A missing link in human evolution may have been filled by a remarkable fossil that could be the common ancestor of all apes and monkeys, including our own species.
Darwinius masillae, a small lemur-like creature that lived 47 million years ago, illuminates a critical chapter in the human story when the primate family tree split into two branches, one of which led ultimately to us. The fossil could even mark the point at which the evolutionary lineage of humans, apes and monkeys diverged from that of more distant primate cousins such as lemurs, lorises and bushbabies. Its anatomical features suggest that it lies close to the origin of the human branch and that the creature, or something like it, could be an ancient ancestor of humans.
Too early to see any sane comment or response from the ID or Creationist camp yet (maybe this one?). But we most definitely see similar media hype in terms of presentation of this find and the earlier Jesus’ Tomb discovery. BioLogos (Theistic Evolution) has this small piece on beliefnet today.
A year after stepping down as director of the Human Genome Project, Dr. Francis Collins is embarking on a new venture, one that may be even harder than deciphering DNA.
Collin’s new BioLogos Foundation, which launched on April 28, aims to be a bridge in the debate over science and religion and provide some answers to life’s most difficult questions.
Through an interactive Web site, gatherings with pastors and scientists, and possibly developing science curricula for Christian schools, Collins aims to tell others about the deep compatibility he sees between Christianity and science. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.
This is too cool not to post. Watch out for the twist in the end.
Yes, I know it is basically a promotion from Philips; and that it is heavily influenced by the Dark Knight. But still, it prompts you to think what it means when a storyline is not developed based on time (the whole story can be seen as one infinite loop which happened on the same second), but space.
Since I worked in a grocery chain before, I can tell you many tricks mentioned below are true.
Think of supermarkets as giant selling machines, where traffic patterns, product placement, smells, displays, and signs lure you to spend more time cruising the aisles and more money at the checkout. These tips should keep you from falling for the tricks…
Ask Cc and you will know that I am far from an organized person. But one thing I really can’t stand is to have a messy desktop, or a messy office. I don’t know how people do it, but I can hardly think with tons of papers or stuff pile up my desk, let alone think creatively.
Lifehacker is doing us a great favor by giving us the top 10 home office hacks. Seriously guys, get organized! I am telling you that many of the suggestions there are really helpful and practical. They are something which I have been doing.
This demo — from Pattie Maes’ lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry — was the buzz of TED. It’s a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine “Minority Report” and then some.
Like it or not, I think this is going to happen soon. I won’t call it “Six Sense” though, since it still uses our 5 common senses to operate at its best.
Undoubtedly, in order for this to work, everything and everyone will be tagged. In terms of human relationships, this could create a huge problem — Relationships no longer need to be slowly evolved through interactions and shared experiences. Why should I trust that those tags correctly described the person in front of me when I barely know him first hand? Where are the spirit of exploration, the grace, the risk, and the inter-dependency required? Imagine how many otherwise potential relationships will be ditched when the meta-data displayed might not be something you are looking for at first glance…
As a consumer, this will prove to be an indispensible tool. One can always get the best price and best product at any place and at any time with this. Price-wise, the technology will surely benefit the mega-stores online where everything is sold much cheaper. Shopping in a physical building (e.g. buying books) will become unnecessary unless what you are purchasing is some kind of service (e.g. hair cut). And ironically, the price-comparison function of this tool will also become obsolete at the end, when there is no other shop to compare with.
Ultimately, what I want to ask is: If Sixth Sense can give us even more information about virtually anything at our finger tips (literally), don’t we have an all-the-more urgent need for a way to process them, to discern them?
Just what kind of advancement do we have in that area?
