Sunday, November 27, 2011

INFORMAVORE's SUNDAY No 483

Dear Readers,

A somewhat smaller issue due probably to the celebration in the USA.

I see that this publication still has not achieved popularity due to the

choice of subjects. I remember my deep intellectual grief when in December 2009 the model of it, Internet Resources Newsletter ceased publication after 178 monthly (equivalent of 712 weekly) issues.

I am thinking about what to do:

- to stop INFORMAVORE’s Sunday after issue 500;

- to transform it in a regular newsletter;

- to sell it to a serious buyer who has better connections and more readers

Hopefully I’ll have time to decide.

Yours truly,

Peter

SEARCH

INTERNET

A collection of funny quotes about the World Wide Web:

http://websearch.about.com/b/2011/11/14/a-collection-of-funny-quotes-about-the-world-wide-web.htm?nl=1

‘Twine’ Foreshadows A Future Where All Objects Talk To The Internet:

http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/25/twine-foreshadows-a-future-where-all-objects-talk-to-the-internet/

8 Insane Similarities Between the Internet and Ancient

Egypt

http://www.cracked.com/article_19580_8-insane-similarities-between-internet-ancient-egypt.html#ixzz1epe5n38x

SEARCH & FIND: What, where, how.

Search Engines 101: Part I:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-ostrofsky/search-engines-101-part-i_b_1104525.html

Trapit, the Non-Search Engine:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2396511,00.asp

BLOGS and SOCIAL SITES

Nothing relevant found

GOOGLE

Google TV Loses One Friend, Makes Another While Logitech's CEO says Google TV "cost us dearly," LG plans to jump on board with the search giant's Internet-connected TV service.: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/helloworld/27353/?nlid=nlcomm&nld=2011-11-21

Google kills Knol, Wave, and others to focus operations: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57329996-93/google-kills-knol-wave-and-others-to-focus-operations/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&tag=nl.e703

Bob Rankin- is Chrome the best browser: http://askbobrankin.com/is_chrome_the_best_browser.html?awt_l=4jAx_&awt_m=Ie1YbYmNS8P6SL

What's in a Name? Ask Google
Web searches can help parents ensure their child is not
saddled with a negatively connoted name, but a unique, or
uncommon one.:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/fashion/google-searches-help-parents-narrow-down-baby-names.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&adxnnl=1&emc=tha26&adxnnlx=1322295898-ownlyQEabBNJZpRj1ut0wQ

Tips on becoming an Internet search pro:

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3384049

WORDS, BOOKS, LIBRARIES

Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2011: Squeezed Middle: http://infodocket.com/2011/11/24/oxford-dictionaries-word-of-the-year-2011-squeezed-middle/

On-line :Best of 2011” book list: http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2011/11/online_best_of_7.html

For Their Children, Many E-Book Fans Insist on Paper http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/for-their-children-many-e-book-readers-insist-on-paper.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26

Modern Languages and Area Studies: http://www.intute.ac.uk/mlas

SCIENCE

Brain Scaffolding: https://mail.google.com/mail/?tab=wm#inbox/133e01310321ab88

Light Created from a Vacuum: Casimir Effect Observed in Superconducting Circuit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111118133050.htm

New state of matter seen on cheap: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15876145

Earth’s Core Deprived of Oxygen: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133137.htm

Scientists Probe Earth’s Core To Gain a Better Understanding of Planet Formation: http://scitechdaily.com/scientists-probe-earths-core-to-gain-a-better-understanding-of-planet-formation/

The Noose Around Relativity is Tightening: http://bigthink.com/ideas/41222

New state of matter discovered:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15876145

TECHNOLOGY

What we are for (energy literacy, etc.):

http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2011-11-18/what-we-are

The Energy of the Future: http://bigthink.com/ideas/38681

Renewable Energy Projects Around the World: How Much is Installed and Where: http://ecogeek.org/component/content/article/3640

The 13-year-old boy genius who created revolutionary solar panels after looking at tree branches
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2064149/Aidan-Dwyer-The-13-year-old-boy-genius-created-revolutionary-solar-panels-looking-tree-branches.html#ixzz1eQS6d1Ak

Wood Biofuel Could Be a Competitive Industry by 2020:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111108133045.htm

Algae Biomass Increased by More Than 50 Percent:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121142453.htm

ORegen Waste Heat Recovery:

http://www.ge-energy.com/products_and_services/services/oil_and_gas_services/oregen.jsp Thanks to Aussie Guy!

In Search of the Ideal Grid Battery Researchers at Stanford make an electrode that can be recharged 40,000 times without losing much capacity:

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/39168/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-23

New nanoparticle electrode could bolster large-scale storage of renewable energy: http://www.gizmag.com/stanford-high-power-electrode/20610/

Greenhouse Gases Rise by Record Amount Levels of greenhouse gases are higher than the worst case scenario outlined by climate experts just four years ago: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/11/04

Computing with light: Research produces long-sought component to allow complete optical circuits on silicon chips:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-11-long-sought-component-optical-circuits-silicon.html With thanks to Rich Murray

Smart swarms of bacteria inspire robot design:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/smart-swarms-of-bacteria-inspire-robot-design

New Material Can Enhance Energy, Computer, Lighting Technologies: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116124737.htm

Carbon nanotube 'space camouflage' Tiny carbon tubes can be used to hide three-dimensional objects from view, according to a team of researchers: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15837145

EDUCATION, CULTURE, ART

Top 30 online universities of 2011:

http://savedelete.com/top-30-online-universities-2011.html

Principles of Chemical Science:

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/chemistry/5-111-principles-of-chemical-science-fall-2008/

Chemistry tutorials:

http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~coursedev/Online%20tutorials/chemtutorials.htm

High quality resources for education: http://www.intute.ac.uk/education

Carolyn Baker: Emotional Resilience Is Essential In Turbulent Times: http://www.chrismartenson.com/blog/carolyn-baker-emotional-resilience-essential/63329?page=1

Breaking a Long Silence on Population Control: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/science/earth/bringing-up-the-issue-of-population-growth.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Everyone On Earth Is 4.74 Degrees Apart According to a new Facebook study, just 4.74 degrees separate any person from another: http://gimundo.com/news/article/everyone-on-earth-is-4.74-degrees-apart/

Free Ride: Digital Parasites and the Fight for the Business of Culture:

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/11/16/free-ride-digital-parasites-robert-levine/

Leaders Should Be Competent – But Not Too Competent:

http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2011/11/leaders-should-be-competent-but-not-too.html

Communication and media resources:

http://www.intute.ac.uk/communication

Warning: Positivity may be harmful: http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/jeremy-mccarthy/2011112219889

The death of the individual:

http://www.execupundit.com/2011/11/death-of-individual.html#links

Why Are People Still Afraid of Atheism? Plenty of people are reviled for their religious beliefs. But a lack of faith seems to inspire even more intense antipathy: http://www.alternet.org/story/153194/why_are_people_still_afraid_of_atheism?akid=7904.112117.hRjHdo&rd=1&t=21

BUSINESS

Bridging the gap: working smarter:

http://www.jarche.com/2011/11/bridging-the-gap-working-smarter/

Imagining the Post-Industrial Economy:

http://scienceblogs.com/casaubonsbook/2011/11/what_does_a_largely_informal_e.php

The book “Short-Circuit” (environmental economy):

http://www.feasta.org/documents/shortcircuit/contents.html

The Big Data Boom Is the Innovation Story of Our Time:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/the-big-data-boom-is-the-innovation-story-of-our-time/248215/

Nassim Nicholas Taleb- End Bonuses for Bankers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/opinion/end-bonuses-for-bankers.html?_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212

Charts: Who Are the 1 Percent?:

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/10/one-percent-income-inequality-OWS

Stop being micromanaged: http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2011/09/stop-being-micromanaged.html

4 Paradoxes of Great Performance. A Myth: More, Bigger, Faster is Better. There is always an optimal value beyond which anything is toxic… http://davidkanigan.com/2011/11/22/4-paradoxes-of-great-performance-most-of-us-live-by-the-myth-that-more-bigger-faster-is-better-lead-effectiveness-growth-excel/#more-1446

5 Keys to Effectively Communicating Appreciation in the Workplace:

http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2011/11/5-keys-to-effectively-communicating.html

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Nano-Technoloogy Makes Medicine Greener:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103132357.htm

New Pacemaker Needs No Wires. It regulates the heartbeat with a zap of ultrasound sent to a receiver implanted into the organ itself.:

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/39162/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-21

Getting Health Data from Inside Your Body Hugo Campos believes that patients with implanted medical devices deserve access to the data they collect: http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/39167/?nlid=nlbio&nld=2011-11-22

New hope for repairing diseased or damaged brains: http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-hope-for-repairing-diseased-or-damaged-brain

Reviving autopsies: http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2011/11/pathology?fsrc=nlw%7Cnewe%7C11-23-2011%7Cnew_on_the_economist

Does Hypertension Affect Brain Capacity?:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121124121.htm

What Bacteria Don't Know Can Hurt Them: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117163703.htm

Targeting Bacterial Gas Defenses Allow for Increased Efficacy of Numerous Antibiotics:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117144009.htm

Key to Aging? Key Molecular Switch for Telomere Extension by Telomerase Identified:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133522.htm

Surprising Pathway Implicated in Stuttering: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111122162834.htm

Worms Reveal Secrets of Wound-Healing Response: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140302.htm

FOOD & COOKING

The next agro-industrial revolution: http://www.mckinsey.com/en/Features/Resource_revolution.aspx

Recipe Networks Reveal Human Taste Preferences Network science is revolutionising the future of food:

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27352/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-21

The Secret of the Best Foie Gras:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116143051.htm

A New Technique Makes It Possible to Reduce by Half the Amount of Salt in Already Desalted Cod: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111118132952.htm

Lifeform of the week: Cranberries at their bitter best:

http://earthsky.org/biodiversity/lifeform-of-the-week-cranberries-at-their-bitter-best

Reducing Food Waste during the Holiday Season: http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/reducing-food-waste-during-the-holiday-season/

We Need a New Narrative About Eating Animals: http://bigthink.com/ideas/23946

Mechanism of Wine Swirling Explained: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121104142.htm

MISCELLANEA

What has happened in your birth year?

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2gq2af/whathappenedinmybirthyear.com/

SELECTED NEWS

SPAM & SPYWARE

VIRUSES & e-CROOKS

All about bad bots: http://netsecurity.about.com/b/2011/11/14/all-about-bad-bots.htm?nl=1

Mapping the Mal Web

The world’s riskiest domains

http://us.mcafee.com/en-us/local/docs/MTMW_Report.pdf

Mobile Malware: Hype or Not?:

http://antivirus.about.com/b/2011/11/22/mobile-malware-hype-or-not.htm?nl=1

A lot of new hoaxes: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/issue-121.shtml

WiFi

You don’t need a mobile strategy: http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2011/nt-2011-11-21-Mobile-strategy.htm

Bob Rankin- can VOIP replace your landline?:

http://askbobrankin.com/can_voip_replace_your_landline.html?awt_l=4jAx_&awt_m=JY9Ca5urC8P6SL

How Amazon Is Making a Sucker Out of Google It’s time for Google to change its self-defeating, anything-goes policy on Android before Amazon makes a fool it:

http://www.datamation.com/mobile-wireless/how-amazon-is-making-a-sucker-out-of-google.html

Software Bugs are a Regular Part of Smartphone Life for Windows hone and Android users: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2011/11/24/software-bugs-are-a-regular-part-of-smartphone-life-for-windows-phone-and-android-users/?partner=technology_newsletter

The Psychology of Texting: How Your Cell Phone Reveals The Inner You:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2011/11/23/psychology-texting-smarphone-why-your-smart-phone-says-more-about-you-than-you-do/?partner=forbeslife_newsletter

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Motto: Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.
Benjamin Franklin

It’s been a while since I last wrote on the ‘roots’ series. I feel that after this pause, would be nice to take a step back from the blame-game on the crisis actual triggers, while still keeping the eyes on the ball – digging out another root today.

I have travelled this year roughly to around 15 to 20 different places in the world. It is amazing how much we have built, how much we have invented, how much we have progressed towards making our lives easier, more entertaining, more comfortable. It is also amazing how demanding we have become with people and places around us, but also with ourselves. How much we feel like we are ‘entitled’ to things which we did not work to accomplish or fought to get; how much we are willing to spend money which we did not yet earn, just because they are available and it is fashionable to spend.

It is at the same time puzzling for me why we are no longer satisfied with simplest things in life, why for example we do not stop to smell the flowers, but admire from a distance the fact that they are nicely and symmetrically displayed. I cannot stop by wonder how often we pass by potential happiness every day, too busy to stop and welcome it into our life, or too self-important to notice it at all.

Then I realize this is not happening everywhere in the world. There is still a great part of ‘us’, living poor but happy lives, in places where ‘shopping while already dressed’, ‘eating without being hungry’, ‘exercising without getting anything done’, drug consumption and occasional sex are not yet a way of entertainment. Where the money earned with great effort goes for modest food and for clothing that is used for protecting the body from indecent looks and keeping warm when weather gets tough. Where muscle is grown and body is fit through every day work. Where the clothes and boots are passed from older to younger brother or sister, after being mended from time to time by a loving mother. I remember a nice comparison of the difference between rich and poor – the first never really smile.

There is another (great) part of us that also live poor lives, however unhappy ones. This is a category where children do not live enough to use any clothing, where they may not know much about happiness, but may also not know much about unhappiness either. The name of the game is survival - no hope, no comparison, no news, no success stories that would make them realize what is happening outside their own world. I will have to stop with this line of reasoning, as this was supposed to be a more positive ‘edition’ of the roots and I have drifted from the subject.

What I want to share with you today is the consciousness of diversity. Both in my university years and later on in my professional life, I have come across various theories and tests about characteristics of individuals, of social systems and of organizations. I have presented on my Romanian blog one idea of how we can apply one of the cognitive psychology tools (the JoHari window) to the service industry. I will come back to that when I will get to the “Controller” (one of the future topics of the Root series).

Today I will share with you the teachings of two other tools: Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Myers Briggs psychology indicators.

Geert Hofstede clustered basic characteristics of a nation initially into 4, later on into 5 dimensions: power distance, individualism (/collectivism), masculinity (/feminity), uncertainty avoidance and long-term (/short term) orientation. He scored most of the countries and you can find the conclusions here. For organizations, the dimensions are different, i.e. process vs. results-oriented, employee vs. job-oriented, parochial vs. professional, open vs. closed system, loose vs. tight control and pragmatic vs. normative. His work is generally accepted, however also criticized given simplicity and sometimes general approach of the resulting classifications and scorings. However, it is relevant for the purpose of today’s exercise i.e. to get a feeling on the huge diversity in terms of traditional cultures, as well as (especially booming in the recent years) in terms of organizational cultures.

The cultural clash was inevitable, but in the last decade has gained momentum on a double level – mass migration and expansion of global companies. And it does not stop here. We are very different on an individual level.

Myers Briggs is used on individual level, for understanding one’s thinking and acting pattern, and also for channeling own potential for future development. It is best to have a specialist apply this test on you, properly calibrated for your own culture, as above mentioned differences are also encoded in individual perception of the 4 dimensions of this tool. However there are decent self-assessment questionnaires online, that could help you get a hint on your psychological type. The result is a combination of 4 so-called dichotomies for each individual (extraverted / introverted, sensing / intuitive, thinking / feeling, judging / perceiving). The applications of this tool are very wide. I for example like to ask my team members to take this test, in order to better understand how their unique abilities can be combined to obtain best results.

Of course there are other instruments, such as the 16PF or the Enneagram, however Myers-Briggs is the simplest and easiest to understand.

Funny thing about the personality tests is that none returns results such as ‘thief’, ‘serial killer’, ‘fraudster’, ‘crook’ etc. That means that any one of the resulting types of personality could become an ‘outlaw’, depending on a large number of cumulative factors. It is actually a proven thesis that most of us would gradually become fraudulent (or at least compromise on our basic principles to the edge of breaching them) if given the opportunity and approached in the way of 'small steps'. Other aggravating factors are general evolution (or involution) of the principles within the environment, as well as our own perception about opportunity, control and potential gain.

I will stop on the general label of ‘outlaw’, because of its semantics – “out + law”, meaning somebody that breaks the law.

What law? That is the question. We have come a long way from the times of Moses, Hammurabi or Ur-Nammu. There was also a large variety of ancient Chinese laws, all centered on basic Confucian moral principles. Even then the differences between basic moral principles, the idea of right and wrong where so different – if you are curious about it, just check the difference between the ’10 abominations’ (China / Confucianism) and the ‘10 commandments’ (Christian principles).

Nowadays the ‘law’ has drifted apart so much in different countries that it seems to have diluted much from basic moral principles. Contemporary laws sometimes contradict each other, people may be guilty of crimes without even knowing it (as we all know, ‘unawareness is no excuse for breaking the law’). Some laws breach the very idea of fairness, common sense and morality - as some of us know it. Also there are countries in which law interpretation is purely at the good (or bad) will of a judge. There are laws promoted just because of the pressure from circles of interested parties - the privileged few.

The diversity is all around us, with both its good and evil side. What is not possible however is to make everyone think, feel and act in the same way. No matter how much we progress industrially and technologically, how well we learn to communicate, how tolerant we pretend to be, we cannot achieve universal understanding of morality and fairness. Outlaws will always walk amongst us. Even worse, the more the world is trying to converge, the more agile they will become in search of the perfect environment that would keep them ‘within-law’. The adaptability of the crooks in this world is remarkable. At a certain point, I believe they realized that it has become possible even to make laws that would turn the “out” into “within”.

In a perfect world, both communist and capitalist doctrines would have been successful. The communists would still be happily leaving in their utopist society, the capitalists would still be profiting in a perfectly functional market economy, with self-adjusting laws of supply and demand. What happened that they all failed? Life! A handful of powerful communists have stolen more than the majority could bear and the regime failed (as per some other theories, the capitalists just needed more playgrounds for their game…). Another handful, of powerful capitalists, with access to the right tools, started gambling on the markets, with other people’s money. They also decided to “better regulate” the markets, so that no “out-law” principle would get between them and their gains.

The good thing is that a lot of progress was achieved in this process. This is why the majority (that calls themselves now the 99%...) started living nicer and nicer lives, got more and more entertainment, lived a couple of decent ‘orange’ revolutions and a series of emancipations, while entrusting “the 1%” with more and more power, while loosening more and more the control over the outcome. Who is to blame? The bear for eating the honey or the bee for keeping the window opened? I believe the question has really lost its relevance given the seriousness of the current happenings.

What will follow? It may not seem while reading current roots series, however I would cast an optimistic outlook on humanity. Why?

First line of reasoning:
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end (Author Unknown / source http://www.quotegarden.com/index.html )

Second line of reasoning: it seems like we are approaching the bottom and …
History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives / Abba Eban

We have the strength to evolve, we have an immense adaptability potential and we should learn from our grandparents. It is said the genetics usually jumps over one generation and this is why kids seldom get along with their parents, but almost always get along with their grandparents (well, except for the ‘spoiling’ part there could be other reasons..).

I share again my grandfather wisdom – wish for the kind of poverty that provides enough for the family to be well fed, well dressed and happy (he did not say it in so many words, but Romanian is a generous language…).

I wish to add to that: if and when life hits you really hard, that you can only find resources to cry and give up, look around for someone dear, hug them, get yourself together and then, before starting all over again, don’t forget to smile towards the future.

Hugs,
Georgina Popescu

INFORMAVORE's SUNDAY No 482

My dear readers,

First of all, please multiply- send this newsletter to everybody you know.

In this issue you will find information attesting that Mankind is still

progressing technologically despite the epidemics of social, economical and political probletence. We are full of sins crippling our chances for Evolution

but fortunately we are still a creative species.

The most important publications presented here are about thinking, Good Thinking. Sometimes, somewhere this will be a popular subject. Now..?

Please accept my deep and indestructible empathy.

Peter

SEARCH

INTERNET

Internet Architects Warn of Risks in Ultrafast Networks: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/arista-networks-founders-aim-to-alter-how-computers-connect.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26

The Web's Crystal Ball Gets an Upgrade Bitly's shortened links can forecast the next trend online—a partnership with VeriSign is about to boost that predictive power:

http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/39121/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-14

How Internet Citizenry Will Decide the Fate of Nations The head of Google Ideas says technology will rewrite the relationship between citizens and governments: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/editors/27345/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-17

3 Proven Strategies To Keep The Internet From Killing Your Productivity: http://www.fastcompany.com/1795818/the-internet-is-killing-your-productivity

New Infographic: What Are People Doing Online?: http://infodocket.com/2011/11/18/new-infographic-what-are-people-doing-online/

SEARCH & FIND: What, where, how.

Web Search 101 - A Beginners Guide to Web Search:

http://websearch.about.com/od/searchingtheweb/Web_Search_for_Beginners_A_Beginners_Guide_to_Web_Search.htm

Putting the Brakes on Web-Surfing Speeds: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/putting-the-brakes-on-web-surfing-speeds.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26

Bing launches “Editors’ Picks”:

http://searchengineland.com/bing-launches-editors-picks-100944?utm_source=sel&utm_medium=scap&utm_campaign=email

10 most popular “How to” articles: http://savedelete.com/10-most-popular-how-to-articles.html

New Issue Alert: Journal of Electronic Publishing (14.2, Fall 2011): http://infodocket.com/2011/11/17/new-issue-alert-journal-of-electronic-publishing-14-2-fall-2011/

BLOGS and SOCIAL SITES

New Report from Pew Internet- Why Amercans Use Social Media:

http://infodocket.com/2011/11/15/new-report-from-pew-internet-why-americans-use-social-media/

You don’t have to Tweet to Twitter: http://abovethecrowd.com/2011/11/15/you-dont-have-to-tweet-to-twitter/

GOOGLE

Google’s Lab of Wildest Dreams:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/at-google-x-a-top-secret-lab-dreaming-up-the-future.html?_r=1

Google X: A Secret Lab Where Google Plays With Crazy Ideas & Robots http://searchengineland.com/google-x-secret-lab-101058

Private search engines look to usurp Google's supremacy

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/private-search-engines-look-to-usurp-googles-supremacy/story-e6frgakx-1226194989570

Google, ten recent algorithm changes: http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/2011/11/ten-recent-algorithm-changes.html

Google and Microsoft Talk Artificial Intelligence Peter Norvig, Google's head of research, and Eric Horvitz, a distinguished scientist at Microsoft Research, are optimistic about the future of machine intelligence. http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/39156/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-18

WORDS, BOOKS, LIBRARIES

Origin of words and phrases: http://www.wordorigins.org/

The Top 10 Relationship Words That Aren't Translatable Into English: http://bigthink.com/ideas/41152

Skilled readers rely on their brain’s ‘visual dictionary’ to recognize words: http://www.kurzweilai.net/skilled-readers-rely-on-their-brain%E2%80%99s-visual-dictionary-to-recognize-words

Finding E-books, a guide:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ebooks/

Reviews: “E is for Enhanced: 8 Enhanced Ebooks Worth Checking Out”: http://infodocket.com/2011/11/14/reviews-e-is-for-enhanced-8-enhanced-ebooks-worth-checking-out/

A Human review of theKindle Fire: http://www.marco.org/2011/11/17/kindle-fire-review

Kindle Fire review roundup: Amazin' Amazon tablet or dud iPad wannabe?: http://blogs.computerworld.com/19258/kindle_fire_review_roundup_amazin_amazon_tablet_or_dud_ipad_wannabe

E-Reader Display Shows Vibrant Color Video Mirasol's reflective display is being tested by device manufacturers, and could appear on shelves next year:

http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/39135/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-15

Libraries on Google +:

http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2011/11/transliteracy/social-media/libraries-on-google/

SCIENCE

Nature and Nurture Work Together to Shape the Brain:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111114112013.htm

Mimicking the Brain -- In Silicon: New Computer Chip Models How Neurons Communicate With Each Other at Synapses

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115103518.htm

Predicting How Individuals Differ from Their Genome Sequences:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115100043.htm

Integrative Genomic Sciences: http://igs.wesleyan.edu/

Re-examining Significant Research: The Problem of False-Positives; http://bigthink.com/ideas/41043

The road to fraud starts with a single step The extensive academic fraud of Diederik Stapel has rocked science. Social psychologist Jennifer Crocker traces the destructive path that cheats follow: http://www.nature.com/news/the-road-to-fraud-starts-with-a-single-step-1.9321?WT.ec_id=NEWS-20111115

Erratic, Extreme Day-To-Day Weather Puts Climate Change in New Light: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115175819.htm

Unusual Liquid Crystal Structures On Water Surface:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116081755.htm

Born to Roar: Lions' and Tigers' Fearsome Roars Are Due to Their Unusual Vocal Cords: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102190012.htm

TECHNOLOGY

World Energy Outlook 2011 - JUST RELEASED
9 NOVEMBER 2011: http://www.iea.org/weo/

A quick guide o renewable energy: http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/11/renewable-energy?fsrc=nlw%7Cnewe%7C11-14-2011%7Cnew_on_the_economist

Large Differences in the Climate Impact of Biofuels, Swedish Research Finds: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115175352.htm

A Super-Absorbent Solar Material A new material, patterned at the nanoscale, absorbs a broad spectrum of light and could make thin-film solar cells more efficient:

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/39106/?nlid=nlenrg&nld=2011-11-14

A Light Wave of Innovation to Advance Solar Energy: Researchers Adapt Classic Antennas to Harness More Power from the Sun:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110125955.htm

Giant orbiting power plants could harvest the sun's energy to provide world's power needs
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2061852/Giant-orbiting-power-plants-harvest-suns-energy-provide-worlds-power-needs.html#ixzz1e2oM8EeM

Alternative LED Lighting Combats Energy Crisis:

http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=122254&WT.mc_id=USNSF_1

Scientists Create Light from Vacuum:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-11-scientists-vacuum.html (with thanks to AxilAxil)

Batteries with 10x more capacity and 10x faster charge: http://www.kurzweilai.net/batteries-with-10x-more-capacity-and-that-charge-10x-faster

Clever! Geothermal Power Plants Could be a Massive Source of Lithium for Batteries: http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/geothermal-power-plants-could-be-massive-source-lithium-batteries.html

Converting Waste Heat Into Electricity:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109093555.htm

Friedman: The revolution now in Silicon Valley:

http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/Friedman-The-revolution-now-in-Silicon-Valley-2232668.php

Data Transmission for the Internet of Tomorrow: Scientists Develop New Concept for Ultrafast Lasers:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028081955.htm

Newly developed metallic "micro-lattice" material is world's lightest: http://www.gizmag.com/ultralight-micro-lattice-material/20537/

Chemists Develop Compounds Capable of Forming Heath-Resistant, Economic and Biocompatible Gels: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109093727.htm

New advances ibn the study of Silicon structure:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109193644.htm

Breakthrough Could Yield Instant-On Computers Ferroelectric materials, already common in RFID chips, are wedded to silicon for the first time:

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/27333/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-15

Light barrier used to repel mosquitoes: http://www.gizmag.com/light-wall-repel-mosquitoes/20448/

Chemistry: New Insight Into 100-Year-Old Haber-Bosch Process of Converting Nitrogen to Ammonia:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111111152240.htm

Intute- engineering:

http://www.intute.ac.uk/engineering/

Bats, Dolphins, and Mole Rats Inspire Advances in Ultrasound Technology: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111114112240.htm

Intute- mathematics and computer science: http://www.intute.ac.uk/mathcompsci/

An Ultra-Cheap Ultrabook Soon, you'll be able to by an ultra-thin laptop for less than the price of a high-end iPad 2:. http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/helloworld/27339/?nlid=nlcomp&nld=2011-11-16

Sound, Digested: New Software Tool Provides Unprecedented Searches of Sound, from Musical Riffs to Gunshots:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109161254.htm

Beauty Now in the Eye of the Algorithm New image recognition technology judges photographic aesthetics:

http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/39150/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-17

Smog-Eating Material to Wrap Buildings: http://bigthink.com/ideas/41122

The Seduction of the Exponential Curve: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/11/17/the-seduction-of-the-exponential-curve/?partner=technology_newsletter

EDUCATION, CULTURE, ART

Education and research methods: http://www.intute.ac.uk/education/

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching

http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm

Psychology: http://www.intute.ac.uk/psychology/

Geography and environment: http://www.intute.ac.uk/geography/

Understanding Emotions Without Language:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102093045.htm

How Darwin’s Photos of Human Emotions Changed Visual Culture:

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/11/11/darwins-camera/

Can fresh thinking solve the world’s most intractable problems?

http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/?utm_source=email1&utm_medium=marketing&utm_campaign=socinnovation

25 blogs guaranteed to make you smarter:

http://culturaloffering.com/2010/11/08/25-blogs-guaranteed-to-make-you-smarter.aspx

8 Secrets To Creative Thinking (Hint: Steal From Others):: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665451/proto-pentagram-founder-reveals-eight-secrets-to-becoming-a-successful-designer

Birth Control can Save the World: http://bigthink.com/ideas/41086

Get short daily doses of great literature with DailyLit:

http://websearch.about.com/b/2011/11/10/dont-have-time-to-read-the-classics-try-dailylit.htm?nl=1

Risk-Taking Behavior Rises Until Age 50: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110130102.htm

False Confessions May Lead to More Errors in Evidence, Study Shows:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116151333.htm

Positive Psychology- Are Markets Moral?:

http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/kathryn-britton/2011111719842

The Museum of Mathematics: http://momath.org/

The Science of Sarcasm? Yeah, Right

How do humans separate sarcasm from sincerity? Research on the subject is leading to insights about how the mind works. Really:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/The-Science-of-Sarcasm-Yeah-Right.html?c=y&story=fullstory

BUSINESS

How Inequality Hurts the Economy

The gap between the rich and the rest makes for short recoveries: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/how-inequality-hurts-the-economy-11162011.html

The Persistence of the Innovator's Dilemma

http://blogs.hbr.org/anthony/2011/11/why_does_the_innovators_dilemm.html

The Myth of the Innovator Hero:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/the-myth-of-the-innovator-hero/248291/ (with thanks to Jed Rothwell)

Ten Innovation Myths: http://blogs.hbr.org/anthony/2011/10/ten_innovation_myths.html

Learn to act like a leader:

http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2011/11/learn-to-act-like-leader.html

Keep Listening, but Start Talking:

http://blogs.hbr.org/johnson/2011/09/keep-listening-but-start-talki.html

Navigating through crowds and experts

We compare in order to make the best decision. To do that we need to consider the opinion of both experts and crowds:

http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2011/nt-2011-11-14-Ignorance.htm

Never ask “Does this make sense?”:

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/09/never_ask_does_that_make_sense.html

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Medicine, including dentistry: http://www.intute.ac.uk/medicine/

Teeth Crowded in Seniors, as Jaws Shrink:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031114809.htm

New Mouthwash Targeting Harmful Bacteria May Render Tooth Decay a Thing of the Past: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116045657.htm

A Realistic Look at the Promises and Perils of Nanomedicine:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116143053.htm

Researchers Create a Pituitary Gland from Scratch The results could be an initial step toward generating viable, transplantable human organs:

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/39108/?nlid=nlbio&nld=2011-11-15

Depression: Combination of Environmental, Psychological and Genetic Factors: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103143518.htm

More Power to the Cranberry: Study Shows Juice Better Than Extracts at Fighting Infections: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028103725.htm

Psychopaths: Born evil or with a diseased brain?: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15386740

An Ultrathin Brain Implant Monitors Seizures The device can conform to the shape of the brain, enabling better recording of electrical activity: http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/39158/?nlid=nldly&nld=2011-11-18

Unraveling How a Mutation Can Lead to Psychiatric Illness:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140422.htm

.

FOOD & COOKING

Agriculture, food and forestry: http://www.intute.ac.uk/agriculture/

Global population reaches 7 billion: can we really feed the world?

With the population now at seven billion, it’s time we turned our attention from fattening animals to feeding people,: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/steve-jones/8847544/Global-population-reaches-7-billion-can-we-really-feed-the-world.html

Soybean Adoption Came Early by Many Cultures, Archaeologists Say: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117154645.htm

French Digital Kitchen is a Recipe for Success: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024084239.htm

Pie•ology: A Full Filling Story: http://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2011/11/pie%E2%80%A2ology-a-full-filling-story/

MISCELLANEA

Digital Media a Factor in Ferocity of Political Campaigns:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102125654.htm

Massive networks of stripes appear in Chinese Desert:

http://www.slashgear.com/massive-networks-of-stripes-appear-in-chinese-desert-14194983/

World’s Fastest Accordion Player

http://www.buzzfeed.com/davide12/world-record-fastest-accordion-player-3qky

SELECTED NEWS

SPAM & SPYWARE

VIRUSES & e-CROOKS

Mitigating the risk in using of social media:

http://www.businessofgovernment.org/blog/business-government/mitigating-risk-use-social-media

The rootkit of all evil- CIQ:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-rootkit-of-all-evil-ciq

Bob Rankin- Is your e-mail really private?

http://askbobrankin.com/is_your_email_really_private.html?awt_l=4jAx_&awt_m=JHrJYrBIm8P6SL

Update: Facebook confirms nasty porn storm Company blames clickjacking vulnerability in one or more browsers for flood of explicit and violent images: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221862/Update_Facebook_confirms_nasty_porn_storm?source=CTWNLE_nlt_pm_2011-11-15

Recognizing a cyberbully:

http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=122271&WT.mc_id=USNSF_1

Android malware explodes, jumps five-fold since July

'Exponential growth' driven by Google's policy of not vetting apps, veteran hackers moving to Android: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222015/Android_malware_explodes_jumps_five_fold_since_July?source=CTWNLE_nlt_pm_2011-11-18

Top 10 Tools to Protect PC from Infected USB Flash Drives:

http://savedelete.com/top-10-tools-to-protect-pc-from-infected-usb-flash-drives.html

WiFi