“Scientists led by Thomas Higham of the University of Oxford in England reported last week (May 2012) that improved radiocarbon tests determined that animal bones found with the flutes were 42,000 to 43,000 years old. This is close to the time when the first anatomically modern humans were spreading into Central Europe, presumably along the Danube River valley”
By John Noble Wilford at The New York Times
“Musical instruments may have been used in recreation or for religious ritual, experts say…”
from the BBC Science-environment
“And some researchers have argued that music may have been one of a suite of behaviours displayed by our species which helped give them an edge over the Neanderthals – who went extinct in most parts of Europe 30,000 years ago.
Music could have played a role in the maintenance of larger social networks, which may have helped our species expand their territory at the expense of the more conservative Neanderthals.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18196349
A link to the source for this article with a silly song played on a replica of this flute.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8117915.stm
Brain-computer interface
By Geoff Boynton and Jessica Thomas from the University of Washington. Article by Collin Barras at newscientist.com
Causes of untimely deaths. Would make a nice set of blocks for children.
By Lee Simmons at wired.com
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/11/infoporn-causes-of-death/
Make your own internet using wireless routers.
A self-contained version of the Internet. Run it in your neighborhood – or in an emergency or disaster situation. Share normal Internet access by connecting an Internet node to the mesh.
from commotionwireles.net
Because its worth $5 billion?
By Matt Buchanan at the New Yorker.
