Category Archives: Joke
Yes, we can
Sorry, I did not find the time to write so much here during this month. I have been revising manuscripts (on asthma genetics and another on the history of vitamin D introduction), traveling to another visit in Bolzano, a meeting in Barcelona and a retreat at Seeon. At present Continue reading Yes, we can
Not more German science bloggers?
LJ 11/2008 has a two page report about German science bloggers – they estimate their current number to 180 – not really a big number if science is being viewed as “knowledge broking business” in a country with 377 universities, yea, yea.
In vain do individuals hope for immortality
or any patent from oblivion, in preservations below the moon – the predicament of Sir Thomas Browne in Cyril Connolly’s “Enemies of Promise”, a book just recently recommended to me. My pidgin science is certainly not good enough to appreciate enough to wonderful descriptions like on page 30 “look on my works ye mortals and despair”. The scientist Continue reading In vain do individuals hope for immortality
Entrainment
Another one of my favorites, this morning on BR2 when driving to Gauting, entrainment Continue reading Entrainment
Le bleu des ciels
Together with some friends we attended the famous Kandinsky exhibition here at the Lenbachhaus in Munich. Continue reading Le bleu des ciels
Some Australian music
Found at Donaueschinger Musiktage: The Necks! Continue reading Some Australian music
People know their assassins
I am quoting from a PLoS one press release of brain’s ‘Hate Circuit’ identified:
People who view pictures of someone they hate display activity in distinct areas of the brain that, together, may be thought of as a ‘hate circuit’, according to new research by scientists at UCL (University College London). Continue reading People know their assassins
Not-a-blog
Just recently I came across a site (but can’t rememeber the URL) – basically saying that this is not a blog but just a few notes, how and why I did something to convince me at a later time of its justification. Yea, yea.
Can doctors think?
We already discussed here “how doctors think?k” while a new essay in the Lancet now even asks “Can doctors think“?
Disease can be recognised by the doctor and the patient (mumps), by the doctor but not the patient (schizophrenia), by some doctors but not others (social phobia), by doctors in some times but not others (melancholy …), and by doctors in some places but not others (embedded incisor tooth because an ancestor’s ghost is angry).
marvelous, yea, yea.
If a thought arises, take note of it and then dismiss it
Can we really control our thoughts? A PLoS ONE paper is looking into neural correlates of distraction by comparing 12 Zen meditators and 12 control subjects that were offered a “real English word” or “not a real English word” while resting in a 3 Tesla Siemens Magnetom. Outcome has been the time of refocusing attention to the breathing. The results are quite convincing (and not really unexpected) that the Zen meditators showed a reduced duration of their neural response to distraction probably by cutting down emotional self-reflectance and other associations coming up. I would be happy to participate also in a trial where somebody could record my EEG while driving on the of these new 185 kW Tesla roadsters.
Genetics proposes, epigenetics disposes, environment exposes
Genetics proposes,
epigenetics disposes,
environment exposes,
the human composes,
and doctor diagnoses.
(c) for the first part is by the Medawar & Medawar in “Aristotle to Zoos“.
The unoffical list of the most underrated companies in Munich
The recent Munich city run B2Run offers some interesting (and largely accidential) insights into company philosophies.
There was a clear advice at which block you should start for a given target time – simply to avoid congestion. However, I noticed many slow runners Continue reading The unoffical list of the most underrated companies in Munich
Tu vuò fà l’americano
Yesterday we had been in “Schloss Nymphenburg” for the “Serenade im Park“. I did not know about the close connection of Munich and Venice where even Gondolieres had been hired by the former Bavarian emperors… So it was quite natural to hear some Canzoni Napolitane, traditional songs like La Danza, Torna a Surriento, Santa Lucia while my favorite was “Tu vuò fà l’americano” by Maria Tselegidis, simply wonderful also the encore. My limited Italian did not allow to understand the Neapolitan dialect that says
Puorte’ o canzone cu’ ‘nu stemma arreto,
‘na cuppulella cu ‘a visiera aizata.
Passe scampanianno pè Tuleto
comme a’ nu guappo pe’ te fa guardà!Tu vuò fa l’americano!
“mmericano! mmericano!”
Siente a me, chi t’ho fa fa?
Tu vuoi vivere alla moda
ma si bive “Wisky and soda”
po’ e sente ‘e disturbà.
Tu abballe ‘o “Rocco Roll”
tu giochi al “basebal”
ma ‘e solde pe’ Camel
chi te li fa?..
La borsetta di mammà!
Tu vuò fa l’americano
“mmericano! mmericano!”
ma si nato in Italy!
Siente a mme non ce stà niente a ffa
Okay, napolità!
Tu vuò fa l’american!
Tu vuò fa l’american!Comme te po’ capì che te vò bene
si tu le parle ‘mmiezzo americano?
Quando se fa l’amore sott’a luna
comme te vene ‘capa e di “j love you!?”
which is about an Italian who imitates an American (see translation). Although I can’t replay the excellent performance of Maria Tselegidis here, there are several versions of ‘Tu vuò fà l’americano” at Youtube – the famous one with Sophia Loren, the Ripley variant and a talented amateur version. Or watch the Puppini Sisters:
What’s the connection to Science Surf? I know also a lot of European scientists “vuò fà l’americano”, yea, yea.
Webcam based laser point tracking
If you do have the same problem like me – operating a computer, pointing towards a wall and looking at the same time at an audience is somewhat odd – here may be a solution for you.
Initially found this at a blog with some java source code.
Another video example is
with abandonded C# code that compiled nicely on my mac (laserinteraction). Experiments are ongoing…