Dysfunction Network

The Future of Personalized Medicine @wsj

2012-01-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

It may be possible to live a long, disease-free life. Conditions that kill, including cancer and heart disease, could be prevented or delayed by a new way of looking at and treating health.

Galaxy Hosts 100 Billion Planets, in New Estimate @wsj

2012-01-11T17:37:00.000-05:00

Every star has a planet.

New Year’s Resolutions, recycled

2012-01-02T17:40:00.000-05:00

Do the math before joining a gym

Books that are never done being re-written

2012-01-01T22:48:00.000-05:00

As electronic books push aside paper ones, movable type will be increasingly replaced by movable text.

Our world in 2011, according to Twitter

2011-12-29T13:25:00.001-05:00

Source: http://frugaldad.com

Tools for making good decisions for our future selves

2011-12-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

Brokering the battle between our present and future.

The Brain Surge of Mid-Childhood @NYTimes

2011-12-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

Middle childhood is a "time of great cognitive creativity and ambition, when the brain has pretty much reached its adult size and can focus on threading together its private intranet service"

Study linking virus and chronic fatigue just yanked

2011-12-23T17:25:00.000-05:00

The prestigious journal Science retracted a 2009 report that linked chronic fatigue syndrome to a virus.

Telexistence robot avatar transmits sight, hearing and touch

2011-12-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

Users get a sense of what the robot experiences.

Grandma's Ham (here's what she told me about 10 years ago when i asked her how to fix it and I wrote it down. She just turned 85 this past Thanksgiving.)

2011-12-22T08:29:00.002-05:00

(“16-20 pound ham when expecting all of y’all. Otherwise 10. Smithfield is good.”) If smoked, not cooked. Cut or pull the skin off. Very easy to do. 325 degrees, 20 minutes per pound. (3 lbs, 1 hour) Roasting pan, metal rack under it. Cover the ham with Reynolds Wrap. 4 or 5 cups of water in the pan. When near done, put brown sugar on top. Or can do that from the beginning. Take out,

Earth-sized planets found around star Kepler 10. @wsj

2011-12-20T18:41:00.001-05:00

Astronomers reported the discovery of two Earth-sized planets orbiting a distant Sun-like star—the smallest and, researchers said, most significant of alien worlds detected so far.

What went wrong with Freakonomics?

2011-12-15T11:51:00.000-05:00

Popularize statistics, but be careful.

Check out just how fast the information age is moving.

2011-12-15T11:20:00.000-05:00

You won't believe it.

Is marriage obsolete?

2011-12-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

The proportion of married adults has hit record lows.

Junk food-powered car sets a distance record @CBS

2011-12-10T12:55:00.000-05:00

Diet Coke and Mentos have set a vehicle-propulsion distance record.

Some atheists with kids embrace religious traditions for scientific reasons (h/t @meganmclaughlin)

2011-12-06T14:57:00.000-05:00

Newest alien planet is just the right temperature for life @Washington Post

2011-12-05T17:52:00.000-05:00

Around 72 degrees, like a nice spring day here on planet Earth"

Earth 2? (h/t @Spacedotcom)

2011-11-29T11:04:00.000-05:00

Is the Rocky Alien Planet "Gliese 581d" Habitable? It may be the first known world beyond Earth capable of supporting life as we know it.

Fliers Still Must Turn Off Electronic Devices, but It's Not Clear Why - @NYTimes

2011-11-28T15:42:00.000-05:00

Fliers Still Must Turn Off Devices, but It's Not Clear Why

We Are All Expendable Now. @Tracinski

2011-11-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

From RealClearMarkets on how outsourcing will escalate.

How neuroscience is transforming our understanding of economics. @Slate

2011-11-28T11:15:00.000-05:00

Brains vs. Keynes: Economics is at the start of a revolution that is traceable to an unexpected source: medical schools and their research facilities.

No death or taxes

2011-11-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

The libertarian futurism of Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel

World's lightest solid, inspired by the Eiffel Tower

2011-11-18T09:19:00.000-05:00

A metallic lattice of hair-thin pipes is now the lightest solid yet created — less dense than air

The ten things your steakhouse doesn't want to tell you. @wsj

2011-11-17T19:56:00.001-05:00

Sexual harassment - What on Earth is it? @NYTimes

2011-11-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

Sexual harassment codes imagine an entirely symmetrical universe, where people are never outrageous, rude, awkward, excessive or confused, where sexual interest is always absent or reciprocated.

Online Education: My Teacher Is an App. @WSJ

2011-11-12T13:39:00.000-05:00

States and districts nationwide are launching online public schools that let students from kindergarten to 12th grade take some—or all—of their classes from their bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens. Other states and districts are bringing students into brick-and-mortar schools for instruction that is largely computer-based and self-directed.

Too much time spent sitting boosts cancer risk, research finds @washingtonpost

2011-11-04T13:44:00.000-04:00

Probably another B.S. predetermined-results study, but just use a stand-up desk already.

Study Suggests Way to Delay Age-Related Changes @wsj

2011-11-02T17:18:00.000-04:00

Scientists may be onto a way to put off some aging-related diseases, according to a study, in which they delayed or even prevented such changes as cataracts and the fat loss that leads to wrinkles by clearing out "senescent" cells from mice."

Did You Know 3.0 - "Shift Happens"

2011-11-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

Asteroid 2005 YU55 will zip by Earth next week @USATODAY

2011-11-02T11:14:00.002-04:00

It's the size of an aircraft carrier, closest encounter in decades. It'll pass the star Altair at 5:30pm on November 8.

Michael Shermer: "Social Singularity: Transitioning from Civilization 1....

2011-11-01T10:33:00.000-04:00

The Einstein's of the future will share (@wsj @TED)

2011-10-29T12:14:00.000-04:00

They'll increasingly use the Internet's distributed "brain" to unlock latent expertise.

Folks acting upset over tattooed Barbie Doll

2011-10-21T08:28:00.000-04:00

Newest Barbie Doll Design Causing Controversy: CBS's Kathryn Brown reports

The completed St. John's Bible is unveiled

2011-10-19T08:34:00.000-04:00

It took 15 years. The St. John's Bible was written and drawn entirely by hand by a team of 23 professional scribes, artists and assistants, using quills and paints hand-ground from precious minerals and stones such as lapis lazuli, malachite, silver, and 24-karat gold.

Welcome to the Multiverse (h/t @LPelican)

2011-10-18T13:45:00.000-04:00

The Universe might be one of a multitude, each stable one with its own reality and physical laws. There's some hard science behind idea.

Why "saving the Earth" will require re-creating it again and again.

2011-10-17T11:41:00.001-04:00

Technology is one path toward environmental sustainability.

Computer Chip-Sized Spacecraft Will Explore Space In Swarms (@SingularityHub)

2011-10-15T18:25:00.000-04:00

"We knew to expect a paradigm shift with the end of the space shuttle program, but this is ridiculous."

How to use Siri on other people's phones

2011-10-13T15:55:00.002-04:00

Hilarity from Gizmodo.

Viewpoint: Is the alcohol message all wrong? (h/t @ismurray) @bbcnews

2011-10-12T11:16:00.000-04:00

(a) Alcohol does not cause disinhibition (aggressive, sexual or otherwise) and; (b) Even when you are drunk, you are in control of and have total responsibility for your actions and behaviour.

How Mark Boyle Lives on $0 a Year – @BoingBoing

2011-10-05T18:10:00.000-04:00

The new frugal.

The Evolution of Liberty @Reason, h/t @meganmclaughlin

2011-10-04T14:59:00.000-04:00

A discussion about brain, belief, and politics, a great contribution by Ron Bailey

Nobel Prize In Physics Honors Work On Expanding Universe

2011-10-04T08:36:00.000-04:00

Three U.S.-born scientists whose work indicates that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate have been awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Top 10 Cancer-Fighting Foods

2011-10-01T08:07:00.000-04:00

Here's the list.

Extramarital Affairs May Increase Risk of 'Broken Penis'

2011-09-30T16:20:00.001-04:00

However the reverse appears not to be true.

"I do for now."

2011-09-30T15:59:00.000-04:00

Time-limited, subject-to-renewal marriages are being proposed by legislators in Mexico.

Simulating the universe

2011-09-30T11:37:00.000-04:00

Simulating the universe – Boing Boing:Bolshoi Simulation Visualization from UC-HPACC on Vimeo.

Easily embarrassed? others trust you more (@LiveScience)

2011-09-30T08:57:00.000-04:00

Embarrassment is one emotional signature of a person to whom you can entrust valuable resources.

Researchers Uncover Best (and Worst) Weight-Loss Apps

2011-09-29T08:20:00.000-04:00

Pick up a smartphone.

John Steele Gordon: A Short History of the Income Tax @WSJ

2011-09-28T18:00:00.000-04:00

"As the vast surpluses piled up in the Treasury, the political pressure to institute an income tax on the rich grew steadily. In 1894, with Democrat Grover Cleveland in the White House and Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress, a federal income tax became law. The new tax, however, was very different from the Civil War income tax, which had exempted only the poor. The new one hit only

The stupid things you do at work (h/t @ismurray)

2011-09-27T15:13:00.000-04:00

(and how to fix them)

Why brutality is declining and empathy rising, despite what we think @wsj

2011-09-26T15:52:00.000-04:00

While we see a world riddled with violence, terror and war, this nonetheless might be the most peaceable era in human existence according to Steven Pinker.

8 Simple Questions You Won't Believe Science Can't Answer | Cracked.com

2011-09-25T16:27:00.000-04:00

Some of the most mundane, everyday concepts are as big a mystery to scientists"

here's a pdf explaining how to make every kind of emergency go-bag and first aid kit

2011-09-23T10:59:00.002-04:00

http://processmediainc.com/press/mini_sites/preparedness_now/excerpts/pnow_chap04_grab-and-go_bag.pdf

The 1975 Sears Catalog was way too expensive (h/t @RegOftheDay)

2011-09-23T09:48:00.000-04:00

We've never had it so good (but complain regardless!).

The definition of #privacy, according to the computer in Colossus -- The Forbin Project:

2011-09-20T16:54:00.000-04:00

"Privacy: Being apart from company or observation.”

Why we have more oil and gas than ever.

2011-09-18T14:26:00.002-04:00

Energy expert Daniel Yergin's new book is called The Quest.

Steven Pinker: the optimistic voice of science

2011-09-18T14:11:00.000-04:00

"In The Better Angels of Our Nature: The Decline of Violence in History and Its Causes, the celebrated evolutionary psychologist and bestselling author argues that we – the human race – are becoming progressively less violent. To the consumer of 24-hour news, steeped in images of conflict and war, that may sound plain wrong. But Pinker supports his case with a wealth of data.Drawing on the work

Synthetic biology: Making things come alive

2011-09-15T13:47:00.001-04:00

What are the minimal units of matter that can evolve independently?

Why Making Dinner Is a Good Idea (h/t @ismurray)

2011-09-15T13:44:00.000-04:00

"Because we didn’t make the milkshake ourselves, because that dinner only required a few minutes of work, we need to consume more calories to get the same baseline of satisfaction [as our foraging ancestors; and we gain weight]. The solution to this problem, of course, is simple: We need to take time to make dinner. Instead of buying frozen french fries, make a risotto."

Did they absolutely HAVE to have this debate? (h/t @meganmclaughlin)

2011-09-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

Neuroscience vs philosophy: Taking aim at free will : Nature News:

Transhumanism: Do we really want extreme human enhancement?

2011-09-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

"Even If We Don't Want Enhancement, We Might Not Be Able To Stop It"

Unable to pay child support, poor parents jailed without trial @msnbc

2011-09-12T09:51:00.000-04:00

"Thousands of so-called “deadbeat” parents are jailed each year in the U.S. after failing to pay court-ordered child support — the vast majority of them for withholding or hiding money out of spite or a feeling that they’ve been unfairly gouged by the courts.But ....advocates for the poor say, some parents are wrongly being locked away without any regard for their ability to pay — sometimes

The Rules of Society (h/t @jerrybrito)

2011-09-09T17:38:00.000-04:00

Can we make things that make themselves? @TED

2011-09-08T10:39:00.000-04:00

The answer seems to be yes.

Phase one of world's first commercial spaceport is now 90 per cent completed

2011-09-06T21:39:00.000-04:00

"The 1,800-acre Spaceport America site, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is the home base for Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's most ambitious business venture yet." First flights in 2013.

Scientists produce world's first test tube burger (h/t @meganmclaughlin)

2011-09-02T10:17:00.000-04:00

[S]cientists are salivating over the prospect of the world’s first test-tube burger, which could be less than a year away. Sausages and other processed real-meat-replacement products could swiftly follow, although pork chops and sirloin steaks will be much more problematic."

The reason why you can't relax. @wsj

2011-08-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

Coffee Break? Walk in the Park? Why Unwinding Is Hard - WSJ.com:

Could most of us live to 100? @SoniaArrison talks about her new book 100-Plus

2011-08-29T15:46:00.003-04:00

She also wrote a summary essay of the book for the Wall Street Journal. I'd probably get sick of myself by that time, but this is a fascinating survey of the literature, and of course the public policy implications of extreme longevity are profound (but hardly insurmoutable.)

Do Parents Matter? Q&A with Bryan Caplan (@Reason)

2011-08-28T19:17:00.000-04:00

He's author of Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids

Hurricane Irene - guy mooning The Weather Channel in Virginia Beach

2011-08-27T22:54:00.000-04:00

Astronomers discover planet made of diamond @reuters #space

2011-08-25T16:33:00.000-04:00

An exotic planet that seems to be made of diamond races around a tiny star in our galactic backyard.

Charge your cell-phone with your shoes

2011-08-25T16:18:00.000-04:00

Shoes redefine 'power walking':

Massive Solar Storm Could Cause Catastrophic Blackouts (h/t @meganmclaughlin)

2011-08-12T12:55:00.000-04:00

An extremely large solar storm would induce geomagnetic currents that could destroy a substantial fraction of the very largest transformers on the power grid. If this happened, electric power loss due to a large solar storm would be out for a period of years."

Why Cities Keep on Growing, Corporations Always Die & Life Gets Faster (h/t Robert @Tracinski )

2011-08-10T12:19:00.000-04:00

“Cities create problems as they grow, but they create solutions to those problems even faster, so their growth and potential lifespan is in theory unbounded." (From The Long Now Blog)

Scientists Trace Heat Wave To Massive Star At Center Of Solar System (@TheOnion)

2011-08-10T09:37:00.000-04:00

No wonder it's so hot.

Living to see 100 is just luck, not lifestyle @Telegraph

2011-08-05T09:45:00.000-04:00

Taking regular exercise, drinking only in moderation and watching what you eat makes no difference to one's chances of reaching 100, research has found."

Foldable computer screens, the next step in awesome.

2011-08-05T09:18:00.000-04:00

How language transformed humanity (@TED)

2011-08-04T08:21:00.000-04:00

Swedish man arrested trying to split atoms at home

2011-08-03T17:03:00.000-04:00

"Richard Handl told the Associated Press that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorized possession of nuclear material."

Arthur C. Clarke predicting the Internet in 1964 (h/t @Ldoren)

2011-08-01T12:50:00.000-04:00

Beliefs come first, reasons second. (@reason @wsj)

2011-07-27T14:14:00.000-04:00

Ron Bailey's book review of Michael Shermer's The Believing Brain.

Google lets you "Takeout" your stored data

2011-07-27T13:51:00.000-04:00

Google Takeout now lets you download all your personal info and port it elsewhere if you want/need to. Cool feature to have.

Annoyed by direct mail?

2011-07-27T10:05:00.003-04:00

Looks like it'll live on...

Are We Alone in the universe after all? Maybe so.

2011-07-26T12:56:00.000-04:00

"Scientists engaged in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) work under the assumption that there is, in fact, intelligent life out there to be found." But a new analysis that suggests life could be extremely rare may crush their optimism.

Boogity boogity boogity, Amen! #nascar

2011-07-25T14:36:00.000-04:00

People deprived of the Internet feel "upset and lonely"

2011-07-25T09:53:00.000-04:00

So now the Internet is an addiction.

Embryos involving the genes of animals mixed with humans have been produced secretively for the past three years

2011-07-23T13:48:00.000-04:00

Human-animal hybrids are also created in other countries, many of which have little or no regulation.

The world's gold could fit on a football field in a stack less that 6 feet high @fortune

2011-07-15T13:43:00.002-04:00

More at http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/06/gold-rush/

Lab-made windpipe implanted for first time @CNN

2011-07-08T14:27:00.000-04:00

"For the first time, a patient has received a synthetic windpipe that was created in a lab with the patient's own stem cells and without using human donor tissue"

How to Land Your Kid in Therapy @theAtlantic @atlantic_online

2011-07-08T11:10:00.000-04:00

"Why the obsession with our kids’ happiness may be dooming them to unhappy adulthoods. A therapist and mother reports."

The "Worst Powerpoint Slide" Contest Winners (h/t @ismurray

2011-07-07T13:26:00.000-04:00

Learn from it, people.

Think about it: Would You Give Up The Internet For $1 Million? (h/t @ryanradia)

2011-07-07T11:32:00.000-04:00

The History, Benefits, and Use of Standing Desks

2011-07-06T15:48:00.000-04:00

Here are some good reasons to use a stand-up desk at work.

Salman Khan: Using video to reinvent education #TED

2011-07-05T17:24:00.000-04:00

The Importance of College: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

2011-06-30T13:58:00.000-04:00

"[S]saying that college is important in practice is different from saying that it is important in theory."

More on lab-grown, test-tube hamburger meat

2011-06-27T10:14:00.001-04:00

Yep, test-tube burgers coming soon. Taste testers needed, but a revolution to potentially feed the world. Perhaps the nitrate fertilizer revolution of our time. But you go first, OK?

Don't pass the potatoes - @washingtonpost

2011-06-23T14:28:00.000-04:00

Potatoes bad, nuts good for staying slim, Harvard study finds.

Artificial, lab-grown meat could slice emissions, say scientists

2011-06-20T17:56:00.000-04:00

Methane-free meat, anyone? "[G]rowing meat in the lab ...will generate only a tiny fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional livestock production."

Reason as a weapon?

2011-06-20T11:47:00.000-04:00

"[S]ome researchers are suggesting that reason evolved for a [purpose other than finding truth]: to win arguments. Rationality, by this yardstick... is nothing more or less than a servant of the hard-wired compulsion to triumph in the debating arena." They may be trying to win a debate of some kind.