Clipmarks | kmcolo's clips

How Undecided Are 'Undecided Voters?'

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:34:18 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo

Just how undecided are 'undecided voters?' New research published this week in the journal Science looks at 'automatic mental associations' and finds that they can be good predictors of the way an 'undecided' voter will likely finally vote. In the study, researchers looked at a group of 'undecided' people about to vote on whether a local military base should be allowed to expand. The prospective voters were shown a series of words, interspersed with images of the base, and asked to press a button whenever a positive or negative word was displayed. Measuring the times needed to respond to the words during the task gave an indication of whether the participant had a positive or negative mental association with the base -- and that association often aligned with the way the subject eventually ended up voting.

Tags: podcast, science fiction, vote, election, psychology

Palin "a fatal cancer to the GOP"

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:40:16 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: I agree with David Brooks yet again. I hope that one day the GOP will recover from this cancer so that I can once again call it my political home.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Sarah Palin] represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party. When I first started in journalism, I worked at the National Review for Bill Buckley. And Buckley famously said he'd rather be ruled by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the Harvard faculty. But he didn't think those were the only two options. He thought it was important to have people on the conservative side who celebrated ideas, who celebrated learning. And his whole life was based on that, and that was also true for a lot of the other conservatives in the Reagan era. Reagan had an immense faith in the power of ideas. But there has been a counter, more populist tradition, which is not only to scorn liberal ideas but to scorn ideas entirely. And I'm afraid that Sarah Palin has those prejudices. I think President Bush has those prejudices.

Tags: brooks, politics, palin, gop, republicans, election08

WAKE-UP: A quarter of mammals face extinction

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:38:20 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: The signs are emerging everywhere - we must act now to _save ourselves_.

Clip Source: www.nature.com

One in four of the world's mammal species is threatened with extinction, according to the first comprehensive survey of this class of animal. Populations are declining in half of all mammal species, with some experiencing an extreme decline; Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) numbers plummeted by 60% over the past decade, for example.

The survey placed 188 species in the most severe, 'critically endangered' category, including the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), which has a wild population estimated at 84–143 adults. Precise data were unavailable for some species, but the researchers estimate that the proportion of mammal species threatened with extinction is between 21% and 36%.

Mammal numbers will continue to drop as new threats, such as pollution, arise, says Schipper. "The results paint a very bleak picture of mammals worldwide. More species are declining than expected and threats are increasing," he says.

Tags: wake-up, extinction, environment, science

The Palins' un-American activities

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:34:41 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: The Palin - AIP - Iran connection. Do we KNOW this person, Sarah Palin?

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Oct. 7, 2008 | "My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."

This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week.

Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that's the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")

Vogler's greatest moment of glory was to be his 1993 appearance before the United Nations to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand Alaska's freedom. The Alaska secessionist had persuaded the government of Iran to sponsor his anti-American harangue.

That's right ... Iran.

Tags: palin, mccain, iran, election08

Conspiracy & Order: The psychological need for pattern

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:44:46 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks:

People see false patterns in all types of data, imagining trends in stock markets, seeing faces in static, and detecting conspiracies between acquaintances. This suggests that lacking control leads to a visceral need for order – even imaginary order,

Clip Source: www.sciencefriday.com

New research indicates that in situations in which a person is not in control, they're more likely to spot patterns where none exist, see illusions, and believe in conspiracy theories. In a series of experiments, researchers created situations in which people had less control over their situation, and then tested how likely the participants were to see imaginary images embedded in snowy pictures. The researchers also had participants write about either a situation in which they had control, or a situation in which they didn't, and then presented stories involving strange coincidences. People who had written about a situation in which they were not in control were more likely to draw non-existent connections between the coincidences, the researchers found.

Tags: podcast, science friday, psychology, conspiracy

What Put The Heat in Chili Peppers?

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:42:01 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo

Clip Source: www.sciencefriday.com

New research indicates that chili pepper plants may have developed their signature heat as a way to fight off fungal infections caused by insects. When insects bite into the flesh of a chili pepper, it provides an entry point for a microbial fungus known as Fusarium that can destroy the pepper plant's seeds. Capsaicinoid chemicals produced by the pepper plant inhibit the growth of the fungus -- and it's those chemical compounds that also give chili peppers their spicy kick. In this segment, Ira talks with one of the researchers on the study about the work and what it means for lovers of fiery foods. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Tags: podcast, science friday, food, science

Mass Extinction Event On the Horizon?

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:40:37 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: Mass Extinction Event On the Horizon? Nope, were in it now. Any scientist studying some aspect of the environment will tell you that humans are having a massive impact and that the Earth's ecosystem will not tolerate this forever.

Clip Source: www.sciencefriday.com

Scientists studying many different parts of the planet's ecosystems are warning that Earth may be on the verge of a sixth major mass extinction event. In a series of papers published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers examining biodiversity around the globe paint a gloomy picture for the planet's species. Warning signs include recent mass die-offs of amphibians and declining fisheries.

Over the course of the Earth's history, there have been at least five major extinction events -- the End Ordovician, Late Devonian, End Permian, End Triassic, and End Cretaceous. But are we facing a sixth major extinction period -- and is there anything that can be done about it? In this segment, Ira talks with biologist Paul Ehrlich about what is driving biodiversity loss and what can be done to reverse the trend. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Tags: podcast, science friday, environment, extinction

Ethanol Power to the People

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:36:17 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo

Clip Source: www.sciencefriday.com

In recent years, the use of ethanol as a biofuel to help deal with the ongoing energy crisis has received a good deal of attention from Washington. But can we produce both food and fuel -- and can ethanol truly replace oil and gas?

In this segment, Ira talks with ethanol biofuel advocate David Blume about common misconceptions about the use of ethanol for fuel, and about Blume's vision for decentralized, community supported ethanol production in the US. Could a neighborhood ethanol distillery be in your future? Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Tags: podcast, science friday, ethanol, alternative energy, energy

Economic Policy: Obama v. McCain

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:51:21 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: Most economists think Obama is the man to vote for.

Clip Source: www.economist.com

Tags: mccain, obama, election08

McFlipper deflects criticism over western water

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:47:02 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo

Clip Source: www.dailycamera.com

PUEBLO -- John McCain promised southern Colorado voters Friday he will never seek a renogotiation of the Colorado River compact, trying to bury a controversy he triggered by suggesting this summer that the Western water-sharing agreement could be changed. Full story »

Tags: mccain, lies, colorado

A Flawed Perspective: The Limitations Inherent in the Study of Chinese Nationalism

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:14:33 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo

Clip Source: www.eastwestcenter.org

Is nationalism in China on the rise? Is it making China more combative in the international arena? More fundamentally, is a focus on nationalism the most effective framework for understanding how those living within China are defining their position in world politics today? In this talk Dr. Allen Carlson seeks to answer each of these questions. He argues that the overriding focus on nationalism in China has limited and distorted understanding of the role of identity in contemporary Chinese politics, and contends that in its place more emphasis should be placed on the issue of national identity formation in China. Utilizing this perspective, incipient splits within Chinese national identity may portend a more tumultuous relationship between China and the rest of the world in the years to come.

Tags: china, international relations

Obama v. McCain Implicit: conscious-unconscious divergences

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:27:37 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: Interesting site - I'm happy with my result.

Clip Source: implicit.harvard.edu

Your data suggests a strong automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain

Your data suggests a moderately stronger automatic association between Christian and Barack Obama, compared to John McCain

Your data suggest no difference in your automatic associations between American on the one hand and Barack Obama and John McCain on the other

Tags: psychology, election, vote, obama, mccain

US superpower status is shaken

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:10:01 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: Sad what 8 years of Bush have done.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

The financial crisis is likely to diminish the status of the United States as the world's only superpower.

Tags: bush, bush administration

Mission Accomplished

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:38:34 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: Four More Years!

Clip Source: ken.macclune.googlepages.com

Tags: bush, bush administration

S.E.C. Concedes Oversight Flaws Fueled Collapse

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:47:45 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a longtime proponent of deregulation, acknowledged on Friday that failures in a voluntary supervision program for Wall Street’s largest investment banks had contributed to the global financial crisis, and he abruptly shut the program down.

“The last six months have made it abundantly clear that voluntary regulation does not work,” he said in a statement. The program “was fundamentally flawed from the beginning

Mr. Cox and other regulators, including Ben S. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, and Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, have acknowledged general regulatory failures over the last year. Mr. Cox’s statement on Friday, however, went beyond that by blaming a specific program for the financial crisis — and then ending it.

On one level, the commission’s decision to end the regulatory program was somewhat academic, because the five biggest independent Wall Street firms have all disappeared.

Tags: finance, panic08, bush administration