Are human beings extinction proof? Evolution expert anthropologist makes startling claim after Doomsday clock moves another minute further from midnight | Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2002485/Are-human-beings-extinction-proof-Evolution-expert-anthropologist-makes-startling-claim-Doomsday-clock-moves-minute-midnight.html

No. But unlike other extinct species whose biology failed them, in our case, it will probably be our technology to blame. That and the inability to train ourselves to use our hugely powerful brains to create a rational consensual decision making process…

Sign in to read: How to build the global mathematics brain – physics-math – 05 May 2011 – New Scientist

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028113.900-how-to-build-the-global-mathematics-brain.html

dunno how much of this you can read without subscribing (I’ve been a New Scientist paid reader for at least 15 years. It and the Register (which is free and online) are the two sources I tend to trust more than any others. They’re not necessarily the most complete, but they’re easily the least polluted by an “agenda”) but lemme know if you can’t read it all, I’ll post you a copy. If you can read it, my question is: Why can’t formal democratic debate adopt precisely the same model?

VBMC Episode 2 – Easy Meal Ideas of The Ages

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy2my_diH6A

nope, lost me at the brussel sprouts. There is no sensible reason why a human bean would voluntarily eat such an object.

Pixmania users report scam-spam bombardment • The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/08/pixmania_email_leak/

How, you may be wondering, did the plaintiffs KNOW they’d only ever used the email address for Pixmania? This trick works if you own your own domain (and it’s worth buying a cheap domain just to be able to do this)

Say you own the domain “spamtrap.com”. You set up a “wildcard” account so that ANYTHING@spamtrap.com comes through to you. Then, whenever you give (someone you don’t trust implicitly) an email address, you give them a unique address in the form “amazon@spamtrap.com” or “ebay@spamtrap.com” or (in this case) “pixmania@spamtrap.com”

Now, unless the incoming emails addressed to “pixmania@spamtrap.com” come from pixmania, you know a) it’s spam and b) where the spammers got the address from. Neat huh. My brother gave me that idea but I’ve seen it elsewhere so I’ve no idea who to credit…

Senators draw a bead on Bitcoin • The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/08/bitcoin_under_attack/

now comes the test. Is the bitcoin community mature enough to resist the Police State?

Judge rules against firm that lost $345k to bank trojan • The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/09/banking_trojan_victim_loses/

this should concentrate a few minds.

I’m partially sympathetic with the bank on this one. The customer should take proper care of their credentials. However, the banks could make it almost impossible for such spoofs to take place if they wanted to, so they do share some responsibility, morally if not legally…

Psychology graduates remain poor for life, study shows • The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/09/psych_grads_knacked/

bad news for my wife (studying psychology as we speak)

Glastonbury Festival | Orange Glastonbury 2010 | Orange UK

http://glastonbury.orange.co.uk/

Bah humbug! ‘sno fuckin good to those of us with a Blackberry…

Groundbreaking male infertility test could bring hope to millions

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/qub-gmi060611.php

in the list of problems we really don’t need to solve, infertility (male and female) comes pretty close to the top…

That’s Not OCD, You’re Just a Slacker — Global Nerdy

http://www.globalnerdy.com/2011/05/04/thats-not-ocd-youre-just-a-slacker/

the DSOM is full of shit like this. It was born out of the exposure by RD Laing, in the late 60s, of the fraudulent nature of American psychiatry. Looks increasingly like they never quite grasped the point…

Francis Maude goes back 110 years for cybersecurity strategy • The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/02/maude_speech/

a very interesting analogy for a politician to use. My first question to him would be: Given that, a century later, we still routinely accept (globally) over a hundred thousand fatalities a year as a consequence of this (motor) technology, what would you consider the similarly “acceptable” death rate from failures in cybersecurity?

Russian computer programmer buries himself alive • The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/02/russian_burial/

on the upside, he has won himself a Darwin award…

Police ROBOT attacks and BURNS DOWN HOUSE • The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/01/police_robot_burns_down_house/

another in the Robocop series. Shoudn’t be long now before one of these “accudents” kills an innocent punter. Then the shit’ll really hit the fan…

Elbow One Day Like This Live @ Glastonbury 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgny0k0RfRs

My primary target at glasto this year. Missed this in 2008. First year. So zoned I forgot to check the timing on the one day I could have gone into the festival. 4th year should be a bit more relaxed. Managed to get in every day last year and Elbow and U2 are my 2011 priorities…

Ace Ventura rhino scene!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7LrMoLba0c

I defy anyone to watch this scene without falling about…