December 2009
16 posts
Copenhagen spoof shames Canada on the truth about... →
An ambitious plan to cut carbon emissions by 40% by 2020 seemed too good to be true - and it was, as the Yes Men strike again…
“Canada is taking the long view on the world economy,” the fake press release said, attributing the statement to the environment minister, Jim Prentice. “Nobody benefits from a world in peril. Contributing to the development of other nations and...
The octopus: One of Earth's smartest →
“This is an octopus that runs around collecting cups, stacking them, running along with them underneath its body, and then assembling them as perfect armour if a predator comes along,” Norman said. “Planned future use.”
It’s that forward planning — and use of tools — that surprisingly makes the veined octopus one of the smartest animals on Earth.
“I am as free as nature first made man,
Ere the base laws of servitude began,...”
– Dryden
The End of SarbOx? The Supreme Court Weighs In. |... →
Interesting article… Silicon Valley says it’s killing innovation. Financial executives claim it has ruined their ability to recruit top board members. Public companies say complying with it requires millions of dollars in additional audit fees. When Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002, it was one of the most sweeping and controversial pieces of business legislation since the...
UPDATE - Shell Alaska Chukchi drill plan has... →
Combustion is destruction! Ever since humans created the function we have been destroying the natural environment. ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday approved, with conditions, Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s plan to drill the first wells in two decades in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska’s northwest coast.
The U.S. Interior Department’s Minerals...
First osmosis power plant goes on stream in Norway →
science:
The world’s first power plant based on osmotic power — a small prototype plant — recently opened in Norway. The plant generates electricity through osmotic pressure: when salt water and fresh water come together, like when a river meets the sea, there’s a difference in water potential. The fresh water and salt water are brought into distinct chambers, separated by a membrane that lets...
Opera review: Philip Glass' 'Kepler' has U.S.... →
Was very nice. Recommended.