Hardly a day passes without a new social networking site appears inspired by the success of Facebook. Not even scientists are forgotten. I have previously mentioned social networks for scientists such as ResearcherID and Nature Networks.

Now yet another social site aimed at the scientific community has appeared. ResearchGATE, however, is in contrat to the former sites developed and run by younger scientists from the United States and Germany. During the first year of the site, they have already built an impressive list of partnerships including the Max Planck Institute and EURAXESS, the European Union run portal for science jobs and information.

A new website Ullbe.com claims to have the biggest database of universities in the world.

And true enough if you look at a small country like Denmark, then it lists not less than 146 universities (compared to Wikipedia which lists 8). Ullbe.com seems to include all small vocational educational facilities as well as musical schools. Although you can sort the search after popularity (defined how??) then the database gives a disorganised and chaotic impression.

However, it not so indiscriminate for other countries. In the United Kingdom it lists 200 universities compared to the 325 institutions recognised by the UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service). In Panama it lists only 12, which also seems to be an underestimate considering all the small private universities in the capital alone.

Here is some interesting "research":

Some people have trouble indulging, and they regret it later. There's hope for those people, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

While many people have no trouble treating themselves to luxury items or relaxing vacations, others have trouble spending on anything they don't perceive is a necessity. Those people are called "hyperopic," because they focus so much on the future they don't see the present. Authors Kelly L. HawsTexas A&M Universityversity) and Cait Poynor (University of Pittsburgh) took a close look at hyperopia and found that, contrary to what's commonly thought, hyperopia is distinct from self-control.

"Past research characterizes behavior as hyperopic if it involves the choice of a restrictive or necessity option over an indulgent but potentially life-enriching choice," explain the authors. "For example, a consumer might choose to study rather than go on a trip with friends over spring break or might use a windfall to pay bills rather than to provide themselves with personally rewarding experiences."

The Nobel Dynamite Factory in Stockholm, Sweden will host a very interesting little one-day conference at the 17th of October 2008 entitled ‘Unfolding value – communicating biodiversity’.

The meeting aspires to be a cross-disciplinary platform for discussions between scientists, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, designers and artists on the importance of biodiversity and the value of the natural world that surrounds us.

There will be a special topic on biomimetics in the afternoon, where Swedish secondary school students will present ideas on what can be derived from nature and used by technological designers and engineers.

The keynote speaker is James L. Edwards, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. He is the Executive Director of the ambitious Encyclopedia of Life (eol) project, which aims to develop an online database with information on all known species on Earth.

To get more information on the Swedish conference, click here.