violent video games reduce real-world aggression

His comments fly in the face of widespread media scares linking violent computer games with real-life violence. But the scientific evidence for such a link is inconclusive, say researchers.

Mr Carmack, speaking to computer game trade magazine IndustryGamers, said: "I never took seriously the violence in video games debate. It was basically talking points for people to get on CNN.

"I really think, if anything, there is more evidence to show that the violent games reduce aggression and violence. There have actually been some studies about that, that it’s cathartic. If you go to QuakeCon and you walk by and you see the people there [and compare that to] a random cross section of a college campus, you’re probably going to find a more peaceful crowd of people at the gaming convention. I think it’s at worst neutral and potentially positive."

In recent weeks, the link between violent computer games and violence has been brought to the fore after one was cited by Anders Behring Breivik, the man behind the recent Norway killings, as "training". Breivik said in his 1,500 page "manifesto": “I just bought [Call of Duty] Modern Warfare 2, the game. It is probably the best military simulator out there and it’s one of the hottest. I see MW2 more as part of my training-simulation than anything else.”

The evidence linking violent computer games to real-world aggression is controversial. One 2006 meta-analysis - collating information from earlier studies - found that they "provided no support for the hypothesis that violent video game playing is associated with higher aggression." A later one, published last year in Psychological Bulletin, found the opposite, suggesting that the evidence "strongly suggests that exposure to violent video games is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, and aggressive affect". However, that study was itself criticised for including studies that "do not relate well to serious aggression", as well as a "biased" sample of unpublished studies.

Psychology researchers at Huddersfield University have suggested that the emphasis on violent computer games is missing the point. Dr Simon Goodson, who with his colleague Dr Sarah Pearson compared brain activity in people playing different genres of games, said: “There was an assumption among reports that because a game didn’t include any violence that it wouldn’t make people aggressive. But just look at people who play Tetris and how angry they get.
“We looked at a violent game and a driving game. We found that driving made people far more emotionally aroused than the violent one, so we thought we should check it out. We did this on a bigger scale and indeed found that driving makes you more emotionally aroused than shooting something.”
They found similar responses with football games: “Once again, a sporting game made people far more emotionally aroused and aggressive than other genres. In fact we’ve had people swearing at us, swearing at the game, swearing at the referee. If you watch a clip of England fans when they lost to Germany in the World Cup, their reactions are similar to the behaviour of the game player.”
In June, the US Supreme Court ruled that a California law barring the sale of violent video games - defined as those depicting the “killing, maiming, dismembering or sexually assaulting an image of a human being” - was unconstitutional, breaching the right to free speech.
Explaining the judgment, Justice Antonin Scalia said: “Grimm's Fairy Tales, for example, are grim indeed. As her just desserts for trying to poison Snow White, the wicked queen is made to dance in red hot slippers 'til she fell dead on the floor.
“Before video games came cheap novels depicting crime, motion pictures, comic books, television and music lyrics - all of which were blamed by some for juvenile delinquency.”

By Tom Chivers taken from  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8676954/Doom-creator-John-Carmack-violent-video-games-reduce-real-world-aggression.html

Data of Sun website users stolen

Thousands of people who entered competitions on The Sun website have been warned that their personal information may have been stolen.

The paper's publisher, News Group, said the data was taken when the site was hacked on 19 July.
Some of the details, including applications for the Miss Scotland contest, have been posted online.
The company said it had reported the matter to the police and the Information Commissioner.
News International, News Group's parent company, issued a statement that said: "We take customer data extremely seriously and are working with the relevant authorities to resolve this matter.
"We are directly contacting any customer affected by this."
Miss Scotland The stolen information is believed to include names, addresses, dates of birth, email addresses and phone numbers.
No financial or password data was compromised, the company said.
A sampling of the stolen details was posted on the document sharing site Pastebin.
The file contained the names and mobile numbers of 14 applicants to the 2010 Miss Scotland contest.
It also included lengthy biographies written by the women, outlining why they should be selected.
One entrant, who did not want to be named, told BBC News: "I'm not happy at all. I'm kind of worried - because that's everything about me.
"[This data] should have been locked up, this was last year's, so they didn't need to keep my details."
Lulz connection The original hack on The Sun's website resulted in anyone trying to access it being redirected to a bogus news story about Rupert Murdoch's death.
Hacktivist group Lulz Security (LulzSec) claimed responsibility for the attack. At the time, it was thought to be limited to vandalism.
LulzSec has not offered any comment on the latest developments and its Twitter account has been silent since 28 July when its alleged spokesman was arrested.
However, another Twitter user called Batteye appeared to be the source of the information on the data breach.
In one message, they wrote: "I'm not really with anonymous... but then again I sort of am, aren't I?", referring to the LulzSec affiliated group Anonymous.

taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14371738

Norway gunman making 'unrealistic demands'

The lawyer defending the man who has confessed to Norway's bomb and shooting attacks said his client had presented a long list of "unrealistic" demands, including the resignation of the government and that his mental condition be investigated by Japanese specialists.
Geir Lippestad said Anders Behring Breivik had two lists of demands. One consisted of requests for items such as cigarettes and civilian clothing. The other was "unrealistic, far, far from the real world and shows he doesn't know how society works," Lippestad said.
He said Breivik linked this second list to his willingness to share information about two other alleged terrorist cells he has mentioned during questioning. "They are completely impossible to fulfil," Lippestad said. He added that, although Breivik had agreed to be examined by local psychiatrists, he also wanted to be investigated by Japanese specialists.
"He claims the Japanese understand the idea and values of honour and that a Japanese [specialist] would understand him a lot better than any European would."
Lippestad said his client had demanded complete political reform in which he wanted to be assigned a key role.
"His demands here include the complete overthrowing of both the Norwegian and European societies," he said, noting that it included the resignation of the Norwegian government. "But it shows that he doesn't understand the situation he's in."
Breivik claims he carried out the attacks as part of a network of modern-day crusaders to launch a revolution against a Europe spoiled by Muslim immigration, and that there are other cells ready to strike.
Investigators said they had found no signs of a larger conspiracy but they were searching his computer and mobile phone records for any signs of contact with other rightwing extremists who may have helped or influenced him.
The 22 July Oslo bombing killed eight people and the shooting massacre at an annual summer retreat held by the Labour party's youth wing claimed a 69 lives.
If Breivik is tried and convicted of terrorism, he could face up to 21 years in prison. An alternative custody arrangement, however, could keep him behind bars indefinitely.

taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/02/norway-gunman-anders-behring-brevik-demands

Gaddafi thanks Chavez for support

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday read excerpts of a letter sent to him by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi expressing gratitude for strong support during the NATO-backed rebellion against his government.
"You know the magnitude of the conspiracy against my country," Chavez read from the letter. "Your criteria has been clear and explicit, we hope to continue with the strength of that support."
Chavez only read parts of the message, which was handed to his foreign minister in Caracas by Libyan Finance Minister Abdulhafid Zlitni. It was not immediately clear why such a high-level official had delivered the letter.
"Long live Muammar Gaddafi," Chavez said in a televised address before lashing out at Western powers for recognizing the rebel National Transition Council.
"NATO is an embarrassment," he said, sporting a newly close-shaved haircut to lessen the impact of hair loss from chemotherapy treatments for cancer.
"We do not recognize the pantomime of transition that violates and destroys the basis of international law."
Holding firm despite growing international isolation and crippling financial sanctions, Gaddafi has sought to play on potential divisions by calling on tribes and soldiers in rebel-controlled areas to rise up and free their cities.
The Venezuelan leader warmly received Gaddafi two years ago on a rare trip to the Americas, giving the Libyan a jewel-encrusted replica sword. Gaddafi gave him a large tent in return.
Miami's Nuevo Herald newspaper ran a story on Monday saying Zlitni had come to Caracas to ask for Chavez's help in getting around sanctions blocking Libya's oil sales. The story cited unnamed Western intelligence sources.

By Frank Jack Daniel taken from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/01/us-venezuela-libya-idUSTRE7705MX20110801

Gold Hits New Record

Gold rallied to its ninth record high this year on Tuesday, as growing fears about the spread of the European debt crisis and the increasingly gloomy outlook for the U.S. economy fed a broad investor push into perceived safe-haven assets.

Gazimal | Iconica | Getty Images

U.S. lawmakers averted an unprecedented default on the country's debt on Monday but the likelihood of the United States losing its top-notch credit rating as a result of its ballooning deficits boosted the likes of gold, the Swiss franc and German government bonds.

Stocks and bonds of the euro zone's more fragile members came under fire on Tuesday, pushing yields on Spanish and Italian debt to 14-year highs, while Italian authorities held emergency talks and Spain's economy ministry kept in permanent contact with its European Union counterparts to try to stem the crisis.

U.S. December gold futures [GCCV1  1637.80    16.10  (+0.99%)   ] were last up 0.4 percent on the day at $1,628.80.

Spot gold [XAU=  1636.79    18.69  (+1.15%)   ] was last up 1.3 percent on the day at $1,638.79 an ounce, having touched an all-time high of $1,640.39 earlier in the day, marking its ninth record this year ahead of the vote in the U.S. Senate later to enshrine the last-minute deal on raising the country's debt limit into law.

"There's a market saying 'buy the fear, sell the greed.' Now obviously, people have been buying the fear, certainly for metals and therefore, later today, and early tomorrow in Asia, do you start to sell the greed? I don't know," said Credit Agricole analyst Robin Bhar.

"The U.S. has averted default, but not averted downgrade, so that's the driving thought. I would have thought gold would pause for breath and move lower, I thought $1,650 would be the target two or three months down the road," he said, adding: "There's no stopping it, and there's no point standing in the way of it. You just don't know where the top is going to be."

Gold has rallied by some 15 percent so far this year, hitting record highs in dollars, euros, sterling, rand and Canadian dollars, indicating investors' distrust of volatile currencies, while central banks have thus far remained buyers of bullion, with South Korea the latest addition to that list after its first purchase in over 10 years.

South Korea's central bank said on Tuesday it bought 25 tons of gold between June and July to diversify its foreign reserves despite high prices, marking its first purchase in more than a decade and taking its total gold holdings to 39.4 tons.

"This news reiterates the fundamental view that most investors, asset managers, and even central banks hold true—that gold remains the quintessential currency hedge, a stabilizing asset for portfolios, and a safe haven in uncertain economic times," said David Meger, director of metals trading at Vision Financial Markets, a futures broker based in Chicago.

No Default

The United States is poised to step back from the brink of economic disaster on Tuesday as a bitterly fought deal to cut the budget deficit is expected to clear the Senate and President Barack Obama's desk.

Just hours before the Treasury's authority to borrow funds runs out—risking a damaging U.S. debt default—the Senate was expected to approve the deal to cut the country's bulging deficit and lift the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling enough to last beyond the November 2012 elections.

Risk appetite might return now there is agreement on the country's borrowing limit, but the gloomy economic outlook in the world's largest economy combined with an ongoing euro zone debt crisis could depress such sentiment, traders and analysts said.

"Gold should be lower after the U.S. debt ceiling deal is reached, but it remains firm as people don't trust the dollar and would still like to put their money in gold," said Peter Fung, head of dealing at Wing Fung Precious Metals based in Hong Kong.

In other precious metals, silver [XAG=  40.12    0.87  (+2.22%)   ] was last up 1.1 percent at $39.68 an ounce, while the platinum group metals were modestly higher, with platinum [XPT=  1795.75    7.25  (+0.41%)   ] last up 0.1 percent at $1,790.24 an ounce and palladium [XPD=  823.00    -2.25  (-0.27%)   ] last up 0.1 percent at $826.22 an ounce.

taken from http://www.cnbc.com/id/43979108

Medical Marijuana Center, Offered Free Pot For Voter Registration

Don't expect voter turnout in one Michigan city to be particularly high this year.
A Lansing medical marijuana dispensary has discontinued a campaign promising free pot to patients who register to vote following criticism from Michigan officials, WLNS-TV reports.
The Your Healthy Choice Clinic offered customers half a gram of weed or an edible marijuana product as incentive for voter registration, but owner Shekina Pena insists that she only wanted to educate people about Lansing's medical marijuana laws and the city's November 8 council elections.
"We let them know how we feel, we don't tell them who to vote for," Pena told the television station. "We definitely want to support the ones who are supporting us."
According to reports, Pena did present visitors with a posted flyer outlining which candidates the clinic plans to endorse.
The pot shop's initiative seemed to "harsh the mellow" of Michigan Attorney General Bill Shuette.
"It was not the intent of the citizens to allow for shenanigans like this," Schuette said in a statement Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. "Citizens were told this was a way to help seriously ill people, yet here again is an example of the law being exploited by those with their own agenda."
Critics of the campaign believe that Pena's offer may violate state election and campaign finance laws. The offer has since been removed from the Your Healthy Choice Clinic website.

taken from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/29/michigan-marijuana-clinic-free-weed_n_913118.html

Physicists Show That Quantum Ignorance Is Hard to Expose

No one likes a know-it-all but we expect to be able to catch them out: someone who acts like they know everything but doesn't can always be tripped up with a well-chosen question. Can't they? Not so. New research in quantum physics has shown that a quantum know-it-all could lack information about a subject as a whole, yet answer almost perfectly any question about the subject's parts.
The work is published in Physical Review Letters.
"This is something conceptually very weird," says Stephanie Wehner of the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore, who derived the theoretical result with PhD student Thomas Vidick at the University of California, Berkeley, United States. It's a new phenomenon to add to the list of philosophical conundrums in quantum physics -- as strange as the quantum superposition or the quantum uncertainty principle. But the work also has practical motivation: understanding how information behaves in the quantum context is important in emerging technologies such as quantum cryptography and quantum computation.
To frame the problem, consider the example of someone answering questions about a book they have only half-read. If someone has incomplete knowledge about a book as a whole, one expects to be able to identify the source of their ignorance somewhere in the book's pages.
Wehner and Vidick simplify the situation to a book with two pages. They invite the usual quantum players, Alice and Bob, to collaborate. Alice reads the book and is allowed to give Bob one page's worth of information from it.
If Bob only has classical information, it is always possible to work out what he doesn't know. "We show that classically things are, well, sane" says Wehner. In other words, Bob's ignorance can be exposed. Imagine that Bob is a student trying to cheat in an exam, and the notes from Alice cover half the course. An examiner, having secretly inspected Bob's crib notes, could set questions that Bob couldn't answer.
The craziness comes if Bob gets one page's worth of quantum information from Alice. In this case, the researchers show, there is no-way to pinpoint what information Bob is missing. Challenge Bob, and he can guess either page of the book almost perfectly. An examiner could not expose Bob's ignorance even having seen his notes as long as the questions cover no more than half the course -- the total amount of information Bob can recount cannot exceed the size of his notes.
It is an unexpected discovery. Researchers had been trying to prove that quantum ignorance would follow classical intuition and be traceable to ignorance of details, and finding that it isn't raises new questions. "We have observed this effect but we don't really understand where it comes from," says Wehner. An intuitive understanding may be forever out of reach, just as other effects in quantum theory defy mechanistic description. However, Wehner and Vidick have begun to design experimental tests and are already formulating a range of ways to explore this strange new frontier. In this work, they devised a means of encoding the quantum information from two pages into one that gave Bob, the quantum know-it-all, the ability to recount all but one bit of the information on either page (the last bit Bob would have to guess). They plan to test whether other encodings would be equally good.

taken from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110731170028.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29