More and better bioinformatics software would be nice, I agree!
Hyperinflation
Japanese river otter extinct, last seen 30 years ago
Teacher pay compared to other college grads
Report on US Schools
US schools, better than ever
High power LEDs exist and are fairly inexpensive: 30-50W Luminus Devices PT-54-B-C21-EPA for $30 at Mouser
I went to a panel that discussed gut microbes at Chicon, and had a few ideas for making use of them:
1) Microbes as sensors. Take existing gut bacteria, electroporate in a reporter plasmid, reintroduce orally. The reporter can be a sensor protein hooked up to GFP or an enzyme that acts on a microbial product to make a derivative not found normally in bacteria, and easily detectable and distinguished from normal chemicals in the gut.
1a) Detection can be by examining poop. A souped up Japanese toilet would be the least obtrusive solution.
1b) if the product is fluorescent, detection can be by direct gut imaging, as is done for mice.
2) Introduce GFP producing bacterial into the gut, and use them like barium is used for gut imaging. Imaging would be done using transilluminated epifluorescence microscope or a fluorescence light box
and thermoelectrically cooled CCD camera. By moving the detector and light source around, enough images can be made for low resolution computed tomographic imaging.
3) Introduce gut bacteria that absorb methane. Natural methane absorbing bacteria, normally present in low numbers can be introduced to increase total gut methane absorbtion, or if methane absorbtion happens at low levels, bacteria could be selected to find strains that do it at a higher level. A third option is to engineer normal gut bacteria to have this capability.
Cheap GPS unit
DIY copper rivets for PCBs
DIY through hole plating
Emergency contraception doesn’t prevent implantation: 1 2
CNC power supply:
20A, 13.8v, lots of design info
Nat. Semi. Intro to Power Supplies
Tupac Pepper’s Ghost illusion
Halloween Pepper’s Ghost Illusion
For the second year in a row, House Republicans pass a budget that ends Medicare and increases the deficit
Dinosaur Comics
Detoxifying chain emails by dissecting them at length, an example
Charles Stross starts a discussion of untried forms of government
Maker supplies
Project to connect a 3-axis accelerometer to a PIC16
Best of the internet: thoughts on modern American conservatism by John Holbo
Calcudoku
The invisible welfare state of the top one percent
I am aware of all internet traditions: The 27% Crazification Factor
Nobody Wants to Learn How to Program
Scratch –programming for kids
All the books mentioned in Among Others by Jo Walton, as a pinboard
Holy Hypocrites (Calamities Of Nature #550)
England runs an economic experiment
Lucky for the US, they don’t mind being killed
Stepper torque units conversion
Good prices on steppers: Kysan, Keling/Automation Technologies
