FYI: I just saw this discussion of two studies, both of which indicate that iOS users far surpass users of other smartphone OSs in the UK.

Re: Web of Lies: I don't know the answer. But the content might be simultaneously browser-accessible in Flash, which wouldn't work on iOS. Davies has experimented with alternative formats in the past (e.g. radio shows). This might be something similar. I guess we'll find out.

Constantly running into non-magnetic obstacles.

I don't know about other people, but whenever I claim to be able to see other people's auras, it just refers to the fact that I'm hitting on them.

It seems like the crossovers only move in one direction between the two series (at least in the past, when Davies was doing both Doctor Who and Torchwood). Like, when Doctor Who has needed some epic gravitas, they pulled in Torchwood. But then they did slip in unexplained references to Doctor Who into Torchwood…

It's funny how that actor has immediate "post-apocalyptic militia leader" cred to me now. His new character on Fallen Skies did surprise me whenever he turned out not to be a complete megalomaniac. I also didn't hate The Postman, but I was a pretty avid David Brin fan for a while. I wouldn't mind seeing an attempt…

If this is anything like Stargate Universe, this is approximately how it will go:

I actually thought that the pilot was fine. Although one could argue that it's not realistic that the invading aliens would not be deadlier in some way, I would argue that no alien invasion story can be portrayed realistically. There's no reason that an intelligent species capable of traveling interstellar distances…

I basically agree with you about the Skitters and the Mechs. The aliens aren't from a planet similar to earth, they genetically modified a slave race to be able to function on earth. The aliens are either inside the Mechs or are controlling them from a distance.

I'm glad you thought it was worthwhile. I do think we will learn more and more about the relationship between genetic variability and social psychology over time. Certain genetic disorders like Williams syndrome provide some useful insights on the most basic and almost unusable level. There has also been some work…

I find the video footage from Rise of the Planet of the Apes to be increasingly convincing myself.

If the child's facial structure can change on the basis of what he sees, then certainly the father's genetically-determined behavior can change in relation to the relationship between what he sees and his genetically-determined facial structure.

This isn't even a matter of evolutionary biology, IMO. But the reason why it is treated by "evolutionary psychology" is that it deals with the psychological reaction of the cultural father and the "socially emergent" qualities of the interaction of the "traits" under discussion. There are two components: 1) a…

The main problems with evolutionary psychology have to do with the fact that there's no evolutionary science in it. As rwp140 mentioned, there's definitely a science of sociological change. We know that some vast proportion of complex social behavior is passed down non-biologically. But evolutionary psychology…

I was going to say something complicated, but then I decided that this field is hopelessly speculative. Every time I try to imagine a way to legitimize it scientifically — e.g., animal models, genetic studies, strict behaviorism — I come up against a brick wall.

The last photo in particular made me think of the "mood organ," although it doesn't seem complex enough to have a "six-hour self-accusatory depression" setting.

For anyone interested, the original scientific article is pretty interesting in so far as it tests the implant in a variety of circumstances. The NYT article is incorrect in a number of respects.

Ha, I didn't realize the journal gives free access to article downloads online. Also, I'm still angry at NYT about its misreporting of the Alzheimer's diagnostic test a while back. Thanks for the motivational impetus.

The NYT article is pretty awful at explaining exactly what happened in the study. First it says that the electrodes are placed in hippocampal regions CA1 and CA3 and can record the signal sent from CA1 to CA3. Then, in the drug condition, the drug is described as something that "shuts down" CA1, taking it "off line"…

I have found this quote from Wikipedia to be very interesting: