Science
How to Work in a Mortuary
Down Among the Dead Men by Michelle Williams tells the story of a year in the life of a mortuary technician; doing a job many people would rather die than do. It’s full of detail of what happens between unexpected and hitherto unexplained death, and disposal of the body. Just as fascinating are the stories [...]
Four Stages of Eureka!
Sudden Genius by Andrew Robinson explores Henri Poincaré’s four-stage model of sudden Eureka moments in creativity: conscious thought incubation illumination verification Robinson goes on to dismiss this theory, but the good folks at New Scientist believe it’s still the best model we’ve got.
Why Things Don’t Work
Marketing guru Seth Godin explains why things don’t work – such as lines for taxis outside airports – in this TED Talk. He also outlines several types of broken, including “it’s not my job syndrome”. Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.
How to Predict a Malaria Outbreak
Scienitists at The Kenya Medical Research Institute have developed a prediction tool that uses knowledge about mosquito breeding habits and weather patterns to predict outbreaks of malaria. Authorities will have warning of an outbreak three months in advance, allowing them to mobilize resources to the areas that will be affected in advance. The tool can [...]
Patterns for Life
A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction is a classic design text written in 1977 bby Christopher Alexander. It ambitiously catalogues, with photos and illustrations, everything in the build environment – from parks to tower blocks to bedrooms – and explains how good design enhances life and community. High-rise apartments and uniform ceilings: bad. East facing [...]
No Shame
Christine Rosen notes that people seem to have no problem undergoing beauty treatments – like teeth whitening or eyebrow (or ladies’ mustache) threading – in public places, such as in the middle of shopping malls and wonders if we have lost the capacity to be embarrassed. It’s safe to assume she’s yet to be acquainted [...]
Misconception
When Shannon and Paul Morell finally had two daughters after undergoing the misery of IVF, they were overjoyed. The also looked forward to having a litttle brother or sister for the girls using the six remaining frozen embryos… until the fertility clinic called to say the embryos had been implanted in another woman. Misconception: One [...]
Gaming for Health Rewards
Bayer has introduced a new blood glucose monitor plugs into a Nintendo DS and allows diabetic kids to play games and win points as they keep up to date with their blood glucose testing. The Didget meter helps kids manage a lifelong disease by rewarding them for building consistent testing habits and meeting personalized blood [...]
Adventures in Sex City
Adventures in Sex City is an online game from The Middlesex-London Health Unit. It features the dastardly Sperminator who is trying to infect everyone with sexually transmitted infections (and fires quiz questions from his penis-shaped hands. I kid you not), and The Sex Squad: Willy the Kid (small but has “massive rock hard strength); Power [...]
Synthetic Biology
Scientists are working on modifying cells in order that they might “turn specialized molecules into tiny, self-contained factories, creating cheap drugs, clean fuels, and new organisms to siphon carbon dioxide from the atmosphere”. One of the motivations is that synthetic “drugs factories” would by-pass natural sources of drugs i.e. plants which are vulnerable to environmental [...]
