the_flatlander - Slashdot User

Cosmic Radiation Makes Trees Grow Faster 162

Posted by kdawson on Monday October 19, 2009 @10:26PM from the ents-are-going-to-war dept.

Diamonddavej writes "The BBC reports that researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) somehow makes trees grow faster. GCRs vary according to the 11-year solar cycle, with more GCRs hitting the Earth during solar minimum when there is a lull in the solar wind, which normally acts to protect the inner solar system from external galactic radiation. The mechanism might have something to do with GCRs increasing cloud cover, which diffuses sunlight and increases the efficiency of photosynthesis. Nevertheless, the researchers remain mystified and are requesting further ideas and research collaboration to test hypotheses. (How about Radiation Hormesis, AKA 'Vitamin-R?')" Here is the paper's abstract at the journal New Phytologist. The researchers say: "The relation of the rings to the solar cycle was much stronger than to any climatological factors. ... As for the mechanism, we are puzzled."

Submission + - Apollo 11 Tweets from 40 Years Ago (twitter.com)

Submitted by

omega30one

on Thursday June 18, 2009 @08:53AM

omega30one writes: "For the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, updates on the mission are being tweeted as they happened in 1969. Follow at http://twitter.com/ApolloPlus40"

What Did You Do First With Linux? 739

Posted by Soulskill on Saturday April 25, 2009 @08:18AM from the indulged-in-moderately-maniacal-laughter dept.

ruphus13 writes "OStatic has an interesting article on remembering the first time you used Linux. Quoting: 'I'm not sure if the admission that I remember my first Linux installation much more clearly than any date with my first boyfriend or my first date with my husband is a really wise thing to put in writing. I will freely admit it wasn't quite as anxiety-inducing as a date, and the long-term relationship that sprang from it taught me quite a bit about myself, how I learn, and how to passionately load kernel modules at boot. So, what was your first Linux experience?'"

Where's Your Coding Happy Place? 508

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Monday April 20, 2009 @03:26PM from the vault-in-fort-knox-please-facilitate dept.

jammag writes "Cranking out code — your very best code — requires being in the optimal environment, muses developer Eric Spiegel. He explores the pitfalls and joys of the usual locales, cubicle, home, the beach. He claims he's done his best coding on an airplane. In the end, though, he suggests that the best environment is a matter of the environment inside yourself, your internal mood — and to hell with the cubicle or wherever. You have to be focused on quality, regardless of the idiot clients. It's all inside your mind. Where's your coding happy place?"

Submission + - Gecko-inspired dry adhesive set for space (canadianmanufacturing.com) 1

Submitted by

AndreV

on Thursday April 09, 2009 @03:16PM

AndreV writes: "Biomimetic adhesives aren't new, but a PhD graduate in British Columbia has developed a new method of creating microscopic, mushroom-like plastic structures in order to produce a dry adhesive that mimics the stickiness of gecko feet—and is prepping his glue-free innovation for outer space. A research group at his university, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, is engineering a spider-like, sticky-footed climbing robot destined to explore Mars, and it is also developing reusable attaching systems for astronauts to use where magnetic and suction systems generally fail. In the future, he says, single-use versions could be used in any number of medical applications as well as for replacements for everyday sticky needs, such as Post-It notes and Scotch tape."

Submission + - Virginia Says Slashdot Users May Be Terrorists 6

Submitted by megamerican on Thursday April 09, 2009 @01:58PM

megamerican writes: A leaked document from a Virginia Fusion Center titled 2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment lists Slashdot users and other websites alongside Al-Qaeda, HAMAS, "Lone-Wolf Extremists" and many others as potential terrorists. Slashdot and other websites have been labeled under the ominous sounding title of Anonymous:

A "loose coalition of Internet denizens", Anonymous consists largely of users from multiple internet sites such as 4chan, 711chan, 420chan, Something Awful, Fark, Encyclopedia Dramatica, Slashdot, IRC channels, and YouTube. Other social networking sites are also utilized to mobilize physical protests. Anonymous has no leader and is reliant on the collective power of individuals acting in such a way that benefits the movement.

According to the Report, cell phones, digital music players are signs that you may be a terrorist. It lists podcasting as a cause for concern citing a recent ban by Australia. Citizens for a legitimate government, where the document was leaked to has a write-up here.

Comment Re:Signs (Score 1) 84

by petra13 on Monday April 06, 2009 @10:10PM (#27483983) Attached to: Sony Pictures in Talks With YouTube

Perhaps they're not being consumer friendly... Since their CD rootkit scheme a couple years ago backfired they're branching out to find new and compelling ways to pwn consumers computers.
/conspiracy theory

Journal Journal: An entry

Journal by petra13 on Wednesday April 01, 2009 @03:33PM

Because I really don't have enough to do.

Windows Vista To Make Dual-Boot A Challenge? 442

Posted by Zonk on Thursday April 27, 2006 @06:48PM from the have-to-raise-a-fuss dept.

mustafap writes "UK tech site The Register is reporting on security guru Bruce Schneier's observation that the disk encryption system to be shipped with Vista, BitLocker, will make dual booting other OSs difficult - you will no longer be able to share data between the two." From the article: "This encryption technology also has the effect of frustrating the exchange of data needed in a dual boot system. 'You could look at BitLocker as anti-Linux because it frustrates dual boot,' Schneier told El Reg. Schneier said Vista will bring forward security improvements, but cautioned that technical advances are less important than improvements in how technology is presented to users."

Comment Duh (Score 2, Insightful) 816

by petra13 on Thursday March 16, 2006 @11:52AM (#14933546) Attached to: Gates Mocks MIT's $100 Laptop

have somebody there who can help support the user

Says Gates, who makes billions off of support for hideously expensive software.

Comment Re:Before we all jump on the AdTI bandwagon... (Score 2, Informative) 556

by the_flatlander on Monday July 05, 2004 @01:00PM (#9613992) Attached to: Security Statistics and Operating System Conventional Wisdom

Ummmm... I hate to break it to you, but LinuxInsider is not what I'd call, ah, an *impartial* source. I think they work for Billy-boy, too. Really, read the [deleted] articles they publish. Did you see how LinuxInsider treated Ken Brown of AdTI? They "broke" the story that Linus "didn't invent Linux." LinuxInsider seems to have pulled that piece of [deleted], but see this one for an example of their "Fair and Balanced(tm)" reporting style.

The Flatlander

Free Advice: Ignore LinuxInsider as a news source.

Slashdot Top Deals