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Friday, May 4, 2012
The Viewtron Was AT&T's 1983 Solution For 'Information Overload' [Video]
Scientists unravel mystery of pigeon GPS ability (+video)
Scientists have detected special nerve cells in pigeons' brains that can detect the intensity and direction of magnetic fields.
The next time someone calls you bird-brained, you should assume that you are being complimented on your sense of direction.
Skip to next paragraph We've always known that pigeons have a good internal compass?and now we have the brain cells to prove it.Pigeons, in particular, are known for their innate homing ability, having been used as messengers since ancient times. We know that pigeons have some kind of internal magnetic compass,?but exactly what it is and how it works has remained a mystery.
Now scientists are?one step closer to decoding the birds' magnetic sense. Writing in the journal Science,?Le-Qing Wu and J. David Dickman at Baylor College of Medicine described what happened when they put seven pigeons in an artificial magnetic field and observed their brains.
Wu and Dickman put the pigeons in a completely dark room, clamped their heads in place, connected their brain stems to electrodes, and used a Tesla coil to cancel out the effects of the Earth's magnetic field and to induce a new one. Then they fiddled with the angle and the intensity of the magnetic field and watched which parts of the pigeons' brains lit up.
Ultimately, Wu and Dickman identified 53 neurons in the pigeons' brain stems that responded to magnetic stimuli.?
"The cells responded to the angle and intensity of the magnetic field. Some cells were more sensitive depending on what direction we aimed the magnetic field around the bird?s head," Dickman said in a Baylor press release.
Of course, being able to tell which way is north is not the same thing as knowing your position on the globe. (If you doubt this, have a friend blindfold you and drop you in a boat in the middle of the ocean with just a compass. You'll quickly realize that, Even though you can determine your bearing,?you still have no idea where you are. You'll also realize that you need better friends.)?
Pigeons seem to have both an internal compass and an internal map. Dickman and his colleagues believe that pigeons encode the information from these magnetically attuned nerve cells to spatial maps in the memory centers of their brains.
"Birds give us a unique opportunity to study how the brain develops these spatial maps and the receptors that feed into it because they have such a great ability to navigate," said?Dickman in the press release.?
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Thursday, May 3, 2012
Bing Strips Down Results Page To Make Google Look Like ?Search Overload?
While Google keeps cramming its search results pages full of tools and social content, today Bing confirmed with me the full roll out a redesigned search results page that completely clears the left sidebar, and replaces the tabbed header with a cleaner set of links. Bing Facebook integration is also more subtle now, instead of plastering names and faces beneath Liked results. This more relaxing, dare I say zen, design gives Google a more claustrophobic and exhausting feel by comparison.?Microsoft seems to have realized that if it can't match Google's algorithmic prowess, it could win with sleek design that doesn't bombard you with a thousand options.joe paterno san francisco 49ers san francisco 49ers giants vs 49ers sf 49ers joe paterno died 49ers game
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Vizio keyboard and mouse roll through the FCC, PCs may ship by July 31st
The wait for Vizio's first PC range we first saw at CES may feel like an eternity, but our friends at the FCC have made that wait a little shorter with a pair of approvals. Both the wireless keyboard and its equally cable-free trackpad companion have been given clearance to pair up with your future all-in-one desktop when it reaches the US. There's even a clue as to the release timing baked into the filings: Vizio wants manuals and photos for both kept secret until July 31st to protect the "actual marketing of the device," suggesting we might have our designer PCs in hand by then. You're looking at the keyboard above, and you can read through for a view of the trackpad.
Continue reading Vizio keyboard and mouse roll through the FCC, PCs may ship by July 31st
Vizio keyboard and mouse roll through the FCC, PCs may ship by July 31st originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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