Jan. 4th, 2009

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Science Blog Posts powered by BlogBurst | Reuters.com

Researchers have developed a method for generating an image of the sound a dolphin makes in water, what they refer to as a CymaGlyph. They hope that by studying these CymaGlyphs, they can form a lexicon of dolphin communication, perhaps opening up a new way to communicate with our aquatic brethren.

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Protecting beer from bacteria

Canadians love their beer, so it's no surprise that one has devoted her graduate work to saving more of it from the ravages of bacterial spoilage. Monique Haakensen of the University of Saskatchewan has developed three new methods for detecting the bacteria that causes beer to spoil, saving beer companies the requirement of holding batches for several months to see if they go bad. Her techniques lets them detect the bacteria within a few days, allowing them to ship product to market sooner.

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Futuristic Security Checkpoints Know What You Do Before You Do It

The US Department of Homeland Security is developing a system detect your intentions at security checkpoints. Called FAST for Future Attribute Screening Technology, the system examines pupil size, blink rate, direction of gaze, heart rate, respiration rate, skin temperature, and movements of the face, neck and cheeks, all to determine if you have hostile intent. Preliminary tests indicate that the system is about 80% accurate based on tests using 140 volunteers.

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Arts, Briefly - Warner and Fox Debate - Which Is Better? - NYTimes.com

The latest legal motions from the fight between Fox and Warner over ownership of Watchmen has them reduced to fighting over who is the better company. Warner claims Fox is blocking evidence that would show Fox to be an "underperforming studio" while Fox is asserting that they are "the very best in the business". I'm not sure how this relates to the has the right to distribute the movie, unless the distributor is decided by a cage match between executives.
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Found Footage: Beware Twinkle, The Destroyer Of Cities!

Heh! Video footage from a BBC comedy show I used to watch in the 70s: The Goodies. In this episode, a giant kitten threatens London, leaving the Goodies to deal with the problem. Must see if I can track down more of these.

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For the Blind, Technology Does What a Guide Dog Can’t - NYTimes.com

T.V. Raman demonstrates that a disability doesn't mean lack of ability. After losing his sight at 14 he went on to obtain a doctorate in Engineering and is now a respected researcher who worked for Abode and IBM before joining Google. He has also designed numerous devices to help blind people function more easily in a world designed mostly for the sighted.

January 2010

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