By May Berenbaum
New York Times
I had been a professor of entomology for 15 years before I saw my first live bedbug. It crawled out of a plastic film canister that had been mailed to me by a distraught student in the Boston area who had no idea what it was. I was so thrilled to see a live bedbug, I showed it off to every graduate student I ran into that day: Cimex lectularius — a small, flat, wingless, brown ectoparasite that hides in cracks and crevices in human dwellings and emerges under cover of darkness to feast on human blood.
Casual reading for the intellectually curious.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Touch Affects Impressions, Decisions
National Institute of Health
Something you’re touching can influence how you feel about unrelated events, situations and objects without you realizing it, according to new research.
Something you’re touching can influence how you feel about unrelated events, situations and objects without you realizing it, according to new research.
But Will It Make You Happy?
By Stephanie Rosenbloom
SHE had so much.
A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to serve two dozen people.
Yet Tammy Strobel wasn’t happy. Working as a project manager with an investment management firm in Davis, Calif., and making about $40,000 a year, she was, as she put it, caught in the “work-spend treadmill.”
So one day she stepped off.
New York Times
SHE had so much.
A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to serve two dozen people.
Yet Tammy Strobel wasn’t happy. Working as a project manager with an investment management firm in Davis, Calif., and making about $40,000 a year, she was, as she put it, caught in the “work-spend treadmill.”
So one day she stepped off.
Divorce Insurance (Yes, Divorce Insurance)
By Jennifer Saranow Schultz
New York Times
Here’s a new option for those worried they’ll end up on the wrong side of the statistics that show so many marriages ending over time: divorce insurance.
New York Times
Here’s a new option for those worried they’ll end up on the wrong side of the statistics that show so many marriages ending over time: divorce insurance.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
foldit
Foldit is a revolutionary new computer game enabling you to contribute to important scientific research. This page describes the science behind Foldit and how your playing can help.
Also:
In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding
By John Markoff
Also:
In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding
By John Markoff
New York Times
In a match that pitted video game players against the best known computer program designed for the task, the gamers outperformed the software in figuring out how 10 proteins fold into their three-dimensional configurations.
Best Cars for Teenagers? No One Can Agree
By Cheryl Jensen
New York Times
If you think it is easy to recommend the top vehicles for teenagers, you are so wrong.
If you think it is easy to recommend the top vehicles for teenagers, you are so wrong.
Two New Paths to the Dream: Regeneration
By Nicholas Wade
New York Times
Two research reports published Friday offer novel approaches to the age-old dream of regenerating the body from its own cells. Graphic
Battle Looms Over Huge Costs of Public Pensions
By Ron Lieber
New York Times
There’s a class war coming to the world of government pensions.
The haves are retirees who were once state or municipal workers. Their seemingly guaranteed and ever-escalating monthly pension benefits are breaking budgets nationwide.
New York Times
There’s a class war coming to the world of government pensions.
The haves are retirees who were once state or municipal workers. Their seemingly guaranteed and ever-escalating monthly pension benefits are breaking budgets nationwide.
Demystifying, and Maybe Decreasing, the Emergency Room Bill
By Lesley Alderman
New York Times
DURING a snowstorm last winter, my 6-year-old son fell and cut his chin — not outside on the ice, but inside on the tile bathroom floor. My husband walked our son, Charlie, through the knee-high snow to the local emergency room.
New York Times
DURING a snowstorm last winter, my 6-year-old son fell and cut his chin — not outside on the ice, but inside on the tile bathroom floor. My husband walked our son, Charlie, through the knee-high snow to the local emergency room.
Immigrant Conversations
Citizenship From Birth Is Challenged on the Right
By Julia Preston
New York Times
By Julia Preston
New York Times
Friday, August 6, 2010
Parisians Find Playground Under the Streets
By Don Duncan
Wall Street Journal
PARIS—While many Parisians go out on the town on Saturday evenings, a small but growing number go under it.
Beneath Paris lies a network of some 155 miles of tunnels known as "the catacombs"—an underground labyrinth that serves as the weekend playground for bands of urban explorers. One recent Saturday, several dozen "cataphiles," as these explorers are known, climbed down an embankment in south Paris to a unused railroad track. After a short walk, they disappear into a hole in the side of a railway tunnel to the catacombs, 65 feet below. Slideshow
Wall Street Journal
PARIS—While many Parisians go out on the town on Saturday evenings, a small but growing number go under it.
Beneath Paris lies a network of some 155 miles of tunnels known as "the catacombs"—an underground labyrinth that serves as the weekend playground for bands of urban explorers. One recent Saturday, several dozen "cataphiles," as these explorers are known, climbed down an embankment in south Paris to a unused railroad track. After a short walk, they disappear into a hole in the side of a railway tunnel to the catacombs, 65 feet below. Slideshow
Where temperature strayed from average
By NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies\
New York Times
New York Times
As It Shrinks, the Dead Sea Nourishes Promises of an Economic Bloom
By Isabel Kershner
New York Times
KALIA, West Bank — For many, the shrinking of the Dead Sea has long signaled its impending demise. But even with its waters steadily disappearing, the ancient salt lake, where no fish can survive, is showing other signs of life.
New York Times
KALIA, West Bank — For many, the shrinking of the Dead Sea has long signaled its impending demise. But even with its waters steadily disappearing, the ancient salt lake, where no fish can survive, is showing other signs of life.
My Food-a-pedia
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
United States Department of Agriculture
Quick access to food info.
Find the calories and MyPyramid food groups for a food, or compare two foods.
Enter food name: [Search]
Find the calories and MyPyramid food groups for a food, or compare two foods.
Enter food name: [Search]
Mobile Internet More Popular in China than in U.S.
Shan Phillips, Vice President, Greater China, Telecom Practice, The Nielsen Company
On the streets of Guangzhou, Harbin and Shanghai, the mobile phone has become ubiquitous. Once the domain of the elite, it now seems that just about everybody has one. Widespread ownership of mobiles is only a fairly recent development in China, but consumers there have fully embraced the technology and in some ways are using it more robustly than their American and European counterparts.
On the streets of Guangzhou, Harbin and Shanghai, the mobile phone has become ubiquitous. Once the domain of the elite, it now seems that just about everybody has one. Widespread ownership of mobiles is only a fairly recent development in China, but consumers there have fully embraced the technology and in some ways are using it more robustly than their American and European counterparts.
New Realities of an Older America
By Stanford Center on Longevity
The challenges of baby boomers reaching old age, combined with a growing, more diverse population, will drive major changes, challenges and decisions in U.S. families, workplaces and communities, according toNEW REALITIES of an OLDER AMERICA: Challenges, Changes and Questions, a new report from the Stanford Center on Longevity.
The challenges of baby boomers reaching old age, combined with a growing, more diverse population, will drive major changes, challenges and decisions in U.S. families, workplaces and communities, according toNEW REALITIES of an OLDER AMERICA: Challenges, Changes and Questions, a new report from the Stanford Center on Longevity.
Technology helps absent obstetricians stay app on things
By Jennifer Brown
The Denver Post
Dr. Reid Goodman was out for lunch when he flicked on his iPhone and realized something was seriously wrong — his patient in labor at Rose Medical Center was in trouble.
The Denver Post
Dr. Reid Goodman was out for lunch when he flicked on his iPhone and realized something was seriously wrong — his patient in labor at Rose Medical Center was in trouble.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
10 Surprising Ways Your State May Tax You Next
Kiplinger
There may be some truth in it--literally. Facing large budget shortfalls and unwilling to raise general taxes in a slow economy, states are looking for creative ways to raise a little extra revenue here and there, including taxing shoe repair. Here are some of the proposed new taxes and user fees under review by state governments across the country. Some plans will be met with public scorn; others will be adopted with little notice. This is a slideshow
How to Find Cheaper College Textbooks
By Tara Siegel Bernard
New York Times
You might call it the college student’s first lesson in exploitation: paying $100 for a textbook, then getting a mere $12 when reselling to the campus bookstore at the end of the semester.
You might call it the college student’s first lesson in exploitation: paying $100 for a textbook, then getting a mere $12 when reselling to the campus bookstore at the end of the semester.
You can count the number of books in the world on 25,972,976 hands
The Official Google Blog
Ever wonder just how many different books there are in the world? After some intensive analysis, we've come up with a number. Standing on the shoulders of giants—libraries and cataloging organizations—and based on our computational resources and experience of organizing millions of books through our Books Library Project and Books Partner Program since 2004, we’ve determined that number.
And May the Best Nurdle Win
By Clifford M. Marks and Ellen Byron
A pair of toothpaste makers have squared off in court over a marketing icon, the "nurdle."
For the uninitiated, the nurdle is that curvy squirt of toothpaste—perfectly shaped in advertisements—that people use to scrub their pearly whites.
Wall Street Journal
A pair of toothpaste makers have squared off in court over a marketing icon, the "nurdle."
For the uninitiated, the nurdle is that curvy squirt of toothpaste—perfectly shaped in advertisements—that people use to scrub their pearly whites.
Stalkers Exploit Cellphone GPS
By Justin Scheck
Wall Street Journal
Phone companies know where their customers' cellphones are, often within a radius of less than 100 feet. That tracking technology has rescued lost drivers, helped authorities find kidnap victims and let parents keep tabs on their kids.
Wall Street Journal
Phone companies know where their customers' cellphones are, often within a radius of less than 100 feet. That tracking technology has rescued lost drivers, helped authorities find kidnap victims and let parents keep tabs on their kids.
From the NYPD to JetBlue
By Scott McCartney
Wall Street Journal
Some airlines try to hire flight attendants who are young and attractive. JetBlue Airways has a type, too: cops and fire fighters.
Wall Street Journal
Some airlines try to hire flight attendants who are young and attractive. JetBlue Airways has a type, too: cops and fire fighters.
Feds admit storing checkpoint body scan images
Declan McCullagh
CNET News
For the last few years, federal agencies have defended body scanning by insisting that all images will be discarded as soon as they're viewed. The Transportation Security Administration claimed last summer, for instance, that "scanned images cannot be stored or recorded."
CNET News
For the last few years, federal agencies have defended body scanning by insisting that all images will be discarded as soon as they're viewed. The Transportation Security Administration claimed last summer, for instance, that "scanned images cannot be stored or recorded."
Showerheads
United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Showering is one of the leading ways we use water in the home, accounting for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use, or about 30 gallons per household per day. That's nearly 1.2 trillion gallons of water used in the United States annually just for showering, or enough to supply the water needs of New York and New Jersey for a year! By retrofitting your entire bathroom with WaterSense labeled fixtures, you can save even more.
Showering is one of the leading ways we use water in the home, accounting for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use, or about 30 gallons per household per day. That's nearly 1.2 trillion gallons of water used in the United States annually just for showering, or enough to supply the water needs of New York and New Jersey for a year! By retrofitting your entire bathroom with WaterSense labeled fixtures, you can save even more.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
War on terror's other cost: undeserved anger at all Muslims
By Thomas W. Young
Christian Science Monitor
This September and October, Americans mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the ninth year of war in Afghanistan, respectively. This war has become arguably the longest in our history. Given the jihad-until-doomsday rhetoric of the Islamists, the war on terror will probably stay with us in one form or another for the foreseeable future.
Christian Science Monitor
This September and October, Americans mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the ninth year of war in Afghanistan, respectively. This war has become arguably the longest in our history. Given the jihad-until-doomsday rhetoric of the Islamists, the war on terror will probably stay with us in one form or another for the foreseeable future.
Women More Attracted When Men Wear Red: Study
By healthfinder.gov
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Health and Human Services
TUESDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Men looking to attract the opposite sex may want to add red to their wardrobe, a new study finds.
Free-Range Landscaping
By Gwendolyn Bounds
Wall Street Journal
Recently, the patch of weeds behind Steve Holdaway's Chapel Hill, N.C., home grew so unkempt that he hired outside help. For six hours, the crew's members tackled tall grass and thorny blackberry plants and toiled without a break—other than to chew their cud, that is.
His workers: seven hungry—and carbon-emission-free—goats.
Wall Street Journal
Recently, the patch of weeds behind Steve Holdaway's Chapel Hill, N.C., home grew so unkempt that he hired outside help. For six hours, the crew's members tackled tall grass and thorny blackberry plants and toiled without a break—other than to chew their cud, that is.
His workers: seven hungry—and carbon-emission-free—goats.
Information Explosion & Cloud Storage
Wikibon Blog
Even in 2009′s “Great Recession,” the amount of digital information grew 62% over 2008 to 800 billion gigabytes (0.8 Zettabytes). It is projected that the amount of digital information that will be created in 2010 could fill 75 billion fully-loaded 16 GB Apple iPads.
Even in 2009′s “Great Recession,” the amount of digital information grew 62% over 2008 to 800 billion gigabytes (0.8 Zettabytes). It is projected that the amount of digital information that will be created in 2010 could fill 75 billion fully-loaded 16 GB Apple iPads.
CADILLAC ESCALADE, FORD F-250 PICKUP, & INFINITI G37 TOP LIST OF HIGHEST INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR THEFT
By Highway Loss Data Institute
ARLINGTON, VA—The rate at which people file insurance claims for theft is highest for
versions of the 2007-09 Cadillac Escalade, a luxury SUV, followed by the Ford F-250 crew
pickup, Infiniti G37 luxury car, and Dodge Charger with a HEMI engine. Theft rates for
these vehicles are 3 to 5 times as high as the average for all vehicles. These are the
latest theft loss results for passenger vehicles 1 to 3 years old published by the Highway
Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
ARLINGTON, VA—The rate at which people file insurance claims for theft is highest for
versions of the 2007-09 Cadillac Escalade, a luxury SUV, followed by the Ford F-250 crew
pickup, Infiniti G37 luxury car, and Dodge Charger with a HEMI engine. Theft rates for
these vehicles are 3 to 5 times as high as the average for all vehicles. These are the
latest theft loss results for passenger vehicles 1 to 3 years old published by the Highway
Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Breast Milk Sugars Give Infants a Protective Coat
By Nicholad Wade
A large part of human milk cannot be digested by babies and seems to have a purpose quite different from infant nutrition — that of influencing the composition of the bacteria in the infant’s gut.
New York Times
A large part of human milk cannot be digested by babies and seems to have a purpose quite different from infant nutrition — that of influencing the composition of the bacteria in the infant’s gut.
Tracing Oil Reserves to Their Tiny Origins
By William J. Broad
New York Times
In 1913, as the automobile zoomed into American life, The Outing Magazine gave its readers a bit of background on what fueled the new motorcars in “The Story of Gasoline.” After a brief vignette describing the death of “old Colonel Stegosaurus Ugulatus,” the article explained that “yesterday you poured the remains of the dinosaur from a measuring-can — which, let us hope, held five gallons, full measure — into your gasoline tank.” Graphic
In 1913, as the automobile zoomed into American life, The Outing Magazine gave its readers a bit of background on what fueled the new motorcars in “The Story of Gasoline.” After a brief vignette describing the death of “old Colonel Stegosaurus Ugulatus,” the article explained that “yesterday you poured the remains of the dinosaur from a measuring-can — which, let us hope, held five gallons, full measure — into your gasoline tank.” Graphic
Empowering oil rig workers to stop operations not a fail-safe plan
By David S. Hilzenrath
Washington Post
Overlooked among the systems that apparently failed in the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe is what could be the most crucial safety device of all: the human blowout preventer.
Overlooked among the systems that apparently failed in the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe is what could be the most crucial safety device of all: the human blowout preventer.
[As I read this article it reminded me of a management case study, a classic, that we covered in my graduate management program. It is entitled, "Case Study 1: The Blast in Centralia No. 5: A Mine Disaster No One Stopped in Richard J. Stillman II's Public Administration: Concepts and Cases, 9th Edition. It is the first case study in the book going back many editions. Over 100 men died in that disaster and it is still considered one of the worst industrial tragedies ever. This article on the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe reads just like it. It prompts the question, "Are we learning anything?"]
Technological advances usher in the future of reading
By Alex Pham and David Sarno
(Los Angeles Times)
Seattle Times
Emma Teitgen, 12, thought the chemistry book her teacher recommended would make perfect bedside reading. Perfect because it might help her fall asleep.
(Los Angeles Times)
Seattle Times
Emma Teitgen, 12, thought the chemistry book her teacher recommended would make perfect bedside reading. Perfect because it might help her fall asleep.
What Americans Do Online: Social Media And Games Dominate Activity
Nielsonwire
Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites and blogs, up from 15.8 percent just a year ago (43 percent increase) according to new research released today from The Nielsen Company. The research revealed that Americans spend a third their online time (36 percent) communicating and networking across social networks, blogs, personal email and instant messaging.
Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites and blogs, up from 15.8 percent just a year ago (43 percent increase) according to new research released today from The Nielsen Company. The research revealed that Americans spend a third their online time (36 percent) communicating and networking across social networks, blogs, personal email and instant messaging.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Peak Water
Wall Street Journal
Harry Reid has decided that Senate Democrats will put off their cap-and-tax energy ambitions for now, focusing on smaller-scale subsidies and mandates. Anyone who thinks this counts as a "compromise" might visit Arizona, where the green campaign for renewable energy is forcing the state to confront the limits of a nonrenewable resource—water.
Harry Reid has decided that Senate Democrats will put off their cap-and-tax energy ambitions for now, focusing on smaller-scale subsidies and mandates. Anyone who thinks this counts as a "compromise" might visit Arizona, where the green campaign for renewable energy is forcing the state to confront the limits of a nonrenewable resource—water.
Ignorance By Degrees
By Mark Bauerlein
Wall Street Journal
Higher education may be heading for a reckoning. For a long time, despite the occasional charge of liberal dogma on campus or of a watered-down curriculum, people tended to think the best of the college and university they attended. Perhaps they attributed their career success or that of their friends to a diploma. Or they felt moved by a particular professor or class. Or they received treatment at a university hospital or otherwise profited from university-based scientific research. Or they just loved March Madness.
Wall Street Journal
Higher education may be heading for a reckoning. For a long time, despite the occasional charge of liberal dogma on campus or of a watered-down curriculum, people tended to think the best of the college and university they attended. Perhaps they attributed their career success or that of their friends to a diploma. Or they felt moved by a particular professor or class. Or they received treatment at a university hospital or otherwise profited from university-based scientific research. Or they just loved March Madness.
Too many laws, too many prisoners
The Economist
THREE pickup trucks pulled up outside George Norris’s home in Spring, Texas. Six armed police in flak jackets jumped out. Thinking they must have come to the wrong place, Mr Norris opened his front door, and was startled to be shoved against a wall and frisked for weapons. He was forced into a chair for four hours while officers ransacked his house. They pulled out drawers, rifled through papers, dumped things on the floor and eventually loaded 37 boxes of Mr Norris’s possessions onto their pickups. They refused to tell him what he had done wrong. “It wasn’t fun, I can tell you that,” he recalls.
THREE pickup trucks pulled up outside George Norris’s home in Spring, Texas. Six armed police in flak jackets jumped out. Thinking they must have come to the wrong place, Mr Norris opened his front door, and was startled to be shoved against a wall and frisked for weapons. He was forced into a chair for four hours while officers ransacked his house. They pulled out drawers, rifled through papers, dumped things on the floor and eventually loaded 37 boxes of Mr Norris’s possessions onto their pickups. They refused to tell him what he had done wrong. “It wasn’t fun, I can tell you that,” he recalls.
Trading Karate Kicks for Deadly Force (Krav Maga)
By Lynnley Browning
New York Times
New York Times
CHESHIRE, Conn.
“The groin!” exclaimed Madison Schiavi.
Madison, an 8-year-old with a reddish-brown ponytail, had minced no words with her quick (and correct) response to the suggestion that she “talk about some vital spots we can hit.”
“The groin!” exclaimed Madison Schiavi.
Madison, an 8-year-old with a reddish-brown ponytail, had minced no words with her quick (and correct) response to the suggestion that she “talk about some vital spots we can hit.”
Saturday, July 31, 2010
How to Avoid the Prying Eyes
By Jennifer Valentino-Devries
Wall Street Journal
Visitors to almost every major website are tracked online, a Journal investigation has found. But there are ways to limit the snooping.
Visitors to almost every major website are tracked online, a Journal investigation has found. But there are ways to limit the snooping.
New Survey Shows Significant Local Government Jobs Losses
National League of Cities
Washington, DC – New survey research announced today shows that local governments are now facing a fiscal crisis that will force job losses approaching 500,000 and significant cuts in much needed public services. Representatives from the National League of Cities (NLC), United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) jointly released the survey results at a press conference on Capitol Hill earlier today and were joined by several members of Congress offering their support to cities and counties during these difficult economic times.
Washington, DC – New survey research announced today shows that local governments are now facing a fiscal crisis that will force job losses approaching 500,000 and significant cuts in much needed public services. Representatives from the National League of Cities (NLC), United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) jointly released the survey results at a press conference on Capitol Hill earlier today and were joined by several members of Congress offering their support to cities and counties during these difficult economic times.
Study Calls Google ‘King Of Malware’
By Matt McGee
Search Engine Land
Google has twice as much malware in its search results as Yahoo, Bing, and Twitter combined. That’s one of the findings in the Barracuda Labs 2010 Midyear Security Report, which will be presented tomorrow at the DEFCON 18 hacking conference tomorrow in Las Vegas.
Search Engine Land
Google has twice as much malware in its search results as Yahoo, Bing, and Twitter combined. That’s one of the findings in the Barracuda Labs 2010 Midyear Security Report, which will be presented tomorrow at the DEFCON 18 hacking conference tomorrow in Las Vegas.
The Web's New Gold Mine: Your Secrets
By Julia Angwin
Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal
Hidden inside Ashley Hayes-Beaty's computer, a tiny file helps gather personal details about her, all to be put up for sale for a tenth of a penny. Interactive Graphic
Friday, July 30, 2010
For Most, Implants Beat Dentures, but at a Price
By Lesley Alderman
New York Times
MARK PANKO still gets riled when he recalls the two years he suffered with traditional dentures.
“They fell out when I talked,” Mr. Panko, 56, a small-business owner in Woodridge, Ill., recalled. “I couldn’t taste my food — in fact, I could hardly chew. It was the most miserable time of my entire life.”
New York Times
MARK PANKO still gets riled when he recalls the two years he suffered with traditional dentures.
“They fell out when I talked,” Mr. Panko, 56, a small-business owner in Woodridge, Ill., recalled. “I couldn’t taste my food — in fact, I could hardly chew. It was the most miserable time of my entire life.”
Plus-Size Wars
By Gina Bellafante
New York Times
Earlier this year, the editors of V, a magazine so recherché it can make Vogue seem like Redbook, published an issue featuring large models in expensive body-baring clothes. In one photograph, a woman in a strapless bathing suit, cut to reveal three rolls of flesh, grabs at her platform stilettos. In another, Tara Lynn, a size 16 model, is clad in nothing but a pair of Dior sandals.
New York Times
Earlier this year, the editors of V, a magazine so recherché it can make Vogue seem like Redbook, published an issue featuring large models in expensive body-baring clothes. In one photograph, a woman in a strapless bathing suit, cut to reveal three rolls of flesh, grabs at her platform stilettos. In another, Tara Lynn, a size 16 model, is clad in nothing but a pair of Dior sandals.
Fashion Nation: What Retailers Know About Us
Luxury-spending data can tell us a lot about the state of the nation—and our own neighborhoods.
Take Detroit—not the city where one might expect to see the strongest recovery. Yet when American Express Co. looked at luxury spending in top and midsize cities around the country, Detroit led the list, with growth of 18% in the first quarter of 2010 from the year-earlier quarter. Lo and behold, Ford stock is up, too, suggesting that Detroit's local investors are feeling more optimistic than they were when auto executives were driving hybrids down to Washington to beg for bailouts.
Take Detroit—not the city where one might expect to see the strongest recovery. Yet when American Express Co. looked at luxury spending in top and midsize cities around the country, Detroit led the list, with growth of 18% in the first quarter of 2010 from the year-earlier quarter. Lo and behold, Ford stock is up, too, suggesting that Detroit's local investors are feeling more optimistic than they were when auto executives were driving hybrids down to Washington to beg for bailouts.
Scientist Challenges the Conventional Wisdom That What You Can’t Hear Won't Hurt You
Salt AN, Hullar TE.
Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine
Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
National Institutes of Health
A wind turbine is a rotary device with a gigantic propeller as big as a football field that turns in the wind to generate electricity. Although wind turbines are more often found in Europe than in the United States, they’re rapidly becoming more popular here as a “green” energy source. Most people consider that a good thing, except the rotors of wind turbines also generate noise, particularly in the infrasound range, that some people claim makes them feel sick.
A wind turbine is a rotary device with a gigantic propeller as big as a football field that turns in the wind to generate electricity. Although wind turbines are more often found in Europe than in the United States, they’re rapidly becoming more popular here as a “green” energy source. Most people consider that a good thing, except the rotors of wind turbines also generate noise, particularly in the infrasound range, that some people claim makes them feel sick.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
E-Books Fly Beyond Mere Text
By Julie Bosman
New York Times
E-books of the latest generation are so brand new that publishers can’t agree on what to call them.
New York Times
E-books of the latest generation are so brand new that publishers can’t agree on what to call them.
Increased Risk of Violence Among Unsupervised Teen Groups
healthfinder.gov
Department of Health and Human Services
THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Even in so-called "good" neighborhoods, there's a significantly increased risk of violence if teens gather with nothing to do and no adult supervision, a new study suggests.
Department of Health and Human Services
THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Even in so-called "good" neighborhoods, there's a significantly increased risk of violence if teens gather with nothing to do and no adult supervision, a new study suggests.
The Technology for Monitoring Elderly Relatives
By Eric A. Taub
New York Times
“IF I ever need to go to a nursing home, kill me first.”
That was what my mother had said to my brother and me from time immemorial. Of course, we never carried out her wish, but at 98 — her mind still sharp, but her muscles failing (after several serious falls) — she reluctantly agreed to enter her worst nightmare: assisted living. Until her death at 100 last July, she was convinced that she had made a mistake.
“IF I ever need to go to a nursing home, kill me first.”
That was what my mother had said to my brother and me from time immemorial. Of course, we never carried out her wish, but at 98 — her mind still sharp, but her muscles failing (after several serious falls) — she reluctantly agreed to enter her worst nightmare: assisted living. Until her death at 100 last July, she was convinced that she had made a mistake.
Learning a Language From an Expert, on the Web
By Peter Wayner
New York Times
The message from the 14-year-old Tunisian skateboarder was curt. “Totally wrong,” he said of my French. My conjugation was off and I should study spelling. On a scale of one to five, he said, my French practice essay was worth a one. Then he disappeared into the anonymity of the Internet.
New York Times
The message from the 14-year-old Tunisian skateboarder was curt. “Totally wrong,” he said of my French. My conjugation was off and I should study spelling. On a scale of one to five, he said, my French practice essay was worth a one. Then he disappeared into the anonymity of the Internet.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Level of Parent-Child Conflict Seems to Differ Among Nations
healthfinder.gov
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
WEDNESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- American parents are more likely than European parents to have conflicts with their adult children, finds a new study.
WEDNESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- American parents are more likely than European parents to have conflicts with their adult children, finds a new study.
Videos Rouse Russian Anger Toward Police
By Clifford J. Levy
New York Times
NOVOROSSIYSK, Russia — One day last fall, a police officer here put on his uniform and sat on a drab tan couch before a video camera. In a halting monotone, he recorded two video appeals toVladimir V. Putin, 13 minutes in all.
New York Times
NOVOROSSIYSK, Russia — One day last fall, a police officer here put on his uniform and sat on a drab tan couch before a video camera. In a halting monotone, he recorded two video appeals toVladimir V. Putin, 13 minutes in all.
Google Develops a Facebook Rival
By Amir Efrati
Wall Street Journal
Google Inc. is in talks with several makers of popular online games as it seeks to develop a broader social-networking service that could compete with Facebook Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.
Top Consumer Complaints in 2009
By Jennifer Saranow Schultz
New York Times
The fastest-growing consumer complaint in 2009 was about bogus offers to help save homes from foreclosure, according to a new survey of state and local consumer agencies released Tuesday.
New health policy: encouraging friendships?
By Maggie Fox
Reuters
(Reuters) - Having good social relationships -- friends, marriage or children -- may be every bit as important to a healthy lifespan as quitting smoking, losing weight or taking certain medications, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
Reuters
(Reuters) - Having good social relationships -- friends, marriage or children -- may be every bit as important to a healthy lifespan as quitting smoking, losing weight or taking certain medications, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Lights, Camera, Barbie?
By Warren Buckleitner
New York Times
You can make a movie with a phone, so why not with a doll?
The Barbie Video Girl Doll ($50, Mattel, for ages 6 and up) looks just like a regular Barbie, but a closer look reveals a camera in her pendant, and a postage-sized color screen on her back, peeking through her blouse.
New York Times
You can make a movie with a phone, so why not with a doll?
The Barbie Video Girl Doll ($50, Mattel, for ages 6 and up) looks just like a regular Barbie, but a closer look reveals a camera in her pendant, and a postage-sized color screen on her back, peeking through her blouse.
Antarctic octopuses found with cold-resistant venom
By Tan Ee Lyn
Reuters
(Reuters) - Researchers have discovered four new species of octopus in Antarctica with venom that works at sub-zero temperatures.
Reuters
(Reuters) - Researchers have discovered four new species of octopus in Antarctica with venom that works at sub-zero temperatures.
Educated people cope better with dementia
By Kate Kelland
Reuters
(Reuters) - Educated people are better able to cope with the physical effects of dementia, and even one extra year of education can significantly cut the risk of developing the brain-wasting disease, scientists said on Monday.
(Reuters) - Educated people are better able to cope with the physical effects of dementia, and even one extra year of education can significantly cut the risk of developing the brain-wasting disease, scientists said on Monday.
What Do You Lack? Probably Vitamin D
By Jane E. Brody
New York Times
Vitamin D promises to be the most talked-about and written-about supplement of the decade. While studies continue to refine optimal blood levels and recommended dietary amounts, the fact remains that a huge part of the population — from robust newborns to the frail elderly, and many others in between — are deficient in this essential nutrient.
Vitamin D promises to be the most talked-about and written-about supplement of the decade. While studies continue to refine optimal blood levels and recommended dietary amounts, the fact remains that a huge part of the population — from robust newborns to the frail elderly, and many others in between — are deficient in this essential nutrient.
Fighting Happily Ever After
If you fought with your sweetheart last night, does that mean that your relationship is on the rocks?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Research shows it's how we fight—where, when, what tone of voice and words we use, whether we hear each other out fairly—that's critical. If we argue poorly, we may end up headed for divorce court. Yet if we argue well, experts say, we actually may improve our relationship.
Maybe. Maybe not.
Research shows it's how we fight—where, when, what tone of voice and words we use, whether we hear each other out fairly—that's critical. If we argue poorly, we may end up headed for divorce court. Yet if we argue well, experts say, we actually may improve our relationship.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Finding Fixes for Your Computer From Afar
By Alina Dizik
Wall Street Journal
Fixing the hiccups of a home computer is an annoyance—lugging it to a store is time consuming and following directions over the phone can get frustrating. But a host of repair services say they solve computer woes by connecting virtually to your machine.
Fixing the hiccups of a home computer is an annoyance—lugging it to a store is time consuming and following directions over the phone can get frustrating. But a host of repair services say they solve computer woes by connecting virtually to your machine.
Designer Drugs Baffle Europe
By Jeanne Whalen
Wall Street Journal
Europe is grappling with a flood of powerful and sometimes lethal new narcotics that are often legal when they first appear because authorities have never seen or banned them before.
Europe is grappling with a flood of powerful and sometimes lethal new narcotics that are often legal when they first appear because authorities have never seen or banned them before.
Entertaining Legal Opinions
Google Scholar Blog
Judicial opinions in common law countries, like the United States, clarify and refine the law of the land. They consider weighty issues, weigh conflicting requirements and carry much weight among all who read them. Here are some opinions for your summer reading.
Judicial opinions in common law countries, like the United States, clarify and refine the law of the land. They consider weighty issues, weigh conflicting requirements and carry much weight among all who read them. Here are some opinions for your summer reading.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Lost in Translation
By Lera Boroditsky
Wall Street Journal
Do the languages we speak shape the way we think? Do they merely express thoughts, or do the structures in languages (without our knowledge or consent) shape the very thoughts we wish to express?
Wall Street Journal
Do the languages we speak shape the way we think? Do they merely express thoughts, or do the structures in languages (without our knowledge or consent) shape the very thoughts we wish to express?
Floatopia's Last Hurrah in San Diego?
By Conor Dougherty
Wall Street Journal
SAN DIEGO—Consuming alcohol is illegal on this city's famous beaches. But, thanks to a loophole authorities are now trying to close, drinking a few feet from shore is not. Slideshow
Wall Street Journal
SAN DIEGO—Consuming alcohol is illegal on this city's famous beaches. But, thanks to a loophole authorities are now trying to close, drinking a few feet from shore is not. Slideshow
Goodbye, Girdle: Curvy Stars Spark A Raid on Padded Panties
By Rachel Dodes
Wall Street Journal
When Tara Rachel Benson went out on a recent night to an album release party in Los Angeles, she put on her makeup, a tight-fitting Herve Leger dress, stiletto heels—and a pair of padded panties. Slideshow "A History of Underwear."
Wall Street Journal
When Tara Rachel Benson went out on a recent night to an album release party in Los Angeles, she put on her makeup, a tight-fitting Herve Leger dress, stiletto heels—and a pair of padded panties. Slideshow "A History of Underwear."
Drivers on Prescription Drugs Are Hard to Convict
By Abby Goodnough and Katie Zezima
The accident that killed Kathryn Underdown had all the markings of a drunken-driving case. The car that hit her as she rode her bicycle one May evening in Miller Place, N.Y., did not stop, the police said, until it crashed into another vehicle farther down the road.
New York Times
The accident that killed Kathryn Underdown had all the markings of a drunken-driving case. The car that hit her as she rode her bicycle one May evening in Miller Place, N.Y., did not stop, the police said, until it crashed into another vehicle farther down the road.
Credit Score Is the Tyrant in Lending
By Joe Nocera
The other day, a mortgage broker named Deb Killian called me, more or less out of the blue. Ms. Killian has been in the business since 1994. She and her husband run Charter Oak Lending Group, a small firm based in Danbury, Conn., that they founded in 1996. She is a member of the board of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. By her estimate, she has closed more than 3,500 loans during her career.
New York Times
The other day, a mortgage broker named Deb Killian called me, more or less out of the blue. Ms. Killian has been in the business since 1994. She and her husband run Charter Oak Lending Group, a small firm based in Danbury, Conn., that they founded in 1996. She is a member of the board of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. By her estimate, she has closed more than 3,500 loans during her career.
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