Selectively wiping out memories

The BBC broke the most exciting science story this month: "Working with mice, the researchers found that a particular protein has a crucial role in the formation of memories.

Making the mice over-produce this protein while recalling a specific and painful event caused the memory to be completely eliminated.

The scientists say that in the long-term it should be possible to develop a pill that wipes out traumatic and fearful memories in humans."

I should finally watch the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The selective memory wiping is at the core of the movie.

Project 10^100 submission's form as a business plan template

Google's Project 10^100 sounds promissing. I missed the deadline to submit my ideas, but I am taking the opportunity to "borrow" their entry form questions in creating a business plan proposals template. Here are the relevant questions: 8. Your idea's name (maximum 50 characters): 9. Please select a category that best describes your idea. Community: How can we help connect people, build communities and protect unique cultures? Opportunity: How can we help people better provide for themselves and their families? Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy? Environment: How can we help promote a cleaner and more sustainable global ecosystem? Health: How can we help individuals lead longer, healthier lives? Education: How can we help more people get more access to better education? Shelter: How can we help ensure that everyone has a safe place to live? Everything else: Sometimes the best ideas don't fit into any category at all. 10. What one sentence best describes your idea? (maximum 150 characters) 11. Describe your idea in more depth. (maximum 300 words) 12. What problem or issue does your idea address? (maximum 150 words) 13. If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the most and how? (maximum 150 words) 14. What are the initial steps required to get this idea off the ground? (maximum 150 words) 15. Describe the optimal outcome should your idea be selected and successfully implemented. How would you measure it? (maximum 150 words)

A nice compliment on my Python skills

Mike Pumphrey wrote an entry in the GeoServer blog on batch importing Shapefiles into GeoServer. I got a nice write up from him: "Stoyan Shopov from LISAsoft, a geospatial software and consulting company, was in the same situation as I was.  He created the script, as he says, “by my own initiative and out of frustration,” which pretty much sums it up.  His script was, of course, miles ahead of mine in compactness and sheer elegance." 

Thanks Mike for the kind words.