gormanw writes “Just outside Shanghai, there is an island about the size of Manhattan. China is going to build its first ever ‘green city’, complete with no gasoline/diesel powered vehicles, 100% renewable energy, green roofs, and recycling everything. The city is called Dongtan and it should house about 5,000 people by the end of 2010, with estimates of 500,000 by 2050. The goal is to build a livable city that’s energy efficient, non-polluting, and protects the wildlife in the area.”

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jamie pointed out an interesting piece being featured in Newsweek that claims a “genetic glitch” may prevent children from learning from their mistakes to the same degree as others. “If there’s one thing experts on child development agree on, it is that children learn ideal when they’re granted to make mistakes and feel the consequences. So Mom and Dad hold back as their toddler tries again and again to cram a round peg into a square hole. […] But not, it seems, all children. In about 30 percent, the coils of their DNA carry a glitch, one that leaves their brains with few dopamine receptors, molecules that act as docking ports for one of the neurochemicals that carry our thoughts and emotions. A paucity of dopamine receptors is linked to an inability to avoid self-destructive behavior such as illicit drug use. But the effects spill beyond such extremes. Children with the genetic variant are unable to learn from mistakes. No matter how many tests they blow by partying the night before, the lesson just doesn’t sink in.”

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gormanw writes “Just outside Shanghai, there is an island about the size of Manhattan. China is going to build its first ever ‘green city’, complete with no gasoline/diesel powered automobiles, 100% renewable energy, green roofs, and recycling everything. The city is called Dongtan and it should home about 5,000 people by the end of 2010, with estimates of 500,000 by 2050. The goal is to build a livable city that’s energy efficient, non-polluting, and protects the wildlife in the area.”

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jamie pointed out an interesting piece being featured in Newsweek that claims a “genetic glitch” might prevent kids from learning from their mistakes to the same degree as others. “If there’s one thing experts on child development agree on, it is that kids learn ideal when they’re granted to make mistakes and feel the consequences. So Mother and Dad hold back as their toddler tries again and again to cram a round peg into a square hole. […] But not, it seems, all kids. In about 30 percent, the coils of their DNA carry a glitch, one that leaves their brains with few dopamine receptors, molecules that act as docking ports for one of the neurochemicals that carry our thoughts and emotions. A paucity of dopamine receptors is linked to an inability to avoid self-destructive behavior such as illicit drug use. But the effects spill beyond such extremes. Kids with the genetic variant are unable to learn from mistakes. No matter how many tests they blow by partying the night before, the lesson just doesn’t sink in.”

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NewbieV points out coverage of the effort to assess Beijing’s air pollution control efforts. Quote from one of the investigators: “This will be a very interesting experiment that can never happen again.” Here’s the main project scientist’s site on the monitoring effort, and Newsweek coverage that brings out a paradoxical effect of reducing pollution on global warming. “Unmanned aerial vehicles are measuring emissions of soot and other forms of black carbon. The instruments are observing pollution transport patterns as Beijing enacts its “great shutdown” for the Summer Olympic Games. Chinese officials have compelled reductions in industrial activity by as much as 30 percent and cuts in automobile use by half to safeguard the health of competing athletes immediately before and during the games.”

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Filed under: Deals, From the boards, Products and services

Waste Management Inc. (NYSE: WMI) raised its hostile bid for smaller rival Republic Services Inc. (NYSE: RSG) by more than 8% to $6.73 billion, a premium that should be enough to scuttle Republic’s $6.24 billion purchase of Allied Waste Industries Inc. (NYSE: AW).

Under the terms of the deal, Waste Management would purchase Republic for $37 per share, a premium of almost 33% to Republic’s closing price on July 11, the last trading day before the company’s buyout proposal was disclosed. The proposal is above Republic’s all-time high stock price. Moreover, Waste Management will pay Republic, which rejected Waste Management’s earlier offer as inadequate, a fee of $250 million if the merger does not close because of opposition from the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Our $37.00 all-cash proposal clearly offers Republic stockholders a better and more certain value
alternative than is contemplated in the Republic-Allied transaction,” stated David P. Steiner, Waste
Management’s CEO, in a press release. “We believe our proposal is clearly superior for Republic’s stockholders and is designed so we can work cooperatively with Republic to structure a transaction that would benefit both
Republic and Waste Management stockholders.”

A combined Waste and Republic would create annual synergies of $200 million, $50 million more than the savings created by the Republic-Allied deal, according to the Wall Street Journal. The reason for Waste Management’s interest in Republic is easy according to the paper: “Though smaller than Waste or Allied, Republic is generally regarded as the best-run trash hauler in the country, and its stock has outperformed its rivals.”

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A reader, name withheld by request, writes “Writing in the IEEE Spectrum, James Oberg analyzes whether there was, in fact a significant risk to humans from the satellite which the US military shot down on 21 February, purportedly ‘to head off the possibility of its splashing a half ton of toxic hydrazine fuel somewhere on Earth.’ Previous experts had ’scoffed’ at the rationale put forth, pointing out that there was trivial possibility that any significant amount of toxic fuel would make it to the ground intact. Oberg’s analysis, titled ‘the inside story,’ purports to debunk this, and claims that indeed it’s possible, and even likely, that there could be a danger to the ground. Unfortunately, the analysis is full of flaws and lack of rigor — indeed, lacking any sort of numerical reasoning. It seems to be too much repeating official ’spin,’ and could have used a hefty dose of skepticism — and could also use a tiny bit of actual analysis using numbers, rather than handwaving.” Read on for the rest of an interesting analysis of a topic that suddenly seems more complex.

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Aviran was one of many readers to submit news of a just-announced development in the ongoing quest to develop a working invisibility cloak, writing: “Scientists state they’re a step closer to developing materials that could render people and objects invisible. Researchers have demonstrated for the first time they were able to cloak three-dimensional objects using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects. Previously, they only have been able to cloak very thin two-dimensional objects” Reader bensafrickingenius adds a link to coverage at the Times On the web, and notes that “the world’s two leading scientific journals, Science and Nature, are expected to report the results this week.” Tjeerd adds a link to a Reuters’ story carried by Scientific American.

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An anonymous reader points out a NetworkWorld story about NASA’s buy of two unmanned aircraft for use in “observing remote locations of Earth not feasible or practical with piloted aircraft.” The planes are Northrop Grumman Global Hawks, and NASA selected them for their extreme range and the fact that most other unmanned vehicles don’t have the FAA’s approval for regular use over the US. NASA also distributed prizes for its General Aviation Challenge this weekend. The goals of the challenge include improving fuel efficiency in aviation, reducing emissions, and aircraft safety. None of the teams were able to accomplish the $50,000 prize for managing 30 miles per gallon, but the top team was able to complete the 400-mile course at 28.8 miles per gallon.

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Transportation officials meet to try to avoid toll, fare hikes - Boston Globe
The state’s five top transportation officials met for 90 minutes today behind shut doors to discuss ways to share responsibilities and pool cash in order to avoid toll hikes and fare increases. The group discussed about a dozen proposals to save

Concert honors shooting victims along Mich. border - Chicago Tribune
IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. - Organizers state a concert to honor victims of a shooting on the Wisconsin - Michigan border drew about 8,000 people. Organizer Daryle Ryan states the money is still being counted, but he thinks several thousand dollars was raised

Breast cancer survivor wins £2.5m lottery prize - Daily Telegraph
However Tracy Foster stated that she would rather have kept her health than won the money. The 40-year-old said: “You can’t put a price on your health. You can’t pay not to have cancer. I’d much rather have not got ill and not got the money but it

Billionaire pays world record $845m for villa - News.com.au
New record set when Russian billionaire buys $845m villa Property is on French Riviera Locals concerned about invasion of Russian money A MYSTERIOUS Russian billionaire has trumped his big-spending rivals and broken a world record by splashing out

‘We don’t have the money’ - Boston Globe
EPSOM, N.H. - On a mountain overlooking the southern shore of Northwood Lake, a swath of pummelled pine trees traces the tornado’s descent. Twisting winds tore down the slope and along t he water’s edge, razing homes before racing across the lake

How to find digs that are a home from home - The Independent
Halls provide security and good value for money Helping your offspring to choose a safe and secure place to live can reduce those sleepless nights spent worrying over their welfare, writes Lucy Tobin. It’s a milestone moment when children become

Cubs roll; Edmonds winning over Wrigley fans - Chicago Tribune
Everyone who said it would be a cold day in August before Cubs fans cheered former Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds for a warning-track fly ball were apparently right on the money. With unseasonably cool temperatures dipping into the mid-60s

Banks could cut rates if they wanted to, says MacBank - News.com.au
Macquarie Banks’ interest rate strategist Rory Robertson said that while families grappled with sky-high mortgages and soaring fuel and food costs, banks had been getting a break on their own borrowings amid signs of another year of record profits

Microsoft Ditches Boxed Money For Downloads - All Headline News
Redmond, WA (AHN) - Microsoft announced it will stop selling boxed versions of Microsoft Money, saying customers are more open to downloading updates. At its “Money Insider” blog, Microsoft product manager Chris Jolley stated the software giant won’t

Bardem Stripped To Scrape Money Before Acting - Showbizspy.com
JAVIER BARDEM was so desperate for cash as a struggling actor he took to an unlikely job - as a stripper. The Oscar-winning actor was scraping to make ends meet before becoming an international star - but he insists he’s not ashamed about his early

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