Pownce Invites

Anyone looking for some Pownce invites? Let me know in the comments, first come, first served, and I must know who you are! <grin>

Technorati tags: Pownce

Reality Check: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Despite not liking Jim Carey movies (except perhaps Pet Detective) I really did like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, was a thoroughly thought provoking film. Now it seems our trusty scientific animal friends, the rats (previously mentioned here), have in partnership with some scientists discovered a way to wipe out bad memories.

Researchers have found they can use drugs to wipe away single, specific memories while leaving other memories intact. By injecting an amnesia drug at the right time, when a subject was recalling a particular thought, neuro-scientists discovered they could disrupt the way the memory is stored and even make it disappear.

The programmer in me is left wondering about dependencies. For example, if memory A is dependant on Memory B, and memory B is removed, what happens to memory A? Yeah, its a whole lot more complicated than it looks Mr. man in the white lab coat with furry pet!

They offered up this fun analogy to describe the way our memories work, after having just visited the glass works in Venice, where I saw a man make a glass horse in seconds, I’m left wondering just how good his memory must be!

The research suggests memories can be manipulated because they act as if made from glass, existing in a molten state as they are being created, before turning solid. When the memory is recalled, however, it becomes molten again and so can be altered before it once more resets.

Right, I understand. It certainly makes for some good visuals.

Anyway, I have often thought about whether I would ever want to have painful memories removed, for example as the movie suggested, an ex-girlfriend. Of course I never concluded that I would, though that could be simply because I haven’t met the right one! Petra? 

(sorry, just couldn’t resist that last line, I’m very satisfied that such an opportunity has passed me by <sly grin>)

Scientists find drug to banish bad memories | Science | Earth | Telegraph

Technorati tags: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Science, Rats, Lab Coats

BBC NEWS | Girl, 2, becomes member of Mensa

I wonder how long it will take her to be able to read the Mensa newsletter?

A two-year-old girl from Hampshire has become the youngest ever female member of British Mensa…

“She scored 152 points but I think she could have got more – she just got very tired. Concentrating for three-quarters-of-an-hour at that young age is amazing.”

Maybe she should try yawning?

BBC NEWS | England | Hampshire | Girl, 2, becomes member of Mensa

Technorati tags: Mensa

Why I yawn

You are not boring, I’m just trying to stay on the ball! 

BBC NEWS | Health | Yawning may keep us ‘on the ball’

Collection of terrible logos (some REALLY terrible)

Next time you design a logo for your company get an outside, independent opinion.

This last one is especially special, what WERE they thinking.

Thanks to: Ramp Creative  and his Bad Logo Collection

The Strangest Sights in Google Earth

There have been quite a few of these sorts of articles, but I like looking through them all. It is incredible to think that these lenses in space can get photographs this crisp:

  

PC World – In Pictures: The Strangest Sights in Google Earth

Police rake in leafy robbery suspect

Cant decide what aspect of this report is funnier:

Investigators say James Coldwell, 49, robbed the Citizens Bank at 1550 Elm St. while clad in clothing adorned with tree branches held on by duct tape.

or

Coldwell was charged with one count of robbery after answering questions at the police station, Capt. Dick Tracy said.

What are the chances of a guy robbing a bank, dressed up as a tree, being arrested by a police offer called Dick Tracy? The mind boggles.

Union Leader – Police rake in leafy robbery suspect – Monday, Jul. 9, 2007

Piranha ‘less deadly than feared’

Apart from having a real chuckle about the English-ness of the title of this report, I glad to see these poor guys overcome some terrible PR, finally a little truth in reporting. 

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Piranha ‘less deadly than feared’

Pictures of people/things caught on the new Google Maps streetside photos

Some of these are pretty funny. Many people have a whole lot more reason to complain than those who are concerned about their cats making in onto the web. 

The guy “Guy stumbling falling over” is my favourite, just because of the numbers involved in working out just how likely it is that that exact moment would have ever been captured on camera.

I only wish some of my “more than a 3-pointer, throwing rubbish into a rubbish bin as if it were a basketball shot” shots were caught mid flight.  

Threat Level – Wired Blogs

Technorati tags: Google Maps

Second Life in Real Life

Love it….