Comment Re:Gene Therapy? (Score 1) 160
Just in case we want to kill off all the apes when we kill off the humans (for profit?) ? :)
Comment News? (Score 1) 724
We've actually gotten to the point where a company selling a game that isn't DRM laden crap is news? I mean I get the whole "it's not good enough to stand on it's own so lets make money from the lawyers" jig (well, I don't agree with it, but I understand that some game companies are thinly veiled law firms). But someone selling something that isn't just a license to follow an agreement that can be changed at any time, is news? Ick!
Comment Re:Would it be less tedious to have 10,000+ keys? (Score 1) 728
Really? How about something new crazy like a pen?
Have you ever tried writing Kanji? Or used a Kanji dictionary to find the correct symbol? It makes English, and it's "every rule has an exception" methods seem simple
Super Principia Mathematica 325
An anonymous reader writes "This is not an ordinary book and extraordinary would still be an understatement. Robert Louis Kemp has built a plateau of quod erat demonstrandum (Q.E.D.) in math, physics and logic; defined as his Super Principia Mathematica. Beyond brilliant, Kemp has worked on his book for over two decades, sacrificing personal comfort and financial security to laboriously bring to fruition his textbook style, hardback, expertly illustrated principles to the understanding level prevailed by most people. By 'most people' he means those who have a basic understanding of mathematics, geometry, algebra, calculus, physics and most importantly possessing the curiosity to learn." Read on for the rest of Gary's review.
Comment Re:Again they miss the point... (Score 1) 414
Classically a scanner and possibly OCR...
Comment Re:Good. (Score 1) 276
Good thing that contract expired the moment they were fired then! :)
Comment Re:Why not a laptop? (Score 1) 263
Yeah, I mean this is completely not like real books... Can you imagine in real life if you could just send a book to someone and NOT charge them the full list price on the cover, sending the appropriate share to the publisher so they can kick a few cents back to the author!?!?
Oh wait...................
Miscalculation Invalidates LHC Safety Assurances 684
KentuckyFC writes "In a truly frightening study, physicists at the University of Oxford have identified a massive miscalculation that makes the LHC safety assurances more or less invalid (abstract). The focus of their work is not the safety of particle accelerators per se but the chances of any particular scientific argument being wrong. 'If the probability estimate given by an argument is dwarfed by the chance that the argument itself is flawed, then the estimate is suspect,' say the team. That has serious implications for the LHC, which some people worry could generate black holes that will swallow the planet. Nobody at CERN has put a figure on the chances of the LHC destroying the planet. One study simply said: 'there is no risk of any significance whatsoever from such black holes.' The danger is that this thinking could be entirely flawed, but what are the chances of this? The Oxford team say that roughly one in a thousand scientific papers have to be withdrawn because of errors but generously suppose that in particle physics, the rate is one in 10,000."
Steve Jobs Takes Leave of Absence From Apple 429
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Network World: "A number of sites are reporting that Apple's CEO Steve Jobs is taking a leave of absence till June at least. Speculation over Jobs' possibly failing health has run rampant in the past few weeks. Prior to the recent MacWorld show, Jobs said he had a hormone deficiency that had caused him to dramatically lose weight. In a memo today Jobs told workers his health issues are more complex than he thought." Reader Bastian227 adds a link to this letter from Steve Jobs on Apple's website, which also says that Tim Cook will be responsible for daily operations, though Jobs will remain involved with major strategic decisions.
NASA Releases Columbia Crew Survival Report 223
Migraineman writes "NASA has released a 400-page Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report [16MB PDF.] If you're interested in a detailed examination and timeline of the events leading to the destruction of Columbia, this is well worth the time. The report includes a number of recommendations to increase survivability of future missions." Reader bezking points out CNN's story on the report, which says that problems with the astronauts' restraint systems were the ultimate cause of death for the seven astronauts on board.
Comment Re:ssh (Score 1) 586
lol, yeah, cause finding another machine to compile (or cross-compile) on is SUCH an inconvenience... </sarcasm>
No compilers on a server just make it harder to fix, harder to maintain, etc.
Debating the Linux Process Scheduler 232
An anonymous reader writes "The Linux 2.6.23 kernel is expected around the end of the month, and will be the first to include Ingo Molnar's much debated rewrite of the process scheduler called the Completely Fair Scheduler. In another Linux kernel mailing list thread one more developer is complaining about Molnar and his new code. However, according to KernelTrap a number of other Linux developers have stood up to defend Molnar and call into question the motives of the complaints. It will be interesting to see how the new processor really performs when the 2.6.23 kernel is released."
Feed Science Daily: 'Radio Wave Cooling' Offers New Twist On Laser Cooling (sciencedaily.com)
Visible and ultraviolet laser light has been used for years to cool trapped atoms--and more recently larger objects--by reducing the extent of their thermal motion. Now, applying a different form of radiation for a similar purpose, physicists have used radio waves to dampen the motion of a miniature mechanical oscillator containing more than a quadrillion atoms, a cooling technique that may open a new window into the quantum world using smaller and simpler equipment.
Submission + - Old people Wii themselves (quirkynews.co.uk)
angtang writes: Young-at-heart pensioners bored of bowls and bridge have started videogame competitions against each other at their retirement home.
Senior citizens at the Sunrise Home in Birmingham have ditched their zimmerframes because they're hooked on the Nintendo Wii games console.
Pensioners as old as 103 have been joining in the fun on the best-selling console, where gamers use a motion-sensitive controller to mimic sports like tennis, bowling, and boxing.
How the iPod Touch Works 208
starexplorer2001 writes "The iPod Touch isn't in stores yet, but HowStuffWorks has a nice summary of how the 'touch' part of the iPod Touch works. Very similar to how the iPhone works, without those pesky rebates! From the article: 'The iPod touch also has a few other features that iPod enthusiasts had hoped to see on standard iPod models. Some users hoped for a wirelessly enabled iPod so they could synch their music or share files with friends over a Bluetooth or WiFi connection. The iPod touch is the first iPod to have wireless capability, although it doesn't use it to synch with a computer or friends' iPods. Instead, you can use it to browse the Web, watch YouTube videos or download music from a WiFi-specific iTunes Music Store. With its widescreen display and WiFi capability, the iPod touch might sound like a big step up from older iPod models. But the iPod touch isn't for everyone.'"
