This is the correct response. Facebook use (and actively develop) APC, an opcode cache. In other words, they cache the compiled binaries created by PHP. So, the environmental impact of running PHP as opposed to something compiled is virtually 0, because nearly all calls are made to pre-compiled PHP opcode.

Someone sufficiently motivated can fight through the effects of OC, particularly if they have experienced it before and know how it affects them. Second, some people have no appreciable reaction to it.

I know I do - I've taken blasts to the face multiple times, and I can still draw and deliver reasonably accurate fire afterwards. It hurts like hell, but if you have the willpower, its completely doable. There is a difference between pain and impairment. The worst impairment is loss of visual acuity.

That sounds fine at first glance, but remember that Apple is the one who eagerly states they are ready to fight for their patents.

Si modifying a bit your scenario, the method of turning lead into gold is actually quite straightforward and obvious, with Nokia also arriving at it. But then the small company starts to bark; this Nokia sees as an entity not willing to "Reasonable and Nondiscriminatory" relations (remember any relations involves two entities, works both ways...)

I completely agree, and I think that what you're getting at is the "art" of science. Knowing how to develop good experimental procedures, deciding when the evidence is enough to convince you of X, etc. It's a deep and fascinating topic, and I am grateful that you started the discussion.

They should be met by compassionate denial - a non-condescending denial cushioned with the true caveat that what is known now is not the limit of what will be known in the future and we may, perhaps, be wrong.

There are real claims that humans coexisted with dinosaurs. Because these people sincerely believe this, do you also believe that this occurred?

Real complaints do not imply that *what* they are complaining about is real.

(Assuming this is a sincere question; otherwise, I missed the joke.)

Squamous cell esophageal cancer is associated with the consumption of hot beverages. The evidence strongly suggests that the consumption of hot beverages is a causal factor in the development of squamous cell esophageal cancer. (Note that this is not adenocarcinoma, which is more prevalent in the US.) Nevertheless, taken to its extreme, the mantra "correlation is not causation" would cause one to refuse to acknowledge hot water as being causal for squamous esophageal cancer and, instead, continue seeking alternate explanations. Although I cannot read his mind, I am inferring that PylonHead is arguing for a balance between "correlation is not causation" and "after enough evidence and careful study, this correlation is actually due to causation."

In my opinion, the executive summary is that Craig Newmark values his notion of small, local communities more highly than he values money. I mean it in as cool and non-bleeding-heart a manner as possible.

He has the ability to direct the flow of visitors to his site to make money, or he has the ability to encourage what he sees as small, local communities basically unconnected to one another. He uses his site for the latter, and consequently forgoes substantial amounts of income. Sites that aggregate content or otherwise amalgamate the disconnected communities run afoul of his personal and, perhaps, business preferences.

Hate speech occupies the middle ground in terms of protection, it seems.

This just felt like one of those cracked.com articles all over digg, instead of a slashdot-worthy article. Sorry.

Or grab a torrent! http://torrent.fedoraproject.org/

That's the most detail I've heard yet - thanks for the reply and the link.

Apologies, since this is extremely extremely offtopic and I deserve to be downmodded for it... ... but I noticed in another thread you said you had a laptop with an i7 920. I am trying to decide whether to buy a laptop with an i7 920 (720, actually) or a high-end Core2Duo like T9600. The key for me will be battery life.

If you're feeling really generous, can you give me some basic specs on your i7 machine and offer a sense of what the battery life has been like while web surfing, etc? I have read many reviews, but none that I trust so much as another Slashdot user (sounds ridiculous, I know, but I'm not a manufacturer paying you for this review). I would be very grateful!

I didn't say, "This won't happen because we passed GINA." Instead, I pointed out that there is legislation that intends to deal with this problem. That is, I stated that the legislation was passed to address this problem, not that I felt that the legislation would 100% effective, which would be a different point entirely.

Certainly, I share your concern that insurance companies will always attempt to find loopholes so long as there is a profit motive to do so.

Anonymous coward is correct. This is genotyping, which is orders of magnitude less resource-intensive than gene sequencing.

Genotyping | sequencing || driving down the highway | Lewis and Clark's journey

Sequencing is pathfinding (they are not doing this). Genotyping is exploring the path that you already know is there (this is what they are doing). On the sequencing front, there is currently a 1000 genomes project - a massive collaboration of worldwide importance due to its difficulty and expense. On the other hand, genotyping 100,000 people is done all the time (heart attack GWAS, etc). The two concepts are enormously different.