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| compos mentis. Concision. Media. Clarity. Memes. Context. Melange. Confluence. Mishmash. Conflation. Mellifluous. Conviviality. Miscellany. Confelicity. Milieu. Cogent. Minty. Concoction. |
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Accelerating Change Conference 2003 |
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| Topic: Futurism |
12:10 pm EDT, Jul 19, 2003 |
This conference will take place 12-14 September at Stanford. Speakers include Ray Kurzweil, Steve Jurvetson, Eric Drexler, Tim O'Reilly, Sun CTO Greg Papadopoulos, William H. Calvin, and Ross Mayfield. Accelerating Change Conference 2003 |
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New Encyclopedia Gives Cool-Hunters a Road Map for Ads |
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| Topic: Society |
11:33 am EDT, Jul 19, 2003 |
Within the last 150 years, for the first time in human history, it became widely possible to produce more than was demanded and to offer more than was needed. Advertising was a response to surplus. Mass consumption inspired "more social egalitarianism, more democratic participation and more political freedom." But there were still rampant social inequalities, and the increasing interest in selling products to "segmented" markets -- markets divided by age, income, race and interest -- eventually led to a segmented citizenry. We live in the fractured and privatized society that was a result. ... In 1897 the promise of an Oldsmobile ad was hardly reassuring: "Practically noiseless and impossible to explode." ... Advertisements are a form of communication, not mere manipulation: they help make sense of the world. ... Discerning knowledge amid the claims and images makes us all cool-hunters in training. New Encyclopedia Gives Cool-Hunters a Road Map for Ads |
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NYT Readers' Questions for Liz Phair |
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| Topic: Music |
11:11 am EDT, Jul 19, 2003 |
The singer and songwriter has released her first album in five years. Submit your questions about her songs and her life. The New York Times will be interviewing Liz Phair for an upcoming article. NYT Readers' Questions for Liz Phair |
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Sneak Peek of the new BMW 6 Series coupe |
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| Topic: Cars and Trucks |
10:47 pm EDT, Jul 18, 2003 |
The new 6 Series coupe from BMW will be unveiled in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show and will go on sale in the United States in spring 2004. BMW says the 645Ci, with a 4.4-liter engine, will be able to reach 149 miles an hour and sprint from 0 to 60 m.p.h. in well under 6 seconds. Six photos are available, including interior and exterior views. Sneak Peek of the new BMW 6 Series coupe |
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The Rise and Fall of a Networked Society [PDF] |
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| Topic: Science |
9:19 pm EDT, Jul 15, 2003 |
We propose a simple model of the evolution of a social network which involves local search and volatility (random decay of links). The model captures the crucial role the network plays for information diffusion. This is responsible for a feedback loop which results in a first-order phase transition between a very sparse network regime and a highly-connected phase. Phase coexistence and hysteresis take place for intermediate value of parameters. We derive a mean-field theory which correctly reproduces this behavior, including the distribution of degree connectivity and the non-trivial clustering properties. The Rise and Fall of a Networked Society [PDF] |
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Peter Jennings, Canadian, on Harry Shearer's Le Show [Real] |
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| Topic: Humor |
1:57 am EDT, Jul 15, 2003 |
Harry Shearer, of Simpsons fame, has a radio program called Le Show. This past Sunday's show features an amusing story about Peter Jennings becoming a US citizen (while still retaining his Canadian citizenship.) Listen to the show in streaming RealMedia at the URL here. The story on Peter Jennings starts around 18 minutes 40 seconds into the show. The story runs about four minutes. Peter Jennings, Canadian, on Harry Shearer's Le Show [Real] |
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Where Have All the Lisas Gone? |
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| Topic: Society |
10:36 am EDT, Jul 5, 2003 |
It seems perched at a precarious point from which it could, without warning, rocket into overuse. I am not so smug as to think myself immune to first-name zeitgeist. Girls' names are both more interesting to track and more vulnerable to sounding passe. Even pros are occasionally blindsided by a name, as when Trinity leapfrogged to 74 after the release of "The Matrix." A closer look finds that Trinity was already on the upswing, from 951 in 1993 to 555 five years later. Madison? No. 2? How in the name of good taste did that happen? The next big trend will be word names. Colors, for example. The tipping point came when Christie Brinkley named her daughter Sailor. Where Have All the Lisas Gone? |
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Dynamic Social Network Modeling and Analysis |
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| Topic: Technology |
12:43 am EDT, Jul 5, 2003 |
The National Research Council invited papers and held a workshop in November 2002 on the topic of dynamic social network modeling and analysis. You can read it online for free or purchase an electronic or printed copy. Dynamic Social Network Modeling and Analysis |
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| Topic: Science |
11:10 am EDT, Jun 21, 2003 |
As remarkable as the cat-drawing lesson was, it was just a hint of Snyder's work and its implications for the study of cognition. He has used TMS dozens of times on university students, measuring its effect on their ability to draw, to proofread and to perform difficult mathematical functions like identifying prime numbers by sight. Hooked up to the machine, 40 percent of test subjects exhibited extraordinary, and newfound, mental skills. That Snyder was able to induce these remarkable feats in a controlled, repeatable experiment is more than just a great party trick; it's a breakthrough that may lead to a revolution in the way we understand the limits of our own intelligence -- and the functioning of the human brain in general. Savant for a Day |
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Policy Says AES OK for National Security Info |
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| Topic: Cryptography |
10:50 am EDT, Jun 21, 2003 |
The design and strength of all key lengths of the AES algorithm (i.e., 128, 192 and 256) are sufficient to protect classified information up to the SECRET level. TOP SECRET information will require use of either the 192 or 256 key lengths. Policy Says AES OK for National Security Info |
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