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| There are great benefits to connectedness, but we haven't wrapped our minds around the costs. |
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High Drama in the Tournament Ring |
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| Topic: Games |
1:59 pm EDT, Sep 4, 2004 |
The rules were deceptively simple -- rules that people all over the world grasp as young children. Word of mouth generated by the Web site, and by the world championships that the society has sponsored since 2002, have led to a spread of formal and impromptu tournaments in bars, fraternity houses, homes and high schools. Some of my friends scoffed at the idea that the game could involve strategy. I started going up to people at parties and in the office and challenging them to quick matchups. "I demand satisfaction!" ftp://ftp.smoovenet.com/pub/lardlad/sounds/season11/eieidoh8.mp3 High Drama in the Tournament Ring |
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LAX Shut Down on Security Concern |
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| Topic: Current Events |
1:17 pm EDT, Sep 4, 2004 |
Los Angeles International Airport was shut down early Saturday because of a possible security breach and a separate incident at an international terminal security screening station. LAX Shut Down on Security Concern |
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Mr. Bush and the Truth About Terror |
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| Topic: Elections |
8:41 am EDT, Sep 2, 2004 |
This has been an election season of monumental simple-mindedness, in which the candidates start each day by telling us this is the most important election in the history of the planet, then devote the rest of their waking hours to meaningless sniping. And don't forget about the fire and brimstone. Mr. Bush and the Truth About Terror |
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| Topic: Technology |
1:29 am EDT, Sep 1, 2004 |
Context is everything. Who has 687,389 trusted friends? Nobody. Friendships are not defined by links. Real social relationships are subtle, complex and grounded in trust. And trust is built on the quality of the relationship within a context. Trusted relationships are the fabric that connects people into the communities that are the context. But communities need to be able to spontaneously form, and to define their own rules for self-governance and organization. Our mission is to create useful software tools to manage our interactions on an open source peer-to-peer platform. A platform that restores control over our digital identities and supports a variety of regimes for self-governance and self-expression. Through new and existing apps that use this platform we expect to find new forms of economic and civic participation and organization. Social Physics |
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Interfaces for Staying in the Flow |
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| Topic: Technology |
1:11 am EDT, Sep 1, 2004 |
Computers should help us concentrate on our work, without concentrating on the computer Psychologists have studied "optimal human experience" for many years, often called "being in the flow". Through years of study, the basic characteristics of flow have been identified. This paper reviews the literature, and interprets the characteristics of flow within the context of interface design with the goal of understanding what kinds of interfaces are most conducive to supporting users being in the flow. Several examples to demonstrate the connection to flow are given. Interfaces for Staying in the Flow |
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The 9/11 Commission Report: Strengths and Weaknesses |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
2:10 am EDT, Aug 31, 2004 |
The US needs to be very careful about rushing to act upon the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. This may seem to be a desirable instant solution to a difficult political problem in an election year. At the same time, the Commission report has more weaknesses than strengths. The 9/11 Commission Report: Strengths and Weaknesses |
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Smart Choices About Intelligence Reform |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
2:09 am EDT, Aug 31, 2004 |
The debate about intelligence reform has rapidly turned to the issues that always dominate Washington: Who would win and who would lose control over people, money, and power? But for citizens outside Washington, the issue is seen through a far more important prism: What will actually work best? It could well be that we will only learn the importance of clear command the hard way -- through the work of some future commission investigating our response to the next major terrorist attack. It would be far better to see its importance now. Smart Choices About Intelligence Reform |
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The Future of Genetically Modified Crops |
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| Topic: Biotechnology |
2:08 am EDT, Aug 31, 2004 |
The world is now on the cusp of a new agricultural revolution, the so-called Gene Revolution, in which genetically modified (GM) crops are tailored to address chronic agricultural problems in certain regions of the world. This report investigates the circumstances and processes that can induce and sustain this new agricultural revolution. The authors compare the Green Revolution of the 20th century with the GM crop movement to assess the agricultural, technological, sociological, and political differences between the two movements. The Future of Genetically Modified Crops |
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Biotechnology In The Global Communication Ecology |
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| Topic: Biotechnology |
2:08 am EDT, Aug 31, 2004 |
Public debates about the safety of new products introduced in the market go back centuries and were often based less on science than on the politics of the time. Similarly, today, much of the debate about agricultural biotechnology is steered by myths and misinformation and not by science. The scientific community, with stronger support from governments, must do more to openly address science and technology issues with their publics. Biotechnology In The Global Communication Ecology |
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Neotrusteeship and the Problem of Weak States |
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| Topic: International Relations |
2:06 am EDT, Aug 31, 2004 |
As recent efforts in Bosnia, East Timor, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and now Iraq attest, state building has become a growth industry. Even the Bush administration, once highly resistant to US involvement in such missions, is now willing to engage in state-building projects based on the recognition that failed states and rogue regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction pose the main security threats to the international community. This article examines several cases in which major powers and international institutions have sought to prop up or rebuild a weak or collapsed state. Concluding that "the international system remains badly organized and badly served for dealing with the implications of state collapse," the authors propose a system of neotrusteeship to facilitate coordination of future state-building activities. Neotrusteeship and the Problem of Weak States |
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