Links for 01-11-2006
Machiavellian intelligence theory, more Second Life business, the most dangerous song in the world, rewiring monkey brains, NASA to fix up Hubble after all…
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“I’m slightly embarrassed that I’ve created such a crude, raw prototype of a diagram, but really, I’m repairing my ignorance as fast as I can.” Pictorial evidence of Bruce Sterling’s thinking processes.
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“Elevated levels of cortisol — a stress hormone linked to depression, obesity and other health problems when chronic — actually cue the body on a day-to-day basis that it is time to rev up to deal with loneliness and other negative experiences…”
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“…research supports the ‘Machiavellian intelligence’ hypothesis, which suggests that competition at a social level - and the ability to manipulate others for personal gain - is what drove an explosive increase in brain size and cognitive abilities…”
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“The idea that there is a community of Second Life residents that are somehow separate from people who live in the real world is one that will have to go out the window if the virtual world continues to grow.”
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“British tax authorities are keeping a close eye on virtual economies but are waiting for the result of a U.S. Congressional investigation before taking action, a spokesman for the UK Treasury told Reuters this week.”
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“According to the New York Times ‘Gloomy Sunday’ has caused more deaths than any other song - over a hundred suicides - leading to the song being banned in the UK, the US and France.”
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“Now that humans live 80-120 years and possibly forever, it only makes sense that relationships would evolve from the one currently acceptable model, “life-long” monogamy and the antiquated tool of political control, matrimony.”
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“…they are trying to model how information is formed in memories and how it is retrieved. Yes, it’s a different approach than trying to code for AI, but if it ends up looking like a duck and quacking like a duck…”
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“A new, implantable and wireless brain chip can create artificial connections between different parts of the brain, paving the way for devices that could reconnect damaged neural circuits.” Interesting stuff.
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“…you get the music labels effectively taking a bribe to cause trouble for Google/YouTube video competitors, ignoring YouTube to let it grow for a while, and pocketing all of the money without giving it back to the artists they supposedly represent.”
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“Some of the kids aren’t particularly happy about being spied on this way, and apparently the company expected that. With the information pack about the GPS devices, they included a simple resignation form…”
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12 - Slushkiller“I frequently see denunciations from writers who say an editor can’t possibly judge their novel from three chapters and an outline. Sure we can, even if the chapters are short and the first one’s atypical. In many cases, three pages are enough.”
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“All things being equal, the simplest reason that your work has been rejected is usually the correct one.” Scalzi obviously in thrall to the publishing uberfraus…
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“Explore developments within the publishing world and meet writers of science fiction and fantasy. Featuring industry experts, bestselling authors, and new writers alike, prepare for the adventure.” New sf podcast on the block.
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“New web service FindMeOn.com attempts to solve a very Web 2.0 problem: the dozens of social networking profiles, email addresses, blogs and other web service memberships you and your friends can’t keep track of.”
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“Before his death Burroughs collaborated with Artist Malcolm McNeill on an illustrated book that never made it to press. A garden of earthly delights. (NSFW)” Awesome artwork, via MetaFilter.
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17 - Offshore“My point is simply: how might the Aeneid have been different if the Mediterranean Sea they’d explored had actually been full of oil derricks, a manmade geography of machine-islands…” Oil rig pictures and speculation at BLDGBLOG.
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“It’s been way too long since I’ve posted anything here on DeepGenre, so pardon me if I indulge in something frivolous…” Mr. Edelman, consider yourself pardoned! Very funny.
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19 - Convoy Cancelled“Convoy, the 2007 Eastercon, has been cancelled.” Dammit, I was looking forward to that.
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“…in an effort to attract new readers, it might be instructive to re-examine what brought us into the field as readers ourselves. So: How did I get into SF?” Lou Anders bares his soul.
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“The self-contained standalone mini-wiki is packed with features but it doesn’t dictate how you work - it provides a canvas on which you can design your own process improvements and workflows.” Could come in handy.
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“We designed the RoadWarrior to handle business cards, receipts, expense reports and business documents; as well as provide search and retrieval of all files on your PC…” Who needs an office, anyway?
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“Researchers at the University of Warwick are examining a way of using bacteria to manufacture a new suite of potential anti-cancer drugs that are difficult to create synthetically on a lab bench.” Here comes the biotech revolution.
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“The surviving portion of the Deep Impact space probe that watched as its other half smashed into a comet on July 4 is being sent on a mission to study another comet.” NASA sets an example by being a thrifty recycler…
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“Having championed Webster Cash’s New Worlds Imager in earlier posts, Centauri Dreams was nonplussed yesterday to see NASA’s list of concept study selections for Discovery-class missions….” Hint: the NWI ain’t in it.
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“Shuttle astronauts will make one final house call to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope as part of a mission to extend and improve the observatory’s capabilities through 2013.” Makes economic sense *and* avoids a PR disaster.
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