Internet Opens Doors to Elite Colleges

Have you ever wondered what it's like to sit in a class at MIT or Yale and listen to a lecture? Wonder no more. Thanks to the internet and the participating schools, you can actually watch the lectures on your computer. Now, understanding what they are talking about is another thing, though.

The top universities have finally opened their doors to the world of online education. And mostly, they are giving it away for free.

An MIT initiative called "OpenCourseWare" makes virtually all the school's courses available online for free — lecture notes, readings, tests and often video lectures. Prof. Gilbert Strang's Math 18.06 course is among the most popular, with visitors downloading his lectures more than 1.3 million times since June 2007 alone.

MIT's initiative is the largest, but the trend is spreading. More than 100 universities worldwide, including Johns Hopkins, Tufts and Notre Dame, have joined MIT in a consortium of schools promoting their own open courseware. You no longer need a Princeton ID to hear the prominent guests who speak regularly on campus, just an Internet connection. This month, Yale announced it would make material from seven popular courses available online, with 30 more to follow.
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Tiger Escape & Attack at SF Zoo, One Dead

The 4-year-old tiger, a female named Tatiana, went on a rampage at San Francisco Zoo near closing time on Christmas Day, killing one teenager and severely injuring the two others before police shot it to death.

San Francisco Zoo Director Manuel Mollinedo acknowledged that the wall around the animal’s pen was just 12½ feet high, after previously saying it was 18 feet. According to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the walls around a tiger exhibit should be at least 16.4 feet high.

Zoo officials said a “moat” separating the habitat from the public viewing area that measured 33 feet across contained no water, and has never had any. They did not address whether that affected the tiger’s ability to get out.

Taunting a factor?

“I think it could be feasible for a cat that has been taunted or angered,” Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo, said Thursday. “I don’t think it would ever just do it to do it.”

Mollinedo said surveillance cameras and new fencing will be installed around the exhibit.

Bible Park USA coming to Nashville?

Will Bible Park USA come to Music City USA? A spokesperson for developers of the proposed Bible-story theme park in the Blackman community said that efforts to make the project a reality will continue in 2008, beginning with renewed public outreach.

The park is planned as a non-evangelical, non-denominational family-friendly theme park depicting Bible stories, according to the developers. The "edutainment" experience, combining education and entertainment, will offer visualizations of the history of the Bible, as well as the history and archaeology of the period.
The proposal calls for locating the $150 million to $300 million park on 200 acres west of Interstate 24 in the Blackman community. The park would hire 200 to 300 full-time employees and 500 to 1,200 seasonal workers.

(I was sad to see Opryland demolished for a shopping center. However, this does not appeal to me much. Although I am all for more entertainment venues here, this just feels wrong. A religious theme park charging us 30 to 50 bucks per person for admission serving overpriced burgers and drinks? They should build a country-music theme park and a non-profit Bible museum right next to it, imo.)

Elisha Gray. Ring a Bell?

[AP] A new book claims to have definitive evidence of a long-suspected technological crime — that Alexander Graham Bell stole ideas for the telephone from a rival, Elisha Gray.

In "The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell's Secret," journalist Seth Shulman argues that Bell — aided by aggressive lawyers and a corrupt patent examiner — got an improper peek at patent documents Gray had filed, and that Bell was erroneously credited with filing first.

Shulman believes the smoking gun is Bell's lab notebook, which details the false starts Bell encountered as he and assistant Thomas Watson tried transmitting sound electromagnetically over a wire. Then, after a 12-day gap in 1876 — when Bell went to Washington to sort out patent questions about his work — he suddenly began trying another kind of voice transmitter that proved successful.

As Bell described that new approach, he sketched a diagram of a person speaking into a device. Gray's patent documents, which describe a similar technique, also feature a very similar diagram.

Shulman's book recounts other elements that have piqued researchers' suspicions. For instance, Bell's transmitter design appears hastily written in the margin of his patent; Bell was nervous about demonstrating his device with Gray present; Bell resisted testifying in an 1878 lawsuit probing this question; and Bell, as if ashamed, quickly distanced himself from the telephone monopoly bearing his name.

Shulman explores why historical memory has favored Bell and not Gray. One reason is simply that Bell, not Gray, actually demonstrated a phone that transmitted speech. Gray was focused instead on his era's pressing communications challenge: how to send multiple messages simultaneously over the same telegraph wire. As Gray huffed to his attorney, "I should like to see Bell do that with his apparatus."

Giant Crawfish of Tennessee and Kentucky

Crawfish the size of a small lobster live in a few Middle Tennessee and Kentucky streams, and nowhere else.

To protect the species, officials won't give away exact locations found, but they include parts of the Middle and West Fork Drakes Creek in Sumner County and Line Creek in Clay County.

Tennessee has at least 78 species of crawfish, which may be more than any other state, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

At up to 9 inches from claw to tail, Barbicambarus cornutus, the crawfish state biologists have documented, is the largest of the crawfish here. They don't know how many there might be, nor how big the largest are here.

(I always viewed crawfish as small lobsters. Lobsters being so expensive, whenever I go to a Chinese buffet, I would get some crawfish tails. They may not be as tasty as Lobster tails, but it's all-you-can-eat and you can't beat that! I wonder if they can farm these giant crawfish and sell them cheap.)

Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe

Most are harmless. But when doctors start believing medical myths, perhaps it's time to worry.

And so here they are:

Myth 1: We use only 10 percent of our brains.
Fact: ...The myth probably originated with self-improvement hucksters in the early 1900s who wanted to convince people that they had yet not reached their full potential.

Myth 2: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Fact: ...this myth can be traced back to a 1945 recommendation from the Nutrition Council that a person consume the equivalent of 8 glasses (64 ounces) of fluid a day. Over the years, "fluid" turned to water. But fruits and vegetables, plus coffee and other liquids, count.

Myth 3: Fingernails and hair grow after death.
Fact: ...it's impossible. As the body’s skin is drying out, soft tissue, especially skin, is retracting. The nails appear much more prominent as the skin dries out. The same is true, but less obvious, with hair. As the skin is shrinking back, the hair looks more prominent or sticks up a bit.

Myth 4: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker.
Fact: ...When hair first comes in after being shaved, it grows with a blunt edge on top. Over time, the blunt edge gets worn so it may seem thicker than it actually is. Hair that's just emerging can be darker too, because it hasn't been bleached by the sun.

Myth 5: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
Fact: ...It can cause eye strain and temporarily decreased acuity, which subsides after rest.

Cheers, Guinness Drinkers!

I used to enjoy a cold glass of Guinness in Hoboken bars with friends. I loved the chocolate-milkish color and the rich flavor. Now there is another reason to enjoy a glass of the famous beer.

A pint of Guinness a day prevents heart clots (which can trigger heart attacks) as well as an aspirin, according to a study featured in this BBC News article.

The antioxidants found in the Guinness’s dark brew are responsible for its protective effect, the research in the BBC article found. Other foods and drinks that are sources of these beneficial molecules are red wine, coffee, fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, drinking lager does not yield the same benefits.

[Fun Facts] In England, post-operative patients used to be given Guinness, as were blood donors, based on the belief that it was high in iron. Also, pregnant women and nursing mothers were at one stage advised to drink Guinness - the present advice is against this.

15+ Years in Prison for Shaking Baby Daughter

[COOKEVILLE, Tenn.] A Cookeville man will spend at least 15 years in prison for shaking his baby daughter and leaving her with brain damage.

Samuel Hawkins was found guilty of aggravated child abuse.

Investigators said in June 2006, Hawkins lost his temper when his 3-month-old daughter wouldn't stop crying. Hawkins shook her in her swing.

The child, now almost 2-years-old, can't walk or talk and has severely impaired vision.

Hawkins will be sentenced in February. He faces between 15 and 25 years in prison, and he must serve 100-percent of his time.

Another example of how a short burst of temper can change/ruin many lives forever. I am sure he didn't mean to permanently damage his daughter, but commited a horrible act nonetheless.

On the other hand, I've seen some criminals get less than 10 years for voluntary man-slaughter. What's up with that? They should get as much time as this man, no?

HDTV: 720p or 1080p?

So, what's the difference between 720p and 1080p?

Seems to me they keep coming up with new jargons to confuse consumers and trick them to buy what they really don't need.

Why buy a Ferrari for a commuter car?

720p is a term/jargon for a TV with about 1 million pixels of color composing the picture on the screen. TVs having a resolution of 1,080p have about twice as many pixels.

In general, more pixels means crisper, clearer pictures. BUT, an HDTV with 1,080p is currently more than you really need because even HD programs are broadcast at a lower resolution than 1,080p! To take advantage of 1,080p, you would need a compatible game console or a high-definition DVD player like Blu-Ray or HD-DVD that will cost hundreds of dollars more to buy.

SO, if you are not watching a lot of Blu-Ray or HD-DVD movies, I'd suggest that you save a few hundred bucks for now and buy 720p.

Technology changes so rapidly and the prices fall like internet stocks sometimes, it's always prudent that you buy electronic gagets that you need NOW, not a year from now. You will be in market to buy a new TV set in a few years anyway.

Korea's Next President

Lee Myung-bak (Former Hyundae Construction CEO and Seoul Mayor) cruised to victory in the presidential election yesterday with almost 49 percent of the vote.

First runner-up Chung Dong-young of the liberal United New Democratic Party won 27 percent of votes, while independent Lee Hoi-chang, the founder and former chairman of the Grand National Party, followed with almost 16 percent.

Voter turnout plunged to an all-time low of about 63 percent, or about 24 million out of 37 million eligible voters. In 2002, the turnout was 70.8 percent.

In Italy, you can't name your baby 'Friday'

Friday/Gregory Germano was born in Genoa 15 months ago. The parents registered him as Friday in the city hall and a priest even baptised him as Friday -- unusual in Italy since many priests insist that first names be of Christian origin.

"We named him Friday because we like the sound of the name," said the boy's mother, Mara Germano.

When the boy was about five months old, a city hall clerk brought the odd name to the attention of a tribunal, which informed the couple of an administrative norm which bars parents from giving "ridiculous or shameful" first names to children.

The Germano family appealed but lost their case this month.
When ordered to change the name, the parents refused and the court ruled the boy would be legally registered as Gregory because he was born on that saint's feast day.

"I really doubt this would have happened to the child of parents who are rich and famous," the boy's mother told Reuters, recalling that some famous Italians had given their children unorthodox names such as "Ocean" or "Chanel".

The appeals court ruled against Friday because it recalled the servile savage in Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe and because superstitious Italians consider Friday an unlucky day.

"My son was born Friday, baptised Friday, will call himself Friday, we will call him Friday but when he gets older he will have to sign his name Gregory," she said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKL1845852920071218

Future Pets Will Glow in the Dark!

[Seoul] South Korean scientists have cloned cats by manipulating a fluorescent protein gene, a procedure which could help develop treatments for human genetic diseases.

In a side-effect, the cloned cats glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet beams.

This handout photo released December 12, 2007 in Seoul by the Ministry of Science and Technology shows a combo of cloned cats that have a fluorescence protein gene and glowing under ultraviolet beams.

A team of scientists led by Kong Il-keun, a cloning expert at Gyeongsang National University, produced three cats possessing altered fluorescence protein (RFP) genes. http://www.physorg.com/news116662903.html

A Christmas Play!!! FREE Admission!

Ok, this is a MUST-SEE event of the year!!! Folks at Bridge Community Church are preparing a Christmas play on Sunday, Dec. 23rd. I hope many of you can attend this event. It's going to be fun and inspiring experience for everyone! For more info, visit http://www.bridge4christ.org/

December 2007

December issue is here! Pick up a copy at your nearest Korean markets, restaurants, CPA offices or call/email us if you want to receive it in the mail.

South Korea's first astronaut

A 30-year-old engineer was chosen to be Korea's first citizen in space.

Ko San, who works at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, will fly with two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station in 2008. He will spend a week there, conducting a series of scientific tests.

The candidates, who were chosen from a list of over 36,000 applicants, have been working with Russian cosmonauts since early this year.
Among those few candidates "Ko proved to be more comfortable communicating with the Russian cosmonauts and he scored higher on performance and scientific experiment tests," Vice Science Minister Chung Yoon said.

Mr Ko is a Seoul National University graduate, specialising in artificial intelligence.
South Korea is working to complete its first space center by the end of the year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6979433.stm

Saved by Wedding Ring?

JACKSON, Miss. - Donnie Register has a new reason to be thankful he's married — police say his wedding band deflected a bullet and probably saved his life.

Two men walked into Register's shop at The Antique Market on Saturday and asked to see a coin collection. When he retrieved the collection, one of the men pulled a gun and demanded money. A shot was fired as Register threw up his left hand, and his wedding ring deflected the bullet.

"The bullet managed to go through two of his fingers without severing the bone," said his wife, Darlene Register. "A part of the bullet broke off and is in his middle finger. The other part is in his neck, lodged in the muscle tissue. But it's not life-threatening."

She said she gives God all the credit.

The ring said 'what about me?' and God declined a comment.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/WaterCooler/story?id=3951160&page=1

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Happy Birthday Jesus,
I am so glad it's Christmas
All the tinsels and lights
and the presents are nice
but the real gift is You
Happy Birthday Jesus
I am so glad it's Christmas
All the carols and bells
make the holiday swell
but it's all about You
Happy Birthday Jesus
Jesus I love You!

Seminar: College Admissions & Spirituality

If you have teenage children, don't miss this seminar.
The admission is FREE and it will be both in English and Korean.