A different kind of supermodel

We've been talking in class about the Barbie doll as an ideal of "perfection".  Here is a very different kind of model.  As the video shows, Donna has many fans on the internet and regards herself as a kind of super (or super-sized) model.  She would like to reach a thousand pounds.  She believes that just as there are some who are attracted to super-thin women, so there are those who like their women large.  Is beauty, then, truly a kind of social or individual construction ("beauty in the eye of the beholder"), or has the concept been emptied of meaning by this full-figure example? [thanks, Freddie, for contributing this link]

Scientists Reverse Aging for First Time, in Mice

From Slate (11-30-10):

Researchers haven't just stopped the clock; they've reversed it in animal experiments that may give hope to humans chasing the fountain of youth. Mice exhibiting age-related degeneration such as brain disease, loss of smell, and fertility decline have been returned to youthful states of health by genetic manipulation, reports the Wall Street Journal. "These mice were equivalent to 80-year-old humans and were about to pass away," says Ronald DePinho, co-author of the paper and a scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. After the experiment, "they were the physiological equivalent of young adults." The aging mechanism in question is to do with DNA units called telomeres that stop chromosomes and genes from deteriorating. Telomeres shorten as we age, but by reactivating an enzyme called telomerase, that shortening can be forestalled, leading to a reversal of some of the effects of aging. Researchers caution that the findings are not yet directly applicable to humans.

Read original story in The Wall Street Journal | Monday, Nov. 29, 2010

When I grow up I can be anything Barbie commercial

In class we talked about the role played by Barbie and considered attempts to redesign her.  Here's a link to a video of a current Barbie commercial that connects with some of the issues we raised.  Thanks, Amanda, for the link!

Indian Town Cracks Down on Elopements by Stripping Young Women of Cell Phones

From Slate (11-25-10):

Kids these days! A small town in northern India has banned all the single ladies from carrying telephones, because they keep using them in the service of illicit ends, like marriage. According to AFP, at least 23 couples in the state of Uttar Pradesh have run away and married someone outside their caste after connecting—and then coordinating the logistics of their forbidden nuptials—on their cell phones. "All parents were told to ensure their unmarried daughters do not use cell phones. The boys can do so, but only under their parents' monitoring," a spokesman for the village assembly said.

Read original story in AFP | Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010

More on full body scanning: a technological fix?

Click on this link to read a Washington Post article (and accompanying video, 11-22-10) that proposes a simple software revision might protect the privacy of travellers from being "digitally strip searched".

Full body scans and pat downs provoke controversy

Is being patted down for weapons "un-American"?  So a recent letter to the editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune claimed.  A huge controversy has erupted over plans to do full body scanning and thorough physical pat downs of travellers as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.  Some argue that such procedures are shabby substitutes for what political correctness forbids: ethnic profiling.  Others argue that such procedures are a small inconvenience compared to the dangers of terrorism.  Interesting questions of probability lurk here, such as the level of danger of repeated x-rays vs. the probability of being on a plane with an armed terrorist.  Click on this link to read one of the many recent stories about this controversy.

Killing high speed rail

As part of its economic stimulus program, the Federal government hosted a competition for proposals to build high speed mass transit rail lines.  Florida submitted one of the leading proposals.  Since the recent elections and the conservative backlash against Obama's policies, several states are now backtracking.  They are deciding to refuse the Federal funds, citing concerns about the states' financial contribution to such projects.  Some also offer arguments that such projects are a waste of money.  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald-Tribune (11-22-10) article that describes how several governors, possibly including Florida's future governer, are shutting down these projects.

FDA, FTC crack down on caffeinated alcoholic drinks

Are high caffeine and alcohol levels a bad mix?  Some states believe so, based upon students who have gotten sick and drivers who thought they were less drunk than they really were.  Now the Feds have stepped in to crack down on beverages like Four Loco.  "Blackout in a can" is how some have described them.  Yet there is little scientific evidence that these drinks are any more toxic than other high alcohol drinks.  Click on this link to read an article about the crackdown.

Were "art bombs" dropped in the Cold War?

Can art be used as a political weapon?  Allegedly the CIA thought so.  Click on this link to read a Gizmodo article + videos about how the CIA funded abstract expressionist art as a psychological weapon against the Soviets.  [thanks to Amanda for contributing this crazy story!]

Do we need a nude beach?

A local Sarasota beach, Casperson Beach, has become a place of controversy due to the tendency of some beachgoers to wear thongs, go topless, or no swimsuit whatsoever.  Some local residents have written letters to the editor complaining that they must shield their childrens' eyes when they visit this beach.  Others have questioned why this is so upsetting.  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald-Tribune column (11-14-10) that muses about how we can learn a lot about human nature from this controversy.  Are restrictions on nudity a violation of a basic human freedom (to bare one's body to the sun)?  Should every community have a place where people can go to be pubicly nude?  For a slightly different viewpoint, read Thoreau's discussion in Walden Pond about clothing...

Should Amazon be required to censor what books it sells?

An e-book that was for sale on Amazon.com that appeared to be supporting pedophillia recently caused many users to become angry and threaten to boycott the website.

Many users were outraged when they saw that amazon was selling a book called "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover's Code of Conduct". They threatened to boycott amazon untill the book was removed. The book is no longer for sale on Amazon.com.

Should Amazon have the right to sell whatever books they wish? Or should they follow specific guidelines for what books they have available?

Read the whole article here....

Amazon.com title defending pedophilia sparks boycott call

Living to 250?

An excerpt from a conference announcement posted by Slate:

"Will 250 be the new 100 in the foreseeable future? Human life expectancy has made steady gains over the last two centuries, and anti-aging scientists seeking to spare human cells and DNA from the corrosion once deemed inevitable are eager to trigger a radical extension in our life spans. How likely is such a spike? And how desirable is it to live to be a quarter of a millennium? Will life-extending scientific breakthroughs translate into an interminable twilight for many, or will they also postpone aging?" 

Palestinian held for Facebook criticism of Islam

Click on this link to read a Washington Post article about a Palestinian barber who was arrested after posting anti-Muslim rants on the internet.  His facebook account was used to track him down (proof that what you post on Facebook can be dangerous!).

Don't worry about global warming and flooding

From Slate (11-12-10):

Rep. John Shimkus Not Worried About Climate Change Because of God's Promise to Noah 

Rep. John Shimkus, the Illinois Republican who would like to be the next chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said Wednesday that a promise God made to Noah about 6,000 years ago keeps him from worrying about global warming. "I do believe in the Bible as the final word of God," Shimkus told Politico. "And I do believe that God said the Earth would not be destroyed by a flood." Shimkus, who sounds like an excellent candidate for Energy Secretary in a Palin White House, is competing against three other Republicans for the top spot on the energy committee, and Politico predicts that even if he doesn't end up with the chairmanship, he'll at least be named the chairman of a subcommittee. Salon's Andrew Leonard shudders. "I'm glad that John Shimkus can sleep at night, faithful that that God's word is 'infallible, unchanging, perfect,'" he writes. "But for those of us who are less confident in humanity's ability to keep from massively screwing up, the thought that the Bible will be determining government energy policy is massively ulcer-inducing."

Read original story in Politico | Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010

Graphic cigarette pack labels proposed

If you really wanted to scare people away from smoking, how would you do it?  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald Tribune article (11-11-10) about a proposal to add gross-out graphics (blackened teeth, decaying mouths, etc.) to cigarette packaging that will give people pause before lighting up.

Confectioners Issue Dire Warnings About World Chocolate Supply

From Slate (11-9-10):

The world's confectionary kingpins are going cuckoo over cocoa, the primary--and increasingly scarce--ingredient in chocolate. With Americans addicted to their daily mochas and people in China and India increasingly aping Americans' taste for sweet snacks, the world is consuming more chocolate than ever. But cocoa hasn't become any more lucrative for farmers in West Africa, who do backbreaking work for 80 cents a day in an attempt to harvest a frustratingly finicky crop (cocoa can be grown only within 10 degrees latitude of the equator). "Chocolate consumption is increasing faster than cocoa production--and it's not sustainable," a researcher told attendees at the annual conference of Britain's Academy of Chocolate. (In other news, Great Britian has an Academy of Chocolate.) Cocoa production is slowly picking up in some other areas, including South America and Asia, but experts say it won't be enough to prevent prices from skyrocketing over the next two decades. "In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar," a Ghana-based researcher said. "It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it."

Read original story in The Independent | Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010

Combination of risks led to explosion and oil leaks last summer

Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald Tribune (11-9-10) article about how investigators of last summer's oil spill have not found anyone to blame.  Apparently a series of risks combined to create the perfect storm.  Critics are worried that BP will be let off the hook by the investigation.  Could a disaster this big occur to due to a series of small seemingly uncatastrophic risks piling up in a coincidental way?

Man captures Florida's longest alligator

TALLAHASSEE - Wildlife officials say an Orlando-area nurse has caught the state's longest documented alligator.

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Robert Ammerman shows his catch.
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Robert Ammerman of Pine Hills caught an alligator measuring 14 feet, 31/2 inches long. It weighed 654 pounds.

Ammerman set the new record while hunting Nov. 1, the last day of the state's alligator harvest. The alligator was caught in the Lake Washington area of the St. Johns River in Brevard County.

Ammerman says the alligator pulled his boat around the lake for 45 minutes before he could subdue the reptile.

The previous record was set in 1997 by a trapper who caught a 14-foot, 5/8-inch alligator caught in Lake Monroe.

The heaviest alligator on record weighed 1,043 pounds when it was taken from Orange Lake in 1989 .

Professor loses 27 pounds on Twinkie diet

Can a diet of almost total junk food help you lose weight and lower your cholesteral?  Click on this link to read a CNN story about a nutrition professor who did just that.  Following a diet even more outrageous that the "SuperSize Me" one, he ate Twinkies and almost no other food every 3 hours and lost weight.

Risky Behavior, Social Networking, and Insurance Hikes

An article on what not to post on Facebook states that bragging about "risky behavior" could lead insurance companies to increase premiums for customers who share that information on social networking sites. From the article:

"You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com."

Read more here: Facebook, Twitter Users Could Face Insurance Hikes

Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices

This is a video that Amanda showed me about how Walmart is destroying small mom and pop buisness' and its effect on the United States. It is about an hour and half long but if you get a chance take a look at it. Or even just listen to it while working on homework, its a real eye opener.

Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices

Voters reject legalized pot in California

Click on this link to see a CNN story about how California voters rejected a chance to decriminalize marijuana use in their state.  A measure to legalize "medicalized" marijuana in South Dakota also failed.  Fourteen states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana for medical uses only.  For a good story about how medical marijuana has turned into a huge and colorful industry in California, read the "Dr. Kush" story posted on the Dangerous Ideas course website.

Will Netflix destroy the Internet?

Netflix offers free streaming of some films for subscribers.  Each month it offers more films that can be viewed instantly.  TVs are now being sold Internet-ready and even Netflix-ready to make such streaming effortless.  But streaming films requires a huge chunk of bandwidth and as more people take advantage of this service, we may be in big trouble.  Click on this story from Slate (11-1-10) to read about the potential problems we may face.

25 Worst High Tech Habits

Are there bad habits that can creep into our use of technology?  You bet!  Click on this link to read a Washington Post technology page story (11-1-10) that describes 25 of the worst ones.  The story spans everything from replying to spam messages (never a good idea!) to typing on a laptop in bed (who would do that? oh, yes, I would).  Worst offenders may discover that they have done almost everything on the list at some point, perhaps all too often.

Can't keep a bad idea down

Click on this link to read a column by Thomas Friedman (Herald Tribune, 10-28-10) that describes how the use, by both political parties, of economics concepts that don't make sense is hindering the pace of the economic recovery.  For a slightly different take, click on this link to listen to (or read) an interview with economist John Quiggan, who has recently published a book called Zombie Economics.  He also talks about how nonsensical ideas about economics have shaped recent public policy.

Pets' symptoms tied to hormone cremes used by women

There have been worries about how antibiotics used in cattle might make their way into human meat-eaters' bloodstreams, encouraging the growth of antiobiotic-resistant bacteria.  Now it looks like the humans may be affecting the animals in a somewhat similar way.  Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald Tribune (10-27-10) article about how pets, rubbing up against women who have applied an estrogen hormone creme are showing up at veterinarians with a variety of weird and scary symptoms.

Free Birth Control

Contraception for women in the US could be free under the new health care law. A panel of experts will be meeting in November to decide what preventative care for women should be covered at no cost to the patient under Obama's health care overhaul.

But there are clashing onions on whether or not it should be covered under the new law. Some people are all for it claiming it helps women live healthier lives, and helps with family planing, and avoiding unwanted pregnancies.

Others that are opposed claim that there are other ways to avoid having children then ingesting chemicals. They are also scared that it will include day after pills which many people consider abortion pills.

So what do you think? Should the new health care law include free birth control for women? Will this help or hurt society? Is this a dangerous idea?

You can read the whole article here