Nature is itself a free market system. A rain forest is an unplanned economy, as is a coral reef. The difference between an economy that sorts the information and energy in photons and one that sorts the information and energy in dollars is a slight one in my mind. Economy is ecology.
John Perry Barlow, 1998
Rising supermarket prices are persuading hundreds of families to turn their back gardens into mini-ranches stocked with miniature cattle.
For between £200 and £2,000, people can buy a cow that stands no taller than a large German shepherd dog, gives 16 pints of milk a day that can be drunk unpasteurised, keeps the grass “mown” and will be a family pet for years before ending up in the freezer.
Read more at: TimesOnline. Image: MyDairyCow.com. Thanks Jay Jakosky.
European biologists have constructed a genetic map of Europe showing the relations between its various populations.
The right part of the map shows the location in Europe where each of the sampled populations live. The left part shows the genetic relationship between these 23 populations. The area assigned to each population represents the amount of genetic variation in it.
The genetic map of Europe bears a clear structural similarity to the geographic map. However it also clearly identifies two genetic barriers within Europe. Read the rest of this entry »
Fashion becomes nature down under.
24 Flashers were deployed throughout high traffic areas in chilly Sydney and Melbourne to promote sunny Queensland as a holiday destination this winter.
via: scaryideas.com | Related: Classical Games | Clear Blue Sky | Urban Camouflage
A local Chinese newspaper, The Beijing Times, revealed some of the staggering fireworks at the opening of the Beijing Olympics were actually not fireworks, but computer graphics. According the the newspaper a 55-second sequence, which included a series of 28 giant footsteps made by fireworks, was created by a visual effects team.
One could argue this was a wise decision: unlike real fireworks visual effects don’t pollute the already smoggy Beijing atmosphere any further. However, confusingly the sequence of 28 footprints actually took place in the real ceremony. The organisers decided to fake the sequence because it would not ‘be accurately captured’ live.
To emulate the shot, the visual effects team even spoke to the Beijing meteorological office to ask them how to recreate the Beijing smog.
See also: China controls the weather for olympics, Photoshop reporters in China.
A study by psychologists at Nottingham Trent University has found that 54 percent of all males and 68 percent of all females “gender swap” – or create online personas of their opposite sex. This inspired Marc Owens to create a real life manifestation of that practice. Peculiar object of the week.
Via WMMNA. See also: Avatar Machine, Second Life Prostitute, Online Gamers Unmasked.
Somehow I feel there is some deeper meaning in this cheesy video. No?
See also: Water in my Phone.
Its simplicity is one of a kind and it takes my breath when I realize that this little drawing is actually the internets Big Bang point of origin. It shows the first node on the ARPANET at the University California Los Angeles (UCLA) on the 2nd September 1969. The diagram is taken from Casting the Net: From ARPANET to INTERNET and Beyond by Peter H. Salus and was drawn by Alex McKinzie who worked for BBN.
New maps and ongoing research can be found (on the internet of course): for example here, here and here.
Related: It’s nature… but not as we know it | Periodic Table of the Internet | World Mapper
Will Wright’s hugely successful games SimCity and The Sims let players shape the structure of urban areas and the lives of virtual humans; his upcoming game, Spore, lets them control the universe.
Although it is just a game, the young gamers of today may grow up to be the bioengineers of tomorrow. If Spore has any influence whatsoever, we foresee an utterly comical genetic future.
Popping corn with your handheld? Pity this recently discovered cellphone feature is a hoax, created by a company to promote bluetooth headsets (thanks Teun).
“Google has stationed approximately a million computers worldwide to be able to process the 40 billion searches per month. One search request uses as much energy as a low-energy light bulb in one hour.” (25000 Joule/Hour = 7 Watt/Second)
If there’s any truth in the calculation; we will all be searching in darkness soon.
Quote: Intermediair (article in Dutch). Image: Jeen Berting / Overburen (thanks Jeen!)
Related: Google 2084 | Google DNA search
Search Engine
There is not enough Africa in computers
Corporate animal pattern laptop
Man charged for shooting his lawn-mower
