- For the first time, a paraplegic has walked without a robotic suit
I love stories like this. In between the dead-pig-fucking, and the corruption, and the banal advance of technologies that basically exist to sell us more stuff, and the impending grim death of everything good, I do like the occasional story that reminds me that all this science and tech bollocks has a point.
Tag: medicine
Bookmarks for June 29, 2012
- Circumcision ruling condemned by Germany's Muslim and Jewish leaders | World news | guardian.co.uk
Cat, meet pigeons. As an atheist, I do oppose what amounts to mutilation on religious grounds. I mean, I wouldn't be allowed to cut my hypothetical child's earlobes off, just because I believed they were bad, would I? So why should this be different? Hint: if an answer rests on "tradition" it is probably not going to persuade me.
Bookmarks for March 23, 2012
- A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Presumed Inane
This si interesting food for thought – a couterpoint to the usual amazon-is-bad publishing-industry rhetoric. I don't know if I buy it (and I don't know if I don't) but it's certainly made me think about some of the things I've taken for granted as "facts" in the debate.
- On Improving iBooks – Connor Tomas O'Brien
This is two years old, and I am frustrated that most of the things that are being talked about here are not implemented. At the very least, it seems it ought to be possible to make iBooks-DRMed content available to other apps on the same device, via API. Apple/Publishers still get to make their sales money, while another app could do the work of tracking my reading habits.
- Large Bookbag – Henry Tomkins
I think I may have found the bag of my dreams. Satchel strap, double buckle, with front pocket. Knocking on the door of 200 quid, as opposed to my current 40 quid effort, but oh, isn't it beautiful? Time to start saving.
- Cool Tools: Where There Is No Doctor
This is either brilliant, or pure hypochondria fodder.
- Geeklist and a public apology
In the spirit of fairness: Geeklist have made a pretty unreserved public apology in the time since I bookmarked that first link. I'm still annoyed that they didn't get it right first time, but then, who among can say that they always do?
- Cow magnet – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have absolutely no reason to blog this, except that I did not know these were a thing, and the words "Cow Magnet" make me laugh. I also wish that there was an accepted a alt.fan.warlord syntax for blogging as this comment would have been shorter if I thought more than three of you would understand IHNW IJLTS "Cow Magnets" without having to look anything up.
- OH HAI SEXISM · charlesarthur · Storify
Short version: woman calls geek men on their sexism. Geek men lash out in a grossly disproportionate and unprofessional manner. This is nothing new, except that these people are in the same industry as me, with a product that is targeted at, well, people exactly like me – well, it's saddening. And pathetic.
Bookmarks for June 21, 2010
- Call for Submissions
Oi, writer types what read this: my friend Del is trying to put together a charity book to help Medcins Sans Frontieres. She is looking for submissions. If you have the time between now and October to write a short story on the theme of healing, you might consider doing so, and punting it in her direction. More details in the link.
Bookmarks for January 20, 2010
- Auto-appendectomy in the Antarctic: case report — Rogozov and Bermel 339: b4965 — BMJ
Ever wondered what it would be like to perform surgery on yourself? No? Why not? Well, anyway: here's a description of what it's like to have to give yourself an appendectomy. In the Antarctic. With next to no help.
- A Rant About Women « Clay Shirky
Clay Shirky opens up a serious can of worms, noting that women do not push themselves forward in the way men do. Part of me wants to say "well, *duh*". Shirky suggests that if women behaved in a more self-aggrandising manner, they'd get more equal treatment. I'm just not sure that I want to encourage any more people to behave like some of the self-promoting male pricks I've met.
- plasticbag.org: Should we encourage self-promotion and lies?
Tom Coates identifies some of the problems with what Shirky is suggesting – the problem isn't just that women don't push themselves forward, but often that the wrong people do, and what we should be focusing on is ensuring that everyone correctly advertises their own level of experience and ability – that those that *do* self-promote heavily while they can be useful, can just as often be a total pain.
- apophenia: whose voice do you hear? gender issues and success
Danah Boyd's repose to Shirky and Coates is excellent reading.
- Mass Photo Gathering – I'm a Photographer, not a Terrorist
Trafalgar Square at noon on Saturday. Anyone interested?