then teach it to others. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html?pagewanted=all The american lawn abomination strikes again. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bad-lawn2-2010mar02,0,3613612.story Some books are dying; good riddance. Those that use the medium will remain. http://craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/ If I didn't already have copious silverware, I'd buy these. http://www.dinnerplates.com/Yamazaki-TW-00-YTW1000.html Ah, yes. Anxiety about insomnia leads to insomnia. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/mind-games/ Fetal distress can lead to premature release of material digested by the fetus during the pregnancy (meconium). If aspirated, it can lead to reduced oxygenation of the neonate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meconium_aspiration_syndrome The mechanism that shunts fetal blood away from normal circulation through the lungs, to allow lungs to remain collapsed during gestation. (Fetal blood is oxygenated through the placenta.) Normally, closure of this shunt is triggered at birth, but it can also be stimulated by anti-inflammatories. That's why they pose a ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ductus_arteriosus Specialized delivery procedure wherein the baby is partly delivered, with umbilical cord intact and providing oxygen to the baby, so that it can be evaluated and treated for airway obstructions revealed by prenatal exams (such as ultrasounds). Basically, using the mother as a heart-lung machine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EXIT_procedure Croatian prosody marks explained and mapped to standard IPA marks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_language#Pitch_accent If you can read Serbo-Croatian prosody marks, this is a good side-by-side comparison of prosody of various dialects of Croatian and Serbian, including the standard literary variants. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbo-Croatian_language#Dialects Fabulous visualization of quality of evidence in support of various dietary supplements, extensively sourced and backed by blind placebo-controlled studies. http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/play/snake-oil-supplements/ A good summary of main forms in which the placebo effect surfaces, as well as their ethical implications. Warning: By reading this article you may reduce the potency of every medical treatment you receive for the remainder of your life. http://brynndragon.livejournal.com/504448.html Heh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gaid72fqzNE Boo, Merriam-Webster won't let me be a slut. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slut Creepy! http://americasright.com/?p=3159 http://yuruliku.shop-pro.jp/?pid=18601113 Just like a real foot, a new foot prosthesis design captures energy during a heel strike and releases is during push-off, to make walking more efficient http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0009307 Also knows as "Unskilled and unaware of it" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect "Manipulating people’s general views of their ability [...] changed performance estimates independently of any impact on actual performance." http://www.psy.fsu.edu/~ehrlinger/Self_&_Social_Judgment/Ehrlinger&Dunning.pdf Free iPhone app that displays popular climate denialist arguments and current scientific counter-arguments. http://www.skepticalscience.com/skeptical-science-iphone-app.html A formerly incarcerated bank robber is now a paralegal who's helped bring cases in front of the Supreme Court http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/us/09bar.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Whenever an organization defines itself around unverifiable claims, it goes on to serve as the last refuge of insecure jerks who avoid their own fears or reality by instilling in others fears of unverifiable myths. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8504604.stm Our brains automatically correlate ease of processing of a piece of information, its expected familiarity, and its estimated truth. This has wide-ranging impact on our behavior, from vegetable-shopping to national elections. http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm?volumeID=23&editionID=185&ArticleID=1629 Analysis of some social behaviors common to geeks. http://www.stanford.edu/~pgbovine/geek-behaviors.htm http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/09/why-you-cant-help-believing-everything-you-read.php http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/12/how-other-peoples-expectations-control-us.php Humorous exterior design for a commercial jet http://www.chrisrawlinson.com/kulula.htm Surgery to remove humans' sense of entitlement still in development. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/nyregion/03debark.html?pagewanted=all&partner=rss&emc=rss Next, they should put two of these facing each other for larger groups of adults. And add curtains. http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jan/27/air-transport-newzealand-seats-economy We silence the cognitive dissonance through self-imposed ignorance. http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2010/01/cable_news.php Mirror, mirror, on the wall, I should do more of #5 and #4. http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/the-world/article/twelve-resolutions-on-how-to-be-a-mensch-guy-kawasaki Study on effects of parental number and gender on parenting. The gender of parents only matters in ways that don’t matter. http://futurity.org/top-stories/good-parents-wanted-all-genders-apply/ Snark! http://justinhourigan.com/2009/11/the-homeopathy-comic-strip/ Actually a rant about the value of being willing to publicly fail, and tied into gender differences in that willingness. "Trying to be self-confident without being arrogant gives other people veto power over your actions." http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2010/01/a-rant-about-women/ Hah. http://www.firstpersontetris.com/ An Escheresque typeface http://www.emigre.com/EFfeature.php?di=214 In short: we don't know that the H1N1 epidemic is over in the US, and we know for sure it's not over in many other countries. You should get vaccinated! http://www.jems.com/news_and_articles/news/2010/01/officials_push_national_influenza_vaccination_week.html Some evils of credit card companies http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/05visa.html?pagewanted=all And similarly, evils of credit card reward programs http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/09/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/09money.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Nice article on poly, written with the general air of "they're just people, you know". http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2010/01/03/loves_new_frontier/?page=full Adventuresome, inspiring old folks. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/us/08aging.html?partner=rss&emc=rss A christmas tree launched using model rockets. Hilarious narrative. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCjHV63MQ4w&feature=player_embedded Summary of plot differences between Pocahontas and Avatar. Hilarious, and party explains why Avatar was walk-out-of-theater boring. http://9gag.com/photo/16103_full.jpg Ancient manuscript writers may have cleverly used 3D vision processing in the brain. http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Sept09/KellsAngels.html One of the fastest reflexes in the human body, used to compensate for head movement and stabilize the image projected onto the retina. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestibulo-ocular_reflex An attempt to explain liberalism and conservatism in the US as being rooted in perceiving the world as a chosen family (for liberals) or a given family (conservatives). http://www.gurus.org/dougdeb/politics/209.html It's premature to call this a retrospective, but it's a good overview of what has gone well and what could have gone better in the US response to H1N1. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/02/health/02flu.html?partner=rss&emc=rss An overview of issues surrounding medications that make terminal patients more comfortable in their death. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/health/27sedation.html?_r=1&em=&pagewanted=all Adds a whole new layer of silliness to this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8rLuk2PoMA Much wisdom: "self-discipline can be less a sign of health than of vulnerability", "just because motivation is internal doesn’t mean it’s ideal", etc http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/selfdiscipline.htm If a corneal graft is unlikely to succeed, an alternative way of restoring vision is to create a prosthetic front layer of the eye from a combination of artificial materials, cheek tissue, tooth tissue, and bone. This particular combination of materials keeps the optics from moving relative to the eye, ... http://www.sjsupport.org/pdf/eye_info/Seminars_OOKP_PDF_5.05.pdf A less technical writeup of corneal prosthetics build from bone, tooth, and cheek tissue, with pictures. http://www.rajaneyecare.com/modified-osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis.html If the front layer of the eye is damaged or diseased, it can become opaque, leading to loss of vision in an otherwise healthy eye; this can be repaired with a transplant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneal_transplantation Your email is more secure than the drones' video feed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8419147.stm Following the well-rehearsed script, catholics carry on with fearmongering and conservatives appeal to populist homophobia. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/15/us/AP-US-DC-Gay-Marriage.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss Useful concept: discrimination against people on basis of their not being considered adults. Related to personal empowerment and sexual freedom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adultism On misogyny (and, indirectly, other forms of discrimination and disempowerment) in close relationships (as opposed to, more commonly discussed, with strangers), tangentially discusses sources of safety and trust in intimate relationships. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/aug/25/feminism-relationships-sexism-women Randomized controlled trial. Of clowns. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19143948 Our impression of others' beliefs is stable; our claims about the divine change to be consistent with what we believe. http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=1323#more-1323 http://thecurvature.com/2009/12/02/13-year-old-girl-commits-suicide-after-classmates-spread-nude-photos/ A debate on the influence of the Catholic church. Best quote: "The only people who are obsessed with food are anorexics and the morbidly obese, and that, in erotic terms, is the Catholic church in a nutshell" http://www.intelligencesquared.com/iq2-video/2009/catholic-church Detailed, readable, and very well referenced overview of flaws in main arguments against anthropogenic global warming http://www.skepticalscience.com/ Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the decision was "not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8385069.stm An agency that arranges adoptions in which birth parents and adoptive parents know each other and maintain contact with each other and the child. They do not discriminate against singles and same-sex couples as potential adoptive parents. http://www.openadopt.org/ Hour-long PBS Frontline program about the credit card industry, how it exploits its customers, its lack of regulation, and its contribution to the current economic mess. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/creditcards/view/ I believe this is the first openly transgender mayor in the US http://www.sturasmussen.com/realityCheck.htm This is just what I needed to decide not to shower my soccer game off until tomorrow. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8373690.stm http://periodictable.com/Posters/index.cards.html More interesting than Catholic bishops trying to strong-arm the federal government into reducing access non-Catholics have to abortion is the fact that a Catholic bishop openly said that if you cannot in conscience believe "certain things" you should consider going to another denomination. I wonder whether homophobia and sexism are ... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/us/23kennedy.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss "Randomly assigning students to rejection experiences can lower their IQ scores and make them aggressive" http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2051-rejection-massively-reduces-iq.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0-FYyuvrRk NatGeo photographer travels to Antarctica to photograph leopard seals, a predatory species that eats penguins. In a fascinating turn of events, a female leopard seal, instead of attacking him, attempts to teach him how to eat penguins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxa6P73Awcg&feature=player_embedded Very detailed analysis of flight 1549, complete with meticulous digital reconstruction of the entire flight overlaid with audio recordings. http://www.exosphere3d.com/pubwww/pages/project_gallery/cactus_1549_hudson_river.html Oh dear, so tempting. http://writebadlywell.blogspot.com/2009/11/learn-about-syllepsis-then-refuse-to.html A delightful (if heteronormative) discussion of how widely held expectations of men bring dysfunction to the men's lives. http://www.michaelkaufman.com/2009/04/19/appearance-on-mens-room/ You hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability. http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/11/05/support-for-same-sex-marriage-by-age-and-state/ Matrix redone in Charlie Chaplin style. Brilliant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAu74d4fGt0&feature=player_embedded Quite a clever way to start removing the most dangerous hazard from automobile travel: drivers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8349923.stm Surgery performed on a beating heart. (Off-pump coronary artery graft.) Not for the squeamish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxqj1BcBpIg&feature=player_embedded Social structures, online gaming, etc. http://lostgarden.com/2009/11/testosterone-and-competitive-play.html How subtle differences in content sniffing algorithm between servers and web browsers can be used by an attacker to execute a cross-site scripting attack. http://www.adambarth.com/papers/2009/barth-caballero-song.pdf I've needed this concept in the past. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronormativity Whoa. A string quartet on an accordion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Bn4m6dQbI&feature=player_embedded Lovely infographic showing size comparison of various cells in context with several small objects visible to the naked eye. http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/ http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_waronscience/all/1 Oooh boy I am soooo drunk... I know, I'll drive a car into my ex girlfriend's house... not my car, though... I'll steal a car! Ha! I am so badass! vroom vroom crash... whoops, wrong house. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/27/nevada.car.crash.home/index.html I think they should call it "Lord of the Flies Playground". The indoors version can be called "Ender's Game Daycare". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6453268/Council-bans-parents-from-play-areas.html?sms_ss=facebook You had me at "rental goats" http://www.good.is/post/rental-goats-clear-brush-better-beat-cosmonauts-in-space-race/ Infographic about all missions to Mars to date http://i.imgur.com/GoCGR.jpg Pictures of people in their beds. Aww. http://www.picturesinbed.com/ I am only linking this article because I want to know if other people do a double-take when they read the headline. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8317434.stm Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward the bigoted in your land. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/world/europe/21pope.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss Pretty darn safe. http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/how-safe-is-the-hpv-vaccine/ Collection of articles on science of sleep and sleep disorders. http://sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/48212/title/The_Science_of_Slumber Anxiety leads to missed opportunities, which lead to skewed expectations, which lead to more anxiety http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3304496/Be-lucky---its-an-easy-skill-to-learn.html