Comment Genius (Score 1) 211
I would never have associated 80s hair metal bands with advanced civilization....
Comment Re:It's about time (Score 3, Insightful) 454
Stories about unicorns just fuel for beastiality fantasies.
Agreed. It's time for a new law (or constitutional amendment): scientific evidence should take precedence over witchhunting paranoia when drafting new laws.
Submission + - Your Melatonin-reducing iPad Keeping you up at night? Try Pink Noise. (nbcnews.com)
mayberry42 writes: You've probably never been jealous of an elephant, but you're about to be. Elephants need only three to four hours of sleep per night in order to be their happy elephant selves during the day. So what's Dumbo's secret? Deeper, more stable sleep--and new research may have found the secret to helping you achieve elephantine-levels of repose each night: Pink noise...Pink noise is a type of sound in which every octave carries the same power, or a perfectly consistent frequency, Zhang explains. "Think of rain falling on pavement, or wind rustling the leaves on a tree," It's called pink noise because light with a similar power spectrum would appear pink, he says.
Additionally, on a somewhat separate note, the production of melatonin, a natural chemical used to put your body to sleep at night, is diminished in the presence of bright blues (and likely to be the reason why your laptops are keep you up at night). Software such f.lux dimish the blues on screen to allow for better sleep. (note: I am in no way, shape or form, associated with f.lux. I just like their product and am not aware of any other software that does the same.)
Additionally, on a somewhat separate note, the production of melatonin, a natural chemical used to put your body to sleep at night, is diminished in the presence of bright blues (and likely to be the reason why your laptops are keep you up at night). Software such f.lux dimish the blues on screen to allow for better sleep. (note: I am in no way, shape or form, associated with f.lux. I just like their product and am not aware of any other software that does the same.)
Submission + - Mysterious Dark Matter Blob Confounds Experts (msn.com) 1
mayberry42 writes: Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope are mystified by a merging galaxy cluster known as Abell 520 in which concentrations of visible matter and dark matter have apparently come unglued. A report on the Hubble observations, published in the Astrophysical Journal, raises more questions than answers about a cosmic pile-up that's occurring 2.4 billion light-years away.
"According to our current theory," says Arif Babul, the study team's senior theorist, "galaxies and dark matter are expected to stay together, even through a collision. But that's not what's happening in Abell 520. Here, the dark matter appears to have pooled to form the dark core, but most of the associated galaxies seem to have moved on."
"According to our current theory," says Arif Babul, the study team's senior theorist, "galaxies and dark matter are expected to stay together, even through a collision. But that's not what's happening in Abell 520. Here, the dark matter appears to have pooled to form the dark core, but most of the associated galaxies seem to have moved on."
Submission + - Boston University Economics Professor Seeks to Run (cnn.com)
mayberry42 writes: BU Economics Professor Lawrence Kotlikoff seeks to run for presidency in the 2012 presidential race. Being late in the game and with the additional handicap of running as an independent, it is unlikely that he will make any significant impact.
Comment Re:What I do (Score 1) 647
1. Go for books with strong imagery over dense plot (e.g. Stross's Jennifer Morgue, Gaiman's Neverwhere, Lewis's Blind Side.) You get interrupted so much on planes that a 40 page idea is hard to enjoy: go for simple ideas done vividly. 2. Pack three unstarted paperbacks in carry-on. Don't be afraid to switch books if the current one isn't gripping you. 3. If all else fails, drink and then sleep. 4. Be in the first-class cabin.
Good ideas, but for 2, why not just get a Kindle or nook? They are fairly cheap, books are even cheaper than their dead-tree counterparts, and you can literally carry 1000's of thousand-page books with you (not that one would, but it's possible).
Comment Re:Obligatory (Score 1) 647
I am serious. And don't call me Surely.
Submission + - VT shootings (vt.edu) 1
mayberry42 writes: A dear friend of mine from Virginia Tech reports of a school shooting which has thus far left an officer dead. Suspect remains at large. News has been confirmed at the school's official website vt.edu and google, among many others. News still breaking.
Comment I'm out (Score 1) 140
I received the email regarding this class action and, well, it's stupid. people knew how much they paid and what they were paying for and agreed to it. this whole thing is unnecessary.
Comment Re:You can't go home again (Score 1) 138
Give it up. A new Zelda game will never recreate that experience of firing up The Legend of Zelda on your NES for the first time when you were 10 years-old.
Perhaps not, but then again no new games can reproduce the nostalgic effects of a 25 year old game, however good they may be. Having said that, classics do have to start somewhere. Give it time and it just may become the next A Link To The Past...or Twilight Princess.
Comment Re:I gave gifts like this once. Everyone hated the (Score 1) 377
They just don't care. And they surely don't want to receive it as a gift.
This says more about them (highly disrespectful and inconsiderate) than about you (thoughtful) and your gifts, to be honest. Dont be so quick to judge this as a bad idea - some families actually treat each other with kindness, courtesy and respect (something you may want to consider mentioning next time you talk to your niece) and thus will appreciate a custom-made gift - even if its something they dont like.
Comment What I use (legally) (Score 1) 377
I'd say add Ubuntu / Linux Mint (which people seem to really like, more so than Ubuntu it seems). Other software could be: TrueCrypt and KeePass for internet security, calibre for ebook management,Thunderbird for email and LibreOffice for office needs. While you're at it, Skype (full download) might be good as well - i always seem to need it at the most inopportune moment). This might be a bit of a cheat, but check out here. You know your friends, see for yourself what they might like from here and download accordingly.
Submission + - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is finally out
mayberry42 writes: Finally, the wait is over — for European fans, anyway. After months (well, over a year) of delays the latest adventure of Link is finally out. And the results are, to say the least, universally astounding. Famitsu magazine has given it a perfect score, and IGN stating "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the greatest Zelda game ever created. It's the best game for Wii and one of the finest video game accomplishments of the past 10 years." Of course, some of you may have already known this given that it has already been hacked (and yes, it looks even more fantastic in HD). I would love to hear what our European counterparts have to say about this game. Have you played it? Is it as good as they say? Why or why not?
Submission + - Ron Paul's 89 seconds of fame
mayberry42 writes: It's no secret how Ron Paul has been having a severe lack of news coverage; far less than most, if not all, of his fellow GOP candidates. However, things have turned to almost bizarre levels when the past few debates have almost entirely excluded him, at one point granting him 90 seconds to speak — in an 80 minute debate. Still, he seems to be doing pretty well in Iowa.
Comment Re:what space is there for the Fire?" (Score 1) 381
If an E Ink Kindle or Nook is better for reading books, and a smartphone or iPad is better for watching movies or listening to music, what space is there for the Fire?
A $200 device that will do both.
You assume that the device can do the work equally well, or at least reasonably good, than both the iPad and the Kindle/Nook, which is not be the case given the current reviews. There's a reason that specialists get paid way more than "jack of all trades"-type peoples - they're better at what they do.
