Dr. Carlos Campo: Online Education: The Margarine of the 21st Century

Traditional higher education and the “synthetic” newcomer online education — like butter and margarine — will likely coexist for decades, but the rich flavor of tradition and reputation is likely to ensure that traditional higher education will be seen as the butter of academia.
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Robert Adler: U.S. Climate Disaster in Global Perspective

While there is ample evidence of climate change based on U.S. trends alone, the data are far more compelling if we look beyond our borders. Given the global nature of the climate problem, we can’t afford to consider only our own interests
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Paul Krassner: Behind the Twinkie Defense

Scherr was sitting in the audience at the campus theater where a panel discussion of the case was taking place. I was one of the panelists. When Scherr was introduced from the stage, I couldn’t resist saying to him on my microphone, “Care for a Twinkie?”
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Plus-Size Model Images May Reduce Obsession With Thinness

Why are we obsessed with female bodies that are thin? A new study from England’s Durham University offers two theories — and one possible solution.

Researchers Lynda Boothroyd, Martin Tovée and Thomas Pollet asked why women in many Western cultures prefer a thin body. They looked at two psychological phenomena that might explain this: the “visual diet” of Western women and the process of associative learning.

The visual-diet theory suggests that preferences can be shaped by the level of visual exposure. In other words, the more images a woman sees of thin women, the more she will internalize the idea that their bodies are the normal ones and larger bodies are abnormal.

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Naomi Klein Discusses Climate Change Challenges After Hurricane Sandy (VIDEO)

In the days following Hurricane Sandy, politicians, activists and civilians alike jumped into action on recovery efforts. Local governments brainstormed ways to fix failing infrastructure, while people across the nation discussed the need for an epistemological shift on a federal level.

Now, a mere two weeks after one of the most destructive U.S. storms ever hit the East Coast, that momentum is fading. In the above video from Democracy Now, Naomi Klein, the award-winning author of “The Shock Doctrine,” discusses how we should not, and cannot, let go of this opportunity. “Here we have a crisis that was supposed to be a wake up call about climate change. And it was, for a little while,” she explains. “Yet when we think about reconstruction, we are talking about how to hold back the next storm, not how to prevent the storms from continuing to escalate.”

Klein cites increasing transit fare as proof that government is not really taking environmental issues seriously enough. “What should be happening in response to [Sandy]… is saying not only do you not want fare increases, but public transit in a moment like this should be free,” she insists. “We should be developing policy that encourages the maximum number of people not to use cars.”

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More on Hurricane Sandy 2012


GoPro, Pixlr Express, and More

Whether it’s a new game from an old favorite film or a photo editing tool with tons of effects, there’s plenty for you to enjoy in this week’s best Android apps. More »

Dropcam, Butterball Cookbook Plus, and More

It’s the end of the week, and you’re so close to a holiday you can almost taste the sweet potato pie. Tide yourself over with a fresh round of the best iPad apps of the week. We’ve got plenty for you to check out, from an app that lets you design 3D printed items, to a cookbook, and more. More »

eBay Now, Expedia, and More

We’re about to enter into maximum holiday madness and it’s easy to wonder if you’re going to make it to January alive. As we kick off the season, this week’s edition of the best iPhone apps has a few tools to help you make it through, from one that gives you shopping discounts to another that helps you book travel, and much more. More »

Nexus 4 Teardown: What the Guts Look Like

Our friends at iFixit are in the process of tearing down the Nexus 4, Google’s latest and greatest Android phone. If you’re of seeing exposed chips, circuits, guts and innards in all their glory, you’ll want to follow along. More »

LEGO Pop-up Building Makes Eyeballs Pop out of Their Sockets

Every time I think I’ve seen every possible LEGO contraption you could build, somebody comes along and makes something I’ve never imagined. This time, we’ve got a giant folding LEGO structure that works like a pop-up book.

lego pop up building

It wasn’t enough for Japanese LEGO fanatic Talapz to simply create an architectural model of the Todai-ji Buddhist temple. Nope. He had to show off and make one that could actually fold up. Here, check it out:

Pretty nifty, eh? It turns out this isn’t the first folding LEGO building Talapz has made – back in 2009 he built another, though the 2012 model and folding mechanism is even more impressive.

Stick around to the end of the first video to see exactly how he built it.

[via Kotaku via Nerd Approved]