Intelligent ‘bots for Japan, open source Croatia, dopamine and gambling…

• 1 – Foreign Affairs – Is There Still a Terrorist Threat? – John Mueller
  “Despite all the ominous warnings of wily terrorists and imminent attacks, there has been neither a successful strike nor a close call in the United States since 9/11.” Well, what do you know. An interesting and controversial article.
  (tags: enemy omnipresent exaggerated magnified threat Qaeda Al US Terrorism war Bush)
• 2 – Intelligent robots by 2015, says METI
  “Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has set aside over 2 billion yen…to support the development of intelligent robots that rely on their own decision-making skills in the workplace.” May I be the first to welcome our new robot over
  (tags: investment development research autonomous robots intelligent METI Japan)
• 3 – Croatian government adopts open source software policy
  The snowball begins to roll, perhaps? Link via Slashdot, BoingBoing and others.
  (tags: politics technology software economics source open government Croatia)
• 4 – Wired News: Music Makes Your Brain Happy
  “Daniel Levitin explores research into how our brains process the works of artists as varied as Beethoven, the Beatles and Britney Spears, and why they make us feel so good.”. Yet another book I need to read (but can’t afford and have no time for). Bah!
  (tags: Levitlin Daniel books cognitive research neuroscience brain human music)
• 5 – A Digital Take On The Streets Where We Live
  Yet another case of technology following where science fiction has led the way – this is straight out of Vinge’s ‘Rainbows End’.
  (tags: futurism architecture interaction communication information environment cityscape tagging project eLens technology MIT)
• 6 – Tag Implants May Be Dangerous for Security Apps, Says Group
  VeriChip are putting the spin on their clonable chips – they now say that the RFIDs should be combined with other identifiers for security. Which rather undermines their original sales pitch, no?
  (tags: passports technology surveillance VeriChip cloning theft identity security arphid RFID)
• 7 – Wireless Network Helps Unlock Secrets of the Universe
  Space.com article on the High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network, or HPWREN.
  (tags: research science HPWREN transmission data remote isolation telescope observatory astronomy space)
• 8 – Dopamine helps punters spot their ‘best bet’
  “People given a dopamine drug learn faster and win more often when gambling, according to new research.” The folks at Vegas are going to love this news.
  (tags: neurotransmitter behaviour addictive gambling learning mind human chemistry brain dopamine)
• 9 – Neural Net Makes Eavesdropping Breakthrough
  27B Stroke 7 has more on the solution to the ‘cocktail party problem’.
  (tags: processing sound mind human algorithm computing net neural mathematical solution problem party cocktail)
• 10 – Scientists make ‘amazing’ fuel cell breakthrough
  “A team of Korean scientists has developed a new method of storing hydrogen as a solid, easing potential complications associated with the commercialisation of fuel cell technology.” A step in the right direction perhaps.
  (tags: materials titanium storage energy technology cell fuel hydrogen)