links for 2009-09-03

"Starting with a database of all known structural features in proteins, researchers have performed a network analysis based on their similarities. The surprising result is that almost every protein we know of is related to the rest by seven degrees of separation."

Very interesting.

“The park belongs to them,’’ Alan Leventhal said, pointing to the people who sprawled on the grass and sat on the benches. “That’s why they treat it so well. There’s a metaphor in all this. If you appeal to people’s better instincts, they respond accordingly.’’