Brains: No Indicator of Success

[elfs]

Most Likely To Succeed

In this fascinating essay, Gladwell reviews what makes a great NFL quarterback, a great teacher, and a great financial adviser, and discovers that the initial skillsets we've been measuring all along are no indicators of what it takes to be great in any of those fields.

The Vatican Bans Basically Everything Reproductive

The Vatican has banned:

• in vitro fertilization.
• research in and use of embryonic stem cells.
• post-fertilization birth control methods such as morning after pills, the so-called abortion pill RU-486 (mifepristone) and the inter-uterine device (IUD).
• surrogate motherhood.
• human cloning, both reproductive and therapeutic.
• hybrid cloning using animal oocytes (immature female germ cells) to reprogram the nuclei of human somatic cells.
• freezing embryos or oocytes for use in artificial fertilization.
• pre-implantation diagnosis of embryos to avoid genetic defects or select for gender or other qualities.
• reduction of implanted embryos to prevent multiple births.
• intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to overcome male fertility problems.
• germ line cell therapy to modify genes transmitted to offspring.
• genetic enhancement for purposes other than medical treatment.
• use of human biological material of illicit origin, such as experimentation on human embryos.

The Pope also announced that the Vatican reserves the right to "intervene" in any state that allows any of these technologies. At least the Vatican lacks an army.

CSS Sprites Advanced Techniques

Nifty stuff.

Not Tonight, Dear, I'd Rather Blog

According to a survey paid for by Intel, 46% of women would rather go without sex than without Internet access for two weeks, but only 30% of men. Intel wanted to emphasize how important its products are. Personally, I'd rather be out in the woods with a willing partner than a decent WiFi connection.

Although 46% of Americans voted for Bush, only 33% will admit to it now.

No surprises here.

Evangelicals really don't like gay people.

In an article that will surprise no one, the National Association of Evangelicals has booted the Rev. Richard Cizik, a spokesman and lobbyist, who has long irritated the group with the suggestion that the NAE "should take global warming seriously," has now lost position for stating that the "current state of heterosexual marriage ... is a greater threat to marriage than homosexual civil unions."

The Senate: George Bush & Donald Rumsfeld bear responsibility for toture

The Senate this week released a report showing that Bush and Rumsfeld were personally responsible for ordering torture at Guantanamo, and for authorizing techniques that led to Abu Ghraib. Juan Cole wants to know why this is coming out now, when most of the press is distracted with other things. Well, duh.

Video Game Design: 1990 through 2008

A fabulous trip through time. Dig those crazy interfaces.

Time Is Different from Space

A physics major explains closed time-like curve, the causal nature of reality and its malleability, the relationship between general relativity and the distinction between P vs NP problems, and finally the claim "CTCs make polynomial time equal to polynomial space as a computational resource."

Far out.

Comments

[mikstera.livejournal.com]

Oh, I absolutely agree with you when it comes to the dangers of economic stratification leading to genetic stratification.

My point is that you don't address that problem by trying to prevent the research that could lead to it; force it underground by making it illegal, and you guarantee that it will be done in secret, and that only those with the money will get it.

Instead, let's keep it out in the open, and take steps to make it available to everyone, and not just the rich. If you don't think we can do that, then I don't see how you think we can make it illegal, and have that stick.