Although we tend to think of evolutionary change as being something that only takes place over the course of millions of years, it isn’t. It’s going on here, now, all around us. So, this artcle rounds up some examples of recent evolutionary change in nature. (What does she mean by recent? Within the last 40 years.)(The fourth part in a series celebrating Charles Darwin. First three ar... read full post picked by DerAlt 14 hours ago

McCain gets confused (again) on world geography stating in an interview on ABC, "I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq-Pakistan border." McCain was responding to Diane Sawyer's question as to whether or not he agree... read full post picked by DerAlt 3 days ago

The moral hypocrite, by contrast, has convinced himself that he is acting virtuously even when he does something he would condemn in others. You can understand this “self-halo” effect — and perhaps discover it in someone very close to you — by considering what happened when two psychologists, Piercarlo Valdesolo and David DeSteno, tested people’s reactions to the foll... read full post picked by DerAlt 3 weeks ago

This phenomenon, known as source amnesia, can also lead people to forget whether a statement is true. Even when a lie is presented with a disclaimer, people often later remember it as true. picked by DerAlt 4 weeks ago

....“I’d write a prescription and then insurance companies would put restrictions on almost every medication. I’d get a call: ‘Drug not covered. Write a different prescription or get preauthorization.’ If I ordered an M.R.I., I’d have to explain to a clerk why I wanted to do the test. I felt handcuffed. It was a big, big headache.” picked by DerAlt 1 month ago

A culinary scorecard for all 30 major league baseball stadiums. Read the related article and share your thoughts on the best and worst food you've tasted at a ballpark.
You want champagne with that? picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

So is it possible that Jon Stewart, who wields sarcasm like a machete on “The Daily Show,” has an unusually large right parahippocampal gyrus?

“His is probably just normal,” Dr. Rankin said. “The right parahippocampal gyrus is involved in detecting sarcasm, not being sarcastic.” picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

A Florida woman put on a feeding tube after she had a stroke is at the center of a court case that is eerily similar to the lengthy legal dispute over whether Terri Schiavo should be kept alive.
Image not related. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

At least that’s Dr. Kurzweil’s calculation. It may sound too good to be true, but even his critics acknowledge he’s not your ordinary sci-fi fantasist. He is a futurist with a track record and enough credibility for the National Academy of Engineering to publish his sunny forecast for solar energy. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

CARRIE DASHOW dropped a large dollop of lemon sorbet into a glass of Guinness, stirred, drank and proclaimed that it tasted like a “chocolate shake.” picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

The most notable recipient of Swift Boat largesse is John McCain. McCain ditched the mantle of maverick for that of hack, and his once-floundering, but rejuvenated campaign has been aided along the way by $61,650 from Swift Boat donors and their associates. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

When the Japanese attacked in December 1941, the American and Filipino forces were unprepared. On April 9, 1942, the American commanders surrendered, and the 65-mile Bataan Death March began. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

Now, that in itself is not newsworthy. What is, however, is that the blond, tattooed woman was buck naked, save for a pair of gold stiletto heels and a bracelet. It was not her first trip.

Pics are separately linked, nothing too revealing actually. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

Rebecca Maykish is 17 and dreads school so much that she stopped going regularly.

In fourth grade.

Those days off have come at a price to her school district and the Palmerton taxpayers who support it. Since 2004, the Palmerton Area School Board has authorized payments of more than $45,000 to help Rebecca make up for her missed school days. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

Write your last name on the top line, your first on the second line and leave the others blank.
Then click visualizer.

Interesting software. (music is a bit loud, turn down your sound a bit)
Can't add a theme image for some reason picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

"When I left the Bush administration in 2003, it was clear to me that its strategy for defeating terrorism was leaving our nation more vulnerable and our people in a perilous place"

Richard Clarke's comments. From 2006, old, but since Dubya's at it again..... picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

Whatever their disagreements on policy, United States senators, even in today’s hyperpolitical climate, are reluctant to impugn one another’s motives or integrity.

Good read not meant to be political. Interesting insights. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

Actual videos of the quake while it happened and follow up videos of the rescue efforts. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

Mr. McCain added pointedly: “I will not shirk the mantle of leadership that the United States bears. I will not permit eight long years to pass without serious action on serious challenges.”

Ouch! That will cost him some votes with the hardliners. picked by DerAlt 2 months ago

This is quite a group.
Even in politics these folks are standouts.
Number 3, Don Young of Alaska has recently added another shady episode with his adding of a 10 million dollar earmark to the I-75 road project in Florida. The earmark showed up after congress passed the bill but before the president signed it.
This is from 2006 but unfortunately it never seems to get old. picked by DerAlt 3 months ago

He and his organizations owe huge tax bills.


Go get him! picked by DerAlt 3 months ago

“Why are humans so smart?” is a question that fascinates scientists. Tadeusz Kawecki, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Fribourg, likes to turn around the question.
“If it’s so great to be smart,” Dr. Kawecki asks, “why have most animals remained dumb?” picked by DerAlt 3 months ago

Who wouldn’t support an effort to pay for college for G.I.’s who have willingly suited up and put their lives on the line, who in many cases have served multiple tours in combat zones and in some cases have been wounded?
Well, you might be surprised at who is not supporting this effort. The Bush administration opposes it, and so does Senator John McCain. picked by DerAlt 3 months ago

Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who invented LSD, died Tuesday at the age of 102. Although psychedelic drug enthusiasts are busy writing online tributes to Hofmann (who died from a heart attack, not from attempting to chew off his elbow in an acid-induced freak-out), there's also a sense that few people under the age of 30 have heard much about LSD, picked by DerAlt 3 months ago

In brief, the war has become a national tragedy, an economic catastrophe, a regional disaster and a global boomerang for the United States. Ending it is thus in the highest national interest. picked by DerAlt 3 months ago