Daen de Leon – Techcitement*

‘Please, State The Nature Of The Medical Emergency’

Daen de Leon — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:00:30 +0000

Two researchers at Indiana University, Kris Hauser and Casey Bennett, have developed a predictive system for determining how to treat patients that adapts to new health information over time, and it could reduce costs by up to 50 percent while similarly improving patient outcomes. The system, published in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine journal in January (PDF), […]

The Vision Of The Future

Daen de Leon — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:00:09 +0000

It took 20 years and $200 million in funding, but the FDA finally approved Swiss company Second Sight’s Argus II retinal prosthesis last week after the Opthalmic Device Panel unanimously voted in favor of approval last September. The system restores partial vision to sufferers of retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disorder that progressively destroys the light-sensitive […]

Could You Print Me Out A Couple Of Livers?

Daen de Leon — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:06:32 +0000

Additive manufacturing, or its more commonly-referred to description as 3D printing, has been in the news a lot over the last few weeks, with stories about varied uses such as printing musical instruments, plastic magazines for rifles, and moonbases for European space missions. Now, a joint venture between academics at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University and private […]

Who’s A Clever Boy, Then? Dognition Can Tell You Exactly That

Daen de Leon — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:17:02 +0000

If you ever make the mistake of asking a dog owner how smart his or her pet is, be prepared to spend at least half an hour listening to how Fido figured out where the treats are kept or when Rex got a new toy and immediately buried it in the garden to stop anyone […]

Big Science, Big Money, And A Levitating Frog

Daen de Leon — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:35:12 +0000

“It’s crap.” That was the candid response of one eminent scientist towards Henry Markram’s Human Brain Project (HBP) at a meeting of the Swiss Academy of Sciences last January. The meeting was ostensibly reviewing the progress of high-performance computing in the neurosciences. For Markram, it felt like the inquisition. But on Monday it seemed like Markram’s […]

The Wired Woods: Measure For Measure

Daen de Leon — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:33:37 +0000

Advances in alternative energy technology over the last four decades have made it both easier and cheaper to live off-grid. This series provides a personal perspective on the pluses and minuses of living with technology in the forests of Northern California. After a short hiatus, The Wired Woods is back. Parts one and two. I […]

Social Media Stock Market Prediction: Not My Cup Of Tea

Daen de Leon — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:00:03 +0000

Butler’s Wharf lies on the south bank of the Thames, just to the East of Tower Bridge. One hundred years ago, tea clippers unloaded crates of tea from China and India, a commodity that made many investors rich and cemented the reputation of the Brits as a nation of tea drinkers, exchanging gossip over the […]

The Wired Woods: Sarcasm In The USA And Exit For Humboldt County

Daen de Leon — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:00:41 +0000

Advances in alternative energy technology over the last four decades have made it both easier and cheaper to live off-grid. This series provides a personal perspective on the pluses and minuses of living with technology in the forests of Northern California. “Can I at least get my lunch from the fridge?” “No. I’ll fetch it […]

The Wired Woods: How To Live In The Forest Using Only Car Batteries And A Composting Toilet

Daen de Leon — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:00:01 +0000

Advances in alternative energy technology over the last four decades have made it both easier and cheaper to live off-grid. This series provides a personal perspective on the pluses and minuses of living with technology in the forests of Northern California. It’s July, 1984. The miners’ strike in England is getting bloody. The twenty-third summer […]