June 20, 2007

Extra! Extra! Pop-Culture Can Melt Brain Cells!

Researchers are using specialized imaging techniques to study the cultural processes involved in brain cell death. Here, astrocytes – the most abundant brain cell type – have been treated in-vitro with a chemical that mimics the in-vivo effect of a "pop-culture overdoses". After six days of exposition to pop-books, pop-music and pop-painting, the impact on the astrocytes was assessed using a technique called fluorescence immuno-reactivity. This microscope image clearly shows that the astrocytes are producing damage-related proteins, the green and red areas. Once the cells were re-implanted into the recipient's brain, they'd demonstrated a huge, rambunctious and boisterous desire for "quotations".

“Every man's memory is his private literature.”
A.H.

June 10, 2007

slowing down global warming

Bush and Putin have met each other in Europe last week, during the G8 summit. Tensions all around, the main issue was, undoubtedly, the USA anti-missiles bases in Poland an Czech Republic.

What seemed to be a good opportunity to Bush act as a good guy, turned around in an astonishing Putin's checkmate on Bush position. Russian premier minister Vladimir Putin - far from be considered a good guy either - played one of the most strategical politic maneuver in international relationships in the last years.

Following their compatriots Kasparov and Karpov, Putin offered Bush a joint missile shield in Azerbaijan, causing all USA allies to reassess the position of their pieces in the world's board.

The once bad guy seems to be not too bad now. Good for everybody, although the skeptics are saying that a new Cold War would be their way of slowing down Global Warming...

June 07, 2007

global warming and g-eight

A climate change standoff between Germany and the US hangs over the opening session of this year's Group of Eight (G8) summit in Germany this morning.

Seven world leaders touched down in Rostock yesterday afternoon, over 10,000 protesters succeeded in blocking access by road to the Baltic coast resort of Heiligendamm and forced organisers to bring in delegates by sea and air. This is this year's Group of Eight (G8) summit in Germany... and the main (and uncomfortable) talk should be about climate change.

The US president said he came with a "strong desire to work on a post-Kyoto Agreement" - the same one which Washington refuses to ratify.

Mr. Blair called for a "new global deal that involves all the main players including America and China" based on "a global target for a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions".

U2 front man Bono has complained of having a "huge row" with German officials and is "sceptical" about G8 leaders. He is interested in Africa - the deployment of a joint UN-African Union force in the region has been delayed by leadership rows.

As always, seems that Mother Earth is the one in the row...