zaydana - Slashdot User

Comment Re:This won't go over well (Score 1) 138

by zaydana on Thursday May 14, 2009 @09:19PM (#27960275) Attached to: Daydreaming Is Really Complex Problem-Solving

I find this true as well, especially when I'm working on things that require a bit of creativity.

I spend a lot of time making up mnemonics for memorizing Japanese characters - the only way I've found to really remember them is making up little stories for each. But, if I decide to just sit down and try to make stories for hours, it doesn't usually work. I can be stuck on a character for 10 minutes, then get up to go to the toilet, and figure out a story straight away when I wasn't even trying.

I've found the same thing with coding as well. Sometimes I'll be trying to solve that stupid bug, and spend an hour or so on it. Get up to have a drink, stop concentrating on it, and then it just all makes sense.

While daydreaming constantly obviously wouldn't be productive, I think its fairly certain that spacing your work out and giving your mind a chance to go off on a tangent is probably very good for getting things done that require problem solving and creativity.

Comment Re:In Soviet... Japan... (Score 0, Redundant) 133

by zaydana on Tuesday December 16, 2008 @09:43AM (#26131717) Attached to: In Japan, a Billboard That Watches You

In Soviet Russia, Billboards watch you.

Submission + - Map of the web 2.0

Submitted by

ocean_soul

on Wednesday May 02, 2007 @01:55AM

ocean_soul writes: "Some time ago xkcd webcomic had a map of the internet. Now they have a map of web 2.0 (or, like they call it, the online communities). The surface of each region represents the number of memeberships. The different "countries" aren't just randomly placed on the map, there is a nice compass-rose-shaped island explaining the ordering of communities."

Submission + - SpaceX Celebrates Launch of Falcon 1

Submitted by iamlucky13 on Tuesday March 20, 2007 @10:19PM

iamlucky13 writes: Barely under a year since a fuel leak doomed their first launch, upstart aerospace company SpaceX has cleared the ground a second time with their Falcon 1 rocket. The flight proceeded smoothly until a roll control issue caused premature engine shutdown and loss of telemetry at T plus 5:05. News is currently limited to brief mission status reports. Although the ultimate fate of the rocket and payload are unknown, the company appears pleased with preliminary performance indications. "We in the Washington, D.C. office are celebrating with champagne," said company VP Gwynne Shotwell. "We don't have any information yet from the launch control center, but the Falcon clearly got to space with a successful liftoff, stage separation, second stage ignition and fairing separation."

The flight of the $7 million rocket was to demonstrate its capabilities for DARPA and included two NASA experiments. CEO Elon Musk noted many improvements had been made since the first launch attempt, and has cited similar challenges in the development of other rocket systems. A launch attempt yesterday was scrubbed to resolve telemetry issues with just 62 seconds left. Today's countdown was kept exciting by an automated abort after engine ignition due to marginal chamber pressure. The countdown was restarted after refueling the rocket, with launch at 01:10 GMT from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.

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