Learning a language at a later stage in your life is hard. Your time is at a premium, and your plate’s already so full that taking on all that new information is a serious challenge. Here’s how to passively attack a new language without much effort or time with the help of technology and the things you already own.
It’s an old adage that practice makes perfect, but studies have shown that passive learning can have a similar impact to active learning. The key is immersing yourself in a language without having to visit another country. The basics of this post come from the idea of task-based learning, or the idea that you learn a language better when you practicing it. Combining that with a passive environment, you will start picking up on words and their meanings.
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A big part of travel is that feeling you get when experiencing something completely new, something you haven’t seen or done before. Many travel destinations offer an amenity or two that other places don’t – but there are only a few locations in the world that offer a truly unique experience. Here are some places that could be a reference for your vacation.
Read more… Thanks Bosko.
Microsoft will ship the next version of the Xbox game console in October or November 2013, IGN reports, citing “sources close the the project.”
The gaming news site says that mass production of the system’s GPU will begin at the end of 2012, and will be based on Advanced Micro Devices‘ 6000 series processors. The site says the chip will be similar to the Radeon HD 6670, “which offers support for DirectX11, multidisplay output, 3D and 1080p HD output.”
IGN says that the new console – the Xbox 720 – will have 6x the raw graphics processing power as the 360, and will have 20% higher performance than the new console coming from Nintendo, the Wii U.
According to IGN, developers are likely to receive development kits based on the system’s final configuration in August.
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The view from Niagara Falls is beautiful and breathtaking. Take a look at some of the entries for the “Picture This Niagara” photo contest, and submit a photo of your own to win a trip to Niagara Falls.
1. Oceans will be extensively farmed and not just for fish (Jim 300)
IP: Likelihood 10/10. We will need to feed 10 billion people and nature can’t keep up with demand, so we will need much more ocean farming for fish. But algae farming is also on the way for renewable energy, and maybe even for growth of feedstock (raw materials) or resource extraction via GM seaweed or algae.
PT: Good chance. According to Dennis Bushnell, chief scientist at the Nasa Langley Research Center, saltwater algae that’s been genetically modified to absorb more nitrogen from the air than conventional algae could free up to 68% of the fresh water that is now tied up in conventional agriculture. This water could go to thirsty populations.
2. We will have the ability to communicate through thought transmission (Dev 2)
IP: Likelihood 10/10. Transmission will be just as easy as other forms of brain augmentation. Picking up thoughts and relaying them to another brain will not be much harder than storing them on the net.
PT: Good chance. Synthetic telepathy sounds like something out of Hollywood but it is absolutely possible, so long as “communication” is understood to be electrical signals rather than words.
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