Useless information thread

[borg number one]

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/...-we-ever-knew/

Albert Einstein's Brain May Provide Clues To His Genius, Study Says
By Dominique Mosbergen

Called the "embodiment of pure intellect," Albert Einstein has long been considered one of the most brilliant men who ever lived. During his life and since his death, people everywhere have wondered how one man could have possessed such genius.

Now, scientists may have uncovered a clue within the physicist's unusual brain.

The images of Einstein’s brain are published in Falk, Lepore & Noe 2012, (The cerebral cortex of Albert Einstein: a description and preliminary analysis of unpublished photographs, "Brain") and are reproduced here with permission from the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Silver Spring, Md.

According to a new study led by Florida State University evolutionary anthropologist Dean Falk, "portions of Einstein’s brain have been found to be unlike those of most people and could be related to his extraordinary cognitive abilities."

"Certain things are normal," Falk told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. "Brain size is normal. Overall shape is asymmetrical, and that is normal. What is unusual is the complexity and convolution in the various parts of the brain."

According to a written statement issued by the university, the study, published Nov. 16 in the journal "Brain," reveals the description of Einstein's entire cerebral cortex. To do this, Falk and her colleagues examined 14 recently uncovered photographs of Einstein's brain -- photos that, Falk said, were difficult to obtain.

When Einstein died in 1955, his brain was removed by Thomas Harvey, a doctor at the hospital where the physicist died, NPR notes. It is likely that Harvey never got permission to remove the brain, but as author Brian Burrell writes in "Postcards from the Brain Museum," the doctor got a posthumous stamp of approval from Einstein's son.

Harvey had said that he intended to study the brain, or at the very least, to find other scientists to do so -- something that was never satisfactorily achieved in the doctor's lifetime.

Still, scientists are now able to study Einstein's brain thanks to a number of photos and specimen slides that Harvey had prepared of the organ. The brain, which was photographed from multiple angles, also has been sectioned into 240 blocks from which histological slides were made.

As the FSU statement notes, most of the photographs, blocks and slides were lost from public sight for more than 55 years; fortunately, a number of them have been recently rediscovered and some can now be found at the National Museum of Health and Medicine.

It was with a few of these images, 14 to be exact, that Falk and her colleagues were able to take a closer look at Einstein's brain.

What they discovered was astonishing.

“Although the overall size and asymmetrical shape of Einstein’s brain were normal, the prefrontal, somatosensory, primary motor, parietal, temporal and occipital cortices were extraordinary,” said Falk, who compared the organ to 85 other human brains already described in the scientific literature. “These may have provided the neurological underpinnings for some of his visuospatial and mathematical abilities.”

For instance, Falk explained to The Huffington Post, parts of Einstein's frontal lobe are "extra convoluted," his parietal lobes are in some parts "extraordinarily asymmetrical," and his primary somatosensory and motor cortices near the regions that typically represent face and tongue are "greatly expanded in the left hemisphere."

"I was blown away," she said.

Albert Galaburda, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School in Boston, told Science magazine that "what's great about this paper is that it puts down…the entire anatomy of Einstein's brain in great detail." But, he added, the study raises "very important questions for which we don't have an answer."

"Among them are whether Einstein started off with a special brain that predisposed him to be a great physicist, or whether doing great physics caused certain parts of his brain to expand. Einstein's genius, Galaburda says, was probably due to 'some combination of a special brain and the environment he lived in,'" the magazine continues.

Interest in Einstein's brain is by no means a new phenomenon.

As Burrell writes, "the brain of Albert Einstein has acquired a notoriety out of all proportion to its value as an anatomical specimen."

In 1999, scientists at Ontario's McMaster University were able to compare the shape and size of Einstein's brain with those of about 90 people with average intelligence, according to the BBC. The researchers, who used a few of Harvey's other photographs, found at the time that at least "one area of his brain was significantly different than most people's."

Years later, Falk took her first stab at analyzing Einstein's brain and at the time, had claimed to have identified "a number of previously unrecognized unusual features" of the organ, Science magazine wrote in 2009.

As USA Today reports, the locations of some chunks of Einstein's brain are still unknown, so "the photos of the full, pre-dissected brain are a real find."

The door is now open for other scientists to learn more about the legendary physicist's brain.

"This is a starting place," Falk told The Huffington Post. "In this study, we [tried to set] the groundwork by thoroughly describing the brain as much as we can, interpreting our findings and suggesting hypotheses for other scientists who will, I'm sure, will want to look at these slides in the future."

For instance, Falk said, scientists could look at "brains of gifted people and compare them to Einstein's."

"There's a revolution going on in neuroscience right now... and there is technology that can make these images more meaningful," she said. "We're still learning from Einstein, all these years after his death."

[Rock Strongo]

I almost got defeated by both the rotating sharpener (which had cuts where the knife got jammed and thus kicked back) and wild boar, which was frozen. Got it done though, and tomorrow there will be some serious cheffing.

[stringertom]

Originally Posted by Mike Bulgakov

The 1960s bush era seems like it was more fun than the 2000s Bush era in America. Was the bush era clipped during the Bush era?

The late 60's/early 70's was a Busch era for me...in the 2000's Bush era I gravitated more towards Yuengling. In the 60's/70's I and my girlfriends leaned towards a more natural lifestyle...ergo a certain bushiness was prevalent. Nowadays, the razor is a friend of ours!

[Mike Bulgakov]

Originally Posted by stringertom

The late 60's/early 70's was a Busch era for me..

I don't remember ever seeing Busch beer. Beers from Mexico were cheap and popular when I was in college.

[Mike Bulgakov]

Originally Posted by Rock Strongo

I almost got defeated by both the rotating sharpener (which had cuts where the knife got jammed and thus kicked back) and wild boar, which was frozen. Got it done though, and tomorrow there will be some serious cheffing.

"Cheffing" is a new English word for me. I did a search, and see I was missing a word in my English vocabulary.

Danes and Swedes have the best English language skills of any countries where English is not the native language, in my opinion. I think, in general, Danes are more fluent in English than Swedes, but Mr. Strongo is more fluent in English than most Danes, and probably more fluent than 99% of people where English is the primary language.

In Denmark, I am told, everyone started learning English soon after World War II, under the influence of Americans. For a long time, kids have grown up watching American television shows and movies.

[Mike Bulgakov]

Sticky buns 'devastating' for Swedish wild boar

Swedish wildlife experts have warned that cinnamon buns used by hunters to tempt wild boar out of the woods could lead to a serious caries problem.

"It is not at all good for the animal's health," said Anders Hallengren at Skåne county council to the local Skånska Dagbladet daily.

The hunters in southern Sweden use bait to bring the animals out in the open and thus easier to target.

The hunters are reported to favour using cinnamon buns and other baked goods as they are both tempting for the boar and are also cheap.

But local officials warn that the practice, while increasing the chances of a successful hunt, it increases the risk that the boar suffer from weight problems and poor dental hygiene.

"A diet of cinnamon buns is devastating for a wild boar," Hallengren told the newspaper.

Furthermore as the baked bait is often placed alongside roads in the region there is a concern that the chance of car accidents involving wild animals will increase.

According to the National Wildlife Accident Council (Nationella Viltolycksrådet - NVR), a road accident involving a wild animal occurs on average every 15 minutes in Sweden.

The council has thus launched an information campaign to increase awareness and encourage road users to act more responsibly.

One key element of the campaign is to encourage car drivers to plan their trips in advance and thus enable them to avoid driving at excessive speeds.

The council has also launched a new telephone application which can be used to inform road users when they are entering a high risk zone.
http://www.thelocal.se/43522/20120929/
[IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UR6_hWgyQjQ/SiMtUEBRDZI/AAAAAAAAA48/***-J3DOfCI/s400/Wild_Boar_Sweden.jpg[/IMG]

[stringertom]

Originally Posted by Mike Bulgakov

I don't remember ever seeing Busch beer. Beers from Mexico were cheap and popular when I was in college.

Must have been a vast East Coast conspiracy...Busch brand ("Head for the mountains" was the ad tag) is A-B's low price alternative to Bud.

[SoBad]

Originally Posted by Rock Strongo

I almost got defeated by both the rotating sharpener (which had cuts where the knife got jammed and thus kicked back) and wild boar, which was frozen. Got it done though, and tomorrow there will be some serious cheffing.

That's the problem with cheffing in Sweden, the way I see it - you can't just go into the mountains and secure a wild piglet for a nice fresh shashlyk dinner.

[Rock Strongo]

Originally Posted by Mike Bulgakov

"Cheffing" is a new English word for me. I did a search, and see I was missing a word in my English vocabulary.

Danes and Swedes have the best English language skills of any countries where English is not the native language, in my opinion. I think, in general, Danes are more fluent in English than Swedes, but Mr. Strongo is more fluent in English than most Danes, and probably more fluent than 99% of people where English is the primary language.

In Denmark, I am told, everyone started learning English soon after World War II, under the influence of Americans. For a long time, kids have grown up watching American television shows and movies.

There is something about Danes and English. Every Dane I've ever been forced to speak English to have had an impeccable grasp of the language, and it's almost kind of ridiculous how well they speak it.

[stringertom]

^^^Don't leave the Dutch out of this English fluency conversation...while in Alkmaar for their famous Dutch cheese market, I flagged down a police officer for directions and needlessly asked him if he spoke English. His grammar and accent were both impeccable!

[Hood_Man]

The Large Hadron Collider was built purely to create teeth for Tom Cruise.

[stringertom]

Originally Posted by Hood_Man

The Large Hadron Collider was built purely to create teeth for Tom Cruise.

Was it designed by a Scientologist???

[Rock Strongo]

Originally Posted by Hood_Man

The Large Hadron Collider was built purely to create teeth for Tom Cruise.

I thought it was called the Large Hardon Collider and was a place Katie Holmes or the media didn't know about.

[Rock Strongo]

So today I did line umpiring for the very first time after two long days. I got to do the service line, and I was in my opinion terrible!

[Mike Bulgakov]

Boat theft is a global problem.

An unidentified woman gets away in her stolen boat.


The same unidentified woman was photographed earlier with her stolen cat.

[Mike Bulgakov]

Where's Sentinel?

[Mike Bulgakov]

China's People's Daily falls for Kim Jong-un 'sexiest man alive' spoof
Site welcomes report by The Onion, which says 'Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman's dream come true'

Associated Press in Beijing
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 November 2012 07.53 EST


The People's Daily piece quoted The Onion's praise of the NK leader: 'Kim made this newspaper’s editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile.' Photograph: Kns/AFP/Getty Images

The online version of China's Communist party newspaper has hailed a report by The Onion naming North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un as the sexiest man alive – not realising it is satire.

The People's Daily ran a 55-page photo spread on its website in a tribute to the leader, under the headline North Korea's top leader named The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive for 2012.

Quoting the Onion's spoof report, the Chinese newspaper wrote: "With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman's dream come true."

The People's Daily cited the Onion as saying: "Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper's editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile."Photos with the story include Kim on horseback squinting into the light, Kim waving towards a military parade, Kim wearing sunglasses and smiling, and touring a facility with his wife.

It is not the first time a state-run Chinese newspaper has fallen for a fictional report by The Onion. In 2002, the Beijing Evening News, one of the capital city's biggest tabloids at the time, published as news the fictional account that the US Congress wanted a new building and that it might leave Washington. The Onion article was a deadpan spoof of the way sports teams threaten to leave cities in order to get new stadiums.

[Dedans Penthouse]

Originally Posted by Mike Bulgakov

China's People's Daily falls for Kim Jong-un 'sexiest man alive' spoof
Site welcomes report by The Onion, which says 'Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman's dream come true'

Associated Press in Beijing
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 November 2012 07.53 EST


The People's Daily piece quoted The Onion's praise of the NK leader: 'Kim made this newspaper’s editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile.' Photograph: Kns/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea's top leader named The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive for 2012.

Quoting the Onion's spoof report, the Chinese newspaper wrote: "With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman's dream come true."

The People's Daily cited the Onion as saying: "Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper's editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile.",..

What's more, that stallion he proudly sits astride lowers its head and blushes with shame whenever 'Dear Tripod Leader' dismounts to answer nature's call.

Forget the claims of Madison Avenue & Mexico City:
THIS is truly "The World's Most Interesting Man"

back on-topc (useless info.): The minimum age for marriage in the People's Democratic Republic of North Korea (PDRK or 'PRK' for short) is 29 for guys and 27 for the babes in order to fulfill military and other obligations. Say what you want about the country with the Texaco gas station flag, when it comes to parades, no one can hold a candle to the good ol' PDRK. If "I Love a Parade!" is your thing, the PDRK is clearly a must-go when it comes to planning your next vacation. Me? Been there, done that, and believe me "The People's Amusement Park" blows away 6-Flags and Disney World.


Left - Middle - Right (L to R)

"Nooo way Kyung-Soon!...your were 'in full congress' with the legendary Russian Agent Bulgakov??!! Tell me the truth!!!..did you really??..."

Kyung Soon: * murmuring * ... "uh hummm.....yessssss...."

* giggling * "Tell us!...is it TRUE??....about him??"

Kyung-Soon: *swoon* "Sssh!!..yess...he is even greater than his legend.....my kimchi will never be the same again.."

[Rock Strongo]

Internship for 9 hours at one of the best restaurants in town over a 10 week period.. Now I'm living!

[Mike Bulgakov]

Originally Posted by Rock Strongo

Internship for 9 hours at one of the best restaurants in town over a 10 week period.. Now I'm living!

As a chef, what would you put together for a perfect Danish smørrebrød? How about a creative Swedish plate using pickled herring?

Dedans, I prefer to forget about the incident in North Korea after too much soju. Images of North Korea: