Archive for May, 2013
Physicists Unveil World’s Most Precise Clocks
May 30th, 2013Via: MIT Technology Review: Today, Andrew Ludlow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder and a few buddies unveil the two most accurate clocks ever built. They say their new clocks can keep time with an unprecedented precision of one part in 10-18. Ludlow and co put this in perspective: “A measurement […]
EFF Makes Formal Objection to DRM in HTML5
May 30th, 2013Via: EFF: Today the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a formal objection to the inclusion of digital rights management (DRM) in HTML5, arguing that a draft proposal from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) could stymie Web innovation and block access to content for people across the globe. The W3C’s HTML working group is creating […]
Monsanto GM Wheat Not Approved by USDA Found on Oregon Farm
May 30th, 2013Via: Bloomberg: Genetically modified wheat created by Monsanto Co. (MON) that wasn’t approved for use turned up on an 80-acre farm in Oregon last month, threatening the outlook for U.S. exports of the grain that are the world’s largest. A farmer attempting to kill wheat with Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide found several plants survived the weedkiller, […]
Syria Receives Russian S-300 Air Defense System
May 30th, 2013Via: Deutsche Welle: Russian S-300 air defense missile systems have arrived in Syria, according to the Syrian president. Israel has long feared the delivery of the long-range missiles, calling them a “threat” to its own security. In an interview with Lebanese broadcaster, Al-Manar TV, the Syrian president confirmed that Damascus had received the surface-to-air missile […]
‘Devastating Consequences for the Ecosystem’ If GM Salmon Escape and Breed with Wild Species
May 30th, 2013Madness. Via: Independent: Genetically modified salmon could escape into the wild with devastating consequences for the ecosystem, a new study has warned. Researchers from Canada say that there is a risk of GM salmon mating with the closely-related brown trout species to produce a hybrid fish. GM salmon grow faster than normal salmon and scientists […]
Let’s Be Clear: Establishing a ‘No-Fly Zone’ Is an Act of War
May 29th, 2013Via: The Atlantic: Kudos to Josh Rogin for breaking the news that “the White House has asked the Pentagon to draw up plans for a no-fly zone inside Syria.” But wouldn’t it be a more powerful story without the euphemism? Relying on the term “no-fly-zone” is typical in journalism. But that is a mistake. It […]
On the Road to a Japanese Debt Crisis
May 29th, 2013Via: The Exchange: The initial results of the Abenomic program would be cause for true celebration if they did not also have the unintended consequence of drawing the market’s attention to the appalling state of Japan’s public finances. However, seemingly this is now occurring as markets have begun to question the logic of holding Japan’s […]
Pentagon’s Latest Weapon in Colombian Drug War? Soap Operas
May 29th, 2013Via: Wired: The U.S. Army is introducing a new weapon in its fight to get Colombia’s guerrillas to put down their guns: the soap opera. That’s the gist of a recent Army request for proposals, which describes the building blocks of an anti-guerrilla propaganda campaign in Colombia. According to the request, the Army wants a […]
Maine Doctor Stops Accepting All Forms of Insurance, Cuts Prices for Treatments In Half
May 29th, 2013Via: Bangor Daily News: Dr. Michael Ciampi took a step this spring that many of his fellow physicians would describe as radical. The family physician stopped accepting all forms of health insurance. In early 2013, Ciampi sent a letter to his patients informing them that he would no longer accept any kind of health coverage, […]
China’s Shuanghui to Buy Smithfield Foods for $4.7 Billion
May 29th, 2013Via: Reuters: China’s Shuanghui International said it would buy Smithfield Foods Inc (SFD.N) for $4.7 billion in cash to help satisfy growing demand for U.S.-made pork in its home market, but the deal may raise concerns in the United States. The agreement, announced on Wednesday, comes after Smithfield’s largest shareholder agitated for change at the […]
