Comment In Other News (Score 3, Interesting) 179
Scientists are baffled by the realization that most things that matter are either Good - Or Bad.
Submission + - Help me fight the swiss dmca. (no-dmca.ch)
pyalot writes: "The swiss goverment has passed a law that would make it impossible to cirvumvent effective copy protection measures. I have created a page to inform and organize a resistance against this law. If we collect 50'000 signatures until the 24th of January however, we can force a national vote on this law. Help me in any way that you can fight this law. I was first made aware of this two days ago by this article on slashdot."
Submission + - Surfer Devises 'Theory of Everything' (telegraph.co.uk)
Dylan Knight Rogers writes: "Surfer dude physicist Garrett Lisi has devised a 'theory of everything' based upon the complex mathematical constructs of the 'E8'. From the article:
His most interesting treatise on physics can be found here."E8 encapsulates the symmetries of a geometric object that is 57-dimensional and is itself is 248-dimensional. Lisi says "I think our universe is this beautiful shape." What makes E8 so exciting is that Nature also seems to have embedded it at the heart of many bits of physics. One interpretation of why we have such a quirky list of fundamental particles is because they all result from different facets of the strange symmetries of E8. Lisi's breakthrough came when he noticed that some of the equations describing E8's structure matched his own. "My brain exploded with the implications and the beauty of the thing," he tells New Scientist. "I thought: 'Holy crap, that's it!'
Submission + - Intel Enter New HafniumTransistors Era with Penryn (techluver.com)
Tech.Luver writes: "Intel plans to roll out its newest generation of processors, Monday, flexing its manufacturing muscle with a sophisticated new process that crams up to 40 percent more transistors onto the Penryn chips.
The world's largest semiconductor company expects to start shipping 16 new microprocessors — which also boast inventive new materials to stanch electricity loss — for use in servers and high-end gaming PCs .
The chip maker will now use Hafnium in combination with a pair of secret metal oxides instead of silicon dioxide to craft the insulation layer of the gate that controls current. The tweaking of the materials counts as the most significant change to transistors in about forty years, according to Intel co-founder Gordon Moore.
Fifteen of the new chips will run server computers, or systems that dish out data on corporate networks and the Internet, while one model is designed for personal computers.
( http://techluver.com/2007/11/11/intel-to-enter-in-to-new-era-of-transistors-made-of-hafnium-with-faster-smaller-45nm-penryn-processors/ )"
Submission + - The Government Official that fights for IP reform.
had3l writes: Gilberto Gil, the man responsible for Brazil's Ministry of Culture and one of the top-level Brazilian government officials is an example to be followed. He has made it his duty to fight draconian copyright laws: "Digital culture brings with it a new idea of intellectual property, and this new culture of sharing should inform government policies."
He has been been advocating the use of the Creative Commons license for a while now, and needless to say, the recording companies aren't happy.
The Quest for the Car of the Future 434
Lux writes "Where will the car of the future come from? It's unlikely to come from anywhere you'd expect it to. Wired's money is on the car of the future coming from NASA. 'New technology that promises to revolutionize the automobile as we know it is emerging from research institutions and startups — and these innovations won't set you back $100,000 like a Tesla will... One experiment involves small electric motors located in the wheels of the CityCar, a tiny, nimble and practically silent vehicle with wheels that turn 360 degrees, enabling it to slip neatly into tight urban parking spaces. Others are looking to revolutionize the automobile's engine, not replace it.'"
Submission + - Fans Convice CBS to Bring Jericho Back. (nytimes.com)
had3l writes: After receiving a lifetime supply of nuts from fans, CBS finally decided to revive Jericho. However, they did so under one condition: "We want them to watch on Wednesday at 8 o'clock,", "And we need them to recruit new viewers who are going to watch the broadcast.". According to the network, the main reason why Jericho was threatened to be canceled was because a lot of its viewers either watch the show on TiVo and DVR or download it from the internet, making it less attractive to advertisers.
Submission + - Bullied Kid to Recieve $1m Payout.
had3l writes: BBC News reports: "An Australian teenager has won record damages after a court found that his school "grossly failed" in its duty to protect him from a school bully: Benjamin Cox, now 18, was regularly teased and beaten from the age of five by an older pupil, leaving him with psychiatric problems, a court heard."
Submission + - Mike Gravel: "I would legalize marijuana."
had3l writes: In an interview on C-SPAN, democratic candidate Mike Gravel stated that he would change the drug policy and
legalize marijuana: "Marijuana is a simple one, we legalize it, and you should be able to buy it at a liquor store, just like you buy alcohol". Other candidates have stood up against the present "War on Drugs", but he is the first one to mention legalization.
