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01/04/08

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  Science

  

  The Cost of Intelligence

  In Tuesday's Science Times, Carl Zimmer grants us access to scientists who are asking the question, "If it's so great to be smart, why have most animals remained dumb?" Researchers hypothesize that any animal with a nervous system can learn, but in the case of the test subjects—good old Drosophila melanogaster—the fast-learning fruit flies (the smarter ones) live on average 15 percent shorter lives than their unschooled counterparts.

  In his brief response to the story, author and New York Times editorial board member, Verlyn Klinkenborg, reframes the question behind the research by asking whether there is "an adaptive value to limited intelligence."

  Being smart, it turns out, is often high-priced: "It takes more upkeep, burns more fuel and is slow off the starting line because it depends on learning—a gradual process—instead of instinct. Plenty of other species are able to learn, and one of the things they’ve apparently learned is when to stop."

  At last, perhaps, evolutionary biology explains the age old adage, "Ignorance is bliss."

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  Posted on May 8, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Politics

  

  N.C. and Indiana Primaries

  As we suspected last night, Barack Obama does in fact roll in North Carolina—winning 56-42, and extending his delegate lead despite a two-point victory for Hillary Clinton in Indiana.
  
  Some politicos feel the critical showing diminishes the punch of Hill's charge to superdelegates to override Barack's voter lead and hand her the nomination instead—so that maybe this thing won't end in a tie.
  
  In case you're in the mood for something more decisive, John McCain ekes out a nail-biter over Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, et al. in both states—though the runners up happens to combine for a substantial 24% of the vote in N.C. and 23% in Indiana.
  
  Never has North Carolina been so significant: deemed the game-changer for the Clinton camp and its recent momentum, yet ultimately, perhaps, the game-clincher for Obama. Next up in the strange spotlight of the national stage: West Virginia, next Tuesday.

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  Posted on May 7, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Art & Design

  

  Disturbing "Art" Weekly Roundup

  We're a little behind with these, but we think they're more impressively disgusting when aggregated:

  *A Costa Rican artist shuttles a starving dog from the Nicaraguan streets to a gallery, and proceeds to frame the dog as exhibition art, possibly—though it's not known for certain—even letting the dog starve to death. The artist, Guillermo Vargas (known as Habacuc), claimed the purpose of the "work" was to bring attention to the fact that in some countries thousands of stray dogs die on the streets every day.

  *Yale University temporarily bans a senior's "abortion art" project after the student refuses to officially agree that she fabricated her creative process of multiple inseminations and self-induced abortions in the name of art. The provost demands that if the University is to reinstate the exhibition, a clear, unambiguous statement must accompany the work stating that it is a work of fiction.

  *Controversial German artist, Gregor Schneider, is seeking a near-death individual to breathe his or her dying breath on display. So far, no galleries have jumped on board.

  Starving dogs. Abortions. Dying for an audience. Not such a good week for the avant-garde.

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  Posted on April 25, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Politics

  

  Chelsea in NC

  While Hillary Clinton spent the morning in Pennsylvania duking it out with Barack Obama over today's critical 158 delegates, daughter Chelsea hopped on a plane to North Carolina to get the campaign rolling in the Tar Heel State.

  Originally slated to host a Democratic debate (yes, another one) this weekend in Raleigh, North Carolinians were informed that their opportunity to see the candidates up close before the May 6 primary was, alas, determined to be too difficult because of "time constraints and logistical issues."

  Nonetheless, the former first daughter scheduled an impromptu visit to Duke University to reclaim the coveted face-time—and we happened to be on hand to take it in.

  With actor Sean Astin (that's right: Goonies, Rudy, LOTR) in tow, Chelsea took on the notably pro-Barack crowd by steering her spiel away from her mom's opponent (in fact, for at least the first while she seemed to consciously avoid saying the "B" or "O" words), and instead to policy talk concerning higher education costs, the environment, and...oh, wait, time to go to class.

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  Posted on April 22, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Environment

  

  Green Is Good

  Another mainstream magazine—this time, The New York Times Magazine—released its "Green" issue this weekend, but yet again, multitudes of the eco-conscious are up in arms about the fact that the product doles out "rhetorical green"—ideas for environmentally-conscious living and the presence of a hoard of new eco-advertisers—but doesn't deliver on a "practice of green."

  Like Vanity Fair whose third annual Green Issue is currently under fire for not being printed on recycled paper, the NYTimes Mag's self-proclaimed "Low-Carbon Catalog" relies on a faith that the issue's message will outlive the footprint of its publication.

  Via Folio

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  Posted on April 21, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Art & Design

  

  George Lois Covers at MoMA

  Next Friday, New York's Museum of Modern Art will open "George Lois: The Esquire Covers," a year-long exhibit honoring the storied magazine's legendary art director.

  The gallery will feature 32 of the 92 covers Lois created for Esquire between 1962 and 1972, including perhaps his two most iconic: Muhammad Ali as the Christian martyr St. Sebastian and Andy Warhol being consumed by a can of Campbell's soup (above).

  Though it's no doubt a noble gesture to celebrate Lois's career, displaying covers in a museum can't possibly please the holders-on who insist that print magazines aren't becoming a thing of the past.

  UPDATE: You might remember that we consider Esquire during the Harold Hayes era, which featured many a Lois cover, to be the best magazine of all time. Read about it and 50 slightly lesser titles in this piece from Issue 003.

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  Posted on April 18, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Politics

  Philly Debate: Candidates Forced To Explain Away Slip-ups

  Last night's Democratic debate in Philadelphia's National Constitution Center featured moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous playing to the sorts of campaign nitpicking that are typically reserved for pundits and bloggers. By electing to focus on Rev. Wright (a weeks-old issue from which even the media had seemed to move on), Barack's "bitter" comment, why Obama doesn't wear the stars-and-strips on his lapel, Hillary's Bosnia trip exaggerations, and other candidate stumblings, the debate seemed willing to force issues such as taxes, gun control, and the war—which were eventually all covered—to the side-stage.

  Also of particular note, Clinton at last issued a "yes, yes, yes" (video clip above) when asked whether she thought Obama could win in November—a concession she had been unwilling to make in the past. Shortly thereafter, Barack returned with his pseudo-support of Hillary: "Absolutely [she's electable], and I've said so before."

  But the truest moment of brotherly/sisterly love came when a clip of John McCain popped up, and, prior to responding to his comments, both candidates shared in a tender moment of "look at that crazy old man" guffawing.

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  Posted on April 17, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Business & Money

  

  Hooray Tax Day!

  Just kidding. Unless you're you're a tax adviser (congrats, take a vacation), April 15 sucks. But over at Salon, they're making future Tax Days a little less suckier—at least for freelancers.

  Catherine Price—a veteran self-employed writer—lays out some guidelines that make the devilishly complicated process a little less painful. Among her suggestions: set up a bank account for business cash flow; pay your taxes quarterly (so that you aren't charged interest); open an IRA; and—no matter how much it hurts—get yourself some health insurance (just like we suggested in our November/December issue).

  No doubt Sara Horowitz and the Freelancers Union—who we profiled in our January /February issue (and who receive an appreciative nod from Price)—are proud.

  Via Salon

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  Posted on April 15, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Culture

  

  Planet's Most Published Author?

  Philip M. Parker—the self-proclaimed "most published author in the history of the planet"—has officially "written" 200,000 books, and makes money selling most of them. Parker, who compiles and organizes information on a wide variety of subjects (often only found worthy of purchase by reference libraries), has developed algorithms for his fleet of 60 to 70 computers. With the assistance of a half-dozen other programmers, Parker creates books such as, "The 2007-2012 Outlook for Tufted Washable Scatter Rugs, Bathmats and Sets That Measure 6-Feet by 9-Feet or Smaller in India"—guides that run roughly 150 pages long, are only printed at customer request, and are typically geared toward the highly-specialized consumer or the Internet un-savvy.

  A professor of management science, Parker profits by publishing thousands of "worst sellers" with a print-on-demand business model. Recently, he has even turned his "craft" to the romance genre. Programming new algorithms to write steamy supermarket pulp, Parker passes it off as though it's perfectly elementary: After all, "there are only so many body parts,” he says.

  Via New York Times

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  Posted on April 14, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Art & Design

  

  Obama's Muse-ings

  In Sunday's New York Times Magazine, Rob Walker aggregated the vast amount of art inspired by Barack Obama and his campaign toward "change." Beginning with Shepard Fairey—the original Obey Giant street artist—and his series of Obama posters (above), Walker accounts for the fairly recent addition of the "Artists for Obama" section to the campaign's website, the remix by the Black Eyed Peas of Obama's "Yes we can" mantra, and last—but perhaps most notably—barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com, which will soon be adapted into an illustrated book based on the site, due out just in time for the Democratic convention.

  While we took a close look at the campaign signs of each of the candidates back in August in our Design issue—and many others deemed Barack the most design-conscious even at that basic level—the recent outpouring of Obama creativity speaks to the artistic potential that's brought about by a particular strain of political inspiration.

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  Posted on April 14, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Health

  

  Ancient Hairless Magical Mexican Dogs Still Healing?

  The Xoloitzcuintli, a breed of ancient Mexican dog—of which half are oddly un-furred—were once revered by the Aztecs for their supposed healing powers. Yet even in the face of debunking by doctors, a host of contemporary advocates maintain Xolos' propensity to magically regenerate the ill.

  One Aztec belief was that if you take the dog to bed with you for three nights, the disease will go from you to the dog, says the president of the Xolo Club of America—who happens to be a non-believer. Another woman says the dogs ease her pain, serving as live water bottles that she places around her neck while driving.

  Some owners and doctors believe that the animals' warmth—which radiates with greater intensity due to the lack of hair—rests at the root of the myth. Still others go on in faith.

  Via ABC News

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  Posted on April 11, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Science

  

  Mad Scientists

  Twenty percent of scientific-community respondents to a new Nature survey admitted to using neuroenhancers like Ritalin and Provigil. The poll comes on the heels of a pair of reports this winter that "brain steroids" run rampant among scientists.

  Whether this is true or not, it merely takes sauntering around a university library during finals week—where there are no doubt plenty of scientists-in-training—to recognize that at least college students are willing to dabble in brain-boosting enhancements when critical evaluations are on the line.

  Via Wired

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  Posted on April 10, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Media

  

  Katie Couric and CBS to Split?

  Doomed-from-the-start Evening News anchor Katie Couric and her record-low ratings may be parting ways with CBS well before the expiration of her $15-million-per-year contract. Inked to stay on board through 2011, the once-maven of morning television has had an extraordinarily rough go in evening news since she signed on to replace interim anchor Bob Schieffer—who had sat in for Dan Rather after the Bush National Guard affair—in June 2006.

  The Wall Street Journal speculates that Couric may depart as early as January—once the aftermath of the presidential election simmers—and could potentially fill the benign interviewer seat of 74-year-old Larry King (who, as a side note, recently got tossed from his son's little league game).

  CBS denies the break-up rumors in The LA Times.

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  Posted on April 10, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Education

  

  Rank And File

  The extraordinarily popular, but often criticized, U.S. News and World Report college rankings may be on the verge of a makeover. The higher-ed pecking order—under fire in the last year from a slew of less-than-conventional colleges who elected to remove themselves from the evaluation process—is most controversial for its methodology. Considerations of acceptance rate, financial resources, and alumni giving are, say some, not indicative of school quality.

  In an effort to test out new evaluation criteria, the magazine is asking college presidents to identify "up and coming" schools, and is inviting them to recommend new and re-weighted categories. In addition, U.S. News has sent out surveys to 1,600 high school counseling offices—the results of which the magazine may or may not use.

  Via Inside Higher Ed

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  Posted on April 9, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Environment

  

  Green Gasoline

  The new cover article of Chemistry & Sustainability, Energy & Materials (don't you all subscribe?) details the first direct conversion of plant cellulose into gasoline components—producing a fuel scientists are calling "green gasoline."

  If we undertake a large-scale conversion of "sustainable biomass sources like switchgrass and poplar trees" into a standard fuel surrogate, we may begin—within the next five to 10 years—to see more chunks of that up-to-the-hour carbon map (below) morphing into a seafoam hue like exists in the middle of Montana.

  Via EurekAlert

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  Posted on April 8, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Culture

  Olympic Protest Update: Paris Demonstrations

  After one BBC reporter jinxes the whole affair by predicting the chance of a protester getting near the Olympic torch to be "pretty infinitesimal," the overwhelming presence of Parisian demonstrators forces authorities to twice extinguish the torch and shuttle it, for some distance, on a bus.

  While immediate proximity to enraged pro-Tibet activists may seem to welcome an unnecessary threat, fear not: backup flames—lit from the hallowed source at the birthplace of the ancient games in Olympia, Greece—are kept close at hand at all times during the 130-day procession.

  The Paris demonstration comes just one day after even greater disruptions—including attempts to snatch the torch and to suffocate the flame with fire extinguishers—of the relay in London.

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  Posted on April 7, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Politics

  

  Top Clinton Aide Steps Down

  Hillary Clinton's chief political strategist, Mark Penn—whom many considered to be the Democratic candidate's Karl Rove (though no one except Clinton considered him to be very smart)—resigned late Sunday night amidst pressure from the campaign.

  Penn, it was disclosed, had chosen—on behalf of Burson-Marsteller, his global public relations firm—to meet with Colombian representatives regarding a free trade agreement that Clinton had starkly opposed. Having controversially stuck it out as Burson-Marsteller's chief executive, even during his time as a top Clinton aide, Penn was criticized for the discordance between his business arrangements and his candidate's political positions.

  Meanwhile, having slipped behind Barack Obama in the popular vote, delegates accumulated, and states won, Clinton and her suddenly shaken-up (again) staff attempt to maintain a shrinking advantage in polling for the Pennsylvania primaries, which are slated for April 22.

  Via NYTimes

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  Posted on April 7, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Media

  

  No More Author Advances?

  The state of this country doesn't seem so good if you're judging by this morning's leading news: 80,000 jobs lost in the month of March, 81% of Americans think the nation is on the "wrong track," and foreign correspondents are being arrested (in places you don't want to be arrested in) for reporting without accreditation.

  And then to top it all off, there's a new publishing group at HarperCollins that is proposing to nix the author advance—in exchange for profit sharing—in order to cut costs. Not that writer's livelihoods are on par with, say, the recession or the war. It's just that the pay-for-performance model—a significant departure from the standard of author advances—is yet another indication of the mix-up occurring in so many sectors of American society.

  As the previously mentioned poll would put it: "Right direction" or "wrong track?"

  Via The Huffington Post

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  Posted on April 4, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Culture

  

  Remembering MLK's Assassination

  On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis. To mark the 40th anniversary of the catastrophic assassination, Time has compiled the accounts of the last surviving aides of King—each of whom was within ten feet of their leader when the single shot ended his life.

  Shockingly, the aides—Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, James Bevel, and Samuel "Billy" Kyles—say that despite witnessing everything that unfolded that evening, "no authority from the Memphis Police, the Tennessee State Police or the FBI have ever asked them a single question."

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  Posted on April 4, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Media

  

  Peabody Awards Announced

  Thirty-five recipients of George Foster Peabody Awards for broadcasting excellence in news and entertainment—administered by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication annually—were named on Wednesday. A ceremony will be held June 16, hosted by NBC anchor Brian Williams.

  Among the winners:
  -Wounded television journalists from ABC News, CBS News, and 60 Minutes
  -Planet Earth
  -30 Rock
  -Project Runway (the first reality show to win a Peabody)
  -Mad Men
  -Dexter
  -Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! (a weekly news quiz show produced by National Public Radio and Chicago Public Radio)
  -The Colbert Report (On last night's show, Colbert made sure everyone was aware of the recognition—especially Jon Stewart)

  Here's a full list of the winners.

  Via Washington Post

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  Posted on April 4, 2008 by - danielriley

• 1 vote

  Science

  

  Fifth Grade Fact Check

  An 11-year-old from Michigan identified a labeling faux pas at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, providing empirical evidence for the one-year-old study by Fox to determine whether you are, in fact, smarter than a fifth grader.

  While perusing the Tower of Time—a popular exhibit that had been thought to be error-free for nearly 30 years—the young man noticed that the Precambrian period was falsely identified as an era, instead of as the "dimensionless unit of time" that he knew it to be.

  After notifying the museum via comment card, he was recently informed that his observation was "spot on," and that a swift rectification of the error was in order. Which proves, as the show does, that fifth grade is best at preparing you to subvert both mildly intelligent adults and revered national institutions with a comprehensive knowledge of pedantic details.

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  Posted on April 3, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Politics

  

  Olympic Protest Update

  Following the lead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who recently urged President Bush to skip the opening ceremony of August's Olympic Games, 15 members of Congres have asked that the president sit this one out in protest of China's human rights records.

  Last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that she would skip the Games, Britain's Prince Charles said in January he had no plans to attend, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy is open to jumping on board.

  Meanwhile, President Bush is still reeling from the last opening ceremony he attended—Sunday's Washington Nationals baseball game—where a peculiar blend of post-first-pitch boos and cheers led him on and off the field.

  Via CNN

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  Posted on April 2, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Environment

  

  Solar Power Moves

  Though Virgle and its fine intentions turned out to be not so real, the project's faux-concerns—and its justifications for colonizing Mars—were right on the nose. Greenhouse-gas emissions and soaring oil prices are a problem, and we need thoughtful, expedient solutions. And it's this hyper-awareness of the quandary (even at the core of April Fool's jokes) that may permit the next round of solar power programs to make an impact.

  Ranging from the Mojave Desert's 4,500-acre thermal solar generating station—capable of producing 500 megawatts of power, officially the world's largest solar energy project—to the multi-hundred-million dollar endeavors in Israel and Australia, a host of collaborative efforts by businesses and governments are aiming to make a compelling global impression.

  Check out the list of these "megaplants."

  Via Foreign Policy.

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  Posted on April 2, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Business & Money

  

  Optimistic Second Quarter Kickoff

  Having decided against spreading volatile rumors with which to joshingly ring in the Fool's Day, Wall Street and its investors took April 1 to mark a markedly more serious occasion: the opening of 2008's second quarter, and the potential therein to begin resurrecting the economy.

  The Dow Jones industrials surged nearly 400 points, and the stocks of several big-time investment banks climbed significantly. Analysts speculate that investors may believe the credit crisis to be behind us (and banks to be taking action to avoid a fate similar to Bear Stearns') and the economy to be in better shape than some have said.

  Then again, a new report predicts that in the next 12 to 18 months, 200,000 U.S. commercial banking jobs may be lost in the wake of the subprime crisis.

  As for what's truly to come, just you wait. After all...tomorrow is another day.

  Via AP

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  Posted on April 1, 2008 by - danielriley

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  Culture

  

  Virgle: Wasn't That A Roman Poet?

  Though we're terrified to link to any news this morning (see previous post), we can't let you miss out on this fantastic spoof: Virgin and Google are teaming up (Virgle, get it?) to lead "hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history...the first permanent colony on Mars."

  All right, at first it seems like an obvious joke—but reconsider: Richard Branson has been dreaming up ways to send rich folk into space for years. Is this "interplanetary Noah's Ark" really that much of a stretch?

  Oh, and the genesis of the project, so it's claimed, arose from the physical constraints of Earth—the lack of undeveloped space, rising atmospheric CO2 levels, gross overpopulation—which would then technically make the escapade...green?

  Via Virgle

  Comments (0)

  Posted on April 1, 2008 by - danielriley