Fighting Oil with Nature | NYU-Poly

What if cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico wasn’t a matter of choosing between harsh chemical dispersants, labor-intensive skimming and potentially dangerous burns? Dr. Richard Gross, professor of chemical and biological science and Herman F. Mark chair at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly), claims nature has already provided the ideal weapons in the fight against the millions of gallons of oil still spilling into the Gulf.

via poly.edu

It seems to me that now is the time to get funding to turn this research into a production ready solution.

It appears that it's too late to effectively apply this to the Gulf Spill, but I'm sure it will still be a good place to do the research and proof of concept work.

Where can we start. Is there a fund that people can contribute to? A place to drive links with answers, action opportunities, and organization.

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Plan - Sleep - Do; FTW

People who sleep after processing and storing a memory carry out their intentions much better than people who try to execute their plan before getting to sleep, say psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis.

The researchers have shown that sleep enhances our ability to remember to do something in the future, a skill known as prospective memory.

Moreover, researchers studying the relationship between memory and sleep say that our ability to carry out our intentions is not so much a function of how firmly that intention has been embedded in our memories. Rather, the trigger that helps carry out our intentions is usually a place, situation, or circumstance—some context encountered the next day—that sparks the recall of an intended action.

via futurity.org

This is interesting and useful research. It sounds like common sense.

My reaction is to try and plan my days work the night before, and to specifically plan 'triggers' to maximize the effect.

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Ignoring stress detours steps to recovery

The researchers found that how addicts cope with stress—either by working through a problem or avoiding it—is a strong predictor of whether they will experience cravings when faced with stress and negative mood.

“Whether you avoid problems or analyze problems not only makes a big difference in your life but also has a powerful impact on someone who has worked hard to stay away from alcohol and other drugs,” explains Cleveland.

“When faced with stress, addicts who have more adaptive coping skills appear to have a better chance of staying in recovery.”

via futurity.org

Posted via email from johnweldon4 - posterous

Untitled

Excellent hour long video where Don Norman talks about the business of software, and user experience.

 

 

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The Low Road - Marge Piercy

Thanks to Fred Wilson; this poem is amazing.

I only included part of the poem here, the full poem is a must read.

 

What can they do  to you? Whatever they want.  ...  Alone, you can fight, you can refuse, you can  take what revenge you can  but they roll over you.  But two people fighting  back to back can cut through  a mob, a snake-dancing file  can break a cordon, an army  can meet an army.  Two people can keep each other  sane, can give support, conviction,  love, massage, hope, sex.  Three people are a delegation,  a committee, a wedge. With four  you can play bridge and start  an organisation.   ...  It goes on one at a time,  it starts when you care  to act, it starts when you do  it again after they said no,  it starts when you say We  and know who you mean, and each  day you mean one more.

--Marge Piercy
Copyright 2006, Middlemarsh, Inc.

via margepiercy.com

 

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