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Wednesday 30 November 2011

Wi-Fi laptops may damage sperm? Give over!

Before we heard that cell phones can cause cancer. Now we are told that Wi-Fi laptops may damage sperm? Has the world gone mad or what?

Wi-fi laptops may damage sperm
© Gert Vrey - Fotolia.com 

Sperm samples placed beneath a laptop with a wireless internet connection for just four hours were found to have reduced motility and more DNA damage compared with other samples stored under the same conditions but away from the laptop.

The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, collected sperm samples from 29 healthy men, aged 26 to 45. Each of the samples were then separated into two pots.
One set of samples was placed beneath a laptop connected to the internet via Wi-Fi as it downloaded information, while the other set was stored under identical conditions - including temperature - but away from the computer.

The researchers found that exposure to the laptop resulted in a significant decrease in sperm motility and a significant increase in DNA fragmentation. Around 25 per cent of the sperm in samples exposed to the laptop stopped swimming compared with 14 per cent of those kept away from the computer. Similarly around nine per cent of the sperm exposed to the laptop showed DNA damage compared with three per cent in the control samples.

So there you have it. Get a desktop!

Read more: http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/wifi-laptops-may-damage-sperm.htm

Monday 28 November 2011

Facebooked on charges: Hitting 'like' may land you in jail (in Thailand)

Things are starting to get ridiculous. Thailand has always had some of the harshest and most outdated media laws but now the country just took another giant leap back into the Dark Ages!

AFP Photo / Tang Chhin Sothy
AFP Photo / Tang Chhin Sothy

Apparently, according to RT.com, fifteen years behind bars is the price you could pay for “liking” some Facebook pages in Thailand, and this is just part of a global trend as Big Brother’s hand is increasingly extended to social networks.

Thailand’s information minister has warned that people “liking” or “sharing” Facebook pages considered derogatory to the King and the royal family will be charged with violating the country’s lèse majesté laws, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He advised them to “unlike” the pages and to remove any comments posted or risk harsh penalties, The Bangkok Post reports.

Thailand is notorious for strictly enforcing its laws protecting the dignity of the sovereign, regardless of the perpetrator’s nationality. In 2007, a Swiss man was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for spray-painting posters with the King’s image. Luckily for him, the subject of his portraits pardoned him after four months.  

In 2009, an Australian writer was sentenced to three years in prison for writing a novel which contained a passage considered offensive to the royal family. Once again, he got lucky after the King pardoned him too.

The Thai authorities are now turning their attention to cyberspace in the quest to clamp down on offenders. This year, US citizen Joe Gordon was arrested for posting excerpts from a banned biography of the King on his website and is currently waiting for the court’s ruling after he pleaded guilty to insulting the royal family.

Although all these episodes portray a quirky but harmless national law, the reality is that nobody is immune from being arrested for their internet activities, even (and perhaps especially) in the Western world.

The British police arrested some Facebook users for allegedly inciting disorder, looting and burglary during this summer’s riots in the country. They were eventually sentenced to four years in prison. In the United States, six teenage girls were detained after they used Facebook to send invitations to participate in a so-called “Attack a Teacher Day.” The punishments they received were not as severe, however: they were released into the custody of their parents and were suspended from school for several days.  

Although prosecuting people for their online activities is nothing new, the number of activities that could get you in jail has been on the rise. And although Thailand has its own eccentric legislation regarding freedom of speech, there is also an alarming trend in the West: the internet, once a bastion of free speech, is now monitored by the authorities who seek to interpret what they read as evidence of a crime.

When will these governments ever learn that the more you try to suppress people's opinions, the more you close off their society, the more you inadvertently invite people to express themselves in other ways, and such ways are not always friendly and convivial. As William Blake famously said, "Better to murder an infant in its cradle than nurse an unacted desire." Amen brother!

Source:  https://rt.com/news/facebook-thailand-prison-offensive-remarks-383/




Monday 21 November 2011

The Future has arrived...Bionic contact lens 'to project emails before eyes'


We've all watched the old sci-fi favoutires from Star Trek to Dr. Who, from Torchwood to Blakes Seven, but the gadgets we saw them using like Captian Kirk's teleporter gizmo ("Beam me up Scotty!") was just a thing of the show, and like all of the gadgets therein, it was just part of the escapist magic of the show, never really anything we thought would actually come into the real world. Well now all that has changed.

bionic eye  
The vision is to stream real-time information in front of the eyes
 

A new generation of contact lenses that project images in front of the eyes is a step closer after successful animal trials, say scientists. The technology could allow wearers to read floating texts and emails or augment their sight with computer-generated images, Terminator-syle.

Researchers at Washington University who are working on the device say early tests show it is safe and feasible. But there are still wrinkles to iron out, like finding a good power source. Currently, their crude prototype device can only work if it is within centimetres of the wireless battery. And its microcircuitry is only enough for one light-emitting diode, reports the Journal of Micromechanics and "our next goal is to incorporate some predetermined text in the contact lens” said lead researcher Professor Babak Praviz.

But now that initial safety tests in rabbits have gone well, with no obvious adverse effects, the researchers have renewed faith about the device's possibilities. They envisage hundreds more pixels could be embedded in the flexible lens to produce complex holographic images. For example, drivers could wear them to see journey directions or their vehicle's speed projected onto the windscreen.
 
Similarly, the lenses could take the virtual world of video gaming to a new level. They could also provide up-to-date medical information like blood sugar levels by linking to biosensors in the wearer's body.

Dr Praviz and his team are not the only scientists working on this type of technology. A Swiss company called Sensimed has already brought to market a smart contact lens that uses inbuilt computer technology to monitor pressure inside the eye to keep tabs on the eye condition glaucoma.

One wonders what will come next? Electronic chip implants that are placed in your hands and eyes to help you play better table tennis or golf? Extra digits or metatarsal implants to help you play better football? Technology is ushering in a quiet new but revolutionary world at breakneck speed.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15817316

Sunday 20 November 2011

'Average' height yields most children

Forget the "Tall, dark, and handsome" myth. If you are an Average Joe like me, you'll apparently have more babies or so the latest research suggests.

From left: John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett

What role does height have in the number of children?
 
Scientists studying men in the US said those who were 178cm (5ft 10in) were the most reproductively successful.Writing in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, they said such men produced, on average, more than two-and-a-half children. The authors said it might be due to men of average height marrying earlier.

There have been studies which suggest that women prefer a taller man, such as those looking at the choices made during speed or online dating. Gert Stulp, one of the researchers at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, said that in Western societies it had been thought that taller men also had the most children. He reviewed previous studies on height and children as well as publishing new data from the Wisconsin Study, which followed school leavers in 1957 for the next 50 years. There was data on 3,578 men.


Mr Stulp told the BBC: "Contrary to popular belief, tall men do not have most reproductive success. It is average-height men who have the most reproductive success." In the study of US men, it seems one possible explanation is in the marriage data. "It really seems average height men get a partner earlier than both shorter and taller men, so this is a possible mechanism.

So there you have it. Mr. Average is the winner in this one!

Read more:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15779275



Monday 14 November 2011

'Karl Marx would have made a fantastic hedge fund manager'

 At first glance you start to think that this is another example of one of them wacky titles that are just there to get attention and are completely devoid of any real substance. But then when you read it, you are pleasantly surprised by the heaps of common sense it makes.



Occupy London Stock Exchange protest


Activist-turned-financier Brett Scott argues that protesters can become more effective by educating themselves about finance. Recently he wrote an article called: Has the Occupy movement considered subverting global finance from within? In it he proposes that activists complement traditional forms of protest with a novel strategy he calls "impact anthropology". It involves, he wrote, "submerging oneself for the explicit purpose of internalising the rules and inner codes of the system you wish to impact. Gaining access allows one to obtain internal knowledge, and that leads to legitimacy within the system. This leads to an ability to create an impact."

 It's an intriguing idea: not to make the long march through the institutions to change the system from within, but to gain inside knowledge in order to target the system and influence the people in it from without. How would that work?

"I've discovered that in some senses there's this artificial dichotomy between 'bankers' and activists. In the anarchist movement you've got really smart and hyper-critical people on the one hand, but you've also got a lot of group-think on the other. It's the same thing in finance. If you look at hedge fund managers, the really successful ones are often the type of people who dare to think against the grain, constantly looking for divergent, big-picture views and ideas. That's why I think Karl Marx would have made a fantastic hedge fund manager."

If there's one change Brett would like to see, it is that we "drop the myth that finance is terribly complicated". That misconception actually serves the interests of the industry, he thinks, and activists seem to find it comforting too. "Just count the number of times that the term 'derivative' comes with the word 'complex' attached to it. This creates a barrier to knowledge."

What he's primarily suggesting is a kind of Trojan Horse movement where the power of financiers and capitalists could be subverted from within. Wouldn't that be amazing if it could be pulled off? It would certainly give a new meaning to the notion of corporate responsibility and responsible governance.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/joris-luyendijk-banking-blog/2011/nov/14/karl-marx-hedge-fund-manager

Friday 11 November 2011

The Thai Floods - When tomorrow never comes

With the Asian Tsunami of 2004, the lack of a decent education, the rampant corruption, the near civil war last year between the Red and Yellow Shirts, and now the floods, you have to feel for the average Thai who seems as a resilient and flexible as on old leather bag. No sooner has one disaster come and gone, but another floats along like an abandoned Styrofoam tray. Now threats in the flood waters of crocodiles and snakes have been added to the mix. One wonders when, if ever, Thailand will settle down and Thais can enjoy a modicum of peace and tranquility. Or can they ever?


(above photo -  Thai Businesswomen make their way through the floodwater as it advances into central Bangkok, on October 26, 2011

"Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry...I'm here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you. " (Charlie Brown to Snoopy)
Water, water everywhere...
Everyone knows how important water is to Thai life. You only have to look at the many rivers which coil around the land like a weaving snake; the monsoon season which covers Thailand's cities with a deluge of the liquid stuff; the myriad rice paddies; the water buffalos lazily grazing in fields; the variety of water-lilies and lotus blossoms in nearby ponds; the Tom Yum clear soup dishes, and a host of many other very Thai images that depend on water for their identities.

How sad now that the floods have been so harsh to the landscape and inundated the terrain smothering everything in its path. It's as if the Thai God of Water has put a curse on Thailand and opened its banks to usher in a post-deluvian world: a world where Thais have no choice but to wade waist deep in the thick browny liquid until sufficient supplications have been made at various temples and the god's anger subsides allowing the water to recede. For me though, better to put your faith in the gods, or Buddha, or an amulet than rely on your leaders, and this may partly explain the deeply held religious beliefs of your average Thai. After all, as the British like to joke - "The Romans, what have they ever done for us?" The same question could be asked by Thais - "Thai politicians, what have they ever done for us?"
Jam tomorrow...
Perhaps it's a bit unfair to say it, but it does seems to me that once again Thailand has been let down by its leaders. As usual the politicians have been busy figuring out ways to not say and do what should have been said and done at the start of the flooding, instead, preferring to protect Thailand's image abroad at the expense of the people who desperately needed help in terms of evacuation along with food and medical supplies. It's a familiar story in Thailand: tourism and the potential negative effects of a downturn were the main focus above helping the local population, just as the business sector was valued above the needs of poor Somchai and his wife in a paddy field in Loei.
With recent news that, as a last resort, the Thai army has been called in to help get the flooding under control, you have to wonder how and why a young, completely inexperienced female politician could possibly be in charge of a country of 70 million people? To say that Yingluck Shinawatra was as overwhelmed as the Mekong Delta is an understatement. The size of the monumental task before her would have tested the mettle of even the most seasoned politicians, so it beggars belief that she was left in charge of such a difficult situation, not just geographically, but one which has ramifications both politically and economically.

Those who remember Hurricane Katrina in America will see striking parallels in Thailand with the response to the disaster to the current flood. In fact, it seems as if every time there is an emergency or national disaster, the politicians and local leaders, instead of rising to the occasion like leaders should, see the opportunity in disaster and find ways to profit from it. As usual, what results is an "Alice Through the Looking Glass" scenario where things are promised but never actually turn up, hence the phrase "Jam tomorrow."
Disaster capitalism
This slow and/or inadequate response also happened when the H1N1 crisis came around as the government withheld information vital to people on the ground with the result that many people were in fear of just how much the disease had spread. The same scenario played out during the early stages of the 2004 Asian Tsunami where the potential for a disastrous impact on the local economy meant that many people didn't know how many had perished in the tsunami.

Perhaps someone can tell me why an event that happens every year, the rainy season, and has done since the beginning of time, has not been monitored to the extent that a clear, and well organized contingency plan exists for just such a disaster that we are all currently witnessing? Or am I being unreasonable here and expecting too much? I remember the words of a high ranking Thai water official who berated the government for repeatedly telling them, year after year, that they should make sure that the reservoirs in and around Bangkok and in other areas should always be emptied before the rainy season. Did the government, central or local, take a blind bit of notice? We all know the answer, unfortunately. No, this wouldn't have solved the flooding problem in of itself, but it would have mitigated some of its effects thereby lessening the impact on at least some of the country's denizens.

Of course a lack of leadership is prevalent not only in Thailand, but in other parts of the world today. Politicians like Angela Merkel, Nicholas Sarkozy, Christine Lagarde, and David Cameron, shuttle in and out of eleventh hour meetings in European capitals with the clear mandate to solve many of the world's economic problems that they should have prevented from happening. Yet, little ever seems to happen, and last week a high ranking European official was sent, not unlike Dickens' "Oliver Twist", cap in hand, and a begging bowl at the ready, to ask for investment from the powerhouse of Asia - China.

Those who want to find out more about this so-called Disaster Capitalism playing out in so many cities and countries around the world can read Naomi Klein's interesting book - "The Shock Doctrine". According to this doctrine, you need do the following: "Invest in "Disaster Capitalism. This new investment sector is the core of the emerging "new economy" that generates profits by feeding off other peoples' misery: Wars, terror attacks, natural catastrophes, poverty, trade sanctions, market crashes and all kinds of economic, financial and political disasters."

You could easily have added the banking crisis and the Credit Crunch to this list. I only hope that the negative effects of Disaster Capitalism do not happen in Thailand as they did in America where scores of schools were shut down forever and public services drastically cut back. Thai people deserve better: better leaders, better planning, and a better future.

Read more: http://www.ajarn.com/blogs/tom-tuohy/the-thai-floods/