Thursday, January 2, 2014

Resources for January 2, 2014

In 2014 lets collectively realize a better world



Zack Beauchamp for Think Progress: "Chinese Muslims Freed From Guantanamo Ten Years After Being Found Innocent"

Cory Doctorow for Boing Boing: "Jacob Appelbaum's must-watch 30C3 talk: why NSA spying affects you, no matter who you are"

Merriam-Webster Word-of-the-Day:

endemic \en-DEM-ik\ adjective

1 : characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment; 2 : restricted or peculiar to a locality or region

EXAMPLES

A recent report identifies the country as a "failed state," citing endemic corruption at all levels of government.

"Aucoin's research focuses on the development of rapid diagnostics as a resource to countries where disease is endemic and expanding." — From an article in the Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada), December 3, 2013

If you translate it literally, "endemic" means "in the population." It derives from the Greek "endēmos," which joins "en," meaning "in," and "dēmos," meaning "people" or "populace." "Endemic" is often used to characterize diseases that are generally found in a particular area; malaria, for example, is said to be endemic to tropical and subtropical regions. This use differs from that of the related word "epidemic" in that it indicates a more or less constant presence in a particular population or area rather than a sudden, severe outbreak within that region or group. The word is also used by biologists to characterize the plant and animal species that are only found in a given area.


Taylor, Bron. "Battleground Pandora: The War over James Cameron's Avatar." Bright Lights Film Journal #82 (November 2013)

Skeptoid podcasts:

#2: "Religion as a Moral Center"

#3: "Rods: Flying Absurdities"

#317: "Attack of the Nanobots! Is it possible for nanotechnology to result in an army of self-replicating machines that consume and destroy our society?"


Democracy Now episodes:

"Top 20 Democracy Now! Segments of 2013"

"2013 In Review: Power, Politics and Resistance"

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