-
"The MS study is the first, however, to integrate studies of epigenetics and gene expression with whole-genome sequencing. "What they've done here is create a very nice template for others to follow," Geschwind says. "It isn't just sequence — they went from sequence to epigenome to expression. That's what really makes [the study] something special.""
-
"Historically, Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men. As such, they were often funded by local industrialists on the grounds that they would ultimately benefit from having more knowledgeable and skilled employees (such philanthropy was shown by, among others, Robert Stephenson, James Nasmyth and Joseph Whitworth). The Mechanics' Institutes were used as 'libraries' for the adult working class, and provided them with an alternative pastime to gambling and drinking in pubs."
-
"One significant set of publications by the SDUK was the Library of Useful Knowledge; sold for a sixpence and published biweekly, its books focused on scientific topics. The first volume, an introduction to the series by Brougham, sold over 33,000 copies. However, attempts to reach the working class market were largely unsuccessful; only among the middle class was there sustained interest in popular science texts."
-
"But the march of mind was not to be stopped and reactionary parsons and lawyers and gentlefolk watched in some alarm as relatively cheap and popular books flooded the market. The cognoscenti sneered at the quality of the mass produced books with their library bindings. It was not what they were used to. Their idea of a book was a leather bound volume with marbled endpapers, thick paper, wide margins and pages that needed to be opened with a knife. But the cloth bound books of the new age were built to last and many of them are still in circulation today."
-
"Here's how it works: Issue Zero begins May 7th. We'll unveil a theme and you'll have 24 hours to produce and submit your work. We'll take the next 24 to snip, mash and gild it. The end results will be a shiny website and a beautiful glossy paper magazine, delivered right to your old-fashioned mailbox. We promise it will be insane. Better yet, it might even work.
"Brought to you by Heather Powazek Champ, Dylan Fareed, Mathew Honan, Alexis Madrigal, Derek Powazek, Sarah Rich" [via @weegee]
-
New book site. Tech and books. [via @alfie]
-
Gah. Certainly a different clientele than the old Forest Café it replaced.
links for 2010-04-26
-
This seems like the biggest Synth Bio event of the year (other than iGEM). Alas, I heard about it late. And I only found later today that I could probably sit in a few talks (but reg is closed). Alas, I work down the road. Might have to settle for a beer with the attendees after. And, dang, Stewart Brand will be speak. [Gotta say, the one week I step back from all this everything happens – missed a DIYBio meetup, an Awsome Foundation event, and Cambridge Science weekend. And now this. Blah.]
links for 2010-04-23
-
"However, what the thirteen year old kid in South Central LA needs is not a cheap thermocycler, but a safe and stable environment to grow and learn, a community where there are fulfilling jobs that provide a living wage, where immigrants have legal rights, where the opportunity to learn about high level science is available in the first place."
Very well said.
links for 2010-04-21
-
"WHY?
Ashley Rawlings (co-author / editor) and I (Craig Mod — co-author / designer) love this book. Lots of people love this book. But nobody can get it. We crafted this book out of our blood and sweat (and mikan oranges) in 2008. It's been sold out since the spring of 2009. So we got the rights to republish it and are doing it on our own — with your help."
links for 2010-04-20
-
Neat. [via @leebryant]
-
"Even as some grounded planes began returning to the skies yesterday, stranded travelers were piling into buses, trains, and high-priced taxis in a frantic scramble to accomplish an increasingly tricky mission to escape from Europe."
Glad to not have been stuck anywhere. But wishing I was able to enjoy the plane-free skies and possibly amazing sunsets.
-
So cool. But remind me why people live there?
-
"Daniel Oyier has been eating only once a day since a volcano more than 5,000 miles away caused him to be laid off from his $4-a-day job packing red roses and white lilies for export to Paris and Amsterdam."
One big village all dependent on each other, innit?
-
"Their frequent long separations must have been torture for them, but the letters such distance occasioned are a treasure to read. The Adams marriage was strong, surprisingly equal, at times combative, nearly always tender. We should all be so lucky."
Fed up with platic bags
One thing I've noticed here in the US is that there is trash everywhere, collecting in the "unspace", places where there is no movement or wind or people to brush them away.
A few things stick out – styrofoam cups, plastic drink covers, and plastic bags.
My proposal: Plastic is to be prohibited for uses where the lifetime of use is less than a day.
Can we start with that?
Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts could start by no longer using those plastic cup covers that have a very short usage life but a very long trash life. Next, all fast food places could stop using any sort of plastic for drinks, utensils, plates, covers,and wrapping.
I think the cost of whatever alternative we come up with to match the convenience and public health features of plastic will be significantly outweighed by the reduced cost to our environment and reduced pollution.
What do you think?
Check out the great promotion by the Body Shop (image inset).
links for 2010-04-18
-
"Historians and other interpreters of the massacre, however, have ignored or avoided the question of intent. They haven’t investigated whether the soldiers fired purposefully at particular persons. Their accounts create the impression of the troops shooting mindlessly and arbitrarily at an undifferentiated mass of humanity."
Yet a closer examination suggests a new possibility — a possibility that tips the scales towards military culpability. Some of the soldiers got away with murder.
Moderating panel on “Healthcare 2.0: The Impact of Social Media on Health Information”
Babson College's Health and Life Sciences Club are hosting their 7th annual industry forum tomorrow. I'll be moderating a panel on social media and health care.
The panel will be at 1:15-2:45 at Knight Auditorium at Babson in Wellesley.
It's a great spread and I think we'll cover a bunch of interesting topics. We have folks from pharma, hospitals, media, and patient advocacy. If all the panelists agree, there will be an audio recording as well, which I'll share here as soon as I can.
Link: Healthcare 2.0: The Impact of Social Media on Health Information
Social media has proven to be a powerful tool for connecting patients, caregivers and doctors. Blogs and niche social media sites are connecting patients dealing with disease and illness in a way that wasn’t possible just 10 years ago. This shift has empowered patients to take control of their health through the support of individuals in similar situations. How will these environments continue to evolve and what future role will they play in the treatment paradigm?
Panelists:
- Charlie Schick – Senior Web Producer, Children's Hospital Boston (Moderator)
- Tony Cotrupi – Principal, PARTNERS+simons
- "e-Patient Dave" deBronkart – Patient Engagement Consultant and co-Chair, Society for Participatory Medicine
- Ben Heywood – Co-Founder and President, PatientsLikeMe
- Shwen Gwee – Lead, Digital Strategy and Social Media, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Image from State Records NSW (Australia)
links for 2010-04-13
-
"So you despise the phrase went missing? You think spot on is pretentious, at the end of the day is meaningless filler, and all such British vocabulary invaders should be deep-sixed in Boston Harbor? Well, take heart: We are giving as good as we get these days, annoying our British cousins right back by exporting heaps of everyday Americanisms, along with a garnish of slang."
-
This is great: a guy trying to reduce info-overload in hospitals by converting signals into music. This speaks a bit to my Rambling on Noise, where I mused on how ways to convert data into different formats to make them easier to sub-consciously monitor signal in the noise.