doojsdad - Slashdot User

Submission + - Physicists say nuke shield can counter Russia (washingtonpost.com)

Submitted by doojsdad on Friday September 28, 2007 @09:54AM

doojsdad writes: The AP reports that, contrary to what the Missile Defense Agency and U.S. officials have been saying, some top physicists claim that the proposed missile defense shield in Eastern Europe could in fact take down Russian missiles. The U.S. has said that it is meant to protect against missiles from the direction of Iran and that Russian missiles would be too close for the shield to have any effect, but after analyzing the available science the physicists claim that the defense missiles could catch up to and destroy Russian missiles.

'The claim by the Missile Defense Agency is not correct,' says Theodore Postol, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a longtime missile defense critic. 'And it is hard to understand how they could get something so basic wrong.'

Submission + - Do you know how to use a slide rule? (engcom.net) 5

Submitted by

high_rolla

on Friday September 28, 2007 @05:14AM

high_rolla writes: "How many of you know what a slide rule it? Better yet, how many of you have actually used one? The slide rule was a simple yet powerful and important tool for engineers and scientists before the days of calculators. In fact, several people I know still prefer to use them. In the interest of preserving this icon we have created a virtual slide rule for you to play with."

Submission + - Taxpayer funded creationism

Submitted by J ROC on Wednesday September 26, 2007 @04:13PM

J ROC writes: According to this news story Senator David Vitter has earmarked $100,000 of federal money to the Louisiana Family Forum "to develop a plan to promote better science education" (text of the appropriations bill is here. Scroll to page 238). The Louisiana Family Forum has a history of promoting creationism in public schools, as some bloggers have noted.

Submission + - DRM Drives ex-Microsoft Employee to Linux (news.com)

Submitted by

mytrip

on Wednesday September 26, 2007 @01:03PM

mytrip writes: "A security expert who once worked for Microsoft has said he may dump the company's Windows Media Center in favor of Ubuntu-affiliated LinuxMCE after struggling with the software giant's digital-rights management software.

Johansson said that DRM software is not only ineffective, but a waste of money that is damaging businesses attempting to use it to control the way consumers use copyright material.

"How many billions has the industry spent on DRM schemes that the bad guys break in weeks? How many perfectly legitimate users has the industry annoyed and driven away? How many lost DVD sales has it caused? How many lost sales of Microsoft's Media Center software and Windows Vista has it caused because the DRM subsystem randomly decides that you must be a criminal?" Johansson wrote."

Submission + - ASUS's Eee PC expected this October (theinquirer.net)

Submitted by

doojsdad

on Tuesday September 25, 2007 @05:16PM

doojsdad writes: "ASUSTeK's Eee PC is the laptop we heard about previously that is set to compete with OLPC. According to the Inquirer, Sources from a recent Intel Developer Forum have released new information regarding this laptop. Including some specifications and prices. The Eee PC is now expected to be available in October."

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