Archive for November, 2012
Only 22 Countries Have Never Been Invaded by the British
November 5th, 2012Via: Telegraph: Every schoolboy used to know that at the height of the empire, almost a quarter of the atlas was coloured pink, showing the extent of British rule. But that oft recited fact dramatically understates the remarkable global reach achieved by this country. A new study has found that at various times the British […]
‘Synthetic Biology Is Closer Than You Think’
November 5th, 2012Via: Bloomberg: George Church—he of the beard, tall man’s lope and overwhelming credentials—has hit the circuit to promote a new book: Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves. … Church figures it’s only a matter of time and proven safety before people start picking out traits for their offspring and cloning entire children. […]
‘Trillions of dollars worth of stock certificates and other paper securities that were stored in a vault in lower Manhattan may have suffered water damage’
November 4th, 2012[???] Via: CNN: Trillions of dollars worth of stock certificates and other paper securities that were stored in a vault in lower Manhattan may have suffered water damage from Superstorm Sandy. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., an industry-run clearing house for Wall Street, said the contents of its vault “are likely damaged,” after its […]
Northeast: Heating Oil Shortage as Cold Snap Looms
November 3rd, 2012Via: Reuters: Northeast residents lucky enough to have a roof after Hurricane Sandy struck now face a new problem: a heating oil shortage and widespread power outages mean some homes may go cold as the weather turns wintry. A cold snap in the New York City area – with daily low temperatures set to drop […]
Megaupload and the Government’s Attack on Cloud Computing
November 3rd, 2012Via: EFF: Yesterday, EFF, on behalf of its client Kyle Goodwin, filed a brief proposing a process for the Court in the Megaupload case to hold the government accountable for the actions it took (and failed to take) when it shut down Megaupload’s service and denied third parties like Mr. Goodwin access to their property. […]
U.S. Marines Staging Off New York Coast
November 3rd, 2012Via: U.S. Department of Defense: Marines and sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., flew aboard the USS Wasp Nov. 1 to prepare to provide assistance to New Jersey, New York and Connecticut in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Within less than a day of receiving the order from Marine […]
Gasoline Situation Increasingly Dire in Days After Sandy
November 3rd, 2012Via: CBS News: Commuters all over the New York area are still finding it very hard to find gasoline, as evidenced by long lines and angry drivers at the few stations that are open. People all over the New Jersey shore are looking for gas and CBS New found one of the few stations still […]
And Now… China Is Building A Huge Eco-City
November 3rd, 2012Will there be room for the Chinese elite’s secret organic gardens? Via: Business Insider: Outside Chengdu, in central China, a 78 million square foot site has been determined for an unconventional sort of construction project. It will be a city built from scratch, for 80,000 people, none of whom will need a car to get […]
Oregon: Volcano Power
November 2nd, 2012Via: Gizmag: Having successfully negotiated the challenging regulatory slopes of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a host of Oregon state agencies, the Newberry Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) demonstration project is in the process of creating a new geothermal reservoir in central Oregon. The core […]
Secret Service Agent on President Obama’s Protective Detail ‘Is Dead of an Apparent Suicide’
November 2nd, 2012Via: CNN: A Secret Service agent suspected of having a romantic relationship with a Mexican woman is dead of an apparent suicide, a law enforcement official told CNN Thursday. The source said Rafael Prieto, 48, was assigned to President Obama’s protective detail. The Secret Service confirmed Thursday that Prieto’s death last Saturday is currently being […]
