June 1st, 2008 ecoli
I’m sure I’m not the only who has noticed:
Google has changed it’s favicon, the icon that appears on the left hand side of the URL in most web browsers . They’ve moved away from their traditional upper case, classic “G”, to a lowercase “g.” Are they going for a sleeker look? Does this mark some bigger change in google?
We can only speculate, but I think they made the switch because Google is no longer just a company name, but a word that has become synonymous with the (now with a properly lowercase “i”) internet. “To google” has entered the ranks of English dictionaries, at least some online ones, as meaning:
to search for information on the Internet, esp. using the Google search engine
Google isn’t just a company anymore. It ‘belongs’ to the people, the internet-using public.
More on the story at the Google Blogoscope.
Posted in link out, musings, news | 8 Comments »
June 1st, 2008 ecoli
Cooking has always struck me as a potentially analytical and scientific process. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that some of the best scientists and thinkers I know are also excellent chefs. I stumbled across this site during a recipe hunt for ratatouille. Seems like a great site for all of us scientist/engineer chefs.
Posted in link out | No Comments »
June 1st, 2008 ecoli
This site is a bit frightening (and I’m not just talking about page layout taken from 1998). The site logs all the incidents of sexual abuse that the police catch on Myspace. There are literally hundreds of cases listed on the site.
If anyone was skeptical that there is a “Myspace problem” before, this site will definitely remove all doubt. It highlights the need for parents to become more aware of what your children are doing on the computer, and for parents to stay ahead of their children in terms of computer literacy.
There are hundreds of parents out there who seem to simply not care what their children get up to on the internet, and that’s simply unacceptable.
Thanks for Kim Komando for telling her listeners about the site on her radio show this morning.
Posted in education, link out, news | No Comments »
May 31st, 2008 ecoli
Another great list from cracked.com
Posted in humor, link out | 1 Comment »
May 31st, 2008 ecoli
Here’s a neat site for those of you who, like me, use Escherichia coli as a model for research. It appears to be a search portal for all things E. coli related, including a genebank and a wiki. I’ll certainly be making use of it in the future.
Thanks to Carl Zimmer at The Loom for the plug.
Posted in genetics, link out, microbiology | 1 Comment »
May 28th, 2008 ecoli
A new study, discussed in Scientific American explains some of the positive biochemical and physiological affects of blogging.
Scientists now hope to explore the neurological underpinnings at play, especially considering the explosion of blogs. According to Alice Flaherty, a neuroscientist at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, the placebo theory of suffering is one window through which to view blogging. As social creatures, humans have a range of pain-related behaviors, such as complaining, which acts as a “placebo for getting satisfied,” Flaherty says. Blogging about stressful experiences might work similarly.
They suggest it may stimulate dopamine release, or involve the limbic system or the front and temporal lobes.
Whatever the underlying causes may be, people coping with cancer diagnoses and other serious conditions are increasingly seeking—and finding—solace in the blogosphere. “Blogging undoubtedly affords similar benefits” to expressive writing, says Morgan, who wants to incorporate writing programs into supportive care for cancer patients.
I wonder if there’s something unique to scientific blogging that attracts a lot of scientists to it. (just look at the activity that scienceblogs.com gets).
At any rate, now that I have the doctor’s permission to continue blogging, there’s just no stopping me.
Posted in link out, neurobiology | No Comments »
May 28th, 2008 ecoli
Orac at respectful insolence writes
If there’s one thing that quacks and cranks share in common, it’s that they do not like scrutiny, particularly by people with some scientific knowledge. Indeed, when confronted with scientists or educated lay people who can challenge their crankery, it’s amazing how they react the same way almost every time; they try to silence or–if you will–expel the person who challenges their world view. That’s because they want to control their message and operate within the confines of their cozy world, where never is heard a discouraging–and especially never critical–word. Most of all, they never, ever want their true agenda to see the light of day.
It’s about the the vaccination-autism people, but applies equally to creationists, 9/11 truthers and holocaust denialists just as readily.
Posted in link out, musings | No Comments »
May 26th, 2008 ecoli
Pure Pedantry
Respectful Insolence
I haven’t seen it yet, but these reviews give a pretty good idea about the overall quality of the movie, without giving away anything important. Also, it reinforces the notion that I can rely on science blogs for the vast majority of my news, political or entertainment.
Posted in entertainment, link out, musings | No Comments »
May 26th, 2008 ecoli
Link
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May 25th, 2008 ecoli
Skulls in the Stars challenge is ongoing. Yours truly entered his before the weekend. You can see a list of all the entries so far here.
Some highlights from the competition:
Attention all bloggers. The deadline for submission is May 30th, so there’s still time left to become part of this historic occasion.
Posted in link out, news | No Comments »
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