News Links: 7/7/08

History

Hebrew tablet suggests tradition of resurrected messiah predates Jesus [IHT] - Prepare for the onrush of religious zealots, this tablet means that one of the more crucial parables in the Bible got it wrong. Will this further call into doubt other aspects of the foundations of Christianity?

Acoustics Expert: Cavemen Must Have Loved to Sing [Foxnews] - Analyzing the famous, ochre-splashed cave walls of southwestern France, the most densely painted areas were also those with the best acoustics. Humming into some bends in the wall even produced sounds mimicking the animals painted there.

Geek Tech/Science

The Amazon Kindle has not been a big seller to date [Examiner.com] - The market for electronic book readers has not taken off, with analysts saying cost - first for the device, then for the content it holds - a major drawback. I saw this coming which is why I’ve been hesitant to get it for my mother, though she’s been hinting for almost a year.

Planet Mercury Shrinking In Size, Latest NASA Probe Reveal [BBC] -  Scientists believe the shrinkage is due to the planet’s core slowly cooling. Or if you ask me, maybe the earlier measurements weren’t that accurate and the planet isn’t shrinking. Hmm?

AT&T’s Odd iPhone Offer [TechNewsWorld] - Some of the details surrounding AT&T’s iPhone prices make little sense, writes Eric Benderoff. The company will sell a 3G iPhone with no contract for a $400 premium.

Games

Recycled Auto Part Chess Set [Coolest-Gadgets] Think about how many junky cars you see people driving. Where do you think those cars will be in five years? Rotting away in some landfill no doubt. Old car parts can be used for so many productive purposes, rather than gathering dust on some abandoned lot.

Guitar Hero Expansion Answers Aerosmith Enthusiasts’ Prayers [eFluxMedia] - “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith” is much like Guitar Hero III, but with more of a personal feeling for all those classic rockers out there. They now have the opportunity to be a part of the Aerosmith history, from the Nipmuc High School to the star-studded halftime show at the Big Game; includes 40 tracks mostly by Aerosmith but also includes Stone Temple Pilots, Run DMC and a few others.

Medical Tech

New technology could improve cancer treatments [International Herald Tribune] - Researchers have developed a test that can identify minute amounts of tumor cells floating in the blood of cancer patients, a discovery that could lead to better treatments with fewer side effects. It uses a microchip scanner no bigger than a business card to analyze a patient’s blood, hunting for stray cells shed by tumors and can detect a single cancer cell among a billion healthy blood cells.