The Fount of Useless Information
Your place for useless information that just might possibly be interesting.
Prions more mobile than thought
Disease agents can jump from one species to another
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337970/title/Prions_more_mobile_than_thought
For those of you who don’t know what prions are, they are protein molecules in the brain (they are in other parts of the body, …
Amazon may become greenhouse gas emitter
Rain forest could go from sink to source
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337827/title/Amazon_may_become_greenhouse_gas_emitter
BTW, here is a link to the peer reviewed paper: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v481/n7381/full/nature10717.html
So, as I have mentioned before, blaming climate change exclusively on the burning of …
Mitt and the White Horse Prophecy
A close look at the roots of Romney’s — and the Mormon church’s — political ambitions
http://www.salon.com/2012/01/29/mitt_and_the_white_horse_prophecy/singleton/
I have more or less ignored Mormonism since I learned the basics of their religious belief (…
Miracle material graphene can distil booze, says study
Membranes based on the “miracle material” graphene can be used to distil alcohol, according to a new study in Science journal.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16747208
Amazing enough that this stuff appears to be an effective …
The Caging of America
Why do we lock up so many people?
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2012/01/30/120130crat_atlarge_gopnik
This is a really long article by ‘net standards, but I suggest that anyone who either doesn’t understand how punitive our incarceratative society is or wants to …
If You Thought SOPA Was Bad, Just Wait Until You Meet ACTA
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/23/if-you-thought-sopa-was-bad-just-wait-until-you-meet-acta/
Just like the bla bla bla police state bla bla bla, this is getting tiresome in its repetition. The US uses to be a bastion against the …
No Need to Panic About Global Warming
There’s no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to ‘decarbonize’ the world’s economy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577171531838421366.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Expecting unbiased discussions on global warming from the Wall Street Journal is sort of like expecting an unbiased review …
New drone has no pilot anywhere, so who’s accountable?
The Navy is testing an autonomous plane that will land on an aircraft carrier. The prospect of heavily armed aircraft screaming through the skies without direct human control is unnerving to …
George Soros on the Coming U.S. Class War
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/22/george-soros-on-the-coming-u-s-class-war.html
Just a little while ago I posted how there might actually be some hope that the apocalypse might be avoidable after all: Maybe it is so, but maybe it ain’t and …
Is it because I keep getting smarter (i.e., better educated)?
Big government, our one shot against crazy storms
In our age of devastating droughts, wildfires and hurricanes, the federal government is more important than ever
http://www.salon.com/2012/01/26/big_government_our_one_shot_against_crazy_storms/singleton/
I have never been …