Costa Rica elections: Libertarian Otto Guevara gracious in defeat

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Congratulates Laura Chinchilla, "our president"

Libertarian Presidential candidate Otto Guevara was quick to concede to winner Laura Chinchilla of the centrist National Liberation Party last night, as election returns continued to come in. Ms. Chinchilla won with 47% of the vote. Second place finisher, center-left Otto Solis received 25%. Guevara received 21% which guarantees Movimiento Libertario (Libertarian Party) an increased number of seats in the Costa Rica Congress.

From the UK Guardian, "Costa Rica elects first female President":

Costa Ricans have elected their first female president as the ruling party candidate won in a landslide after campaigning to continue free market policies in Central America's most stable nation.

The 50-year-old protege of the current president, Nobel peace prize laureate Óscar Arias, promised to pursue the same economic policies that recently brought the country into a trade pact with the US and opened commerce with China.

The third-place candidate, Guevara, congratulated Chinchilla as "our president", but he also pointed out the new political muscle of his tax-bashing Libertarian Movement Party. He won 21% of the vote.

But it is not yet known if Chinchilla's party will have a full majority in the Costa Rica Congress.

A Victory for Gay Marriage In Mexico City?

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A new Mexico City law goes into effect March 4 that will allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, propelling the city to the forefront of the global gay rights movement.

A backlash is attempting to have the law declared unconstitutional.  One argument being made is that Mexico City already has civil unions for same-sex couples.

That argument, however, just raises the issue of whether government should provide marriage at all; it could instead provide civil unions to both same-sex and opposite sex couples, leaving marriage to religious institutions.

NCBI ROFL: Hmmm…what should we call this new butt rash? | Discoblog

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2266999137_e3fb0334abBaboon syndrome

“Andersen et al described baboon syndrome in 1984. It was characterized by a clinical presentation of systemic contact dermatitis with pruritic and confluent maculopapular light-red eruption, localized in the gluteal area and the major flexures, developed several hours or days after drug or agent contact. This syndrome has a pathognomonic distribution but its cause has not been elucidated yet. Histopathology of the lesions shows non-specific features of dermatitis. Several drugs have been previously described as responsible for the Baboon syndrome origin. Mercury is the most frequent implicated agent; other agents are nickel, different antibiotics, heparine, aminophylline, pseudoephedrine, terbinafine and immunoglobulins.”

baboon_syndrome

Love is in the air this week at NCBI ROFL! Tuesday-Thursday this week, we will feature research articles about love in its most physical form (ok, we mean plain ol’ sex). Enjoy!

Image: flickr/mixlass

Related content:
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Finally, science brings you… the pimple detector!


Are Liberals Too Condescending? | The Intersection

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Over the weekend, everybody was emailing me this Washington Post Outlook article, which critiques my first book in the context of arguing that liberals are sneeringly dismissive of the conservative intellect, and guilty of “intellectual condescension”:

This liberal vision emphasizes the dissemination of ideologically driven views from sympathetic media such as the Fox News Channel. For example, Chris Mooney’s book “The Republican War on Science” argues that policy debates in the scientific arena are distorted by conservatives who disregard evidence and reflect the biases of industry-backed Republican politicians or of evangelicals aimlessly shielding the world from modernity. In this interpretation, conservative arguments are invariably false and deployed only cynically. Evidence of the costs of cap-and-trade carbon rationing is waved away as corporate propaganda; arguments against health-care reform are written off as hype orchestrated by insurance companies.

Let me go on the record as saying that I am no fan whatsoever of intellectual condescension. I think there is way too much of it on my side of the aisle. So I should be at least somewhat sympathetic with this author, one Gerard Alexander of the University of Virginia.

But here’s the problem. He gets my book’s arguments almost entirely wrong. First, I don’t argue that conservatives “disregard evidence.” The problem is that they make up their own evidence, using their own “scientists” to do so. They then use this pseudo-expertise to disregard expertise and consensus–a very different thing.

Second, I never argued conservatives were arguing “cynically.” It was obvious they believed what they said on matters of science. After all, they had their pseudoexperts to bank on.

Finally, I clearly distinguished between distorting the facts of science on the one hand, and making economic, moral, and policy arguments on the other. So a sentence like Alexander’s last one completely misses the boat: “Evidence of the costs of cap-and-trade carbon rationing is waved away as corporate propaganda; arguments against health-care reform are written off as hype orchestrated by insurance companies.” This stuff has nothing to do with the arguments of The Republican War on Science.

If there is ever a case for being intellectually condescending–and I’m not sure that there is–perhaps it’s to someone who critiques you while getting your arguments wrong.


Use of Nanofibers to Strengthen Hydrogels of Silica, Other Oxides, and Aerogels

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Research has shown that including
up to 5 percent w/w carbon nanofibers
in a silica backbone of polymer crosslinked
aerogels improves its strength,
tripling compressive modulus and
increasing tensile stress-at-break fivefold
with no increase in density or
decrease in porosity. In addition, the
initial silica hydrogels, which are produced
as a first step in manufacturing
the aerogels, can be quite fragile and
difficult to handle before cross-linking.
The addition of the carbon nanofiber
also improves the strength of the initial
hydrogels before cross-linking, improving
the manufacturing process. This
can also be extended to other oxide
aerogels, such as alumina or aluminosilicates,
and other nanofiber types, such
as silicon carbide.

‘Go’ for Launch

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At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission posed for a group portrait in front of Endeavour's external tank and one of its solid rocket boosters at the conclusion of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, the dress rehearsal for their launch.

From left are Robert Behnken, Commander George Zamka, pilot Terry Virts, Kathryn Hire, Nicholas Patrick and Stephen Robinson. The primary payload on STS-130 is the International Space Station's Node 3, Tranquility, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Endeavour is set to launch on Feb. 7.

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On Launch Pad 39A

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The space shuttle Endeavour is seen after the rotating service structure is rolled back on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 at Launch Pad 39A of the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Endeavour and the crew members of the STS-130 mission are set to launch on Sunday at 4:39 a.m. EST.

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STS-130 Launch Blog

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Follow space shuttle Endeavour's exciting countdown to launch as Steve Siceloff blogs from inside Firing Room 3 at the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Continuous coverage of the launch begins at 11 p.m. Sunday for a launch attempt at 4:14 a.m. Monday

George Zamka leads the six-person crew on the mission to add the Tranquility module and a new "window on the world" to the International Space Station. Tranquility is the first new pressurized module to be carried to the orbiting laboratory since STS-124 took the pressurized section of the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" to the station in June 2008. But station residents couldn't be blamed for looking forward most of all to the cupola Endeavour will carry into space. Once at its place on the station, the cupola will afford station crew members a place to comfortably sit among seven windows and watch the Earth spin below them. And they won't even have to wear a spacesuit. from Kennedy.

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Google Buzz on Phones Is Actually Kind of Ridiculous (In a Good Way) [Google]

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Google Buzz is actually slightly more insane on Android phones and iPhone than the desktop: There's a revamped, Buzzier Google homepage; you can post entirely using your voice; and a new version of Google Maps eats Yelp's lunch.

There's three components to mobile: A new mobile Google homepage with automatic geo-location and Buzz integration; a web app for Android phones and iPhone located here with full, incredible speech-to-text powers; and a new version of Google Maps that tightly bundles location with Buzz.

In fact, location is the true killer feature here. While it lacks the gaming component of Foursquare, it's central to the mobile version of Buzz. As another layer in Maps, you can see what people are Buzzing about all around you, and add to the conversation. Also, Google's Places database has been updated to integrate Buzz, which seems to take a chunk out of Yelp.


Google Buzz Is Google’s Twitter-Like Client [Google]

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Google has just announced the name for their rumored new service. It's part of Gmail and called Google Buzz. And it'll be live TODAY by 2PM Eastern.

Used on a PC, Buzz reminds us of an RSS combined with all of your social networking—all within the existing Gmail infrastructure. Buzz's five key features include:

• Automatic friends lists (friends are added automatically who you have emailed them on Gmail)
• "Rich fast sharing" combines sources like Picasa and Twitter into a single feed, and it includes full-sized photo browsing
• Public and private sharing (swap between family and friends)
• Inbox integration (instead of emailing you with updates, like Facebook might, Buzz features emails that update dynamically with all Buzz thread content, like the photo viewer we mentioned above)
• "Recommended Buzz" puts friend-of-friend content into your stream, even if you're not acquainted. Recommendations learn over time with your feedback.

Of course, Buzz also works on mobiles. Google is slowly introducing those features now. Buzz works right from Google.com on Android and iPhone browsers, and it locates your position from a one button press. From here, Buzz can tailor your feed to their information on things like businesses and restaurants. More on mobile Buzz here.

Also, you can follow the latest updates in our Google Buzz liveblog, going on now.


Tower Skins Modernise Ugly Buildings, Generate Energy and Collect Rain Water [Architecture]

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I'm not sure how I feel about these tower skin concepts, which can turn ugly buildings into modern icons. A lot of the post-war buildings aren't the nicest-looking, but as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Architectural company LAVA believes ugly buildings should have a shot at happiness, with these tower skins acting like a "transparent cocoon" made from mesh textile, capable of being lit up in the evening for maximum attention. They'd supposedly generate energy with the addition of photovoltaic cells, collect rain water and improve ventilation for the buildings.

I'm sure the tower skins will stay firmly in "concept land," but the designs are on display in Sydney until the 28th of March for anyone wanting a gander. [LAVA Design Boom]


Live From Google’s February Event: Google Gets Twittery [Live]

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We're covering Google's mysterious, bizarrely secret product unveiling(s) live right here—and things are kicking off right now. Is Google just going all Twittery, or are they going to surprise us?

1:15: Google's Bradley Horowitz is on stage, and he's talking in broad terms about "sharing", and things like that! Sounds like Twitter, in the context of rumors. WIthout the rumors, it sounds a little like nothing.

1:19: Ah! There it is. "Google Buzz." It's built into Gmail, and Google's Todd Jackson is jumping on stage to talk about it.

1:21: Ok, this is what the WSJ was talking about: It's a system of "social updates" that leverages your Google contacts. It can auto-follow, sort of like how Gmail automatically adds contacts. You can publish private or public updates.

1:25: Here's what it looks like: It's a bit like Twitter, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of character limit. And you can share anything, like photos and video.

1:28: The Buzz timeline has all kinds of media support, including a cool automatic photo album thing. Using this looks a lot like using Twitter through an advanced client—you know how Tweetie or Tweetdeck lets you preview stuff without changing windows? The experience is a lot like that.

1:30: Haha, people have figured out the demo computer's email address, and they're spamming the inbox. Awesome.

1:33: Inbox integration is exactly what it sounds like—by @ing a comment on a Buzz link to one of your contacts, it will show up in their Gmail inbox. Google says obliquely that "the @ response has become very popular on the internet", without mentioning Twitter at all. This is funny, see, because Buzz is a flaming cannonball aimed directly at Twitter's heart.

1:35: Gmail's "Just the Good Stuff" feature highlights popular content, so you can discover new Buzz folks to follow, I guess. Trending topics, anyone?

1:36: And yes, there are going to be mobile apps. But first, a speech.

1:38: Buzz will include geolocation on smartphones, to give conversations and content "context."

1:40: Ok, here's how Buzz on mobile will work: You can simply go to Google's homepage on a supported smartphone, and click the little Buzz icon on the top right corner, next to the services list. It'll poll your GPS, Wi-Fi network or cell towers and instead of tagging your post with lat/long coordinates, it'll approximate your location with something like "Highpoint Mall" or "Yoni's Adult Megaempornium." It's geotagging in English instead of numbers, basically.

1:42: The service shows up as an web app in a tab, like Gmail or Google Voice. From the looks of it, and because of the geolocation features, I think this web app is going to be specific to iPhone, Android and Pre—it's leveraging some serious WebKit/HTML5 features here.

1:44: Oh! And it's going to be rolled into Google Maps, too, so you can see who's Buzzing around you, and update your Buzz from within the app. Google's building this into existing software, it seems, instead of rolling it out as a new, standalone app.

1:49: They're rolling video now, and I'll say this much: This makes sense. Status updates feel at home nested inside services people already use, like Gmail, and while the enforced brevity of Twitter has its upsides, Buzz makes Twitter's lack of media support look kind of stubborn. Plus, with Maps, Places, Gmail, Picasa, Google Reader and the 16273 other GProducts in Google Labs, these status updates have a lot more context, and a lot more to draw on. Then again, Facebook status updates have pleeeenty of context, and who the hell wants to use those?

1:51: Buzz is going live in a few minutes (2:00EST), but just for select journos. It'll go live for other soon after, but I'm not sure when.


Microsoft Refused to Sell Xbox 360s to the Military for Training [Military]

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The military currently trains its soldiers using PCs, but they were interested in switching to the Xbox 360 for a number of reasons. Unfortunately, Microsoft was not too interested in helping them out.

According to Danger Room, Microsoft refused to sell consoles to Roger Smith, chief technology officer for PEO STRI, the Army command responsible for purchasing training equipment. Why wouldn't Microsoft sell them consoles? Well, according to Smith, three reasons:

* Microsoft was afraid that the military would buy up lots of Xbox 360s, but would buy only one game for each of them, so MS wouldn't make much money off of the games.
* that a big military purchase would create a shortage of Xbox 360s.
* that if the Xbox became an Army training device, it would taint its reputation. Microsoft was concerned that "do we want the Xbox 360 to be seen as having the flavor of a weapon? Do we want Mom and Dad knowing that their kid is buying the same game console as the military trains the SEALs and Rangers on?" Smith told me during an interview for Training & Simulation Journal.

When asked about this, a Microsoft rep claimed to have no knowledge of that conversation and suggested the Army uses the XNA Game Studio development tools. Sure, Microsoft. But they didn't say they were opposed to working with the Army.

But at this point, Smith doesn't seem so interested anymore, saying he'd "be happy to reopen these discussions if Microsoft is interested in selling these products to our community."

A weird situation all around. The soldiers just want Xboxes! Come on guys, let's work this out. [Danger Room]


Cassini Probe Finds “Ingredients for Life” on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus | 80beats

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enceladusFive years ago, the Cassini spacecraft first detected plumes of water ice emanating from Saturn’s moon Enceladus, making the moon one of the best hopes for finding life somewhere else in the solar system. Astronomers have argued over whether or not those jets come from a subsurface ocean of liquid water, but new findings by Cassini provide evidence that water could indeed be sloshing around beneath the frozen surface of this small moon.

During a 2008 pass through the plumes, the spacecraft found negatively charged water molecules. Back home this short-lived type of ion is produced where water is moving, such as in waterfalls or crashing ocean waves [Scientific American]. Researcher Andrew Coates led the study, which is coming out in the journal Icarus.

Besides the water ions, the team also found negatively charged hydrocarbons—huge ions that could result from Saturn’s magnetic field and the sun’s ultraviolet rays interacting with the atmosphere of Enceladus. Researchers find the combination of ions enticing. “While it’s no surprise that there is water there, these short-lived ions are extra evidence for sub-surface water and where there’s water, carbon and energy, some of the major ingredients for life are present,” said Dr Coates [BBC News]. Previous studies have shown that the Enceladus plumes contain ammonia, which could act as an antifreeze to keep an ocean in liquid state, and others have argued that the plumes are spewing sodium, which would indicate that liquid water had been in contact with rocks that leach salt.

Cassini’s new ion findings make Enceladus look a little more like its big brother, the huge and also hugely interesting Saturnian moon of Titan. In fact, the same plasma spectrometer on board Cassini has been used to confirm the presence of large negative hydrocarbon ions high in the atmosphere of Titan, indicating the presence of an organic mix of chemicals called “tholins” on Titan’s surface [Discovery News]. NASA just extended Cassini’s mission by seven more years, giving it time to learn even more about both of these marvelous moons.

Related Content:
80beats: Antifreeze Might Allow For Oceans—And Life—On Enceladus
80beats: Does Enceladus, Saturn’s Geyser-Spouting Moon, Have Liquid Oceans?
80beats: New Evidence of Hospitable Conditions for Life on Saturn’s Moons
80beats: Geysers From Saturn’s Moon May Indicate Liquid Lakes, and a Chance for Life
80beats: Cassini Spacecraft Snaps Pictures of Saturn’s Geyser-Spouting Moon

Image: NASA / Cassini


Study: “Third-Hand Smoke” Sticks Around & Produces New Carcinogens | 80beats

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smokeYou might not be a smoker yourself, but hanging around people who are smoking can cause you to inhale noxious cigarette fumes. For years, scientists have cautioned against the ill-effects of such second-hand smoke. Now they’re warning about the dangers of “third-hand smoke”—the chemical traces that cling to a smoker, and that are left behind in a room where someone has been smoking.

A team of researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that remnants of a smoke don’t just inertly settle onto surfaces, they can react with a common gas (nitrous acid, which is emitted from gas appliances and vehicles, among other sources) to create carcinogenic compounds known as tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) [Scientific American]. The study (pdf) was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study suggests that even if a smoker puffs outside, some smoke swirls and settles in clothing and hair and is brought back into the building. With smoking inside, the left-over nicotine residue settles on surfaces like furniture, carpets, and curtains, where it can mix with common gas and turn into the carcinogenic TSNAs. Says study coauthor Hugo Destaillats: “It’s this third-hand smoke residue that is the source of the smells that we all easily perceive in a room or a car where cigarettes have been smoked, as a consequence of such places being coated with cigarette emissions…. And we found that such emissions do give rise to new pollutants when they react with non-cigarette compounds found indoors” [BusinessWeek].

To study how the carcinogenic compounds were created, scientists used samples from the glove compartment of a pick-up truck whose driver smoked in the truck regularly. They also studied a cellulose-containing paper similar to a carpet or drape and let it absorb nicotine from cigarette smoke. They then put this paper in a chamber containing nitrous acid and studied the reaction between nicotine and the nitrous acid. In both the lab and in the truck, the reaction between nicotine and nitrous acid produced substantial amounts of three types of toxic compounds…. All three compounds belonged to a group called nitrosamines, which are known to prompt tumor growth [Discovery News].

The researchers say with so many toxic compounds, young infants could be at a risk as they crawl around on rugs and come into contact with dust. However, they also caution that there needs to be more research into third-hand smoke, and note that the study doesn’t indicate that homes and couches that smell of smoke could potentially cause cancer. To deal with third-hand smoke, researchers recommend avoiding smoking in closed spaces like homes and cars. Also, in enclosed spaces that have seen plenty of puffs over the years, they suggest replacing furniture, carpet and even wallboard to cut down on the amount of TSNA exposure [Scientific American].

Related Content:
80beats: Even Discreet, Conscientious Smokers Leave a Trail of “Third-Hand Smoke”
80beats: Electronic Cigarettes Not a Safe Alternative to Conventional Cigs
DISCOVER: Smoking and Ethnicity
DISCOVER: By The Numbers: Smoke Gets in Your Hair
DISCOVER: 54: R-Rated Films Tempt Teenagers to Smoke

Image: flickr/SuperFantastic