Beautiful shots of ghost movie theaters.
links
Prehistoric Colors Preserved in Near-Perfect Beetle Fossils
cool, links, sciencePrehistoric Colors Preserved in Near-Perfect Beetle Fossils | Wired.com.
Despite being tens of millions of years old, some beetle fossils appear almost as they did in life. Not only are their shape and structure preserved, but so are the actual colors of their shells, which have changed only slightly in the intervening eons.
How the U.S. Government assassinates its own citizens
links, politicsThe due-process-free assassination of U.S. citizens is now reality – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com.
Glenn Greenwald has an interesting paper in Salon that explains some disturbing facts about the recent assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen, without him ever being formally charged with any crime.
Sure, he was a crazy fucked-up Al-Qaida fanatic, but the fact the U.S. Government can assassinate whomever it wants on presidential order is quite scary.
Where’s the outrage?
[UPDATE]
The Justice Department wrote a secret memorandum authorizing the lethal targeting ofAnwar al-Aulaqi, the American-born radical cleric who was killed by a U.S. drone strike Friday, according to administration officials.
Artificial Leaf Moves Two Steps Closer to Reality
cool, links, scienceArtificial Leaf Moves Two Steps Closer to Reality – Wired.com.
Two independent research teams report today in Science that they’ve taken key strides toward harnessing the energy in sunlight to synthesize chemical fuels. If the new work can be improved, scientists could utilize Earth’s most abundant source of renewable energy to power everything from industrial plants to cars and trucks without generating additional greenhouse gases.
I for one welcome our new artificial trees overlords!
Ansel Adams Wilderness – Photo Gallery – Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine
cool, links, photography
Google shutting down Google Labs
links, suxOfficial Google Blog: More wood behind fewer arrows.
Google is getting a little less fun to play with… I’ll miss the Labs stuff.
[update] Perhaps I need new glasses, this was announced back in July. Sorry about that!
Great “tourist” pictures of North Korea
links, photographyScientists Disarm AIDS Virus’ Attack on Immune System
linksScientists say they have found a way to disarm the AIDS virus in research that could lead to a vaccine. Researchers have discovered that if they eliminate a cholesterol membrane surrounding the virus, HIV cannot disrupt communication among disease-fighting cells and the immune system returns to normal.
via Scientists Disarm AIDS Virus’ Attack on Immune System | Health | English.
Why authorities fear Anonymous
linksAnonymous demonstrators in Madrid (Reuters)
Anonymous began as a small group protesting internet censorship, using novel ways designed to grab press attention. As idealists swelled the ranks, though, its unusually open and officially leaderless structure allowed it to be penetrated by cyber criminals and career hackers, who launched direct attacks on law enforcement. This was a long way from the chatter on teen-oriented message boards inside the 4chan website, which was founded in 2003. (The name “Anonymous” comes from the identity given by default to anyone posting comments there.)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/3645ac3c-e32b-11e0-bb55-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1Yv7HNtVR
(via BoingBoing)
Paper airplane touches the edge of space, glides back safely
cool, links, scienceLink: Paper airplane touches the edge of space, glides back safely | ITworld
Think you built some pretty cool paper airplanes as a kid?
Did you and your grew-up-to-be-engineer buddies build elaborate models and R/C boats and erector-set creations that stunned the other boys until they discovered girls and first-person-shooters and started calling you a geek?
Cower in awe before Brits Steve Daniels, John Oates and Lester Haines , who built a one-wing glider from paper, lofted it to the edge of space at 90,000 feet with a helium balloon, and posted sound and video recordings from the plane as it glided safely back to the ground.
The eCLOUD – by Dan Goods, Nik Hafermaas, and Aaron Koblin
cool, linksLink: The eCLOUD – by Dan Goods, Nik Hafermaas, and Aaron Koblin
The eCLOUD is a dynamic sculpture inspired by the volume and behavior of an idealized cloud. Made from unique polycarbonate tiles that can fade between transparent and opaque states, its patterns are transformed periodically by real time weather from around the world.