Archive for February, 2010
Hey folks, good news! The Tangled Bank, an anthology of spec-fic centered around themes Darwinian, has launched. Edited by Chris Lynch, it’s an anthology that strives to fill a fairly shocking gap in science fiction — fiction about evolution. It’s amazing that, given that evolution may be the single greatest, life-changingest scientific discovery ever, there [...]
“Games take us immediately out of a state of paralysis or alienation or depression and they switch on the positive ways of thinking. They trigger the brain to a state in which it’s possible to do good work. It’s possible to aspire to tough goals.” –Jane McGonigal, Director of Games Research at the Institute for [...]
In researching my new novel, I’ve been following International Space Station cosmonaut Maksim Suraev’s blog (kindly translated by the good folks at RT). Suraev’s blog is a fascinating window into life at zero-g, and he’s got a great, easy manner and a good sense of humor — two essential things when you’re cooped up in [...]
And lo, Carlos’s visage appeared upon the pancake, and there was peace throughout the world. (Wanna make your own miracle pancake? Head here. Also, many other fun and easy web-based pic-manipulation apps to try out. A personal favorite is the ASCII art generator.)
I think Google’s 20% time program is one of the most genius innovations in the history of business. Look, if we’re going to live in an evil imperialist late-capitalist society, at least there’s Google giving people some time to think creatively while on the job. Here’s one result of that 20% time: Liquid Galaxy. Basically, [...]
Adrian Owen and Steven Laureys, neurologists respectively from Cambridge and the University of Liège (Belgium), have proven that some people in persistent vegetative states are close to, and perhaps fully, aware and awake. Recently, they were able to verbally communicate with a male patient in a manner that, if it can be replicated, proves to my satisfaction [...]
Be sure to read the artist’s statement at the bottom of the page. And remember: my birthday may have passed, but I accept gifts every day of the year!
Journalist Lisa Katayama recently had her brain scanned and wrote an article for Popular Science describing the experience. Basically, scientist can stick you in an fMRI, present you with a simple black-and-white shape, and then, “reading” your visual cortex, recreate a shaky, pixelated version of that image. Depending on your outlook, your reaction may be [...]
This is the most creative salvo against corruption I think I have ever heard: giving Indian officials the printed notes shown above. And of course, like all good things, it comes from the professoriate. Courtesy of the World Bank Blogs: … the idea was first conceived by an Indian physics professor at the University of [...]
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