Anyone who thought that social media was going to usher in a utopian era of communication without borders is going to have their faith badly shaken by a new study from Cornell University. On Twitter, it seems, there are already at least two walled-off nations: happy people and unhappy people.
And never the twain shall tweet.
Continue reading… “Is Twitter Dividing the Happy From the Unhappy?”
Are you having a woe-is-me moment? Take a quick look at this video clip of 19-year-old Chinese girl named Zheng Guigui playing Souvenirs d’enfance by Claude Lachapelle the piano (after learning to play for only 3 years, no less!)
Continue reading… “Meet Zheng Guigui, The Fingerless Piano Player”
In space, no one can hear you scream — about the soaring prices at the pump, that is. For what will be the very first time, plans for a space-based satellite filling station have been announced, with a launch date set for 2015. It may sound like a bit of unnecessary convenience some 22,369 miles above our heads, but experts say that the gas station will do much more than make Earth a planetary truck-stop. “This is a first-time-ever, huge, huge, huge event,” says the director of the Space Protection Program — and it’s sure to make space a little cleaner, too.
Continue reading… “First Space-Based Gas Station Set to Open in 2015”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA9iIqIAUT4[/youtube]
The Cassini spacecraft reached Saturn in 2004, sending the clearest images of the most striking planet in the Solar System. Working at home, Stephen Van Vuuren used those photos to create the most hypnotizing space film I’ve seen. There is no CGI and no 3D models in these images. Just images from NASA. Jump to 0:56 for the final result of his work, so far.
Having a dead-end job is bad for your health.
There are some who don’t need an excuse to skip a day’s work – but this could be a good reason to quit your job altogether. A badly-paid or temporary job can be as bad for a person’s mental health as none at all, researchers claim.
Continue reading… “Dead-end Job is Worse for Your Health Than Being Unemployed”
The decline of marriage has not knocked family life off its pedestal.
The transformative trends of the past 50 years that have led to a sharp decline in marriage and a rise of new family forms have been shaped by attitudes and behaviors that differ by class, age and race, according to a new Pew Research Center nationwide survey, conducted in association with TIME magazine, and complemented by an analysis of demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Continue reading… “Sharp Decline in Marriage But Family Remains Resilient”
Why do networks still do news?
By several measures, the state of the American news media improved in 2010.
After two dreadful years, most sectors of the industry saw revenue begin to recover. With some notable exceptions, cutbacks in newsrooms eased. And while still more talk than action, some experiments with new revenue models began to show signs of blossoming.
Continue reading… “State of the American News Media 2011: Report”
Propecia and Avodart linked to irreversible sexual side effects.
Drugs frequently prescribed to treat hair loss or an enlarged prostate may contribute to irreversible sexual dysfunction in men, new research finds. Use of dutasteride (Avodart) and finasteride (Proscar and Propecia) were linked to erectile dysfunction, depression and loss of libido in a review of existing studies.
Continue reading… “Propecia and Avodart May Cause Irreversible Sexual Side Effects”
Name: Learnable
Quick Pitch: Learnable allows anyone to create and charge for online courses.
Genius Idea: Many schools have started to take online education seriously. By 2006, 66% of postsecondary learning institutions included in federal financial aid programs were already reporting that they offered some form of Internet learning, and a 2009 report from the U.S. Department of education found that those students who studied in online learning environments performed modelstly better than peers who were receiving face-to-face instruction.
This is very much along the lines of what Futurist Thomas Frey predicted in his 2007 paper on the Future of Education.
It’s great news for people who are looking to work toward a college degree, but there are few affordable parallels for people who just want to pick up a skill. Where does one go for affordable online lessons on homepage design? Javascript programming? Guitar? the Irish Whistle?
Continue reading… “Get Paid to Teach Anything With New Online Education Platform”
So many things happen when you are pregnant
Strange things happen to your body when you are pregnant. Since new mothers tend to worry, experienced women and medical professionals tend to gloss over the things you shouldn’t worry too much about. Oddee tells you some of the things that might surprise you. For example…
Continue reading… “10 Weird Pregnancy Facts No One Tells You About”
Space junk is a growing problem — 200,000 pieces and counting — and as the amount of earth’s orbital debris increases, so does the chance some satellite will be involved in a cosmic collision. As this would cause much gnashing of teeth and woe for the affected terrestrial parties, some researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center have pitched the idea of removing said junk with a laser — once again proving that everything’s better with lasers…
Continue reading… “In Lasers We Trust: NASA Researches 5kW Galactic Trash Disposal System”
Solarbike specialises in electric conversion kits for bicycles. But the business’s founders, both research scientists at the University of Western Australia, have been working on a way to easily have electric bikes powered by the sun. After some trial and error, which they transparently document, they’ve arrived at reasonably affordable photovoltaic systems that allow electric bike owners to ride like a solar wind…
Continue reading… “Pedal Power Meets Photovoltaics via Solarbike”