Posts

April 22, 2013

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10:44 PM | "1. Future neuropsychological and brain imaging studies should consider subgroups of sexual offenders..."

“1. Future neuropsychological and brain imaging studies should consider subgroups of sexual...

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10:23 PM | Boston Bombing Suspect Bedside Hearing

Boston Bombing Suspect Bedside Hearing: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was charged in a criminal complaint...

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4:00 PM | I am Awesome, epically awesome.

Thanks to my fellow blogger over at Alien Shores, I have been nominated for the Epically Awesome Award of Epic Awesomeness! But no great award comes without responsibilities. In order to be really awesome I have to: 1) Write ten “awesome” facts about yourself; 2). Nominate ten other bloggers that you think are awesome enough … Continue reading »

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6:23 AM | Audio

No summary available for this post.

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2:38 AM | Temporarily insane: pathologising cultural difference in American criminal courts

Temporarily insane: pathologising cultural difference in American criminal courts: Medicalising...

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12:08 AM | “The narcissistic self and its psychological and neural...

“The narcissistic self and its psychological and neural correlates: an exploratory fMRI study” The concept of narcissism has been much researched in psychoanalysis and especially in self psychology. One of the hallmarks of narcissism is altered emotion, including decreased affective resonance (e.g. empathy) with others, the neural underpinnings of which remain unclear. (…) Psychological and neuroimaging data indicate respectively higher degrees of alexithymia and lower deactivation […]

April 20, 2013

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6:43 PM | Afternoon off w. aatombomb and bourbon.

Afternoon off w. aatombomb and bourbon.

April 19, 2013

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10:00 PM | The red shoe diaries.

Christian Louboutin is fairly famous for making and marketing his exotic shoes with the red soles. So famous in fact that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the distinctive red soles of Christian Louboutin shoes are entitled to trademark protection. However, only if the rest of the shoe is not red. (The … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | NOT going out with a bang!

There are a huge variety of planetary nebula (although I am told the proper term is stellar-remnant nebula). Like the ring nebula in Lyra. The Cat’s Eye nebula in Draco. And many others. These lovely denizens of deep space once foretold how our little sun would one day end up…well maybe not. Astronomers now think … Continue reading »

April 18, 2013

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10:00 PM | Texting your way to a patent.

Filing your patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office just became a little easier. The PTO is instituting a new program called Text2PTO, which will enable the USPTO to receive patent applications as text files. The program should make it considerably easier to file and amend documents submitted electronically to the USPTO. Under … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | Woodrow Wilson has blown up!

The supernova UDS10Wil, nicknamed SN Wilson after American President Woodrow Wilson, that is. The star exploded more than 10 billion years ago and was recently spotted by the Hubble Space Telescope. Wilson, also has the distinction of being the farthest supernova of this type found to date. Although our sun will blow up in a few … Continue reading »

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4:24 AM | goldfrapp: Inspired by an article about electrodes used on rats...

goldfrapp: Inspired by an article about electrodes used on rats to make them feel elation and euphoria while performing tasks. So the first go with this happened around 1954, opening the methodological door for a “physiological study of the mechanisms of reward” and pointed to what some call the pleasure center (nucleus accumbens septi). Creating tasks in conjunction with implanted electrodes to study depression and punishment came a little later.

April 17, 2013

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10:00 PM | What is a legal hold and how do you get out of it?

No, it isn’t a wrestling hold, like the sleeper, (sorry, it was the only image with the proper license I could find), but it is something that you need to take very seriously. For instance, the blockbuster jury award issued in the ongoing patent litigation between Apple and Samsung certainly caught everyone’s attention. The jury … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | What’s in a name?

If you are a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), alot. With the large amounts of exoplanets being discovered a subtle, but important issue has arrisen. What do we call all those planets? Right now there is the “official” name (something boring like 51 Pegasi b, or PSR B1620-26 c) and then there is … Continue reading »

April 16, 2013

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9:00 PM | Trolls in the majority of cases.

At least 56 percent of all patent lawsuits are started by patent trolls, according to a new, comprehensive report by Lex Machina. According to Colleen Chien of Santa Clara University, 61% of patent lawsuits in the U.S. in 2012 were brought by patent trolls. The following graph from a recent presentation by Ms Chien shows an … Continue reading »

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3:00 PM | A swing and a miss!

With the start of the major league baseball season here, I thought it was an appropriate headline. It turns out that comet C/2013 A1 that was going to hit Mars…well…isn’t. Dang the bad luck! I mean really we have enough instrumentation on and around Mars that the images would have been spectacular to say the … Continue reading »

April 15, 2013

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9:00 PM | Patents for humanity awards.

On April 11th, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the winners of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patents for Humanity program. Launched Last February as part of an Obama administration initiative promoting innovations to solve long-standing development challenges. Patents for Humanity is a competition recognizing patent owners and licensees who address global challenges in health … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | Look what I found!

Extra deductions! No, sorry. For those of you that are not tax payers in the United States, today is the last day to file your income tax forms with the Federal government. But to relieve the stress, here is one way that our tax dollars have been spent. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken some … Continue reading »

April 12, 2013

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10:00 PM | What Is a Compulsory License?

Yesterday I talked about digital music companies that rely on compulsory licenses to stream copyrighted music. Section 115 of the Copyright Act provides a compulsory license for most copyrighted musical compositions (with the exception of soundtracks) that have been released to the public. The benefit is that the royalty rates under these licenses are set … Continue reading »

April 11, 2013

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10:00 PM | Can You Be Profitable Offering Free Digital Music?

Digital music sites like Pandora and Spotify are extremely popular with music fans because they offer free or low-cost music on a variety of different devices from computers to smartphones. However, despite their growing number of users, these digital music companies are still losing money. The primary roadblock to profit is the cost of music … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | I Need A Nap.

Really! After a gruelling 255 day trip, with a very frightening landing I get put on the “garden” spot of Mars. I mean really. First, they shoot me through space, parachute and rocket me down, then lower me on a cable (and a wing and a prayer if you ask me) and abandon me to … Continue reading »

April 10, 2013

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10:00 PM | New Google Search Algorithm May Deter Copyright Infringement

Google has changed how it ranks search results in order to account for copyright infringement claims. The move is seen as a big win for large media companies that have been pressuring the search giant to take a stand against piracy. The revised search algorithm specifically takes into account the number of valid copyright removal … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | Let’s Buy A Space Station!

I was just reading over on David Reneke’s excellent site about how the powers that be are going to let the International Space Station (ISS) crash into the ocean after they retire it in 2020. This seems like a waste to me. Currently, there are at least three viable commercial space programs in operation. The … Continue reading »

April 09, 2013

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10:00 PM | When Does Trade Secret Theft Become a Federal Crime?

Trade secret theft is generally addressed through the civil lawsuits. However, in some cases, the misappropriation of trade secrets can rise to the level of a federal crime. The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 criminalizes trade secret theft committed for personal benefit within the country or for the benefit of a foreign government. Section 1831 … Continue reading »

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3:49 PM | Global Astronomy Month

April is Global Astronomy Month. There are many activities and programs available for amateurs and educators. You can find out more about GAM here. These events are mostly run by Astronomers Without Borders who hope to once again bringing enthusiasts together in a worldwide to celebrate their motto “One People, One Sky.” There is a … Continue reading »

April 08, 2013

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10:00 PM | Trademarking you catch phrase.

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is hoping that everything he touches turns to gold. He has filed a trademark application for the phrase “Jeah.” If you are wondering what the word means, Lochte has stated it means happy or good. “Like, if you have a good swim, you say, ‘Jeah.’ Like, it’s good. So, I guess … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | International Dark Sky Week

This week is International Dark Sky week. Created in 2003 by high-school student Jennifer Barlow, IDSW has grown to become a worldwide event and a key component of Global Astronomy Month (more on this tomorrow). The goals of IDSW are to appreciate the beauty of the night sky and to raise awareness of how poor-quality lighting … Continue reading »

April 05, 2013

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10:00 PM | Should China Overhaul Its Patent System?

The European Chamber of Commerce in China is calling on China to make big changes to its patent system. The Chamber states that the current Chinese patent system hinders the country’s ability to innovate and may be detrimental to foreign companies. The group released a report recommending a total of 52 changes. Below is a … Continue reading »

April 04, 2013

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4:00 PM | Ode to Herschel’s Images

Yesterday, I reported that the Herschel Space Observatory was on its last legs. Today, I present you some images taken by Herschel during its lifetime. Enjoy. Massive star formation in the W3 Giant Molecular Cloud (GMC) Herschel targets galactic black-hole jet. Betelgeuse’s enigmatic circumstellar envelope and bow shock. Almost 800 spectroscopic redshifts obtained for HerMES … Continue reading »

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5:45 AM | Turns out there’s a line you cross when meeting...

Turns out there’s a line you cross when meeting serious academics who also make life or death decisions out there based the research they do. After that, being impressed by theoretical work is more at an ohthatsnice level.