Group items tagged

"Executive Summary GMO Myths and Truths report Genetically modified (GM) crops are promoted on the basis of a range of far-reaching claims from the GM crop industry and its supporters. They say that GM crops: Are an extension of natural breeding and do not pose different risks from naturally bred crops Are safe to eat and can be more nutritious than naturally bred crops Are strictly regulated for safety Increase crop yields Reduce pesticide use Benefit farmers and make their lives easier Bring economic benefits Benefit the environment Can help solve problems caused by climate change Reduce energy use Will help feed the world. However, a large and growing body of scientific and other authoritative evidence shows that these claims are not true. On the contrary, evidence presented in this report indicates that GM crops: Are laboratory-made, using technology that is totally different from natural breeding methods, and pose different risks from non-GM crops Can be toxic, allergenic or less nutritious than their natural counterparts Are not adequately regulated to ensure safety Do not increase yield potential Do not reduce pesticide use but increase it Create serious problems for farmers, including herbicide-tolerant "superweeds", compromised soil quality, and increased disease susceptibility in crops Have mixed economic effects Harm soil quality, disrupt ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity Do not offer effective solutions to climate change Are as energy-hungry as any other chemically-farmed crops Cannot solve the problem of world hunger but distract from its real causes - poverty, lack of access to food and, increasingly, lack of access to land to grow it on. Based on the evidence presented in this report, there is no need to take risks with GM crops when effective, readily available, and sustainable solutions to the problems that GM technology is claimed to address already

"Jimmy Wales' Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries, a Nature investigation finds. UPDATE: see details of how the data were collected for this article in the supplementary information. UPDATE 2 (28 March 2006). The results reported in this news story and their interpretation have been disputed by Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nature responded to these objections ."

"There is an unspoken taboo among paleoanthropologists against calling what made us human a social revolution - and Christopher Boehm's work has broken through that taboo, CHRIS KNIGHT of the Radical Anthropology Group argues in this guest post. Knight is responding to Steve Drury's extended review of Boehm's recent book, published by People & Nature earlier this month."

"from the time-for-a-change dept Here on Techdirt we've written many times about the problematic nature of drug patents. They are harmful both directly, in terms of the price distortions they cause and seek to spread to new markets, and indirectly, through the lobbying that the pharma industry deploys to strengthen and extend them, notably in trade agreements such as TPP and TAFTA/TTIP. "

"from the time-for-a-change dept Here on Techdirt we've written many times about the problematic nature of drug patents. They are harmful both directly, in terms of the price distortions they cause and seek to spread to new markets, and indirectly, through the lobbying that the pharma industry deploys to strengthen and extend them, notably in trade agreements such as TPP and TAFTA/TTIP. "

"by John Timmer - Aug 18, 2015 9:42pm CEST Share Tweet 70 Gene Likens (Wikipedia link, naturally) is an ecologist who set up a longterm study of a forest in New Hampshire. That study found that the water entering the ecosystem was unusually acidic, a finding that was eventually tied back to pollution. This turned out to be one of the earliest indications of acid rain."

"by John Timmer - Aug 18, 2015 9:42pm CEST Share Tweet 70 Gene Likens (Wikipedia link, naturally) is an ecologist who set up a longterm study of a forest in New Hampshire. That study found that the water entering the ecosystem was unusually acidic, a finding that was eventually tied back to pollution. This turned out to be one of the earliest indications of acid rain."

Further reading in GitHub "The open-source programming world has a lot to teach democracy, says Clay Shirky. In this fascinating talk from TEDGlobal 2012, Shirky harkens back to the early days of the printing press. At the time, a group of "natural philosophers" (who would later adopt the term "scientists") called the Invisible College realized that the press could offer a new way to share and debate their work. However, because printing books would be far too slow for this purpose, they came up with a new invention - the scientific journal."

Further reading in GitHub "The open-source programming world has a lot to teach democracy, says Clay Shirky. In this fascinating talk from TEDGlobal 2012, Shirky harkens back to the early days of the printing press. At the time, a group of "natural philosophers" (who would later adopt the term "scientists") called the Invisible College realized that the press could offer a new way to share and debate their work. However, because printing books would be far too slow for this purpose, they came up with a new invention - the scientific journal."

"While code review is commonplace amongst proprietary software development firms, the nature of open source software development often makes standardized code appraisal difficult to achieve." # ! As in Code so in Life

"While code review is commonplace amongst proprietary software development firms, the nature of open source software development often makes standardized code appraisal difficult to achieve."

"The nature and common practices in open source offer an unbeatable combination."

" Ernesto on October 1, 2016 C: 38 News This week the European Court of Justice heard a crucial case that will give more clarity on the infringing nature of unauthorized streaming. Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN and the Spanish authorities argued that offering or watching pirate streams is a violation of the EU Copyright Directive. However, the European Commission believes that consumers who watch unauthorized streams are not breaking the law."

" Ernesto on October 1, 2016 C: 38 News This week the European Court of Justice heard a crucial case that will give more clarity on the infringing nature of unauthorized streaming. Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN and the Spanish authorities argued that offering or watching pirate streams is a violation of the EU Copyright Directive. However, the European Commission believes that consumers who watch unauthorized streams are not breaking the law."

"We might not have the money we want but we do have some control over our happiness levels. Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins are the brain chemicals responsible for our happiness. These chemicals are can be triggered all the time, even by mundane events. But rather than thinking we have no control over them, science has proven that we can intentionally boost them. And being in a good state of mind is important for happiness, health and success. So here are some simple ways to hack our positive neurochemicals:"

" Humanitarian and development aid is about helping people suffering from both short-term and long-term problems. These problems can be natural (e.g., droughts, floods, and earthquakes) as well as man-made (e.g., poverty, war, and oppression). A recent example of a humanitarian crisis is the refugee situation in Europe, and the disorder in Syria and its surrounding region."

"A Sustainable Earth through International Cooperation and Global Citizenship Become recognized as a natural world citizen, legally claim and control your personal identity as a registered sovereign citizen of planet earth, separate of your state from your identity under newly recognized understood international law, global customs, and human rights laws of the day. Fortify your human rights, qualify for new international privileges, benefits, and special eligibility programs normally only available to those who have dual or multiple citizenship."

"My late father, Lou Shapiro, was an early leader of UNICEF, so relief work was baked into the genetics of my family. His work was centered on emergency relief for the survivors of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Whenever there was an earthquake in the world, "

[Areas of inquiry once reserved for historians and social scientists are now studied by neuroscientists, and among the most fascinating is cultural conflict. Science alone won't provide the answers, but it can offer new insights into how social behavior reflects -- and perhaps even shapes -- basic human biology. An upcoming issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B features a collection of new studies on the biology of conflict. On the following pages, Wired looks at the findings. ...]

"A book titled "Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the Nature of the Universe" contains a notion that life does not end when the body dies, and it can last forever."

"... There are only a few simple house rules and guidelines that create the right conditions for controlled chaos to emerge. Invariably, time after time, something magical happens. ..."

"... There are only a few simple house rules and guidelines that create the right conditions for controlled chaos to emerge. Invariably, time after time, something magical happens. ..."

"By Marc Gauvin Copyright © 05/2015 Reproduction expressly granted provided attribution is given and original link is provided. Qua ab initio non valent, ex post facto convalescere non possunt. (what initially is invalid cannot be made valid subsequently) With the upcoming threat of Greek default and the panic that will ensue this article is critical. Understanding the real nature and full scope of money and finance is crucial, as in doing so, we see how artificial the crisis is and why there really is no valid criteria or logic in the proposed austerity."

[Here's a quit extensive synthesis of "The Penguin and the Leviathan," in my opinion a wonderful book for anyone who is interested in improving and transforming our economic and political institutions. Human motivation is a subject that 'makes me tick'. I really enjoyed reading "The Penguin and the Leviathan", not only because it paints a much nicer picture of "human nature" than the one used by the free marketeers, but also because it gives a glimpse of a future, higher form of society that will be much more based on human cooperation. I think it is important to see that the seeds of this future society are very much present today. ...]

agreed! thanks for this share... the book's on my wishlist.