Daily Archives: February 4, 2014

Brain function ‘boosted for days after reading a novel’

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classic-novelsBeing pulled into the world of a gripping novel can trigger actual, measurable changes in the brain that linger for at least five days after reading, scientists have said.

The new research, carried out at Emory University in the US, found that reading a good book may cause heightened connectivity in the brain and neurological changes that persist in a similar way to muscle memory.

The changes were registered in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, as well as the the primary sensory motor region of the brain.

Neurons of this region have been associated with tricking the mind into thinking it is doing something it is not, a phenomenon known as grounded cognition – for example, just thinking about running, can activate the neurons associated with the physical act of running.

Read more at The Independent

SEE ALSO: Lost At E Minor, 100 best novels
Get Free books at Project Gutenberg

Overnight closures on I-17 south of Camp Verde continue this week

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One-hour closure scheduled this week between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.

This week crews will close Interstate 17 overnight, in both directions, between General Crook Trail and State Route 169 for up to one hour between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 4 and Thursday, Feb. 6.

The nightly closure allows work on the climbing lane project south of Camp Verde. Each night, from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., northbound I-17 will be stopped at SR 169, and southbound I-17 traffic will be stopped at General Crook Trail, until the work is completed and the roadway can be reopened.

During this construction project, bicyclists are not permitted through the project work zone at any time, as the shoulders along I-17 are closed. Bicyclists can bypass the work zone via State Route 169 for northbound riders or State Route 260 for southbound riders.

The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations and to proceed through the work zone with caution, comply with the reduced speed limit, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel.

For more information, email projects@azdot.gov or call the ADOT project hotline at 1.855.712.8530. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 511.

Arizona Department of Education barred by judge from taking funding back from charters

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State education officials have been blocked by a judge from taking nearly $5.9 million away from charter schools.

In an order released Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Dean Fink said the state Department of Education may not demand refunds from charter schools which the state said had been given more state aid than they should have received.

Fink acknowledged the position of education agency that schools should not get money to which they were not entitled. He said that, on some level, it makes sense for the state to be able to get back the excess, no matter how long it takes.

But Fink said it would be unfair to take money from schools years later.

“Under the department’s interpretation, the effect of a shortfall is felt not by those pupils who benefited from the original excess funding, by a new cohort who received no benefit yet much now suffer the detriment,” Fink wrote.

Read more at The East Valley Tribune

Arizona Bill to reduce metadata collection moves forward

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nsa-hubArizona Senator Kelli Ward introduced SB 1156 (HTML | PDF) which would prevent agencies and corporations of The Great State of Arizona from assisting in the metadata collection by the NSA and other agencies.

The Tenth Amendment web site calls it the first in the nation.

Arizona Senator Kelli Ward (Photo AZ Legislature web)

Arizona Senator Kelli Ward (Photo AZ Legislature web)

FOURTH AMENDMENT

The Fourth Amendment of the inalienable Bill of Rights provides:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The Supreme Court has so watered down most of the Bill of Rights through decisions based on ideology and not constitutionality that this provision is almost worthless. For example, TSA can violate your person without a warrant based on probable cause by Oath or affirmation by your simple act of buying a ticket for public transportation.

Apparently, however, the “fake” NSA spying scandal has finally pushed Senator Ward too far. The bill would not stop illegal data collection by the NSA and other agencies which has tapped into all forms of communications. It would only prevent the State agencies and corporations dealing with the State from providing any assistance to the federal government.
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Scrapped for a penny: USS Forrestal, Navy’s first supercarrier, begins final voyage

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USSforrestalThe U.S. Navy’s first supercarrier — the long-decommissioned Forrestal — has begun its final voyage to a Texas scrapyard, after the Pentagon tried to sell it, found no takers and had to pay a penny to get rid of it.

The 1,067-foot ship, which was shut down in 1993 after more than 38 years of service, was being towed Tuesday morning down the Delaware River and along the Eastern Seaboard before crossing the Gulf of Mexico to reach All Star Metals in Brownsville. U.S. Navy officials signed a 1-cent contract with the Texas company in October to dismantle the ship perhaps best known for a 1967 incident that killed 134 and injured more than 300 others, including a young Navy aviator named John McCain.

“We started our departure from the dock at 5:31 a.m.,” All Star Metals President Nikhil Shah told FoxNews.com, adding that the trip should take roughly 17 days. “This is the largest ship that we’ve ever dismantled, and the largest ship the U.S. government has ever awarded to be dismantled. It’s a very big job to us.”

Read more at FOX News