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August 1, 2007

Longevity pill on track; FCC unlocks phones; 'That's Amore,' blues links; Chris Walken cooking video; Justice Roberts, human;

Beat back the reaper: Longevity Pill Tested in Humans, at Technology Review::

Because humans are so long-lived, SRT501 can't be easily tested for longevity in humans--nor does the Food and Drug Administration recognize "increased life span" as an allowable indication for an approved drug. This is why Sirtris is testing SRT501 for diseases related to aging, such as type 2 diabetes. However, should the drug be approved for diabetes, it will undoubtedly be used to extend life span by many people without diabetes.

The drug still has years of testing to go and faces many hurdles. It may not work. But if it does, the consequences will be profound. For instance, it will mean that more people will be alive on the earth. Age 90 will be the new 70, and 70 the new 50, with profound impacts on everything from social security to retirement age. It may also mean fewer people with diabetes, Alzheimer's, and some cancers.

Geezer power gets a new lease on life. Hard to sustain a movement whose members keep dying, as early AIDS activists discovered.

Bonus link: Reason Magazine - Would you give up your immortality to ensure the success of a posthuman world?

Freedom of choice: FCC OKs auction rules for unlocked phones, applications: Public-private network for emergency communications also envisioned. At Computerworld,

The Federal Communications Commission today approved rules for a planned 700-MHz auction that provide for unlocked phones and applications but do not require bidders to provide wholesale wireless services.

In addition, the rules set a requirement for part of the spectrum to create a public-private partnership for interoperable communications for public safety organizations nationwide.

(FCC Chairman Kevin) Martin championed unlocked phones and applications, which would enable consumers to buy cell phones and applications that could be used with any wireless carrier. He held up two identical Nokia Corp. phones that he said demonstrated the problem with the way certain applications are sometimes restricted. One sold in the U.S. by carriers bans use in Wi-Fi zones, while the other, sold in Europe, allows use in Wi-Fi zones. The unlocked phone and application provision would allow use of hardware and applications across a portion of the newly allocated 700-MHz spectrum.

Related: Ten Reasons To Throw Away Your Cellphone. At Wired. Wired as I am, I don't own a cell phone, never have.

Not Tony: Britain will take troops out of Iraq regardless of US, says PM. Belfast Telegraph.

Blues, and other outsider art: Over at the prolific Grow-A-Brain, Hanan Levin credits art blogger Madamjujujive of madamjujujive’s rag & bone shop with most of the meat in Blues compendium with madamjujujive, an impressive collection that includes mp3s, video and streaming radio.

Good listening, though dawn is not my favorite time for the blues if I'm waking up rather than staying up.

Leading Mme.'s blog now:

fish boutique by Norwegian illustrator Bjorn Rune Lie

Dig through the archives: The Vinyl Word is Joe Queenan's blog at the Guardian "on the surprising origins of classic hits."

Now: Like a bigga pizza pie?That's Amore! Joe Queenan investigates the origins of Dean Martin's cheesy hit, possibly the cheesiest song of all time.

Was Smells Like Teen Spirit really named after a deodorant? Yes, writes Joe Queenan. Yes, it was. But that's not why Kurt Cobain came to loathe Nirvana's biggest hit.

At home with Chris Walken:

Actor Christopher Walken makes roast chicken with pears. An amateur video at I'm Cooked.

The uncontrollable:
NYT: Supreme Court Memo: Uncertainty Now in a Golden Youth’s Trajectory. Linda Greenhouse:

Could adversity temper a jurisprudence that critics of the chief justice have discerned as bloodless and unduly distant from the messy reality of the lives of ordinary people who fail to file their appeals on time?

St. George Ambulance responded to a call at about 2 p.m. Monday of a man who had fallen 5 to 10 feet and landed on a dock, hitting the back of his head. The patient was ashen and was foaming at the mouth. -- Maine Coast Now: Chief Justice Roberts to spend night at hospital

Posted by Sheila Lennon  at 10:03 AM | Permalink