Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Jobs reincarnated
Jobs reincarnated: The late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs has been reincarnated as a handsome warrior-philosopher in a mystical palace floating over Cupertino, a state of affairs that the Wall Street Journal reports is "impossible to corroborate".
Why oversimplified science news headlines may not be healthier for you
Why oversimplified science news headlines may not be healthier for you:
Here's why I wish SEO didn't factor into science news: the hunger for traffic encourages headline writers to tart up the findings of studies beyond recognition, and away from more boring truths. Case in point, this NPR item, forwarded to me by more than one friend: "Why Organic Food May Not Be Healthier For You."
This headline is amplified by secondary and tertiary outlets, Facebooked and tweeted, each time diluting the actual science in the story to concentrations so weak, they might as well be labeled homeopathic tincture of news.
But let's dig further. The study it references, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examined a number of existing studies and comes to a more nuanced conclusion than the viral headline suggests. Quote:
Oh, and,
So the meta-study of all these studies concludes that existing science shows consumption of organic produce is associated with lower levels of pesticide exposure. And, that there is no conclusive evidence from existing studies that, say, an organic apple will always be higher in nutrients than an apple grown with man-made chemical pesticides and the like.
Well, fine. I buy organic when possible not because I presume the organic apple has more vitamins, but because we don't really know how chemical pesticide residues affect our bodies over longer periods of time (not to mention intergenerational DNA, or the bodies of farm workers, or our environment). It makes sense to me that the less of those chemicals we use and consume, the better.
I believe this in part because I do not have faith that the industry producing those chemicals has my best interest at heart, and in part because I don't really know that our federal standards for food pesticides are as safe as they should be.
I grew up playing in crop fields sprayed with all kinds of chemicals, many of which are now banned. What is considered safe in one era (hello, cigarettes!) may be found unsafe the next.
But tedious common sense like that doesn't tend to generate clicks any more than my crazy new diet secret: consume fewer calories, and burn more through exercise.
My conclusion? For optimum health, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and read the actual studies behind the news headlines your mom emails you.
* Yes, "organic" is a widely abused term, and not all chemical-pesticide-free farming is Certified Organic, and with food, things are always complicated. For the purposes of this blog post, we're talking about food grown without the use of man-made chemicals for growth stimulation, pest control, and the like.
(Image: pesticide free, a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivative-Works (2.0) image from hciere's photostream)
Here's why I wish SEO didn't factor into science news: the hunger for traffic encourages headline writers to tart up the findings of studies beyond recognition, and away from more boring truths. Case in point, this NPR item, forwarded to me by more than one friend: "Why Organic Food May Not Be Healthier For You."
This headline is amplified by secondary and tertiary outlets, Facebooked and tweeted, each time diluting the actual science in the story to concentrations so weak, they might as well be labeled homeopathic tincture of news.
But let's dig further. The study it references, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examined a number of existing studies and comes to a more nuanced conclusion than the viral headline suggests. Quote:
The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Oh, and,
Studies were heterogeneous and limited in number, and publication bias may be present.
So the meta-study of all these studies concludes that existing science shows consumption of organic produce is associated with lower levels of pesticide exposure. And, that there is no conclusive evidence from existing studies that, say, an organic apple will always be higher in nutrients than an apple grown with man-made chemical pesticides and the like.
Well, fine. I buy organic when possible not because I presume the organic apple has more vitamins, but because we don't really know how chemical pesticide residues affect our bodies over longer periods of time (not to mention intergenerational DNA, or the bodies of farm workers, or our environment). It makes sense to me that the less of those chemicals we use and consume, the better.
I believe this in part because I do not have faith that the industry producing those chemicals has my best interest at heart, and in part because I don't really know that our federal standards for food pesticides are as safe as they should be.
I grew up playing in crop fields sprayed with all kinds of chemicals, many of which are now banned. What is considered safe in one era (hello, cigarettes!) may be found unsafe the next.
But tedious common sense like that doesn't tend to generate clicks any more than my crazy new diet secret: consume fewer calories, and burn more through exercise.
My conclusion? For optimum health, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and read the actual studies behind the news headlines your mom emails you.
* Yes, "organic" is a widely abused term, and not all chemical-pesticide-free farming is Certified Organic, and with food, things are always complicated. For the purposes of this blog post, we're talking about food grown without the use of man-made chemicals for growth stimulation, pest control, and the like.
(Image: pesticide free, a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivative-Works (2.0) image from hciere's photostream)
The [perhaps. -egg] best cat video on the Internet
The best cat video on the Internet:
That is a high claim, I know. But over Labor Day weekend, a combination of dedicated curation and popular vote resulted in Henri 2, Paw de Deux being named the best Internet cat video.
The Internet Cat Film Festival, sponsored by Minneapolis' Walker Museum of Art, drew a live audience of more than 10,000 people last Thursday night. Videos were curated from a massive collection submitted online, and were grouped into thematic categories— foreign films, for instance, or comedies. Henri 2 took home the Golden Kitty, a People's Choice award.
Bonus: If arguing about the merits of Henri 2 weren't enough of a gift to your procrastination tendencies, you can also check out a full list of all the films screened at the festival, including links.
That is a high claim, I know. But over Labor Day weekend, a combination of dedicated curation and popular vote resulted in Henri 2, Paw de Deux being named the best Internet cat video.
The Internet Cat Film Festival, sponsored by Minneapolis' Walker Museum of Art, drew a live audience of more than 10,000 people last Thursday night. Videos were curated from a massive collection submitted online, and were grouped into thematic categories— foreign films, for instance, or comedies. Henri 2 took home the Golden Kitty, a People's Choice award.
Bonus: If arguing about the merits of Henri 2 weren't enough of a gift to your procrastination tendencies, you can also check out a full list of all the films screened at the festival, including links.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Article: The Legendary Paul Ryan -- New York Magazine
The Legendary Paul Ryan -- New York Magazine
http://nymag.com/news/features/paul-ryan-2012-5/
(via Instapaper)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Men's Journal Magazine - Men's Style, Travel, Fitness and Gear
[I did this same practice, in Texas. It changed my life. I empathize with everything he's saying. -egg]
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/print-view/the-quiet-hell-of-extreme-meditation-20120821
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/print-view/the-quiet-hell-of-extreme-meditation-20120821
Gorgeous 1939 map of physics
Gorgeous 1939 map of physics:
I love this Map of Physics that turns an entire academic discipline into a fictional country, showing the way different sub-disciplines interact and the concepts that connect seemingly disparate discoveries.
Posted by Frank Jacobs at The Big Think, it dates to 1939. I'm not sure who or what originally made it (maybe one of you know) but it's great.
Read the rest and see some close ups of various corners of the Land of Physics at The Big Think blog
Via Ananyo Bhattacharya
I love this Map of Physics that turns an entire academic discipline into a fictional country, showing the way different sub-disciplines interact and the concepts that connect seemingly disparate discoveries.
Posted by Frank Jacobs at The Big Think, it dates to 1939. I'm not sure who or what originally made it (maybe one of you know) but it's great.
The map is more than a random representation of the different fields of physics: by displaying them as topographical elements of the same map, it hints at the unified nature of the subject. “Just like two rivers flow together, some of the largest advances in physics came when people realised that two subjects were [like] two sides of the same coin”, writes Jelmer Renema, who sent in this map.
Some examples: “[T]he joining of astronomy and mechanics […] by Kepler, Galileo and Newton (who showed that the movement of the Moon is described by the same laws as [that of] a fallling apple.” At the centre of the map, mechanics and electromagnetism merge. “Electromagnetism [itself is] a fusion between electricity and magnetism, which were joined when it was noted by Oersted that an electric current produces a magnetic field, and when it was noted by Faraday that when a magned is moved around in a wire loop, it creates a current in that loop.”
Read the rest and see some close ups of various corners of the Land of Physics at The Big Think blog
Via Ananyo Bhattacharya
Audrey Kawasaki: exclusive first look at new paintings
Audrey Kawasaki: exclusive first look at new paintings:
As regular BB readers know, we are huge fans of Los Angeles-based painter Audrey Kawasaki. Mark and I both have had original paintings by Audrey hanging in our homes for years and they continue to bring us great joy. Audrey's next solo show, titled "Midnight Reverie," opens September 8 at New York City's Jonathan LeVine Gallery. We are thrilled to present this exclusive sneak preview of these otherworldly new paintings, courtesy of Jonathan Levine Gallery, with thanks to Maléna Seldin. I think this is Audrey's most magnificent work yet.
Here's what Audrey said about the show:
As regular BB readers know, we are huge fans of Los Angeles-based painter Audrey Kawasaki. Mark and I both have had original paintings by Audrey hanging in our homes for years and they continue to bring us great joy. Audrey's next solo show, titled "Midnight Reverie," opens September 8 at New York City's Jonathan LeVine Gallery. We are thrilled to present this exclusive sneak preview of these otherworldly new paintings, courtesy of Jonathan Levine Gallery, with thanks to Maléna Seldin. I think this is Audrey's most magnificent work yet.
Here's what Audrey said about the show:
“Some of the pieces have windows, like passage-ways into another world, yet it can also feel like limbo or static—wanting to walk through to the otherMore images after the jump, perhaps NSFW...
side, but not being able to. Others are deep in the make believe, magical,
mystical realm. In these, the black parts represent a void, emptiness or the
unknown, yet they can also be something real and solid, like holes or
shadows.”
Amazing images from Google Street View
[These are SERIOUSLY awesome. -egg]
Amazing images from Google Street View:
Jon Rafman has compiled a breathtaking collection of bizarre, moving, upsetting, and compelling photos culled from Google Street View. His site is called "9-eyes," for the number of cameras on the top of the Google Street View cars. Jon Rafman's "9-eyes" (via Smithsonian)
Amazing images from Google Street View:
Jon Rafman has compiled a breathtaking collection of bizarre, moving, upsetting, and compelling photos culled from Google Street View. His site is called "9-eyes," for the number of cameras on the top of the Google Street View cars. Jon Rafman's "9-eyes" (via Smithsonian)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Man with the world's lowest singing voice
Man with the world's lowest singing voice:
Tim Storms holds the World Record for the lowest note ever sung by a human. He can hit a G-7, or .189 Hz. It's so low you can't even hear it, but it's measurable. I like how Tim's website says "Biography of a Bass Freak." Tim also has the world's widest vocal range for a male. He was profiled this week by NPR's Morning Edition and also CNN. You can also hear Tim perform on the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir's new album, Tranquility: Voices of Deep Calm.
Tim Storms holds the World Record for the lowest note ever sung by a human. He can hit a G-7, or .189 Hz. It's so low you can't even hear it, but it's measurable. I like how Tim's website says "Biography of a Bass Freak." Tim also has the world's widest vocal range for a male. He was profiled this week by NPR's Morning Edition and also CNN. You can also hear Tim perform on the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir's new album, Tranquility: Voices of Deep Calm.
A handwriting font for doctors
Sent to you via Google Reader
A handwriting font for doctors
Link to larger size. Created by Orion Champadiyil (web, Twitter).
(via Steve Silberman)
Monday, August 27, 2012
Emily Willingham: Autism, immunity, inflammation, and the New York Times
[Pushback on the nyt article. Some valid points, I think, and some stuff I disagree with. -egg]
http://www.emilywillinghamphd.com/2012/08/autism-immunity-inflammation-and-new.html
http://www.emilywillinghamphd.com/2012/08/autism-immunity-inflammation-and-new.html
Article: Immune Disorders and Autism - NYTimes.com
Interesting stuff. -egg
Immune Disorders and Autism - NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/opinion/sunday/immune-disorders-and-autism.html?_r=1
(via Instapaper)
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