[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rynvewVe21Y&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
This is astoundingly adorable! The cat and the dolphins seem to genuinely enjoy each others’ company…
Jail: India’s Next Call Center?
Convict Pradeep Deburma (left) and a fellow inmate of Cherlapalli jail operate computers as part of their training.
The next time you get an Indian talking from a call center on your customer service call, don’t get too upset. Instead, have pity as your counterpart may soon be talking from jail!
For a man serving a life sentence for murder, Pradeep Deburma has a slightly unlikely dream: to work in a call centre like hundreds of thousands of other young ambitious Indians. Even more improbably, he has every chance of realising it while still behind bars…
Test Subjects With Electrode Implants Use Mind Control To Move A Cursor
What kind of future technology will come from this breakthrough?
As trippy as mind-control still seems to us, we’ve already seen it implemented in everything from wheelchairs to pricey gaming (and car driving!) headsets. But the problem is that they measure brain activity outside the skull — you know, the thing we’ve evolved to shield the murky goings-on in our minds from prying EEG sensors.
Now, though, a team of Washington University researchers appears to have happened upon a more effective — albeit, invasive — approach…
Continue reading… “Test Subjects With Electrode Implants Use Mind Control To Move A Cursor”
Meanest Airlines in the U.S.
Meanest major carrier – United Airlines
Last year was a good one for the airline industry, with U.S. airlines churning out the highest profits in more than a decade. With the exception of American Airlines, every major carrier turned in positive profits for the year.
In the 2011 Airline Quality Rating (AQR) report released on April 4, quality is up as well.
Rethinking the Future of Health Care
Futurist Thomas Frey: It wasn’t what I had planned on a 70 degree day last week when “springtime in the Rockies” was in full bloom. But I was on my way to the hospital, and over the next 24 hours I would learn much about a healthcare industry that is woefully unprepared for the changes that lie ahead.
Over Half of Energy in the U.S. is Wasted
This flow chart shows the amount of energy (in quads) that is produced by different energy sources and consumed by different sectors.
This flow chart of the estimated US energy use in 2009, assembled by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), paints a pretty sobering picture of our energy situation. To begin with, it shows that more than half (58%) of the total energy produced in the US is wasted due to inefficiencies, such as waste heat from power plants, vehicles, and light bulbs. In other words, the US has an energy efficiency of 42%. And, despite the numerous reports of progress in solar, wind, and geothermal energy, those three energy sources combined provide just 1.2% of our total energy production. The vast majority of our energy still comes from petroleum (37%), natural gas (25%), and coal (21%).
Continue reading… “Over Half of Energy in the U.S. is Wasted”
Higher Education Reforms in England Will Triple Fees in 2012
Two thirds of universities will charge the highest possible tuition fee.
The Coalition’s policy on tuition fees risked descending into chaos after it emerged that two thirds of universities would charge the maximum £9,000 a year for degree courses. Ministers were accused of “losing control” of their flagship higher education reforms as growing numbers of vice-chancellors unveiled plans to almost triple fees in 2012.
StumbleUpon Hits 1 Billion Stumbles Per Month
StumbleUpon is hot.
The discovery and recommendation engine that makes web browsing a lot like channel surfing just announced it’s now handling 1 billion stumbles per month.
On top of that impressive number, StumbleUpon just closed a second round of funding in March, wrapping up $17 million of series B financing.
That 1 million stumbles-per-month statistic represents explosive growth, especially when you consider that since just a month ago, that number has grown by 200 million, judging from the fact that StumbleUpon publicized 800 million stumbles just last month, according to Business Insider…
Continue reading… “StumbleUpon Hits 1 Billion Stumbles Per Month”
Top 10 Photos of the Week
Electric vehicles are far easier to repair. Just flip and fix
“You don’t have to worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia.” – – Charles Schulz
Wedding Foods From Around The World
What food did you eat on your wedding day?
While the world is abuzz with speculation about Kate Middleton and Prince William’s April 29 nuptials, a few details have been leaked – including their choice of wedding cake! Staying true to English custom, the couple is serving a fruitcake, a tradition that dates back to medieval times.
Just like many American weddings often feature a tiered wedding cake, countries the world over have unique foods that they use to celebrate marriage, which are eaten to deliver good luck, fertility and peace to the happy couple…
Scientists Develop Zebra Barcode Reader
Now you will be able to know if you see the same zebra twice.
Scientists have developed an image scanning program that can distinguish between individual zebras by their stripes:
When a zebra has been entered into the database and given a StripeCode, the researchers match another picture of the same animal by comparing the StripeStrings of the new and original images. Each image will generate a different set of StripeStrings, but the underlying ratios of black and white should remain similar…
Jousting on Segways
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSVQsyZLtKg&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Actually, the Segway would be a fairly sound vehicle for modern jousting, as this commercial for the State of Washington’s lottery illustrates. But buying lottery tickets is probably not a likely route to this most excellent goal…
