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Humans Can Only Think About Four Things At Once

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:54:49 GMT

clipped by: splendidus
clipper's remarks: My built-in limit is certainly one, and two at the utmost.

Researchers at the University of Oregon have concluded that the human brain has a built-in limit on the number of discrete thoughts it can entertain at one time. The limit for most individuals is four, according to the research team led by University of Oregon psychology professors Edward Awh and Edward Vogel.

The multitasking cap is not affected by the complexity of one's thoughts. Surprisingly, as many complex concepts can be retained in short-term memory as simple thoughts, the researchers found.

That makes the human brain dissimilar to an electronic gadget

link between short-term memory capacity and intelligence. "People with high IQs can think about more things at once," according to the study.

The results were recently published in the journal Psychological Science.

Tags: brain, multitasking

The Internet's "Black Holes"

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:43:09 GMT

clipped by: syncopath

Clip Source: picasaweb.google.es

Lack of Respect

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:38:01 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: friendlyatheist.com

Tags: atheism, religion, respect

Arctic Ice Fields 'Receding Like Mad'

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:01:16 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: "Even with no additional warming, our study indicates these ice caps will be gone in 50 years or less,"

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

Ice caps on the northern plateau of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic have shrunk by 50 percent in recent decades as a result of warming temperatures. Credit: Gifford Miller, University of Colorado at Boulder

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Ice caps on the northern plateau of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic have shrunk by 50 percent in recent decades as a result of warming temperatures. Credit: Gifford Miller, University of Colorado at Boulder

Ice fields on an Arctic island have shrunk 50 percent in the past 50 years and will be gone in 50 more, scientists said this week.

Located just west of Greenland, Baffin Island is the fifth largest island in the world, with an area of 196,000 square miles (about 508,000 square kilometers). That's larger than California.

A study published in the Jan. 28 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters reveals the expanses of ice blanketing Baffin's northern plateau in the Canadian Arctic are smaller than at any time in at least the last 1,600 years.

Tags: arctic ice, climate change

The Water Cube Unveiled (China)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:55:37 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Looks awesome.

Clip Source: news.xinhuanet.com

Photo taken on Jan. 28, 2008 shows the exterior view of the National Aquatics Center also known as "Water Cube" in Beijing. The National Aquatic Center was delivered for use on Monday after four years of construction. (Xinhua Photo/Luo Xiaoguang)

Clip Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn

Clip Source: www.plasticsnews.com

Clip Source: www.tropolism.com

Wacky in a way only state-sponsored architecture can be is the National Swimming Center in Beijing, going up right next to another of H&DM's stadiums (no, not this one). The center is enclosed by what appears to be a wall whose structure is an irregular spaceframe (made to resemble the cellular pattern of soap bubbles) and is clad in what appears to be a frosted or patterened glass. All of this from a wonderful photo gallery at Structurae. The building was conceived by Australian-based PTW Architects. Structural design by Arup, of course.

Clip Source: www.sportsvenue-technology.com

Clip Source: images.google.com

Tags: china, water cube, olympics, national aquatics center

The prospect of all-female conception

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:40:21 GMT

clipped by: Brimstone

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

Women might soon be able to produce sperm in a development

Scientists are seeking ethical permission to produce synthetic sperm cells from a woman's bone marrow tissue

The researchers said they had already produced early sperm cells from bone-marrow tissue taken from men.

findings show that it may be possible to restore fertility to men who cannot naturally produce their own sperm.

But the results also raise the prospect of being able to take bone-marrow tissue from women and coaxing the stem cells within the female tissue to develop into sperm cells,

Creating sperm from women would mean they would only be able to produce daughters

"Theoretically is it possible," Professor Nayernia said. "The problem is whether the sperm cells are functional or not.

Memorable photos of 2007

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:13:18 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: freakymartin.com

The Female of the Species

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:17:53 GMT

clipped by: Aribeth

Clip Source: www.heretical.com

When the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride,
He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside.
But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.

For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

When Nag the basking cobra hears the careless foot of man,
He will sometimes wriggle sideways and avoid it if he can.
But his mate makes no such motion where she camps beside the trail.

For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

When the early Jesuit fathers preached to Hurons and Choctaws,
They prayed to be delivered from the vengeance of the squaws.
'Twas the women, not the warriors, turned those stark enthusiasts pale.

For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Man's timid heart is bursting with the things he must not say,
For the Woman that God gave him isn't his to give away;
But when hunter meets with husbands, each confirms the other's tale –

The female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Tags: rudyard kipling, 1911

Wheeeeee! Pensioners' Playground

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:26:42 GMT

clipped by: abailart

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

A playground designed specifically for pensioners has opened in a park in north Manchester.

The Older People's Play Area on the Dam Head Estate in Blackley, is kitted out with equipment to strengthen hips, tone legs and train the upper body.

It was set up by the local residents' association, who were inspired by a similar playground in Germany.

The park, which cost £15,000 to build, was tested by locals aged over 70 before it opened to the public.

"I'd recommend anyone to come and have a go, after all you're never too old to play," she said.

"The equipment is great. It's laugh-a-minute. If it makes people laugh and there is exercise involved, then how can it be a bad thing?

Tags: pensioners, fitness

Spider found on Mercury

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:38:14 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: space.newscientist.com

A bizarre spider shape has been discovered on the surface of Mercury during the first flyby of the planet by NASA's Messenger spacecraft. The discovery of the spider – which is unlike anything seen elsewhere in the solar system – was announced on Wednesday

a strange spider-shaped feature near the centre of a huge impact scar called Caloris basin. The spider shape is formed by a set of troughs that crisscross to form polygonal shapes at the spider's centre and also radiate outwards

We have seen a number of impact basins in the solar system – we have never, ever seen anything like this in the centre of any of them, and it's fair to say that we haven't seen any features like this elsewhere on Mercury or on the Moon,"

appear to be stretch marks called extensional faults

formed as a result of part of the surface expanding

may have occurred when volcanic activity injected material below the surface

or when the surface rebounded after being pushed down by impacts

All God's chillen got brown eyes. Once.

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:11:53 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: My eyes are grey-green. Where am I from?

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Frank Sinatra, Stephen Hawking, Marie Curie and Stephen Fry all owe their blue eyes to a genetic mutation that likely occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago

Scientists believe they have tracked down the cause of the eye colour of all blue-eyed humans on the planet

“Originally, we all had brown eyes”, said Prof Hans Eiberg from the University of Copenhagen

Blue eye colour most likely originated from the near east area or northwest part of the Black Sea region, where the great agriculture migration to the northern part of Europe took place in the Neolithic periods about six–10,000 years ago

“It could be the northern part of Afghanistan.”

For the study, Prof Eiberg’s team examined DNA in blue-eyed individuals in countries as diverse as Jordan, India, Denmark and Turkey

“They have all inherited the same switch at exactly the same spot in their DNA. From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor,” said Prof Eiberg

Tags: eyes, pigmentation

How to create your own virtual self

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:23:06 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

One of the "transhumanists" we interviewed last year (video) is convinced that in the future we will be able to upload our minds into a computer. But why wait? You can get started today.

At MyCyberTwin you can create a chatbot tuned to copy your personality. It can even take your place in instant messaging chats on MSN Live Messenger.

You choose one of six basic character types from 'warm-hearted, intellectual' to 'evil', and answer 79 questions about your personality. You can also instruct your bot on your preferred answers to particular questions.

It's a neat idea, but I think the pieces are already out there on the web to make an even better virtual mini-me.

"Archiving one's own personality could become a pleasurable hobby in which a few people invest hundreds of hours over a period of years."

Tags: virtual self, mind upload

Writing: Good for your Mind and Body

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:31:28 GMT

clipped by: abailart

Clip Source: apt.rcpsych.org

Writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events has beenfound to result in improvements in both physical and psychologicalhealth, in non-clinical and clinical populations

Box 2 Longer-term benefits of expressive writing

Health outcomes

Fewerstress-related visits to the doctor

Improved immune systemfunctioning

Reduced blood pressure

Improved lung function

Improvedliver function

Fewer days in hospital

Improved mood/affect

Feelingof greater psychological well-being

Reduced depressive symptomsbefore examinations

Fewer post-traumatic intrusion and avoidancesymptoms

Social and behavioural outcomes

Reduced absenteeismfrom work

Quicker re-employment after job loss

Improved workingmemory

Improved sporting performance

Higher students’grade point average

Altered social and linguistic behaviour

Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing

Karen A. Baikie and Kay Wilhelm

Tags: writing therapy

Annabelle Lee

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:03:26 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: OK, reading a poetry clip on CM got me started! This is one of my favorite Poems and Poe is incredibly dark and romantic and gothic. The beginning starts like a fairy tale and if you think they all end happily ever after the reader is in for a surprise. Poe uses strong uses of images in this poem. But his love for her is so powerful that he can't let go, he mourns, he dreams to her eyes; and every night he goes to her grave and lies down beside her. He was obviously a man who was madly in love and I think Poe felt the two of them were placed solely on Earth for each other. WOW.

Clip Source: www.poetryloverspage.com

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride, In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Tags: poe, was, awesome