My point of confusion was that she worked for a "money transfer service." Now, I don't know exactly what that means, but does it mean she had money that she went around transferring to people? And in that case, an employer might be motivated to know where the employees are all the time, as well as all the money. But I think it's all electronic transfers, and she didn't have anyone else's money, and wasn't bonded. In which case, buy some aluminum foil and get yourself your own phone.

Actually no is the correct answer according to a recent opinion piece in Seismic Research Letters , which doesn't specifically address Terra Seismic, but which notes operational earthquake forecasting is not very far along, and can at best note regions with increased probability of earthquakes of a certain size, utilizing not only seismic data but also geomorphology, geologic and tectonic studies. And as others have noted, if you frack and actually cause earthquakes, then they are much more predictable.

Violated by police officers in many places including Ferguson, Baltimore.

Deep in dodo doodoo.

Yes, you read that correctly in the summary, there actually is a John Hancock tower in Boston (240 m tall). It is shorter than the better-known one in Chicago (321 m tall, twice as many hits by Google). The Boston one looks very skinny, so maybe it shakes enough for the video gizmo stuff to pick up vibrations. (What me, make fun of MIT?)

Almonds are fascinating, using over a trillion gallons of water per year in California. I always thought eating nuts was lower impact on the environment than eating meat and so a better use of resources. Not sure why we can't grow almonds in water-wealthy states - almonds grow all over the Mediterranean. In fact, almonds are very genetically close to peaches, and I'm sure would make Georgia more money than peaches, with a little investment.

So this is telling me that the apps that Google "Features" currently are not inspected or analyzed by any humans before they become featured. "Featured," to my way of thinking, means recommended. So, currently, are algorithms recommending apps, not people? And if so, how long before algorithms recommend movies, books, music? (Currently, Wikibooks notes that "Featured books are books that the Wiki community believes to be the best . . .")

"It's the sort of thing tenured professors can get away with." I'm thinking I need to rethink my career path right away and become a tenured professor.

You FBI Coward, I spit on you! No, wait, I don't want to spit on you because then you will collect my DNA. I throw my hairbrush at you! No, no, that won't work either. I, I, punch you with boxing gloves!!! Take that!!!

According to James Clapper, "Even more than terrorism, the threat of cyberattack is the biggest peril currently facing the United States". If Cybersecurity is a major threat to the US, you would think that some agency in the government would be interested in making it easy to report security flaws and not prosecute people for reporting security flaws. "And I said to myself, what a F&$#ed up world."

Hi, A friend of mine was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, Stage 4, and he spent the next 6 months lecturing his sons (grades 5 and 8) and getting them to promise to be good. I hated to watch him do it because it put a tremendous extra burden on them. One year later, I would have to say the sons are not being "good." The burden of living up to Dad's expectations was overwhelming, I think. I lost my father the summer after 6th grade. I remember him telling me I could do anything I wanted, after he listened to me sing, "I am Woman, hear me Roar," probably slightly off key, and telling him I wanted to be a rock star. You won't be there in person in the future, but you are there now. Love her every day as if there is no tomorrow, thinking about today's concerns. Respond to her questions today. She's not ready for the future now, but trust that you've given her enough by who you are and she will be when she gets there.

Of course, you can always read the Last Lecture, and do what that tells you to do.


-A geeky scientist Mom