more about “Halloween Math Class“, posted with vodpod
Archive for October, 2009
Halloween Math Class
Oct 30
California’s stem cell agency has approved $250 million in grants with the help of two other medical research agencies.
The grants go to 14 agencies, including Stanford University, which won $52 million, and the University of California, Los Angeles, which will receive $49 million.
CIRM, or the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, worked with the Medical Research Council, UK, which gave $8 million, and with the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, Canada, which gave $35 million.
The grants are aimed at speeding up the discovery of stem cell treatments. Alan Trounson, president of CIRM, said the money will help cut the time it takes for a therapy to make it to clinical trials. That usually takes a “decade or more” he said.
Some grants awarded locally go to:
- Sangamo Biosciences of Richmond, which will spend $14.6 million along with the City of Hope treatment center near Los Angeles.
- Researchers Jefferey Bluestone and Mitchel Berger of UC San Francisco, who get $19 million to split with Webster Cavenee of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.
To date, Stanford has been awarded $163 million in CIRM grants for 42 projects. UCSF has gotten $122 million for 32 projects, UC Davis $49 million for 15 projects, and UC Berkeley $35 million for 10 projects.
Slutty Holloween Costume
Oct 28
VIA – Ready Brew Coffee by Starbucks
All quotes courtesy of the Starbucks website
“Starbucks has found a way to offer a truly great cup of coffee that you can prepare by just adding water.”
Hmm, so you mean like instant coffee?
“We believe other instant coffees taste flat and lifeless. Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew is different – it’s full-bodied and flavorful, just like the Starbucks® coffee you know and love.
I thought your customers were flat and lifeless (after paying $5 for a latte), but what do I know.
One of the headings on the Starbucks VIA™ web page reads “How Starbucks VIA™ Can Change Your Life”, and is followed by “It’s pretty revolutionary, when you think about it. With Starbucks VIA™, great coffee can be yours anytime, anywhere. A life-altering concept, with tasty consequences, to be sure. But with endless possibilities for enjoyment,…”
Revolutionary? Life-altering? Wow! And there are endless possibilities, it seems. Odd, I was under the impression that the only possibility was to enjoy a cup of coffee, but I’m sure the coffee scientists know better.
The kind Starbucks people have also gone out of their way to develop a guide about how best to enjoy VIA™.
“We’ve put together a handy little guide to help you answer that very question. Have a read through for suggestions on how to make the most of Starbucks VIA™. Then invent some yourself and share them here with us.”
I always want to pull out a guidebook for coffee making when I’m in rush and want to make instant coffee before dashing off to wherever I am going. Another giant leap for mankind.
