PaSTE - Slashdot User

Submission + - New Lightbulb 50% Efficient...Never Burns Out. (ecogeek.org) 1

Submitted by

hankmt

on Thursday June 21, 2007 @01:11PM

hankmt writes: "Ceravision has just been awarded a patent for a new kind of light. The system is four times more efficient than Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs and it contains now hazardous materials. It basically works by using a microwave emitter to create a high intensity electric field inside a chamber filled with gas. The gas quickly converts to plasma, an the plasma releases more than 50% of it's energy as light.

The device uses components that are all already in mass production, so it could be available relatively quickly. The high directionality of the light makes it perfect for rear projection screens and medical applications, but it could be entering the mass consumer market as a "edison-type" bulb in the next five years."

Submission + - What to do with lots of old computers? 3

Submitted by talentless geek on Thursday June 21, 2007 @12:40PM

talentless geek writes: I recently started a new Network Admin job and came to discover that I have no fewer than 60 old Pentium 2s and Pentium 3s that are doing nothing. It seems to me there has to be something better than filling up land (i.e. take them to the dump) that all these machines can do. I looked into a few donations sites, but I'm not even sure they would take computers this old. I've thought about building a cluster or 2, but I can't come up with any reason why i would want to do that other than the coolness factor (although, the coolness factor is a pretty good reason...). So, i guess my question is, what would you do with 60 really old computers?

Submission + - Subcommittee Stops Human Mars Mission Spending (nasa.gov)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 21, 2007 @12:39PM

An anonymous reader writes: Last weeks House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, and Science FY08 budget markup would prevent work on programs devoted to human missions to Mars. According to a House Appropriations Committee press release, the markup language states that NASA cannot pursue "development or demonstration activity related exclusively to Human Exploration of Mars. NASA has too much on its plate already, and the President is welcome to include adequate funding for the Human Mars Initiative in a budget amendment or subsequent year funding requests." The Mars Society is already leading an effort to get the language removed.

Submission + - Folding@home killing the planet

Submitted by

Drakaal

on Friday April 06, 2007 @01:23AM

Drakaal writes: "Folding@Home is Killing the planet

Folding@Home costs nearly $70million, uses 584gigawatt hours of power, and produces 730 kilotons of Carbon dioxide. Is fighting mad cow worth it? This article weighs the cost benefit of donating electricity and CPU Cycles, VS. the Real Cost of the project."

Submission + - Is the Big Bang Black Body a Fraud?

Submitted by pln2bz on Thursday April 05, 2007 @03:21PM

pln2bz writes: The Winston Cone device used to measure the cosmic microwave background, which is in turn used to support the Big Bang Theory, is not a conventional electromagnetic horn antenna. Bibhas De investigates the problems with this measuring device and demonstrates how easy it is to manipulate the data so that it produces a perfect black body spectrum.

Submission + - Grand Canyon Age Discussion Verboten for NPS

Submitted by

DG

on Wednesday January 03, 2007 @03:36PM

DG writes: "According to this Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility News Release, National Park Service employees are no longer allowed to comment on the age of the Grand Canyon:

Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. [... ...] "In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Service is under orders to suspend its belief in geology," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is 'no comment.'""

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