Clipmarks | This Month's Top Clips

Clipmarks for Firefox 3.5

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:46:49 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: Anyone who is having problems using Clipmarks in Firefox 3.5, please uninstall the version you currently have and then go to the source of this clip and reinstall it - after doing that it will work properly.

I'm very sorry to anyone who is inconvenienced by this. Please POP so others will be made aware.

Thank you!

Clip Source: addons.mozilla.org

Tags: clipmarks, firefox 3.5

Clowns pwn Nazi/KKK rally - Awesome!

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:07:25 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Truly brilliant. "Alex Linder the founder of VNN and the lead organizer of the rally kicked off events by rushing the clowns in a fit of rage, and was promptly arrested by 4 Knoxville police officers who dropped him to the ground when he resisted and dragged him off past the red shiny shoes of the clowns. http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/7704982.html"

Clip Source: www.neatorama.com

Here’s an excellent example of pwnage: when the white supremacist group VNN Vanguard Nazi/KKK tried to host a hate rally in Knoxville, Tennessee, they were foiled by … clowns!

“White Power!” the Nazi’s shouted, “White Flour?” the clowns yelled back running in circles throwing flour in the air and raising separate letters which spelt “White Flour”.

“White Power!” the Nazi’s angrily shouted once more, “White flowers?” the clowns cheers and threw white flowers in the air and danced about merrily.

“White Power!” the Nazi’s tried once again in a doomed and somewhat funny attempt to clarify their message, “ohhhhhh!” the clowns yelled “Tight Shower!” and held a solar shower in the air and all tried to crowd under to get clean as per the Klan’s directions.

Tags: kkk, nazi, clowns, race

What is a fair price for free knowledge?

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:59:02 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: "When it comes to knowledge, you can never have too much of a good thing."

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

Finding a fair price for free knowledge

TEN years ago, a piece of software called Napster taught us that scarcity is no longer a law of nature. The physics of our universe would allow everyone with access to a networked computer to enjoy, for free, every song, every film, every book, every piece of research, every computer program, every last thing that could be made out of digital ones and zeros. The question became not, will nature allow it, but will our legal and economic system ever allow it?

The irony of the battle between advocates of abundance and advocates of scarcity is that both sides are right. It makes no sense to limit and control access now we have technologies to give information to everyone. But it is also foolish to pretend we do not need incentives to help produce and publish that information.

build institutions that promote knowledge-sharing

while at the same time ensuring that there are incentives for creative and technical minds to contribute

Tags: internet, knowledge, open source

Top reasons people are still using Internet Explorer

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:41:10 GMT

clipped by: masbury

Clip Source: www.makeuseof.com

(Via Kutender Via Digg)

Tags: ie, internet

Gaia's evil twin: Is life its own worst enemy?

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:31:41 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Recent interesting research shows that life on earth may have distinct suicidal inclinations. Human destruction of the environment is but the most recent episode. If true it has interesting implication on forming of exobiological theories, and the evolution of civilizations outside our precious planet.

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

their research arose one of the most influential, ground-breaking scientific ideas of the 20th century - the Gaia hypothesis, named after the ancient Greek goddess of the Earth, a nurturing "mother" of life. But is it correct? New scientific findings suggest that the nature of life on Earth is not at all like Gaia. If we were to choose a mythical mother figure to characterise the biosphere, it would more accurately be Medea, the murderous wife of Jason of the Argonauts. She was a sorceress, a princess - and a killer of her own children.

Sarah Howell)" />

"The Gaia theory says that the temperature, oxidation state, acidity and certain aspects of the rocks and waters are kept constant, and that this homeostasis is maintained by active feedback processes operated automatically and unconsciously by the biota."

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

A number of recent discoveries have cast serious doubt on the Gaia hypotheses.

Both overturn key Gaian predictions and suggest that life on Earth has repeatedly endured "Medean" events

Tags: biology, ecology, gaia, life, nature

People tend to avoid information that contradicts what they already think or believe

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:20:33 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "We swim in a sea of information, but filter out most of what we see and hear. A new analysis of data from dozens of studies sheds new light on how we choose what we do and do not hear"

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

People sometimes seek the truth, but most prefer like-minded views

We swim in a sea of information, but filter out most of what we see and hear. A new analysis of data from dozens of studies sheds new light on how we choose what we do and do not hear. The study found that while people tend to avoid information that contradicts what they already think or believe, certain factors can cause them to seek out, or at least consider, other points of view.

We wanted to see exactly across the board to what extent people are willing to seek out the truth versus just stay comfortable with what they know,

The studies they reviewed generally asked participants about their views on a given topic and then allowed them to choose whether they wanted to view or read information supporting their own or an opposing point of view.

The researchers also found, not surprisingly, that people are more resistant to new points of view when their own ideas are associated with political, religious or ethical values

We're unable to read our own body language

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:05:53 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: bps-research-digest.blogspot.com

We're unable to read our own body language

A fascinating study has shown that we're unable to read insights into ourselves from watching a video of our own body language. It's as if we have an egocentric blind spot. Outside observers, by contrast, can watch the same video and make revealing insights into our personality.

The premise of the new study is the tip-of-the-iceberg idea that what we know about ourselves is fairly limited, with many of our impulses, traits and beliefs residing below the level of conscious access. The researchers wondered whether people would be able to form a truer picture of themselves when presented with a video of their own body language

Why can't we use a video of ourselves to improve the accuracy of our self-perception?

One answer could lie in cognitive dissonance - the need for us to hold consistent beliefs about ourselves. People may well be extremely reluctant to revise their self-perceptions, even in the face of powerful objective evidence

Our Brains Have Been Captured

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:37:27 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

In an experiment of one, Dr. Kessler tested his willpower by buying two gooey chocolate chip cookies that he didn’t plan to eat. At home, he found himself staring at the cookies, and even distracted by memories of the chocolate chunks and doughy peaks as he left the room.

“Why does that chocolate chip cookie have such power over me?” Dr. Kessler asked in an interview. “Is it the cookie, the representation of the cookie in my brain? I spent seven years trying to figure out the answer.”

But by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full.

In fact, he offers descriptions of how restaurants and food makers manipulate ingredients to reach the aptly named “bliss point.

“Nobody has ever explained to people how their brains have been captured.”

Congratulations Masbury

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:25:28 GMT

clipped by: chestnut501
clipper's remarks: Clipmarks New #1 Clipper

Clip Source: clipmarks.com

Rank

Clipper

1 masbury

Rank

Clipper

1 masbury

Poverty Hurts

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:51:15 GMT

clipped by: dmegivern
clipper's remarks: Been waiting for science to confirm what I always knew & felt growing up in poverty. It's not just about the money, it's the pain that makes it traumatic. This article was life-validating.

Clip Source: www.newsweek.com

Poverty Hurts

Clip Source: www.newsweek.com

The findings were unambiguous. As reported in the June issue of the journal Psychological Science, thinking about expenses and spending—lack of money in general—increased feelings of distress, especially for those who were excluded by their social group. It also led to diminished pain tolerance in the hot-water test. Put another way, people who were focused on financial need suffered more pain of every kind than people who felt financially empowered.

When the researchers looked at this the other way around, they found that inflicting pain or social rejection also increased volunteers' desire for money. There's the risk of a vicious spiral here: the very real pain of being poor and marginalized could actually exaggerate and distort the desire the desire for money, so that further rejection and hardship is even more painful, and so on. The result could be a kind of psychological inflation.

Tags: poverty, pain, suffering, social rejection, money

World's Most Beautiful Transparent Animals

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:35:16 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: somethinbeautiful.blogspot.com

Here are the most Beautiful transparent animals, Nature sure butterflies is very interesting photos!

Transparent Frog

Transparent Head Fish

Transparent Butterfly

Transparent Squid

Transparent Zebrafish created by scientists

Transparent Icefish

Transparent Amphipod

Transparent Larval Shrimp

Transparent Salp

Transparent Jellyfish

Human Brains Make Their Own 'Marijuana'

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:40:59 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: scientists have discovered that the brain manufactures proteins that act like marijuana at specific receptors in the brain itself

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Human Brains Make Their Own 'Marijuana'

scientists have discovered that the brain manufactures proteins that act like marijuana at specific receptors in the brain itself

"everybody must get stoned"-- is correct

This discovery may lead to new marijuana-like drugs for managing pain, stimulating appetite, and preventing marijuana abuse.

Ideally, this development will lead to drugs that bind to and activate the THC receptor, but are devoid of the side effects that limit the usefulness of marijuana

our findings raise the possibility that this will lead to effective drugs with fewer side effects."

The War on Drugs has hit very close to home," said Gerald Weissmann

Last year, scientists found that our skin makes its own marijuana-like substance

Now, we see that our brain has been making proteins that act directly on the marijuana receptors in our head. The next step is for scientists to come up with new medicines that eliminate the nasty side of pot—a better joint, so to speak."

Top 10 Thinking Traps Exposed — How to Foolproof Your Mind, Part I

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:29:04 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: actually a very simple yet efficient article, go read all of it. I am not sure about 'foolproof' but its a good start.

Clip Source: litemind.com

Our minds set up many traps for us. Unless we’re aware of them, these traps can seriously hinder our ability to think rationally, leading us to bad reasoning and making stupid decisions. Features of our minds that are meant to help us may, eventually, get us into trouble.

1. The Anchoring Trap: Over-Relying on First Thoughts

What can you do about it?

Always view a problem from different perspectives.

Think on your own before consulting others.

Seek information from a wide variety of sources.

2. The Status Quo Trap: Keeping on Keeping On

What can you do about it?

Consider the status quo as just another alternative.

Know your objectives.

Avoid exaggerating switching costs.

3. The Sunk Cost Trap: Protecting Earlier Choices

What can you do about it?

Be OK with making mistakes.

Listen to people who were not involved in the earlier decisions.

Focus on your goals.

4. The Confirmation Trap: Seeing What You Want to See

5. The Incomplete Information Trap: Review Your Assumptions

Tags: mind, thinking traps

Do the languages we speak shape the way we see the world?

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:59:21 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: An interesting account, exposing some of the background which composes perception..

Clip Source: www.edge.org

linguistic processes are pervasive in most fundamental domains of thought, unconsciously shaping us from the nuts and bolts of cognition and perception to our loftiest abstract notions and major life decisions. Language is central to our experience of being human, and the languages we speak profoundly shape the way we think, the way we see the world, the way we live our lives.

Does learning new languages change the way you think?

Do people who speak different languages think differently simply because they speak different languages?

These questions touch on nearly all of the major controversies in the study of mind

very little empirical work was done on these questions until recently

What we have learned is that people who speak different languages do indeed think differently and that even flukes of grammar can profoundly affect how we see the world.

Language is a uniquely human gift, central to our experience of being human

Appreciating its role

brings us one step closer to understanding

Tags: language, universe, perception

Awesome vintage hypnotist posters:

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:53:40 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "A mesmerising gallery of last century stage hypnotist posters that are an irresistible combination of camp send-up, schlock horror and roll-up roll-up "

Clip Source: www.mindhacks.com

Awesome vintage hypnotist posters:

The ephemera assemblyman blog has a mesmerising gallery of last century stage hypnotist posters that are an irresistible combination of camp send-up, schlock horror and roll-up roll-up razzmatazz

Clip Source: assemblyman-eph.blogspot.com

see the Library of Congress' Performing Arts Posters [link]
the amazing Circus Museum [link]
Magic Posters [link]
Raffaele De Ritis' Novelties and Wonders [link]
for even more links see the Cabinet of Links [link]