The Linkening

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430065818.htm

Work will begin May 1 on a robot with artificial skin which is being developed as part of a project involving researchers at the University of Hertfordshire so that it can be used in their work investigating how robots can help children with autism to learn about social interaction.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/04/24/climate.change.eskimos/index.html

“The indigenous people of Alaska have stood firm against some of the most extreme weather conditions on Earth for thousands of years. But now, flooding blamed on climate change is forcing at least one Eskimo village to move to safer ground.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i6832227f5a72401e11fa47e40ff75229

“Watching TV might not make you happy, but it apparently beats being alone.

“Four new studies by the University at Buffalo and Miami University of Ohio found that watching TV can drive away feelings of loneliness and rejection. The studies are reported in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and suggest that watching TV provides viewers with the illusion that their social needs are being met.” (April 27, 2009)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2009-04-26-apple-verizon-iphone_N.htm

“Verizon (VZ) and Apple (AAPL) are discussing the possible development of an iPhone for Verizon, with the goal of introducing it next year, people familiar with the situation say.”

(Okay, I know, it’s a few days old, but I was out of the loop over the weekend….)

“FEMA Pulls Coloring Book From Web Site”

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/19320710/detail.html

(Also pointed out by Kyle — thanks (?) for the tip!)

http://io9.com/5230837/a-dozen-science+fiction-drinking-games

Everyone probably occasionally (or often) thinks, You know what would make this Battlestar episode better? A lot of alcohol. So here, for your drinking — and viewing — pleasure, are a dozen science-fiction drinking games.

http://io9.com/5232974/last-weeks-ufo-sighting-at-giza-pyramid-set-to-hippie-music

Really, doesn’t cliched music from the 1960s make every UFO sighting more believable? The bright green lettering, helpfully explaining the blob you’re seeing, enhances the realism too.

http://www.wired.com/culture/art/multimedia/2009/04/pl_arts

http://www.brokenpicturetelephone.com/

Just what is Broken Picture Telephone, you ask? Why is it the game of miscommunication?

Broken Picture Telephone is a game similar to the childhood game of Broken Telephone – the game in which children sit in a circle, and whisper a sentence or phrase in a circle.

If you’ve ever played the game, you know that very quickly hilarity ensues. Broken Picture Telephone is the web-incarnation of that old children’s game, with a slight variation in how it’s played. Rather than whispering words to strangers around the internet, the game alternates between words and drawings.

http://dsc.discovery.com/space/top-10/anti-matter/

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518244,00.html

http://pictureisunrelated.com/

“This website is about pictures that DO NOT make sense!  I love images that don’t make sense and YOU SHOULD TOO!  Can you even understand how awesome it is when you see a yeti serving in the armed forces?”

With thanks to Kyle for pointing it out!

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/indusscript

Computational analysis of symbols used 4,000 years ago by a long-lost Indus Valley civilization suggests they represent a spoken language. Some frustrated linguists thought the symbols were merely pretty pictures.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/17-05/ff_guidestones

Called the Georgia Guidestones, the monument is a mystery—nobody knows exactly who commissioned it or why. The only clues to its origin are on a nearby plaque on the ground—which gives the dimensions and explains a series of intricate notches and holes that correspond to the movements of the sun and stars—and the “guides” themselves, directives carved into the rocks. These instructions appear in eight languages ranging from English to Swahili and reflect a peculiar New Age ideology. Some are vaguely eugenic (guide reproduction wisely—improving fitness and diversity); others prescribe standard-issue hippie mysticism (prize truth—beauty—love—seeking harmony with the infinite).

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/04/27/daily2.html

IBM said its scientists have been working on an advanced computing system for two years that will be able to understand complex questions and answer with enough precision and speed to compete on the popular TV quiz show.