Hidden Data Transmission Using Electromagnetic Emanations. ‘Your computer produces electromagnetic “emanations” that in some

cases contain enough information to reconstruct, for example, the image

on the screen. These emanations can sometimes be detected at a distance,

even across the street, and this fact has given rise both to legitimate

computer security research and to urban myths. One of the urban myths,

which takes various forms, is that Microsoft has secretly used emanations

from personal computers to look for pirated software. (This is)

a message about this myth from probably the foremost authority on the

subject.’ Red Rock Eater Digest

Brain Repair Companies Sharpen Their Drills. “A local anesthetic, a small drill-hole in the

skull and a syringe full of new cells may one day be all it takes to

repair brain damage.” Regenerating damaged tissue with neural stem cells offers promise to reverse the deficits of stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s etc. Tissue transplanted from aborted fetuses has been used successfully in reversing the worst symptoms of a handful of Parkinson’s Disease patients, but the ethical problems caused by depending on fetal stem cells has led to a quest for other sources, including “immortalized” human cell lines, nonhuman mammalian sources and, recently, cadavers. Companies are lining up to commercialize the approach once it is clear it is safe and effective. Here’s a primer on stem cells from the National Institutes of Health; and information from the American Association for the Advancement of Science on stem cell research and applications.

Right nostrils provide clues to brain

illnesses. “People’s right nostrils are better at evaluating strange new

smells, whether they are pleasant or unpleasant, say Swedish

scientists.

While familiar smells appear to be sniffed equally by both

nostrils, it is the right that takes the lead when the nose is

challenged by a new odour.

The research has implications for the diagnosis of

neurological disorders because it suggests that only one side

of the brain is involved in processing unfamiliar smells.

By testing patients’ reactions to different scents, doctors might

be able to diagnose which side of the brain has a problem,

the researchers said…” Independent

Just can’t get enough A German researcher who found that heart rate and cortisol concentrations surge when habitual gamblers place money bets but not when playing for points claims this proves gambling is “addictive” in the physiological sense. New Scientist highlights the controversy over this claim given many scientists’ refusal to accept that a behavior can be physiologically addictive, that “you can’t have an addiction unless you take a substance.”

If the findings of the scientific paper (in the journal Biological Psychiatry) are well-described here, the assertion that it “proves gambling is addictive” is absurd. All that appears to be shown is that, when people do something pleasurable, they demonstrate some of the physiological changes associated with pleasure or gratification. In essence, the research proves that such a behavior is “addictive” only in the way we use that term in lay conversation, to mean merely something we enjoy doing alot. The more precise notion of addictiveness involves (a) physiological tolerance (as the person continues to use the substance, it takes higher and higher doses to have the same effect); (b) physiological dependency (when denied the substance at the expected interval, a physiological withdrawal reaction ensues); and (c) the drug-seeking activity is preoccupying and dominates the person’s behavior pattern.

Assertions such as the following, from the article, are risible: “…Such findings might reduce the

culpability of people who have committed crimes. If lawyers

can attribute their clients’ crimes to physiological cravings

rather than acts of free will, they may receive lighter

sentences. ” Even though all craving of pleasurable activity has a physiological basis, by no stretch of the imagination does it diminish someone’s free will by any notion of autonomy and choice I’m aware of in the behavioral sciences! New Scientist

Now you tell me — is this a related item or not? Contract bridge enhances the immune system, according to a preliminary study

by researchers at UC Berkeley. EurekAlert!

Along the same lines as what Iceland has done (see below), but on a bigger scale, Estonia sells its gene pool.

(The) Estonian people, in case you didn’t know, are just perfect. Quite

steady, as they have been settling in their present location for at

least 5,000 years, but not too isolated from the rest of the world.

Their family trees can normally be traced back into the 17th

century. More than a third of the people old enough to take a

degree have done so, and the life expectancy is 70 years.

Most importantly, they have willingly accepted the deal. Opinion

polls suggest that more than 90% of the 1.445 million Estonians

are ready to part with 50ml of their blood and a detailed account

of their medical history. A law regulating the details of the

procedure is expected to pass parliament without problems.

What seems to have won over the Estonian politicians was the

hope of becoming world leaders in something for the first time.

Guardian

“We love our small friends — we value their lives.” The Rat & Mouse Gazette.

Amnesty in Africa: How does Amnesty International persuade a state to change its ways? Prospect

Amnesty in Africa: How does Amnesty International persuade a state to change its ways? Prospect

Amnesty in Africa: How does Amnesty International persuade a state to change its ways? Prospect

Improbable but no longer unthinkable solutions to the Presidential election impasse.

Amnesty in Africa: How does Amnesty International persuade a state to change its ways? Prospect