I have updated the post that lists the Firefox extensions that I use. See Firefox extensions you cannot surf without.

I don’t like the idea of a separate search box in my browser. Instead, I much prefer conducting my searches from the address bar itself. I previously used YubNub, but the YubNub server has in the past few months been down rather often. So, I thought of switching to using the Firefox quick search feature instead, but was rather surprised to find that no one has compiled an extensive list of quicksearches that I could simply copy to my browser. I therefore made one, myself. Read the rest of this entry »

If robots are developed to the point where they are capable of reproducing and improving themselves, the issue of “robot rights” — comparable to “human rights” — is unavoidable. Or that is the conclusion of a report mentioned in this BBC News article. The article mentions for example housing benefits and healthcare for our metallic friends.

I’m a bit sceptical, to be honest. Why would we give rights to robots if we are so reluctant to recognize the rights of animals? Cow slavery goes on, and in most countries killing a kitten by hitting it with a car amounts to nothing in terms of lawsuits. We are self-centred enough to not recognize other life forms, so I don’t see why we would give our vacuum cleaners any say over their lives, either.

A lethal flu epidemic apparently occurs three or four times a century. The last one I could find with a quick Google search was the 1968-1969 Hong Kong flu, which was a type of an avian flu that killed 750,000 people. So, it would appear that we should be facing another epidemic or pandemic fairly soon. Of course, the recent flues have so far been failures: SARS never really got anywhere on the pandemic scale, and the current avian flu is still something that hasn’t done that much.

In any case, we can all now rest assured that if a pandemic hits us, say, next year, 62 million of the world population would die, with most deaths occurring in the poorest nations. Or that is what this BBC News article says.

A University of Toronto study has indicated that you perform better at work if you are sad and cranky, and if your task is of the mundane type like paperwork or database filling.

On the other hand, if you want to be creative, you better move to Denmark. For, good mood still makes you more creative. (link)

First, win the European (Football) Championship. Then, be pessimistic — or at least realistic — regarding your expectations for the next year.

Researches publishing at the British Medical Journal have looked into the question why Denmark has over the years repeatedly topped the list of the happiest European nations, and this year came out the happiest nation globally. While several hypotheses were raised, the study points out two especially important factors: winning the 1992 European Championship, and the fact that the Danish people on average expect less from their future than do people from many other nations. (link)