Comment Re:Java (Score 1) 226
The students deserve better. Java is a terrible instructional language.
Comment Re:Java (Score 1) 226
Two acceptable solution states does not imply that the program should produce both of them.
Comment Not really relevent (Score 1) 226
This test is worthless. It's too focused on implementation details. This is not a Computer Science test. It's a Java test. It's forcing the student down one narrow path to implement the solution in a very particular way. It's a free-form format, but there is no test of analytical ability other than to parse the question itself.
If you're going to test computer science the questions should be more along the lines of "Which data structure do you believe would be most appropriate for representing a box of candy and why?"
RNA Molecule Uracil Found In Asteroid Ryugu Samples (phys.org) 34
Researchers have analyzed samples of the asteroid Ryugu collected by the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft and found uracil, one of the informational units that make up RNA, the molecules that contain the instructions for how to build and operate living organisms. Nicotinic acid, also known as Vitamin B3 or niacin, which is an important cofactor for metabolism in living organisms, was also detected in the same samples. Phys.Org reports: This discovery by an international team, led by Associate Professor Yasuhiro Oba at Hokkaido University, adds to the evidence that important building blocks for life are created in space and could have been delivered to Earth by meteorites. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers extracted these molecules by soaking the Ryugu particles in hot water, followed by analyses using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. This revealed the presence of uracil and nicotinic acid, as well as other nitrogen-containing organic compounds. "We found uracil in the samples in small amounts, in the range of 6-32 parts per billion (ppb), while vitamin B3 was more abundant, in the range of 49-99 ppb," Oba elaborated. "Other biological molecules were found in the sample as well, including a selection of amino acids, amines and carboxylic acids, which are found in proteins and metabolism, respectively." The compounds detected are similar but not identical to those previously discovered in carbon-rich meteorites.
The team hypothesizes that the difference in concentrations in the two samples, collected from different locations on Ryugu, is likely due to the exposure to the extreme environments of space. They also hypothesized that the nitrogen-containing compounds were, at least in part, formed from the simpler molecules such as ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. While these were not detected in the Ryugu samples, they are known to be present in cometary ice -- and Ryugu could have originated as a comet or another parent body that had been present in low temperature environments.
The team hypothesizes that the difference in concentrations in the two samples, collected from different locations on Ryugu, is likely due to the exposure to the extreme environments of space. They also hypothesized that the nitrogen-containing compounds were, at least in part, formed from the simpler molecules such as ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. While these were not detected in the Ryugu samples, they are known to be present in cometary ice -- and Ryugu could have originated as a comet or another parent body that had been present in low temperature environments.
Comment Re:Tech companies disagree (Score 2) 211
Work related VPNs are different. They are owned by the company you work for to protect their data, which is a legitimate use of VPNs. This article is talking about 3rd party VPNs.
Comment Re:If it's Boeing, We Ain't Going (Score 2) 223
Oh the humanity!
Comment Re:You first (Score 5, Informative) 207
If you live in a dense city, you do not carry 6 bags full of groceries around. Grocery stores are within walking distance. You don't need to stock up for a month at a time. You just get what you need when you need it. Delivery is far more viable as well.
Comment Re:I'm surprised it took this long. (Score 2) 60
That's not true. A game where no draw condition exists will never end in a draw.
Here are the possible end states for a two player solved game with two perfect players, A and B:
a) the game will always end in a draw
b) player A will always win
c) player B will always win
d) the game will never end
Comment Re:It's Easy (Score 1) 42
Yeah, I think this is the main point. It seems like the requirements to get a
Comment Re: By the time you'd be finished ... (Score 1) 88
Of course, then comes the issue of mining the ice while it sits outside the harbor - has anything like that ever been done before?
We have harvested natural ice, although probably never directly from an iceberg. You would probably want a specialized port to do it. The hard part would be getting the iceberg to the harvesting site.
Comment Noah's Computer (Score 1) 44
"The computer is to be three hundred qubits long, fifty qubits wide and thirty qubits high."
Comment Re:Well he's half right... (Score 1) 279
The problem is they look too real. One of the local Best Buy's had a Marvel movie playing on one of their 4K TVs. It looked like a "making of" documentary. "The actor walks here, and rolls a container there." It took me a while to figure out that it was the movie itself. All of the effect was lost.
Comment What is the cost? (Score 1) 19
Is this $10 a one time fee, per month, or per year?
Comment Re:Is it PCs or tablets that lead the slide? (Score 2) 105
Most people don't care about any of that stuff. The real "problem" is what they have works and they see no reason to spend more money to do what they can already do.
Comment Re:Didn't read TFL (Score 1) 141
You can get EWTN with Roku or other devices via the Internet. They don't need TBN to stay in business. Of course, broadband ISP monopolies are their own story.
