A daily miasma of frivolity by two wanna-be cultural critics. Or: just, like, some good links, dude.

Dec 30 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Approval for gene-modified salmon spawns controversy

Approval for gene-modified salmon spawns controversy

Sara Reardon, New Scientist:

Fast-growing salmon have cleared another hurdle in an upstream battle to be the first genetically modified animal approved for human consumption. After a long and possibly politically motivated delay, federal regulators have released preliminary documents declaring the fish safe to eat and environmentally harmless.

Their safety precautions seem extensive but it’s also the case that living things have an intense, deep-seated need to reproduce. We’ll see what happens.

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Dec 29 2012
Mark Twain, probably

In India, a Fatal Gang Rape Sparks Violent Protests, Demands for More Protection

In India, a Fatal Gang Rape Sparks Violent Protests, Demands for More Protection

Some shit is going down in India about rape and the treatment of women. PBS Newshour covered it yesterday:

The fury across India has been building for nearly two weeks, since the 23-year-old medical student was gang-raped and then thrown from [a] bus in New Delhi.

Sexual assaults are rife in India, especially in New Delhi, where, on average, there’s a rape reported every 18 hours. But, this time, the extreme brutality of the crime ignited outrage that turned violent with street battles between protesters and police. The protests have continued this week, amid growing accusations police and other officials are dismissive of sex crimes.

…

Meanwhile, another tragedy, mourners gathered yesterday in Punjab state for the funeral of a 17-year-old girl who reported being gang-raped in November. She killed herself Wednesday after saying she’d been humiliated by police.

NPR South Asia correspondant Julie McCarthy also talks about how poorly the Indian government has been handling this.

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Dec 28 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Mysterious Itch Cells Found

Mysterious Itch Cells Found

Tia Ghose, LiveScience:

Certain nerve cells are specialized to detect itchy sensations, and those receptors don’t detect painful sensations, according to a new study.

The finding, published Dec. 23 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, helps resolve a long-standing debate over whether itchiness is just a weird form of pain. Additionally, now that they have pinpointed the responsible nerve fibers, researchers could silence those nerves to develop better anti-itch treatments, said Ethan Lerner, a neuroscientist at Harvard University who was not involved in the study.

Bodies are weird.

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Dec 27 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Got an old printer lying around? Don’t know what to do with it? Well Andreas Fiessler had the best idea yet: use the print head mechanism and a microcontroller to turn it into a machine with eight switches that turns them off when you turn them on. Truly magnificent.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
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Dec 26 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Hawaiian Islands are dissolving, study says

Hawaiian Islands are dissolving, study says

Brigham Young University press release:

Someday, Oahu’s Koolau and Waianae mountains will be reduced to nothing more than a flat, low-lying island like Midway.

But erosion isn’t the biggest culprit. Instead, scientists say, the mountains of Oahu are actually dissolving from within.

…

According to the researchers’ estimates, the net effect is that Oahu will continue to grow for as long as 1.5 million years. Beyond that, the force of groundwater will eventually triumph and the island will begin its descent to a low-lying topography.

You all better get your sightseeing done now before it’s too late!

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Dec 26 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Styles and Themes of Hayao Miyazaki

Styles and Themes of Hayao Miyazaki

Wikipedia:

Hayao Miyazaki is a prominent Japanese filmmaker and producer whose animated works are characterised by several recurring themes and motifs.

Many of these recurrent features are notable for being so uncommon in the medium, for example the lack of evil or villain characters, the advocacy of a pacifist ethic and prominence of feminism. Other features are more notable for being personal idiosyncrasies, such as the obsession with flight and the symbolism of water. The formal emphasis placed on these various elements constitutes a running discourse that transcends the individual works and creates a larger, ongoing meta-narrative.

Really good article. Also Miyazaki is literally the best. Just the best.

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Dec 25 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Merry Christmas! I’ve sure you have much better things to do today than spend a few seconds on Tumblr, so thanks for spending a little bit of your time with us today! Or tomorrow, whenever it is you’re reading this.

Today I’d like to post my favorite Christmas video of all time, “Joe Pesci with His Head on Fire.”

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
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Dec 25 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Mele Kalikimaka, from us to you. Here’s Amy Hanaiali’i and Jake Shimabukuro with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, live at the Blaisdell.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
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Dec 24 2012
Mark Twain, probably

International Cycling Union introduces equal prize money for women and men

International Cycling Union introduces equal prize money for women and men

Short news story by Gregory Blachier for Reuters (couldn’t really find anything more substantial to link):

Female riders will earn as much as their male counterparts at cycling World Championships from next year, the governing body of the sport said on Friday.

Apparently this didn’t happen before, so hooray for progress!

I also enjoyed the final sentence:

Money has been an issue in some sports including tennis, with some men complaining about women having equal prize money at grand slam events despite playing shorter matches.

‘Ili:
OH YOU THINK A PAY DISCREPANCY IS UNFAIR HUH
‘Ili:
PLEASE TELL ME MORE
Colin:
Sarcastichz
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Dec 24 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Thorium

Thorium

Peter Reinhardt:

About a century ago, an adventurous Scandinavian discovered the first black thorium rock on a remote island in the Norwegian Sea. Now thorium is slowly heating up debates about the future of nuclear power, energy independence, and global warming.

I wanted to get to the bottom of this surge in nuclear enthusiasm, and I was inspired by Peter Thiel’s lecture on energy markets. This post encapsulates the surprising things I learned about thorium and nuclear reactors.

Great piece.

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