The Fount of Useless Information
Your place for useless information that just might possibly be interesting.
A $1 million bet on students without teachers
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/27/opinion/ted-prize-students-teach-themselves/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
I have a very strong objection to increasing the power of the “educational industrial complex“. I also have a strong objection to the current US paradigm of deliberately destroying …
Space-mad businessman announces manned trip to Mars
http://www.tgdaily.com/space-brief/69814-space-mad-businessman-announces-manned-trip-to-mars
I complain about what I feel are idiotic efforts to do space exploration (for example) because I feel it does a gross disservice to those who are seriously interested. When …
Startup finds niche in digitizing physical mail
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/tech/innovation/outbox-mail-service/index.html?hpt=hp_bn5
An interesting idea, I can see some real value for it, particularly if you are highly mobile and don’t want your mail to get lost trying to keep up with you. It …
Can Tough Competition Hinder Academic Performance?
http://ideas.time.com/2013/02/22/can-tough-competition-hinder-academic-performance/?hpt=hp_bn18
This is a really interesting idea to me. I have noted myself that the company you keep has a huge influence on the path you take (from as simple as which line you …
Airfares Down 50 Percent Since 1978, Study Shows
http://www.askthepilot.com/cheaper-and-safer/
I choked a bit when I first read the title, but gave it a chance (I am a regular reader of the irregular (as I am becoming) Ask The Pilot) and …
Does the Vaccine Matter?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/11/does-the-vaccine-matter/307723/
Personally I never felt the flu vaccine was worth a damn because every time I got one I felt like total crap for several days and didn’t see how there was any sort of payoff …
Dandelion tires? It’s not a Beatles lyric, it’s biotech
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/14/tech/dandelion-tires-latex-biotech/index.html?hpt=hp_c3
This is another one of those ideas that I wish I had thought of, though realistically, I have too ideas I am already thinking about to add any more. Rubber …
Connection between dirty diapers, childhood health
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/14/health/time-bacteria-children/index.html?hpt=hp_bn13
I wrote earlier about the potentially huge issues regarding the microbiome, this article shows its importance starts at the very earliest days. Normal birth (i.e., vaginal) gives a ‘gift’ of a bacterial culture …
Study: Diet Soda Increases the Risk of Diabetes. Why Do We Still Drink This Stuff?
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/study-diet-soda-increases-risk-diabetes-why-still-192600358.html
Earlier I mentioned some science that shows that diet sodas make you drunker than regular soda, this time it is research that indicates …
Prices For Hip Replacement In US Vary Hugely
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/256222.php
Which is worse? That the estimated cost (surely underestimated!) varied by over an order of magnitude or that half couldn’t even provide an estimate? If this weren’t such a tragic commentary …