Boing Boing
febrer 19, 2009
22:02
21:55
Earlier this week, a Connecticut woman was mauled by a chimpanzee named Travis. The celebrity chimp, who had starred in TV commercials, was eventually shot dead by a police officer. Apparently, Travis's owner had given him tea spiked with Xanax because he had been acting "rambunctious." (For more on the story, see this CNN article.) To put the sad news in context, Scientific American spoke with Frans de Waal, famed biologist at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and author of the fantastic book Our Inner Ape. (Institute for the Future executive director Marina Gorbis told me only half-jokingly that Our Inner Ape is the best management book she's ever read, even though it isn't supposed to be one. I loved it too.) From Scientific American: What might cause a chimp to attack someone it knows? (de Waal:) They're very complex creatures. People must not assume that with someone they already know there's not some underlying tension. It's often impossible to figure out what reason they have for attacking. Having a chimp in your home is like having a tiger in your home. It's not really very different. They are both very dangerous. Even if a chimp were not dangerous, you have to wonder if the chimp is happy in a human household environment. "Why would a chimpanzee attack a human?" (Scientific American), Buy "Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are" (Amazon)...
21:09
Kim sez, "Jon Blow, developer of the popular Xbox360 game Braid, has announced the release date of the PC version, and that it will be released DRM-free via Stardock." Where possible, the game will be released without DRM. Some online publishers include their own DRM as a matter of policy, and of those guys, I am only signing with the ones that have light and non-intrusive DRM. My goal is to give people a reasonable choice about where to get the game, and if they don't like someone's DRM or someone else's launcher client, they can get it from whoever they like most Braid for the PC is now $15 (Thanks, Kim!) Previously:Slamdance festival chickens out on game - Boing Boing...
20:20
20:08
Why is someone stealing horse tails? An intruder broke into a pasture and unevenly cut off the hoof-length tails of half a dozen Belgian draft horses and ponies. Other horse owners in Elbert County, Colorado, have also reported tail thefts, while similar cases have been recorded in recent years in Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida. While the animals were not injured, as the tails were cut off below the fleshy dock, horses rely on their tails to swat away flies in summer and owners say they will take 10 years to grow back. But police are puzzled as to the motive behind the crime. Horse owners said it would not make commercial sense to steal tails in such limited quantities, as horsehair fetches no more than $80 (£56) a pound. Horse tail thieves confuse Colorado police (Via Arbroath)...
19:23
A while ago, I wrote about the launch of Nerd Merit Badges, to be worn by people who want to show off their geeky achievements. The first one was for folks who have contributed to an Open Source software project. The new one, just announced, is for those dedicated souls who have strived to experience -- if only for a moment -- the Zen-like, fulfilling emptiness of Inbox Zero (in other words, cleaning out your email inbox). It's a beaut! New nerd merit badge: Inbox Zero Previously:Nerd merit badges - Boing Boing More Merit Badges for scientists - Boing Boing...
19:07
Over at The Technium, Kevin Kelly has written a long, fascinating essay titled "The Unabomber Was Right." Of course, Kevin doesn't mean Ted Kaczynski was right to have murdered people. Kevin is saying that Kaczynski's manifesto correctly described technology as a "dynamic holistic system. It is not mere hardware; rather it is more akin to an organism. It is not inert, nor passive; rather the technium seeks and grabs resources for its own expansion. It is not merely the sum of human action, but in fact it transcends human actions and desires." (UPDATE: It's worth adding this part of Kevin's essay as well, since many of the commenters haven't bothered to read the essay before weighing in: "The Unabomber is right that technology is a holistic, self-perpetuating machine. He is wrong to bomb it for many reasons, not the least is that the machine of civilization offers us more actual freedoms than the alternative. There is a cost to run this machine, a cost we are only beginning to reckon with, but so far the gains from this ever enlarging technium outweigh the alternative of no machine at all.") The truth of Kaczynski’s observations does not absolve him of his murders, or justify his insane hatred. Kaczynski saw something in technology that caused him to lash out with violence, but despite his mental imbalance, he was able to articulate that view with surprising clarity his sprawling, infamous 35,000-word manifesto. Kaczynski murdered three people (and injured 23 more) in order to get this manifesto published. His despicable desperation and crimes hide a critique that has gained a minority following by other luddites. The center section of his argument is clear, remarkably so, given his cranky personal grievances against leftists that bookend his rant. Here, in meticulous, scholarly precision, Kaczynski makes his primary claim that “freedom and technological progress are incompatible,” and that therefore technological progress must be undone. As best I understand, the Unabomber’s argument goes like this: Personal freedoms are constrained by society, as they must be. The stronger that technology makes society, the less freedoms. Technology destroys nature, which strengthens technology further. This ratchet of technological self-amplification is stronger than politics. Any attempt to use technology or politics to tame the system only strengthens it. Therefore technological civilization must be destroyed, rather than reformed. Since it cannot be destroyed by tech or politics, humans must push industrial society towards its inevitable end of self-collapse. Then pounce on it when it is down and kill it before it rises again. Kevin Kelly: "The Unabomber Was Right"...
18:47
18:29
New research suggests that a class of drugs called beta-blockers can alleviate the anxiety associated with scary memories while leaving the memories intact. While beta blockers are commonly used to treat heart conditions, some musicians and public performers have used the drugs "off-label" to help overcome stagefright. Last year, McGill University neurobiologists reported that beta-blockers seemed to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now, University of Amsterdam psychologist Merel Kindt and colleagues published a paper in Nature Neuroscience that confirms the PTSD clinical study. From Science News: Kindt and her colleagues showed subjects a photograph of a spider, which was accompanied by an electric shock, conditioning the participants to have a fearful memory of the image. Later, some participants were given a beta-blocker drug, propranolol, and others were given a placebo before being exposed to the image again. The beta-blocker group’s fear response was greatly reduced or even eliminated when the subjects were shown the spider photograph 24 hours after taking the drugs. “The people did not forget seeing the photograph of the spider,” Kindt says. ”But the fear associated with the image was erased.” The researchers think beta-blockers work by changing the way the frightening memories are stored. Each time a memory is recalled it changes a little, and the new version is recorded in the long-term memory stash via brain chemical fluctuations in a process called reconsolidation. The beta-blockers could interfere with the brain chemicals, blocking reconsolidation of the emotional component of the memory, but leaving the rest of the memory intact, the scientists suggest. Beta-blockers erase emotion of fearful memories Previously:20% of scientists in an informal survey admitted to using ... Trauma Pill: PTSD-prevention meds, or best band name ever? - Boing ......
18:05
18:01
A gentlman known only as Mr Xian nabbed this massive six-pound rat on a street in Fuzhhou, China. From The Telegraph: "I did it, I caught a rat the size of a cat!" he shouted out afterwards, according to the reports. Mr Xian is believed to still be in possession of the animal, after stuffing into a bag and departing the scene. The local forestry unit in the city identified the nightmarish creature as a bamboo rat from initial photographs, but said that it would need to examine the rat more closely before making a final identification. Giant rat caught in China Previously:Book pick: "Full Revelations of a Professional Rat Catcher" (1898 ... Rat kings - Boing Boing...
17:42
This rare Worcester's buttonquai, thought by scientists to be extinct, was recently photographed in the Philippines by a TV crew and then sold for food at a market. Over at Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman summarizes various news reports on the matter. From Cryptomundo: Found only on the island of Luzon, Worcester’s buttonquail was known solely through drawings based on dated museum specimens collected several decades ago... Wild Bird Club of the Philippines President Michael Lu asked a question that naturally came to my mind: “What if this was the last of its species?” He told the Agence France-Press news agency that it’s unfortunate that the locals aren’t more conscious of the threatened wildlife around them. "Extinct Bird Found, Photographed & Then Eaten"...
17:37
In April, Julien's Auctions will sell off 2,000 curiosities belonging to Michael Jackson. I would be delighted to own this robotic Michael Jackson head from his 1988 "Moonwalker" film. From E! Online: Among the choicer oddities up for grabs: The razor-handed gloves Johnny Depp sported in Edward Scissorhands ($4,000-$6,000); a golf cart complete with Peter Pan-emblazoned cushions and, the pièce de résistance, an image of Jacko-as-Pan on the hood, ($4,000-$6,000); a basketball signed by Michael Jordan ($800-$1,200); an original canvas painting by pal Macaulay Culkin (a steal at $200-$300); and potentially oddest of all—a particularly tall order given its company—a vintage sepia photograph of Roddy McDowall inscribed, "To Estelle, In appreciation for all the lovely things you have done for me." A Peek Inside Michael Jackson's Cabinet of Curiosities (E! Online), Michael Jackson Items for Sale gallery (Time.com) The Collection of Michael Jackson (Julien's Auctions)
14:02
Danny Choo is a guestblogger on Boing Boing. Danny resides in Tokyo, and blogs about life in Japan and Japanese subculture - he also works part time for the empire. This is a picture of a typical Japanese graveyard. The norm is that a family buys some land and then builds a tomb to fit the rest of the family. G'ma, G'pa, mom, pop and yourself get to spend the rest of eternity together - at a cost. The most expensive tombs I've been able to find costs 109,908 USD at the Aoyama cemetery. That 109,908 USD gets you about 3.4 square meters. The funeral will cost a bomb too and the most expensive I've been able to find is 23,408 USD at kakaku.com - but you get great drinks and enough food for up to 30 family members and 70 guests who come to pay their respects. I guess there are ways to make (lots of) money even from dead folks. In general, families have the choice of burning or burying their members. When you die, how would you like to go? My wife and I have decided to donate our organs and folks in Japan can register here if you want to do so too. Photo plucked from my weekly A Week in Tokyo series....
13:24
Nat sez, Day 4 of campaigning against a braindead copyright law in New Zealand saw a protest on the grounds of Parliament (photos). Around 200 people held black placards as the Creative Freedom Foundation gave politician Peter Dunne (leader of one of the ruling coalition parties) a petition to stay the implementation of the "guilt by accusation" Section 92. In accepting the petition, Dunne called Section 92 "a threat to free speech". All the major news outlets covered it, including TVNZ, TV3, and Radio New Zealand. It's been a hell of an accomplishment to get copyright into the agenda of mainstream media and politicians. Creative Freedom Foundation now have over 12,000 signed-up artists and supporters. APRA, the Australasian Performing Rights Association and prime source of pro-guilt-on-accusation quotes, has only 6,000 members. Every day has seen a story on copyright on the TV, and we can expect more on Monday with a web-site blackout. (Thanks, Gnat!) (Image by Brenda)...
11:57
08:11
08:07
In Stockholm, the trial of The Pirate Bay continues to go well for Our Heroes. TorrentFreak has an account of Day 3, which included a motion to dismiss and the "King Kong" defense: “EU directive 2000/31/EG says that he who provides an information service is not responsible for the information that is being transferred. In order to be responsible, the service provider must initiate the transfer. But the admins of The Pirate Bay don’t initiate transfers. It’s the users that do and they are physically identifiable people. They call themselves names like King Kong,” Samuelsson told the court. “According to legal procedure, the accusations must be against an individual and there must be a close tie between the perpetrators of a crime and those who are assisting. This tie has not been shown. The prosecutor must show that Carl Lundström personally has interacted with the user King Kong, who may very well be found in the jungles of Cambodia,” the lawyer added. After the King Kong defense the court decided to adjourn the court case, which will continue tomorrow on day 4. Thus far, the trial is ahead of schedule. Peter said that after today’s proceedings they all went for some pizza, where they met the whole opposing side. He asked if they could pick up the check. “They refused,” he said. Day 3 - The Pirate Bay’s ‘King Kong’ Defense (via /.) Previously:Pirate Bay trial in Stockholm: Day 1 - Boing Boing Steal This Film: Pirate Bay Trial edition - Boing Boing...
08:03
"Garble Arch" is a short timelapse film of tourists at the Abbey Road zebra crossing reenacting the iconic cover of the Beatles album. London's full of spots like these, where tourism and the needs of locals to get their life underway collide; my favorite are the luxury flats that line the route of the (absolutely excellent) Jack the Ripper tours of east London. All summer long, as they dine with their windows flung open to catch the evening breeze, out-of-work actors stand beneath them with groups of tourists, propounding the grisly deaths that Jack the Ripper wrought on this very spot, lovingly describing the slaughter as they try to get some supper down. Blame Ringo - Garble Arch (A Day in the Life of Abbey Road) (via Kottke)...
07:58
This photo by Bobby Yip for Reuters shows the mounting towers of shipping containers piling up in the port of Hong Kong as container ships, piled up in anticipation of orders from the west that never came. The shipping container may be the most potent totem of the 2000s -- up there with spurs and barbed wire, the locomotive, the sextant and other symbols of bygone eras. (via Kottke)...