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Submission Summary: 0 pending, 26 declined, 13 accepted (39 total, 33.33% accepted)

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Announcements

Submission + - Brain Differences In Democrats and Republicans

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: Scientists from NYU and UCLA report in Nature Neuroscience that the brains of Democrats and Republicans process information differently. This new study finds that the differences are apparent even when the brain processes common information, not just political topics. From the study, liberals were more likely to be accurate and showed more brain activity in the region associated with analyzing conflicts. A researcher not affiliated with the study stated, liberals 'could be expected to more readily accept new social, scientific or religious ideas.' Moreover, 'the results could explain why President Bush demonstrated a single-minded commitment to the Iraq war and why some people perceived Sen. John F. Kerry ... as a flip-flopper.
Education

Submission + - High School Students Forced To Declare A Major

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: As reported in the NYTimes, high school freshmen at many high schools across the nation are now being forced to pick a major. Starting this Fall, 9th graders in Florida will have to choose to major from among a set of state-approved subjects, while some students in Mississippi will have to follow one of nine designated career paths. High school administrators hope that having students declare majors will lead to greater student interest in school until graduation. College administrators think otherwise: 'youngsters should instead concentrate on developing a broad range of critical thinking and communication skills,' says Debra Humphreys from the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Math

Submission + - Rubik's Cube Solved in 26 Moves

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: Of the roughly 43 quintillion possible arrangements in a Rubik's Cube, a computer scientist at Northeastern University has developed a new algorithm that solves the cube in 26 moves. The results were presented at last month's International Symposium on Symbolic and Algebraic Computation. This beats the previous record of 27 moves set last year by researchers from the Lund Institute of Technology.
Math

Submission + - Rubic's Cube Solved in 26 Moves

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: Of the roughly 43 quintillion possible arrangements in a Rubic's Cube, a computer scientist at Northeastern University has developed a new algorithm that solves the cube in 26 moves. The results were presented at last month's International Symposium on Symbolic and Algebraic Computation. This beats the previous record of 27 moves set last year by researchers from the Lund Institute of Technology.
Space

Submission + - New Theory Explains Periodic Mass Extinctions

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: The theory that the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid impact, the K-T extinction, is well known and supported by fossil and geological evidence. Asteroid impact theory does not apply to the other fluctuations in biodiversity, however, which follow an approximate 62 million-year cycle. As reported in Science news, a new theory seems to explain periodic mass extinctions. The new theory found that oscillations in the Sun relative to the plane of the Milky Way correlate with changes in biodiversity on Earth. The researchers suggest that an increase in the exposure of Earth to extragalatic cosmic rays causes mass extinctions. Here is the original paper describing the finding.
Announcements

Submission + - Press Forced To Wear Corporate Sponsor Logos

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: In a story covered by the National Press Photographers Association, photojournalists are protesting a new rule for the upcoming National Football League season that will force them to wear red vests emblazoned with the corporate logos of Reebok and Canon during televised games. The chair of the NPPA's Ethics & Standards Committee said 'it totally goes against our Code of Ethics to force photographers to advertise as if they were some sort of NASCAR vehicle. We are independent gatherers of news, storytellers with no agendas.' The NFL responded by stating that it's not a problem because the logos are small and have been used on vests at other sporting events without protest.
Education

Submission + - Higher Tuition For An Engineering Degree

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: The NYTimes is running a story about a new trend in tuition charges at public universities throughout the country. Differential pricing schemes are being implemented, whereby majors in engineering and business pay higher tuition rates than majors in arts and humanities. Last year, for instance, engineering majors at the University of Nebraska starting paying an extra $40 per credit hour. One argument in support of differential pricing is that professors in engineering are more expensive than in other fields. However, others argue that engineering students '... who are charged more for their major will stick to the courses in their field to feel that they are getting their money's worth.'
Power

Submission + - Change Google Background Color To Save Energy?

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: Recent commentary at Nature Climate Change describes an on-going debate about the energy savings associated with the background colors used by high-traffic websites such as Google and the NYTimes. A back of the envelope calculation has suggested energy savings of 750 Megawatt hours per year if Google switched their background from white to black. In response, a new version of Google called Blackle was created. However, other calculations by the Wall Street Journal suggest minimal energy savings. Who is right in this debate? Should web designers also consider potential energy savings when choosing colors for their sites?
Power

Submission + - Google Changes Background Color To Save Energy 6

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: Commentary at Nature Climate Change describes an on-going debate about the energy savings associated with the background colors used by high-traffic websites such as Google and the NYTimes. Some back of the envelope calculations have suggested energy savings of 750 Megawatt hours per year if Google switched their background from white to black. Google responded by creating Blackle. Other calculations by the Wall Street Journal, however, suggest minimal energy savings. Who is right in this debate? And, should designers also consider potential energy savings when choosing colors for their websites?
Power

Submission + - Do Black Webpage Backgrounds Save Energy?

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: The Climate Change blog at Nature Magazine describes an on-going debate about the energy savings associated with the color of the background used by high-traffic websites such as Google and the NYTimes. Some back of the envelope calculations by Mark Ontkush indicated an energy savings of 750 Megawatt hours per year if Google switched their background from white to black. Google responded by creating Blackle. However, tests by the Wall Street Journal suggest minimal energy savings. Slashdotters, who do you think is correct in this debate?
Security

Submission + - Attackers Gain Full Control of iPhone

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: The NYTimes is running a story about an iPhone flaw that has been found and documented by researchers from Independent Security Evaluators. Attackers were able to gain full control of the iPhone either through WiFi or by visiting a website with malicious code. The exploit will be demostrated at BlackHat on Aug. 2nd at 4:45pm. Until then,

Details on the vulnerability, but not a step-by-step guide to hacking the phone, can be found at www.exploitingiphone.com, which the researchers said would be unveiled today.
Security

Submission + - New Iphone Hole Allows Full Control

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: The NYTimes is running a story about a new Iphone flaw that has been found and documented by researchers from Independent Security Evaluators. Attackers can gain full control of the Iphone either through WiFi or by visiting a website with malicious code. From the article:

Details on the vulnerability, but not a step-by-step guide to hacking the phone, can be found at www.exploitingiphone.com, which the researchers said would be unveiled today.
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - NFL Will Force Press To Wear Sponsor Logos

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: In a story covered by the National Press Photographers Association, photojournalists are protesting a new rule for the upcoming NFL season that will force them to wear red vests emblazoned with the corporate logos of Reebok and Canon during televised games. The chair of the NPPA's Ethics & Standards Committee responds

'It totally goes against our Code of Ethics to force photographers to advertise as if they were some sort of NASCAR vehicle. We are independent gatherers of news, storytellers with no agendas. Our integrity comes from objectivity. Do reporters put up with this kind of disrespect from the NFL?'

In a related incident, photographers covering the Fiesta bowl earlier this year were told to wear vests with the Tostitos logo. They retaliated by wearing the vests inside out.
Television

Submission + - NFL Forcing Press To Wear Sponsor Logos

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: In a story covered by the National Press Photographers Association, photojournalists are protesting a new rule for the upcoming NFL season that will force them to wear red vests emblazoned with the corporate logos of Reebok and Canon during televised games. The chair of the NPPA's Ethics & Standards Committee fires back

"It totally goes against our Code of Ethics to force photographers to advertise as if they were some sort of NASCAR vehicle. We are independent gatherers of news, storytellers with no agendas. Our integrity comes from objectivity. Do reporters put up with this kind of disrespect from the NFL?"
Security

Submission + - Bogus Company Obtains Nuclear License

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: As reported in the NY Times, undercover investigators from the Government Accountability Office set up a bogus company and received a license to purchase dirty-bomb nuclear materials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The GAO's investigation shows that the security measures put in place after 911 are not sufficient for protecting the American people. From the article:

Given that terrorists have expressed an interest in obtaining nuclear material, the Congress and the American people expect licensing programs for these materials to be secure," said Gregory D. Kutz, an investigator at the accountability office, in testimony prepared for the hearing.

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2.4 statute miles of surgical tubing at Yale U. = 1 I.V.League

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