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I see you, you see me...
Mirror neurons -- first discovered in macaque
monkeys more than a decade ago, and since confirmed in humans
-- help us to imitate and empathize with others. These neurons
fire when an individual performs an action, or when it sees
the identical action performed by another. A study by researchers
at the University of California, San Diego, has now confirmed
that this system is impaired in autism. EEG data from 10
autistic males showed that the mirror neuron system responded
normally to actions they performed themselves, but was unresponsive
to actions performed by others.
A new threat...
Cellular phones using the Sybian operating
system have been targeted by Trojan horses in games and
other software. Although no damage has been reported to
date, the malicious software has raised concerns in the
wireless industry. New variants are now appearing at an
accelerated rate, although none have yet been used to launch
a concerted attack.
Green companies...
Corporate leaders interviewed by green@work
magazine shared their perspectives on business trends and
developments in sustainability. Environmental awareness
is growing among mainstream consumers, they say, while government
and industry are implementing green procurement policies.
Business needs to pay attention. They say first-movers with
increased environmental consciousness are already benefiting
in the marketplace. Many companies are starting to implement
life-cycle -- cradle-to-grave -- product strategies.
Unintended side effects...
When travel behavior analyst Nancy McGuckin
analyzed data on 70,000 American drivers, she found what
she calls the "Starbucks Effect." For many people
-- particularly older men -- morning commutes now include
drive-in coffee and breakfast. The result, she says, may
be increased traffic congestion and air pollution.
The Internet battleground...
Wired says that while Saudi Arabia
has created a central agency to control access to the Internet,
blocking banned sites, China's censorship of the net is
much more subtle. It drops any reference to banned content
-- as if it never existed.
Wired also reports that the US military
has created a joint command unit responsible for defending
Department of Defense networks and conducting cyberwarfare.
The magazine quotes former Computer Network Attack commander
Air Force Maj. Gen. John Bradley: "I've got to tell
you we spend more time on the computer network attack business
than we do on computer network defense because so many people
at very high levels are interested."
Shifting into hyperdrive...
Foreign Affairs magazine reports
that the United States has plummeted in global rankings
of broadband Internet usage, overtaken by Japan, South Korea
and other countries. China now has more broadband users
than the United States. The speed of basic DSL service in
Japan is 40 megabits per second, compared to 1.5 megabits
for typical broadband service in the US. Ultra-high-speed
broadband, at a speed of 100 megabits per second, is now
available to 80% of Japanese citizens, and 2 million have
subscribed.
Japan is even further ahead in the mobile
phone-based Internet. It is currently testing fourth generation
phones that support high-definition television and movie
downloads, among other applications. Writer Thomas Bleha
says, "The large broadband-user markets of Northeast
Asia will attract the innovation the United States once
enjoyed. Asians will have the first crack at developing
the new commercial applications, products, services, and
content of the high-speed-broadband era." Even with
intense effort, Bleha says, it will take the US years to
catch up.
Wiring the planet...
The Associated Press reports that
the White House has announced a plan to create a "US
Integrated Earth Observation System." This "system
of systems" will link data collected globally by approximately
60 countries. Monitoring the planet, officials say, will
improve weather forecasting and climate modeling, among
other applications. They say this could save the US as much
as $1 billion a year in electricity costs, and $1.7 billion
in weather-related flight delays, by providing better information.
Getting off oil...
Visionary and energy conservation advocate
Amory Lovins says the United States should pursue energy
efficiency with renewed vigor, to reduce domestic oil consumption
and dependence on foreign oil supplies. Rather than producing
more energy, he says, the country needs to make transportation
and buildings more efficient. In a plan called "Winning
the Oil Endgame," he predicts that the US could eliminate
all oil imports by 2040, and use no oil at all by 2050.
David Forrest
we welcome your comments and feedback at mail@innovationwatch.com
SCIENCE
Early
Universe Liquid-Like - [Associated Press] New results
from a particle collider suggest that the universe behaved
like a liquid in its earliest moments, not the fiery gas
that was thought to have pervaded the first microseconds
of existence.
Autism
Linked to Mirror Neuron Dysfunction - [Science Daily]
Seeing is doing -- at least it is when mirror neurons are
working normally. But in autistic individuals, say researchers
from the University of California, San Diego, the brain
circuits that enable people to perceive and understand the
actions of others do not behave in the usual way.
New
Frontier Opens in the Search for Life on Other Planets
- [Science Daily] Scientists recently discovered a new frontier
in the race to find life outside our solar system. Dying
red giant stars may bring icy planets back from the dead.
Once-frozen planets and moons may provide a new breeding
ground for life as their stars enter the last, and brightest,
phase of their lives. Previous ideas about the search for
extra-solar life had excluded these regions.
Scientists
Debate Wait on 'New Einstein' - [ABC News] Will there
ever be another Einstein? This is the undercurrent of conversation
at Einstein memorial meetings throughout the year. A new
Einstein will emerge, scientists say. But it may take a
long time. After all, more than 200 years separated Einstein
from his nearest rival, Isaac Newton.
Asteroid
Rained Glass Over Entire Earth, Scientists Say - [National
Geographic] Scientists studying the fallout from a huge
asteroid that crashed into Earth 65 million years ago have
gained better understanding of the event that most likely
took out the dinosaurs and much other life on the planet.
Gene
Therapy Completely Corrects Hemophilia In Laboratory Animals
- [Science Daily] Newborn mice and dogs with hemophilia
A were restored to normal health through gene therapy developed
by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine
in St. Louis. The technique introduced into the animals'
cells a gene that makes clotting factor VIII, a protein
missing because of a genetic defect.
NASA
Scientist: 'Mars Could be Biologically Alive' - [Space.com]
Evidence for intense local enhancements in methane on Mars
has been bolstered by ground-based observations. The methane,
as well as water on Mars, was detected using state-of-the-art
infrared spectrometers stationed atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii
and in Cerro Pachón, Chile.
TECHNOLOGY
Moore's
Law on Chips Marks 40th - [BBC] Moore's Law, the guiding
principle that has driven the computer chip industry, celebrates
its 40th birthday. The "law" was adopted after
Intel co-founder Gordon Moore wrote in a 1965 article that
the number of transistors on a chip would double every 24
months.
Nanotech
Advance Makes Carbon Nanotubes More Useful - [Science
Daily] Researchers at UCSD have made carbon nanotubes bent
in sharp predetermined angles, a technical advance that
could lead to use of the long, thin cylinders of carbon
as tiny springs, tips for atomic force microscopes, smaller
electrical connectors in integrated circuits, and in many
other nanotechnology applications.
Robot
Walks, Balances Like a Human - [CNN] A team of French
scientists working with collaborators at the University
of Michigan (U-M) and Ohio State University have created
a robot that walks and balances just as a human does. They
say it is the first of its kind, and can catch its balance
without having to rely on big, clunky feet to do so.
May
I See Your Voice, Please? - [Business Week] As speech-related
biometric technology joins the fight against identity theft,
your credit card may start asking you to speak louder.
Trojan
Horses Take Aim at Symbian Cell Phones - [C|NET] Cell
phone antivirus software company SimWorks reported that
52 new Trojan horses are hidden inside several different
cell phones games and other readily available mobile phone
software. While the software appears to be safe to share
or use, the Trojans actually contain malicious software
that crashes many critical cell phone system components.
'Researchware'
Watches Where You Click - [MSNBC] It's just a small
download, promoted as a free antivirus program. But the
software is really designed to sit silently on consumers'
computers, watch everything they do online, and send the
critical data back to the program’s creator. The program
has swept the Internet in the last year, with millions of
people downloading it.
'Robotic'
Dental Drill to be Tested on Humans - [New Scientist]
A “robotic” dentist's drill is to be tested on
humans in Europe and the US, and could represent the first
step towards more automated dental procedures.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
What
Corporate Sustainability Leaders See in the Years Ahead
- [EarthVision.net] GreenBiz news affiliate green@work asked
several leaders in the corporate sustainability movement
to share their insights in response to the following question:
In your view, what will be the key trends and developments
over the last half of the decade, with respect to the environment
and corporate sustainability, and how will the business
community respond?
China
Unchains Ad Agencies - [Business Week] Soon to be the
world's No. 3 ad market, China is easing restrictions on
foreign agencies. The jockeying has begun.
European
Telecom Companies Look Eastward - [Associated Press]
Having tapped out markets on their home turf, European telecommunications
companies are aggressively exploring a new frontier: Eastern
Europe.
Car
Giants Race for China Sales - [BBC] For all main carmakers,
China - now the third biggest car market after the US and
Japan - is seen as a key prize in a world of stagnating
sales and falling profits.
DSW
Data Theft Much Larger than Estimated - [ABC News] Thieves
who accessed a DSW Shoe Warehouse database obtained 1.4
million credit card numbers and the names on those accounts
10 times more than investigators estimated last month.
How
Long Can the Big Airlines Survive? - [Christian Science
Monitor] Air travel has been undergoing a steady metamorphosis
since 9/11, with carriers shrinking legroom, pulling free
meals, and even eliminating complimentary pillows. And thanks
to high oil prices and intense competition from upstarts
like Jet Blue and Southwest, the process is only accelerating.
Sony
Gets Real on Virtual Goods - [Wired] Sony Online Entertainment,
the developer of massively multiplayer online games like
EverQuest and Star Wars Galaxies, is the first major US
publisher to facilitate the buying and selling of virtual
goods. The company unveiled Station Exchange, an auction
site that allows players to spend real money on virtual
weapons, armor, coins and new, high-level characters.
SOCIETY
Top
10 Food Trends - Going Global - [Medical News Today]
Food trends once primed to focus on families are reshaping
as Baby-boomers become empty-nesters, and health-related
products are booming worldwide. This is according to this
month's issue of Food Technology magazine and its cover
story, Top 10 Global Food Trends. Food Technology is published
monthly by the scientific society Institute of Food Technologists.
Aging
Populations Becoming Global Problem, IMF Chief Says
- [Mature Market] Dealing with the needs of aging populations
"is becoming a global challenge," says the head
of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Pursuit
of a Grande Latte May Be Stirring Up Gridlock - [Washington
Post] The national craving for gourmet coffee may be adding
mileage to the morning rush hour. And the numbers might
be significant enough to complicate efforts to reduce traffic
congestion, save fuel and reduce air pollution.
Next
Gen Weighs a 'Secure' Future - [Wired] For some participants
at the Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference in Seattle
last week the talks presented by activists, lawyers and
public officials were fraught with pessimism about government
surveillance. But when five Seattle teenagers with a sophisticated
grasp of civil liberties and First Amendment rights took
the stage Friday, the mood changed.
Child
Deaths High in Poor Nations, Says Report - [CTV] Almost
11 million children in developing countries die each year
before the age of 5, most of them from causes that are preventable
in wealthier countries, the World Bank said in a report.
Blogging,
Journalism and Credibility - [The Nation] Blogging,
Journalism, and Credibility: Battleground and Common Ground,"
a conference held in late January at Harvard, featured a
group of fifty journalists, bloggers, news executives, media
scholars and librarians trying to make sense of the new
media environment.
Flexible
Copyrights Hop the Pond - [Wired] The British Broadcasting
Corporation recently unveiled a license that will allow
the public to access free television footage, films and
sounds from some of the largest media archives in the United
Kingdom.
GLOBAL POLITICS
India's
Population is a Liability: Murthy - [Financial Express]
India's large population can become a liability rather than
an advantage as limited progress in human resources development
has been made so far, Infosys chairman said.
China's
Filters Strong, Subtle - [Wired] The Chinese government
has become increasingly sophisticated at controlling the
internet, taking a multilayered approach that contributes
to precision in blocking political dissent, a report finds.
The precision means that China's filters can block just
specific references to Tibetan independence without blocking
all references to Tibet. Likewise, the government is effective
at limiting discussions about Falun Gong, the Dalai Lama,
Tiananmen Square and other topics deemed sensitive, the
study from the OpenNet Initiative finds.
China
Uneasy as Tokyo OK's Drilling in Disputed Sea Area -
[Boston Globe] Japan began processing applications to allow
companies to explore a disputed area of the East China Sea
for natural gas, a decision that China called a ''provocation"
in a disagreement that could imperil Tokyo's bid for a permanent
UN Security Council seat.
US
Military's Elite Hacker Crew - [Wired] The US military
has assembled the world's most formidable hacker posse:
a super-secret, multimillion-dollar weapons program that
may be ready to launch bloodless cyberwar against enemy
networks -- from electric grids to telephone nets.
Nigerian
Call for African Reform - [BBC] Nigerian president Olusegun
Obasanjo has urged African countries to take advantage of
renewed global interest in their continent to boost development.
Rice
Criticises 'Kremlin Power' - [BBC] US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice has expressed concern at the progress of
democracy and media curbs in Russia.
Down
to the Wire - [Foreign Affairs] Once a leader in Internet
innovation, the United States has fallen far behind Japan
and other Asian states in deploying broadband and the latest
mobile-phone technology. This lag will cost it dearly. By
outdoing the United States, Japan and its neighbors are
positioning themselves to be the first states to reap the
benefits of the broadband era: economic growth, increased
productivity, and a better quality of life.
ENVIRONMENT
End
of Cheap Oil is a Blessing - [Toronto Star] Enraged
about the high price of gas? A trip to the corner store
might provide a much-needed reality check to the indignation
over excessive fuel costs. Have a quick look at what you
can buy for a dollar a litre.
Sounds
of the Sea have Scientists Concerned - [MSNBC] The ocean
was flat and the winter darkness over Cape Cod Bay was unbroken
by ship lights. But below the bay’s surface, Christopher
Clark found things weren’t as serene as they seemed.
The bay is saturated with sound.
Starbucks
Takes Action to Address Climate Change - [CSRWire Press
Release] Starbucks Coffee Company announced that it has
committed to purchase enough clean, renewable wind energy,
using renewable energy certificates, to match five percent
of the energy needed to power its Company-operated stores
in North America.
Ten
'Most Endangered' US Rivers Listed - [MSNBC] The Susquehanna
is a “poster child” for threatened rivers throughout
the country, said Rebecca Wodder, president of American
Rivers, which is urging the US Senate to reject a White
House proposal to cut federal funds for water infrastructure
by about a third to $730 million in the current year. The
group argues that $3.2 billion is needed to prevent further
deterioration of the nation’s rivers.
EU
Pollution Deaths Cost Billions - [BBC] The European
Union could save up to 161 billion euros a year by reducing
deaths caused by air pollution, the World Health Organization
has said.
Officials
Want to Wire Earth, Check Signs - [ABC News] Imagine
the planet wired for a nearly continuous readout on its
vital signs, shared by all. A new "Strategic Plan for
the US Integrated Earth Observation System" envisions
linking nearly 60 nations within a decade to gather and
share information from satellites, ocean buoys, weather
stations and other surface and airborne instruments.
Prehistoric
Humans Wiped Out Elephants - [MSNBC] One million years
ago, elephants and their cousins roamed the five major continents
of the earth. Then humans came along. Today elephants can
be found only in portions of sub-Saharan Africa and South
Asia.
THE FUTURE
Can
the US Stop Using Oil by 2050? - [MSN Money] Yes, says
visionary Amory Lovins. So long as we get serious about
improving energy efficiency. The cost? $180 billion over
10 years.
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