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Comment How the predictions happen... (Score 1) 201

We can not reliably say whether exposure N (mSv) will cause cancer in person P - we can only predict it based on previous observations.

Predicting the effect from radiation exposure is based on long-term epidemiological study data such as the Japan Life Span Study [1-3]. These compare the disease rates in large populations to neighbouring/control populations where radiation exposure was at natural levels.

These studies form the basis of a statistical reference when establishing the likelihood of developing an illness due to radiation exposure. They suggest that there is a ‘statistically significant increase of the risk of fatal cancer starting at the range of 50–100 mSv, possibly already at 10–50 mSv’ [4].

TFA: "Residents of Namie town and Iitate village, two areas that were not evacuated until months after the accident, received 10–50mSv"

Deterministic effects (i.e. observed reliably above a certain dose threshold) of exposure are seen above 100mSv [4].

TFA: "146 employees and 21 contractors received a dose of more than 100 millisieverts (mSv), the level at which there is an acknowledged slight increase in cancer risk. Six workers received more than the 250mSv allowed by Japanese law for front-line emergency workers, and two operators in the control rooms for reactor units 3 and 4 received doses above 600mSv".

Through previous observations of population exposures to radiation at similar levels, it is statistically likely that this accident will result in an increase in cancer incidence among this population.

[1] Preston, D.L., et al., Cancer Incidence in Atomic Bomb Survivors. Part III: Leukemia, Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma, 1950-1987 Radiation Research, 1994. 137 (2 (Suppliment)): p. S68 - S97.
[2] Preston, D.L., et al., Solid Cancer Incidence in Atomic Bomb Survivors: 1958–1998. Radiation Research, 2007. 168(1): p. 1-64.
[3] Land, C.E., Studies of Cancer and Radiation Dose Among Atomic Bomb Survivors. The Example of Breast Cancer. JAMA, 1995. 274(5): p. 402 - 407.
[4] Vock, P., CT Dose Reduction in Children. European Radiology, 2005. 15: p. 2330-2340.

Comment Bad Practice (Score 1) 110

This seems redundant to me, since the way in which we find relevant answers from a vast source of information such as the internet needs to (and will) change considerably in the near future so that we no longer scan large volumes of information and search results.

If you consider that in terms of efficiency of getting 'an answer from a question' we currently:

Have Question -> get vast amounts of information from intertubes -> sort through information -> hopefully get answer.

But this is stupid. We can build things (as demonstrated by Siri and Wolfram with natural language processing) that do the processing for us, so we can:

Have Question -> Tell [algorithm] -> get answer.

This is the most efficient way to get an answer from a question, we don't need to be involved in sorting and processing of vast amounts of information. I'm sure that in the near future we geeks will make this happen.

Submission + - Happy 20th Birthday, GSM & SMS (guardian.co.uk)

udas writes: "2/3rds of the world's pupluation, 4 billion people, use cell phones today, and *all* of them have access to SMS. Groupe Spécial Mobile (GSM), set up in 1982, created the GSM standard, leading to a unified, open, standard-based mobile network. SMS, upto 160 7-bit character messages sent over control channels (when they aren't busy), was part of the original GSM specification itself. The first GSM handests were approved for sale in May 1992. But it was not until 1996, when pay-as-you-go sim cards showed up, and the kids got their hands on it, did SMS gain popularity. Today tey are used for advertising, notifications, surveying, etc!"

Submission + - 'Crystal' simulator designed to model quantum behaviours (abc.net.au)

Waltre writes: "Dr Michael Biercuk and then team from The Quantum Science Research Group from the University of Sydney today published the details of their quantum computer/simulator which the author is claiming has " the potential to perform calculations that would require a supercomputer larger than the size of the known universe" — all in a machine the size of just 300 charged beryllium atoms."

Submission + - Researchers claim quantum computer breakthrough (abc.net.au)

sortius_nod writes: "Australian and international researchers say they have designed a tiny crystal able to run a quantum computer so powerful it would take a computer the size of the known universe to match it.

Details of the ion crystal, which is made up of just 300 atoms, are published in the journal Nature today by a team from Australia, South Africa and the United States."

Comment Re:Wi-Fi (Score 5, Informative) 297

This is a good point, I've never gotten this either. According to the Wi-Fi page on Wikipedia,

"Wi-Fi" is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance and the brand name for products using the IEEE 802.11 family of standards.".

The article goes on to explain that,,

"The term Wi-Fi, first used commercially in August 1999,[31] was coined by a brand-consulting firm called Interbrand Corporation that the Alliance had hired to determine a name that was "a little catchier than 'IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence'"

So there you go, it makes no sense technically because marketing people were involved.

Comment Big Cost, little demand (Score 1) 48

The 3D trial in Australia was a real non-event [http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD.PC/pc=PC_312131] since the cost of broadcast was excessive when considering the small amount of interest in watching 3D TV [http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/hometech/3d-tv-falls-flat-as-broadcasters-tune-out-20110902-1jp0u.html]
Role Playing (Games)

FF XIII Timeframe Set, FF XIV Confirmed 140

Square Enix announced at E3 that Final Fantasy XIII is planned for release this winter in Japan, and spring 2010 for North America. A new trailer was released as well. A separate announcement brought details about Final Fantasy XIV Online, an MMORPG due out in 2010 for Windows and the PS3. A teaser website was launched, with a trailer and some information about the developers working on the project. "Final Fantasy XIV Online is being developed with a simultaneous worldwide release in mind. The game will be initially released in English, Japanese, French, and German. The game will be produced by Hiromichi Tanaka (Final Fantasy I, II, III, and XI) and Nobuaki Komoto (Final Fantasy IX and XI) will serve as director. Longtime Final Fantasy fans will be happy to hear the Nobu Uematsu will return to provide the score."
The Almighty Buck

On the Expectation of Value From Inexpensive Games 102

An article by game designer Ian Bogost takes a look at what type of value we attach to games, and how it relates to price. Inspiration for the article came from the complaint of a user who bought Bogost's latest game and afterward wanted a refund. The price of the game? 99 cents. Quoting: "Games aren't generally like cups of coffee; they don't get used up. They don't provide immediate gratification, but ongoing challenge and reward. This is part of what Frank Lantz means when he claims that games are not media. Yet, when we buy something for a very low price, we are conditioned to see it as expendable. What costs a dollar these days? Hardly anything. A cup of coffee. A pack of sticky notes. A Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. A lottery ticket. Stuff we use up and discard. ... I contend that iPhone players are not so much dissatisfied as they are confused: should one treat a 99-cent game as a piece of ephemera, or as a potentially rich experience?"
Earth

Is Climate Change Affecting Bushfires? 397

TapeCutter writes "After the devastating firestorm in Australia, there has been a lot of speculation in the press about the role of climate change. For the 'pro' argument the BBC article points to research by the CSIRO. For the 'con' argument they quote David Packham of Monash university, who is not alone in thinking '...excluding prescribed burning and fuel management has led to the highest fuel concentrations we have ever had...' However, the DSE's 2008 annual report states; '[The DSE] achieved a planned burning program of more than 156,000 hectares, the best result for more than a decade. The planned burning of forest undergrowth is by far the most powerful management tool available...' I drove through Kilmore on the evening of the firestorm, and in my 50 years of living with fire I have never seen a smoke plume anything like it. It was reported to be 15 km high and creating its own lightning. There were also reports of car windscreens and engine blocks melting. So what was it that made such an unusual firestorm possible, and will it happen again?"
Nintendo

Nintendo Files Patent For Game That Plays Itself 152

Kotaku points out a recent patent filed by Nintendo which automates gameplay unless the user specifically chooses to play a particular part of the game. Quoting: "The new system, described in a patent filed by Nintendo Creative Director Shigeru Miyamoto on June 30, 2008, but made public today, looks to solve the issue of casual gamers losing interest in a game before they complete it, while still maintaining the interest of hardcore gamers. The solution would turn a game into a full-length cut scene of sorts, allowing players to jump into and out of the action whenever they wanted. But when played this way, gamers would not be able to save their progress, maintaining the challenge of completing a game without skipping or cheating."
Image

6-Year-Old Says Grand Theft Auto Taught Him To Drive Screenshot-sm 504

nandemoari writes "A six-year-old who recently stole his parents' car and drove it into a utility pole has passed the buck onto a familiar scapegoat: the video game, Grand Theft Auto. Rockstar Games' controversial Grand Theft Auto video game has been criticized by parent groups and crusaders (or in the eyes of gamers, nincompoops) like former lawyer Jack Thompson for years (Thompson once tried to link the Virginia Tech slayings to late-night Counterstrike sessions. He's since been disbarred). However, not as of yet has anyone under the age of, oh, ten, blamed the game for a car theft."
Microsoft

New Xbox Experience Goes Live 332

Today, Microsoft launched the New Xbox Experience for Xbox Live. The list of new features includes the streaming of TV shows and movies through Netflix, the ability to install games to the HDD, an avatar system, and the Community Games platform. The launch itself was shaky at first, but most issues have been smoothed out. Sony-owned Columbia Pictures immediately pulled their movie selection, though it may return when a licensing deal gets worked out. Halo 3 developer Bungie pointed out that not all games will run faster when installed to a HDD because of the way the games already interact with the drive.
Security

Protecting IM From Big Brother 185

holden writes "Ian Goldberg, leading security researcher, professor at the University of Waterloo, and co-creator of the Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR) protocol recently gave a talk on protecting your IM conversations. He discusses OTR and its importance in today's world of warrant-less wire tapping. OTR users benefit from being able to have truly private conversations over IM by using encryption to obtain authentication, deniability, and perfect forward secrecy, while working within their existing IM infrastructure. With the recent NSA wiretapping activities and increasing Big Brother presence, security and OTR are increasingly important. An avi of the talk is available by http as well as by bittorrent and a bunch of other formats."

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