Photo: US Army, CC It was the first big move made by the Obama administration, and yet the stimulus bill remains controversial and largely misunderstood. There’s little disagreement among economists that the Recovery Act spared the US from slipping into a full-bore depression, or that it created or saved millions of jobs. And yet, according to polls, most Americans feel that it did little to help the country, or themselves in particular — questions about ‘where all that money went’ are commonplace. So let’s take a look. Remember, bi… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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People who exercise on a regular basis not only can reduce their odds of becoming obese, but also cut their risk of developing about two dozen physical and mental health problems, a new review of more than 40 studies indicates.
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For last time before he retires from IDF, Chief of Staff Ashkenazi meets with senior US defense officials; army chief warns that for first time in 60 years, America losing its foothold in Middle East as Iran, Turkey pursue new agenda
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Photo credit: Claudio Contreras/iLCP The devastation and tragedy that has beset Haiti seems to have to limit. Deforestation, mudslides, hurricanes, and the earthquake earlier this year have destroyed what few resources remained there and left the people with no choice but to rebuild their lives from the rubble. And though the human victims are, understandably, the focus of relief efforts, they are not the only casualties of the recent string of events. Haiti’s wildlife hangs on the brink of extinction and, with little to no endemic habitat remaining, have no hope for survival on the island. Fortu… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Kinect data massaged into retro-futuristic ‘Box Cloud,’ iPad tilts its way into the action
November 17, 2010 No Comment
We’re sorry if you’re like, so over Kinect hacks , but with a million tinkerers just getting warmed up on the thing, we recommend you just get comfortable and try to enjoy it. A new processing app by Chris Rojas takes the distance data and renders objects in neon cubes, with the size of the cube based on the object’s distance from the sensor. Sure, it won’t cure world hunger, but it looks pretty sweet. Of course, that wasn’t good enough, so Chris hooked his app up to TouchOSC on the iPad, which gives him sliders to define and adjust different “planes of interest,” along with the accelerometer input of the iPad to control zoom and pan of the virtual camera. Just don’t get too close to that sensor, Chris, or the MCP might decide to digitize you entirely! Check out the original, iPad-less Box Cloud video after the break. Continue reading Kinect data massaged into retro-futuristic ‘Box Cloud,’ iPad tilts its way into the action Kinect data massaged into retro-futuristic ‘Box Cloud,’ iPad tilts its way into the action originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Continue reading the main story Related stories ‘Arms dealer’ Bout arrives in US Extradition battle over Viktor Bout Profile: Viktor Bout Russian suspected arms dealer Viktor Bout has pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges, hours after he was extradited to the US from Thailand. The former Russian air…
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By Ruth Marcus I read “Decision Points” and it turns out that George W. Bush is the Edith Piaf of fiscal policy: he regrets nothing. Related Entries November 16, 2010 Republicans Give Up Pork November 16, 2010 A Cry From Argentina: ‘Close Guantanamo’
Continue reading …Pittsburgh Bans Fracking, Eliminates Some Rights of Corporate Personhood With New Ordinance
November 17, 2010 No Comment
photo: Joey Gannon / Creative Commons Following in the footsteps of tiny Licking Township in taking action against fracking when the state of Pennsylvania won’t, Pittsburgh has banned corporations drilling for natural gas within the city limits. As
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Scientists have been working on artificial retinas for years, and while the main focus of research has been to increase the amount of light captured, a study led by Sheila Nirenberg, PhD, has taken a different tack. The new system being devised at Weill Cornell Medical College better mimics frontline photoreceptor cells, making it easier for the ganglion cells to output a more accurate image. “If you want to really restore normal vision, you have to know the retina’s code,” Nirenberg said. “Once you have that, the door is open to the possibility of restoring normal vision.” When researchers performed tests with mice, they found that those with the new system reconstructed more details (the second image, above) than those without (image three, above). “Incorporating the [more accurate] code jumped the system’s performance up to normal levels – that is, there was enough information to reconstruct faces, newsprint, landscapes, essentially anything,” Nirenberg said. The next step? Coordinating with other researchers to test the technology on human participants. Artifical retina reconstructs normal vision in mice, human trials next originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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