CodeCon, Placebos, Fear, Yoyo-hacking, Dune, etc.

doom writes "Annalee Newitz rambles about CodeCon, placebos, random numbers, fear, yoyo-hacking, Dune and more. This is what it means to be a geek: Techsploitation."

Re:Since when is this news?

[lutefish]

It's a column. She writes chatty, informal bits on tech and geeks for the SF Guardian. Columns suceed precisely because of their individual tone; although writing in a tech-heavy area, there are still the unwired masses that she reaches, as well.

Although she's been writing for the Guardian for a while, she's been writing, at least occasionally, on geek subjects/the web since Bad Subjects, 1995 [eserver.org]. If you want to fault /. for posting it, why bother commenting on how, presumably as a 'true' geek, that you're completely and utterly unimpressed with Newitz's writings/geek credentials?

This is not good...

[miketang16]

I read the "article" and then I read the replies and noticed everyone talking about how horribly written and short it was.

I liked it.

Bit short of an article, but

[prat393]

She does make a good point about how arbritrary perceptions are. I think the most interesting thing she said was that the brain ceases to interpret pain as pain, because this indicates some understanding that the signals are still being processed, just not in the normal way. Thing about it for a second. That's not even the normal "ignore your pain" ideal, it goes even further. What if we really do have the ability to interpret our senses as we see fit?

Re:Since when is this news?

[Ath]

If she is the same Annalee Newitz I went to high school with (and I am pretty sure she is) then she writes to satisfy her own ego more than anything else.

Your interest in the subject is a lot less important than the fact that she is a "writer" and sees things published with her byline.

Of course, I am an asshole so what I write (especially on Slashdot) is not particularly relevant either.

Placebos: The ultimate in malpractice suits

[Syncdata]

Western science can open up to placebos all the like. Lawyers will not.
Lawyer:And on the day of June 2nd, 2003, did your client not come into your office complaining of backpain?
Doctor: Yes.
Lawyer: And what did you prescribe to her?
Doctor: Well her complaints were very general, so I gave her a placebo.
Lawyer: In lieu of Actual medicine?
Doctor:No, you see, the placebo effect is actually a well understood and practic...
Lawyer: No further questions for this witness your honor.