Clipmarks | Humans Clips

killer wallaby

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:17:30 GMT

clipped by: zadoz
clipper's remarks: i don't think so

'Killer wallaby' fear after boy survives attack

RESIDENTS fear a mob of vicious wallabies hanging around a housing estate will kill a child, following a terrifying attack on a nine-year-old boy.

Concerned White Rock dad Alwyn "Bones" Bailey told the Cairns Post if he had not been there to fight off the 1m-tall wallaby on Saturday afternoon, he had no doubt his nine-year-old son Morgan would have been mauled to death.

"Its deadset serious. Someone should get a gun and shoot the buggers," Mr Bailey said.

"They're not just friendly, cute little wallabies any more they're killers."

An Environmental Protection Agency spokesman said attacks on humans by wild wallabies or kangaroos were extremely rare, but animals that were regularly fed could become conditioned to seeing people as a source of food then become frustrated and aggressive if they did not get it.

Read more on this story here.

Tags: wallabys

The Evolving AI Ecosystem

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:13:38 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: He takes his theory further, all the way in to the tubes of the internet. In collaboration with Professor Tim Berners-Lee – the co-inventor of the World Wide Web – the pair have been investigating the next generation Web. “What is emerging now is a digital ecosystem,’ says Professor Shadbolt, ‘involving lots of simple systems which connect millions of complex ones – humans!”

And there begins to be a certain amount of logic and a lessening of the fear I feel for the day when I am some robots whipping boy. We see such developments already in websites such as Facebook and Flickr, and programs such as Google Earth and World of Warcraft. We are being linked together, ever so slowly by a collective consciousness.

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

One of the greatest fears of many is the underlying knowledge that of all the wonderful advances of technology, the internet and robotics is simply bringing us closer to being subservient to our robotic overlords.

However British Computer Society President and ECS Professor of Artificial Intelligence Nigel Shadbolt, believes differently.

Shadbolt believes that the future of artificial intelligence will be much different, though no less exciting, than previously expected.

Instead of intelligence that is a “brain in a box”, we are seeing intelligence that is assistive, adaptive and flexible.

In other words, instead of an intelligence that is “…agonizing about their existence or whether we are about to switch them off” we are seeing the growth of intelligence that, in years to come, will immerse us and center around humans, rather than feel the need to enslave humans.

There will be micro-intelligences all around us – systems that are very good and adaptive at particular tasks

Tags: ai, the web, futurism, man machine interface

CLIMATE CHANGE and Why People Are Not Acting

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:21:00 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: The lowest common denominator in humans is our inherent laziness. Wait and see approach. We wait much longer, we will not see the end, not really.

Clip Source: web.mit.edu

Understanding climate change complacency

Sloan's Sterman sees flawed reasoning at root of problem

Why is the general public not more concerned about the potential consequences of climate change? For many risks, such as the risk of a plane crash, the public is far more fearful than the evidence shows, observes John Sterman, the Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. But on the issue of climate, he notes, the situation is just the opposite.

"The science is unequivocal now. It's urgent that we reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions," he says. "That debate is basically over." However, Sterman adds, the public at large remains complacent.

that even highly educated people have a poor understanding of the basic dynamics of climate change, underestimating how much GHG emissions must decrease to limit the risks of severe climate change

people erroneously think that climate change is easily reversible,

Palin and Her Views in a Nutshell

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:19:38 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: More danger coming from Palin than one might think. If Rush Limbaugh needs a stand in, she would do better than Rush L.

Clip Source: mail.google.com

Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even admitted she hasn't thought about the war much—just last year she was quoted saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." ^{1, 2}

Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party. Six months ago, Palin told members of the group—who advocate for a vote on secession from the union—to "keep up the good work" and "wished the party luck on what she called its 'inspiring convention.'" ³

Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn't made clear whether she thinks evolution is a fact.⁴

Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. Speaking about climate change, she said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being manmade." ⁵

Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP. ⁶

Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools.

As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library.

Ecuador Constitution Would Grant Inalienable Rights To Nature

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:43:43 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: A wonderful thing, this....Good for Ecuador and we could take example.

Clip Source: www.commondreams.org

Ecuador's proposed constitution includes an article that grants nature the right to "exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution" and will grant legal standing to any person to defend those rights in court.

A sea lion pup on Santiago Island, one of Ecuador's famed Galapagos Islands. (MELANIE STETSON FREEMAN/STAFF/FILE)

Voters will get to decide on Sept. 28 whether to adopt the new constitution, which would allow the president to run for reelection, to dissolve Congress, and to exert great control over the country's central bank. According to Reuters, 56 percent of Ecuadorans approve of the proposed document.

The blog Green Change quotes the five articles that acknowledge rights said to be possessed by nature, or "Pachamama," a goddess revered by indigenous Andean peoples whose name roughly translates into "Mother Earth."

rights to nature may represent a larger shift in how humans view their place

Birds do it, Bees do it, but humans don't!

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:20:18 GMT

clipped by: thinkingblue
clipper's remarks: Of course, we should teach our teenage children good judgement, if that is at all possible when it comes to the powerful instinctual urges belonging to all life, the drive to BEGET. Try telling a teeny bobber about love and responsibility. They'll look at you, the same way you look at a dog chasing its tail, bewilderment of such a stupidity lag.
But, for most parents, the teen "eye roll" just slides off their back, down to the floor where it can be easily stepped on.
But all sarcasm aside, teaching this program alone is not just block-headed, its outrageously dangerous. By not equipping our young with knowledge on self preservation, we neglect the most basic fact of life, the instinctive teachings of fundamental survival techniques. Go and watch some wild life with their young and you will see such training.
Birds do it, Bees do it, even Monkeys in the trees do it. Also on http://thinkingblue.blogspot.com

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

Abstinence Only - Does Not Work! Duh!

[Video]

September 03, 2008

JUST TELLING OUR KIDS TO "DON'T DO IT" DOES NOT WORK!

Guess what folks, teaching abstinence-only to young adolescent teens fails in all the studies except the ones conducted by the abstinence-only advocates. Isn't that a shocker? Well, to anyone with a few brain cells, that was a given. From the very beginning, when Bush and his followers rejoiced and couldn't wait to hit us over the head with their abstinence-ONLY asinine program.

Tags: politics, abstinence, only, youtube, sex, education

Opening Minds

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:44:31 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: "Those who teach our children science have a duty to reveal the workings of nature – even if it means challenging their faith"

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Should science teachers in Britain challenge their students' religious beliefs? Is it their right? Is it even their duty?

I say yes. This is (amongst much else) what education is for; to teach children how to think for themselves. And thinking for yourself is challenging, especially if your previous beliefs were based on dogma and ancient books.

In his recent TV series, The Genius of Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins visited a London secondary school, took a mixed bunch of kids out fossil hunting on the beach, and then came back to the school to talk to them and their teachers.

Some of what he discovered in his travels was truly shocking

science teacher who honestly believes that the world was created by God a few thousand years ago

Once you get it that's that! How can you go on believing that God created humans in his own image when you can see, because you really understand the principle, that nature's cruel and wasteful selective process can create all that design without him?

Bacteria-human communication

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:25:48 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: I think this double face of the pim gene, points to cellular levels where bacteria and human cell communicate and regulate co- benefitial existence.
some say that the importance of this connection goes even beyond mere protection and peaceful co existence. interesting...

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

How Friendly Bacteria Avoids Immune Attack To Live Happily In The Gut

Multicellular animals live peacefully in close contact with a multitude of microorganisms that inhabit their bodies. Humans, for example, have more microorganisms within the body than cells

with just the intestine containing up to 100 trillion microbes, a number about 10 times greater that all our cells.

Still, although we remain fully immune competent - so capable of responding to infection by pathogenic microorganisms - we do not react against these “friendly” bacteria.

But how do these two opposite immune responses against bacteria so similar exist simultaneously?

The activation of this immune pathway is triggered by peptidoglycans – sugars found on the bacterial wall – and results in the activation of a molecule called Relish

“Friendly” bacteria, on the other hand, despite containing peptidoglycans in their wall exist peacefully

The new found gene– pims

a negative regulator of the immune response

granting tolerance

Tags: biology, bacteria

Passive-Aggression, Lies, Hypocrisy

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:35:21 GMT

clipped by: davboz
clipper's remarks: In their very denials, they blatantly show their bias.
Watching MSNBC, I think it is possible that often they really don't think it is showing. Panel members, after multiple exchanges where 5 or 6 (against 1) make snide references in their "analysis", show disdain contrasting wildly with the fawning speech reserved for the DNC & Obama, unashamedly lashing out at speakers they felt personally offended by,...they end up putting together a pair of collective presentations that, to a bipartisan observer, are like night and day. THEN have the balls (incldng. Rachel Maddow)to come off angrily defending their smear-style "journalism" dripping with partisan unevenness of tone, and nastiness, while framing the accusation as - (get this) - a tired Republican tactic. Oh my God!
I think they may actually even believe it.
How are humans so removed from their own behaviors, I wonder, whether in personal or private. Denial of this nature is to the level of a serious addiction or mental disorder. I

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

There is little that's more insidious than passive-aggressive behavior. It's a way of trying to obscure nastiness, a deception used to avoid responsibility for mean words or actions.

When someone is offended by this camouflaged hostility the antagonist puffs up in righteous indignation, ridiculing his target for being overly sensitive or misconstruing his intention. The smokescreen can confuse just about anybody

It's a attempt at having it both ways. It is sneaking in a sucker punch and then ridiculing the person who might gasp a complaint about such a low blow.

It's passive-aggressiveness...deception at its worst. It is the behavior of someone who wants to do or say something malicious and get away with it. It has no place in honorable politics. It needs to identified and condemned, as well as those who try and get away with it.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: newsbusters.org

Us Magazine Disgrace

Liberal gossip tabloid attacks Sarah Palin after puffing Michelle Obama

Is Planet-scale Geo-Engineering Needed to Reverse Global Warming?

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:48:40 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: "This puts a special responsibility on us to stay civilized and give refuge to the unimaginably large influx of climate refugees,' he said, adding that carrying on with 'business as usual' would probably kill most of us this century.

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

James Lovelock,the controversial environmental scientist and Oxford professor who developed the Gaia hypothesis of the Earth as a self-regulating organism, warns humans may have to attempt planet-scale engineering of the climate because global warming is happening faster than experts have been predicting.

"Safe forms of 'geo-engineering' should be used if they can buy us a little time to adapt to a rapidly changing climate."

The startling new ideas Lovelock proposes range from artificially altering the climate range from using a constellation of trillions of space craft as a sun-shade or dust particles in the stratosphere to reflect solar energy to 'seeding' the oceans with iron particles to stimulate algae, which absorb CO2.

Scientists at Stanford University reported that a 2 per cent reduction in the amount of sunlight warming the Earth is more than enough to offset a doubling of CO2 in the atmosphere, and suggested it would be possible to deflect sunlight from the Arctic

Tags: climate change, geo engineering

Talking whale

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:09:59 GMT

clipped by: bono123

Clip Source: clipmarks.com

Clip Source: content5.clipmarks.com

Clip Source: clipmarks.com

23
POPS Speaking whales

by balthazarus Yesterday 3:46 AM 3

Uplifting is on its way... :) I wonder when will us humans learn some things from the whales?

The Top 10 Intelligent Designs (or Creation Myths)

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:35:32 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: This is number 9 of ten myths. Look for the arrow at the site (preamble to the group of creation myths.

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

Zoroastrianism, the Religion of Ancient Persia

The Bundahishn of the Middle Persian era tells of the world created by the deity Ahura Mazda. The great mountain, Alburz, grew for 800 years until it touched the sky. From that point, rain fell, forming the Vourukasha sea and two great rivers. The first animal, the white bull, lived on the bank of the river Veh Rod. However, the evil spirit, Angra Mainyu, killed it. Its seed was carried to the moon and purified, creating many animals and plants. Across the river lived the first man, Gayomard, bright as the sun. Angra Mainyu also killed him. Ouch! The sun purified his seed for forty years, which then sprouted a rhubarb plant. This plant grew into Mashya and Mashyanag, the first mortals. Instead of killing them, Angra Mainyu deceived them into worshipping him. After 50 years they bore twins, but they ate the twins, owing to their sin. After a very long time, two more twins were born, and from them came all humans (but specifically Persians).

Animal Intelligence and the Evolution of the Human Mind

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:50:26 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: Subtle refinements in brain architecture, rather than large-scale alterations, make us smarter than other animals

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

The human brain lacks conspicuous characteristics—such as relative or absolute size—that might account for humans’ superior intellect.

Researchers have found some clues to humanity’s aptitude on a smaller scale, such as more neurons in our brain’s outermost layer.

Human intelligence may be best likened to an upgrade of the cognitive capacities of nonhuman primates rather than an exceptionally advanced form of cognition.

As far as we know, no dog can compose music, no dolphin can speak in rhymes, and no parrot can solve equations with two unknowns. Only humans can perform such intellectual feats, presumably because we are smarter than all other animal species—at least by our own definition of intelligence.

Of course, intelligence must emerge from the workings of the three-pound mass of wetware packed inside our skulls

Thus, researchers have tried to identify unique features of the human brain that could account for our superior intellectual abilities

Tags: brain, mind, evolution, intelligence

more god is impossible

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:11:24 GMT

clipped by: metrojosie

Clip Source: www.evilbible.com

God is omniscient. When he created the universe, he saw the sufferings which humans would endure as a result of the sin of those original humans. He heard the screams of the damned. Surely he would have known that it would have been better for those humans to never have been born (in fact, the Bible says this very thing), and surely this all-compassionate deity would have foregone the creation of a universe destined to imperfection in which many of the humans were doomed to eternal suffering. A perfectly compassionate being who creates beings which he knows are doomed to suffer is impossible.

god is impossible

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:10:46 GMT

clipped by: metrojosie

Clip Source: www.evilbible.com

God is perfectly just, and yet he sentences the imperfect humans he created to infinite suffering in hell for finite sins. Clearly, a limited offense does not warrant unlimited punishment. God's sentencing of the imperfect humans to an eternity in hell for a mere mortal lifetime of sin is infinitely more unjust than this punishment. The absurd injustice of this infinite punishment is even greater when we consider that the ultimate source of human imperfection is the God who created them. A perfectly just God who sentences his imperfect creation to infinite punishment for finite sins is impossible.