Evo likes Teachers

Five days after being elected Bolivian president, Evo Morales announced he would be reducing his salary by more than half in order to allot money towards hiring more school teachers.

This is part of his campaign to rid the government of corruption. He also aims to improve the living standards of all Bolivians, this is definitely going to improve literacy in the country!

Thanks, Greg!

Google’s China Filter Defeated by Typos

Many of us on the web are aware of Google’s censorship deal with the Chinese Communist Party. The computerized censorship is defeated, however by poor spelling. A misspelled query for “Tienamen Square” will bring up some pictures of tanks, and a search for “Falan Gong” will bring up many stories about the human rights abuses suffered by practitioners of Falun Gong in China.

Will the holes in Google’s filters remain unplugged?

Theater for Change

Young actors are telling their stories of life on the street through a theater program called Cobblestone, a performance troupe out of Mixed Company Theater in Toronto. The program, 12 years running, regularly auditions street youth for the opportunity to work with an award winning playwright, Rex Devrell. Together they develop narritives based on real life stories and explore important issues that face street youth.

Deverell is providing the young actors with a place to be heard and the chance to explain the circumstances that brought them to the streets in the first place. In letting the kids know that they are not ignored and are worthwhile the program builds self esteem and has helped street youth get back on their feet. Many kids have gone on to find new jobs and a safe place to live after their experiences with the company.

Cobblestone is acting as a venue for social change while also setting the stage for community awareness. Combine that with the entertaining and interactive nature of their latest production entitled “Voices” and you’ve got one amazing accomplishment in the Toronto theater community.

Voices will have 2 public performances in Toronto on February 9th and 10th @ 8pm at the Alchemy Theater (133 Tecumseth St, 416 515 8080)

Matter Contained by Light

You read the headline right, light has been used to hold matter in one place. UK scientists demonstrated that this is possible using nanometer sized beads and lasers, but the matter can only be formed in 2D. The big step in this experiment is that no electro-magnetic forces were used to accompany the lasers.

The lead scientist said, “For most physicists, the idea of materials held together by light is still foreign.” Next he wants to assemble matter in 3D using light.