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Good girl

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:42:39 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.anthonyjudelawrence.com

Ancient snake with two legs

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:06:23 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

What was lost tens of millions of years ago is now found.

A fossil animal locked in Lebanese limestone has been shown to be an extremely precious discovery - a snake with two legs.

Scientists have only a handful of specimens that illustrate the evolutionary narrative that goes from ancient lizard to limbless modern serpent.

Researchers at the European Light Source (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, used intense X-rays to confirm that a creature imprinted on a rock, and with one visible leg, had another appendage buried just under the surface of the slab.

"We were sure he had two legs but it was great to see it, and we hope to find other characteristics that we couldn't see on the other limb," said Alexandra Houssaye from the National Museum of Natural History, Paris.

The 85cm-long (33in) creature, known as Eupodophis descouensi, comes from the Late Cretaceous, about 92 million years ago.

Unearthed near the village of al-Nammoura, it was originally described in 2000.

Tags: palaeontology, fossils, biology, reptiles, snakes, science

Ice formed after freezing rain

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:15:43 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.darkroastedblend.com

Tags: i

Weird Tree Formation

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:04:46 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.darkroastedblend.com

Weird Tree Formation

Tags: art

Almonds

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:57:44 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.naturalnews.com

One study showed that three ounces of almonds a day actually lowered a person's cholesterol by 14 percent.

Munching on almonds helps people feel satisfied and less inclined to overeat at dinner!

Ninety percent of the fat in almonds is unsaturated fat, and frequent consumption, as a result, could help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Almonds are loaded with protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and other antioxidants and phytochemicals.

And studies have shown links between nut (especially almond) consumption and lower risk of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic illnesses.

In a nutshell, almonds are an excellent source of fiber, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, riboflavin, niacin and iron.

Almonds are the most nutritious of all nuts.

Clip Source: www.eurekalert.org

Clip Source: www.supermarketguru.com

Eating almonds has the same effect as the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.

almonds may well be a food that helps fight obesity and diabetes.

also have greater levels of satiety

Great hotel inside Cappadocia Caves, Turkey

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:10:23 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.darkroastedblend.com

More info at this site. Seems to be pretty cool location (assuming it's not haunted by specters of the past). We also wrote about Cappadocia Caves at the end of this article.

Tags: rocks

Epistemology

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:37:16 GMT

clipped by: carrerinyes

Clip Source: www.philosophyclass.com

EPISTEMOLOGY

Epistemology is the study of the valid forms of knowledge. It comes from the Greek "episteme" which means knowledge. It is sometimes called "theory of knowledge". It must be noted that epistemology as a distinct branch of philosophy is of recent origin. Usually Descartes is considered the first philosopher to seriously work in epistemology. The validity of knowledge was more or less taken for granted by previous philosophers. It was only when Descartes began to systematically doubt the veracity of knowledge that problems of knowledge became apparent.

The problems considered in epistemology are:

Is genuine knowledge attainable at all? Is the skeptic right?
What are the limits of knowledge?
From what faculties of the mind does knowledge originate?
Which method should be used to obtain valid knowledge?
How do you justify a priori statements?
Where is the boundary between the subjective and objective factors?
What is the nature of truth?

SKEPTICISM

RATIONALISM

EMPIRICISM

KANT

Cool wooden sculptures

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:07:18 GMT

clipped by: skwirlinator

Clip Source: www.lyzard.com

Cool wooden sculptures.

Tags: art, sculptures, wood, creative, cool

Scientists take drugs to boost brain power: study

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:54:43 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: physorg.com

Twenty percent of scientists admit to using performance-enhancing prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, according to a survey released Wednesday by Nature, Britain's top science journal.

The overwhelming majority of these med-taking brainiacs said they indulged in order to "improve concentration," and 60 percent said they did so on a daily or weekly basis.

The 1,427 respondents -- most of them in the United States -- completed an informal, online survey posted on the "Nature Network" Web forum, a discussion site for scientists operated by the Nature Publishing Group.

More than a third said that they would feel pressure to give their children such drugs if they knew other kids at school were also taking them.

"These are academics working in scientific institutions," Ruth Francis, who handles press relations for the group, told AFP.

The survey focused on three drugs widely available by prescription or via the Internet.

Tags: brain, enhancement, concentration

16 Of The World's Best Squares: Think About The Details

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:12:15 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: From Mexico to Italy to Iran, these remarkable squares can inspire us all. What stands out most is that design is only a small fraction of what goes into making a great square: small details add up to great places.

Historically, squares were the center of communities, and they traditionally helped shape the identity of entire cities.

Like the tentacles of an octopus extending into the surrounding neighborhood, the influence of a good square (such as Union Square in New York) starts at least a block away.

Any great square has a variety of smaller "places" within it to appeal to various people.

The use of a square changes during the course of the day, week, and year. The streets and sidewalks around a square greatly affect its accessibility and use, as do the buildings that surround it.

Any community where people want to discover the rewards of public life can make a square its centerpiece.

Clip Source: www.pps.org

1. Rynek Glowny, Krakow, Poland

2. Plaza Hidalgo, Mexico City, Mexico

3. Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy

4. Piazza del Campo, Sienna, Italy

5. Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Covent Gardens, and Leicester Square, London, United Kingdom

6. Hotel de Ville (City Hall), Paris, France

7. Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic

8. Plaza de la Constitucion (Zocalo), Oaxaca City, Mexico

9. Plaza Santa Ana, Madrid, Spain

10. Plaza de Armas, Cuzco, Peru

11. Trg Bana Jelacica, Zagreb, Croatia

12. Östermalmstorg, Stockholm, Sweden

13. Plaza de Entrevero, Montevideo, Uruguay

14. Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia

15. Imam Square, Isfahan, Iran

16. Campo Santa Margherita, Venice, Italy

Clip Source: www.pps.org

Ten Principles for Creating Successful Squares

1. Image and Identity

2. Attractions and Destinations

3. Amenities

4. Flexible Design

5. Seasonal Strategy

6. Access

7. The Inner Square & the Outer Square

8. Reaching Out Like an Octopus

9. The Central Role of Management

10. Diverse Funding Sources

Tags: public square, great places, urban, world, tourism, economic development

The View From 140 Floor of Burj Dubai

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:15:24 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: lh4.google.ca

Tags: interesting

Stereotyping Yourself Contributes to Your Success (or Failure)

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:22:15 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: As it turns out, research shows that such performance failures cannot always be attributed simply to inherent lack of ability or incompetence. Although some have jumped to the highly controversial conclusion that differences in attainment reflect natural differences between groups, the roots of many handicaps actually lie in the stereotypes, or preconceptions, that others hold about the groups to which we belong. For instance, a woman who knows that women as a group are believed to do worse than men in math will, indeed, tend to perform less well on math tests as a result.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

How Stereotyping Yourself Contributes to Your Success (or Failure)

People's performance on intellectual and athletic tasks is shaped by awareness of stereotypes about the groups to which they belong. New research explains why— and how we can break free from the expectations of others

Key Concepts

Sterotypes and Success

Faults in performance do not necessarily signify a dearth of skills or abilities, social scientists have found. Instead the failures may arise from awareness of stereotypes that others hold about the groups to which we belong.

Social identity research examines not only how we both take on (internalize) and live out (externalize) identities that are shared with our peers but also how these things can change.

This research can help us identify ways of responding to others’ stereotypes so that human talent and potential are not squandered. Although stereotypes can promote failure, they can also lift a person’s or group’s performance and be tools that promote social progress.

Tags: stereotype, success, awareness

The amount is $533.80 (perhaps)

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:22:19 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.darkroastedblend.com

The amount is $533.80 (perhaps).

Tags: humor

Found ! Oldest galaxy pile-up

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:53:24 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: I wonder what it's doing now.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Larry O'Hanlon

Astronomers have discovered the most distant galactic collisions yet, a cluster of early galaxies caught merging into one giant galaxy when the universe was just a toddler

The galactic 'proto-cluster', named LBG-2377, is a whopping 11.4 billion light-years away and in the past

It provides a window into a time well after the universe inflated and spread matter far and wide

But it was still a time when all of that matter was coalescing to make the clusters and super-clusters of galaxies that collectively create the cobwebby structure of matter in the modern universe

The team used the volcano-top Keck Telescope in Hawaii to capture the image of the galaxies in the act of coming together at about two billion years after the Big Bang

"This particular system showed up as a particularly bright one," says Dr Jeff Cooke, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Irvine (UCI).

To be so bright at such a distance, LBG-2377 must be about 10 times the mass of the Milky Way