To Boldly Go…
…well at least my name id boldly going. Thanks to Ariel Waldman for point this out via Twitter. You too can go to NASA’s Kepler project site and have your name included on a DVD being sent into space on the Kepler Mission.
Sci-fi + Current Technology = Full Body Shivers…
OK, So I ran across this article describing exciting new technology that may get us a step or three closer to a treatment for cancer, or at least brain cancer.
Now, rewind a few weeks to my experience sitting in the theater watching Will Smith in I Am Legend staring as a post-apocalyptic scientists, all alone in a world devastated by a mutated virus designed buy humans to kill cancer.
Geez! I know it’s “just a movie” but c’mon…..that’s just scary! I had nightmares when I originally saw the story of Robert Neville played by Charlton Heston in The Omega Man. My son had a reaction to I Am Legend almost the same as my original experience. He’s a few years older so I suppose a slightly less memorable experience is to be expected. Now I have to think about this?
Seriously, I am glad that scientists are making strides. It’s just one of those coincidences that bring back a strong memory.
Bend 4th grade kids create online museum
4th graders from Juniper Elementary in Bend have created an online virtual museum. Their teacher decided to introduce the students to technology for a history project by bringing in digital cameras, computers and the Internet to bring a high level of excitement and interest to the kids.
The children took on the exercise with great enthusiasm. The end product is a testament not only to their ability to produce their virtual museum, but to their learning and creativity to help teach others about the history of Oregon.
Humans: Herbivore, Carnivore or Omnivore?
Scott Adams, as I’ve stated previously, is brilliant! He has ideas which are, right or wrong, thought provoking and he does it with a sense of comedic timing that is wonderful to read. His latest on the debate of vegitarians vs. meat eaters is a great case in point. I highly recommend it!
Update: I should point out that I fall in the omnivore category with strong carnivorous tendencies, just my own choice. My personal opinion is that people should do what they want as long as they’re not hurting each other. 
Update: I should also point to Scott’s previous post which prompted his post from today.
Cancer cure patented | Press Esc
I just finished reading an article on Press Esc entitled Cancer cure patented. It is an interested read however I think the title is a bit misleading.
In short, a group of scientists is experimenting with a new compound of a “short-chain fatty acid called butyrate” combined with a sugar used to attack cancer cells. Butyrate was tested by itself and with other chemicals up to 20 years ago and it was effective slowing cancer cell growth, however there was never a compound created that was effective enough to be considered as a cure. This group of scientists have experienced some promising results with this new compound. From the article:
“After 15 days, cancer growth had resumed in dishes treated with four of the compounds, but in samples treated with the butyrate-ManNAc hybrid, all of the cancer cells had died.”
Testing has not progressed beyond testing cell samples yet, in other words no animal or human testing has begun. While results are promising, it will probably be a while before we have any concrete findings to its true potential, but it does give hope. Having lost a family member last year to cancer, I will certainly be keeping an eye on this bit of news.
DNA as a Weapon
OK, that title may be a stretch. There is an article on NewScientistsSpace discussing research into sequences of DNA that does not exist in nature. The theory behind the research is that the sequences do not exist be cause they are “not compatible with life.”
Exactly what would happen if the sequences were introduced to an organism are of course uncertain however the research team has shown enough promise to be the recipient of a 1 million dollar grant from the Department of Defense. The grant is targeted at developing a marker that could be used in certain criminal cases, however with one theory that some sequences may produce some sort of “suicide gene” in the future, I can see where the DOD may have other interests not publicized.
Of course this is all theory, conjecture and opinion, but it is interesting nonetheless. Science fiction has long had the idea of genetic warfare. Could this be a stepping stone to the next sci-fi reality?
Update: I forgot to cite the Slashdot article that originally led me to this story.
Lowering the Cost of Space Flight
On November 13th, 2006, Blue Origin had a successful test flight of a vehicle that is one step towards development of a launch / landing system for future spacecraft. According to their sight they are “working, patiently and step-by-step, to lower the cost of spaceflight so that many people can afford to go and so that we humans can better continue exploring the solar system.”
That is, in my opinion, a goal that is both noble and large. I wish them the best of luck. I would love to travel into space in my lifetime, although I doubt that technology will move fast enough for that to happen without winning the lottery! 
Thanks to people like those at Blue Origin my son and daughter may have that opportunity in their lifetime and that brings at least some satisfaction.
Have a Look to the Heavens!
If you have an interest in the night sky as I do, you should take a look at the free e-book; What’s Up 2007: 365 Days of Skywatching. If you’re a Slashdot reader you’ve probably already run across this, but if you missed it I would suggest giving it a look.
To be honest, I’m more excited to give this to my 12 year old son to spark his interest a bit more in astronomy. From the little I’ve looked into it so far it seems to be put together very well.
Thank you to Tammy Plotner for making this one available!
RFID vulnerabilities
Adi Shamir to the current RSA conference on his findings concerning the weakness in the current generagion of RFID chips. This rather interesting, and somewhat concerning coming on the heels of my recent post.
The uninitiated might say that this sort of thing takes a lot of effort and the practicality of someone actually doing it is very low. Those people, in my opinion, have no clue of the types of things that really go on in the world of electronic security.
I would submit that there are far too many individuals with a lot of talent, toko much time and not enough motivation to put their talent to productive use who will jump at the chance to crack something like this. It will be for the purpos of fun at first, of course, but at some point it will move into the malicious realm. Corporate and government agencies around the globe will want a piece of the type of information that can be gained from cracking RFID’s. Mailicious individuals will take advantage of the “talened but bored” to start turning a proffit. More shadowcrew’s will emerge.
Shamir hits the nail on the head saying “the pressure to get tags down to five cents each has forced designers to eliminate any security features, a shortcoming that needs to be addressed in next-generation products.”
RFID’s injected into biceps
A Cincinnati based surveillance company has recently changed it’s policy on how a person may gain access to the room where it houses it’s video surveillance tapes. A person must submit to having a glass encapsulated RFID taginjected into his or her bicep.
The company is trying to increase the security of their lifeblood, the tapes. I have to admit that I am not yet certain how this bit sits with me.
The good news is that employees are not required to have the injection. Only those wishing to gain access to the room must do it. It does start to conjure images of “Big Brother” however. I know that it is a private company doing this, but it could be a precedence being set that may lead to much wider use.
Then again, maybe it’s just a stand alone case? It’s hard to say but in this day and age I do not believe something of this potential magnitude will pass quietly.
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Pale’s Social Graph
Google Reader Shared Stuff- Adobe Joins Microsoft's MAPP Program
- Requiem for the G1
- Pour one out: T-Mobile G1 no longer for sale
- Review: Samsung Galaxy S
- Android Users Aren't As Disloyal As Reported
- Acer's Android-powered Stream confirmed for Expansys-exclusive August 9th launch
- Samsung dispatching free Galaxy S handsets to iPhone 4 whiners on Twitter?
- OnStar expands smartphone control over entire 2011 GM lineup
- Samsung Galaxy S review shootout: Captivate for AT&T and Vibrant for T-Mobile
- “As Administrator” only a CTRL-Shift-Click away (and other keyboard shortcuts you might not know)
