TresSugar

Google Founder Starts Project After Finding Genetic Mutation

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:50:23 -0700

Imagine you know that in a few decades you will be struck with an incurable disease. How much energy would you put into trying to find a cure before it's too late?

Well after learning that he had a genetic mutation that results in a high risk of Parkinson's disease, Google co-founder Sergey Brin has decided to spend millions of dollars on an innovative genetic study, which will attempt to conduct research by, you guessed it, search. Sergey's mother also has Parkinson's.

Genetic discovery company 23andMe, which was founded by Sergey's wife, will team up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center to enroll 10,000 Parkinson's patients. Participants will have their genotype mapped using 23andMe. All the data will be put into a database that can be searched for correlations and new information.

This gets me thinking - with the increased sophistication of genetic testing perhaps the rich will be able to direct the focus of scientific research in the future.

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What's the Worst Band in the World According to Google?

GiggleSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:00:00 -0800

Hahaha. Freaking Creed. (Just try your own Google search; this is really what comes up!) I agree on a conscious level, but on an unconscious one, when the bombastic "My Sacrifice" comes on the radio (which I secretly love!), I always have to listen to it. That is, unless whoever's with me says they'll jump out of the car if I leave it on. Then, you know, I change the station. (True story.)

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Google Earth an Accomplice to Mumbai Massacre?

LibertySugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:30:12 -0800

India may ban Google Earth after allegations that those responsible for the Mumbai massacre used the online tool to plan their attacks. Google may need more than its motto "Do No Evil" to prevent its technology from harming people.

A petition filed in the Bombay High Court asks the court to demand that Google blur sensitive images, until the court reaches a decision on whether to ban the satellite service altogether.

It seems reasonable to remove sensitive locations from Google Earth, but banning otherwise innocent tools capable of doing harm could be impossible. In other words, should officials ban cell phones, if terrorists use them to communicate?

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What's Missing From Your Internet? Google Deletes Content

CitizenSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:30:09 -0800

Google controls 63 percent of the world's Internet searches. It also owns YouTube, where 13 hours of content are uploaded every minute. It's the most influential company on the wild, wild Web, controlling more of what we view and how we view it than anyone else.

With this power come requests to remove content from around the world, but Google is not as interested in censoring as much it is in ensuring its presence worldwide. The one mandate? "Be everywhere, get arrested nowhere, and thrive in as many places as possible."

Flagged YouTube content goes straight to 20-something reviewers in its California office, but requests coming from governments quickly work their way up Google's chain of command. If content violates a country's law or YouTube terms of service, it's immediately removed; however, not all requests are so black and white.

So what's being removed? To find out, read more.

Holocaust-denial sites from Google search engines in France and Germany. Why? Denying the Holocaust is illegal in both countries.
After protesters outside the Google India office demanded a group be removed from Orkut, a social networking site, Google half complied. It removed content that criticized religion - illegal in India - but left content critical of political parties.
In Thailand where it's illegal to criticize the king, videos were removed after government threats to block all Thai IP addresses. While videos attacking the king were removed, those that simply offended the government remained.
Think this doesn't happen in the US? Senator Joe Lieberman's requests to remove so-called jihadist videos were initially denied because the content did not violate US law. However the videos were later removed after YouTube edited its guidelines, prohibiting videos that "incite violence.” The angry followup after the initial denial to Google's CEO couldn't have hurt either!

Since most requests come complete with threats to block entire countries, I can't blame Google for wanting to work it out. Even Google agrees that self-censoring is not a long-term solution, but the best option for now. Considering Google is far more permissive of free speech than many strict countries, I can't say I disagree. But with such a conflict of interest, how long can Google be trusted?

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Diplomacy 2.0? State Department Turns to Online Groups

LibertySugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:30:06 -0800

What do Google, MTV, Facebook, Howcast, and the US State Department all have in common? They're joining forces to fight terrorism, political oppression, and crime. Inspired by a Colombian Facebook movement against FARC rebels, the US government wants to take advantage of online youth groups that promote stability, human rights, and democracy.

In early December, organizations fighting oppression and violence in places like Burma, Egypt, Uganda, Darfur, India, South Africa, Britain, South Africa, and Turkey will meet in New York City to get the Alliance of Youth Movements up and running. The US State Department has donated $50,000 to sponsor delegate travel. Observers from Iraq and Afghanistan will attend, and participants from Cuba will participate remotely.

While they're taking a break from discussing how to build online youth movements, they'll listen to guest speakers, including Whoopi Goldberg. MTV and Howcast will stream the event live. Are you happy to see the US State Department support international movements, started in the private sector, that favor US policy?

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Google Launches Flu Tracker to Analyze Search Trends

Molly — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:30:07 -0800

This week, Google launched its newest health-related project - the Google Flu Trends tracker. The Internet giant's philanthropic arm, Google.org, is tracking people's searches for terms like "flu symptoms," "thermometer" or "flu diagnosis" as indicators of parts of the country where there may be flu activity. According to the site, it will have the ability to "estimate flu activity in your state up to two weeks faster than traditional flu surveillance systems." They worked with the CDC to test their accuracy and are confident that it will be a helpful tool this flu season.

Some are skeptical of the tracker's accuracy, while others worry that it shouldn't be relied on because the at risk elderly population won't be searching on the Internet. Still others are a little worried about the big brother reminiscent aspects of Google working with the government to track search. While Google has had search trends visible for a while, this seems like a more drilled down focus on them. So what do you think about Google Flu Trends tracker, helpful tool or does it feel like an invasion of privacy?

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Battle of Ground Games: Candidates Sweep US to Get Out Vote

LibertySugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:30:00 -0800

Supports have been registered, and appeals for votes have been made. But the work has just begun - John McCain and Barack Obama must make sure their supporters vote, and then subsequently make sure every vote is counted. That, my friends, is called a ground game! Google put together this handy gadget that lets you track the candidates as they canvas the country. Have you done anything to help get out the vote for your candidate this year?

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Human Rights Online: Tech Companies Adopt Conduct Code

LibertySugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:15 -0700

Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are set to adopt voluntary and uniform guidelines to govern their international business practices, this week. These Internet companies have struggled to find acceptable means to deal with countries like China, which silence the voice of dissidents on the Internet, and block certain websites. China has used emails sent by dissidents as evidence to put them behind bars.

Part of the code of conduct will require the companies to carefully scrutinize a government's demand for information about users, or government requests for nationwide censorship. The rules, generated by teams from the tech companies, public interest groups, academics, and socially conscious investment funds, weren't just created in the name of human rights - they're also designed to counter bad publicity surrounding tech company compliance with repressive governments.

Should international companies stay true to their hometown freedoms, or should they expect to play by the rules of all the countries where they do business?

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Is Google Searching For Public Policy Answers?

LibertySugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:15:55 -0700

Google wants to get the US economy running on clean energy. This week Google's nonprofit announced a plan to cut the use of fossil fuels in the US before 2030. For $4.4 trillion "Clean Energy 2030" would help end the use of coal and oil to generate electricity. The plan would allow for the use of natural gas and nuclear power, and also calls for cutting oil use in cars by 40 percent. By 2030, however, the net savings would top $1 trillion.

Google's climate and energy technology manager explained the company's motivation:

We can build whole new industries and create millions of new jobs. We can cut energy costs, both at the gas pump and at home. We can improve our national security. And we can put a big dent in climate change. With strong leadership we could be moving forward on an aggressive but realistic timeline and an approach that offsets costs with real economic gains.

Google asserts that the US will have to invest in renewable energy research, upgrade the electricity grid, impose better mileage standards, and build infrastructure such as charging stations for electric vehicles. Should Americans turn to the private sector for leadership on a public issue?

Briefing Book! Google Opposes Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

LibertySugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0700

Same-Sex Marriage: Wrapping up the Google vote? Google makes a public stand against California's proposed same-sex marriage ban. - SFist
Supreme Court: Gotcha questions or crucial questions? Roe v. Wade may be the only Supreme Court case Sarah Palin knows. - Femisting
Bailout: What would voters do? Voters split on bailout 45 percent for, 45 percent against. - Donklephant
Conservatism: Why does conservative writer David Brooks hate conservatives? It's one thing to disagree with House Republicans' vote, but another to question their motives. - Townhall
Pirates: They just want the money? Questions and answers with a pirate. - The Lede
Obama: How Obama wins? Hint: he already did. - 23/6

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