I wonder if McCain even realizes when he lies

If the stakes weren’t so serious, McCain’s campaign would be pretty funny right now.

As it is each new gaffe, lie, etc., is just a little sad.

From the TPM Election Central link:

When asked whether he blamed Dems and Obama for the bailout collapse yesterday, McCain said “no.”

But yesterday McCain said: “Senator Obama and his allies in Congress infused unnecessary partisanship into the process.”

As for McCain’s claim to ABC today that “history will judge who was to blame,” the McCain campaign released an ad today that … blamed Dems and Obama.

So yesterday McCain blames Obama and Dems while calling for no more fingerpointing. Today he denies having blamed them while releasing an ad blaming them.

The untruths are getting almost too convoluted to track at this point — it’s a bit like being trapped in a falsehood fun-house or something.

Nanotechnology does have drawbacks

As wonderful as all the various nanotechnology applications in medicine, science, technology and other industries are, there are drawbacks. Such as the well-known “gray goo” scenario.

Here’s another potential health issue with nanoparticles.

The release:

When particles are so small that they seep right through skin

Scientists are finding that particles that are barely there – tiny objects known as nanoparticles that have found a home in electronics, food containers, sunscreens, and a variety of applications – can breech our most personal protective barrier: The skin.

The particles under scrutiny by Lisa DeLouise, Ph.D., are almost unfathomably tiny. The particles are less than one five-thousandth the width of a human hair. If the width of that strand of hair were equivalent to the length of a football field, a typical nanoparticle wouldn’t even belly up to the one-inch line.

In the September issue of the journal Nano Letters, a team led by DeLouise at the University of Rochester Medical Center published a paper showing that nanoparticles pass through the skin of a living organism, a type of mouse commonly used as a model to study the damaging effects of sunlight.

It’s the strongest evidence yet indicating that some nanoparticles are so small that they can actually seep through skin, especially when the skin has been damaged.

The health implications of nanoparticles in the body are uncertain, said DeLouise, an assistant professor of Dermatology and Biomedical Engineering and an expert on the properties of nanoparticles. Other scientists have found that the particles can accumulate in the lymph system, the liver, the nervous system, and in other areas of the body. In her study, she found that the particles accumulate around the hair follicles and in tiny skin folds.

DeLouise, a chemist, points out that her study did not directly address the safety of nanoparticles in any way. “We simply wanted to see if nanoparticles could pass through the skin, and we found that they can under certain conditions,” she said.

DeLouise’s work is part of a broad field known as nanomedicine that is a strategic area at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The area includes research, like hers, looking at the properties of nanoparticles, as well as possibilities like new forms of drug delivery and nano-sensors that can immediately identify microbes and other threats to our health.

While nanoparticles are becoming widely used in the manufacture of consumer products, they are also under a great deal of study in research labs, and there are some processes – including ordinary candle flames – that produce them naturally. Some of the particles are so small, less than 10 nanometers wide (a nanometer is one-millionth of a millimeter), that they are nearly as small as the natural gaps between some skin cells.

In its paper in Nano Letters, the team studied the penetration of nanoparticles known as quantum dots that fluoresce under some conditions, making them easier to see and track compared to other nanoparticles. The scientists looked at the distribution of quantum dots in mice whose skin had been exposed to about the same amount of ultraviolet light as might cause a slight sunburn on a person. The team showed that while the nanoparticles were able to breech the skin of all the mice, the particles passed more quickly through skin that had been damaged by ultraviolet light.

Part of the explanation likely lies with the complex reaction of skin when it’s assaulted by the Sun’s rays. In response to ultraviolet light, cells proliferate, and molecules in the skin known as tight-junction proteins loosen so that new cells can migrate to where they’re needed. Those proteins normally act as gatekeepers that determine which molecules to allow through the skin and into the body, and which molecules to block. When the proteins loosen up, they become less selective than usual, possibly giving nanoparticles an opportunity to pass through the barrier.

In the future, DeLouise plans to study titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, two materials that are widely used in sunscreens and other cosmetic products to help block the damaging effects of ultraviolet light. In recent years the size of the metal oxide particles used in many consumer products has become smaller and smaller, so that many now are nanoparticles. The effects of the smaller particle size are visible to anyone who takes a walk on the beach or stops by the cosmetics counter at a department store: The materials are often completely transparent when applied to skin. A transparent lip gloss that protects against UV light, for example, or a see-through sunscreen may contain nanoparticles, DeLouise says.

“A few years ago, a lifeguard at the swimming pool wearing sunscreen might have had his nose completely covered in white. Older sunscreens have larger particles that reflect visible light. But many newer sunscreens contain nanoparticles that are one thousand times smaller, that do not reflect visible light,” said DeLouise, who noted that many people apply sunscreens after their skin has been damaged by sunlight.

###

Initial funding from two sources allowed the team to gather the evidence necessary to expand the project dramatically. DeLouise’s project was first funded by the University’s Environmental Health Sciences Center, which supported graduate student Luke Mortensen during his research. The University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute has also awarded $100,000 to the team, and DeLouise has just received $394,000 from the National Science Foundation to expand the project for the next three years. She will be working with dermatologist Lisa Beck, M.D., who is an expert in allergic skin disorders.

In addition to DeLouise and Mortensen, authors of the paper include Günter Oberdörster, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Medicine and a widely recognized authority on the bio-effects of nanoparticles. Oberdörster is director of the Particulate Matter Center, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, where scientists study the link between tiny air particles we breathe every day and our cardiovascular health. Dermatologist Alice Pentland, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology and an expert on how sunlight brings about skin cancer, was also an author.

PhysOrg covered this story here.

Got a sticky problem? Get distracted

Looks like distractions may be a good thing.

The release:

Eureka! How distractions facilitate creative problem-solving

How many times have you spent hours slaving over an impossible problem, only to take a break and then easily solve the problem, sometimes within minutes of looking at it again? Although this is actually a common phenomenon, up until now the way that this occurs has been unclear. But new research in the September issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, demonstrates the answer is more complex than simply having an “Aha!” moment.

The new research, led in part by Kellogg School of Management Professor Adam Galinsky, suggests that unconscious thought results in creative problem-solving via a two-step process.

According to Galinsky and fellow psychologists Chen-Bo Zhong from the University of Toronto and Ap Dijkstererhuis of Radboud University Nijmegen, distractions may be helpful in coming up with creative solutions to a certain problem, but must be followed by a period of conscious thought to ensure that we are aware of those solutions and can apply them. Likewise, while distractions are more useful in solving difficult problems, it may be better to stay focused on finding the solution when confronted with easier problems.

The researchers conducted two experiments to test their idea. In the first experiment, 94 subjects participated in a Remote-Association Test (RAT), which tests for creativity. In this test, participants were presented with three words (a triad) and were asked to come up with a fourth word that is linked with all three words. For example, if presented with the words cheese, sky and ocean, the correct answer would be blue (blue cheese, blue sky, blue ocean). Subjects were shown nine very difficult triads (but were instructed not to solve them yet) and were then divided into groups. For five minutes following the RAT, participants were either concentrating on the triads they had just seen (the conscious thought group) or engaging in a test completely unrelated to the RAT (the unconscious thought group). Following the five-minute interval, all of the subjects participated in a lexical decision test. During this test, subjects were shown sequences of letters and had to indicate as quickly as possible if the sequences were English words or not. The sequences presented included answers to the RAT triads, random words and non-words. Finally, subjects were again shown the RAT items and had to write down their answers.

The second experiment involved 36 subjects and had a similar set up to the previous experiment, although the RAT triads presented were much easier to solve compared to those in the first experiment.

The results showed that in the first experiment, during the lexical decision test, members of the unconscious thought group had much faster responses to letter sequences which were answers to RAT items, compared to the conscious thought group. However, when it came time to solve the RAT problems, both groups had similar results. In the second experiment (using an easier set of RAT triads), the conscious thought group had more correct RAT answers compared to the unconscious thought group, but there was no difference in response time during the lexical decision test.

“Conscious thought is better at making linear, analytic decisions, but unconscious thought is especially effective at solving complex problems,” said Galinsky and his co-authors. “Unconscious activation may provide inspirational sparks underlying the ‘Aha!’ moment that eventually leads to important discoveries.”

###

Solid state drive from Super Talent at $2.49 per gig

Pretty nice price point for the latest in storage tech.

From the link:

Super Talent´s MasterDrive SSDs offer five times better resistance to shock and vibration, consumes less power, supports a wider range of operating temperatures and altitudes, and are completely silent.

Super Talent´s MasterDrive SSDs is backed by a 1-year warranty. The MasterDrive LX is built with NAND flash and uses a SATA-II 3Gbps interface that makes it 100% interchangeable with hard disk drives. These SSDs support sequential read speeds of up to 100 MB/sec, and sequential write speeds of up to 40 MB/sec. Integrated ECC, wear leveling and bad bit management functions dramatically improve the reliability and lifespan of these SSDs.

The FTM64GO25H model is Super Talent´s 64GB 2.5-inch SATA-II SSD with a read/write speed of 100/40 MB/sec and sells for $179. The FTM28GO25H is Super Talent´s 128GB 2.5-inch SATA-II SSD with a read/write speed of 100/40 MB/sec and sells for $299.

Protecting mobile devices

This is a pretty cool award-winning invention from Maverick Mobile.

From the link:

Maverick Secure Mobile software installs in the hardware of mobile telephones, not in the changeable SIM cards that identify users to telecom service providers.

The application runs in an unseen “hidden mode” in mobile telephones, encrypting contact numbers and other data if crooks puts new SIM cards in the handsets.

The India-based firm’s software also retrieves contact lists from devices and sends new SIM card telephone number and location data to mobile telephones designated by original owners.

The application also sends copies of any telephone numbers a thief has called and copies of text messages he or she may send.

“And its all sent using their data plan, so the best part is the thief pays for it,” Jain said.

Owners of stolen devices are given the power to disable stolen mobile telephones or make them play blaring alarms that only stop when the batteries are out. Replacing a battery re-initiates the irritating sound.

Secure Mobile was given a “Demogod” award as one of the top launches at the Southern California event.

Environmentally friendly batteries from EnerSys

The press release from today:

EnerSys Launches EcoSafe Batteries for Renewable Energy Generation Applications

READING, Pa., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — EnerSys (NYSE:ENS), the world’s largest manufacturer, marketer and distributor of industrial batteries, significantly broadened its product support for the fast growing renewable energy market with the recent launch of its EcoSafe product line. EcoSafe batteries, which use lead, nickel and lithium technologies, were developed specifically for renewable energy storage applications, including solar, wind turbine and other electricity-generation alternatives.

“EcoSafe batteries are important for EnerSys,” said John D. Craig, chairman, president and chief executive officer of EnerSys. “They strengthen our position as a global leader in energy storage and position us at the center of an important and emerging sector of this market. The strong links that we have forged already with the renewable energy industry will help ensure that we continue to develop the technologies and the products needed for the future.”

EcoSafe products include an enhanced line of lead chemistry batteries, as well as batteries that employ nickel and lithium technologies. EcoSafe batteries offer a selection of energy storage solutions designed to meet the requirements of the latest renewable power-generating operations.

This year, EnerSys is investing in its worldwide manufacturing facilities to expand capacity of lead-based products, including its proprietary thin plate pure lead (TPPL) technology. Recent investments also led to new developments in nickelbased products for solar and wind turbine applications and developments in new lithium-based solutions. These investments resulted in the acquisition and utilization of a comprehensive range of technologies, with particular attention paid to battery chemistry, manufacturing processes and quality control.

“We are seeing a broadening interest in all major energy storage technologies for renewable applications,” Craig said. “Our products and solutions are experiencing increased interest in a variety of applications from our customers, who are demanding more and larger energy storage components to make solar, wind turbine and other alternative electricity generation more productive for both in-grid and off-grid systems.

“We expect considerable growth for lead, nickel and lithium technologies and are committed to supplying solutions to meet our customers’ growing needs. Our sales for renewable energy storage will be presented as focused solutions in the expanding EcoSafe product line.”

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release (and oral statements made regarding the subjects of this release) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, (i) statements regarding EnerSys’ plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements identified by words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “will” or words of similar meaning; and (ii) statements about the benefits of the product line, including any impact on our financial and operating results and estimates, and any impact on EnerSys’ market position that may be realized from this product line. These forward-looking statements are based upon management’s current beliefs or expectations and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. The foregoing factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forwardlooking statements. EnerSys may not realize benefits from these contracts. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by EnerSys on its website or otherwise. EnerSys does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date such forward-looking statement is made. For a list of other factors, which could affect EnerSys’ results, see EnerSys’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” set forth in EnerSys’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

ABOUT ENERSYS

EnerSys, the world leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, manufactures and distributes reserve power and motive power batteries, chargers, power equipment and battery accessories to customers worldwide. Motive power batteries are utilized in electric forklift trucks and other commercial electrically powered vehicles. Reserve power batteries are used in the telecommunication and utility industries, uninterruptible power suppliers and numerous applications requiring standby power. The company also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers from more than 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world. More information regarding EnerSys can be found at http://www.enersys.com/

Source: EnerSys
   

Web site:  http://www.enersys.com/

FDIC guarantee to rise to quarter million?

The two presidential hopefuls are on board.

Of course do any of the adults in the room understand the FDIC couldn’t cover an honest-to-god run on retail banks?

[crickets chirping]

From the link:

Senators Obama and McCain have arrived at the idea of raising the FDIC deposit insurance limit from $100,000 to $250,000. Obama introduced the idea in a statement this morning, and McCain, in a round-robin series of interviews, made the same suggestion. The FDIC already guarantees retirement accounts up to $250,000.

Of course, the FDIC itself has only about $50b in reserves, so Congress would have to recapitalize the FDIC in the event of a series of bank failures.

Bose supernova threat from Large Hadron Collider

Okay, this is a total new one to me. Don’t have any idea about the credibility here, but I’ve done a lot of blogging on the Large Hadron Collider and scoffing at the fearmongers out there. I probably ought to give this idea a little more light …

From KurzweilAI.net —

Forget black holes, could the LHC trigger a “Bose supernova”?

the physics arXiv blog, Sep. 29, 2008 Could the 700,000 liters of superfluid helium bathed in the powerful magnetic fields of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) result in a major explosion by behaving as a supercold Bose Einstein Condensate (BEC), which have been found to explode when subjected to magnetic fields, resulting in a “Bose supernova”?   Read Original Article>>

McCain’s “strategy” and “tactics”

Unless things change radically Obama will be gifted with two of the worst-run campaigns in Clinton and now McCain in my electoral memory.

Among a myriad of missteps, McCain makes an unvetted veep pick and has completely hung her out to dry. There are a number of legitimate questions about her ability to lead, and with Troopergate a legal question on top of her considerable competence issues.

All of this has been left wide open and regularly explored by the left-wing blogosphere and the mainstream media. I think the public is focused on the financial crisis right now and is getting zero reassurance from Team McCain they can do anything to improve our nation’s lot. Instead I’m betting most people have decided McCain is a doddering old fool who just makes shit up because it sounds good.

Those people might not be all that wrong.

Obama’s best campaigning move right now? Just stay out of the way while the Straight Talk Total BS Express crashes and burns.

Another bad week for McCain

His numbers are real bad, and I’m sure the internals are even worse. To compound the issue there’s not a wad of hot gum or a steaming pile that he doesn’t step in these days. I’ve heard Trig is now going to debate in place of his mother.

From the Daily Kos link:

McCain Claims Credit For Bailout Before It Failed

by BarbinMD

Mon Sep 29, 2008 at 03:26:09 PM PDT

How mavericky of John McCain to take credit for the passage of the bailout bill…before it failed:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and his top aides took credit for building a winning bailout coalition – hours before the vote failed and stocks tanked.

The rush to claim he had engineered a victory now looks like a strategic blunder that will prolong the McCain’s campaign’s difficulty in finding a winning message on the economy.

Most efficient solar cells to date

From KurzweilAI.net — This is yet another in a long string of solar breakthroughs. The most efficient photovoltaic cells yet, converting almost 50% of harvested light into electricity. Kudos to the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

NREL Solar Cell Sets World Efficiency Record at 40.8 Percent

ElectricalEngineer.com, Sep. 29, 2008Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy‘s National Renewable EnergyLaboratory (NREL) have set a world record in solar cell efficiency with a photovoltaic device that converts 40.8 percent of the light that hits it into electricity. The new design uses compositions of gallium indium phosphide and gallium indium arsenide to split the solar spectrum into three equal parts that are absorbed by each of the cell‘s three junctions for higher potential efficiencies.   Read Original Article>>

Breakthrough on sheets of carbon nanotubes

From KurzweilAI.net — the latest in nanotech. Sheets of commercially viable carbon nanotubesfrom the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the NanoTech Institute of the University of Texas at Dallas.

Breakthrough for carbon nanotube materials

PhysOrg.com, Sep. 29, 2008CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and the NanoTech Institute of the University of Texas at Dallas have achieved a major breakthrough in the development of a commercially viable manufacturing process for large sheets of a range of materials made from carbon nanotubes. They demonstrated that synthetically made carbon nanotubes can be commercially manufactured into transparent sheets that are stronger than steel sheets of the same weight. Starting from chemically grown, self-assembled structures in which nanotubes are aligned, the sheets are produced at up to seven meters per minute.   Read Original Article>>

Ramesh Ponnuru speaks truth to power

Or really powerlessness and fading. The GOP brand is critically injured right now. At least some recognize the failure. The Fox News bots think everything is solved by bluster and bullshit.

From the NRO link:

Speaking only for myself, the point of it is to say what I think is true, whether or not it helps the candidates I hope win. Whatever value there may be to reading me would disappear if I wrote only comments that help Republicans.

The disconnect from GOP reality can be directly chalked up to around two decades of right wing talk radio and the idiotic line of argument the media has a leftish slant. Rush and his copycats got rich on the backs of intellectual weakness on the right. Ponnuru should be applauded for trying to fix this problem.

TiVo for the PC

Digital video recorders are one piece of tech I honestly thought I didn’t really need or want. I finally ended up with TiVo several years ago because it just came with my latest set-top box.

I Couldn’t Live Without It Now. No joking, it’s one of the few products that the hype is less than the impact of its utility. The marketing is absolutely correct.

Here’s a release on the lastest from TiVo and Nero.

The release:

Nero and TiVo Deliver the Ultimate DVR Experience on the PC

Nero LiquidTV | TiVo PC Brings Digital Entertainment Freedom to Consumers with the Award Winning TiVo® Service

KARLSBAD, Germany & ALVISO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nero, creators of liquid media technology, and TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ:TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), announced today the unveiling of Nero LiquidTV | TiVo PC. This new offering revolutionizes the way consumers experience television by offering an enhanced TiVo DVR experience directly from the PC.

“In recent years the amount of digital entertainment content available to average consumers has exploded,” said Bruce McGregor, senior analyst, Digital Home Services for Current Analysis. “Consumers have increasingly conformed to using mobile devices and the PC as sources of video entertainment; as a result they are looking for ways to port their favorite television content onto multiple mobile formats. There is an emerging opportunity for a PC-based DVR service that offers easy access to television content on a wide variety of devices.”

With Nero LiquidTV | TiVo PC, consumers can watch and pause live TV on their desktop, record their favorite shows directly to their hard drive, transfer shows between computers throughout the home, or enjoy their favorite shows on-the-go by exporting them to iPod®, PlayStation® Portable (PSP®), or burning them to DVD. Now the TiVo experience can be enjoyed on the PC, including TiVo features like WishList® searches, Season Pass® recordings, TiVo KidZone, and TiVo Suggestions.

“For more than a decade, the world’s largest mobile and consumer electronics brands have trusted Nero for technology leadership and category creation,” said Udo Eberlein, CEO, Nero AG. “Now, with Nero LiquidTV | TiVo PC, we are providing a next-generation DVR application that integrates the renowned TiVo service with the PC. This solution is truly a platform on which our vision for liquid media – where content can be easily accessed anytime, anywhere, and on any device — will become a reality.”

Nero LiquidTV | TiVo PC is designed for ease of use. No technical expertise is required to install the software on any PC with the Windows XP or Windows Vista operating system. The full retail solution comes complete with everything that the consumer needs to share the TV experience throughout their digital home: a TiVo PC remote; a TV tuner card to allow television signals to be received by the PC; and an IR Blaster to create a wireless, infrared connection between the cable or satellite box and the PC. It also comes with a one-year subscription to the award-winning TiVo service, which automatically finds and digitally records a user’s favorite shows.

“Nero has done a superb job of bringing the TiVo experience to the PC, and have done so in a way that lives up to the rich TiVo legacy,” said Tom Rogers, CEO and President, TiVo. “To be able to extend the features of TiVo to a new platform without compromising the integrity of what has made TiVo such a revolutionary product is a significant achievement, one we know both new and old fans of TiVo will love.”

Nero LiquidTV | TiVo PC with one year of TiVo service will be available in the U.S., Canada and Mexico in October 2008 with a suggested retail price of $199 USD for a retail box or $99 USD for a downloadable software-only version. TiVo service subscription renewal is on an annual basis at $99 a year. The retail box, containing a tuner card, TiVo remote control and IR blaster, will be available at participating retailers in the U.S. and Canada. The software-only version will be available for download to the U.S. Canada and Mexico online at www.nero.com.

About Nero

Nero, the creator of liquid media technology, enables liquid content creation and distribution anytime, anywhere, and on any device. The company provides consumers with the freedom to simply enjoy their music, photos, and videos, regardless of hardware or file format, by taking a unique platform neutral, standards-based approach to solution development. More than 300 million units of Nero’s trusted software solutions are used in the home, on the go, and professionally. Nero also provides strategic partners with cutting-edge applications, codecs, tools, software development kits, and programming interfaces for use with a variety of the latest platforms and devices. Products are available globally through hardware manufacturers, international partners, retailers, and directly through the Nero Online Shop at www.nero.com.

Headquartered in Karlsbad, Germany, Nero maintains regional offices in: Karlsbad, Germany; Glendale, Calif., USA; Yokohama, Japan; and development centers in Karlsbad, Germany and Hangzhou, China.

About TiVo

Founded in 1997, TiVo (Nasdaq:TIVO) pioneered a brand new category of products with the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers and TiVo.com, TiVo has developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its DVR service features into the set-top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo’s DVR functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass(TM) recordings and WishList(R) searches and TiVo KidZone, have elevated its popularity among consumers and have created a whole new way for viewers to watch television. With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo’s DVR is at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as broadband delivered video, music, and photos. With innovative features, such as TiVoToGo(TM) transfers and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the notion of consumers experiencing “TiVo, TV your way.(R)” The TiVo(R)service is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for advertisers and audience research measurement.

Nero® is a trademark of Nero AG and its subsidiaries. Any other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. © 2008 Nero. All rights reserved.

TiVo, “TiVo, TV your way.” Season Pass, WishList, TiVoToGo, and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc.’s subsidiaries worldwide. (C) 2008 TiVo Inc. All rights reserved

Here’s the PhysOrg.com take on this story.

SpaceX reaches orbit

A milestone in private space travel.

From the link:

It was the fourth attempt by Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, to launch its two-stage Falcon 1 rocket into orbit.

“Fourth time’s a charm,” said Elon Musk, the multimillionaire who started up SpaceX after making his fortune as the co-founder of PayPal Inc., the electronic payment system.

The rocket carried a 364-pound dummy payload designed and built by SpaceX for the launch.

“This really means a lot,” Musk told a crowd of whooping employees. “There’s only a handful of countries on Earth that have done this. It’s usually a country thing, not a company thing. We did it.”

Musk pledged to continue getting rockets into orbit, saying the company has resolved design issues that plagued previous attempts.

Last month, SpaceX lost three government satellites and human ashes including the remains of astronaut Gordon Cooper and “Star Trek” actor James Doohan after its third rocket was lost en route to space. The company blamed a timing error for the failure that caused the rocket’s first stage to bump into the second stage after separation.

I’m sure CERN is resting easier tonight …

… now that the Hawaii lawsuit attempting to stop the Large Hadron Collider’s startup got tossed.

From the link:

U.S. District Judge Helen Gilmor says in a ruling issued Friday that federal courts don’t have jurisdiction over the Large Hadron Collider in Europe, near Geneva.

Two Hawaii residents sued because they feared the machine could create black holes or other phenomena that could destroy the planet.

Nanotech coming at ya from left field

I’m guessing my readers don’t fall into this information category.

The release:

Nanotech and Synbio: Americans Don’t Know What’s Coming

Landmark poll shows little knowledge of emerging technologies

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A groundbreaking poll finds that almost half of U.S. adults have heard nothing about nanotechnology, and nearly nine in 10 Americans say they have heard just a little or nothing at all about the emerging field of synthetic biology, according to a new report released by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) and Peter D. Hart Research.  Both technologies involve manipulating matter at an incredibly small scale to achieve something new.

This new insight into limited public awareness of emerging technologies comes as a major leadership change is about to take hold in the nation’s capital.  Public policy experts are concerned, regardless of party, that the federal government is behind the curve in engaging citizens on the potential benefits and risks posed by technologies that could have a significant impact on society.

“Early in the administration of the next president, scientists are expected to take the next major step toward the creation of synthetic forms of life. Yet the results from the first U.S. telephone poll about synthetic biology show that most adults have heard just a little or nothing at all about it,” says PEN Director David Rejeski. The poll findings are contained a report published today, The American Public’s Awareness Of And Perceptions About Potential Risks and Benefits of Nanotechnology & Synthetic Biology, and available at:  http://www.nanotechproject.org/n/synbio_poll.

Synthetic biology is the use of advanced science and engineering to construct or re-design living organisms – like bacteria – so that they can carry out specific functions. This emerging technology is likely to develop rapidly in the coming years, much as nanotechnology did in the last decade. In the near future the first synthetic biology “blockbuster” drug is anticipated to hit the market – an affordable treatment for the 500 million people in the world suffering from malaria.

The poll, which was conducted by the same firm that produces the well-known NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls, found that about two-thirds of adults say they have heard nothing at all about synthetic biology, and only 2 percent say they have heard “a lot” about the new technology. Even with this very low level of awareness, a solid two-thirds of adults are willing to express an initial opinion on the potential benefits versus risks tradeoff of synthetic biology.

This survey was informed by two focus groups conducted in August in suburban Baltimore. This is the first time – to the pollsters’ knowledge – that synthetic biology has been the subject of a representative national telephone survey.

At the same time, the poll found that about half of adults say they have heard nothing at all about nanotechnology. About 50 percent of adults are too unsure about nanotechnology to make an initial judgment on the possible tradeoffs between benefits and risks. Of those people who are willing to make an initial judgment, they think benefits will outweigh risks by a three to one margin when compared to those who believe risks will outweigh benefits. The plurality of respondents, however, believes that risks and benefits will be about equal. A major industry forecasting firm determined that last year nanotech goods in the global marketplace totaled $147 billion.

According to the poll, the level of U.S. public awareness about nanotechnology has not changed measurably since 2004 when Hart Research conducted the first poll on the topic on behalf of the PEN.

About Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide. In 2007, the global market for goods incorporating nanotechnology totaled $147 billion. Lux Research projects that figure will grow to $3.1 trillion by 2015.

About Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is the use of advanced science and engineering to make or re-design living organisms, such as bacteria, so that they can carry out specific functions. Synthetic biology involves making new genetic code, also known as DNA, that does not already exist in nature.

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is an initiative launched by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable Trusts in 2005. It is dedicated to helping business, government and the public anticipate and manage possible health and environmental implications of nanotechnology. For more information about the project, log on to http://www.nanotechproject.org/.

For information about the Center, visit www.wilsoncenter.org.
Source: The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
   

Web Site:  http://www.nanotechproject.org/

The bailout — success from the jaws of defeat?

I’ve done some blogging on the bailout — here on today’s failure in the House and here’s a link to more.

It looks like the WSJ thinks the House vote was a blessing in disguise. I agree with them.

From the link:

Don’t Panic.

By throwing out a deeply flawed bailout plan, the House may have created an opportunity to craft a more effective response to the financial crisis.

With credit markets frozen and the Dow Jones Industrials Index plummeting 777.68 points Monday, the 228-205 defeat of the rescue package appears to come at the worst possible time. Plenty of experts think the “no” vote has the power to wipe what little confidence remains in the markets.

But it also could lead policy makers, particularly Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, to draw up a plan that more directly addresses the factors causing the financial system to fall apart.

Testosterone linked to financial risk-taking

Not sure what this says about the current situation, but it sure is interesting.

The release:

Financial risk-taking behavior is associated with higher testosterone levels

Males with testosterone levels above the mean invest more during a risky investment game

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., September 29, 2008 – Higher levels of testosterone are correlated with financial risk-taking behavior, according to a new study in which men’s testosterone levels were assessed before participation in an investment game. The findings help to shed light on the evolutionary function and biological origins of risk taking.

The study was jointly led by Anna Dreber, of the Program in Evolutionary Dynamics at Harvard University and the Stockholm School of Economics, and Coren Apicella, of Harvard’s Department of Anthropology. The results are available online in Evolution and Human Behavior.

“These findings help us to understand the motivations for risk-taking behavior, which is a major component of economic theory,” says Dreber. “Risk preferences are one of the most important preferences in economics, and yet no one knows why they differ between men and women, why they change over age, or what makes men trade more in the financial market.”

Previous studies have shown that on average, men are more likely than women to take risks, and the researchers theorized that these differences could be explained by the role of testosterone. Another recent study also demonstrated that stock market traders experienced greater profits on days their testosterone was above its median level. However, this is the first study to directly examine the relationship between testosterone and financial risk-taking.

“Although our findings do not address causality, we believe that testosterone may influence how individuals make risky financial decisions,” says Apicella.

In the study, saliva samples were taken from 98 males, ages 18 to 23, who were mostly Harvard students. The samples were taken before participation in the investment game, so the researchers were certain that testosterone levels were not elevated as a result of the game. The researchers also assessed facial masculinity, associated with testosterone levels at puberty.

All of the participants were given $250, and were asked to choose an amount between $0 and $250 to invest. The participants kept the money that was not invested. A coin toss determined the investment’s outcome, and if the participant lost the coin toss, the money allocated to the investment was lost. However, if the coin toss was won, the participant would receive two and a half times the amount of their investment. At the end of the study, one person was selected by lottery to receive the cash amount of their investment, which created a monetary incentive for the participants.

The researchers found that a man whose testosterone levels were more than one standard deviation above the mean invested 12 percent more than the average man into the risky investment. A man with a facial masculinity score of one standard deviation higher than the mean invested 6 percent more than the average man.

The findings may help to explain the biological foundation of why some people are more inclined towards risk-taking than others.

“Financial risk might be comparable to other risky male behaviors associated with reproduction,” says Apicella. “Men may be more willing to take financial risks because the payoffs, in terms of attracting mates, could be higher for them. This is because women value wealth more than men when choosing for a mate.”

Further research will examine changes in testosterone levels in response to financial wins and losses.

“This will give us some insight into how changes in the market affect hormones, and in turn, affect decision-making,” says Apicella.

Finally, the researchers are also exploring the role of genetics in explaining risk preferences.

“Maybe we will be able to predict who becomes a trader,” says Dreber.

 

###

 

Apicella and Dreber’s co-authors were Benjamin Campbell of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Peter B. Gray of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Moshe Hoffman of the University of Chicago; and Anthony C. Little of the University of Stirling, Scotland. The research was funded by the Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundation.

Phoenix Lander sees Martian snow

Wow! Just wow!

The NASA release:

NASA Mars Lander Sees Falling Snow, Soil Data Suggests Liquid Past

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander has detected snow falling from Martian clouds.  Spacecraft soil tests experiments also have provided evidence of past interaction between minerals and liquid water, processes that occur on Earth.

A laser instrument designed to gather knowledge of how the atmosphere and surface interact on Mars, detected snow from clouds about 2.5 miles above the spacecraft’s landing site. Data show the snow vaporizing before reaching the ground.

“Nothing like this view has ever been seen on Mars,” said Jim Whiteway, of York University, Toronto, lead scientist for the Canadian-supplied Meteorological Station on Phoenix. “We’ll be looking for signs that the snow may even reach the ground.”

Phoenix experiments also yielded clues pointing to calcium carbonate, the main composition of chalk, and particles that could be clay. Most carbonates and clays on Earth form only in the presence of liquid water.

“We are still collecting data and have lots of analysis ahead, but we are making good progress on the big questions we set out for ourselves,” said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson.

Since landing on May 25, Phoenix already has confirmed that a hard subsurface layer at its far-northern site contains water-ice. Determining whether that ice ever thaws would help answer whether the environment there has been favorable for life, a key aim of the mission.

The evidence for calcium carbonate in soil samples from trenches dug by the Phoenix robotic arm comes from two laboratory instruments called the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer, or TEGA, and the wet chemistry laboratory of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, or MECA.

“We have found carbonate,” said William Boynton of the University of Arizona, lead scientist for the TEGA. “This points toward episodes of interaction with water in the past.”

The TEGA evidence for calcium carbonate came from a high-temperature release of carbon dioxide from soil samples. The temperature of the release matches a temperature known to decompose calcium carbonate and release carbon dioxide gas, which was identified by the instrument’s mass spectrometer.

The MECA evidence came from a buffering effect characteristic of calcium carbonate assessed in wet chemistry analysis of the soil. The measured concentration of calcium was exactly what would be expected for a solution buffered by calcium carbonate.

Both TEGA, and the microscopy part of MECA have turned up hints of a clay-like substance. “We are seeing smooth-surfaced, platy particles with the atomic-force microscope, not inconsistent with the appearance of clay particles,” said Michael Hecht, MECA lead scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

The Phoenix mission, originally planned for three months on Mars, now is in its fifth month. However, it faces a decline in solar energy that is expected to curtail and then end the lander’s activities before the end of the year. Before power ceases, the Phoenix team will attempt to activate a microphone on the lander to possibly capture sounds on Mars.

“For nearly three months after landing, the sun never went below the horizon at our landing site.” said Barry Goldstein, JPL Phoenix project manager. “Now it is gone for more than four hours each night, and the output from our solar panels is dropping each week. Before the end of October, there won’t be enough energy to keep using the robotic arm.”

The Phoenix mission is led by Smith at the University of Arizona. Project management is the responsibility of JPL with development partnership by Lockheed Martin in Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

For more about Phoenix, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix.

Source: NASA
   
Web Site:  http://www.nasa.gov/

Sully knocks one out of the park on Palin

He’s been (rightly) hammering the issue of McCain’s veep pick from the get go. Sarah Palin is beyond unprepared to ascend to the presidency if neccesary. That executive decision alone disqualifies McCain in my eyes.

Over at today’s Daily Dish Andrew Sullivan makes the keypoint on Palin.

From the link:

And the real test of this, anyway, would be a real press conference, with follow-ups. But that, incredibly, won’t happen. For the first time in American history, a candidate who could become president will not have a press conference in the campaign! No, you’re not hallucinating. Welcome to Vladimir Putin’s idea of election campaigns in America.

Five signs a tech startup is cratering from CIO.com

I think number one might be a bit too obvious.

From the link:

1) Key people start to leave. In every business, employees will come and go, and most people have heard the HR mantra that “everyone is replaceable.” But if founders or early hires that are in executive management begin to leave without a good reason, there’s probably trouble in start-up land. In January 2008, Thoof, a start-up competitor to Digg in the news voting space, went on the block and subsequently went under. An early warning sign? Alan Ren, co-founder, COO and CTO, left the company.

The House scuttles bailout plan

And the market takes a big hit.

From the link:

The House on Monday defeated a $700 billion emergency rescue package, ignoring urgent pleas from President Bush and bipartisan congressional leaders to quickly bail out the staggering financial industry.

Stocks plummeted on Wall Street even before the 228-205 vote to reject the bill was announced on the House floor.

When the critical vote was tallied, too few members of the House were willing to support the unpopular measure with elections just five weeks away. Ample no votes came from both the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle.

Bush and a host of leading congressional figures had implored the lawmakers to pass the legislation despite howls of protest from their constituents back home.

The vote had been preceded by unusually aggressive White House lobbying, and spokesman Tony Fratto said that Bush had used a “call list” of people he wanted to persuade to vote yes as late as just a short time before the vote.

Lawmakers shouted news of the plummeting Dow Jones average as lawmakers crowded on the House floor during the drawn-out and tense call of the roll, which dragged on for roughly 40 minutes as leaders on both sides scrambled to corral enough of their rank-and-file members to support the deeply unpopular measure.

From the New York Times and news on the Dow freefalling over 400 points on the news.

Update — Dow is down almost 700 points.

I’m glad the vote failed. And no, I don’t think it’s a case of cutting off one’s nose to spite the face. I think it’s a case of a failed administration making one more attempt at a naked and craven power-grab. Get Paulson out of the picture, bring in some adult nonpartisan brains and knock-out a real solution, not some BS version of, “be very afraid and give me unlimited power.”

I think the US public finally woke up, and maybe the GOP did too after the Bush 43 effort at corporate socialism and their presidential standard bearer choosing an unqualified religious nutjob as his running mate.

Go below the fold for additional updates as the situation warrants.

Citi buying Wachovia

The latest in banking news from the WSJ:

September 29, 2008, 8:19 am

FDIC: Citi to Buy Wachovia’s Banking Operations

The FDIC made the following announcement this morning on Citi’s purchase of Wachovia’s banking operations.

Citigroup Inc. to Acquire Banking Operations of Wachovia

FDIC, Federal Reserve and Treasury Agree to Provide Open Bank Assistance to Protect Depositors

Citigroup Inc. will acquire the banking operations of Wachovia Corporation; Charlotte, North Carolina, in a transaction facilitated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and concurred with by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and the Secretary of the Treasury in consultation with the President. All depositors are fully protected and there is expected to be no cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund. Wachovia did not fail; rather, it is to be acquired by Citigroup Inc. on an open bank basis with assistance from the FDIC.

“For Wachovia customers, today’s action will ensure seamless continuity of service from their bank and full protection for all of their deposits.” said FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair. “There will be no interruption in services and bank customers should expect business as usual.”

As I’ve been blogging, this is not going to be over for a while.

Update 10/3/08 — Looks like this deal is off and I’ve blogged on the new deal here. Citi is out and Wells Fargo is in to the tune of more than $15B.

Nanotech is really looking like the cancer “golden gun”

From KurzweilAI.net — Hybrid nanotechnology is leading the fight against cancer. This breakthrough comes from the National Cancer Institute’s Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer.

Hybrid Nanoparticles Image and Treat Tumors

PhysOrg.com, Sep. 26, 2008 Combining a magnetic nanoparticle, a fluorescent quantum dot, and an anticancer drug within a lipid-based nanoparticle, a multi-institutional research team headed by the National CancerInstitute’s (NCI) Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer has created a single agent that can image and treat tumors, while avoiding detection by the immune system, enabling the particle to remain in the body for extended periods of time.   Read Original Article>>

There’s a lot of solar action in China right now

A press release from this morning:

Kunming, ‘Spring City’, to Build the Biggest Solar Energy Production Base in China

KUNMING, China, Sept. 29 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ — Dou Jinming, Development and Reform Commission deputy director of Kunming, Yunnan said today that Kunming will take the lead in developing the solar energy industry ( http://www.new-energy-supply.com/ ) in China, thereby popularizing it across the whole country. Kunming is aiming to become a solar energy demonstration city with the characteristics of a solar energy industry base in China.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080605/CNTH022LOGO )

Dou Jinming said that Kunming is rich in solar energy resources ( http://www.new-energy-supply.com/buying_leads/ ): the average annual amount of sunshine is more than 2250 hours, and the average annual solar radiation ( http://www.new-energy-supply.com/products/ ) is over 5400 MJ/m. Photo-thermal application of solar energy is also at the top of the whole country in Kunming, with more than a hundred techniques and enterprises to support its production.

To solve energy shortages and improve the urban environment, Kunming’s Government has released “Advice on renewable energy development and utilization”. According to the “Advice”, around the Kunming Dianchi Lake basin, up to 2920 square kilometers of area will be used to utilize solar light and heat ( http://www.new-energy-supply.com/companies/ ). This will achieve a penetration rate of 50% by 2010. The first demonstration zone will achieve 70% utilization. Urban construction with integration of solar energy application should be present in 90% of new architecture. The percentage of urban area that will utilize solar energy will reach 60%, with the percentage in rural areas reaching 20%. The government says that by 2015 the solar light and heat utilization area will amount to 6,000,000 square meters, with solar photovoltaic applications of up to a hundred megawatts or more.

At present, Kunming High-tech Zone has been planning to provide 3 square kilometers of land to build solar thermal ( http://www.new-energy-supply.com/ ) production bases, solar battery production bases and equipment to stimulate the development of solar energy companies.

It is estimated that after the implementation of these initiatives, electricity production will be highly increased and 200,000 tons of diesel oil and 150,000 tons of gasoline will be saved. The production value is up to 17,900,000,000 yuan. By 2015, it will save 300,000 tons of diesel and petrol, and the production value will reach 27,000,000,000 yuan.

Source: Tootoo.com
 

Web site: http://www.tootoo.com/

Want to buy some nanotech intellectual property?

Looks like this startup went tits up.

The release:

Spherics, Inc. Assignee Announces Strong Interest in October 10, 2008 Sealed Bid Auction in Spherics Intellectual Property

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Joseph F. Finn, Jr., C.P.A. (“Finn”), Assignee of the assets of Spherics, Inc. (“Spherics”) for the benefit of creditors, said, in an interview today, that interest in the Company’s therapeutic drugs and technology platforms was strong.  Numerous confidential agreements have been signed and conference calls between the Company’s science team and prospective buyers have been productive and informative.  The intellectual property will be sold at a sealed bid auction on October 10, 2008.

Persons interested in bidding must sign a Confidentiality Agreement (“CA”) obtained from Finn’s office — jffinnjr@earthlink.net or 781-237-8840. They will then receive a bid package and access to the Spherics electronic data room.

About Spherics

Spherics has built a strong intellectual property position around its drug delivery technologies and products. The Company has a broad range of issued US and international patents that they have applied to their four central nervous system products. These patents cover polyanhydride-based bioadhesive polymers and nanotechnology (PIN(TM)). In addition to these issued patents, Spherics has filed numerous applications covering compositions of matters of its proprietary polymers (SPHEROMERS(TM)), novel oral delivery systems (including BIOGIT(TM), BIOROD(TM) and PIN(TM)), manufacturing methods, methods of use, formulations and product compositions.

About Joseph F. Finn, Jr., C.P.A.

Joseph F. Finn, Jr., is the founding partner of the firm, Finn, Warnke & Gayton, Certified Public Accountants of Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. He works primarily in the area of management consulting for distressed enterprises, bankruptcy accounting and related matters, such as assignee for the benefit of creditors and liquidating agent for a corporation. He has been involved in a number of loan workouts and bankruptcy cases for thirty-four (34) years.  His most recent Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors in the Biotech field was ActivBiotics, Inc.

Source: Spherics, Inc.

Nanotech helps in purifying water

Yet another application of nanotechnology.

From the link:

Adding nanoparticles to a water purifying membrane can double its efficiency, according to a startup company based in Los Angeles. With global water usage on the increase and fresh water in limited supply, the company, NanoH2O, says its novel approach could make such purification technology a viable solution to a growing problem.

Reverse osmosis–feeding water through a semipermeable membrane to filter out impurities–is widely considered to be the most effective way to desalinate water. But it is very energy-intensive, and therefore expensive, because water has to be forced through the membrane under pressure. A key way to reduce the costs involved is to increase the water throughput for the same pressure. But for many years, improvements in membrane technology have been incremental at best, says Jeff Green, NanoH2O founder and CEO.

538 projections after McCain’s failure of a week

McCain posts a total “FAIL” of a week and Obama reaps the polling and projection benefits.

The latest from FiveThirtyEight.com:

If you’re finding this page later than today’s date hit this link for my latest update, or better yet head straight to 538 for their very latest projections.

Sunday video fun — the comedic stylings of Sarah Palin …

… oh wait, I’ve just been handed a note. … Let’s see, “She’s not a comedian, she’s a politician and up for election as the first in line for the presidency.”

Well, this changes everything doesn’t it?

At any rate here’s the video