Wednesday Links

Wednesday Links

It’s Wednesday, and I actually planned ahead for this. Enjoy the links!

The saddest web server in the world really, really regrets giving you a 404 page.

Speaking of sad, this is some basic information about the working poor in America. John Scalzi wrote a personal perspective back in 2003 that is still relevant today – and still not understood by people who don’t have to struggle.

And speaking of people who don’t understand. . .Farhad Manjoo over at Slate pitches a hissy fit about two spaces after a period. Only recently has it come to my attention that I’ve been DOING IT WRONG for 40 years. Until I read this article, I was considering trying to overcome the habit that was instilled in me in high school typing class, but now I’ll keep doing it just to piss off people like this. So there.

Carl Zimmer talks about modularity in The Parts of Life and a computer model of the eye that might explain how this evolved in nature.

This one reminds me of a discussion with someone who apparently thought that dogs were just wolves that had been trained by humans to be tame. It was a silly idea, especially since dogs have been so obviously bred by purpose by man. Virginia Hughes, in People and Dogs: A Genetic Love Story, explains how dogs’ ability to digest starch is key to understanding how they came to be companions to humans.

Good news for anyone who might need a CT scan in the future: Next-generation CT scanner provides better images with minimal radiation It just got approved, so it might be a while before the machines are easy to find, but now you know they’ll be out there somewhere.

Infactorium takes on the problems caused by gathering up funds for research and has some ideas to make things better here.

These are not otters, but they are close, and having a wonderful time:

OK, I’ll give you an otter, but only because you insist. Video after the pics.

The Actual Science of Neuroplasticity!

The Actual Science of Neuroplasticity!

leftbrainrightbrain

So I’m watching something on TV, I don’t remember what, because I don’t do a lot of it, and pretty much every commercial break there’s an ad for Lumosity – “using the science of neuroplasticity!” This drives me nuts, because not only does it not work (more on that later) but it promulgates a failed understanding of what neuroplasticity is and what are its potentials and limitations.

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Wednesday Links

Wednesday Links

Some of these are actually old, but I’ll bet they’re new to you! Most bloggers put up regular link pages on Fridays or Saturdays, some will go for Sundays or Mondays. I procrastinate, so I pick Wednesday. These will be individual articles, not the massive collections of information I put up earlier this week. Eventually there will be stuff besides science, but right now I’m on a roll because I lost my regular outlet. However, I will try to keep up with cute otter news.

SCIENCE!!!

The Great and Powerful (Dr.) Oz, dissected inThe New Yorker. Orac tells us exactly why we need to stop listening to Doctor Oz.

Seeking Common Ground in the Syndromes of Autism Where does the genetic predisposition for autism lie?

Robustness and fragility in neural development In fact, where do the genetics for any neurological differences lie?

NIH study advances understanding of movement control “Voluntary movements involve the coordinated activation of two brain pathways that connect parts of deep brain structures called the basal ganglia, according to a study in mice by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The findings, which challenge the classical view of basal ganglia function, were published online in Nature on Jan. 23.”

Neuroskeptic tells us How To Respond to Criticism and does a pretty darned good job of it.

If you try one detox this year, make it this one
Detox your brain!

Emily Willingham gives us 10 Questions To Distinguish Real From Fake Science and they are all very good ones.

No link roundup would be complete without. . .OTTERZ!!!