Clipmarks | einbar's clips

Researchers find that the 40 and older swimmer of today is faster than the 40-of yesterday

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:19:40 GMT

clipped by: einbar

DARA TORRES, the 41-year-old Olympic swimmer with the impossibly chiseled abs who collected three silver medals in Beijing, has proved at the elite level that getting older doesn’t mean getting slower in the water. But put her aside for now.

Even outside the elite ranks, the 40-something (and older) swimmer of today is faster than the 40-something of yesteryear.

Researchers at the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming at Indiana University found that the population of Masters swimmers (made up of 42,500 members ages 18 to 100-plus) has gotten faster over the last 20 years in age groups from 25 to 55, said Joel Stager, the center’s director.

Why is that? They are applying better skills.

“Technique trumps training

“Water is the great equalizer.”

As they age, people lose muscle mass and cardiovascular capacity, which declines by 1 to 1.5 percent annually. But for regular exercisers, the rate of decline is slower,

“People are paying attention to their own fitness and nutrition.”

THE WINNERS -"A lifetime of training for just ten seconds". Jesse Owens

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:31:35 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed".
Michael Jordan

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Winner’s Spotlight, Aug. 20

Yin Jian narrowly won China's first-ever sailing gold, in the RS:X competition.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Tom Ashley of New Zealand was the top finisher in the men's RS:X sailing event.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The Spanish women's field hockey team celebrating its overtime goal against the United States in the seventh-place game.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Russia's Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova congratulating each other after earning gold for their synchronized swimming duet free routine.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Melaine Walker of Jamaica won the 400-meter hurdles gold in an Olympic record time.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The United States men's volleyball team beat Serbia in five sets in the quarterfinals.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Usain Bolt, the 100-meter champion, took the gold medal in the 200, also in world record time.

what we know about psychological of "placebo" treatments ?

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:45:28 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.mindhacks.com

BBC Radio 4 has just broadcast the first part of a fantastic two part series on placebo, the most effective evidence-based treatment known to science.

It's written and presented by Bad Science's Ben Goldacre and is a wonderful trip through the history and science of what we know about this most psychological of treatments.

One of the most interesting recent placebo findings has been that children show a greater placebo response than adults as demonstrated in a systematic analysis of epilepsy treatment trials.

While both placebo and hypnotisability involve the general concept of 'suggestion' it's not been clear whether they reflect the same things at work.

recent work by psychologist Amir Raz has suggesting that both hypnosis and placebo may both work through the manipulation of attention, essentially influencing the focus of processing within the brain to alter how it regulates the body and mind.

Link

Link t

Exuberance of light - amazing

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:13:40 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "These are refraction patterns or 'caustics' formed by a light beam passing through a shaped and textured plastic form. The pattern is captured directly on to 35mm film by removing the camera lens and putting the transparent object in its place. The processed film is digitally scanned for uploading. Please note these are not computer generated images but a true analogue of the way light is refracted by the objects I create" Reciprocity's amazing photostream.

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

Exuberance

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

At the End of the Rainbow

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

Living Light

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

Alien Sunrise

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

Wings of Light

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

Darth Vader Peace Offering

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

Living Light

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

Do we create the world just by looking at it?

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:59:59 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: very intersting article...

Clip Source: www.bryanchristiedesign.com

Clip Source: www.seedmagazine.com

A team of physicists in Vienna has devised experiments that may answer one of the enduring riddles of science: Do we create the world just by looking at it?

Do we create what we observe through the act of our observations?

Late last year Brukner and Kofler showed that it does not matter how many particles are around, or how large an object is, quantum mechanics always holds true. The reason we see our world as we do is because of what we use to observe it. The human body is a just barely adequate measuring device. Quantum mechanics does not always wash itself out, but to observe its effects for larger and larger objects we would need more and more accurate measurement devices. We just do not have the sensitivity to observe the quantum effects around us. In essence we do create the classical world we perceive, and as Brukner said, "There could be other classical worlds completely
different from ours."

Research: music is an important influence on our memories

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:38:33 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.spurdesign.com

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

Matching our intuitions about music, researchers have found that music is an important influence on our memories. We associate songs with emotions, people, and places we've experienced in the past. This isn't to say that music is the only influence on memory: the photos I took, the sights I saw, and the words I wrote about my hike will also help to preserve it in my mind for many years to come.

The researchers collected over 1,500 "preview" clips from the iTunes Music Store's

Each song was rated for familiarity and like/dislike, and then the students were asked if the song evoked any memories for them

the researchers point out, it would be very interesting to compare the types of memories evoked by music to memories from other sources, like pictures or words. A large number of the memories in this study were about dances or cars -- places where people are likely to be listening to music. Maybe memories associated with pictures are completely different!

Stand on the shoulders of giants - Plato Quotes

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:11:16 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hand"

Clip Source: content2.clipmarks.com

Clip Source: www.brainyquote.com

Man - a being in search of meaning.

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.

Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.

Philosophy begins in wonder.

Philosophy is the highest music.

Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.

Science is nothing but perception.

The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.

There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.

Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.

Those who intend on becoming great should love neither themselves nor their own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by themselves or others.

Humans have an in-built ability to do mathematics

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:54:25 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "We're born with the ability to see the world numerically just as we're born to see the world in colour."

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Humans have an in-built ability to do mathematics even if they do not have the language to express it, a research team has suggested.

A study in Australian Aboriginal children, whose languages lack number words, found they did just as well as English-speaking children in numeracy.

The findings contradicts other research which found having "counting words" was the key to developing number skills.

They compared those who lived in remote areas and only spoke Warlpiri or Anindilyakawa - two Aboriginal languages with very few number words - with those who lived in Melbourne and spoke English.

The children were asked to "copy" the number of objects the researchers placed on a mat.

"We're born with the ability to see the world numerically just as we're born to see the world in colour."

"This may help explain why children in numerate cultures with developmental dyscalculia find it so difficult to learn arithmetic.

10 recent Futuristic developments in the field of user experience design.

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:29:48 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "Most techniques may seem very futuristic, but some of them are already reality. And in fact, they are extremely impressive. Keep in mind: they can become ubiquitous in the next years.. "

Clip Source: www.smashingmagazine.com

Below we present 10 recent developments in the field of user experience design.

Aurora User Interface

[Video]

The main idea of the concept is to represent users, places and virtual objects within a three-dimensional user interface

Video Part 2, Video Part 3 [ via ].

Futuristic Glass

This futuristic concept

aims to integrate the capabilities of online-services in our daily life.

jDome: New Level Of Gaming Experience

s jDome

[Video]

.” [via]

Fez: 2D/3D Gaming Experience

Over years we’ve managed to get used to traditional 2D gaming experience. Fez provides gamers with a new perspective for a new level of gaming experience. Things start to get interesting on 00:30. [via]

Motorolla Sparrow

Motorola Sparrow

via]

Tilty Snake

interface for the old mobile phone game Snake.

[Video]

Brainloop: Thought Control

BrainLoop i

enables users to manipulate objects on the screen with pure brain

[Video]

Eyeliner 3D

Eyeliner 3D i

[Video]

faceAPI

enable automated 3-dimensional tracking

[Video]

Ringo

[Video]

Composition of the table

[via]

uvLayer

Last Click

[Video]

Invictus's Clipmarks Shirt in Second Life...

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:50:33 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.flickr.com

A study: birds recognized themselves in the mirror

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:25:49 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: Magpies are the first non-mammal to demonstrate a rudimentary affinity for self-recognition

Clip Source: www.sciencenews.org

BIRD IN THE MIRROR

A study of magpies showed that the birds recognized themselves in the mirror. This illustration shows signs of self-recognition: a magpie attempting to reach a paint mark on its chest, first with its beak and then with its foot. Full story.

Magpies sing a self-reflective tune to themselves that until now has gone unheard. When placed in front of a mirror, these songbirds realize that they’re looking at themselves, raising the possibility that they have independently evolved the brain power to support a basic form of self-recognition, a new study suggests.

Magpies are the first non-mammal to demonstrate a rudimentary affinity for self-recognition

Magpies and other social birds that possess large brains with expanded cortical-like areas should display at least some level of self-recognition, remarks Irene Pepperberg of Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.

35 Incredible Free Icon Sets

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:21:56 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.smashingmagazine.com

35 (Really) Incredible Free Icon Sets

elow we present 35 incredible free icon sets which you can use for your web designs or your desktop

Free Icons For Your Web Designs

Bagg & Box Telecharger Icon Pack
70 high-quality free icons released under a Creative Commons license. You can use them as illustrations for your posts or as buttons on your weblog.

Mammoth Icons

Mammoth Icons
4 freeware icons inspired by prehistoric Mammoths. They might fit perfectly to spice up your blog with some pretty funny character.

Dino Icons
6 freeware icons of cute dinosaurs and cavemen.

Cemagraphics Icons

Wifun Icons
Website navigation icons.

City Icons

Irish Icon Pack

Simpsons Mail Icons

Free Web Applications Icon Set

Knob Buttons Toolbar Icons

Monofactor Free Vector Icon Set

Apple Mail Icons

Free Icons For Your Desktop

TED -"The brain in love- the science of love without losing a sense of romance"

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:56:52 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: HelenFisher explores the science of love without losing a sense of romance: most unique among scientists.... Fisher describes love as a universal human drive , and her many areas of inquiry shed light on timeless human mysteries, like why we choose one partner over another.

Clip Source: www.ted.com

Helen Fisher: The brain in love

Why do we crave love so much, even to the point that we would die for it? To learn more about our very real, very physical need for romantic love, Helen Fisher and her research team took MRIs of people in love -- and people who had just been dumped.

Clip Source: www.ted.com

Helen Fisher studies the brain in love

Helen Fisher tells us why we love, cheat

Helen Fisher's courageous investigations of romantic love -- its evolution, its biochemical foundations and its vital importance to human society -- are informing and transforming the way we understand ourselves. Fisher describes love as a universal human drive (stronger than the sex drive; stronger than thirst or hunger; stronger perhaps than the will to live), and her many areas of inquiry shed light on timeless human mysteries, like why we choose one partner over another.

lmost unique among scientists, Fisher explores the science of love without losing a sense of romance:

books such as Anatomy of Love and 2004's Why We Love

Modern Sports and Games of Ancient Greece

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:41:51 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.mlahanas.de

Modern Sports and Games of Ancient Greece

Greece, ancient but so modern...

Stamp with the "Ball Player Relief" from the National Museum of Archeology in Athens, 500 BC, See original in the next figure

History of Soccer and Ball Games of Ancient Greeks

The ancient Greek "Maradona", playing "Episkyros" with a pala (National Museum of Archeology in Athens)

Also See ancient Chinese playing Soccer (later than the image above ???)

Young Greeks playing Field Hockey (έφηβοι κερητίζοντες) 510-500 B.C, National Museum in Athens, probably adopted from Egypt. The game is called “keretizein”. Kouros base found in the Themistoclean Wall, Athens, Greece

A diver from a tall pedestal (From the Diver Tomb in Poseidonia – Paestum)

A large crowd stood around, enjoying the dancing magic,
as in the middle two acrobats led on the dance,
springing, and whirling, and tumbling.

Clip Source: pagead2.googlesyndication.com

Clip Source: www.mlahanas.de

Egypt around 1000 BC

Greek playing with a Yo-Yo

Young women playing ephedrismos

Ancient Greek Basketball ???

Animal fights

Keraelkeis athlete

To understand consciousness we need to ask the right questions.

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:22:45 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.seedmagazine.com

To understand consciousness and its evolution, we need to ask the right questions.

No one doubts that our experience of phenomenal consciousness—the felt redness of fire, the felt sweetness of a peach, the felt pain of a bee sting—arises from the activity of our brains.

Yet the problem of explaining how this can be so seems to many theorists to be staggeringly hard. How can the wine of consciousness, the weird, ineffable, immaterial qualia that give such richness to subjective experience, conceivably arise from the water of the brain?

As the philosopher Colin McGinn has put it, it's like trying to explain how you can get "numbers from biscuits, or ethics from rhubarb." The philosopher Jerry Fodor recently claimed, "The revisions of our concepts and theories that imagining a solution will eventually require are likely to be very deep and very unsettling."

are the scientific answers really so far out of reach?