conuly

On Decimated Shore, a Second Life for Christmas Trees

http://nyti.ms/UjHbs

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Focus on Mental Health Laws to Curb Violence Is Unfair, Some Say

http://nyti.ms/YmMdl9

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Mutations Found in Melanomas May Shed Light on How Cancers Grow

http://nyti.ms/WpggGz

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Prison Population Can Shrink When Police Crowd Streets

http://nyti.ms/V6ftvL

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Surgeon creates new kidney on TED stage

Let's state that again: He basically made an organ using a 3D printer. Like something out of Star Trek, isn't it?

Here's an article with one theory about why Henry VIII had so many problems producing an heir.

A hundred years ago, our food-safety regulators were willing to eat formaldehyde on our behalf. What are they doing now?

I'm still goggling over the printed organ. Did you read that article yet?

A video from Fox News showing protesters in a suspiciously snowless and bepalmtreed Wisconsin.

The Republicans’ War on Congressional Recycling. It's spiteful and petty is what it is. I can understand the anonymous email that goes "Somehow this bothers me more than the EERE cuts."

And finally, insulating yourself is more efficient than insulating your home, though you'd be wise to do both. All those times your mom told you to just put on a sweater, she was right.

And finally, in case you missed it - they basically used a replicator to print a kidney. I'm half hoping this is a hoax, because... it's scary stuff, living in the future! (In the present, should I die suddenly, I expect every one of my organs to be donated away. I can't take 'em with me, after all.)

One about the late lamented Holocene (I guess)

One claiming that the North Pole may be ice free this summer. (Wikipedia says 2050 is the more common claim)

I've got to stop reading environmental news. They're depressing, and I can never spend enough attention to ferret out what's hyperbole and what's not - I just don't want to spend the time on them.

Beijing guide labels disabled 'unsocial' (From bookgirlwa) Unfortunately, I've used up most of my outrage already, so all I feel right now is a kind of irritated not-quite-apathy. But it really is very offensive.

How Green Is the College? Time the Showers

( And a little bit of lighter material )

One quick one about how cutting down on your meat consumption does a lot more good than simply buying local foods.

And another one about the future of oil - not much new here, but it's all very frightening, of course.

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Which brings me to my link. It's been a while since I've talked about the need for solar ovens in some parts of the world, but hear me out here. Cooking fires are a direct cause of deforestation - which leads to global warming. They're also a direct cause of pollution which, given the number of cooking fires worldwide, leads to global warming. Cooking fires cause injuries to the people who use them - both fast ones like burns and long-time ones like damaged lungs. Going and getting fuel takes up so much of people's days, or their income, or both. Solar ovens can do so much good, really. There's another place to donate here, run by a Jewish organization. (Oh, and happy Passover, all.)

Just think about it.

The inventor of the Super Soaker has come up with a way to double the output of solar cells.

I love Super Soakers. Sometimes, even when I'm on the receiving end of one. This guy is now doubly cool, and how cool is that?

I routinely (well, when I'm in the habit of watching TV) see ads from the Plastic Counsel (or whomever) talking about how "plastics make it possible" in reference to saving peoples lives via bulletproof vests, inhalers, blood transfusions, and, of course, saran wrap. (They don't mention duct tape, oddly.)

Which leads me to this question: What is plastic actually required for? What could substitute for plastic in various items that tend to be made of plastic around here? They don't have to be crucial things - if you want to go back to wooden dice, that's terrific! They just have to be things that are commonly made of plastic, and don't have to be.

Because I honestly was surprised for a while to realize that this or that thing could be made of something, well... non-plastic. A lot of games, really.

In a not-at-all-related note, I often hear people pontificating about what "children need to know" in "today's world", usually in the context of teaching children something wildly inappropriate before they're developmentally ready (just because I could read at 3 doesn't mean most children should be reading before they even enter the first grade. Trust me, by 10, you really can't tell). I always feel like pointing out that their kids won't be living in today's world, they'll be living in the world of the future, but this alternately depresses and amuses me.

So, if you don't want to answer question A, answer question B: What skills will kids of today actually need when they're adults?

Clicky!

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Are you guys reading these? Because I would have thought the article about the island of plastic in the middle of the ocean which is the size of Texas would get some comments or repostings, and... I feel so unloved! *sniffle*

Check it out.

So, let's see. We've got wheat blight, dead bees in the US and Europe, the ever-present risk of global warming, fighting over nukes in North Korea (and everywhere else has them too, I might add)...

I should start stockpiling popcorn. There would be nothing so fun as sitting around munching on popcorn as society collapses around me.

I mean... I just have no damn words for this. Plan, anybody?