Comment Re:However, the only emotions are hate and anger (Score 1) 124
It has other emotions, but those are the only ones that Lore allows him to feel. :-p
Comment Re:Holy Mackerel! (Score 3, Interesting) 465
I don't think this compares with Fermilab. The fine article is talking about creating positrons, not anti-protons. This isn't the first time I've heard about creating positrons from a laser shown upon a gold foil target. Here are two (from 2004 and 2001 respectively) that I just found on Google Scholar describing a result and a theory behind the positron production:
http://llacolen.ciencias.uchile.cl/~vmunoz/download/papers/wclpp05.pdf
http://www-project.slac.stanford.edu/lc/local/PolarizedPositrons/doc/ClassicalPapers/B_Shen-J_Meyer-ter-Vehn-PRE65_16405.pdf
It also isn't very efficient. They make 10^11 positrons per 400 J of energy input. If those positrons react with 10^11 electrons, they produce gamma rays with the energy 2 * (electron mass * (10^11)) * (c^2) = 0.0163742083 joules. Maybe it is more efficient than Fermilab, but that's still not very much. Since these are light positrons - not heavy anti-protons - I don't think these results would be very useful for fusion. Maybe as a source of gamma rays or as a research tool.
Identifying People By Odor As Effective As Fingerprinting
157
A study has found that everybody has a unique body odor, like their fingerprints, that could be used as an unique identifier. The study showed that a persons unique odor stayed the same even if they varied their diet with strong smelling foods such as garlic and spices. "These findings indicate that biologically-based odorprints, like fingerprints, could be a reliable way to identify individuals," said Monell chemist Jae Kwak. I would have thought that hundreds of years of dogs tracking people would have proved this, but it's nice to know that science has figured it out officially now.
Comment Re:Importance of warm-up (Score 2, Interesting) 339
I agree with Eskimo. I'm also a martial artist (BJJ instructor), and we only do dynamic stretches before practice or sparring as well. Instead we begin with a light warm-up to (duh!) warm up the muscles. Then we train sport-specific movements as well as dynamic stretches to build muscle memory and increase flexibility. After practice we might finish with some yoga, but we got rid of the generic static stretches with no problems. Our Muay Thai instructors do the same thing at their practices. As far as I knew, the thesis of this article was common knowledge in the sports world for a while now. It has made us more flexible and faster with less occurring of injuries than when I was doing static stretches. We have some really good fighters and competitors, so I don't doubt our training methods. They seem to be working for us.
Magnetic Portals Connect Sun and Earth 235
MaxwellEdison writes "Scientists have discovered evidence of magnetic portals connecting the Earth and the Sun every 8 minutes. 'Several speakers at the Workshop have outlined how FTEs form: On the dayside of Earth (the side closest to the sun), Earth's magnetic field presses against the sun's magnetic field. Approximately every eight minutes, the two fields briefly merge or "reconnect," forming a portal through which particles can flow. The portal takes the form of a magnetic cylinder about as wide as Earth. The European Space Agency's fleet of four Cluster spacecraft and NASA's five THEMIS probes have flown through and surrounded these cylinders, measuring their dimensions and sensing the particles that shoot through.'"
Malaysia Uses Anti-Terrorism Laws To Stop Bloggers 381
Academiphiliac writes to mention the BBC reported in an article this morning that the Malaysian government may start using tough anti-terror laws to censor bloggers who insult either Islam or the country's king. "The move comes as one of Malaysia's leading online commentators has been questioned by police following a complaint by the main governing party. The new rules would allow a suspect to be detained indefinitely, without being charged or put on trial. But officials insist the law is not intended to strangle internet freedom."
Submission + - Afghan leaders steal half of all aid
AlHunt writes: "The Telegraph is reporting that Afghan leaders are stealing up to half of aid sent to the country.
Despite accusations against tribal leaders, mosque elders and police, the US and EU are still planning to send another £7 billion in aid.
From TFA:
...".
Super. As long as someone is "deeply concerned" we can keep bleeding the worlds taxpayers to feed the corrupt."
Despite accusations against tribal leaders, mosque elders and police, the US and EU are still planning to send another £7 billion in aid.
From TFA:
On an up note, however: "Nato commanders in southern Afghanistan are deeply concerned at the level of corruptionCharles Heyman, a defence analyst and former British Army major, said millions of pounds earmarked for reconstruction were being siphoned off. "It almost comes with the programme," he said. "You have to build in an element of that into any programme because you know it will leak into people's pockets."
Super. As long as someone is "deeply concerned" we can keep bleeding the worlds taxpayers to feed the corrupt."
Journal Journal: MADD backs police in DUI non-arrest of Atkins 5
So here is a case of a state legislator, who blew a
Journal Journal: Got silver in my first judo shiai 1
I competed in the Pennsylvania Open Judo Championships yesterday. It was a double elimination shiai (tournament) hosted at Master Eugene's school in Cranberry. This was the first time I participated in - and even witnessed - a judo competition.
Journal Journal: My First Firefox Extension: "Personal Toolbar Button"
I wrote my first Firefox 1.5 extension called "Personal Toolbar Button." Of course, it simply adds a toolbar button that toggles on/off the "Personal Toolbar" toolbar. This is where I keep all my bookmarks, but too many toolbars wastes useful screen real estate. Install it at extension's web site. (Thanks Mozilla.org!)
Journal Journal: My ear is dog food (cauli surgery) 1
Had surgery on my ear today. I first injured my ear hurt my ear back in March. I was rolling with a judo shodan (black belt) and tapped him with a choke. Then during standing randori, he schooled me with a billion
Journal Journal: 2 is the loneliest number 3
I competed in the Kumite Classic this past Saturday (May 27, 2006). It is a no-gi submission wrestling and a gi-required Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament. (A gi is the typicially white uniform some martial artists wear.) My record was:
Spore Is EA's New Ace 406
BusinessWeek reports on EA's Next Big Thing. From the article: "EA is stumbling, and a big part of its time-tested strategy is about to change. The company hopes that its next mega-franchise will revolve not around a football star, a boy wizard, or a dashing British spy, but...a microbe. The game is called Spore. Developed by Will Wright, the creator of SimCity and The Sims, it lets players design an invertebrate in its primordial stages and then guide its evolution until the creature's offspring develop into a thriving civilization with cities, religion, and spaceships. EA's ambitious goal is to create more such innovative, internally developed games while lessening the company's dependence on professional sports and Hollywood movie franchises."
ISP Fined $5000 For Hate Content 594
eRondeau writes "In a precedent-setting ruling, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has fined a hosting company for carrying 'objectionable content'. The material in question was White Supremacist postings. From the article: 'The ruling sends a very strong message that Internet servers, if they are aware there is hate content and don't take timely action to remove it, can be held liable,' said the Ottawa lawyer who filed the complaint in February 2002. The individual posters were fined thousands as well."
New Asteroid Becomes Earth's Biggest Threat 232
inexion wrote to mention a story on PhysOrg stating that we're all doomed. "A space rock capable of sub-continent scale devastation has about a one in 1,000 risk of colliding with Earth early next century, the highest of any known asteroid, watchers said on Thursday. The rock, 2004 VD17, is about 500 metres (yards) long and has a mass of nearly a billion tonnes, which -- if it were to impact -- would deliver 10,000 megatonnes of energy, equivalent to all the world's nuclear weapons. Spotted on November 27 2004, VD 17 was swiftly identified as rock that potentially crossed Earth's orbit, with a 1 in 3,000 risk of collision on May 4 2102."
