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SKorean Experts Claim To Have Cloned Glowing Dogs
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean scientists say they have engineered four beagles that glow red using cloning techniques that could help develop cures for human diseases. The four dogs, all named "Ruppy" — a combination of the words "ruby" and "puppy" — look like typical beagles by daylight.
Via: Google Hosted News
Project Epoc Thought-Powered Controller: Could Gaming Get Any Lazier?
We'd hoped that with the popularity of Nintendo's Wii, normally sedentary, perhaps unhealthy gamers would start prying themselves off the couch and get a little physical activity going -- and sure enough, some dude even succeeded in proving the efficacy of a Wii workout regimen. Well wouldn't you know it, along comes a company called Emotiv Systems and in one fell swoop, threatens to rollback all this great progress tubby fanboys have made. You see Emotiv has this pretty snazzy-looking helmet (minus that totally un-aerodynamic processing unit) which can -- get this --actually read your thoughts, just like those medical devices we've featured ad infinitum. But instead of some noble cause such as helping quadriplegics or enabling us to translate monkey thinking, the so-called Project Epoc is designed to take video games to the next level by exploding your input possibilities and removing even the minimal amount of calories burned through furiously smashing controller buttons. Because today's developers probably aren't taking thought-control into consideration when coding for input methods, the company is on hand with its Emotiv Development Kit, which gives game makers three distinct methods for employing the helmet; the Expressiv suite picks up the brain activity associated with different facial expressions, the Affectiv suite uses a player's emotional state to affect in-game activity, and the Cognitiv suite is said to allow the user to "manipulate virtual objects using only the power of their thought!" (Emphasis theirs, not ours.) Just as motion control has opened up a whole new world of interaction and gaming experiences, so could thought-control lead to a host of innovative titles and franchises: just imagine a Big Brother-esque game that forced you to think happy thoughts the whole time, or a GTA-like thrill killer where your posse and victims can tell if you're sporting a vicious scowl or a goofy grin. It's still not clear when you'll actually be able to go out and buy your own Epoc, but we know that it's being shown off at the 2007 GDC, so interested parties should whip up some press credentials and try to finagle a meeting.
Via: Engadget
The Pentagon’s Beetle Borgs
The first wireless flying-insect cyborg—a remote-controlled beetle—has been developed by engineers at the University of California at Berkeley. The six-legged biomechanical hybrid can rise, hover, and fly on command, guided by a radio receiver that relays signals to electrodes connected to the insect’s optic lobes and flight muscles. Researchers demonstrated the beetle at the 2009 IEEE MEMS conference in Italy after showing off a preliminary version at the same conference in 2008.
Via: Discover Magazine
Which Brain Games Will Help Your Brain the Most?
The latest fitness fad has an unusual goal: bulking up the three pounds of mush between your ears. Sales of “brain fitness” software increased from a few million dollars in 2005 to $80 million in 2007, according to an estimate from the consulting firm Sharpbrains. Plenty more products are available on the Web. Computerized cognitive training includes games that test memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, plus good old arithmetic and linguistic ability. Brain-training Web sites promise improved mental stamina, the ability to concentrate for longer periods, and a better memory for directions and names—even heightened mood.
The science behind these supposed brain boosters remains promising but inconclusive. Multiple studies in older adults indicate that on-screen exercises can slow age-related cognitive decline, but improving the cognition of other groups is another question. Recent findings do suggest that healthy younger adults can improve their smarts as well: The ability of twentysomethings to solve patterning problems improved after practicing on unrelated memory tests, one University of Michigan study found. The finding suggests that skills in one game can apply to different mental challenges, similar to the way running is good for parts of the body other than just the legs.
The following six Web sites all offer cerebral calisthenics, mostly built around quick, free mental stimulation that’s good for a break at work. Those who are more serious about online brain training may want to subscribe to track their progress. While the science sorts itself out, the Web sites already have one undeniable benefit: They’re fun.
Happy Western Music Sounds Happy All Around the World
Isolated people living in the remote mountains of Cameroon have provided evidence that emotions expressed in Western music are universally recognizable, researchers say. In a new study, researchers found that members of the Mafa tribe could pick out happy, sad, and fearful tunes, despite having no exposure to Western music. Most likely the Mafa were picking up on the same “tone of voice” cues used in human speech, said study team member Stefan Koelsch…. “Western music mimics the emotional features of human speech, using the same melodic and rhythmic structures,” Koelsch said
Via: Discover Magazine
Robotic Wheelchair Controlled by Thought Alone
PARALYSED people could navigate around buildings using a robotic wheelchair that can be controlled by thoughts alone.
The wheelchair is designed for people with severe neuromuscular disabilities, and can even be used in crowded or unfamiliar surroundings, says Javier Minguez, head of the team at the University of Zaragoza in Spain that is developing the chair.
Via: NewScientist
Tonal Languages Are The Key to Perfect Pitch
IF YOU want your child to have perfect pitch like musical maestros Mozart and Chopin, then start them early on Mandarin or Vietnamese lessons. The likelihood of developing perfect pitch seems to be strongly linked to the language people speak, confirming that children can pick up the ability when they are very young.
Estimates suggest that perfect pitch is very rare in the US and Europe, with only about 1 in 10,000 people being able to hear a single tone and identify it as middle C, for instance. But it is slightly more common in people who start musical training under five.
Via: New Scientist
Scientists Confirm: Birds Got Rhythm!
They wouldn’t blow away the competition on “Dancing with the Stars,” but it turns out that some birds got rhythm.
After studying a cockatoo that grooves to the Backstreet Boys and about 1,000 YouTube videos, scientists say they’ve documented for the first time that some animals “dance” to a musical beat.
The results support a theory for why the human brain is wired for dancing.
Via: MSNBC
