Comment It might be easier to study since it's so big (Score 3, Interesting) 65
I wonder if, with a black hole as large and relatively less shielded, you can look for some evidence of relativistic effects around it.
Submission + - More Evidence for Water on Titan (space.com)
gpronger writes: Researchers using data from NASA's Cassini continue to build evidence that Titan is composed of a frozen outer "shell", a layer of liquid water, and then a solid core.
"We think that the presence of an internal ocean is likely," said study lead author Rose-Marie Baland of the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels.
This is based upon calculations starting from prior work and reviewing orbital data that the best fit is if Titan has a subsurface ocean.
"We think that the presence of an internal ocean is likely," said study lead author Rose-Marie Baland of the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels.
This is based upon calculations starting from prior work and reviewing orbital data that the best fit is if Titan has a subsurface ocean.
Submission + - Microsoft's New Anti-Mac Site (zdnet.com)
StormDriver writes: "Microsoft has launched a new ‘PC vs. Mac’ site, and this one encourages potential Canadian Mac buyers to ‘do the math’ before buying.
The idea is that you compare the price of Mac systems to ‘corresponding’ Windows-based systems (I can’t add enough quotes around ‘corresponding’ so I won’t try, but rest assured that these systems have been carefully chosen) and end up being awed by the savings you could make by choosing Windows over Mac (and then you spend the savings on a vacation)."
The idea is that you compare the price of Mac systems to ‘corresponding’ Windows-based systems (I can’t add enough quotes around ‘corresponding’ so I won’t try, but rest assured that these systems have been carefully chosen) and end up being awed by the savings you could make by choosing Windows over Mac (and then you spend the savings on a vacation)."
Comment Why all the fuss? (Score 1, Offtopic) 380
I just don't see the need for a special press conference, since the general public will be goings "Arse-whaat"
Submission + - Teen pregnancies in Canada plummet 40% (parentcentral.ca)
voislav98 writes: In not so "news for nerds" the Toronto Star reports that teen pregnancy rates in Canada dropped 36.9 per cent between 1996 and 2006, according to research released Wednesday by the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada. Although socio-economic inequality has been identified as the key factor influencing teen pregnancy rates, high-quality sex education in schools and easy access to health services were also found to be important. The Sex Information and Education Council of Canada receives funding from the makers of Trojan condoms. Incidentally, US pregnancy rates only dropped 25% over the same period, widening the teen-pregnancy gap between the two countries to 32.4 per 1000 women (27.9 vs 60.3). Both countries are yet to catch up to the 0.03 per 1000 women of the Slashdot nation.
Submission + - Bulgarian scientists in contact with aliens (telegraph.co.uk)
voislav98 writes: Daily Telegraph reports that Bulgarian government scientists are in contact with aliens. Lachezar Filipov, deputy director of the Space Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, confirmed the research. Mr Filipov said that even the seat of the Catholic church, the Vatican, had agreed that aliens existed. He said humans were not going to be able to establish contact with the extraterrestrials through radio waves but through the power of thought. The publication of the BAS researchers report concerning communicating with aliens comes in the midst of a controversy over the role, feasibility, and reform of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. This begs the question is the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences trying to commit scientific suicide or it is some sort of a clever ploy to appeal to the lowest common denominator (which in Eastern Europe is very low and paranoid)?
Comment It's the economy stupid (Score 1) 383
It's a way to cover airtime without any extra cost. Anyone watching BBC and CNN can really see the difference in reporting style, CNN will beat a single story to death, spending a better part of the hour discussing it, while BBC will spend at most 10 minutes on any one story, provide the information and move one. CNN is really infotainment, where it doesn't matter what the news is.
Comment No ARM (Score 5, Insightful) 219
I would love to see an ARM netbook from Nokia, none of this Atom crap
Comment Missing Option? (Score 3, Funny) 518
does "on CowboyNeal's soft belly" option insult the male or the female population of /. more?
Submission + - The future of unmanned flight
an.echte.trilingue writes: "The Economist has an interesting article about the future of unmanned flight. From the article:
I personally wonder when airlines will adopt this technology."Having evolved from military use, drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are taking to the air in increasing numbers for public-service and civilian roles. They are being operated by groups as diverse as police, surveyors and archaeologists. A UAV helped firemen track the blaze that recently ravaged southern California.(...) [Researchers at Harvard University] are working on a fly-like robot which weighs only 60 milligrams (0.002 ounces) and has a wingspan of just three centimetres — about the size of a real fly and so most unlikely to be noticed. This means going beyond scaling down existing components, like electric motors, and trying entirely new manufacturing processes. The Harvard "fly-bot" has flown, but so far only on a tether from which it gets external power.
Submission + - Scotty's ashes found!
voislav98 writes: Scotty: ashes located and heading home. The missing seven grams of actor James Doohan have been found safe and, er, well, in the New Mexico mountains where his near-space capsule crash landed three weeks ago.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/22/scotty_ash es_found/
