thefirstbardo
There ain't no such thing as leftover crack
Posts: 7,968
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Post by thefirstbardo on May 3, 2010 13:22:00 GMT -5
"Using ancient DNA from Siberian specimens, a team of Australian researchers have managed to resurrect the proteins of mammoth blood and figure out precisely how they survived such a hostile environment. "It is the same as if we went back 30,000 years and stuck a needle into a living mammoth.... This is true palaeobiology, as we can study and measure how these animals functioned as if they were alive today." io9.com/5529753/mammoth-blood-brought-back-to-lifeOne step closer to bringing back an extinct species. Absolutely amazing.
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thefirstbardo
There ain't no such thing as leftover crack
Posts: 7,968
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Post by thefirstbardo on May 3, 2010 14:53:03 GMT -5
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thefirstbardo
There ain't no such thing as leftover crack
Posts: 7,968
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Post by thefirstbardo on May 3, 2010 15:25:08 GMT -5
"Study Shows that Listening to Prayer Halts Brain Activity""A team of Danish researchers have found that when listening to a well-spoken person who claims to have divine healing powers, the regions of the brain responsible for skepticism and vigilance become less active. Using an MRI machine, Uffe Schjødt of Aarhus University in Denmark scanned the brains of 20 Pentecostal Christians and 20 non-believers while playing them pre-recorded prayers. The subjects were told that six of the prayers were read by healers, six by ordinary Christians, and six by non-believers (they were all read by ordinary Christians). According to the New Scientist: Only in the devout volunteers did the brain activity monitored by the researchers change in response to the prayers. Parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, which play key roles in vigilance and scepticism when judging the truth and importance of what people say, were deactivated when the subjects listened to a supposed healer. Schjødt says that this explains why certain individuals can gain influence over others, and concludes that their ability to do so depends heavily on preconceived notions of their authority and trustworthiness.... It's not clear whether the results extend beyond religious leaders, but Schjødt speculates that brain regions may be deactivated in a similar way in response to doctors, parents and politicians." io9.com/5529904/study-shows-that-listening-to-prayer-halts-brain-activity
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Post by irishpatsy on May 3, 2010 21:47:34 GMT -5
Squirrel: The Perfect Low-Fat Local Meat?Scots chefs and diners seem to think so. Scotland's Herald newspaper reports that the darting, climb-y rodent will be the star attraction at a "Wild Food" dinner at Glasgow bistro Stravaigin in May. Colin Clydesdale, owner of the eatery, offered diners rook last year, and the bird was received so well that he's adding squirrel, roe deer, and rabbit to the menu this time around. In the past he's served gannet and snails. "One customer told me he thought serving squirrel was a little strange, but generally the feedback has been positive," he told the paper. "We believe it is good to give people the option to try different things, but squirrel is quite possibly the strangest thing we have served so far." Squirrel fans describe the meat's texture as similar to that of rabbit. And the taste? Apparently it ranges from wild boar to a duck-lamb hybrid. One satisfied diner told the Herald: "It is moist and sweet because, basically, its diet has been berries and nuts."
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Post by Maggie_Hambone on May 4, 2010 10:57:18 GMT -5
Reason #964 why organized religion sucks. "Study Shows that Listening to Prayer Halts Brain Activity""A team of Danish researchers have found that when listening to a well-spoken person who claims to have divine healing powers, the regions of the brain responsible for skepticism and vigilance become less active. Using an MRI machine, Uffe Schjødt of Aarhus University in Denmark scanned the brains of 20 Pentecostal Christians and 20 non-believers while playing them pre-recorded prayers. The subjects were told that six of the prayers were read by healers, six by ordinary Christians, and six by non-believers (they were all read by ordinary Christians). According to the New Scientist: Only in the devout volunteers did the brain activity monitored by the researchers change in response to the prayers. Parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, which play key roles in vigilance and scepticism when judging the truth and importance of what people say, were deactivated when the subjects listened to a supposed healer. Schjødt says that this explains why certain individuals can gain influence over others, and concludes that their ability to do so depends heavily on preconceived notions of their authority and trustworthiness.... It's not clear whether the results extend beyond religious leaders, but Schjødt speculates that brain regions may be deactivated in a similar way in response to doctors, parents and politicians." io9.com/5529904/study-shows-that-listening-to-prayer-halts-brain-activity
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Post by Maggie_Hambone on May 4, 2010 11:58:52 GMT -5
This story got me all choked up: Erik, who is living with liver cancer, has always wanted to be a superhero. On Thursday, the regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted him that wish with an elaborate event that involved hundreds of volunteers in Bellevue and Seattle. ... More than 250 PSE employees gathered outside the company's headquarters and cheered as Electron Boy freed the trapped worker. "It was so loud, people in office buildings were looking out the window," said Make-A-Wish communications director Jeannette Tarcha. full article: seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011740342_electronboy30m.html
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Post by don_taco on May 4, 2010 12:20:46 GMT -5
that's fantastic
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moy
I know they're people, kate!
Posts: 21,265
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Post by moy on May 4, 2010 14:33:16 GMT -5
A British sniper set a world sharpshooting record by taking out two Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan from more than a mile and a half away -- a distance so great, experts say the terrorists wouldn't have even heard the shots. Craig Harrison killed the two insurgents from an astounding distance of 8,120 feet -- or 1.54 miles -- in Helmand Province last November firing an Accuracy International L11583 long-range rifle. Read more: www.nypost.com/p/news/international/sniper_kills_qaeda_from_mi_away_sTm0xFUmJNal3HgWlmEgRL#ixzz0mzVChGnB
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thefirstbardo
There ain't no such thing as leftover crack
Posts: 7,968
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Post by thefirstbardo on May 4, 2010 14:35:13 GMT -5
Holy hell. A mile and a half? That is incredible.
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moy
I know they're people, kate!
Posts: 21,265
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Post by moy on May 4, 2010 18:02:53 GMT -5
FYI
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