vaata veel
5/31/09
Juunikuu Tarkade Klubi
Arvult juba kahekümnenda, juunikuise Tarkade Klubi kaanel askeldab valge hiireke, sümboliseerides miljoneid loomi, kelle elu möödub laborites teadlaste uuriva pilgu all ning seekordne kaanelugu annabki ülevaate tänapäeva teaduses kõige enam kasutatud mudelorganismidest - saame teada, miks kuuluvad teadlaste lemmikute hulka just hiired, äädikakärbsed, varbussid, müürloogad jt.Oma tööst räägib ajakirja lugejatele merebioloog Jonne Kotta ning pikemalt pajatatakse numbris elektriautodega seonduvast.
Ajakirjanik Joel Alas on põhjalikult uurinud maailma kõige populaarsema kirjatüübi Times New Romani ajalugu ja paljastab selle sünniloo ümber keerlevaid vastuolusid.
Hiljutine maavärin Itaalias tõstatas taas küsimuse, kas neid loodusõnnetusi on võimalik ennustada, mistõttu lahatakse, kui palju tõtt on tolle Itaalia inseneri väidetes, kelle sõnul andis radoonitase lähenevast katastroofist märku.
5/30/09
Hirm muudab viisi, kuidas me asju näeme
New Scientist vahendab ajakirjas Psychological Science tutvustatavat teadustööd, millest selgub, et hirm muudab viisi, kuidas me ümbritsevat näeme.Fear changes how we see things, enhancing our ability to identify blurry shapes but impairing our perception of fine details. This may help us to escape threats.
Päeva mõte
I've been making a list of the things they don't teach you at school. They don't teach you how to love somebody. They don't teach you how to be famous. They don't teach you how to be rich or how to be poor. They don't teach you how to walk away from someone you don't love any longer. They don't teach you how to know what's going on in someone else's mind. They don't teach you what to say to someone who's dying. They don't teach you anything worth knowing.
Neil Gaiman
5/29/09
Kas Google taasleiutab e-maili
Colin Barras kirjutab New Scientisti blogis Google'i uudisrakendusest Google Wave, mille kohta üks selle arendajatest märkis, et "just nii näeks e-mail välja, kui see oleks leiutatud tänapäeval".Normally, attempts to reinvent something as entrenched as email and instant messaging - both technologies have a history stretching back over several decades - are met with scepticism, but initial reports from those that viewed the demonstration are positive.
Miks on hea, et me madusid kardame
Antropoloog Meredith F. Small selgitab LiveScience'is Lynn Isbelli raamatu The Fruit, The Tree, and the Serpent: Why We See So Well põhjal, miks on meile evolutsiooni käigus sügavale sisse juurdunud madudekartus hea asi ja kuidas see võis kaasa aidata meie hea silmanägemise ja võib-olla koguni kõnekeele tekkele. Anthropologists have always assumed that this great vision was a necessary adaptation for life in the trees. Leaping around the canopy requires depth perception, and color vision comes in handy when looking for ripe fruits and leaves. Going against the standard thinking, Isbell thinks that spotting snakes is the real reason we see well. Snakes, it seems, were the oldest known predator on primates, and they have been the most persistent predators over millions of years. Today, monkeys are scared of them and humans make horror films about them, like "Snakes on a Plane."
Inimkeha kui bakteripesa
Jeremy Hsu tutvustab LiveScience'is teadustööd, millest ilmneb, et inimkehal elab seniarvatust enam baktereid ja meie kehapinnal on bioloogilise mitmekesisuse seisukohast nii liigirikkaid vihmametsi (The part of the human skin that can claim most diversity is the forearm, with 44 bacteria species on average) kui ka eluvaeseid kõrbealasid (by comparison, behind the ear saw only 19 bacteria species on average).
Milleks luua inimkõnegeeniga hiiri
Ewen Callaway selgitab New Scientistis, miks oli teadlastel vaja lisada laborihiirte organismi inimese kõneprobleemidega seostatav ja inimkõne evolutsiooni seisukohast võtmetähtsusega detailiks peetav geenivariant ja milliseid huvitavaid avastusi see esmapilgul vägagi veider ettevõtmine sünnitas.Joseph Buxbaum calls the new research "fascinating", but he is holding his applause until the findings are replicated. "They raise some interesting issues and I think it's worth further study, but I'm not willing to speculate on human evolution at this point," he says.
5/28/09
Kes jõuaks lugeda tuhandeleheküljelist raamatut?
Jean Hannah Edelstein küsib Guardiani raamatublogis John Saylesi võimetuse taustal oma uuele, tuhandeleheküljelisele raamatule kirjastajat leida, kas tänapäeva Twitteri põlvkonna lugeja on üldse valmis ja võimeline end nii paksust kapsast läbi närima. There's no question that Sayles – nominated for National Book award for his 1977 novel Union Dues – has the literary chops to write another publishable novel. And there's no doubt that in a more profligate age when publishers were still allowed to have parties, it might have been more likely that a big house would take Sayles out for a nice lunch and slide a six-figure contract across the table, past the negronis. My icy, realist heart was almost melting as I read on about his plight until I hit the point in the article where the book is described the book as "weighing in at 1,000 typed pages".
And then my heart froze up again. Could it be that John Sayles is not able to get a publisher for his new book not just because the publishing industry is struggling, but because a thousand pages is just too many for a modern novel, and has been for years and years? In fact, I think it could.
And then my heart froze up again. Could it be that John Sayles is not able to get a publisher for his new book not just because the publishing industry is struggling, but because a thousand pages is just too many for a modern novel, and has been for years and years? In fact, I think it could.
Murakami uus romaan Jaapanis üliedukas
Associated Press teatab, et Haruki Murakami homme müügilettidele paisatav romaan 1Q84 on osutunud megamenukiks juba enne selle ilmumist, sest kui esialgu plaanis kirjastus Shinchosha esimese hooga trükkida niigi aukartustäratavad 380.000 raamatut, siis nüüd on eeltellimusi laekunud juba sellises mahus, et trükiarvu tõsteti 480.000ni.Like many of his previous works, "1Q84" is a complex and surreal narrative. It shifts back and forth between tales of two characters, a man and a woman, who are searching for each other. Through their thoughts and experiences, which include murder and historical references, the book explores social and emotional issues such as cult religion, violence, family ties and love. It is unclear when the work will be translated into English, according to Shinchosha.
Päeva mõte
What does it mean for a civilization to be a million years old? We have had radio telescopes and spaceships for a few decades; our technical civilization is a few hundred years old … an advanced civilization millions of years old is as much beyond us as we are beyond a bushbaby or a macaque.
Carl Sagan
12 ulmelist tulevikuarhitektuuri näidist
Veebilehel WebUrbanist on väljas kogum ideearhitektuurilistest ehitistest, millest osa kindlasti jääbki vaid paberile, ent mõned väljatoodud futuristlikud hooned on siiski ka juba ehitusjärgus.
Kaheksa kirjakeelt, mida me ei oska lugeda
Andrew Robinson on New Scientistis välja toonud kaheksa muistset kirjakeelt, mida me ei oska tänapäeval lugeda kas siis üldse või märkimisväärses osas või siis oskame küll lugeda, ent ei mõista sellele vaatamata.Most of the undeciphered scripts featured here have been partially deciphered, and well-known researchers have claimed that they have deciphered some much more fully. Further progress is possible for most of them, especially if new inscriptions are discovered, which fortunately happens fairly often.
Kuidas kasutada sülearvutit seda puudutamata
Gregory Mone tutvustab Popular Science'i veebilehel leiutist nimega SixthSense, mis koosneb miniprojektorist, veebikaamerast ja sülearvutist ning võimaldab selle arendajate hinnangul juba paari aasta pärast kasutada taibutelefone ilma neid reaalselt puudutamata ning pakkuda ka muidu päriselu infosfääri avardavaid võimalusi, millesarnaseid me oleme seni harjunud nägema vaid ulmefilmidest.
When he's wearing the SixthSense, a combination miniature projector, webcam and notebook computer, Pranav Mistry can snap photos just by making the shape of a frame with his fingers. He can conjure a phone keypad in the palm of his hand and tap the virtual numbers to place a call. The system can even recognize a book in front of the camera, retrieve its Amazon listing from the Web, and project its rating on the cover. Watching Mistry, a graduate student in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Arts and Sciences program, demonstrate the device is like witnessing a magic show.
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Mobiiltelefonid hakkavad andma reaalsusele lisaväärtust
The Road'i treiler
Treilerit vaadates on selge, et John Hillcoat ei hoia end filmis täpselt McCarthy raamatu rajal ja võib-olla on see hea ja võib-olla on see halb... kindlasti tahaks raamatut lugenuna ja seda suuresti nautinuna minna kinno vaatama ka filmi ning antud treiler seda tahtmist ära ei võtnud.
5/27/09
vaata veelReligioon vajab edukuseks märtreid
Bob Holmes tutvustab New Scientistis ajakirjas Evolution and Human Behavior avaldatud artiklit, milles väidetakse, et religioonid vajavad tõsiseltvõetavuse saavutamiseks märtreid ja just valmisolek end ohvriks tuua ning sest välja kasvav usundi järgijate kasv ja nende omakorda suurenev ohvrimeelsus võib olla oluliseks religioonitekke lüliks, mida vastava valdkonna uurijad seni tulutult otsinud on. When religious leaders make costly sacrifices for their beliefs, the argument goes, these acts add credibility to their professions of faith and help their beliefs to spread. If, on the other hand, no one is willing to make a significant sacrifice for a belief then observers - even young children - quickly pick up on this and withhold their own commitment. "Nobody takes a day off to worship Superman or gives money to the Superman Foundation," points out Joseph Henrich, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
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Kolm põlvkonda veinipudelitel
Moruba poolt disainitud Matsu veinipudelid, mis portreteerivad veinivalmistajate kolme põlvkonda.
Päeva mõte
A hundred years ago, Auguste Comte, … a great philosopher, said that humans will never be able to visit the stars, that we will never know what stars are made out of, that that's the one thing that science will never ever understand, because they're so far away. And then, just a few years later, scientists took starlight, ran it through a prism, looked at the rainbow coming from the starlight, and said: 'Hydrogen!' Just a few years after this very rational, very reasonable, very scientific prediction was made, that we'll never know what stars are made of.
Michio Kaku
vaata veelBriti aasta parimad teadusraamatud
Amanda Gefter heidab New Scientistis pilgu Suurbritannia teaduste akadeemia 2009. aasta teadusraamatute auhinna esialgsele nimekirjale ning viib nimekirja kokku ajakirjas ilmunud raamatututvustuste ja -arvustustega.Look for New Scientist's analysis of the shortlist – and the announcement of our science books reader competition – in our 11 July issue. In the meantime, check out what our reviewers thought of the contenders, and if you missed any of them, now is the time to catch up on your reading!
15 lahedat peeglit
Veebilehel WebUrbanist saab näha viitteist põnevat peeglidisaini, teiste seas ka ülalpool ilutsevat ja nartsistlikule isiksusele imehästi sobivat peeglit, mis teatab ka su hommikuse sassis-loppis välimuse kohta Oh how beautiful you are! You’re charming. You look gorgeous! It’s fantastic. You are infinitely attractive! I think that you are fabulous, just fabulous! You are absolutely delectable. Your hair is really stunning, it sparkles with life! I love the way that you do your hair, that silken head of curls and waves is glorious.” Ready to take on that world? Of course… you’re fabulous!
Mida uut toob E3
Scott Steinberg kirjutab Popular Science'i veebilehel, milliseid lahedaid tehnikavidinaid ja arvutimänge esmaesitletakse 2.-4. juunini Los Angelesis toimuval elektroonikamessil E3.Though just a shadow of its 2000-2006 glory years, when skate ramps and strobe lights dominated due to recent invite-only policies and publisher cutbacks, the confab's still expected to be ground zero for industry announcements. With the rumor mill already buzzing, here's a sneak peek at what could be some of the convention's biggest titles and unveilings.
Kliimasoojenemise vastu aitavad valged katused?
Mark Henderson vahendab Times Online'is füüsikanobelisti Steven Chu arvamust, mille kohaselt aitaks majakatuste ja teede globaalne valgendamine kliimasoojenemist oluliselt aeglustada.Speaking at the opening of the St James’s Palace Nobel Laureate Symposium, for which The Times is media partner, Professor Chu said that this approach could have a vast impact. By lightening paved surfaces and roofs to the colour of cement, it would be possible to cut carbon emissions by as much as taking all the world’s cars off the roads for 11 years, he said.
Peegelneuronite ülesanne seati kahtluse alla
Priya Shetty kirjutab New Scientistis, et praeguse arusaama kohaselt inimese empaatia ja moraalsuse ning autistlike häiretega seotud nõndanimetatud peegelneuronite ülesanne inimajus tuleb värske teadustööd valguses võib-olla ümber hinnata.Neurons that encounter repeated stimulus reduce their successive response, a process called adaptation. If mirror neurons existed in the activated part of the brain, reasoned Caramazza, adaptation should be triggered by both observation and performance.
To test the theory, his team asked 12 volunteers to watch videos of hand gestures and, when instructed, to mimic the action. However, fMRI scans of the participants' brains showed that the neurons only adapted when gestures were observed then enacted, but not the other way around.
5/26/09
Enesekindlus on päritav
Ewen Callaway vahendab New Scientistis teadustööd, millest koorub välja, et intellektuaalne enesekindlus on päritav ja on õppeedukuse seisukohast sama tähtis, kui kõrge IQ.A new study of thousands of twins suggests that intellectual confidence is genetically inherited, and independent from actual intelligence. Moreover, these genetic differences predict grades in school, says Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a psychologist at Goldsmiths University in London, whose team found that 7- to 10-year-old children who achieved the best marks in school tended to rate their own abilities highly, even after accounting for differences due to intelligence and environment.
Euroopa jalgpalli aasta ilusaim värav
Guardiani sporditoimetus on homse Meistrite Liiga finaali eel soojenduseks välja toonud hea hulga imeilusaid väravaid, mis sel aastal Euroopa jalgpalliväljakutel tehtud.
Ülal üks neist parimatest - Wolfsburgi brasiillasest ründaja Grafite kompukoll Bayerni väravasse.
Päeva mõte
Our sun formed 4.5bn years ago, but it's got 6bn more before the fuel runs out. And the expanding universe will continue - perhaps for ever - becoming ever colder, ever emptier. As Woody Allen said, "Eternity is very long, especially towards the end". Any creatures who witness the sun's demise, here on Earth or far beyond, won't be human. They will be entities as different from us as we are from a bug.
Martin Rees
Kümme avastust, mis muutsid maailma
LiveScience on välja valinud kümme sündmust või avastust, mis on olulisel määral muutnud inimtsivilisatsiooni arengusuundi, seda isegi juhul, kui esialgu ei paistnud nende mõju vähemalt antud mastaabis olevat eriti märkimisväärne.From ancient Greek politics to modern technology, here are 10 of the most significant historical events -- in relatively modern times -- that reverberate powerfully still today...
Raamatud, mis sind muudavad
Nicole Jackson on Guardianis hulgalt kirjanikelt küsinud, millised raamatud muutsid nende maailma ja panid nad kirjutama ning teiste seas on vastanud äsja suurepärase romaani Burnt Shadows ilmutanud Kamila Shamsie (I don't remember who wrote the book that changed my life. I don't even remember anything about its plot or characters. But I remember vividly finding a musty old hardback novel called All Dogs Go to Heaven on my grandfather's bookshelf. And I remember weeping - copiously - as I read the book, weeping for my pet dog who had recently died. I also recall my best friend, Asad, coming over and, in response to my "You must read this - it's set in dog heaven", saying, "Why don't we write a book set in dog heaven?" So we did. It was called A Dog's Life, and After. I was 11, and I never stopped writing after that) ja Zoë Heller (A couple of novels that I read in my teens - Middlemarch by George Eliot and Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - made me want to be a writer. But the only book I can think of that effected a large and immediately felt change was My Secret Life, the Sex Diary of a Victorian Gentleman (author unknown). I discovered it on my grandparents' bookshelf at the age of 10.).
Kaksteist veidra nimega toodet
Veebilehel Oddee on väljas käputäis tavatu nimega tooteid alates Golden Gaytime nimelisest jäätisest (Golden Gaytime is an iconic ice-cream in Australia, its name survived intact despite the homosexual connotations in modern decades. The company just decided to play up the camp name with the boxes, holding the words "4 chances to have a gay time.") ja lõpetades putukatõrjujaga Wack Off (Australian repellent "used by the armed forces." They surely need it).
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