Another giant is waking up to the urgency of biosphere preservation – IEA

The International Energy Agency is finally beginning to realise that consumption patterns and technology must change if we are to avoid a natural catastrophe.  The IEA announced that $ 45,000,000,000,000 (trillion) must be spent to change the pattern of consumption of fossil fuels.  It is a long overdue public recognition only catalysed by the current …
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Alcohol is good for you …?

Well the Swedes (lovers of aquavit) have done the research and concluded that alcohol in moderation “cuts the risk of arthritis“. The qualification that it should be in moderation is important, particularly because alcohol, a toxin or poison, is the cause of many social problems and disease. Though once a teetotaller, today I prefer a …
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The 6 million dollar man becoming reality

The video and report linked here shows a monkey controlling a robotic arm via probes inserted into its brain. This certainly demonstrates the viability of robotic prosthetics (and probably some terrifying military applications). But I wouldn’t want unnecessary probes in my head and our cousin primates don’t either. It would be better if human volunteers …
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Still a primitive world – AI report on human rights 2008

Amnesty International released their annual report on human rights.  It continues to paint a stark picture of humanity.  Violence is the culture of too many places, and of too many rich countries.  With the richest countries still failing to respect human life, despite teh intellect and wealth available to nurture, it remains a dream that …
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Making jails part of the community

The Urban Institute’s recent work on jails and recidivism in the US shows that integrating jails with other community life reduces the liklihood of reoffending and lowers the costs of incaceration. This report from the Futurist: Local jails in the United States handle 9 million individuals a year, far more than state and federal prisons …
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BT Notes April – Food and consumption …

April started off in a glorious mood – the first bluebells blossomed in the woods and by mid-April the first rhododendron was out. But the warmth didn’t last; and maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. A couple of cold, dry weeks in the middle of the month meant that the grass and weeds didn’t …
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Lifestyle at conception determines gender.

According to research reported by the BBC, a female’s diet around the time of conception may influence the gender of her baby. The study, by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford, appears in the Royal Society journal Biological Sciences, suggests a high calorie diet at the time of conception, especially proper breakfasts, might increase the …
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Instructables – how to do anything

Check out this great site www.instructables.com.  It offers instructions on how to do or build useful things.  It’ll be enjoyed by “boys”, but also craftspeople, DIYers, people on a budget, people who can’t get cool stuff in their neighbourhood and people who are trying to reuse and recycle or just live with less.  Examples include …
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