sotto.org

Using neuroscience techniques like priming to beat Who wants to be a millionaire? Super interesting read.

Chill out for more creativity. I can handle that.

Simulating a newborn’s vision.

The discovery of a super virus leads scientists to believe they were precursors of all life on the planet.

“Science at the Crossroads”:http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=11211&article=Science+at+the+Crossroads%2C+By+Dalai+Lama by the Dalai Lama:
Some might wonder “What is a Buddhist monk doing taking such a deep interest in science? What relation could there be between Buddhism, an ancient Indian philosophical and spiritual tradition, and modern science? What possible benefit could there be for a scientific discipline such as neuroscience in engaging [...]

This explains why the local drive to San Jose is always so trippy at dusk.

“Research”:http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18625011.900 on the effects certain drugs, diet and aging have on our brains and how to ameliorate the _damage_. As an aging Gen-Xer, I can already tell I’m no longer the sharpest tack in the toolshed (if ever), so the food guidelines are somewhat interesting. Although I don’t think I can handle an English breakfast [...]

Richard Dawkins contemplates the purpose of religion from a Darwinian perspective. The article is inflammatory enough without the odd drawings, but I find discussions about the biological nature of religion and worship, and the revelations of a “god-center” in our brain, fascinating.

Top 10 news stories of 2003 according to New Scientist. Because of story number two, men can breathe a sigh of relief and happily continue what can only be medically described as preventative maintenance.

Stroke gives woman British accent. This is a weird story about a syndrome I had never heard of until now.

This is despite the fact that Tiffany Roberts, 61, has never been to Britain. Her accent is a mixture of English cockney and West Country.

Doctors say Mrs Roberts, who was born and bred in Indiana, has [...]

Stealing cycles from humans : A CMU student creates an online game that harnesses the cognitive ability of humans to create a special-purpose supercomputer.
It’s a simple game — players who visit the espgame Web site are automatically and anonymously paired up and shown photos or other images. Each player types in words that describe the [...]

We seldom envision something as cataclysmic as the collapse of human civilization to be anything but an extraordinary occurrence. But according to James Lovelock, in the million year history of humanity, there have been approximately 30 civilizations in the last 5000 years. “Humans are tough and will survive; civilizations are fragile.” Reflecting upon the possibility [...]

Lightness Perception and Lightness Illusions. Very nice flash demos about the limitations of our own perception. Simply stated, you cannot believe your own eyes.

Giant Squid alert off the coast of Chile? Looks like Lovecraft’s Cthulhu has come home to roost.

Becoming Human is a broadband
documentary about human evolution and the search for the origin of the human
species. The presentation format (a Flash Docu-essay) is extremely well done
and highly effective.  It’s like watching a Discovery Channel special
on the web.

The is a jaw-droppingly weird optical illusion. I checked the color values, and yes, they are the same.

Scientific proof that beer-goggles exist.