November 2007
29 posts
“Researchers at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid’s School of Computing have developed an original system for building multilingual dictionaries based on multiple term equivalences from what are known as universal words.”
—Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - Facultad de Informàtica
“Recently many people in Virtual Reality helmets wander in Moscow Subway. Sometimes it seems their helmets fail to guide them and they have to lift them up in order to see the way more clearly.”
—English Russia
“I was surprised to hear Umberto Eco, interviewed on BBC Radio 4 this morning, using the phrase “according to me” several times. He seemed to think it is synonymous with “in my view”, or “the way I tell it”. It is not. “According to X” has the peculiar property of only being properly used by people other than X.”
—Language Log: According to Umberto Eco
“Ramsey had a wireless electrode implanted 6 millimetres or so below the surface of his brain in 2004 (see Diagram). The electrode records the electronic pulses sent by 41 neurons that surround it in an area of the brain involved in generating speech. By analysing the signals created when Ramsey imagines speaking, the team has developed software that may one day turn his thoughts into speech.”
—Brain implant turn thoughts to words
“Professor Angus Pfeffer sought to find the balance between the grand musical days of yesteryear and the respectful doldrums of modern times. His solution? The noise-canceling ‘Ganglia’ horn (in B-flat). Silence never sounded so joyous.”
—The Journal of Ephemeral Inspiration
“The Espresso Book Machine—meaning “fast,” not coffee—can churn out a 300-page paperback on demand, complete with color cover, in just 3 min. The $50,000 machine could transform libraries into minibookstores, making hard-to-find titles as accessible as cappuccinos. At $3 a book they might be cheaper too.”
—The Best Inventions Of The Year - TIME
“There is word late Friday that Comet Holmes has lost its tail.”
—starrymirror.com
“Anche la Treccani è diventata strumento di propaganda!”
—Repubblica.it
