Comment Feynman? (Score 1) 260
Actually, I couldn't help noticing earlier this week that Richard Feynman sounded an awful lot like Bender does. Too bad he's dead or he could take over the role!
Comment Re:Huh? (Score 0) 503
Comment Re:I'm not worried. (Score 1) 216
Good thing. Zack may already be on its way...
Comment What's the lesson here? (Score 4, Insightful) 121
So what does this demonstrate other than that strong legal prohibitions and penalties can affect how people behave?
An extreme example: if a country passed a law making it a capital crime to buy cheese from anyone other than the King's brother, I imagine that 1) the level of activity in the open cheese markets would go down markedly the day after the law was passed; and 2) Regis Frater CheeseCo would be booming.
So again, how is this result surprising and/or newsworthy? Isn't this exactly what you'd expect unless Swedes are totally disrespectful of their country's legal system already? (Give 'em a few more laws like this and they might get there!)
Comment Detention? Suspension? (Score 1) 1246
"What else can you do?" Really? This sounded like a completely routine school disciplinary matter to me. Even taking your swipe at "our lawsuit-happy culture" at face value, which do you think is riskier from a lawsuit standpoint: 1) giving a student a suspension; or 2) having her arrested?
Comment Re:Why? (Score 1) 434
The parent post puts it harshly, but in my view is pretty spot-on in spirit. You should be analyzing literature of "high quality" (academically/pedagogically weighty) rather than mass-market stuff which may not have much substance.
There's plenty that's mathematically interesting in, for example, poetry... You can study the structure of different types of poems mathematically and play games with that. Have students figure out which meters "work" (sound good) and which don't. Try to have them come up with a theory of meter they can use. Relate it to actual poetry meters or the work of some poets.
It doesn't have to be poetry, either -- you can play the same games with simple grammar. What's the shortest grammatically correct sentence they can write? The longest they can write (that is grammatically correct) without punctuation marks? Can they write a computer program that generates mad/ad lib sentences? (Cover this after showing how to diagram sentences, for example).
It needn't all be creative, either. I'm sure if you're worth your salt as an English teacher you probably already know about some authors that have done things like this in their work. Lewis Carroll springs to mind, but I'm sure there are many, many others.
Plus, since math/science have been partly behind many burning social issues (driving all kinds of controversial changes in society) I'm sure authors have discussed these things. I bet you can pull passages from Mark Twain or Aldous Huxley or others that discuss numbers in some way to make points about political or other issues. Math and science don't come from "somewhere else," they're interwoven into society, so they will be reflected in society's literature.
In other words, look at the material you're already teaching from a different standpoint and you may find what you're looking for. You don't "bring math and science into English/literature"... it's already there! I think the parent poster is concerned because you seem not to notice this.
There's plenty that's mathematically interesting in, for example, poetry... You can study the structure of different types of poems mathematically and play games with that. Have students figure out which meters "work" (sound good) and which don't. Try to have them come up with a theory of meter they can use. Relate it to actual poetry meters or the work of some poets.
It doesn't have to be poetry, either -- you can play the same games with simple grammar. What's the shortest grammatically correct sentence they can write? The longest they can write (that is grammatically correct) without punctuation marks? Can they write a computer program that generates mad/ad lib sentences? (Cover this after showing how to diagram sentences, for example).
It needn't all be creative, either. I'm sure if you're worth your salt as an English teacher you probably already know about some authors that have done things like this in their work. Lewis Carroll springs to mind, but I'm sure there are many, many others.
Plus, since math/science have been partly behind many burning social issues (driving all kinds of controversial changes in society) I'm sure authors have discussed these things. I bet you can pull passages from Mark Twain or Aldous Huxley or others that discuss numbers in some way to make points about political or other issues. Math and science don't come from "somewhere else," they're interwoven into society, so they will be reflected in society's literature.
In other words, look at the material you're already teaching from a different standpoint and you may find what you're looking for. You don't "bring math and science into English/literature"... it's already there! I think the parent poster is concerned because you seem not to notice this.
Submission + - Piss-Powered Batteries Unveiled at IFA
An anonymous reader writes: According to CNET.co.uk, NoPoPo (non-pollution power) Aqua Batteries work simply by inserting liquid, including urine, into the base with a teat pipette. "They come in a range of battery sizes, and according to the manufacturer, a single AAA version can run a small handheld torch light for up to 20 hours. Incredibly, these batteries also work with other types of liquid: we saw them tested with beer and apple juice, but the makers say they can run off cola, saliva or even urine." Put the term 'running out of juice' in a new light.
Submission + - IBM Stores Data on Single Atoms (pcworld.com)
Adrian Paleacu writes: "New nanotech breakthroughs have enabled IBM to measure magnetic fields at an atomic level and to build transistor-like switches from a single molecule."
Submission + - Virtualization basics: What it is, what it can be
Shnuckie writes: Yes, you have heard of virtualization, but admit it: You are confused about how to use this fancy new technology either in a corporate environment or on your home PC. TG Daily has a fairly comprehensive 3-part introduction to virtualization that takes you through the basics and explains what it is, where it comes from, what benefits and (to a certain degree) what drawbacks it has, how to get started with it — there's a VMware installation manual — and how virtualization may look like in a few years from now. The article doesn't require much computing knowledge and, after reading it, I am actually thinking about taking VMware for a spin. Looks like this could be an interesting new toy.
Submission + - Ionic wind dramatically improves CPU cooling (vnunet.com)
Monk writes: "Scientists have developed a technology based on 'ionic wind engines' that could dramatically improve computer chip cooling.
The Purdue University researchers, in work funded by Intel, demonstrated that the technique could increase chip cooling rates by as much as 250 per cent.
"Other experimental cooling-enhancement approaches might give you a 40 per cent or 50 per cent improvement," said Suresh Garimella, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue. "A 250 per cent improvement is quite unusual. "
When used in combination with a conventional fan, the experimental device enhanced the fan's effectiveness by increasing airflow to the surface of a mock computer chip.
The new technology could help engineers design thinner laptop computers that run cooler than today's machines, the researchers believe.
The new cooling technology could be introduced into computers within three years if researchers are able to miniaturise it and make the system rugged enough, Garimella said.
As the technology is further developed, such cooling devices might be integrated into portable consumer electronics products, including mobile phones.
The experimental cooling device works by generating electrically charged atoms using electrodes placed near one another.
The device contained a positively charged wire, or anode, and negatively charged electrodes, called cathodes.
The anode was positioned about 10mm above the cathodes. When voltage was passed through the device, the negatively charged electrodes discharged electrons toward the positively charged anode.
The electrons collided with air molecules, producing positively charged ions, which were then attracted back toward the negatively charged electrodes, creating an 'ionic wind'.
This 'breeze' was found to increase the airflow on the surface of the experimental chip and so dramatically improve cooling."
Submission + - Eizo creates the best 24" monitor ever
An anonymous reader writes: Eizo has always made top quality moitors, even going back to the CRT days. But the Flexscan HD2441W looks like a killer 24" display even by their standards. Along with amazing image quality you get two HDMI ports (HDCP), DVI and VGA. Eizo have thrown 1:1 mapping into the mix over all connections and even included some custom scaling so that even low resolution video looks good. It ain't cheap, but the reviewer reckons it's worth the money. http://www.trustedreviews.com/displays/review/2007 /07/25/Eizo-FlexScan-HD2441W-24in-LCD-Monitor/p1
Submission + - Bomb-laden 'Reaper' drones bound for Iraq (usatoday.com)
DoctorBit writes: America will soon deploy in Iraq humanity's first robotic attack squadron. Each of the squadron's nine MQ-9 Reaper hunter-killer drones weighs five tons, four times heavier than a Predator. The Reaper is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300 mph and reach 50,000 feet. It is outfitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and a ton and a half of guided bombs and missiles. While each Reaper's pilot will sit at a video console in Nevada, the drones themselves will probably be based at a 400,000-square-foot expansion of the concrete ramp area at Balad, Iraq now used by Predator drones.
Submission + - Is Your Printer Spying on You?
gnujoshua writes: "In 2005, the EFF alerted the world to how laser printers are spying their users by providing tracking information in the form of a unique smattering of barely detectable yellow dots that appear on every printout. Revitalizing this issue, the Computing Counter Culture Group at the MIT Media Labs has launched Seeing Yellow. They provide instructions to see the tracking dots, as well as provide you with a list of clever questions, and appropriate contact information so that you can confront your laser printer manufacturer. Let's act before this issue slips through the cracks again and send the message that manufacturers' must respect our privacy and our right to anonymous free speech."
Submission + - Latest revelations on FBI's data mining of America (yahoo.com)
An anonymous reader writes: You probably already knew that the FBI was data mining Americans in the "search" for potential terrorists, but did you know that they're also supposed to be looking for people in the U.S. engaged in criminal activity that is not really supposed to be the province of the federal government? Now the feds are alleged to be data mining for insurance fraudsters, identity thieves, and questionable online pharmacists. That's what they're telling us now. What else could they be looking for that they are not telling us about?
Submission + - Hybrid mesh replaces polygons to display 3D/CAD (diginfo.tv)
dk3nn3dy writes: "Japanese company Digital Process, have developed VridgeR, software which uses DVX, a special rendering technique that doesn't use polygons, and can display massive, highly complex models (for example whole cars or planes which would normally require millions of polygons to be displayed with precision) using standard hardware. 20GB of aircraft CAD data can be loaded onto less than 1GB RAM with complete mathematical precision. English video news story here."
