The stock marÂkets are bleedÂing red today. Lehman BrothÂers has gone BK, even though it nevÂer had a quarÂterÂly loss as a pubÂlic comÂpaÂny until this past June. The finanÂcial sysÂtem is a comÂplete mess.
How did we get into what Alan Greenspan has called a “once-in-a-cenÂtuÂry” finanÂcial criÂsis? Let me refer you back to an episode of This AmerÂiÂcan Life (“The Giant Pool of MonÂey”) which we feaÂtured earÂliÂer this year. (LisÂten here.) Step by step, the show traces in its tradeÂmark, enterÂtainÂing way how this credÂit debaÂcle took shape. Along the way, you’ll disÂcovÂer how 70 trilÂlion dolÂlars of globÂal monÂey needÂed to get parked someÂwhere, and it found the US housÂing marÂket. As the monÂey poured in, the AmerÂiÂcan investÂment comÂmuÂniÂty cranked out as many mortÂgages as it could. And when there were no more qualÂiÂfied home buyÂers left, the banks startÂed lowÂerÂing lendÂing stanÂdards until there were none left. In the end, even dead peoÂple were getÂting mortÂgages (sadÂly, a true stoÂry). Give the podÂcast a lisÂten. The whole debaÂcle gets pieced togethÂer in a way that you’ve probÂaÂbly nevÂer heard before.
In anticÂiÂpaÂtion of GusÂtav.… Here’s what HurÂriÂcane Dean looked like for the crew flyÂing in a NASA space shutÂtle last August. You can check out more NASA videos on YouTube here. It’s also added to our YouTube playlist. Thanks to Bill for pointÂing this out. (ReadÂers: If you see good pieces of culÂturÂal media, feel free to send them our way.)
Nice find by Kottke.org. If you’re willÂing to sign up for an AmaÂzon credÂit card (with no annuÂal fee), you can get a $100 rebate on the KinÂdle, AmaÂzon’s fast-sellÂing e‑book readÂer. This brings the price down to $259. And, as KotÂtke warns, you should always read the fine print. You can get more info here, and buy the KinÂdle here.
This aniÂmatÂed mockÂuÂmenÂtary traces the hisÂtoÂry of evil from Ancient Greece until today. While I wouldÂn’t make the video part of a stanÂdard high school curÂricuÂlum, I give it points for creÂativÂiÂty. We’ve added it to our YouTube Playlist.
ReplaceÂable You: Stem Cells and TisÂsue EngiÂneerÂing in this Age of EnlightÂenÂment
“The good part about getÂting oldÂer is that we gain some wisÂdom and patience. The bad part is that our bodÂies (knees, hips, organs, and more) start to wear out. But what if our bodÂies could be “reproÂgrammed” to grow new parts? The new field of regenÂerÂaÂtive medÂiÂcine is tryÂing to do just that, and it takes advanÂtage of the process of regenÂerÂaÂtion, which is nature’s soluÂtion for repairÂing damÂaged tisÂsues.
Although humans canÂnot re-grow their limbs like salaÂmanÂders and newts can, the capacÂiÂty to regenÂerÂate injured or disÂeased tisÂsues exists in humans and othÂer aniÂmals, and the molÂeÂcÂuÂlar machinÂery for regenÂerÂaÂtion seems to be an eleÂmenÂtal part of our genetÂic makeÂup. The preÂvailÂing opinÂion is that the genes responÂsiÂble for regenÂerÂaÂtion have for some reaÂson fallÂen into disÂuse, and they may be “jump startÂed” by the selecÂtive actiÂvaÂtion of key molÂeÂcules. Using this knowlÂedge, sciÂenÂtists are develÂopÂing new strateÂgies to repair and, in some casÂes, regenÂerÂate damÂaged or disÂeased tisÂsues in both young and old patients. In this course, we will explore the excitÂing field of regenÂerÂaÂtive medÂiÂcine and learn a litÂtle about what makes stem cells so speÂcial. We will also disÂcuss some of the recent disÂcovÂerÂies that can potenÂtialÂly allow us to be fit and healthy well into old age. Here, you will learn what is mereÂly sciÂence ficÂtion and what, remarkÂably, has become sciÂence fact in our new medÂical age.”
Jill Helms
AssoÂciate ProÂfesÂsor, DepartÂment of PlasÂtic and ReconÂstrucÂtive Surgery
Jill Helms joined the StanÂford facÂulÂty after eight years at UC San FranÂcisÂco, where she was the DirecÂtor of the MolÂeÂcÂuÂlar and CelÂluÂlar BiolÂoÂgy LabÂoÂraÂtoÂry in the DepartÂment of OrthoÂpeÂdic Surgery. Her research focusÂes on the parÂalÂlels between fetal tisÂsue develÂopÂment and adult tisÂsue regenÂerÂaÂtion. She received a PhD in develÂopÂmenÂtal neuÂroÂbiÂolÂoÂgy and a clinÂiÂcal degree and spends the majorÂiÂty of her time in clinÂiÂcalÂly relatÂed research.
Over the past week, we’ve disÂcovÂered a numÂber of good items being put togethÂer by some of our readÂers.
The first is a new popÂuÂlar podÂcast called “Robots” (iTunes — RSS Feed — Web Site). AssemÂbled by a group of grad stuÂdents assoÂciÂatÂed with the Swiss FedÂerÂal InstiÂtute of TechÂnolÂoÂgy in LauÂsanne (EPFL), each episode focusÂes on a speÂcifÂic topÂic (e.g., robot socÂcer) and feaÂtures interÂviews with high proÂfile guests in robotÂics and artiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence. Also, each episode highÂlights news and views from peoÂple buildÂing and proÂgramÂming robots inside and outÂside uniÂverÂsiÂties.
Next, you may want to swing over to Nigel Beale’s site and lisÂten to his radio program/podcast called The BibÂlio File. The site housÂes about 100 audio interÂviews with varÂiÂous authors. PerÂfect for the bibÂlioÂphile.
By now, most everyÂone knows that Randy Pausch sadÂly died of panÂcreÂatÂic canÂcer last week. And, if you have an interÂnet pulse, you’re already acquaintÂed with his lecÂture that caught the pubÂlic imagÂiÂnaÂtion last year: RealÂly AchievÂing Your ChildÂhood Dreams. What you may not have seen is the short, six-minute speech Pausch made at Carnegie MelÂlon’s gradÂuÂaÂtion in late May — a short two months ago. The phiÂlosÂoÂphy here remains the same. The pitch is just shortÂer and to the point. It’s added to our YouTube playlist. Here it goes:
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