How Practice Rewires The Brain

(Credit: Marcos Andre, Wikimedia Commons)

Spine Tuning: Finding Physical Evidence of How Practice Rewires the Brain -- Scientific American

In kindergarten, several of my friends and I were very serious about learning to tie our shoes. I remember sitting on the edge of the playground, looping laces into bunny ears and twisting them into a knot over and over again until I had it just right. A few years later, whistling became my new challenge. On the car ride to school or walking between classes, I puckered my lips and blew, shifting my tongue like rudder to direct the air. Finally, after weeks of nothing but tuneless wooshing, I whistled my first note.

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My Comment: I guess there is some truth to the saying that "practice makes perfect".

10 Extreme Alternative Motorcycles

Ryno
This electric unicycle incorporates motorcycle-like steering geometry that uses accelerometers and gyros to accelerate, brake, and help you stay balanced. Anticipated to reach market in early 2013 at $4500, the Ryno offers a 20-mph top speed and an estimated cruising range of 20 miles from its lithium iron phosphate battery. Christopher Hoffman, who heads the Portland, Oreg.–based outfit, says that unlike the Segway, his creation is "very gentle and responsive, and feels like a part of your body. It's weird." We'll say.

10 Extreme Alternative Motorcycles... and One That Flies -- Popular Mechanics

When you think "motorcycle," the image that jumps to mind is probably a Universal Japanese Motorcycle—the silhouette pioneered by these bikes of the '60s came to define what a motorbike looks like. But there's another world of bikes that veers from the norm and embraces the unusual. These offshoots—some open-air, others enclosed—explore everything from backwards trike layouts to V-8 and alternative fuel powerplants.

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US Space Shuttle: The End Of An Era

Space Shuttle Discovery Takes Off On Final Voyage To New Museum Home -- The Telegraph

Aboard a modified jumbo jet, Nasa's oldest shuttle takes off from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre bound for its new home at the Smithsonian Institution.

For its last ride, Discovery took off not from its usual seaside launch pad but atop a modified Boeing 747 carrier jet that taxied down the Kennedy Centre's runway at dawn.

The shuttle, which completed its final spaceflight in March 2011, piggybacked on the jumbo jet in order to make its way to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Virginia.

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CSN Editor: NASA's live feed is here.

A Look At The Future Of Books

People looking at an e-book reader app on the Apple iPad.

A Dark Day For The Future Of Books -- CNN

(CNN) -- Wednesday was a dark day for the future of books.

The Department of Justice charged Apple and five large book publishers with conspiring to raise e-book prices. Three of the five publishers quickly capitulated rather than face the risk and expense of a protracted legal battle.

Much of the case revolves around the decision of five of the largest six publishers to simultaneously adopt the agency pricing model immediately before Apple launched the iPad and iBookstore in April 2010. At that time, Amazon commanded about 90% of the e-book market. Amazon priced many books at $9.99 -- which was below the cost at which Amazon was paying the publisher -- in an effort to drive e-book adoption among consumers and capture market share.

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Stopping Text Scams On Cell Phones

Hell Phone: Is There Any Way To Stop The Scourge Of Text Message Spam? -- Slate

Two years ago, I got a text message from a number with a Las Vegas area code. “Thanks for visiting our site!” it read. “Claim your $100 Gift card at www.topgiftsnow.com. Gift Code: 13Z76F. To end reply STOP.” Annoyed, I typed “STOP” and hit send. The next day I got another one. “STOP,” I typed again. Then came the deluge. “Clearance pricing on new cars!” my phone buzzed. “Start a career in law enforcement!” “You have 1 unread message from your secret crush!” At first they were all from Las Vegas. Then they were from Oregon, Idaho, and Nebraska. Every buzz meant another text message charge on my bill.

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My Comment: How to stop text scams depends on your service provider. Check with them .... and they should help you out.

New Treatment For Prostate Cancer Gives Hope For Millions

MRI showing prostate cancer in a 75 year old male. Photo: ALAMY

New Treatment For Prostate Cancer Gives 'Perfect Results' For Nine In Ten Men: Research -- The Telegraph

A new treatment for prostate cancer can rid the disease from nine in ten men without debilitating side effects, a study has found, leading to new hope for tens of thousands of men.

It is hoped the new treatment, which involves heating only the tumours with a highly focused ultrasound, will mean men can be treated without an overnight stay in hospital and avoiding the distressing side effects associated with current therapies.

A study has found that focal HIFU, high-intensity focused ultrasound, provides the 'perfect' outcome of no major side effects and free of cancer 12 months after treatment, in nine out of ten cases.

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My Comment: faster please.

How Did Japan Come To Prefer Wheat Over Rice?

Waves Of Grain: How Did Japan Come To Prefer Wheat Over Rice? -- Slate

Unlike other popular Japanese gadgetry, the Gopan bread maker isn’t sleek, nor does it fit in a trouser pocket. But Panasonic's $600 kitchen aid does boast a trump card: It produces freshly baked loaves from raw, whole grains of rice.* Since its launch in November 2010, the appliance—whose name is an inspired play on gohan, meaning “cooked rice,” and pan, meaning “bread”—has been selling like hotcakes in Japan (the only country where it’s currently available).

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The Rapid Rise Of China As A Space Power

A Delta II rocket launch. Photo: Air Force

China Now Tops U.S. in Space Launches -- Danger Room

For the first time ever, China has launched more rockets into orbit in a year than the U.S. In 2011, the Chinese sent 19 rockets into space. The U.S. sent just 18. Russia, the Walmart of space launches, fired off no fewer than 31 rockets.

The numbers, parsed in recent reports from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the nonprofit Space Foundation, might seem to herald America’s orbital decline relative to its most bitter rival. In terms of sheer numbers of rocket launches, China has been steadily catching up to America for several years. In 2010, China fired off 15 rockets, matching the U.S. for the first time.

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My Comment: The trend is for China to surpass even Russia within the next 5-10 years.

Here Comes The Robot Subs

The Navy will send a robotic sub -- shown here as a model -- to hunt buried mines. Photo: Spencer Ackerman/Wired

Navy Will Give Nearsighted Minehunter Robotic Glasses -- Danger Room

The Navy is building a fleet of mine-hunting ships that investigators say aren’t all that hot at finding mines. So in the coming years, those ships are going to get drone supplements to dive deep below the sea to spot the underwater weapons. Think of ‘em as pairs of robotic glasses.

This is a scale model of the Navy’s newest drone sub, called the Knifefish. Manufactured by General Dynamics, the Navy unveiled it for the first time on Monday at its annual Sea Air Space convention just outside Washington, D.C.

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My Comment: The US Navy is bit late in the drone revolution ... but it appears that they are catching up very quickly.

The Cost Of Britain's Bee Decline

Under threat: Numbers of honeybees in managed hives have fallen by half since the 1980s and wild honeybees are nearly extinct

The Honey Trap: How The Demise Of Britain's Bees Could Cost Us £1.8billion A Year -- Daily Mail

Losing bees would cost Britain £1.8bn to foot the costs of hand-pollinating plants, a study has found.

Researchers at the University of Reading say the decline in their numbers would be disastrous for crops and drive up food prices.

Simon Potts, professor of biodiversity, and his team tested teams hand-pollinating all Britain’s major crops.

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My Comment: £1.8bn is a lot of money.

The Only Man In The World Who Can Swim With A Polar Bear

My Comment: I wonder what the neighbors are thinking. For more info, go here.

The First Prostate Cancer Vaccine Could Be A Step Away From Human Trials

The treatment, developed by Bavarian-Nordic Immunotherapeutics, is aimed at men with advanced prostate cancer which cannot be cured by castration and for whom treatment options are very limited. Photo: ALAMY

Prostate Cancer Vaccine Uses DNA To Fight Disease -- The Telegraph

The first prostate cancer vaccine could be a step away after ministers gave their approval for a human trial of a new genetically modified therapy.

The treatment, which uses viruses carrying human DNA to direct the body's natural defences against cancer cells, is the first prostate cancer vaccine ever to reach late stage “phase three” trials in Europe.

No vaccines have yet been approved in Britain to treat any type of cancer, and scientists believe it could not only double the survival rate of prostate cancer sufferers but give way to a new range of similar treatments for other tumour types.

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My Comment: faster please.

Using Iceland's Volcanoes For Britain's Energy Needs

Britain Could Be Powered By Icelandic Volcanoes -- The Telegraph

Britain could become powered by Icelandic volcanoes as the government looks abroad for a solution to its green energy problem.

Charles Hendry, the energy minister, will visit the country next month to discuss a possible deal to harvest low-carbon energy from the natural geothermal energy of Iceland's volcanoes.

The arrangement would involve laying the longest high-voltage cable in the world across hundreds of miles of ocean floor between Britain and Iceland.

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My Comment:On paper it looks promising .... is it technically feasible .... we shall see.

New iPad Mini Rumor

(Credit: CNET)

New iPad Mini Rumor: 6M Coming In Third Quarter -- CNET

The latest comes by way of a translated report from Chinese online portal Netease, which states the device will compete against Windows 8 tablets.

Another day, another iPad Mini rumor.

The latest comes by way of a report from Chinese portal Netease, translated by Kotaku, which states that a smaller version of Apple's hit tablet will come to market in the third quarter.

The report says that 6 million units will be ready for launch, and the smaller tablet could sell for $249 to $299.

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My Comment: Too small for me to read.

Instagram's Popularity Increases With Facebook Acquisition

Instagram, seen here on an Android phone, has proved extremely popular among users of the Google mobile platform. Reuters

Instagram Gives Facebook 5 Million Reasons To Love Recent Acquisition -- Christian Science Monitor

The new Android app from Instagram, which was recently gobbled up by Facebook, has racked up 5 million downloads.

Earlier this week, Facebook announced the acquisition of photo-sharing hub Instagram. The price tag? A reported $1 billion in stock options and cash, a hefty chunk of change even for a company that could soon be valued at $100 billion.

In a message to users, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg maintained that although Facebook and Instagram offered very "different experiences, that the two platforms would "complement each other."

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Oracle And Google's Android Copyright Suit Begins

Larry Ellison's Oracle bought Sun Microsystems 14 years after it first released Java

Oracle And Google's Android Copyright Row Trial Begins -- BBC

Oracle's claim that Google violated several of its patents and copyrights goes to trial in a San Francisco court on Monday.

It is one of the biggest such tech lawsuits to date. Oracle is claiming about $1bn (£630m) in compensation.

The Java developer claims Google's Android system infringes intellectual property rights relating to the programming language.

Software engineers warn the case could set a worrying precedent.

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My Comment: Oracle feels confident about this case .... but we shall see.

Artificial Photosynthesis Breakthrough

Grass. Scientists have imitated natural photosynthesis and created a record-fast molecular catalyzer. (Credit: © Nejron Photo / Fotolia)

Artificial Photosynthesis Breakthrough: Fast Molecular Catalyzer -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (Apr. 12, 2012) — Researchers from the Department of Chemistry at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden, have managed to construct a molecular catalyzer that can oxidize water to oxygen very rapidly. In fact, these KTH scientists are the first to reach speeds approximating those is nature's own photosynthesis. The research findings play a critical role for the future use of solar energy and other renewable energy sources.

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My Comment: This has the potential of being big.

A Genetic Link To Memory

Scientists have advanced understanding of the genetic components of Alzheimer's disease and of brain development. (Credit: © adimas / Fotolia)

Memory In Adults Impacted By Versions Of Four Genes -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (Apr. 15, 2012) — Two research studies, co-led by UC Davis neurologist Charles DeCarli and conducted by an international team that included more than 80 scientists at 71 institutions in eight countries, has advanced understanding of the genetic components of Alzheimer's disease and of brain development. Both studies appear in the April 15 edition of the journal Nature Genetics.

The first study, based on a genetic analysis of more than 9,000 people, has found that certain versions of four genes may speed shrinkage of a brain region involved in making new memories. The brain area, known as the hippocampus, normally shrinks with age, but if the process speeds up, it could increase vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease, the research suggests.

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My Comment: I am approaching that age where memory is becoming an issue .... so faster please.

A Genetic Link Between Brains And Intelligence

In studying a gene that drives cell growth, Project ENIGMA scientists found a variant that boosted gene expression levels (shown as colored dots), which also enlarged the brain's memory centers (shaded in green). CREDIT: UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging

Specific Genes Linked To Big Brains and Intelligence -- Live Science

Brain size and smarts are, to some extent, genetic — and now, a team of more than 200 researchers has uncovered specific genes that are linked to both brain volume and IQ.

Though scientists have suggested bigger brains are "smarter," this study is the strongest case yet for a genetic connection to brain size and to IQ. Of course, brain size is not 100 percent correlated with a person's intelligence, and other factors, including connections between brain cells and even a person's experiences, play roles.

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My Comment: Hmmmm .... bigger brain .... greater intelligence.

Latest Advancements To The Military Robot (And Family) Designed To Replicate A Human

Climbing Stairs And Push Ups: The Latest Advancements To The Military Robot (And Family) Designed To Replicate A Human -- Daily Mail

What could be more intimidating than a military-crafted robot? How about one that can walk on two legs and in its latest advancement, do push ups and climb stairs?

With funding by the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Project Agency the walking two-legged PETMAN humanoid robot has been advanced to do just that - and quite possibly faster than many Americans can, while certainly not expressing their fatigue.

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