JUNE 06
Conflicts of intere$t ?
<thought experiment>
If you were the CEO of a Big Pharma company, how could you devise a system of bribes commissions to doctors who choose to push make use of your products – without compromising your sense of corporate responsibility ? ( or breaking any laws )
Of course it would be very difficult. Especially bearing in mind the negative PR you might get if even just one unhelpful doctor was ever to turn whistleblower.
Large numbers of cash payments are tricky to hide, and nowadays ( given the increasing media attention ) expensive meals, family holidays, and upmarket fridge-freezers might not have a sufficiently low profile to slip under the radar.
But what if there’s a ‘ third way ’ ? What if a group of doctors were to create, say, for example, a tax-exempt medical research charity - then how could your generous contribution ever be seen as anything other than benign ?
</thought experiment>
Really Magazine is dreaming of course.
Although something with vaguely similar implications was described
in detail by the New
York Times a couple of days ago :
؟ ؟ ؟
In the meantime, Michael Moore is still working on his upcoming new movie – rumours of which are already causing severe shivering in many of Big Pharma’s PR consultant’s offices.
( working title : Sicko ) .
He’d love to hear from anyone concerned about :
“ a very corrupt system that simply has to go. “
30 JUN 06
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Paanchbhootas
Is your favourite website in tune with the “ influence of sun, the moon, the effect of other planets, their light and heat on earth and its atmosphere, wind, its directions, earth's magnetic field, gravitational force and various other factors.” ?
If not, maybe it should be ?
Help
is at hand with a new
book ( $20 + p&p ) entitled Web Vastu , which is intended
to help designers fuse two sciences “ Vastu
Shastra and Internet “
The book's site explains :
“ We all know that the five elements that comprise the human and the world are called the "Paanchbhootas". Similarly every website has its own "paanchbhootas" and a balance has to be maintained to achieve a desired result. Any disturbance in any of the element may result in negative consequences. “
After you’ve Vastu Shastra’d your website, why not try the same approach on your surroundings ?
A similar service, directed by the book’s author, offers advice, amongst other things, on ‘Grain storage‘ your ‘Pooja room’ and ‘Vastu dosh’.
؟ ؟ ؟
Note : Some news sites covering the book's launch are incorrectly implying that Vastu Shastra is in some way linked to the Chinese concept of Feng Shui. It’s not. Feng Shui is Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra is Vastu Shastra.
29 JUN 06
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Virtual war(e)
Still a chance to check out the Games for Change (G4C) conference in New York. ( 27/28 June )
G4C “ Provides support, visibility and shared resources to individuals
and organizations using digital games for social change. - harnessing the
power of this popular medium for more ‘ serious purposes ’ .
Fighting poverty. Fostering leadership skills in inner city youth. Exploring
the tricky terrain between civil rights and airport security. “
Still not convinced ? Then the Games for Change organisation recommends you take a look at :
We did. Here’s some on offer :
• America's Army – Operations “ an Army Recruiting game, consisting of a squad-based first-person shooter game “
• Bottom Gun “ allows the trainee to fire missles (sic.) based on thier (sic.) periscope readings, and see how accurate they were.”
• Joint Force Emplyment (sic.) “ designed
to teach the staffs of Combattant (sic.) Commanders
to employ joint forces with maximum effectiveness. “
And, most worryingly perhaps :
• Battle Command 2010 “ allows commanders and their staff officers to practice their planning and execution skills within a simulated environment. “
Etc etc etc
28 JUN 06 ( late edition )
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The 3 hole ring binder challenge.
If
you can come up with a new design which “ meets
or exceeds requirements in safety, performance and ease of use over conventional
3-hole paper binders “ – before
Jul 18th 2006, you could earn yourself $15,000 USD.
The design challenge is currently indexed ( for reasons unclear ) under the ‘biology’ tab of the Innocentive website.
More details here (
login required ) [ username : password ]
28 JUN 06 ( midday edition )
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Cognitive Maturation Postponed ( or The Crumbling Gerontocracies )
Firstly, a definition : ‘ Neoteny ’ (n.) The retention of juvenile features in an adult animal.
Dr. Bruce Charlton , reader in evolutionary psychiatry at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne , takes the concept a step further. Examining the possibilities of ‘ psychological-neoteny ‘ he proposes that perhaps “ a personality type characterized by prolonged youthfulness is advantageous both in science and modern life generally. “
Not many would argue with the conjecture that nowadays it’s a great advantage to be highly flexible regarding job changes, the rapid acquisition of new skills etc etc. Open-mindedness and flexibility being attributes normally associated with youthfulness.
The doctor goes on to suggest though that : “ ‘immature’ people tend to thrive and succeed, and have set the tone of contemporary life “
If so, what about possible downsides ? Cultural shallowness, sensation-seeking, and short attention spans ?
Are societal pressures now tending to favour - and therefore encourage - immaturity ? And what of other possible causes ? Over-prolonged formal education perhaps ?
The disturbing implications are underlined with this para - which really does strike a distinctly minor chord :
“ as health gets better and cosmetic technologies improve, future humans may become somewhat like an axolotl – the cave-dwelling salamander which retains its larval form until death.. “
؟ ؟ ؟
The editorial will feature in a future edition of the journal ‘ Medical Hypotheses ‘. Preview here : The rise of the boy-genius*: psychological-neoteny, science and modern life.
Also see, from the same author :
The Paradox of the modern Mass Media ( suggesting that modern mass media function as the main source of social cohesion in liberal democracies.)
and :
What is the meaning of life ? ( is alienation is the price paid for consciousness ? )
* Note : Includes women.
28 JUN 06
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Link of the day :
McBlare, a robotic bagpipe player , profiled at Primidi.com
Stamping them out ( as in 'keep on' )
“ We worked for socialist society, for the good of the people, which I never regret.” said Mikhail Kalashnikov , whose AK-47 became what some have called ‘ the world’s favourite killing machine ’ . . .
Here he is again in a Guardian interview Oct 2003.
“ You see, with [designing] weapons, it is like a woman who bears children. For months she carries her baby and thinks about it. A designer does much the same thing with a prototype. I felt like a mother - always proud. “
In many parts of the world, they can now be bought for around $20, and some 100,000,000 have been made – not including the non-licensed design clones made ‘ illegally ’ in many countries.
Kalashnikov is in the news now because of participation in the start of the UN Small Arms Review Conference yesterday.
Where he's quoted ( BBC )
as saying " When I watch TV and see small arms
of the AK family in the hands of bandits, I keep asking myself: how did those
people get hold of them? "
There are now approximately 600,000,000 small arms in circulation, and around 500,000 people die every year because of them ( source: IPPNW )
But if you thought the UN conference was about to recommend the banning of small arms manufacture though , you’d be wrong. 100% wrong.
According to their own factsheet, the UN conference -
• ‘ is not about banning small arms ‘
• ‘
will not be negotiating any treaty ’
• ‘
does not prescribe or suggest any action against the legal trade, manufacture,
possession or ownership of weapons. ‘
So what is it about ? Curbing ‘ illicit ’ trade whilst reaffirming intellectual property rights and condoning money-making opportunities for state-sanctioned killing machine manufacturers and arms dealers ?
Surely not ?
Wonder if the organisers have seen
this video ? ( caution: loads considerably slower than an AK-47,
but well worth the wait )
27 JUN 06 (late)
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The perils of Hyperopia ( regrets under the microscope )
If you think you might, at some stage in the future, face the possibility of a mid-life ( or even quarter-life ) crisis, then the following research may be of interest to you.
Using some air-travelers, some students, and a future-projected notional cake/salad, researchers from the University of Columbia , New York, have just published the results of three studies into a highly enigmatic psychological area :
viz. The science of regret.
Focussing in on what the researchers call ‘ excessive farsightedness ’ ( a.k.a. hyperopia ) the suggestion is that perhaps future-gazing can sometimes have negative long-term consequences.
According to the press-release “ In the short run, vice is regretted more than virtue, but in the long run virtue is regretted more .”
Bearing in mind the psychological complexities, philosophical implications, and the difficulty in pinning down such amorphous feelings as possible mid-life crisis regrets, the core research processes were remarkably straightforward . . .
• In the first study, the subjects were 31 air travelers waiting for flights a domestic airports. They were asked to recall some event ( from last week or more than five years ago ) in which they had to choose between work or pleasure. They were then required to rate their ‘ decision to indulge ’ and ‘ decision to work ’ - in terms of regret.
• The second study looked at the regrets felt by 69 university students ( and 24 alumni ) about their winter break holidays – recent and distant.
Next, they rated statements of ‘ hedonic inaction regret ’ like “ I should have spent more money on things I enjoy “, against ‘ virtuous inaction regrets ’ such as “ I should have worked more “.
• The third study examined another 132 students, who were quizzed regarding the possibilities of ‘ a delicious three layer chocolate cake ’ and a ‘ low calorie healthy fruit salad ’.
Their ‘ feelings and emotions ’ about the notional cake/salad were evaluated against their ‘ considerations and thoughts ’ . They were also asked how their ratings would change regarding the imaginary cake/salad decision one day ahead - or ten years into the future.
Results :
“ We demonstrate that greater temporal separation between a choice and its assessment enhances the regret ( or anticipated regret ) of virtuous decisions ( e.g., choosing work over pleasure ) “.
Perhaps though, the last line of the paper puts it more succinctly :
“ In the long run, indulging can lead to less regret and more satisfaction “
Explaining, perhaps, why the paper will shortly be published in
‘ The Journal of Consumer Research ’ , rather than, say, ‘ The
International Journal of Behavioral Development ‘.
؟ ؟ ؟
In the meantime though, it can be found
here . . .
Also hear : Edith Piaf ( courtesy AVConvert.com )
Reader Brian D comments :
The perils of Hyperopia - no-one, on their deathbed, ever said " I wish I'd spent more time in the office " ... however, I did once meet an accountant ...
27 JUN 06
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Sound art call.
The deadline for entries to this year’s SoundLAB project has just been extended until 31st July 2006
“
SoundLab is an initiative and the space for sonic art in the framework of
[NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne “
Budding ( or budded ) sound artists should have their work ( in .mp3 format
) available on a website for the organisers to evaluate.
This years theme is ' Memoryscapes ', based on the subjects: ' memory' and 'identity'.
Here’s some examples from last year’s SoundLAB :
• play
• play
• play
• play
Entry form for the 2006 project, and links to SoundLAB websites here:
26 JUN 06 (late)
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Saserna’s assertion.
A substantial new report, commissioned by the US Congress, and released last
week by the National Academies, describes global surface temperature reconstructions
for the last 2,000 Years.
“ It can be said with a high level of confidence
that global mean surface temperature was higher during the last few decades
of the 20th century than during any
comparable period during the preceding four centuries. “
[ summary here : http://dels.nas.edu Caution: quite appallingly ‘sticky’ .pdf ]
Though : “ Less confidence can be placed in large-scale surface temperature reconstructions for the period from A.D. 900 to 1600 “
Really Magazine can assert however – with a high level of confidence - that the climate in northern Europe ( at least in the UK ) was broadly the same 2000 years ago as it is now – perhaps even a little warmer.
How do we know ?
One word : Grapevines.
After the Roman coalition had ‘liberated’ Britain, they set
about ‘rebuilding’ the country - one of their tasks being the
construction of new
vineyards, right up into the midlands of England. Today,
there are still one or two commercial vineyards operating in the area – but,
climate-wise, they’re just on the edge of viability.
According to Richard Selley , Emeritus Professor of Geology and a Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College, London. " The use of vines as a marker for climate change was first suggested some 2,000 years ago by the Roman writer Saserna. “
And Saserna’s idea presumably still holds.
The
professor’s book, The
Winelands of Britain: Past, Present & Prospective [£11.50
(UK)] describes
( amongst much else ) everything you need to know about how the Romans
managed a thriving viticulture enterprise in the UK.
Could it be that we are currently living in an ice age - with intermittent warm blips – like the current one ?
Probably not quite as warm a blip, however, as the one the Romans enjoyed . . . yet.
26 JUN 06
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How much did you say it was ?
If you want to sell your stuff, then it may be a step in the right direction if you could at least be reasonably sure that prospective consumers can remember the price . . .
And the University of Chicago has a hot tip for you.
Keep it short.
New
research has indicated that consumers might have difficulty in recalling
prices which are too long – specifically, with too many syllables.
In fact, the study found that “ every extra syllable in a product’s price decreases its chances of being remembered by 20 percent. “
Meaning that 10 ( 1 x syllable ) would be more than twice as easy to recall as 9.99 ( 4 x syllables )
Could this spell the end then for the ‘ 99 ’ pricing mania that retailers evidently believe increases their sales ? Are shoppers really so dumb that they’ll fill their trolleys with items at $19.99 but ignore them if they’re $20 ?
Sales records presumably tell all . . .
Full details will be published in the Sept edition of the Journal of Consumer Research.
Comment from reader Littlejon :
re: ubiquitous £x.99 pricing; the point of this is not to fool customers but to ensure the employee has to ring up the sale & open the till to get the penny change. Otherwise it's too easy for them to pocket the note...
23 JUN 06
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Bang bang you’re (all) dead . . . And ?
A new joint study - from Princeton , UCSB, and Harvard - looks at the subject of ‘overconfidence’ – with reference to ‘wargames’.
Working on the background assumption that “ mentally healthy people tend to exhibit psychological biases that encourage optimism, collectively known as ‘positive illusions’.” *
200 male and female research subjects ( students ? ) were recruited to participate in the study by playing a computer-based wargame where two fictitious countries were in dispute over a diamond-rich border area.
The way they behaved was subsequently analysed.
Here's how the results are described :
• ' People are overconfident about their expectations of success.'
• ' Those who are more overconfident are more likely to attack.'
• ' Overconfidence and attacks are more pronounced
among males than females.'
• ' Testosterone’s influence on overconfidence
cannot be distinguished from any other gender specific factor.'
“ Overall, these results constitute the first empirical support of recent theoretical work linking overconfidence and war. “
Determinatively revealing as the results were, Really Magazine would like to ask though :
• Wouldn't a (real) country, which starts a war, only ever be accused of overconfidence if it doesn’t ‘win’ ?
• With the benefit of hindsight, is 'overconfident' then just another word for 'loser' ?
• What if a small / militarily weak country is naively confident enough to stand up to a more powerful aggressor ? Could that excess confidence sometimes turn out to be a useful, even admirable, attribute ?
• Can research based on computer games give any insight into anything other than the playing of computer games ?
Etc etc.
The full study is published in the current Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences ( subscribers only ).
* Thus 'illusions' are 'healthy' ?
22 JUN 06 (late)
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I, Curious Robot
Robotics researchers are adopting a new strategy to allow robots to ‘learn’ – by “ instilling their robots with a sense of ‘curiosity’. “
That is according to today’s press release from the reliably diverting IST Results ( which provides online news and analysis on ' near-market projects ' from the EU-funded Information Society Technologies research projects - budget €7.2 Billion )
The research teams are encouraging robots to develop their own language rather than being pre-programmed with communication protocols.
At the heart of the idea is the EC Agents project, whose 'vision' is :
“ the development of a new generation of embodied agents that are able to interact directly (i.e., without human intervention) with the physical world and to communicate between them and with other agents (including humans).“
which, in turn, is exploits the concept of ‘ Fluid Construction Grammar ‘(FCG)
If you’re not familiar with the idea of FCG, you can visit this page, [ currently not working ] provided by the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the Vrije Universiteit , Brussels ( VUB AI-Lab )
Alternatively, you can check out the ‘ Theatre of Brilliant Ideas ‘ - the VUB AI-Lab discussion forum : [ currently not working ]
Or, why not download a poster explaining the EC Agents work regarding the progress with pet robots. [ currently not working ]
back to the press release then:
" This is a project with a big impact. We’ve managed to ground AI in reality, in the real world, solving one of the crucial problems to creating truly intelligent and cooperative systems,”
Really Magazine would like to be able to show our readers exact details of how this has been achieved, but so far hasn't found any. If anyone can provide us with some www links describing the 'real-world' results, we'd be v. grateful.
22 JUN 06
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Like clockwork
The birth rate in Australia has declined dramatically over the last 100 years or so. The 1901 average was 3.93 children for each woman - by 1999 it was down to 1.75 ( source: Australian Bureau of Statistics )
Faced with a steadily aging population ( and the associated tax/work/benefits/pensions problems ) on May 11th 2004, the Australian .gov announced a new countermeasure.
Parents of babies born after 12.00 a.m. July 1st 2004 would receive a tax-free ‘ Baby Bonus ' payment.
A$3000* for each child.
Thus there was a ten week delay between the announcement of the new bonus and its introduction - which gave time for certain opportunities regarding the possible 'moving' of birthdays . . .
Researchers from the Australian National University and Melbourne Business School decided to investigate, and have just published the results.
The statistics are dramatic. July 1st 2004 saw the highest number of births for 30 years (978) - and the day before it was just half the number . . .
“ Over the window covering 28 days before and 28 days after the policy was introduced, we estimate that over 1000 births were moved into the eligibility range.”
“ But more troublingly, we found that around 300 births were moved by more than two weeks ”.
If we discount the possibility of a truly remarkable coincidence, birth inducement techniques and cesarean sections must have played a large part in skewing the figures – and maternity clinics must have been unusually accommodating regarding the parents’ wishes.
But Really Magazine would like to draw attention to another factor, mentioned as a side issue in the report, but which, in our view, has even more questionable ethical implications - since it appears to be occurring on a routine basis.
For the research paper also publishes a graph showing the way the numbers of births vary according to the days of the week.
Each weekend, the birth rate drops by about 29% . . .
Across the country, obstetricians will of course be aware of the extra risks to mother and baby associated with chemically induced labour and non-essential cesareans – but it seems that quiet weekends for the staff ( and lower overtime payments ) take precedence.
* On 1st July 2006 the bonus is set to rise to A$4000, and to A$5000 in 2008
20 JUN 06
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Link of the day
Top 10 Hybrid Animals from Hemmy.net
( via the substantially interesting The Presurfer - Your Daily Dose of Diversion )
Carbon.
BBC Radio 4 have just produced a truly excellent hour-long programme on the subject ( oddly filed under the ‘history’ tab on their website )
‘ Carbon – the basis of life ’ features :
• Harry Kroto, Professor of Chemistry at Florida State University,
• Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University,
• Ken Teo, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at Cambridge University.
- who, between them, can tell you just about everything which is known about carbon.
The programme is packed with factoids : down-to-earth, astonishing, and sometimes worrying.
For example:
• On fossil fuel use : we are currently using-up carbon based fossil fuels at the rate of 1,000,000 year’s worth every year.
• On the production of carbon nanotube fibres : “ The control we have over nanotubes is almost non-existant “ That’s from Harry Kroto, whose computer research correctly predicted the existence C60 – leading to the discovery of nanotubes ( he also invented the name Fullerene )
• On where it all came from : A mechanism which could explain the element's origins involves the fusion of three Helium nuclei inside stars. But the maths also predicts that the chances of that happening are remote. Luckily though, it did form – somewhere – somehow, and in gargantuan quantities.
If you’re interested in how life itself became possible, do not miss.
Listen to the programme here :
19 JUN 06 (late)
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DNA and dance
“ What's going on in the laboratories of genetic science, and what impact this will have on our lives ? “ asks the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.
To
help provide answers, the group have created Ferocious Beauty: Genome a
theatrical work which combines movement, music, text and film - a dance about
the human genome.
For inspiration, the choreographers joined Prof. Laura Grabel’s class at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut - entitled ‘ Reproduction in the 21st century ‘
“ Lerman filmed Grabel studying the development of mouse embryos. Dancer Ted Johnson - who eventually performed the role of pioneering monk-geneticist Gregor Mendel in the two-act, multimedia production - got acquainted with biology professor Laurel Appel's room full of fruit flies. “
The piece, which was assisted by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) , will be shortly be going on tour.
Performances will take place at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. August 28–September 16,
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois. September 25–October 1:
and more.
Details here: from the HHMI.
19 JUN 06
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The dangers of couch time.
In 2003, preliminary
research from Victoria University, Australia, was suggesting
that :
“ Men prefer to spend large amounts of unstructured time on meaningless leisure activities “
think : television : ‘socialising in groups’, etc etc.
“
On the other hand, women’s leisure time tends to be centred around
structured environments, such as the home, children and extended family members “
Now the research is complete, conclusions have been drawn which have implications not only reflecting on the ‘meaninglessness’ of mens’ leisure time, but also on possible negative health effects.
“ Boredom made men more likely to drink and smoke, and their long hours of couch time increased their risk of diabetes and obesity. “
Sadly, Really Magazine hasn’t been able to find a www-based copy of the research . . . not that we tried too hard. It's a Saturday.
Some details here :
Or, if you're willing to submit to possibly dangerous levels of boredom while waiting for a .pdf to load, there are more details here:
؟ ؟ ؟
Previous research from the same (co)author :
' Sick to death of being a man: The relationship between the division of labour and health risk behaviour and its effect on men's health.' (1998)
we couldn't find that either.
17 JUN 06
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Press '0' for a human
Hats off to Gethuman.com which is building a growing database of consumer-supplied tips on how to quickly bypass automated call-answering services at large corporations - in order to speak to a human insead.
They currently have numbers lists / hacks for the US , UK and Canada.
Some companies do provide ( but don’t necessarily publicise ) a ‘ Press
'0' to talk to a human ’ option – but many don’t (want
to).
A fair proportion though, simply don’t bother to properly configure the software for their answering service - so it’s always worth pressing '0' a few times in case the system has been left on its default setting . . .
And for voice-recognition based systems ?
Really Magazine is aware of at least one major UK credit card supplier whose rivetingly tedious and largely pointless multi-level call centre software can be completely bypassed just by saying "agent" at the right time – straight through to a real person – every time.
Other keywords worth a try :
" representative."
"
operator"
"
Customer Service"
Gethuman will soon be publishing “ a
list of the best and worst mass-market consumer companies in the US, based
on how long it takes to get to a human
on the phone and on the quality of support received. “
16 JUN 06 (late)
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Movie Monsters
From the current(?) issue of the Journal of Media Psychology : a
paper entitled :
‘ The Psychological Appeal of Movie
Monsters ‘
Rsearchers from the Media Psychology Lab at California State University
, Los Angeles surveyed
over 1,000 respondents regarding their favourite movie monster ( and their
reasons for
choosing him/her/it )
Over 204 different monsters were identified, and :
“ As predicted, younger people were the more likely to prefer recent and more violent and murderous slasher monsters, and to like them for their killing prowess. Older people were more attracted to non-slashers and attracted for reasons concerned with a monster's torment, sensitivity, and alienation from normal society. “
[ In this context, ‘slasher’ monsters were defined as being portrayed on screen as:
“ a serial or mass murderer, motivated by some deluded or self-justifying revenge or outrage. “ *
e.g. Candyman™, Chucky™, Freddy Krueger™ , and Hannibal™
But not Jaws™, Alien™ or Jack Nicholson in ( The Shining™ ) ]
The favourite monster of all ?
* Note : excludes real-life characters.
16 JUN 06
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؟؟؟ of the day
here : ( found by Matthew K. )
Vibrations in France and Australia.
Turn to this month’s issue of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA) for details about the vibrational modes of partly filled wine glasses.
Researchers from the Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces (LPICM) , Palaiseau Cedex, France, employed time-average holographic interferometry to track vibrations in ‘singing’ wineglasses.
They confirmed ( as expected ) that adding liquid to the glasses lowered the pitch of the vibrations : but the new analysis also showed that “ the presence of the liquid causes the simultaneous excitation of two orthogonal modes that are well resolved for the empty glass. “
viz. the addition of liquid doesn't alter the way the glass vibrates, it just lowers the resonant frequency.
Unfortunately, JASA’s on-line paper is ‘subscribers only’ and Really Magazine was unable to find any details on the LPICM site – so, dissapointingly, we can only speculate as to the type of liquid used in the tests, which may also have had a bearing on how enjoyable the experiment was . . .
Co-author of the paper though, professor Neville Fletcher of the Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, has a much more informative on-line presence. Notably for his recent research into the vocal tract resonances and the sound of the Australian didjeridu (yidaki).
This webpage, from the University of New South Wales has a great deal of detail on the subject, and includes direct links to the research papers, recordings, and videos demonstrating the physics behind the instrument
؟ ؟ ؟
For a video of how to make a wineglass 'sing' , see this from Marshall Brain's ' How Stuff Works '
15 JUN 06
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Royalty-free goosebumps of the day
Download this mp3 of Joel Belov playing J.S. Bach’s air from suite #3.
Digitised from an Edison Diamond Disc recorded in 1920 and now placed online by the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of Southern California.
Retro-ize your mp3 player with anything from their astonishing collection of over 6,000 wax cylinders and discs here:
14 JUN 06 (late)
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Wipe-out
On April 1st 2001, a US reconnaissance airplane, a.k.a an “ electronic
vacuum cleaner ” was involved in a mid-air collision with a
J-8 Chinese fighter jet. The EP-3E was severely damaged, and had little option
but to make
an emergency landing at the nearest airstrip – which happened to be Lingshui airbase
on the Chinese island of Hainan.
The Chinese authorities allowed the plane to land, and promptly began disassembling it to see what they could learn about the US surveillance equipment and the data stored on it.
A Pentagon statement, issued soon after the incident, said that the standard ‘ Emergency Destruct Plan ‘ - to eradicate all sensitive data onboard the plane - had been “ successfully executed “ by the 24 person crew during the 15 - 20 minutes it took for the plane to land. ( source CNN 4th April )
Not quite the picture you get from yesterday’s press release from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)
“ the crew was unable to erase sensitive information from magnetic data storage systems before making an emergency landing in Chinese territory. “
After the incident, the GTRI was given the task of finding ways to permanently and completely erase data from hard drives – a far more difficult task than one might think.
As every computer user (?) knows, simply dragging and dropping data into the ‘recycle bin’ doesn’t achieve much. The data still remains on the drive – just the index pointing to it is scrapped. But even if the remaining data are subsequently overwritten, or perhaps the entire drive is ‘formatted’, faint magnetic traces of it can still remain, and can be recovered with the right ultra sensitive ( and very expensive) equipment. Permanently and totally erasing the data is much like trying to get rid of print on a piece of paper by using bleach.
More drastic methods are required. You could, for example, melt the disc with ultra-high temperature thermite ( a chemical reaction so hot that it’s been used to weld together steel railway lines ). This technique was investigated by the GTRI – who subsequently decided though that igniting thermite inside an aircraft ( or any other enclosed space ) might not be advisable.
After three years on the project, the team’s final solution is to employ ultra powerful permanent neodymium iron-boron magnets. Of course, the magnetic fields required to be able to quickly erase every trace of data on a hard drive though its metal casing is truly substantial – and, to achieve their objectives, the lab is “ producing magnetic fields comparable to those used in magnetic resonance imaging equipment “.
Really Magazine still isn’t quite clear though on how such giga-magnets could be used onboard an aircraft without disrupting the onboard electronics, or accidentally erasing data, or trashing the captain's Rolex etc etc . . .
Perhaps a better approach might be to not to use standard magnetic hard drives in the first place ? How about removable optical drives and some of these ?
Read the GTRI press release here :
14 JUN 06
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New entry for the Terms & Conditions leaguetable ;
Straight in at number 1 with 14,411 words
festivehosting.com
Link of the day :
A realtime, online, and faintly disturbing Jackson Pollock Generator from Neen artist Miltos Manetas.
[via the comprehensive online generator resource site : Generator Blog ]
Op Ed. Ads Sit Normal ?
Bearing in mind that eBay Inc. is poised to unveil a new keyword advertising system, perhaps it’s as good a time as any to re-look at ‘click-fraud ’ . . .
Since the very earliest introduction of website pay-per-click banner ads,
not-so-scrupulous individuals have been devising methods to cash in.
‘Link farms’ , ‘Splogs’ , ‘Scraper sites’ etc etc have all evolved as a result of the opportunity to scam cash out of the on-line advertisers.
Needless to say, hard details about the level of ‘click fraud’ vary enormously depending who you ask – but a generally accepted rule of thumb is that somewhere between 15% and 30% of clicks on website ads are the result of deliberate fraud.*
Conservative estimates project the cash figure at a bit less than $1Billion for 2006.
The companies which administer the online advertising process have tried to devise software to recognise automated ‘clickbots’ [ specially written scripts which trawl though the www ‘clicking’ on ads which kick back a commission to the host sites ] , but now there are also so-called ‘click farms’ which are utilising hard-to-spot teams of human clickers based in low-wage areas.
The lack of progress in tackling the click-fraud ‘problem’ may, at least partly, be explained by the fact that the company which enables the technology - also gets paid for every click ( fraudulent or not ) . . .
So what’s new ? Cut back a century or two to see what John Wanamaker (1838-1922) - widely regarded as the ‘ father of modern advertising ‘ - had to say :
" Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half."
A new take on the ‘problem’ was highlighted last Friday though,
in an article on the high-profile financial advice site ‘ Motley
Fool ’ -
boldly entitled ‘ How G00gle Is
Killing the Internet ‘
The author’s point being that a good proportion of www bandwidth is simply being trashed by countless hordes of auto-configured sites – with their associated zombie-clickers - whose only point-in-existing is to furnish click-fraud opportunities.
Again, Really Magazine would like to ask ‘so what’s new ? ‘
Everytime you open your Sunday paper magazine you’ll see a plethora of double-page full colour ads ( each costing tens/ hundreds $K for the advertisers ) almost all of which are thoroughly ignored by the readers.
Thus, a substantial chunk of the raw materials of the magazine, paper, ink, distribution costs etc etc ( and the readers’ time ) is comprehensively wasted.
To sum up, advertisers have always had to assume that a good proportion of the cash they spend can be written off – it’s just that now, with web-based pay-per-click ads, they know that the wasted cash is being divi-ed up by countless scammers as well as by one or two über-corporations.
* Note.
Some of the senseless clicks are of course accidental and random. If you own a website with high enough traffic, you could paste up a picture of a brussel sprout covered in chocolate and a welcome number of people would click on it.
13 JUN 06
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Quit Jab Trials
The University of California , San Francisco is looking for volunteers.
If you’re a Northern Californian smoker, are over 18, and would like to help in ongoing trials of an ‘anti-smoking vaccine’ , they’d like to hear from you.
“ The vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that recognize the small nicotine molecule. Bound to these antibodies, nicotine molecules no longer can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. “
The ( patented ) vaccine has been under test for some time now, and previous trials showed quit-enhancing effects lasting several months. The new UCSF project has their own website which has a < dead > link to their ‘Current Clinical Studies’ page.
Really Magazine can’t provide many further details. Except to inform that “ Participants will be paid for each visit and given validated parking at the clinic. “
Further tech info, and details of past trials see this :
12 JUN 06
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Xtreme Everest
Scientists from the Centre for Aviation, Space & Extreme Environment
Medicine (CASE) at London’s University College (UCL)
are in the process of organising the ‘ Xtreme Everest ‘ expedition
for 2007.
And they’re looking for several hundred 'fit men' to accompany them*
The medical research team will make the first ever measurements of blood oxygen in the ‘death zone’, at altitudes above 8,000 metres, investigating the science behind genetic variations which mean that some people are far more prone to altitude sickness than others.
A small percentage of otherwise healthy individuals start showing symptoms at altitudes as low as 1,500 metres. The condition is also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), and, if unmanaged, is potentially lethal.
The team have their own website with details about volunteering :
Also see : Everest News.
and this interview transcript from ABC
* Update: Xact details are hard to come by. The
Guardian , Saturday June
10, says : “ Wanted: 200 volunteers to climb 5,300 metres (17,300ft)
up to Mount Everest base camp and take part in medical experiments at the
highest laboratory in the
world. “. But the Xtreme Everest website ( now back on-line ) doesn’t
appear to have details on this . . .
10 JUN 06
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Video of the day
Long bets and predictions.
“ The Long Bets Foundation was started in 02001 as a 501(c)(3) public education nonprofit foundation, based in California. “
Their refreshingly simple, clear and fast website lays out the details of predictions about life in the future.
Some examples:
Prof Martin Rees predicts that “ By 2020, bioterror or bioerror will lead to one million casualties in a single event. “
Robert A. Freling predicts that “ By the year 2020 solar electricity will be as cheap or cheaper than that produced by fossil fuels. “
Jeff J. Jonas predicts that “ The People's Republic of China will successfully place a living human on the surface of Mars before any other nation. “
Visitors to the site can also make their own predictions, and rate and discuss the ideas on offer.
There’s also an on-the-record bets
page, with real money pledged
on subjects such as 'bigfoot', pilotless planes, and a curious one from
Danny
Hillis v. Nathan Myhrvold ( $2000 ) who disagree about whether or
not “ The
universe will eventually stop expanding. “ – Really
Magazine hopes that the wait to find out will not prove too demanding
for either
of them.
؟ ؟ ؟
Also see :
the Really Magazine ( somewhat less than 100% accurate ) predictions page.
09 JUN 06
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New Wool Quest
If you’re in South Australia and come across any unusual sheep – the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) would like to hear from you.
According to their press recent press release, they’re particularly interested to see examples of what they are calling ‘ Xtreme sheep ’. In other words genetic mutants.
Mutant sheep aren’t all that uncommon, the institute reckons that 100 or so will probably be born in Australia this year – “ These lambs, typically viewed as worthless, are in fact highly valuable to the industry, because one of the most efficient ways to identify the genes that impact on certain wool traits is to study animals that have rare or extreme features ”
The institute says they won’t be breeding from any mutants they receive, but instead will look for damaged DNA as a clue to identifying the genes responsible for wool growth – with a view to improving the wool production of current stock, to “ make it more stretchy, less scratchy, shinier and easier to spin, and to compete better against synthetic fibres.”
The Merino wool industry being worth about A$2.8 billion per year.
If you do come across any Xtreme sheep, please don’t cont4ct us, contact SARDI, via this page.
“ Send a wool clip, a digital photo, or printed photo. Transport can be arranged.”
Past photographic Xamples here;
؟ ؟ ؟
Other Australian News : Will this help ?
08 JUN 06
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Puzzling logo of the day :
Via Google's officlal blog ( translated from Chinese - by Google ).
No mention of this there though . . .
The great PR challenge : Water.
If
you are a consumer of water, anywhere in the world, you might be interested
to read a report - released yesterday - into the UK's water
industry.
The very extensive report - with global implications - comes from The House of Lords Science and Technology sub-Committee - Water Management [whois].
It goes into great detail regarding past and future problems in the water industry – and makes many recommendations to government on how to handle the challenges.
Continued . . .
Bearing in mind the current shortages, concerned water-consumers might be perhaps be asking themselves the following questions :
• Why should I obey a hosepipe-ban and let my lawn dry up when I know that my water company allows 25% to just leak away in their ageing piping system ?
( Answer: The leakages would cost too much to fix. ) [see note 1 below]
• How come there’s suddenly a water shortage if UK rainfall hasn’t been going down ?
( Answer : Pass ) [note 2]
• If there’s a huge oversupply in the North, and severe shortage in the South, why not just pump it down South ?
( Answer : Too expensive. Pass. ) [note 3]
• Why does my water bill keep increasing ahead of inflation ?
( Answer : Pass. ) [ note 4]
• Should a private company ever be allowed to control such a vital asset as water anyway ?
( Answer : Pass ) [note 5]
From a Public Relations point of view, convincing consumers that their questions have been fully, fairly, and transparently answered could be like trying to get water to flow uphill of its own accord . . . a task which might require the services of a very substantial PR company. ( luckily, the government's Environment Agency, who oversee licences for water abstraction resources worth around £72Billion might know one )
؟ ؟ ؟
References :
[1] Fixing the pipes costs big money, and as the report
points out, the utility companies are acutely aware of their ELL.
The Economic Level of Leakage (ELL) being :
" the level of leakage at which it would cost more to make further reductions in leakage than to produce the water from another source "
The report assures though that “ Leakage levels in England and Wales have decreased markedly since the mid-1990s “ . But recent figures, from the same report, actually seem to suggest another trend . . .
leakage got steadily worse from 2001 onwards – though 2005 saw a slight drop again.
Currently, 3.6Billion lltres are lost each day. Enough to supply 10,000,000 homes.
Nevertheless, it’s now reckoned to be at an acceptable level – except, that is, from a public relations point of view.
“ ELL still leaves leakage at a high enough level to impinge significantly upon the public's consciousness. “
“ a high level of leakage will adversely affect the response from consumers to calls to moderate their consumption "
[2] According to the official Met Office figures
( here)
the UK rainfall for the last 8 years has been above average . .
. roughly 6% higher than normal in fact ( as compared with the 1961-1990
average ) [ a.k.a ' The Wettest Drought in Living
Memory ' ]
But the committee puts it this way “ One of the key problems is the ingrained perception that this is a wet country with an abundance of rain and water. “ Another PR challenge then ?
In any event, there are currently hosepipe bans in place in several areas. ( Though garden watering accounts for just 6% or so of domestic water use.)
As a result of the shortages in some areas, the UK government began allowing water companies to apply for ' water scarcity status ' - thereby giving them the legal right to introduce compulsory metering for their customers.
( The impact of ‘climate change’ is of course unknown at the present time, but there’s a general consensus that, in the medium term, it will probably rain less during summertime and more in winter – viz. the total will probably stay roughly the same )
[3] There’s a huge difference in rainfall between North and South of the UK. For example, Snowdonia gets over 4,000mm per year, whereas parts of East Anglia receive only 550mm per year.
So why not simply pump it down South ?
Rumours have circulated that, pre-privatisation, the Regional Water Authorities ( and previously the Water Board ) did indeed have pipework connecting at least some of the water-supply regions - a grid of sorts. As might be expected of a national supply utility. And that when privatisation arrived, the taps connecting various regions were simply turned off.
The Lords' report scotches such rumours though ; and says :
“ We have concluded that a national water grid is not currently feasible “
[4] Oddly perhaps, there doesn’t seem to be detailed description of the water companies’ profits in the report. Maybe we missed it.
[5] Water supply should never be in private hands ? You decide.
Background :
In 1989, the UK’s Water Act transferred the assets ( at less than 1/3rd of their true value) and personnel of the ten publicly-owned Regional Water Authorities (RWAs) to private companies - which were then floated on the London Stock Exchange.
Opening the opportunity for several dozen people to become instant multi-millionaires, and reinforcing a radical global meme . . . that perhaps water supply could be viewed cash-generating activity rather than as a not-for-profit ‘right’ of humanity.
The new companies which inherited the infrastructure also received substantial tax breaks and access to the so called ' green dowry ' ( cancelling existing debts of £6.5 Billion )
The obligations to bring the grid water supply network up to the required standards ( as set out in ‘certain European Community directives’ ) was now the responsibilty of the new companies. The cost running to £24 billion - coincidentally roughly the same figure as the true value of the assets.
The UK water business now has a turnover of £7Billion per year. But even so it’s just a small fraction of the global privatised water industry : which is now largely controlled by just six companies : here they are :
Further note :
As Adam Smith observed in his 1776 book An enquiry into the nature and causes of the Wealth of Nations, “ When the quantity of any commodity which is brought to market falls short of the effectual demand . . . the market price will rise . . .”
So, a solid formula for money-making might perhaps be :
• Get yourself exclusive legal rights to supply an essential commodity.
• Do not be over generous with the supply.
Comments:
from reader Geoff H.
ELL is "the level of leakage at which it would cost more to make further reductions in leakage than to produce the water from another source"...
but are they using that same amount of money to produce the water from another source? Nope, they are simply doing neither, imposing restrictions on customers and then pocketing the cash.
It's a straw man argument, and one that needs exposing just in case anyone needs any help in answering question 5.
07 JUN 06
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Tupperware® happenings
It's sixty years since Earl Silas Tupper launched his invention.
To celebrate, the MARTa Herford gallery in Germany is hosting Tupperware.Transparent “ an extensive look at the triumphal march of Tupperware® “ until 25th June.
Scheduled events include talks, films, a live revue, and an exhibition.
Really Magazine would like to be able to direct potential visitors to the gallery, but the website seems reticent to reveal exactly where it is.
What’s certain though is that it overlooks the river Aa , and it’s in Herford, ( maybe on Goebenstraße ? )
؟ ؟ ؟
Enthusiasts of Tupperware® might also like to know about the currently
open Translations in Tupperware Global Design Contest .
Which “ invites consumers and designers from around the world to create a piece of art or unique functional product inspired by Tupperware® “
Applicants will compete for the chance to win a trip to New York City, a $5,000 U.S. cash prize and the chance to see their work included in a worldwide travelling exhibit.
entry categories :
• Story Telling
•
Fashion
•
Utility Objects
•
Free Form
Deadline for submissions is Thursday, August 17th, 2006.
05 JUN 06 ( late edition )
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Men & Drink
A new study from the Dept. of Psychology at the University of Sussex reveals details about young (UK) mens’ motivations towards drinking.
The research consisted of in-depth interviews with thirty-one 18-21 year olds in inner London. There were also group discussions, when the men were shown photos of famous male personalities - some of whom had “ contradictory masculine identities “ ( e.g. gay sports icons and popstars )
Results suggested the possibility that “ men traded drinking competence with competence in other behavioural domains “ – in other words, using heavy boozing as a way of compensating for any perceived lack of masculinity.
However, excessive binge-style alcohol consumption could also be linked to the concept of ‘proving one’s masculinity’.
On the other hand though, “ It was also important to note that many men had strong masculine identities that did not involve drinking or excessive drinking.”
To conclude then : “ This paper shows that the
links between masculinity and health-related social behaviours such as
drinking are not simple. “ . . .
Overview here:
Full details via here :
05 JUN 06
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Link of the day
.mp3 clip of Albert Einstein speaking about Gandhi and non-violence.
( courtesy of freeinfosociety.com historical recordings archive )
The Red Rain of Kerala : an update
For those not familiar with the story :
Starting from 25th July 2001, blood-red rain fell over the Kerala district of western India. By the end of the episode, two months later, there had been more than 100 substantiated reports if the phenomenon - and an estimated 50 tonnes of the red material had fallen on the surrounding districts. An initial explanation was that the red particles which coloured the rain had been swept-up by winds – either on land or at sea.
But Dr. Godfrey
Louis, from
the School of Pure & Applied Physics, Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam,
India, began detailed analysis of the particles and concluded that there
was a possibility that the particles were not of this Earth.
In an article published in the journal Astrophysics and Space Science ( Jan 2006 ) the doctor described the particles as being 4 to 10 µm in size, with an appearance similar to unicellular organisms.
“ electron microscopic study of the red particles shows fine cell structure indicating their biological cell like nature. “
It was subsequently determined that they were indeed alive, could reproduce, and survive extraordinary temperature variations. But, in initial tests, no DNA could be found - and the ‘cells’ had no identifiable nucleus. [ the photo above shows new cells 'budding' inside the large one ]
As the doctor’s website explains : “ I wish to consider the possibility of alternate biomolecules in these cells whose origin is now suspected as extraterrestrial. This way the cells may represent an alternate form of life from space. If these are such biological cells then their production in huge quantity inside cometary bodies can be explained by the theory of cometary panspermia. “
[ full description of the Panspermia concept – the idea that life might have arrived ( and continue to be arriving ) on Earth via space - here on Wikipedia ]
Dr. Louis decided to contact an expert in the field of panspermia – indeed one of the co-authors of the concept - Prof Nalin Chandra Wickramasinghe of the Centre for Astrobiology at Cardiff University , Wales.
And prof. Wickramasinghe and his team did manage to find DNA – though ‘amplifying’ it to identify the organism in question is proving problematic.
Really Magazine contacted the professor for an update on the research.
“ We have positive evidence of DNA only from
DAPI staining, but this could possibly be equivocal. We have still not
been able to amplify and sequence
the DNA. I do, however, believe that these are biological cells and they
must have DNA. How close the DNA will turn out to be to known terrestrial
cells remains to be seen. “
So it seems that the question is still not resolved. Keep checking the professor’s website for announcements.
( Our money is on Earthly algae.)
؟ ؟ ؟
It should be pointed out that there are many other theories as to the origin of the particles. They look very similar to red blood cells. But how could 50 tonnes of blood cells end up suspended in the atmosphere ? One possible explanation is that “ a meteor explosion massacred a flock of bats, splattering their blood in all directions “ see New Scientist 2nd March 2006
Comments :
from reader David P
As best I can see this was the result of incomplete incineration
of chemical waste in the south of the province.
Given the prevailing winds, this matches the pattern of fallout.
It also matches the chemical composition.
The core is partly burnt organic material and the coating is fly-ash
or similar.
The most surprising thing about this story is that no one seems to have
mentioned this simple explanation. Maybe it's too ghastly to contemplate?
For further details, as a start try googling [+Kerala +2001 +endosulphan]
for example.
03 JUN 06 ( midday edition )
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Five Ways to Kill a Vocal Track
If you’ve never tried it, you might think singing into a microphone
is pretty straightforward.
In an ideal world, it would be, but microphones aren’t (yet) ideal – so you’ll need some physics/electronics/psychology/art -based tips and tricks to help things work out for the best.
Elise Malmberg explains all in an article on her newly launched ‘web 2.0’ -primed indie music website -
Our tip ? Don't even think about whistling
03 JUN 06
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Operational note : The Archive.org server link in Wednesday's item ' More on Ethics ' was dead due to server probs their end - it's now back to life
C.W.V.s
Disappointingly, Really Magazine hasn't, as yet, been able to locate a web-based version of the US Army's ethical ‘slide show’ announced yesterday. It will be used over the next month or so to reinforce ‘ Core Warrior Values ’ in coalition forces in Iraq .
Presuming that advice on ethics won’t be considered classified information, it’s sure to appear on the internet any time soon – in which case we will of course be linking to it.
In the meantime though, perhaps we can make do instead with this – from the US Army War College’s magazine ‘ Parameters’ ( summer 2004 edition )
Entitled ' In Praise of Attrition ' , it advised us that :
• “ a soldiers job is to kill the enemy “
• “ there is no substitute for shedding the enemy’s blood “
• “ - for now, all we can do is to impress
our enemies, our allies, and all the populations in between that we are
winning and will continue
to win. The only way to do that is through killing. “
؟ ؟ ؟
Poster of the day (.pdf)
Update June 9th:
Still no sign of the 'slide show' on the www. But here's Mark Fiore's take on what it might look like.( found by Carmelita McQ. )
02 JUN 06
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TV perils.
The academic world is replete with studies about the ( alleged ) dangers of television. Though there’s still no broad agreement on whether TV is truly hazardous for youngsters or not.
But now the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas has conducted research into one aspect that is already well proven - TVs can indeed be a danger – if one falls on you.
“ 2,300 children annually visit emergency rooms for injuries due to falling TVs. “
Televisions with 20 to 30-inch screens are the main culprits. One of the primary reasons ( in CRT-based TVs ) is the necessity for a substantially thick glass front to the ‘tube’. The glass has to be thick to provide the strength to withstand the vacuum inside the tube, and also to cut down on radiation emissions.
A typical 27” CRT-TV tips the scales at 45kg or so - a box with most of the weight concentrated right at the front – making them unstable and surprisingly awkward to move.
To counteract the perils, the university recommends a consumer awareness campaign, and the idea of attaching warning stickers to TVs.
Hopefully, the accident rate will start to fall anyway as LCD and Plasma
screens become more mainstream.
The full report is published in this month’s edition of the journal Academic Emergency Medicine. ( subscribers only )
؟ ؟ ؟
Also see:
' Is Television a Health and Safety Hazard ? ' from the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Volume 35, Number 1, January 2005.
Comment from reader Malcolm L
" Just a thought on TVs and their tendency to fall. CRTs are indeed heavy and will topple if pushed or poorly sited. However larger LCD and plasma sets are often wall mounted by DIY enthusiasts using fixing devices to hand etc, will this reduce the number of toppling TVs or just reduce the number that topple onto kids ? "
01 JUN 06
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