The Lumpen Proletarian

'Flying syringe' mosquitos, other ideas get Gates funding

PhysOrg.com: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded 100,000 dollars each on Wednesday to scientists in 22 countries including funding for a Japanese proposal to turn mosquitos into 'flying syringes' delivering vaccines.

Researchers say voters swayed by candidates who share their looks

PhysOrg.com: (PhysOrg.com) -- Made up your mind who to vote for? Maybe it's because you like the looks of the candidate. Or maybe it's because the candidate looks a little like you, even if you don't realize it.

Computer Keyboard Hacking

PhysOrg.com: (PhysOrg.com) -- Swiss researchers from the Security and Cryptography Laboratory have demonstrated different ways of eavesdropping on wired keyboards from at least 11 different models. The keyboards range from the latest ones to the ones used in 2001. Test show that all these keyboards were vulnerable to at least four of their attacks.

Segway Inventor Turns Mind to the Poor - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com

Home - Cold War Modern - Victoria and Albert Museum

The website for the V&A's Cold War Modern exhibition

G.M. and Chrysler Plan More Cutbacks - NYTimes.com

Both automakers announced plans for layoffs as they continue to shrink their operations ahead of a possible merger.

Canada to Guarantee Bank Loans - NYTimes.com

Loan guarantees offered by the Canadian government on Thursday suggest that even healthy banking systems might require government support for international borrowing.

British Architect Norman Foster to Design Public Library’s Renovation - NYTimes.com

Norman Foster, the eminent British architect, has been selected for a major renovation of the New York Public Library’s landmark 1911 main building.

Losing More Than a Roof Overhead - NYTimes.com

Inability to make mortgage payments is driving families to make difficult choices and forcing them to reconsider what home means.

Classic Clothes - It’s Their Moment Again - NYTimes.com
Some clothes never change — Barbour, Filson, Red Wing — and this is their moment.

With hot coffee, we see a warm heart, researchers find

PhysOrg.com: Our judgment of a person's character can be influenced by something as simple as the warmth of the drink we hold in our hand.

Could your initials influence where you choose to work?

PhysOrg.com: One of the most important decisions that we can make is what company we will work for. There are a number of factors to consider when making this decision, including salary, benefits and work location. However, there may also be less-obvious factors in play that sway our decision, and without us even knowing it. It is well known that unconscious thoughts can influence certain aspects of our behavior. An intriguing example of this is the 'name-letter effect,' a phenomenon which shows that we have a preference for things that begin with the same letter as our first name.

Half of Doctors Routinely Prescribe Placebos - NYTimes.com

Half of all doctors in the U.S. regularly prescribe placebos to patients despite professional rules that forbid the practice, according to a nationwide survey.

The Food Chain - Drought Resistance Is the Goal, but Methods Differ - Series - NYTimes.com

Scientists are trying to create varieties of corn, wheat and other crops that can thrive with little water.

Posterity post

The little nation that could go green - and is
Who would have thought a dictator inspired a renewable energy campaign? That's one explanation for how Portugal has come to embrace clean energy so enthusiastically.