An excerpt from the Verge -
A Wisconsin company will let employees use microchip implants to buy snacks and open doors
by Adi Robertson
A Wisconsin company called Three Square Market is going to offer employees implantable chips to open doors, buy snacks, log in to computers, and use office equipment like copy machines. Participating employees will have the chips, which use near field communication (NFC) technology, implanted between their thumb and forefinger. It’s an extension of the long-running implantable RFID chip business, based on a partnership with Swedish company Biohax International. The vending kiosk company, also known as 32M, will “chip” employees at a party on August 1st. (According to an email to The Verge, chips and salsa will be served as snacks.) Around 50 people are supposedly getting the optional implants.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/24/16019530/three-sqaure-market-implant-office-keycard-biohacking-wisconsin
Monday, July 24, 2017
Is Curiosity Nurtured in Schools?
An excerpt from the Atlantic -
Schools Are Missing What Matters About Learning
Curiosity is underemphasized in the classroom, but research shows that it is one of the strongest markers of academic success.
By SCOTT BARRY KAUFMAN
The power of curiosity to contribute not only to high achievement, but also to a fulfilling existence, cannot be emphasized enough. Curiosity can be defined as “the recognition, pursuit, and intense desire to explore, novel, challenging, and uncertain events”. In recent years, curiosity has been linked to happiness, creativity, satisfying intimate relationships, increased personal growth after traumatic experiences, and increased meaning in life. In the school context, conceptualized as a “character strength,” curiosity has also received heightened research attention. Having a “hungry mind” has been shown to be a core determinant of academic achievement, rivaling the prediction power of IQ.
Yet in actual schools, curiosity is drastically underappreciated. As Susan Engel has documented in her book, The Hungry Mind, amidst the country’s standardized testing mania, schools are missing what really matters about learning: The desire to learn in the first place. As she notes, teachers rarely encourage curiosity in the classroom—even though we are all born with an abundance of curiosity, and this innate drive for exploration could be built upon in all students.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/07/the-underrated-gift-of-curiosity/534573/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-072417
Schools Are Missing What Matters About Learning
Curiosity is underemphasized in the classroom, but research shows that it is one of the strongest markers of academic success.
By SCOTT BARRY KAUFMAN
The power of curiosity to contribute not only to high achievement, but also to a fulfilling existence, cannot be emphasized enough. Curiosity can be defined as “the recognition, pursuit, and intense desire to explore, novel, challenging, and uncertain events”. In recent years, curiosity has been linked to happiness, creativity, satisfying intimate relationships, increased personal growth after traumatic experiences, and increased meaning in life. In the school context, conceptualized as a “character strength,” curiosity has also received heightened research attention. Having a “hungry mind” has been shown to be a core determinant of academic achievement, rivaling the prediction power of IQ.
Yet in actual schools, curiosity is drastically underappreciated. As Susan Engel has documented in her book, The Hungry Mind, amidst the country’s standardized testing mania, schools are missing what really matters about learning: The desire to learn in the first place. As she notes, teachers rarely encourage curiosity in the classroom—even though we are all born with an abundance of curiosity, and this innate drive for exploration could be built upon in all students.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/07/the-underrated-gift-of-curiosity/534573/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-072417
Unusual Musical Instruments From Around the World
From Atlas Obscura -
A Global Tour of Remarkable Musical Instruments
These 19 sonic contraptions are well worth experiencing in person.
BY MICHAEL INSCOE, PLACES FELLOW
http://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/19-of-the-worlds-most-unique-musical-instruments?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ca1068a9ef-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_07_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-ca1068a9ef-63562045&ct=t(Newsletter_7_24_2017)&mc_cid=ca1068a9ef&mc_eid=866176a63f
A Global Tour of Remarkable Musical Instruments
These 19 sonic contraptions are well worth experiencing in person.
BY MICHAEL INSCOE, PLACES FELLOW
http://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/19-of-the-worlds-most-unique-musical-instruments?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ca1068a9ef-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_07_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-ca1068a9ef-63562045&ct=t(Newsletter_7_24_2017)&mc_cid=ca1068a9ef&mc_eid=866176a63f
Will Junior Ever Leave the Couch Now?
An excerpt from the LA Times -
E-sports isn't just a kids game anymore. There's big money for the best
By David Wharton
His father used to tell him that sitting in front of the computer, playing video games for hour after hour, was a waste of time.
So Cody Altman didn’t quite know what to think when a college from halfway across the country called to offer him a scholarship — for playing video games.
“Honestly,” he said, “I was skeptical.”
The young man from Anaheim changed his mind when he learned that Maryville University in St. Louis had an e-sports team with a coach, daily practices and league matches against other schools.
Two years later, Altman — who goes by “Walrus” in competition — found himself back in Southern California, seated with his teammates at a row of monitors on a high-tech stage, ready to do battle in the “League of Legends” college championship.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-e-sports-20170721-htmlstory.html#nws=mcnewsletter
E-sports isn't just a kids game anymore. There's big money for the best
By David Wharton
His father used to tell him that sitting in front of the computer, playing video games for hour after hour, was a waste of time.
So Cody Altman didn’t quite know what to think when a college from halfway across the country called to offer him a scholarship — for playing video games.
“Honestly,” he said, “I was skeptical.”
The young man from Anaheim changed his mind when he learned that Maryville University in St. Louis had an e-sports team with a coach, daily practices and league matches against other schools.
Two years later, Altman — who goes by “Walrus” in competition — found himself back in Southern California, seated with his teammates at a row of monitors on a high-tech stage, ready to do battle in the “League of Legends” college championship.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-e-sports-20170721-htmlstory.html#nws=mcnewsletter
Asian American Lawyers
An excerpt from the LA Times Op Ed -
There are more Asian American lawyers than ever — but not in the top ranks
By Goodwin Liu
Two years ago, an unusual matter came before my court: a petition for posthumous bar admission brought by the descendants of Hong Yen Chang, a native of China. Chang came to America in 1872 at age 13. He graduated from the Phillips Academy, Yale College and Columbia Law School, and passed the bar exam. But in 1890 my court denied him a law license because the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited him from becoming a citizen, then a prerequisite for bar membership. In 2015, my court admitted Chang to the bar, calling his exclusion “a grievous wrong” that denied our society “the important benefits of a diverse legal profession.”
For most of our nation’s history, Asians were excluded from the legal profession. But much has changed in recent decades. From 1985 to 2005, Asian Americans were the fastest growing minority group in the bar. Today. there are more than 50,000 Asian American lawyers, compared with 10,000 in 1990. More than 7,000 Asian Americans are now studying law, up from 2,300 in 1986.
And yet, Asian Americans have made limited progress in reaching the top ranks of the profession. Although Asian Americans are the largest minority group in big firms, they have the highest attrition rate and rank lowest in the ratio of partners to associates. Asian Americans comprise 6% of the U.S. population, but only 3% of federal judges and 2% of state judges. Three out of 94 U.S. attorneys in 2016 were Asian American; only four out of 2,437 elected district attorneys in 2014 were Asian American.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-liu-asian-american-lawyers-20170723-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter
There are more Asian American lawyers than ever — but not in the top ranks
By Goodwin Liu
Two years ago, an unusual matter came before my court: a petition for posthumous bar admission brought by the descendants of Hong Yen Chang, a native of China. Chang came to America in 1872 at age 13. He graduated from the Phillips Academy, Yale College and Columbia Law School, and passed the bar exam. But in 1890 my court denied him a law license because the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited him from becoming a citizen, then a prerequisite for bar membership. In 2015, my court admitted Chang to the bar, calling his exclusion “a grievous wrong” that denied our society “the important benefits of a diverse legal profession.”
For most of our nation’s history, Asians were excluded from the legal profession. But much has changed in recent decades. From 1985 to 2005, Asian Americans were the fastest growing minority group in the bar. Today. there are more than 50,000 Asian American lawyers, compared with 10,000 in 1990. More than 7,000 Asian Americans are now studying law, up from 2,300 in 1986.
And yet, Asian Americans have made limited progress in reaching the top ranks of the profession. Although Asian Americans are the largest minority group in big firms, they have the highest attrition rate and rank lowest in the ratio of partners to associates. Asian Americans comprise 6% of the U.S. population, but only 3% of federal judges and 2% of state judges. Three out of 94 U.S. attorneys in 2016 were Asian American; only four out of 2,437 elected district attorneys in 2014 were Asian American.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-liu-asian-american-lawyers-20170723-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter
Apple in Hospitals
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Apple wants to change the way doctors and patients talk to each other — by giving everyone an iPad
By Hayley Tsukayama
LOS ANGELES — Awad Lsallum has been waiting for a heart for 40 days at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. One of the worst parts of a long hospital stay, he said, can be not having a clear picture of what your situation is, or even who is taking care of you as the days drag on.
But now, at least at Cedars-Sinai, there’s an app for all of that. Actually, there's a whole tablet. The hospital is offering some patients the option to check out iPads during their stay for free, to provide more insight into their health. The program offers a glimpse of how Apple is trying to further tap into the $3 trillion health-care market.
For hospitals, using these mobile devices can present patient health data in an accessible way, making it easier for patients and doctors to speak to each other. For Apple, it's a larger effort to focus more heavily on services rather than only products — a move that guarantees steady income and engagement, even if individual consumers aren't buying as many devices.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/07/19/apple-wants-to-change-the-way-doctors-and-patients-talk-to-each-other-by-giving-everyone-an-ipad/?utm_term=.edc193ac05bc&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Apple wants to change the way doctors and patients talk to each other — by giving everyone an iPad
By Hayley Tsukayama
LOS ANGELES — Awad Lsallum has been waiting for a heart for 40 days at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. One of the worst parts of a long hospital stay, he said, can be not having a clear picture of what your situation is, or even who is taking care of you as the days drag on.
But now, at least at Cedars-Sinai, there’s an app for all of that. Actually, there's a whole tablet. The hospital is offering some patients the option to check out iPads during their stay for free, to provide more insight into their health. The program offers a glimpse of how Apple is trying to further tap into the $3 trillion health-care market.
For hospitals, using these mobile devices can present patient health data in an accessible way, making it easier for patients and doctors to speak to each other. For Apple, it's a larger effort to focus more heavily on services rather than only products — a move that guarantees steady income and engagement, even if individual consumers aren't buying as many devices.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/07/19/apple-wants-to-change-the-way-doctors-and-patients-talk-to-each-other-by-giving-everyone-an-ipad/?utm_term=.edc193ac05bc&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Deja Vu
From the New York Times -
BMW Denies Colluding With Carmakers on Emissions Equipment
By JACK EWING
FRANKFURT — BMW, responding on Sunday to claims it formed a cartel with Daimler and Volkswagen to hold down the prices of crucial technology, denied that the German carmakers had agreed among themselves to install emissions equipment that was inadequate to do the job.
The statement by BMW was the first attempt at damage control by the carmakers since the European Commission said on Saturday that it was investigating accusations of illegal collusion among them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/23/business/bmw-denies-colluding-with-carmakers-on-emissions-equipment.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
BMW Denies Colluding With Carmakers on Emissions Equipment
By JACK EWING
FRANKFURT — BMW, responding on Sunday to claims it formed a cartel with Daimler and Volkswagen to hold down the prices of crucial technology, denied that the German carmakers had agreed among themselves to install emissions equipment that was inadequate to do the job.
The statement by BMW was the first attempt at damage control by the carmakers since the European Commission said on Saturday that it was investigating accusations of illegal collusion among them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/23/business/bmw-denies-colluding-with-carmakers-on-emissions-equipment.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
In Good Company
I'm a lefty, too.
From Buzzfeed -
47 Left-Handed Celebrities That Will Make You Wish You Were A Lefty
Just some extra talented lefties.
By Allison Wild
https://www.buzzfeed.com/allisonwild/youre-not-alone-were-not-alone?utm_term=.oqnvvoN7L#.dxmnnKw9k
From Buzzfeed -
47 Left-Handed Celebrities That Will Make You Wish You Were A Lefty
Just some extra talented lefties.
By Allison Wild
https://www.buzzfeed.com/allisonwild/youre-not-alone-were-not-alone?utm_term=.oqnvvoN7L#.dxmnnKw9k
Google Goes to Space
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Google Street View’s latest destination: The International Space Station
By Peter Holley
You’ve used Google Street View to check out a new apartment, map traffic before you hit the road and search for haunting slices of the everyday world.
Now, the comprehensive terrestrial mapping system has gone extraterrestrial, allowing users to peer inside the International Space Station from their computer 248 miles below with 360-degree, panoramic views.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/07/21/google-street-views-latest-destination-the-international-space-station/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-technology%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.09a7e9e2f055
Google Street View’s latest destination: The International Space Station
By Peter Holley
You’ve used Google Street View to check out a new apartment, map traffic before you hit the road and search for haunting slices of the everyday world.
Now, the comprehensive terrestrial mapping system has gone extraterrestrial, allowing users to peer inside the International Space Station from their computer 248 miles below with 360-degree, panoramic views.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/07/21/google-street-views-latest-destination-the-international-space-station/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-technology%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.09a7e9e2f055
The Kid From Nacogdoches
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Clint Dempsey, the ‘kid from Nacogdoches,’ lifts U.S. soccer team into Gold Cup final
By Steven Goff
Side note - Nacogdoches, TX is about two hours from my hometown of China, TX
Clint Dempsey, the ‘kid from Nacogdoches,’ lifts U.S. soccer team into Gold Cup final
By Steven Goff
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soccer-insider/wp/2017/07/23/clint-dempsey-the-kid-from-nacogdoches-lifts-u-s-soccer-team-into-gold-cup-final/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_soccer-dempsey-930am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.43c5d32c1704Don't mess with Texas!@clint_dempsey nets his historic 57th international goal as the #USMNT defeats #CRC, 2-0.https://t.co/6Q0JQ3c2rn— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) July 23, 2017
Side note - Nacogdoches, TX is about two hours from my hometown of China, TX
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Save Your Sympathy
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Don’t waste your sympathy on Sessions
By Jennifer Rubin
Sessions is the last person who deserves our sympathy. He was willing to sell his political soul to enable Trump, and he has enabled him every step of the way. Unlike Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who plays a vital role in insulating the military from Trump and literally preventing nuclear war, Sessions is not maintaining the integrity of the Justice Department. He has normalized and rationalized conduct that flies in face of the rule of law.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/07/21/save-the-sympathy-for-sessions/?utm_term=.c4fb82cdd06f
Don’t waste your sympathy on Sessions
By Jennifer Rubin
Sessions is the last person who deserves our sympathy. He was willing to sell his political soul to enable Trump, and he has enabled him every step of the way. Unlike Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who plays a vital role in insulating the military from Trump and literally preventing nuclear war, Sessions is not maintaining the integrity of the Justice Department. He has normalized and rationalized conduct that flies in face of the rule of law.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/07/21/save-the-sympathy-for-sessions/?utm_term=.c4fb82cdd06f
The Buck Stops Anywhere But Here
From the Washington Post -
‘The Buck Stops Here’ must be a phrase foreign to Trump
By Colbert I. King, Opinion Writer
“I’m not going to own it,” President Trump said about the Affordable Care Act that he and Republicans, following years of bombastic promises, have thus far failed to either repeal or replace. “Let Obamacare fail.”
That declaration provoked an angry editorial response from The Post, which asked: “Has there ever been a more cynical abdication of presidential responsibility?”
~~~~~~~~~~
Bottom line: Not a strand of President Harry S. Truman’s famous dictum, “The Buck Stops Here,” can be found in Trump.
Personal responsibility is strange fruit to him. And it is a character failing that should haunt members of Congress, regardless of party, and the country. A leader without honor and credibility is a leader not worth having.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-buck-stops-here-must-be-a-phrase-foreign-to-trump/2017/07/21/255e2cd4-6d9d-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.c0a7f2a6173b
‘The Buck Stops Here’ must be a phrase foreign to Trump
By Colbert I. King, Opinion Writer
“I’m not going to own it,” President Trump said about the Affordable Care Act that he and Republicans, following years of bombastic promises, have thus far failed to either repeal or replace. “Let Obamacare fail.”
That declaration provoked an angry editorial response from The Post, which asked: “Has there ever been a more cynical abdication of presidential responsibility?”
~~~~~~~~~~
Bottom line: Not a strand of President Harry S. Truman’s famous dictum, “The Buck Stops Here,” can be found in Trump.
Personal responsibility is strange fruit to him. And it is a character failing that should haunt members of Congress, regardless of party, and the country. A leader without honor and credibility is a leader not worth having.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-buck-stops-here-must-be-a-phrase-foreign-to-trump/2017/07/21/255e2cd4-6d9d-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.c0a7f2a6173b
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