links for 2010-04-28

"The MS study is the first, however, to integrate studies of epigenetics and gene expression with whole-genome sequencing. "What they've done here is create a very nice template for others to follow," Geschwind says. "It isn't just sequence — they went from sequence to epigenome to expression. That's what really makes [the study] something special.""

"Historically, Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men. As such, they were often funded by local industrialists on the grounds that they would ultimately benefit from having more knowledgeable and skilled employees (such philanthropy was shown by, among others, Robert Stephenson, James Nasmyth and Joseph Whitworth). The Mechanics' Institutes were used as 'libraries' for the adult working class, and provided them with an alternative pastime to gambling and drinking in pubs."

"One significant set of publications by the SDUK was the Library of Useful Knowledge; sold for a sixpence and published biweekly, its books focused on scientific topics. The first volume, an introduction to the series by Brougham, sold over 33,000 copies. However, attempts to reach the working class market were largely unsuccessful; only among the middle class was there sustained interest in popular science texts."

"But the march of mind was not to be stopped and reactionary parsons and lawyers and gentlefolk watched in some alarm as relatively cheap and popular books flooded the market. The cognoscenti sneered at the quality of the mass produced books with their library bindings. It was not what they were used to. Their idea of a book was a leather bound volume with marbled endpapers, thick paper, wide margins and pages that needed to be opened with a knife. But the cloth bound books of the new age were built to last and many of them are still in circulation today."

"Here's how it works: Issue Zero begins May 7th. We'll unveil a theme and you'll have 24 hours to produce and submit your work. We'll take the next 24 to snip, mash and gild it. The end results will be a shiny website and a beautiful glossy paper magazine, delivered right to your old-fashioned mailbox. We promise it will be insane. Better yet, it might even work.

"Brought to you by Heather Powazek Champ, Dylan Fareed, Mathew Honan, Alexis Madrigal, Derek Powazek, Sarah Rich" [via @weegee]

New book site. Tech and books. [via @alfie]

Gah. Certainly a different clientele than the old Forest Café it replaced.