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Science

Why a High IQ Doesn't Mean You're Smart 808

Posted by CmdrTaco from the but-not-all-idiots-are-savant dept.
D1gital_Prob3 writes "How can a 'smart' person act foolishly? Keith Stanovich, professor of human development and applied psychology at the University of Toronto, Canada, has grappled with this apparent incongruity for 15 years. He says it applies to more people than you might think. To Stanovich, however, there is nothing incongruous about it. IQ tests are very good at measuring certain mental faculties, he says, including logic, abstract reasoning, learning ability and working-memory capacity — how much information you can hold in mind."
Spam

SORBS Blocklist Reportedly Sold For $451K 88

Posted by CmdrTaco from the how-long-before-its-ruined dept.
palegray.net writes "SORBS, a well-known email blocklist provider, has reportedly been sold for $451k. Early reports indicate an acquisition by GFI, a company specializing in various communications services. In recent years, SORBS has been the target of frequent accusations of mismanagement and poor conduct, leading many to wonder if this turn in events might signal a chance for improved behavior. Citing lack of ISP support, the blocklist released statements earlier this year that they would be shuttering their operation."

Comment Re:Contribution to society? (Score 1) 260

by vekrander (#29749049) Attached to: Device Protects Day Traders From Emotional Trading
It's legal and you can make money doing it. There are scammers, grifters, schemers, and thieves out there too, so I would say day traders have more worth than that. Day trading is just another way to support yourself or your family by using your talents. Casinos do pretty much the same thing except they lower your odds in exchange for entertainment and booze. At least with day trading, you contribute to a real economy. Heck, even WoW probably has people that daytrade within that economy and then sell their in game profit for real money.

Comment Re:Do we need the anti-smoking jab (Score 1) 479

by vekrander (#29589439) Attached to: A Geek Funeral
Your tax dollars already go to bridges you'll never use, abortions that religious/moral people want nobody to have, jailing people for being in possession of a marijuana joint, fighting wars that some people agree with but others don't, keeping alive corporations who have become inefficient and uncompetitive, supporting litigation against file sharing, and giving money that you'll never see again to the elderly. You'll never seem a dime of what you pay towards any of these things, so the best thing you can actually do is light up and dip into some of that money when you develop your own health problems.
Music

Guitar Hero 5 To Allow Duplicate Instruments, Easy Switching 43

Posted by Soulskill from the let-the-drum-battles-ensue dept.
Activision confirmed the existence of Guitar Hero 5 last week, and now they've released details about some of the game's new features. Quoting 1Up: "... the new Party Play mode allows players to swap instruments and difficulties on the fly — even in the middle of a performance. You'll also be able to play Guitar Hero 5 with any combination of instruments, be it four drum kits, two microphones and two guitars, or any other possible configuration of four players." They also listed a few of the songs, which include "All Along the Watchtower" by Bob Dylan and "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash. Meanwhile, their music-game rival Harmonix has revealed the full set list for Rock Band Unplugged, coming out early next month for the PSP.
Government

Swiss Banks Making Concessions On Secrecy 325

Posted by kdawson from the next-stop-panama dept.
Aryabhata writes in with news that should chill the hearts of evil dictators and tax cheats everywhere: one of the last bastions of strong banking secrecy, Switzerland, is bowing to international pressure and agreeing to cooperate with some foreign investigations of wrongdoing. "...the Swiss government announced on Friday that it would cooperate in international tax investigations, breaking with its long-standing tradition of protecting wealthy foreigners accused of hiding billions of dollars. Austria and Luxembourg also said they would help. ... The famed 'numbered accounts' that do not bear the owner's name will still be available for clients willing to pay for added anonymity. ... Over the past month, leaders have made similar promises in Singapore, Liechtenstein, Bermuda, the British islands of Jersey and Guernsey, and tiny Andorra... other 'offshore' banking centers are still available in the Caribbean, Panama, Dubai and elsewhere."
Sci-Fi

Ricardo Montalban Dead At 88 280

Posted by samzenpus from the welcome-to-fantasy-island dept.
DesScorp writes "Ricardo Montalban, immortalized as Khan in the Star Trek franchise, is dead at age 88, passing at his Los Angeles home. Montalban had a long and successful career on television and film. The voice of Rich Corinthian Leather is silenced, but we still have the memories."
The Internet

Internet Not Really Dangerous For Kids After All 445

Posted by kdawson from the nevermind dept.
Thomas M Hughes writes "We're all familiar with the claim that it's horribly dangerous to allow our children on to the Internet. It's long been believed that the moment a child logs on to the Internet, he will experience a flood of inappropriate sexual advances. Turns out this isn't an accurate representation of reality at all. A high-profile task force representing 49 state attorneys general was organized to find a solution to the problem of online sexual solicitation. But instead the panel has issued a report (due to be released tomorrow) claiming that 'Social networks are very much like real-world communities that are comprised mostly of good people who are there for the right reasons.' The report concluded that 'the problem of child-on-child bullying, both online and offline, poses a far more serious challenge than the sexual solicitation of minors by adults.' Turns out the danger to our children was all just media hype and parental anxiety." Those who have aggressively pushed the issue of the dangerous Internet, such as Connecticut's attorney general Richard Blumenthal, are less than happy with the report.

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