At Rest, Your Brain Runs in Screensaver Mode
RobertRoy Britt
Editorial Director LiveScience.comrobertRoy Britt
editorial Director livescience.com– 2 hrs 17 mins ago
Your brain's visual centers remain active when your eyesare closed and even when you sleep, studies have shown. But it's a differenttype of activity, one not fully understood.
A new study sheds light. In both situations - resting with eyes closed or the brain, butthe activity is represented by slow electrical fluctuations, rather than thebursts of activity that occur when you're awake with eyes wide open. Theresting oscillations, as the scientists call them, were found to be mostpronounced during deep sleep, asmight be expected.
The slow fluctuation pattern can be compared to a computer screensaver, saythe researchers at the Weizmann Institute.
Though the newfound activity's function is unclear, the researchers have acouple ideas:
Perhaps neurons, like philosophers, must "think" in order to be;neuron survival, the idea goes, would require a constant state of activity. Ormaybe the minimal level of activity enables a quick start when an outsidestimulus is presented, something like a getaway car with the engine running,the researchers suggest.
These new ideas differ starkly from how scientists thought all this worked."In the old approach, the senses are 'turned on' by the switch of anoutside stimulus," explained Weizmann Institute neurobiology student Yuval Nir,who worked on the study. "This is giving way to a new paradigm in whichthe brain is constantly active, and stimuli change and shape thatactivity."
This different type of brain activity could also explain why most peopledon't constantly experience hallucinations orhear voices while they rest, the researchers suggest.
Previous investigations of the resting brain typically relied on brain scansand told only part of the story. The new study used data collected fromepilepsy patients who underwent extensive testing, including measurements ofneuronal pulses in various parts of their brains during diagnosis andtreatment.
The method suggests ways of probing the brains of young children or patientsin a coma - anyone who is not alert or whose cooperation might provechallenging.
"The use of clinical data enabled us to solve a riddle of basic science in away that would have been impossible with conventional methods," said leadresearcher Rafael Malach, a professor at the institute. "These findingscould, in the future, become the basis of advanced diagnostic techniques."
The research, funded by several institutions and foundations, is detailed inthe journal NatureNeuroscience.
[*]Brain News and Information[*]Top 10 Mysteries of the Mind[*]Exercise Improves Old Brains[*]Original Story: At Rest, Your Brain Runs in Screensaver Mode
LiveScience.comchronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology.We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short,provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzesand Top 10s. Join our communityto debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climatechange and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters,register for RSS feeds andget cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.
[ 本帖最后由 晔阳 于 09-2-5 03:09 编辑 ]
唉，看看飞机的那篇，想想国内春运，真不平衡
怎么个不平衡法？
原帖由 羽毛 于 09-2-5 11:54 发表 http://www.sunofus.org/bbs/images/common/back.gif
唉，看看飞机的那篇，想想国内春运，真不平衡
好多人十几二十个小时，都是在车厢之间地板上睡过来的，甚至一路站过来
不说票能否买到。飞机、火车卧铺，对不少人是奢侈。仨山东大汉，挤火车洗手间二十多个小时，见面还当笑话讲
客运高峰，用个词形容：悲壮、心痛
共鸣！为躲这个罪受，已经好多年没回家过年了，
原帖由 羽毛 于 09-2-5 12:18 发表 http://www.sunofus.org/bbs/images/common/back.gif
好多人十几二十个小时，都是在车厢之间地板上睡过来的，甚至一路站过来
不说票能否买到。飞机、火车卧铺，对不少人是奢侈。仨山东大汉，挤火车洗手间二十多个小时，见面还当笑话讲
客运高峰，用个词形容：悲壮、心 ...
铁道部长还烘烘给自己打90分呢，招了好多骂
不知耻的人好像不止他一个，
原帖由 羽毛 于 09-2-5 13:00 发表 http://www.sunofus.org/bbs/images/common/back.gif
铁道部长还烘烘给自己打90分呢，招了好多骂
Steelers fans take Super Bowl party to the streets
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/fbn_super_bowl_pittsburgh_reax
By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Associated Press Writer Ramit Plushnick-masti, Associated Press Writer – Mon Feb 2, 7:27 am ET
AP – Pittsburgh Steeler fans celebrate the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII football game victory Sunday, Feb. 1, …
PITTSBURGH – Gold and black-clad fans with Steelers' iconic Terrible Towels waving in the air or tucked into their back pockets partied into the early morning hours Monday in an impromptu block party across Pittsburgh to celebrate the team's historic sixth Super Bowl win.
Thousands of people gathered in the city's Oakland neighborhood near the University of Pittsburgh and also along the quirky strip of bars known as the South Side. City officials had anticipated the large crowds, and had about 400 police on the streets as a precaution.
Moments after the Steelers sealed the 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa, Fla., revelers poured out of area bars, and some broke out in song, bellowing Queen's "We are the Champions."
Yellow confetti swirled in the air, people released gold and black balloons and Super Bowl championship paraphernalia was up for sale in the middle of the street.
Pittsburgh police didn't report any major problems, but there were pockets of trouble, mostly in the Oakland section.
Police arrested more than 100 people for failing to disperse from various locations, at least one for arson, and two others for drunken driving. Couches and several garbage containers were set on fire, and several vehicles were overturned as police responded to more than 400 emergency calls during the game and a similar number in the 2 1/2 hours after it ended, city police spokeswoman Diane Richard said.
One officer suffered a possible broken arm and some revelers broke windows, threw bottles at police — including a state trooper on horseback — and engaged in fights, Richard said. Large numbers of police in riot gear and on horseback were out in force, surrounding one fire and keeping the crowd back in an effort to let it burn out.
Police in riot gear patrolled the South Side on bikes and in cars, letting the loud and rowdy celebration run its course.
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that some sort of city celebration would likely be held Tuesday or Wednesday, but details still need to be worked out.
Crowds spilled out of the doors of Primanti's Bros., Pittsburgh's famous gut-busting sandwich shop.
Rocky Plassio, a 32-year-old high school teacher from the suburb of Washington, had his 3-year-old son, Noah, perched on his shoulders. The elder Plassio made sure his son didn't miss the celebration.
"The last time the Steelers won, he was an infant," Rocky said. "If you're from Pittsburgh, the Steelers are really part of your culture. It's in your blood."
Nearby, Jim Jacobs, 43, had his 8-year-old son, Marcus, on his shoulders and 9-year-old Luke by his side. They traveled from the suburb of Mt. Washington and, even when the Steelers were losing late in the game, Marcus was preparing for the celebration.
"We're going to have a hard time getting them up for school tomorrow, and they are home schooled," Jim Jacobs said about 90 minutes after the game ended.
Brittany Barcoay, 21, drove seven hours from Liberty University in Virginia just to be in her hometown for the Super Bowl and celebrated outside the South Side bar Town Tavern, which sported a "Steeler Tavern" banner.
"I have never had so much pride in my city, ever," said Barcoay, decked out in a Jerome Bettis jersey.
Bars were packed in the area popular with college students and the 20-something crowd, with music blaring.
One man carried a life-size cutout of President Barack Obama, with a Terrible Towel draped around the neck, while a one-man band played in the middle of a blocked-off street and photos of players were projected onto the sides of buildings.
Dan Decriscio, 51, returned to Pittsburgh from Philadelphia and had the chance to celebrate yet another NFL title.
"This is awesome," Decriscio said. "I've been here for every Super Bowl. Every one is great. From the first one with Chuck Knoll to Mike Tomlin; this is Christmas in February.
In one neighborhood south of Pittsburgh, people lit fireworks and ran outside and cheered after the game.
When the Steelers last won the Super Bowl in 2006, thousands of drunken fans celebrated in the streets and several small fires were set.
Pittsburgh schools delayed openings two hours Monday to allow for the celebration, but other schools were following suit after the victory. TV news stations were scrolling school delays for Monday as if it were a snow day.
[ 本帖最后由 晔阳 于 09-2-6 10:55 编辑 ]
叫撒可气的老婆去辅导，
原帖由 武汉小武 于 09-2-6 13:22 发表 http://www.sunofus.org/bbs/images/common/back.gif
晔兄的法文太厉害，我是一个都看不懂！
外语:)
http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMjQwNjEwMDA=/v.swf
好玩，气死老美啦，
原帖由 羽毛 于 09-2-6 23:52 发表 http://www.sunofus.org/bbs/images/common/back.gif
外语:)
http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMjQwNjEwMDA=/v.swf
The World's Tallest Cities Joshua Zumbrun, Forbes.com
Feb 5th, 2009
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/the-worlds-tallest-cities.html
New York City remains No. 1, but Chinais catching up.The soaring global economy of the last 20 years pushed the world's leadingfinancial centers to enduring heights. Not their stock markets, which havecollapsed, but their skylines.
All but two of the world's 20 tallest buildings (the 1,451-foot Sears Towerand the 1,250-foot Empire State Building)were built during this long bull market, according to Emporis, a globalbuilding-information company. Today the world's tallest cities reflect thatgrowth.
NewYork City still stands tallest, with 35 towers over 700 feet, more than anyother city. But Chinais catching up. Hong Kong is No. 2 with 30 such towers, and Shanghai is No. 4 with 21 towers.
These cities have risen fast. In 1999, Shanghaicompleted the 1,380-foot Jin Mao Tower.It was Shanghai'sfirst building taller than 700 feet; since then the city has built 20 more.
No city in the world, however, has developed as explosively as Dubai. As oil wealthflooded the United Arab Emirates,the emirate of Dubai on the Persian Gulf poured moneyinto construction, much as Houstonhad done decades earlier.
Today, Dubaiis home to the world's tallest tower. The 2,684-foot Burj Dubai was topped offin January of this year. The building is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.It will be the world's tallest building by 1,000 feet. The second-tallestbuilding, Taipei 101 in Taiwan, is acomparatively modest 1,671 feet.
With the rise of Chinaand Dubai, Chicagois now No. 5. Shenzhen, the Chinese city just north of Hong Kong, is closing in.
A report, released this week from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat,estimates that by 2020, the world's skylines will again be redrawn. By 2020, Taipei 101, currently thesecond-tallest building in the world, will be No. 20.
Dubai isdetermined to stay on top. After completing the Burj Dubai, it is planning the3,280-foot Nakheel Tower. Saudi Arabia hopes to build the 3,280-foot Kingdom Tower. Both towers are very tentativelyscheduled for completion in 2020--if the oil keeps flowing out and the dollarskeep pouring in.
The foundations are already being laid for other super towers around theglobe. In Shanghai, the 2,073-foot Shanghai Towerwill complete a trio of towers in the city's financial district, whichcurrently includes the world's third-tallest building, the 1,614-foot Shanghai World Financial Center.
In the U.S. both Chicagoand NewYork are racing to build new super towers. NewYork's Freedom Tower, also known asWorld Trade Center One, will reach 1,776 feet when completed. In Chicago,foundations are in place for the Chicago Spire, a planned 2,000-footer thatwould allow the Windy City to remain the home of America's tallest tower.
But whether these skyscrapers will ever touch the clouds depends how quicklythe economy turns around. Across the world, projects are grinding to a stop, asfinancing collapses or demand for hundreds of floors of office space infinancial districts disappears. The Chicago Spire, the NakheelTower and Moscow'splanned 2,008-foot Moscow Tower have all beenplaced on hold in recent months.
InPictures: The World's 10 Tallest Cities
[ 本帖最后由 晔阳 于 09-2-7 07:24 编辑 ]
这篇文章不错，不舍得放过。先放在这儿吧，不急着做。
10 Hot Professions for 2009
by Joy Victory, Payscale.com
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-10_hot_professions_for_2009-633
As the global economy continues to falter, job prospects for 2009 are expected to slow. But if you're lucky enough to be in one of these top fields, your job future is still quite bright. Take a look at this list below and either thank your lucky stars that your job is already on it, or consider seeking the education and experience for the career that most interests you.
Auditor. With all of the economic upheaval, businesses are being watched more carefully than ever. "There is a lot of money flowing into companies right now due to the stimulus package," says Ron Mitchell, CEO and co-founder of GottaMentor, a career coaching service located in New York City. "And, we've all seen some issues with, 'Where is this money going to?'" He adds that auditors are mostly working for the big four and also as internal auditors. Average Yearly Salary - $64,914
Career Counselor. More folks than usual are starting off the new year without a job in sight. How can the out-of-work find gainful employment? From outplacement agencies to government programs, career counselors and coaches will be very busy in 2009 helping make things easier. Mitchell encourages those seeking work to get professional help, saying, "Many individuals will need to completely re-engineer their careers. In order to do that, people need personalized guidance and feedback from an expert counselor." Average Yearly Salary - $54,426
Counselor. Besides their bank accounts, people's self-esteem and confidence are getting hit hard these days. "People's self worth is tied up in their job, so you have a huge identity crisis happening. Counseling and mental health services will be in high demand," says Mitchell. Guidance and some soul-searching can result in new and better careers for those in transition. Average Yearly Salary - $40,275
Public Relations Specialist. Rather than promoting a line of sparkly, new products or an exciting initiative, many public relations professionals will spend the upcoming year smoothing over unfortunate events. Mitchell predicts: "Being able to tell a story about major layoffs, reduced sales, and failed mergers, without causing a panic in the market, will become even more important." Average Yearly Salary - $44,334
Factor. A what? Didn't you study those in algebra? While this career is fairly foreign to most folks, now that bank loans are hard to come by, factoring allows small business to get funding based on their current accounts receivable -- the money they expect to have coming in. Factoring works well for retailers and other businesses that have big receivables. Mitchell explains that factoring is a legitimate source of funds in hard times. He says, "It's a huge business and, at a time when people can't get other types of lending, factors are skilled experts at lending against accounts receivables." Average Yearly Salary - $79,846
Health-Care Technician. You may know that nurses are in demand, but what about the folks they work with? "There's never enough of them, like radiology technicians, lab assistants, and home health aides. Health-care is the largest industry in the country, and in the more technical aspects of those careers we have a huge shortage of personnel," says Mitchell. Average Yearly Salary (Pharmacy Technician) - $32,531
Mechanical Engineer (and all engineering fields). With every passing year, more skilled-labor jobs are replaced by complex automation or robotics systems. For example, some hospitals have turned to "robotic pharmacies" to help dispense medication. It's the engineers who help build these automated systems, says Jim Turnquist, director of career services at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Mich. "In the U.S. we only graduate 70,000 engineers per year, but we're going to need 100,000 per year. The demand is going to go way up." Average Yearly Salary - $71,490
Networking/System Administrator. Since almost all business transactions these days are done with the assistance of a vast computer network, the people who understand how to keep computer networks running smoothly are critically important -- and consequently, in high demand. "Network and system administrators maintain the company's infrastructure. People need people to fix and monitor their infrastructure, keep them updated," Mitchell says. Average Yearly Salary - $54,193
Nurse. The health-care field has been booming for a long time, and all signs indicate it will continue to do so, says Turnquist. He also says college students and people looking for a new job field would be wise to consider physical therapy and similar "exercise science" fields, since aging Baby Boomers will be looking for ways to remain active long into their later years. Average Yearly Salary (Registered Nurse) - $53,840
Software Designer/Developer. Companies from all sectors of the economy are looking for software engineers and programmers, says Turnquist. This is because society in general is becoming more tech-dependent -- just think of how rapidly cell phones change with each passing year -- requiring software developers that can stay abreast of all the changes. Average Yearly Salary - $72,070
Source: All salary data is from PayScale.com. The salaries listed are median, annual salaries for full-time workers with 5-8 years of experience and include any bonuses, commissions or profit sharing.
Also on Yahoo! HotJobs:
Recruiters offer keys to success in 2009
10 great cities for salary growth
8 hot jobs for college grads
Find a new job near you
不知国内哪些行业好些。感觉Public Relations Specialist 比较有前景，社会信息日趋自由开放，不论是企业和政府，都需要更专业的人员协调公共关系。