Delicious LiveJournal Links for 7-2-2009

[andrewducker]

• Gene clues to schizophrenia risk
  The researchers say that individually many of the genetic variations they have identified play only a tiny role in raising the risk of passing schizophrenia down the generations.
  
  However, Dr Shaun Purcell, from Harvard University, who co-led one of the three teams, said: "Cumulatively, they play a major role, accounting for at least one-third - and probably much more - of disease risk."
  (tags: schizophrenia genetics)
• Observing the birth of language
  By installing massive numbers of cameras and microphones and observing everything a family does around their child.
  (tags: language children development)
• Possibly the finest company name in the world.
  I am amazed this isn't a hoax.
  (tags: business funny oil)
• The 10 Most Perverted Old School Video Games
  Oh dear lord, the awfulness. And that's just the graphics on an Atari 2600!
  (tags: games funny sex)
• Massive cryptology device for sale
  As seen on mythbusters. Very cool - if only I had a massive place to store it!
  (tags: ebay cryptography tv)
• Michael Moorcock, Alan Moore, Iain Sinclair
  A kinda-transcript of a discussion between the three of them.
  (tags: writing London alanmoore cities history fiction MichaelMoorcock IainSinclair)
• The stunning new technology that allows parents to hold a life-size model of their unborn child
  Wow. That's just. Wow.
  (tags: technology 3d pregnancy ultrasound)
• 7 questions on GCSE design and technology
  7/7 for me! Had to guess two of them though.
  (tags: technology quiz)
• Lack of sleep hits women harder
  Previous research has suggested people who sleep less than five hours a night have an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, compared to those who get the full eight hours.
  
  The latest study found levels of a molecule called interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is known to trigger inflammation, were much lower in women who reported sleeping eight hours, compared to those who slept for seven hours.
  
  Levels of another molecule, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) - which is linked to heart problems - were significantly higher in women who reported sleeping for five hours or less.
  (tags: sleep women men gender medicine health)
• Glasgow unbans Life of Brian
  The. Mind. Boggles.
  (tags: censorship UK MontyPython movis)
• What Pair-Programing is Not
  Must show this to a few people.
  (tags: programming agile development productivity software collaboration pair-programming)
• Do the Lib Dems just want PR because they would be the main beneficiaries?
  Anyone care to point him at some real stats?
  (tags: politics pr elections)
• A JavaScript implementation of the Content Aware Image Resizing algorithm
  Client sized image resizing. Very swish. Only works in Firefox 3.5 or Chrome.
  (tags: canvas image javascript Firefox chrome)

Comments

[alexthai.livejournal.com]

Interesting!

[matgb]

Have replied to Psych's post, the comment is one I've made so many times in various forms that I really ought to turn it into a blog post at some point. The electoral system creates the party system, no existing party benefits from change long term, when you change the system the way people vote changes--can point to so many examples of this globally, it's not about stats it's about observing voter behaviour and looking at what the electoral system forces us to choose between.

And yeah, the ability of local councils to change film classifications and similar is one I support (IIRC, one council reduced the certificate on Spiderman, a move I think was cool). But it does lead to anomalous positions--I had to travel to Plymouth to watch Pulp Fiction as Torbay banned it, and Aberystwith famously elected Judith as mayor then found out she couldn't show her own film...

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine started a company called Squid Inc.