Science

In Short: Parkinson’s Voice Initiative reaches 10K calls, as a restaurant asks you to check your phone

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Max Little

  • Max Little, who gave the recent talk “A test for Parkinson’s with a phone call,” let us know that the Parkinson’s Voice Initiative has reached its goal of collecting 10,000 voice samples — which they needed to ensure the accuracy of their over-the-phone test for the disease. “It’s probably the fastest ever, large-scale Parkinson’s study,” Max tells us, adding that interested parties can keep calling. “The more data we get the better.”
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  • This restaurant in Los Angeles is offering diners a five percent discount on their bill if they agree to check their smartphone at the door. [Los Angeles Times] This news comes just as Time Magazine releases a poll that shows that three-quarters of people between the ages 25 to 29 sleep with their phones. [Time]
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  • Cartoonist Jim Toomey talks about creating his ocean-inspired comic strip, Sherman’s Lagoon. [Mission Blue]
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  • TED Fellow Jon Gosier is looking to raise $60K in 28 days to fund his film and book, The Cheetah Code, a look at Africa’s young creative class and its rapidly evolving technology sector. [Kickstarter] Jon borrowed the term ‘cheetah’ from the TEDTalk by George Ayittey “on Cheetahs vs. Hippos.”
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  • This week, the editor-in-chief of the University of Georgia’s The Red & Black student newspaper resigned, several top editors walking out with her. Their issue: “In less than a month, The Red & Black has hired more than 10 permanent staff with veto power over students’ decisions.” The editors have since established the site Red & Dead to give updates on the situation. [Metafliter] Perhaps the University of Georgia’s administration should check out Sasa Vucinic’s talk from TEDGlobal 2005, “Investing in free press.”
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  • Here, a fascinating look at the psychological factors barring us from tapping one of the most obvious sources to solve the global water crisis — waste water. [Fast Company]
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  • Anyone passing through New York in the next two weeks should check out Taryn Simons’ exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, as it closes September 3. [MOMA] Everyone else should watch her talk, “Photographing secret sites.”
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  • Yesterday, the fund to build a Nikola Tesla Museum in upstate New York was at $400,000. This afternoon, it has reached $533,830. [IndieGogo]