Chief Prognosticator » 2008 » March
The first complete mapping of the Human Genome was done by, well, who else, The Human Genome Project between 1990 and 2003. Since then additional projects have been executed in the private and public sector including one by the company Celera Genomics. They mapped DNA from five different people including their own lead scientist Craig Venter. Just a few weeks ago (September 4th, 2007), Craig Venter published his complete DNA sequence for the world to see and examine. His is the first genome of a single individual released.
This raises some very tricky implications of human genomes. What sort of privacy laws need to be in place? Or what about genetic discrimination. Think about it — we are becoming more able to determine future susceptibility to diseases based on genetic information. What if people started being discriminated against according to genetic abnormalities or certain proclivities? Yeah, the future is here and I don’t want it to be like GATTACA.
There is some legislation currently being developped for this but it’s not yet approved. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) would prohibit health insurance companies from discriminating for coverage when the reason is only based on a genetic predispotion. The GINA would also prevent similar discrimination in the workplace against companies who would want to fire someone based on an increased insurance liablity. GINA passed the United States House of Representatives as H.R. 493 on 25 April 2007 (by a vote of 420 to 3) but is stuck in the United States Senate.
Image: (Source Wikipedia, cGNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
Have you seen them on YouTube or any other video site? Those “in-video” advertisements which show up on the bottom of the video. They are actually rather neat — something you can click on in the video itself (or probably just “on-top” of the video). Either way it’s an interesting concept and a great way to monetize videos. Come on, how can you “ignore” the ad when it pops up — even if its just for a second, you are going to look and isn’t that the whole purpose of advertisements anyways?
Do you have a satellite radio receiver in your car? Did you buy it? Many people I know with satellite radio got it first as a free offer when they purchased their new vehicle. Many decided to keep it, but not all. When is satellite radio a good idea? Answer — when you drive more than 2 hours a day! Sure that’s only a heuristic, but I think it works. If you spend 10+ hours a week driving in your car, you must be either board of radio, or not a fan of listening to anything at all! Satellite radio offers you a virtually endless supply of new and old music, talk and sports, anywhere in the country!
According to a CNN.com and Fortune Magazine blog, we are official countdown to iPhone 2.0. What is it? No one knows for sure, but a ramp upin production plans for Apple could indicate that a new model is on the way. A minimum would be access to AT&T’s faster data network, instead of the slow one iPhone users are currently stuck on. After that, the sky is the limit! What new features would you like to see on the iPhone?
Here’s a place where Science has yet to go, but it may not stay fiction for long: Xenoarchaeology. Xenoarchaeology is the yet to be realized scientific discipline of archeology for ancient alien races. Since we have yet to discover an alien races, extinct or living, this discipline remains only part of science fiction literature. But what if we land on Mars and uncover something? Well you will be proud to know what Xenoarchaeology is.
You might have seen my article about a dream ticket for the Republican nomination for President, so here’s a new one I just thought of (inspired by news articles) for the Democratic Party:
Obama - Gore 2008
Sorry Hillary, but you are too polarizing of a candidate. You have your husband to thank for that. Al Gore has been on a hot streak since leaving office — an Oscar, a Nobel Prize — why not become a Repeat-Veep?
She’s become the UK version of Britney Spears! And her story might even me wilder than Britney’s! The website I visit for all the latest Amy info, including the wildest celebrity pictures, and random British stories is the Daily Mail. It is a couple of steps up from x17online and actually has interesting stories. No question it’s a British Tabloid but it’s free and it’s interesting to read. Check it out — I keep the site bookmarked!
Web 2.0, Schweb 2.0… blah, blah, blah. Sure user generated content has dominated the current Internet, but there is something else I noticed and it involves online video. Wait, before you start thinking about YouTube, stop! Again, I’m not talking about user-generated content. No, I’m talking about the 180 degree turn in how businesses have embraced giving away their content online. From Saturday Night Live’s digital shorts to ESPN’s online video selection, media companies are giving away their wares for free on the Internet. Even CNN.com is offering free videos of their news stories. I can remember about 6 months ago, CNN.com tried to sell videos via subscription. Now they’ve totally redesigned their site to feature free video content. Amazing. Why are they doing this:
- Capture more eyes
- Show more Ads
Get a sneak preview of the new Marvel Comics limited engagement of “Secret Invasion“, a miniseries over at the Entertainment Weekly site. For all you comic book fans out there, this new series could be the next Marvel Zombies. Enjoy it and catch the sneak preview before the release of the comic. Enjoy!
I love how the Web 2.0 is all about “Free”. Think about it — back in the late 1990’s, most websites were looking to make money by charging people to access content. Regardless to say that it failed miserably. Luckily Google came by and make everyone wake up to the fact that money can be made (a lot of money) passively through advertising. That revelation meant that the web became a place of “Free Cool Things (FCT)”. Here’s a great example of a FCT: WetPaint.com.
What is WetPaint? It’s a site where you can create your own free wiki! Why start a free Wiki? Well if you have something that you really love — I mean, are truly fanatical about or really an expert about, a wiki is a great way to share your love and knowledge. As a secondary effect, your wiki becomes a place of learning. When other like-minded people contribute to your wiki, you’ll probably learn something new about your favorite subject. I just browsed WetPain and found a wiki all about Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles! I love that show, but whenever I watch it, I always have questions. Thanks to this wiki, all my questions can be answered and my love for the show can be expanded thanks to the detailed analysis and summaries of the entire Sarah Connor Chronicles universe! See, a free wiki can be an awesome thing!
Join the over 810,000 wikis created there today and start yours with 3 easy steps.
