| news
lite
|
you
can't watch electrons? well you can now, sort of
“In the near future, it should be possible to watch directly how
the bonds of molecules change during chemical reactions [...] ”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/lite0411.php#electrons311204 |
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playing
with brain chemicals
“Neuroscientists say two factors could prevent Americans from succumbing
completely to the seductions of smart pills. First, their performance may
not live up to expectations. Second, they could have side effects, some
of them difficult to predict.
“ "There's no free lunch," said Tully. Consumers will have
to consider what level of discomfort or risk they're willing to accept in
exchange for sharper recall or enhanced powers of concentration.
“The side effect that most neuroscientists fear is not physical discomfort,
but subtle mental change. Over time, a memory-enhancing drug might cause
people to remember too much detail, cluttering the brain.
“Similarly, a drug that sharpens attention might cause users to focus
too intently on a particular task, failing to shift their attention in response
to new developments.”
related material
what is memory,
or intelligence? Incautious claims of ‘IQ’ genes
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/lite0411.php#brain_chemicals281204 |
revolving
building in curitiba, brazil
(with photo illustrations)
Each of its eleven floors revolves 360°, at the speed and in the direction
of each owner’s preference.
According to some, the price is $300,000 for each apartment of 3000 square
feet.
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/lite0411.php#revolving_building251204 |
continuous
process solar cells
“Kroesen's team has made its solar cells bendy simply by making
them thin. But this has involved a trade-off. While the best solar cells
are now working at efficiencies above 20%, the H-AS cells are only about
7% efficient. The researchers think efficiency is worth sacrificing for
a cell that is going to be more generally useful, though they still hope
eventually to reach 10% efficiency.
—
The Swedish and Dutch-owned company Akzo-Nobel, a partner in the H-AS research,
already has a pilot plant producing rolls of silicon cells 40 centimetres
wide. A projected full-scale manufacturing plant would produce panels at
a cost of about 1 euro per watt. An A4-size panel sewn onto the back of
a jacket and costing less than 10 euros would charge a mobile phone during
a summer stroll. The company has not yet decided to go ahead with the plant.”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/lite0411.php#solar_cell221204 |
sorting
pistachios
On sorting your nuts out:
“While not as fast as the [present] needle picker, the sound sorter
is cheaper to maintain and up to 97% accurate - against the needle sorter’s
90%.”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/lite0411.php#pistachios |
do
you think this is hairy-kairy?
Or should it be ‘Seppuku’, ritual disembowlment?
No.....
‘hara’ means stomach.
‘kiri’ means cutting.
harakiri and seppuku are one and the same.
they in fact both use the same two kanji [chinese characters] but in opposite
order. seppuku uses chinese readings for those kanji, harakiri uses japanese
readings.
seppuku is the more commonly used term in japan, but both are correct.
note that ‘hari’ is a corruption/mis-hearing
of the original.
this is common in both directions: try saying ‘karate’ or ‘karaoke’
in an english accent and almost nobody in japan will know what you are talking
about!
[Etymological notes from the
auroran sunset.]
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/lite0411.php#hairy_kerry |
| review
of a new book on cosmology that just might be interesting
“Simon Singh, in this very large book, presents a history of the
evolving discovery of the universe from early historic times up to the 1990s
[...] ”
—
“ "It doesn't matter how beautiful your guess is or how smart
you are or what your name is. If [your idea] disagrees with experience,
it's wrong. That's all there is to it." ” Feynman
 |
Big Bang : The Origin of the Universe
by Simon Singh
2004 (October), Fourth Estate, 0007152515, hbk, £12.00
[amazon.co.uk] {advert}
2005 (January), Fourth Estate, 0007162200, hbk, $19.01
[pre-orders] [amazon.com] {advert}
544 pages |
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/lite0411.php#big_bang |
|
moving
to sustainable energy generation
News item moved to briefing documents:
distributed energy
systems and microgeneration
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/lite0411.php#energy_generation |
topic archives: news-lite
