SEP 06
 |
|
|
 |
Phrase of the day.
Today’s phrase is ‘ Breakthrough Inflation ‘
According to the Wall Street Journal , research company Factiva Consulting Services has been keeping a log of corporate press-releases which contain the word ‘breakthrough’ in the headline.
So far they’ve found 8,600.
But how many true breakthroughs are there every year ?
Is it possible that :
“ . . . the work that an engineer would consider simply a good day in the lab becomes, in the hands of the PR department, an advance worthy of being shouted about from the rooftops ? “
Either way, the WSJ goes on to inform us tha last year’s champion ‘ breakthrougher ‘ was IBM - with an impressive eight ' breakthrough ' headlines since January.
Notes:
• Factiva has a ‘ targeted news ‘ agreement with IBM.
• “ Factiva's business information includes Dow Jones and Reuters newswires and –
The Wall Street Journal . . . “
Read the WSJ article here
: or here
28 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
More on the Offset Hypothesis.
" When antilock brakes were first introduced, insurance companies noticed that the accident rates for those cars increased "
Says yesterday’s press release from Purdue University .
Bearing in mind that ABS for cars has been around for more than two decades, it might seem odd that car manufacturers and marketers have managed to keep so consistently quiet on the realities of the subject for so long.
Now the Purdue has looked at another, more recent, safety feature – airbags.
Do airbags reduce the likelihood of accidents or injuries ?
According to the new study, no – the Offset Hypothesis rules - as usual.
The more safety features a car has - the faster the car tends to be driven.
The research confirmed, yet again, that “ safety systems did not affect the probability of having an accident or injury. “
( Unless of course you’re unlucky enough to be an un-airbaged, un-belted, no-ABS cyclist or a pedestrian – in which case your risk-of-injury will almost certainly have gone up in the last few years.)
28 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Get safe
If you happen to be in the vicinity of Sydney, Australia, on the 27-29 September ( and you have a few hundred A$ to spare*), why not drop in to the Australian Injury Prevention Conference ?
There is an extensive agenda, including presentations and discussions on :
DIY injuries,
‘Safer Celebrating’,
And on Friday details of some new research from the University of New South Wales.
‘ The effect of in-car audiovisual systems on the performance of drivers in neighbouring vehicles. ’
[ Keyword : neighbouring ]
“ People do attend to them and when they do attend
to them it impairs their driving."
More news on study can be found here in the Sydney
Morning Herald.
( * Note : Dinner not included )
27 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Honesty in Pagurus bernhardus
Hermit crabs often ‘fight’ - their primary objective being to move upmarket by gaining an new - and presumably desirable - portable shell of a colleague.
The University of Belfast has been conducting research into hermit crab aggression for some years, and the School of Biological Sciences has just published a new study in the Oct issue of the journal Animal Behaviour.
It seems that there are two main pre-fight strategies for hermit crabs – one is :
“ Cheliped presentation, where the claws were held in a stationary position, often by both crabs but for longer by the larger “
The research team felt that this approach
“ seemed to be honest, and allowed for mutual size assessment. “
But some ( smaller) crabs sometimes use another method – the so-called cheliped extension.
In this case the smaller crab makes a rapid claw-lunge towards the larger one – and the researchers conclude that this method, which was often successful
“ may contain an element of bluff ”
Really Magazine feels that the study could have implications in the field of Signaling Theory. Specifically, the Theory of Honest Signaling
" As you are waiting for friend in the hotel lobby, a well-dressed man walks up and asks you for the time. You notice his thousand-dollar suit and, without thinking, address him as 'Sir' ."
Read an abstract of the crab study here
:
26 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
The R word.
Prof. Richard Dawkins , ( author of The selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable – and coiner of the concept of ‘ memes ’ ) is poised launch a new book – The God Delusion.
It’s based around a two part Channel 4 documentary broadcast earlier this year.
Here’s a quote :
“ For many people, part of growing up is killing off the virus of faith with a good strong dose of rational thinking. But if an individual doesn't succeed in shaking it off, his mind is stuck in a permanent state of infancy, and there is a real danger that he will infect the next generation. “
؟ ؟ ؟
• The BBC Newsnight website is carrying excerpts from the book here
• Download (.mp4 format) and watch the TV docu here
: part
1 part
2
• Buy the book here :
• Visit the Richard Dawkins Foudation for Reason and Science website.
25 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
! (exclamation mark)
“ Past research has reported that females use exclamation points more frequently than do males. “
A factoid which may be as unbeknownst to our readers as it was to us.
Mary Hiatt's book The Way Women Write (1977) explained the findings, in what some might see as a slightly un-PC fashion, thus :
“ . . . the frequency of use of exclamation points is one indicator of what might be called 'emotionality' or 'excitability' . . . “
Now a new study has analysed 200 words, phrases or sentences ( from www boards ) that ended in exclamation points.
So, did the new research bear out previous work ?
Why yes !
“ A breakdown of the results by gender indicates that 73% of all exclamations were made by females, and 27% by males. “
Other conclusions are drawn too, for which you can turn to the current issue of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , where you’ll find the study in full.
23 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Turnuptheheat
George Monbiot has launched a new website - turnuptheheat.org as an adjunct to his forthcoming book - How to Stop the Planet Burning - to be published by Allen Lane next week.
For those not familiar with his work, he’s the author of the best
selling books The Age of Consent: a manifesto for a new world order and Captive
State:
the corporate takeover of Britain ; as well as the investigative travel
books Poisoned Arrows, Amazon Watershed and No Man’s Land. He writes
a weekly column for the Guardian newspaper.
He is currently visiting professor of planning at Oxford Brookes University.
Back to the new site : Really Magazine particularly likes a section of the site called ‘ Bluffers Corner ‘
“ dedicated to those brave souls who know nothing about climate change, but still feel qualified to write about it. “
21 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Win win
If you had a satisfyingly substantial lottery win, would your General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) mental-strain rating go down ?
A cautious ‘Yes’ - says new research from human-capital-and-financial-management-consulting-services firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide and the University of Warwick , UK.
The team evaluated lottery winners from a pool of 5000 UK households - which, during the research period was equivalent to 33,605 person-years.
The average win was a meagre £30 – and, not surprisingly, made little difference to a person's medium term happiness.
But 137 winners won between £1,000 and approximately £120,000 –
“ After two years, their mental wellbeing compared to before the lottery win has improved by approximately 1.4 GHQ points on a 36-point scale, with a standard error of approximately 0.5. “
Put another way, their GHQ ‘mental strain rating’ went down.
( 1.4 GHQ points - on a 36-point scale ).
Which, by Really Magazine's back-of-a-lottery-ticket calculation means that they were roughly 4% happier. ( though the warwick.ac.uk press release optimistically reckons it at 10% )
To sum up :
“ a windfall is followed eventually by a significant improvement in mental health “
Really Magazine recalls the old joke -
' Money can’t buy you happiness – but it makes being miserable a whole lot more comfortable . . . '
Link to the research paper, to published in an upcoming issue of the Journal
of Health Economics, here :
20 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Virtual obstacles
If you’re a Segway user, you might want to read this ‘ recall letter ’ recently published by the manufacturers.
“ All owners should stop using the Segway PT immediately “
A software bug has been identified which “ can unexpectedly apply reverse torque to the wheels, which can cause a rider to fall. “
Ooops . . .
This is an important development to be borne in mind for developers currently trying to implement computer-control systems for other vehicles - say . . . cars ?
Falling off your ‘personal transporter’ may be inconvenient and perhaps even dangerous – but imagine a ‘software glitch’ in a car’s drive-by-wire system ?
It’s going to happen - just a matter of time.
Tip for carmakers : Start working on your glitch-insurance policies now.
• Comment from reader Geoff H :
They can just borrow the relevant text from the fly-by-wire industry who have been operating now for quite a while, and with a pretty good record too...
• Reader Simeon alerts us to Brake-By-Wire technology in development for cars
19 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
DDT- 2
On Friday, the World Health Organization announced that they are “ now recommending the use of indoor residual spraying [ of DDT ] not only in epidemic areas but also in areas with constant and high malaria transmission “
“ Extensive research and testing has since demonstrated that well-managed indoor residual spraying programmes using DDT pose no harm to wildlife or to humans.”
It’s a policy reversion back to the mid 1950’s when the WHO embarked on a worldwide campaign to try to eradicate malaria – based on killing mosquitos with DDT.
Malaria was not eradicated, and the insects rapidly built up DDT resistance in many areas.
DDT is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) with a reported half life of between 2-15 years. It’s a recognised human carcinogen, developmental toxicant and reproductive toxicant ( source: Scorecard )
In 2004 the global treaty on persistent organic pollutants known as the
Stockholm Convention set out a list of agreed measures aimed at discouraging the use of the chemical
wordlwide – but with a specific exclusion allowing its manufacture
and use for disease control.
It costs about $5 per house to spray with DDT.
Between 300 million and 500 million people are infected with Malaria every
year, and 1 million – mostly children – die from the disease.
For everything you ever wanted to know about DDT , see the Wikipedia entry :
18 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Link of the day.
To be found there ; ketchup, mayo, relish, honey creamer, jam, miscellaneous and many others .
please note : if you’re looking for sugar packets, you’ll have
to look elsewhere - the museum collects all condiment packets other than
sugar packets, “ which are currently well documented
by other sources. “
15 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Demographic Predictors of Musical Style Preferences
If you're a music fan, Dr. Adrian North , module co-ordinator of the University of Leicester’s Psychology of Music course, would like to hear from you.
Via his newly launched website you can take part in anonymous survey regarding your background, your personality, and your musical preferences.
“ The study is the largest of its kind to examine how musical taste can be predicted on the basis of the listener’s age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and personality. “
10,000 respondees are required for data analysis.
Dr. North has been researching the links between musical tastes and lifestyle for some time - his previous work can be accessed here ; ( .doc format )
Example findings :
* 56.9% of dance music fans and 53.1% of hip hop fans admitted to having committed a criminal act ( compared to just 17.9% of fans of musicals ).
* Classical music / opera lovers had an average annual income of £35,000 before tax, whereas dance music fans earned only £23,311
* 12.3% of opera fans had tried magic mushrooms.
14 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Cycling safety.
The new study, which is a classic and disturbing look at the psychology of ‘ perceived-risk compensation * ’ was setup to determine the safety benefits of wearing a cycle helmet.
Dr Ian Walker, a traffic psychologist from the University of Bath , UK, fitted a bicycle with an electronic distance-sensor and an onboard computer to record the data. Researchers then spent 50% of cycling road-time with a safety helmet, and 50% without.
To sum up, when the cyclists wore the helmet, passing motorists drove much closer to the bike – to be specific, 9 cm. closer in the case of trucks, and 23 cm. closer for buses.
As any cyclist will tell you, 23 cm. makes a huge difference when being cut up passed by a bus . . .
As an adjunct to the experiment, Dr. Walker also tried wearing a long ( female-looking ? ) wig – and found that by doing so he could reclaim 17cm of safety-space . . .
As Really Mag sees it, the implication of the research is that perhaps the best strategy for urban cyclists is to make oneself look as vulnerable as possible – and we further postulate that a highly exaggerated faux-instability wobble would probably help too.
؟ ؟ ؟
Notes :
* The same syndrome that encourages seat-belt wearers to drive faster than unbelted drivers . . .
• “ Dr Walker, who was struck by a bus and a truck in the course of the experiment, spent half the time wearing a cycle helmet and half the time bare-headed. He was wearing the helmet both times he was struck. “
• Press release here :
• 11,257 adult cyclists were injured and 109 killed on the UK’s roads in 2004, the latest year for which figures are available. However, for each bicycle accident officially recorded there are as many as 14 more which do not go on police records
• Comment from Dr. Walker :
Having looked at the data really carefully, I'd say this isn't about risk compensation. If it were, the implication would have to be that the driver seeing a helmeted rider trades an increased risk of a crash (because of the narrower overtaking proximity) and an increased risk of hurting the rider in places other than the head for the decreased risk of a head injury. This would suggest an amazing amount of analytical thought on the part of the driver in less than two seconds!
I think a much more likely explanation comes from studies of drivers' attitudes to cyclists. These have found that drivers who don't cycle tend to have quite stereotyped views of cyclists and as a result tend to see a helmet as a sign of experience, skill and seriousness, and I believe my findings were a behavioural manifestation of this.
In the words of a bus driver I interviewed a few months ago: " We all know who the good cyclists are, don't we? They're the ones with the helmets! "
• Comment from reader Simeon :
To get a wide berth, I recommend:-
1. A fluoro vest; I don't think that motorists associate them with experienced
cyclists
2. An absence of deodorant
3. A number plate (maybe a motorbike one in the UK - your car ones are
too long)
• Comment from reader Jake M :
Perhaps the best thing would be to wear a helmet - but disguised under a long wig ? ( Though make sure the hair isn't so long as it could get caught in the spokes ).
• Comment from reader Randomaction
Could it be that when helmeted the intrepid Dr. Walker cycled more aggressively?
12 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Digitized guesswork.
Over the past few years “ there has been a growing interest in extending the theory of probability and statistics to allow for more flexible modelling of uncertainty, ignorance and fuzziness “
Readers interested in ‘fuzziness’ will have barely missed last week’s Soft Methods in Probability and Statistics ( SMPS2006 ) conference organised by the University of Bristol .
Where it was explained that, when it comes to statistical analysis “ it is becoming increasingly clear that integrating fuzzy sets and probability can lead to more robust and interpretable models “
In the mathematical / digital world, implementing ‘ fuzziness’ makes allowance for errors and omissions – which, according to aficionados, makes the systems more accurate - even though, by definition, the results are based on fuzzy ( i.e. inaccurate data ).
The future looks much brighter for high-end corporate auditing firms everywhere.
We guess. Possibly.
Further reading ; The International Journal of approximate Reasoning :
And don’t miss Fuzzy Logic magazine.
11 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Partner-bot with Balldrive
It’s ok to push around your personal assistant – if the PA’s a robot.
In a press release from last month [ sorry, we missed it at the time - Ed. ] , Carnegie Mellon University researchers describe how they have developed a robot with what they are calling an ' Inverse Mouse Ball Drive '
Ballbot is roughly the same height and width of a ( rather thin ) person , and dynamically balances on a single polyurethane-coated steel ball 20cm in diameter.
Onboard is a 200MHz PC ( running Windows™ ? ) which performs the real-time calculations linking the onboard three-axis accelerometers with the motors driving the ball - so that it can balance and recover if pushed.
Due to its unique balldrive it can of course move in any direction.
It’s hoped that ‘progeny’ of Ballbot [ shouldn't it be called ' Bob ' ? - Ed. ]
“
. . . might well function as aids to elderly or disabled persons; provide
guidance and assistance in public spaces; help with education and entertainment;
perform domestic cleaning and housekeeping; or fetch and carry everyday objects. “
Maybe it could also function as a high tech stress-relieving inverse punchbag ?
Note : When Ballbot is not in operation, it stands in place
on three retractable legs.
• More tech details here : ( caution: aother unpleasantly sticky .pdf )
• To get an idea of how partner-robot development is rolling along on the other side of the world in Japan, don’t miss this description and video of Ri-Man . . .
08 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
The sound of linseed oil ( or : The number ‘5’ may taste of cheese )
The Department of Psychology at University College London ( UCL)
wonders what Wassily Kandinsky’s paintings might ' sound
' like.
Their recent press-release describes the work.
“ Although information from the world enters our heads via different sensory organs – the eyes and ears in this instance – once they are in the brain they are intimately connected with each other. “
The dept. has also looked at the subject from the other side, asking a group of six synaesthetes to draw and describe their visual experiences of music played by the New London Orchestra .
This month, the Synaesthesia Research Group is embarking
on a new study regarding
Mirror-Touch Synaesthesia , and would like anyone who has experienced
it to get in touch . . .
“ If you see someone else being touched (e.g. on their face) do you feel a physical sensation of touch on your face ? “
And their news page also alerts us to the launch of the first ever website that explains synaesthesia in Chinese ( Mandarin ).
Really Magazine would also like to draw attention to this site which translate any HTML webpage into music. ( requires MIDI )
؟ ؟ ؟
A large selection of Kandinsky’s works are currenly on view at the
Tate Modern until the end of the month.
07 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Gauss Wine
As a rough ( but not infallible ) rule of thumb, one might guess that the cheaper a bottle of wine is, the less pleasant it’s probably going to taste.
But what if there was a way of improving the flavour of a wine after it had been bottled ?
According to US patent 7,100,495 B2 , issued yesterday, there is just such a method.
“ The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus of treating wine to improve the wine's taste. This is accomplished by treating the wine with a magnetic field formed by one or more magnets . . . “
With the correct type of magnet ( 600 to 1400 Gauss ) strategically orientated at the top and bottom of the bottle, you may be able to :
“ eliminate some of the aggressiveness that some people perceive in the taste of some wines as well as creating a rounder smoother tasting wine. “
. . .You will, of course, need to obtain permission before experimenting or applying the invention commercially.
Read the full pat. Here : ( click on ‘Full Text’ )
؟ ؟ ؟
Also see : A review of another ( somewhat similar ? ) magnetic wine enhancer, in the shops since 2004, and which also uses ' a magnetic field formed by one or more magnets ' to improve the wine's taste . . .
06 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Liars - how to detect
“ A leading deception expert has called for law enforcement agencies to do away with lie detector tests when questioning terror suspects because they are too unreliable. “
( that’s the tests – not the suspects, though presumably they can be unreliable too )
What’s needed is a new approach, and researchers from the University of Portsmouth may have the solution.
Instead of concentrating on ‘ arousal-based ’ responses – viz. increased sweating, pulse rate etc etc - the proposed new techniques use a psychological technique called the ‘ cognitive-load approach ‘.
“ This is done by carefully designing questioning protocols to make suspects think significantly harder at specific times “
So, for example a ‘ suspect ’ may be asked to relate his/her stories in reverse order . . .
So simple, it's quite amazing that no-one has thought of something similar before ?
“ Liars, whose cognitive resources will already be partially depleted by the act of lying, should find this additional, concurrent task particularly debilitating. “
Catch the full details at the today at the 2.30 pm. presentation at the BA Festival of Science in Norwich, UK.
( Caution : sticky .pdf )
Or, you can buy the same article here, from Sept 2004, for $15.80 plus tax
05 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Link of the day :
Humans ' hardwired for religion ' says today's Guardian headline regarding professor Bruce Hood, from Bristol University.
" I think it is pointless to think that we can get people to abandon their belief systems because they are operating at such a fundamental level "
Or, as Jonathan Swift put it back in 1700 ( ish )
" It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into."
04 SEP 06 (late)
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Spanish Crispy Duck solution (?)
Coming to a supermarket shelf near you (?) – ‘ edible packaging ‘
Researchers from the Public University of Navarre , Spain, have been investigating the possible applications of Mesquite Gum (MG) ( made from the exudate of Mexican Prosopis trees ) to enhance edible coatings for nuts, meat, and salmon etc.
The gum was mixed with Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) to form a solution which could be sprayed onto food.
Sadly though, research revealed that the new coatings “ did not manage to reduce microbian evolution “
But an opportunity has been spotted with regard to chicken meat :
“ Despite the fact that the coatings did not manage to reduce microbian evolution, it has been shown that the WPI forms a film on chicken breasts which is homogeneous, transparent, has good adhesion and is not easily perceived by the naked eye. “
and :
“ . . . a very interesting line of research was opened as it has been shown that the coating formed a second skin on the breast and onto which various additives, such as antimicrobians, can be added “
So, will consumers across Europe soon be appreciating ( and eating ) the
invisible coatings laced with anti-microbials ? To convince yourself, see
today’s press-release from
the always intriguing Basque Research, Development and Innovation
Website.
04 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Lack of Deep joy.
If you are about to take a holiday from work, the University of Granada , Spain may have some useful advice for you.
The Department of Personality have been investigating what they call ‘ Post-Holiday Syndrome ‘ (PHS) – which they classify as an ‘illness’ affecting around 35% of holiday takers.
“ The psychological symptoms include irritability, anxiety, sadness, couldn’t-care-less attitude and a deep feeling of emptiness. “
The good news is that the university has found at least three strategies to alleviate the symptoms.
• Firstly, try to cut your holiday into shorter periods. Thus, if you have the right to a month’s holiday, take it in batches of two week x 2
• Secondly, try to come home early from your holiday at least three days before you are due back to work.
• And, most importantly perhaps, the professor heading the study recommends that one should try “ not to attach too much importance ” to PHS . . .
[ I think I need a break. Ed. ]
University of Granada press release here :
02 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
Pie charting in Tennessee
“ it is critical that the data be accurate “ says the interpretative summary by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.(ARS)
They are referring to measurements of portion size in ‘ wedge shaped foods ’ ( pizza, cakes, and pies etc etc ).
A recent study from the universities of Tennessee and Kansas developed a special Portion Size Estimation Aid (PSEA) ( a.k.a. an ‘ adjustable wedge ‘ ) to gauge food portion sizes.
“ 320 respondents 18 to 65 years old estimated the portion size of different sizes of pizzas, cakes, and pies using both a ruler and a newly developed aid called an adjustable wedge.”
Findings :
“ . . . the adjustable wedge generally was as accurate as or more accurate than a ruler “
( The respondents’ margin of error for length, width, and area were
within ± 10%, 20%, and 25% respectively. )
Details here :
Full study ( subscribers only ) in the current issue of j.jada.
01 SEP 06
comments | permalink | back
to the top
advertising
|
Editor's picksThe territoriality of park benches re-appraised using ANT
|
|
|
 |
BBC Radio 4
"the world's best radio station"
We are currently looking for syndication outlets for the following weekly columns. . .
www and/or print.
If your publication could use them, please get in touch !
De Cecco
"the world's best commercially produced pasta"
The Big Tie Shop
"the world's best Big Ties"
New Scientist
"the world's best weekly science magazine"
OFFER CLOSED
Crooke's Radiometer (virtual)
Duvel
"the world's best beer"
"the world's best Sciencebase"
The "DoDo"
( Cassina )
"the world's best chair"
Firefox
"the world's best web-browser"
Bösendorfer
"the world's best pianos"
! Ltd.
"the world's best
! company"
