1. Brain That Changes Itself: into the abyss

Comment #220625 by Gems on July 28, 2008 at 6:02 pm

Interesting article. Can anyone help me to understand how the artificial vestibular apparatus continued to have an effect after the patient removed it from her tongue i.e. how is there a residual effect? The article says:

The jerking has stopped, and her brain is decoding signals from her artificial vestibular apparatus.

...somehow these tingling sensations on her tongue are making their way, through a novel pathway in the brain, to the area that processes balance.

Perhaps I'm missing something obvious, but I would have thought that her tongue needed to continue to receive electric signals from the device (which her brain has learnt to interpret in order for her to keep her balance) in order for the effect to last? Can anyone shed any light?

2. Award-winning comedian George Carlin dies

Comment #197999 by Gems on June 23, 2008 at 3:22 am

You will be dearly missed George, thank you. Legend.

3. We happy hooligans

Comment #186145 by Gems on May 29, 2008 at 5:51 pm

Sorry to go a bit off topic, but has everyone seen this?

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7426647.stm>
and
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4029761.ece>

I've been trying to figure out why the whole issue of Blair's conversion and now revealed religiousity whilst he was in office makes me so angry- and I think it's a combination of a sense of betrayal and annoyance that a person who should know better doesn't. HOW can he have joined a bronze age cult which has done so much harm over the centuries and which continues to do so much harm in, just for starters, it's opposition to contraception in AIDS-ridden sub-Saharan Africa and it's opposition to stem cell research.

And now he has started a foundation, which is seeking hundreds of millions of pounds of charitable funding, which wants to get us to respect faith?! What an utter c**t.

4. Richard Dawkins on The Big Questions

Comment #157431 by Gems on April 9, 2008 at 4:53 am

Arrgh, so many stupid misguided people. The only rational ones were Richard, the Human Rights activist, Douglas Murray and the writer. Who is the mayoral candidate? Londoners need to make sure such an ignorant buffoon is exposed for what he is during the mayoral race.

5. Archbishop's 8 March centennial message: Let Sharia Law govern women's lives, Amen!

Comment #128726 by Gems on February 17, 2008 at 7:50 pm

Bravo Azar! One of the best responses on this subject that I've read. I hope someone's forwarded this to Rowan Williams...