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Education

Submission + - Damning Release of Heartland Institute Documents Reveals Opposition to Science (discovermagazine.com)

bheerssen writes: "The Heartland Institute — a self-described "think tank" that actually serves in part as a way for climate change denialism to get funded — has a potentially embarrassing situation on their hands. Someone going by the handle "Heartland Insider" has anonymously released quite a few of what are claimed to be internal documents from Heartland, revealing the Institute’s strategies, funds, and much more."

Comment Re:Galileoscope (Score 1) 368

I got one of these as a gift for someone. You'll need a tripod, but any standard camera tripod will work. Also, it took about six weeks to deliver, so it may be too late for Christmas. A portion of the proceeds goes to supply identical telescopes to disadvantaged kids.

The quality seems ok for the price. It's a plastic telescope modelled on the one Galileo used, so don't expect high performance. However, it is useful for teaching some history of science and astronomy (and religion) so that's a bonus. There's a great companion site with lots of educational materials available for download along with detailed assembly instructions. (You will need that.The scope is not trivial to assemble.)

Comment Re:Nice try (Score 4, Insightful) 736

It is true that water vapor is the strongest greenhouse gas. However, that's certainly not the entire story. It is also true that it is carbon dioxide that is upsetting the balance in the Earth's ability to regulate itself. As humans pump more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while simultaneously cutting down huge swaths of forest (and thereby harming the Earth's ability to scrub carbon dioxide), the Earth's ability to cool itself is significantly reduced. As this process accelerates, the ice caps melt, releasing more water vapor into the atmosphere via evaporation, further compounding the effect caused by unregulated carbon dioxide emissions.

This all adds up to an accelerating snowball effect that by the end of the century could see average global temperatures increase by six degrees Celsius. That means no more year-round snow and ice on the polar ice caps, sea levels meters above "normal" and a whole host of problems for flora and fauna (us) alike. The science is in, and the denialists are endagering us all.

This is a classic case of Pascal's Wager, except that in this case it is actually a good argument. If we do nothing and anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is real, we risk the end of civilization as we know it. If we take aggressive action and AGW turns out to be hogwash, then we'll have taken long steps toward cleaning up our environment: a net positive for many reasons unrelated to AGW, including reduced loss of habitat, healthier oceans (and fisheries), and fewer pollutants in our food and water. Why some people insist that we should continue to rape our planet as we've always done seems, in this light, grossly irresponsible and short-sighted.

I should add that AGW denialists are in the same camp as creationists because they willfully disbelieve science they do not understand so that they can rationalize closely held, pig-headed beliefs which only serve to preserve the status quo. Change is often hard and uncomfortable; even costly. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't embrace it. Read some ACTUAL science instead of letting people with an agenda spoon-feed you lies.

Programming

Submission + - Manager's Schedule vs. Maker's Schedule 1

theodp writes: "Ever wonder why you and the boss don't see eye-to-eye on the importance of meetings? Paul Graham explains that there are Maker's Schedules (coder) and Manager's Schedules (PHB), and ideally never the twain shall meet. With each day neatly cut into one hour intervals, the Manager's Schedule is for bosses and is tailor-made for schmoozing. Unfortunately, it spells disaster for people who make things, like programmers and writers, who generally prefer to use time in units of half a day at least. You can't write or program well in units of an hour, says Graham, since that's barely enough time to get started. So if you fall into the Maker's camp, adds Graham, you better hope your boss is smart enough to recognize that you need long chunks of time to work in. How's that working out in your world?"
Microsoft

Submission + - Linus: Microsoft Hatred is a disease 5

An anonymous reader writes: When asked for comments by linux magazine on Microsoft's move to contribute code to the linux kernel, Linus Torvalds responded: I'm a big believer in "technology over politics". I don't care who it comes from, as long as there are solid reasons for the code, and as long as we don't have to worry about licensing etc issues. I may make jokes about Microsoft at times, but at the same time, I think the Microsoft hatred is a disease. I believe in open development, and that very much involves not just making the source open, but also not shutting other people and companies out. . He also criticizes the free software extremists for being hypocritical, bashing Microsoft for contributing code (that enables linux to run better virtualized on their own virtualization platform), while at the same time praising other companies (like IBM) that do or have done similar things: I agree that it's driven by selfish reasons, but that's how all open source code gets written! We all "scratch our own itches" Interesting read.
Security

Submission + - Help me remove a keylogger (brickhousesecurity.com)

bheerssen writes: "A friend of mine is having some marital difficulties. Recently her husband installed a keylogger on her computer to spy on her activity. This is a software keylogger called Stealth iBot Computer Spy and is marketed as a monitoring device for parents. It is a USB device that stealth installs monitoring software, including keylogger and screen grabber, when it is plugged in to a USB port. The logs are accessed whenever the device is again inserted into a USB port.

Several spyware scans using different spyware removal tools have failed to reveal the software and an internet search has proven fruitless in turning up information about how to remove it.

Going forward, my friend has turned off the Windows Autoplay "feature" so that Windows won't run the software in the device when it is plugged in. However, that doesn't remove the software already installed. So, what can she do. Has anyone successfully uninstalled something like this, or is she left with the unappetizing option of reformatting her hard drive?"

Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft offers browser options to EU surfeers

Mr. Grass writes: "The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft will add rival browsers to settle EU probe. But rather than bundling this on new PC's, they will send a notification over the Internet that will ask all Windows users in Europe who currently have Microsoft's Internet Explorer as their default browser whether they'd like to install a different one and optionally turn Internet Explorer off. The ballot-screen mechanism would be in place for five years from the date of the settlement and feature the top five browsers by market share — currently Internet Explorer, Firefox, Apple Inc.'s Safari, Opera and Google's Chrome. More coverage on Google News."
The Internet

Submission + - Feds Seek Input On Federal Websites' Cookie Policy (informationweek.com) 1

suraj.sun writes: The government wants to use cookies to offer more personalized Web sites to citizens, better analytics to Webmasters.

Looking to take advantage of modern Web capabilities like personalization and improved Web analytics, the federal government has drafted changes to its outdated restrictions on HTTP cookies, and wants the public's input.

Under the plan, detailed in a blog post ( http://blog.ostp.gov/2009/07/24/cookiepolicy/ ) by federal CIO Vivek Kundra and associate administrator of the Office of Management and Budget's office of information and regulatory affairs Michael Fitzpatrick, federal agencies would be able to use cookies, as long as their use is lawful, citizens can opt out of being tracked, notice of the use of cookies is posted on the Web site, and Web sites don't limit access to information for those who opt out.

The Office of Management and Budget is considering three separate tiers of cookie usage that will likely have different restrictions for each, based on privacy risks. The first tier of sites would use single-session technologies, the second multi-session technologies for use in analytics only, and the third for multi-session cookies that are used to remember data or settings "beyond what is needed for Web analytics."

The OMB wants to get the public's take on basic principles governing the use of cookies, tiers of use, acceptable use and restrictions of each tier, the degree to which notice should be given of the use of cookies, and a number of other topics.

Office of Science & Technology Policy : http://blog.ostp.gov/2009/07/24/cookiepolicy/

Information Week : http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=NE43DW5JXBFNOQSNDLOSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=218600614

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