After checking out the Haitian weatherman the other day, I discovered plenty of other weird videos. I suppose that's inevitable with YouTube. But this one was just too weird not to share with any of you who haven't seen it yet--Turtle Boy.
Here's a newsclip from an interview with Turtle Boy months after he had become famous.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
It's gonna be hot
Okay, this was featured on NPR's Bryant Park Project, and then I found a "remix". I don't think there will ever be a more interesting newscast... but maybe that's what it takes when you're a weatherman in Haiti.
Molecular Communication!?
Okay, this is truly scary.
A recent R&D update from NTT Docomo, the Japanese cell phone company, recently announced it has made a major breakthrough in "molecular communication". It seemed like some sort of sci-fi joke, I admit, but they are dead serious. The idea is that it is possible to send biochemical information (i.e. "information about the biochemical conditions of living organisms, such as excitement, emotion, stress or disease") over a mobile network. The article is copied below:
TOKYO, JAPAN, March 27, 2008 --- NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that in experiments being carried out jointly with Professor Kazuo Sutoh of the Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, and Associate Professor Shoji Takeuchi of the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, it has successfully demonstrated the world's first molecular delivery system for molecular communication.
DoCoMo has been pioneering research into the field of molecular communication, a new communication paradigm in which molecules are used as a communication medium. By combining communication technology and biochemistry, DoCoMo aims to develop systems that could transmit information about the biochemical conditions of living organisms, such as excitement, emotion, stress or disease.
The experiment has confirmed the feasibility of a proposed delivery system to transport specific molecules using artificially synthesized DNAs and chemically energized motor proteins, typically found in muscles and nerve cells, which are capable of moving autonomously by converting chemical energy into mechanical work.
The system, which functions on its own because it does not require external power supply or control, could help lead to the realization of a biochemical analyzer, or biochip, a fingertip-sized microchip for biological and chemical analysis.
The envisioned molecular delivery system could have many applications in medicine and healthcare. For instance, it may be possible to diagnose diseases or stress by directly analyzing biomolecules in a drop of sweat or blood using a mobile phone equipped with a biochip. The molecular delivery system would be packaged in the biochip, and the data generated in the biochemical analysis would be transmitted to a medical specialist via a mobile phone using traditional wireless technology. The system could be used, for example, for remote health checks or preventive medicine.
A mobile phone with a biochip could also have applications in the fields of environment (e.g., water analysis) and entertainment (e.g., fortune telling).
DoCoMo and The University of Tokyo are continuing their collaborative research into practical uses of molecular communication to identify applicable molecules and to develop an actual molecular delivery system for installation in a biochip.
Link
A recent R&D update from NTT Docomo, the Japanese cell phone company, recently announced it has made a major breakthrough in "molecular communication". It seemed like some sort of sci-fi joke, I admit, but they are dead serious. The idea is that it is possible to send biochemical information (i.e. "information about the biochemical conditions of living organisms, such as excitement, emotion, stress or disease") over a mobile network. The article is copied below:
TOKYO, JAPAN, March 27, 2008 --- NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that in experiments being carried out jointly with Professor Kazuo Sutoh of the Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, and Associate Professor Shoji Takeuchi of the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, it has successfully demonstrated the world's first molecular delivery system for molecular communication.
DoCoMo has been pioneering research into the field of molecular communication, a new communication paradigm in which molecules are used as a communication medium. By combining communication technology and biochemistry, DoCoMo aims to develop systems that could transmit information about the biochemical conditions of living organisms, such as excitement, emotion, stress or disease.
The experiment has confirmed the feasibility of a proposed delivery system to transport specific molecules using artificially synthesized DNAs and chemically energized motor proteins, typically found in muscles and nerve cells, which are capable of moving autonomously by converting chemical energy into mechanical work.
The system, which functions on its own because it does not require external power supply or control, could help lead to the realization of a biochemical analyzer, or biochip, a fingertip-sized microchip for biological and chemical analysis.
The envisioned molecular delivery system could have many applications in medicine and healthcare. For instance, it may be possible to diagnose diseases or stress by directly analyzing biomolecules in a drop of sweat or blood using a mobile phone equipped with a biochip. The molecular delivery system would be packaged in the biochip, and the data generated in the biochemical analysis would be transmitted to a medical specialist via a mobile phone using traditional wireless technology. The system could be used, for example, for remote health checks or preventive medicine.
A mobile phone with a biochip could also have applications in the fields of environment (e.g., water analysis) and entertainment (e.g., fortune telling).
DoCoMo and The University of Tokyo are continuing their collaborative research into practical uses of molecular communication to identify applicable molecules and to develop an actual molecular delivery system for installation in a biochip.
Link
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Commuting can feel like an uphill battle
This is a picture taken with my cell phone on last Tuesday. The train line I use to go to work was backed up due to a mechanical problem near the end of the line (apparently the doors wouldn't close on one of the trains). The whole thing started around 7:40 and I didn't get to work until about 9:30. The picture shows the scene I was faced with when I had to change trains at Ikebukuro, one of the major stations in Tokyo.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Where in the world is...
Here's another game that may kill some time, but at the same time is rather educational. They always throw in some obscure Pacific or Carribean island or something, so watch out! So far my high score is 70%.
Geography.com
Geography.com
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