Clipmarks | haraya's 'research' clips

Culture Machine: Generating Research in Culture & Theory

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:20:18 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks:

The aim of Culture Machine is to seek out and promote the most provocative of new work, and analyses of that work, in culture and theory from a diverse range of international authors. Culture Machine is particularly concerned to promote research which is engaged in the constitution of new areas of inquiry and the opening of new frontiers of cultural and theoretical activity. It is also committed to the generation of possibilities for new scholarship and research.

Clip Source: culturemachine.tees.ac.uk

Culture Machine is a series of experiments in culture and theory.

Clip Source: culturemachine.tees.ac.uk

The Journal

CULTURE MACHINE 9 (2007)
Recordings

Edited by
Paul Hegarty and Gary Genosko

Editorial Recordings

Eugene Thacker Pulse Demons

Greg Hainge Vinyl is Dead, Long Live Vinyl: The Work of Recording and Mourning in the Age of Digital Reproduction

Paul Hegarty The Hallucinatory Life of Tape

Jérôme Hansen Mapping the Studio (Fat Chance Matmos): Sonic Culture, Visual Arts and the Artist's Studio

Gary Genosko 8 Track Rhapsody

Ross Harley and Andrew Murphie Rhythms and Refrains: A Brief History of Australian Electronica

Dan Hays Painting in the Light of Digital Reproduction

Clip Source: culturemachine.tees.ac.uk

Issue 1 (1999) Taking Risks With The Future

Issue 2 (2000) The University Culture Machine

Issue 3 (2001) Virologies: Culture and Contamination

Issue 4 (2002) The Ethico-Political Issue

Issue 5 (2003) The e-Issue

Issue 6 (2004) Deconstruction is/in Cultural Studies

Issue 7 (2005) Biopolitics

Issue 8 (2006) Community

Tags: resources, culture, studies, theory, papers, discussion, ideas

Scientists say menstrual blood can repair hearts

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:26:02 GMT

clipped by: haraya

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

TOKYO (AFP) - The monthly discomfort many women see as a curse could pay off someday as Japanese researchers say menstrual blood can be used to repair heart damage.

Scientists obtained menstrual blood from nine women and cultivated it for about a month, focusing on a kind of cell that can act like stem cells.

Some 20 percent of the cells began beating spontaneously about three days after being put together in vitro with cells from the hearts of rats. The cells from menstrual blood eventually formed sheet-like heart-muscle tissue.

The success rate is 100 times higher than the 0.2-0.3 percent for stem cells taken from human bone marrow, according to Shunichiro Miyoshi, a cardiologist at Keio University's school of medicine, who is involved in the research.

Separate in-vivo experiments showed that the condition of rats who had suffered heart attacks improved after they received the cells derived from menstrual blood.

Miyoshi said women may eventually be able to use their own menstrual blood

Tags: blood, women, science, research, health, heart, cells, medicine, biology, body

The Limits of Memory: We Can Only Remember Four Things at a Time

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:20:28 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

New research in to our minds capabilities to retain knowledge has shed light on a question that has been discussed for many years; how much, can our mind remember, at a time?

The study focused on ‘working memory’, that part of our mind which refers to the temporary storage of information that still allows us to pay attention and manipulate it. Some believe that working memory is separate to any of our other memory storages, many believe that working memory is simply that part of our long-term memory that we can currently access.

Research originally suggested that our working memory cut off point was around the seven items mark. However scientists are revising that idea, when adding the limitation of no memory tricks, such as repeating items over and over or grouping them together.

"The information you can hold in your mind at one time is the information you can interrelate. If you have a better working memory we believe that your problem-solving abilities are better."

Tags: intelligence, memory, 4?, 7?, mind

Face Value

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:06:51 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks: More studies at the source.

Clip Source: www.economist.com

The ugly are one of the few groups against whom it is still legal to discriminate. Unfortunately for them, there are good reasons why beauty and success go hand in hand

There is a feedback loop between biology and the social environment that gives to those who have, and takes from those who have not.

That happens because beauty is a real marker for other, underlying characteristics such as health, good genes and intelligence. It is what biologists call an unfakeable signal

That brings the beautiful opportunities denied to the ugly, which allows them to learn things and make connections that increase their value still further. If they are judged on that experience as well as their biological fitness, it makes them even more attractive. Even a small initial difference can thus be amplified into something that just ain't—viewed from the bottom—fair.

But can you really fake the unfakeable signal?

research suggests that you can but, sadly, that it is not cost-effective

Tags: perception, research, career, beauty, performance, genetics, assessment, study, society, discrimination

Eight of the funniest research projects ever

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:16:59 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.cosmosmagazine.com

SYDNEY: Strange things are done in the name of research and the more memorable are commemorated by the Ig Nobel prizes, brainchild of the Annals of Improbable Research magazine, which aims to honour achievements that make people laugh and then think.

RODENT JETSETTERS

How does a hamster feel when you simulate jetlag?

SURPRISING FLAVOUR

Vanilla can come from the most unlikely of sources.

for developing a way to extract vanillin from cow faeces. Why cow dung? It's cheaper

FLAT BEER

How many mathematicians do you need to watch beer go flat? Just the one

the observation will lead to a proof that beer froth obeys the law of exponential decay

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

I REALLY, REALLY LOVE YOU

It might be roses and moonlight to you, but to your friends, obsession with your new love may seem more like a disease

MURPHY'S TOAST

Does toast more often land buttered-side down?

SMELLY FEET

It might be sweat and bacteria, but the main factor in how bad your feet smell is how you feel about them

HAPPY CLAMS

Tags: strange, research, projects

"Dumber in English"

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:58:23 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks:

Biophysicist and author Stefan Klein wants to ensure the future of German as a language of science. Our academic language is on the verge of atrophy, he says.
...
Anyone who only encounters scientific research in a foreign language pays a heavy price, even if he is a master of the idiom. "We are dumber in English" – this was the conclusion that researchers came to in Sweden and the Netherlands, where children were introduced to English on their first day of school. Lectures in English are part of every subject, but nevertheless, the test results are about ten percent lower on average than in courses taught in the mother tongue. In English seminars, students ask and answer fewer questions; they give the overall impression of being somewhat more helpless. Neither students nor teachers are generally aware of the problem, because they all overestimate their expertise in English.

The entire article is interesting.

Clip Source: www.signandsight.com

Five hundred hears ago, Luca Pacioli, a pioneer of modern mathematics and accounting, bade farewell to Latin as the language of contemporary science. Galileo Galilei followed suit, 100 years later.

a significant part of their contribution was in creating new terminologies for their new ideas, in the vernacular. Knowledge was to be accessible for all.

Today, scientists are headed towards a reversal of Pacioli's revolution. But how do they expect to win the sympathy of a public with which they no longer even have language in common? And will we soon reach a point where we no longer can discuss the results of new research in German because we can't find the vocabulary? Society is threatening to split: On one side will be those who employ an elite language, and on the other, all those who miss out on the latest developments. So the issue of whether German remains a language for science is not merely a question of national pride. It has to do with something far more momentous: democracy.

Tags: language, understanding, vernacular, science, communication, education, german, english

Rigveda selected for UNESCO's Memory of the World

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:41:33 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.pib.nic.in

The Rig Veda manuscripts from Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, have been selected for inscription in UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” Register 2007. The programme for the Memory of the World was started in UNESCO fifteen years back to honour significant landmarks in the documentary heritage and record them in its “Memory of the World Register” as world’s inheritance. The Memory of the World programme seeks to guard against collective amnesia, calling upon the preservation of the valuable archival holdings and library collections all over the world, ensuring their wide dissemination. The National Mission for Manuscripts of the Ministry of Culture submitted the nomination on behalf of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. The documentary heritage reflects the diversity of languages, peoples and cultures. So far, India has had three other nominations inscribed on the Register

Tags: india, hinduism, culture, scripture, religious

Researcher Links Storytelling, Math Ability

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 08:40:44 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks:

This study suggests that building strong storytelling skills early in the preschool years may be helpful in preparing children for learning mathematics when they enter school.

''It is also a nice finding, I think, because storytelling is something every parent can easily do and foster with their children, without the need to buy any fancy toys or materials,'' said O'Neill.

Given these findings, O'Neill is continuing in further studies, also funded by Science and Engineering Research Canada, to explore more precisely what aspects of storytelling are linked to aspects of mathematical ability.

Clip Source: www.scienceblog.com

Math and storytelling may seem like very different abilities, but a new study suggests that preschool children's early storytelling abilities are predictive of their mathematical ability two years later. In the study, three-and four-year-old children were shown a book that contained only pictures and were asked to tell the story to a puppet.

O'Neill looked at several aspects of children's storytelling ability. Some aspects captured grammatical complexity, such as children's use of relative clauses or the length of their sentences. Other aspects involved more perspective-taking on the part of the child.

Two years later, the children were brought back to the laboratory and were given a number of tests of academic achievement that included a test of mathematical achievement. What O'Neill found was that those children who scored highly on the mathematics test had also scored highly on certain measures of their storytelling ability two years earlier.

Tags: science, research, study, children, learning, math, storytelling, communication, brain

Born in May? You're one of the luckier people

Thu, 24 May 2007 00:22:34 GMT

clipped by: sohil

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Birthday in May? Then you're right to think you were born lucky

There are people who believe they were born lucky. And some who believe they were not. And the difference between them, according to new research, is about six months.

If your birthday is in May you are probably one of the lucky people, whereas November babies tend to get a raw deal, psychologists say.

They found that people born during the summer months had a more positive outlook on life and a significantly higher belief in being lucky than those born during the winter months. In Britain May is the optimum month to be born, while November produces the most pessimists.

The scientists think the difference in outlook stems from the effect that daylight hours may have on dopamine, a brain signalling chemical, and early brain development of the foetus. "The differences are not significant enough to predict individual differences, but they do point towards factors that influence a person's development," said Dr Chotai.

Tags: may, birthday, interesting, science, research, survey, brain, psychology, luck, belief

Are we missing something?

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 22:58:39 GMT

clipped by: ghiberti

Clip Source: www.sptimes.com

The endangered joy of serendipity

The modern world makes it harder to discover what you didn't know you were looking for

There's an art to finding something when you're not looking for it.

Tags: chance, research, serendipity, education, search

Two Questions On Anti-Gravity Lovemaking

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:41:02 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks: 1) Do astronauts have sex in space?
2) Would space sex be any good?

Two questions posed on Slate.

Clip Source: www.slate.com

In space, no one can hear you moan.

If astronauts have had space sex, it would have been very difficult. First off, there isn't much privacy up there. A regular shuttle is about as big as a 737, and the two main areas—the crew cabin and middeck—are each the size of a small office. The bathroom is little more than a seat with a curtain, and there aren't any closed rooms where two people could retreat. The space station, on the other hand, has a little more room to operate. The three-person crew generally splits up for sleeping time: Two of them bed down in a pair of tiny crew cabins at one end of the station, and the third might jump in a sleeping bag at the other end, almost 200 feet away. (The panel-and-strap design of a space bed might not be that conducive to lovemaking.) Astronauts also have a demanding work schedule, leaving them with little time or energy for messing around. Space-station crews do get time off on weekends, though, when they can watch movies, read books, play games, "and generally have a good time."

Which raises the question: Would space sex be any good? Recent research suggests it would not. For one thing, zero gravity can induce nausea—a less-than-promising sign for would-be lovers. Astronauts also perspire a lot in flight, meaning sex without gravity would likely be hot, wet, and surrounded by small droplets of sweat. In addition, people normally experience lower blood pressure in space, which means reduced blood flow, which means … well, you know what that means.

Tags: science, sex, questions, people, astronauts, space, research, life, gravity, body, environment

City Life? It's Like Jet Lag

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 00:56:56 GMT

clipped by: haraya

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

City dwellers suffer a form of chronic jet lag that may make them more vulnerable to health problems, according to research.

The body is ruled by a "clock" that evolved to keep our metabolism in tune with the rising and setting of the sun. But because that clock is inaccurate it needs to be reset regularly to stop it drifting out of synchronisation with the day/night cycle, as occurs with shift work and aeroplane travel across time zones.

Sunlight is a key resetting stimulus to keep the body clock on track and today a major study concludes that it has less effect on city dwellers than those living in the country.

As a result, urbanites may suffer a kind of jet lag linked with decreased mental dexterity, worse memory, diminished immunity and health, as well as being placed at greater risk of accidents.

The findings appear in the journal Current Biology.

The research team concludes that changes in daylight saving time could be more disruptive than thought and that the human clock appears not to be adjustable to so-called social cues such as wristwatches. Instead, the clock is highly responsive – like that of all other animals – to natural daylight.

Tags: life, health, research, body, city, living, environment, sun, science, urban, accident, biology, travel, memory

How to Become More Attractive

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:28:37 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks:

The secret of attractiveness is making other people smile...

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The secret of attractiveness is making other people smile, according to a study by British psychologists. Experiments at Aberdeen University found we are more likely to think a person is good-looking if we catch members of the opposite sex smiling at them.

Tests show that our taste is always swayed by the attention people receive from others. In the tests, women ranked men as substantially more appealing if they had been shown images of other women smiling at them. The psychologists believe men respond in the same way, suggesting both sexes subconsciously take account of their sexual competitors' views when judging the appeal of a potential partner.

"So when you're out in a bar, there's an advantage to being nice to everyone, because if they're smiling at you, it's going to make you more attractive," said Ben Jones, author of the paper in the Royal Society's biological research journal today.

Tags: science, psychology, life, attractiveness, impression, people, research, experiment, smile

Social Status Helps You Live Longer

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:27:50 GMT

clipped by: haraya

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists who have won a Nobel prize live nearly two years longer than those who were merely nominated, according to a new study. The findings suggest that social status confers "health-giving magic", the researchers say.

Previous research has found a link between status and health in monkeys, but it has been difficult to investigate the link in humans because status often brings more wealth, which improves living standards and medical care.

Andrew Oswald and Matthew Rablen, economists at Warwick University in the UK, focused on Nobel prize winners "as an ideal group to study as the winners could be seen as having their status suddenly dropped on them".

The researchers studied 524 men – 135 winners and 389 nominees – in the competition for the physics and chemistry prizes between 1901 and 1950 – the cut-off point because the full list of nominees are kept secret for 50 years. They looked only at men to avoid differences in life span between sexes, and because the male winners provided a bigger sample size.

Like for like

Prize winners lived 1.4 years longer on average – or 77.2 years – than those who were nominated for the award. But when the survey was restricted to only comparing winners and nominees from the same country, the longevity gap widened, by about another eight months on average, the researchers found.

"Walking across that platform in Stockholm apparently adds about two years to a scientist's life-span. How status does this, we just don't know," Oswald says.

Though the prize money increased with time, the actual amount had no effect on the longevity of the recipient, he says. "Actually winning the Nobel prize was what counted," Oswald says.

Tags: life, health, science, society, scientists, research, nobel, prize, contest, medicine, wealth, lifestyle, environment, winners, competition, longevity

Study Of Countries

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:19:08 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad
clipper's remarks: I do not claim that sites such as this are the be all and end all of research regarding any given country. But still they are fairly comprehensive.

If any given country or nation intrigues you then I recommend further research. If this site creates a even greater thirst for knowledge then I will have done something useful.

Clip Source: countrystudies.us

Country Studies

This website contains the on-line versions of books previously published in hard copy by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress as part of the Country Studies/Area Handbook Series sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army between 1986 and 1998. Each study offers a comprehensive description and analysis of the country or region's historical setting, geography, society, economy, political system, and foreign policy.

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Bhutan
Bolivia
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Caribbean Islands
Cayman Islands
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Ethiopia
Finland
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakstan

Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Libya
Lithuania
Madagascar
Maldives
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Nepal
Nicaragua
Nigeria
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Persian Gulf States
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Seychelles
Singapore
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
Sudan
Syria
Tajikistan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam

Tags: countries, nations, peoples, cultures, geography