About this Talk
Armed with a backhoe and a handful of markers, Deborah Gordon studies ant colonies in the Arizona desert. She asks: How do these chitinous creatures get down to business -- and even multitask when they need to -- with no language, memory or visible leadership? Her answers could lead to a better understanding of all complex systems, from the brain to the Web.
About Deborah M. Gordon
Ant biologist Deborah M. Gordon has spent decades digging in the Arizona desert to decipher the chemical, genetic and behavioral codes of ant colonies. Contrary to the popular notion that colonies have evolved into efficient, organized systems, she has instead discovered that the long evolution of the ant colony has resulted in a system driven by accident, adaptation and the chaos and "noise" of unconscious communication.
Gordon, a Stanford professor, wrote the acclaimed book Ants at Work, outlining her discoveries in generous, nontechnical detail.
"What (Gordon) has discovered by charting the life cycles of 300 ant colonies spread across a 25-acre swath of chapparal are findings which upset many of our assumptions about how the world works."
APF Reporter
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Piyush Bobby Jindal is Louisiana's 55th Governor
Bobby Jindal was sworn in as 55th Governor of Louisiana at Baton Rouge
Jindal said, "We come to the steps of this historic Capitol today to celebrate not just an election, but a new beginning. We are here not for one man to take an oath, but for one people to make commitments to each other."
"For reasons none of us can understand or fully appreciate, history has placed all of us --every living Louisianan, those within her borders and without -- in a position previous generations could only envy."
Bobby Jindal, the 36-year-old son of Indian immigrants, was sworn in today as Louisiana’s 55th Governor and immediately moved to make good on a campaign promise, saying he will call a February special legislative session on ethics to help cleanse the hurricane-battered state’s corrupt image.
Louisiana’s first nonwhite Governor since Reconstruction, the nation’s first elected Indian-American Governor and the nation’s youngest sitting Governor, Jindal pledged to overcome the stereotype of the state as a haven for cronyism and self-serving politicians.
Jindal declared that "under the spotlight of the world, with generosity from many and a clear call to common purpose, we have the opportunity to make a lasting and positive change."
We have the opportunity to make this change not over the course of decades. but in short order," he added.
Jindal said "we have the opportunity -- born of tragedy but embraced still the same -- to make right decades of failure in government."
He noted that "you have often heard me say that we do not have a poor state, but a state with poor leadership. That we do not have a state stuck in the past, but leaders who were unconcerned with the future."
Jindal argued that "if we are honest with ourselves, we can all agree that so many of the stereotypes rang true."
"In our past, too many politicians looked out for themselves. The many arms of state and local government did not get results. And the world took note. Those stereotypes cost us credibility. They cost us investment. They cost us jobs."
He exhorted, "Let us all resolve, Democrats and Republicans, North Louisiana and South, leaders of all races and religions, elected and un-elected, let us all resolve that era ends today."
Jindal predicted that "we can build a Louisiana where our leaders and our people set the highest standards and hold every member of our government accountable." He ended with his now signature line, with the crowd vowing along with him that, "We can change, we must change, we will change."
Source: Rediff, The Town Talk
Jindal said, "We come to the steps of this historic Capitol today to celebrate not just an election, but a new beginning. We are here not for one man to take an oath, but for one people to make commitments to each other."
"For reasons none of us can understand or fully appreciate, history has placed all of us --every living Louisianan, those within her borders and without -- in a position previous generations could only envy."
Bobby Jindal, the 36-year-old son of Indian immigrants, was sworn in today as Louisiana’s 55th Governor and immediately moved to make good on a campaign promise, saying he will call a February special legislative session on ethics to help cleanse the hurricane-battered state’s corrupt image.
Louisiana’s first nonwhite Governor since Reconstruction, the nation’s first elected Indian-American Governor and the nation’s youngest sitting Governor, Jindal pledged to overcome the stereotype of the state as a haven for cronyism and self-serving politicians.
Jindal declared that "under the spotlight of the world, with generosity from many and a clear call to common purpose, we have the opportunity to make a lasting and positive change."
We have the opportunity to make this change not over the course of decades. but in short order," he added.
Jindal said "we have the opportunity -- born of tragedy but embraced still the same -- to make right decades of failure in government."
He noted that "you have often heard me say that we do not have a poor state, but a state with poor leadership. That we do not have a state stuck in the past, but leaders who were unconcerned with the future."
Jindal argued that "if we are honest with ourselves, we can all agree that so many of the stereotypes rang true."
"In our past, too many politicians looked out for themselves. The many arms of state and local government did not get results. And the world took note. Those stereotypes cost us credibility. They cost us investment. They cost us jobs."
He exhorted, "Let us all resolve, Democrats and Republicans, North Louisiana and South, leaders of all races and religions, elected and un-elected, let us all resolve that era ends today."
Jindal predicted that "we can build a Louisiana where our leaders and our people set the highest standards and hold every member of our government accountable." He ended with his now signature line, with the crowd vowing along with him that, "We can change, we must change, we will change."
Source: Rediff, The Town Talk
Monday, January 7, 2008
Matsushita unveils world's biggest TV
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Japanese electronics conglomerate Matsushita Electric Industrial Co introduced on Monday a 150-inch plasma television, which it says is the world's biggest.
The new TV boasts four times better resolution than full high-definition 1080p picture quality and offers a screen the size of nine 50-inch plasma televisions. It was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by Toshihiro Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC Networks Co.
Matsushita's new screen, which measures 12-1/2 feet when measured diagonally, tops the Panasonic brand maker's 103-inch plasma TV released last year. The 103-inch television has sold 3,000 units over the last year, Matsushita said.
Source: Reuters
The new TV boasts four times better resolution than full high-definition 1080p picture quality and offers a screen the size of nine 50-inch plasma televisions. It was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by Toshihiro Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC Networks Co.
Matsushita's new screen, which measures 12-1/2 feet when measured diagonally, tops the Panasonic brand maker's 103-inch plasma TV released last year. The 103-inch television has sold 3,000 units over the last year, Matsushita said.
Source: Reuters
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