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Science

Submission + - Quantum Effects Suggests Links In Photosynthesis (physorg.com)

Submitted by esocid
esocid writes: Researchers working together from the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis, have found evidence that suggests quantum effects are at play in plants involving photosynthesis. Their paper, accepted in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that a link between coherence and the way energy flows in plants exists. They gist of it is that energy transfers, and where the reactions take place occur with "near unity quantum efficiency," which could change how physics and microbiology explain photosynthetic processes.

Comment Re: Distinguishing difference here (Score 2) 230

by PerlJedi (#38291362) Attached to: Upcoming Changes To 'Ask Slashdot'

1. Who are you "PerlJedi (2406408) who works for Slashdot" and what is your expertise since you are a brand new hire?

You are right, I haven't worked here very long. I am just a software engineer fortunate enough to have landed what I think of as my dream job. I have been a slashdot reader for much, much longer than I have worked here though. I created this account after I started here to use as my "official" slashdot account.

I love slashdot. I love being a geek. I am fortunate enough to work for a website that I enjoy, and I am hoping to use my position here to keep slashdot as a great website for geeks and geek culture. So I haven't been working here from the begining when it was just Rob and his buddies, but I'm here now, and I'm doing my best to keep slashdot going as a fun and interesting site for news and geek culture.

2. I am noticing the quotes on "Expert". Either the people really will be experts, or else they'll be Astroturfing "Experts" in quotes. That is, unless your grammar just sux and you put gratuitous quotes which then accidentally totally flipped your meaning

I put quotes on expert because these will be people that the sponsor considers experts, which does not necissarily mean that I, or slashdot, would call them experts.

3. I bet no one cross-referenced which of these ... "Experts" are currently also Slashdot users - I bet new ones in that ominous 2400000 range. As users they get Mod points? Who will be watching what they do with those?

You are correct, there is nothing to stop the sponsor from having employee's go out and create non-official slashdot accounts to moderate things the way they want them to be moderated. Of course there is nothing to stop them from doing that anyway, even if they aren't sponsoring a question.

4. Companies don't care about "being made a fool of" with the top 25% if the Astroturfing raises sales with the newer 75% userbase. Sure, some companies will provide a legit expert, but we're watching like a hawk. Slashdot has seen our comments on editorial quality. We've made fools of you for years. Not like it really helped. (Probably some, far from enough.)

Really? You don't think that companies care whether or not they look foolish in the public eye?

Comment Re:Serious Questions (Score 5, Informative) 230

by PerlJedi (#38290464) Attached to: Upcoming Changes To 'Ask Slashdot'

The sponsor will not be given any special treatment with regards to comment score and moderation. The "expert" the sponsor will be providing to take part in the conversation will have an account which is "badged", meaning that it will be visually apparent when the a comment was posted by the sponsor. Beyond the visual treatment that will make clear which comments are made by a representative of the sponsor, they will have no special power. They will not be able to hide comments they don't like, or highlight those they do.

We want to offer a sponsor the chance to have a serious conversation with our audience, but we are not going to be giving them a soap box to stand on. If they want to engage with our audience, they will need to understand that means taking the good with the bad.

Comment Re:What? (Score 2) 230

by PerlJedi (#38290362) Attached to: Upcoming Changes To 'Ask Slashdot'

I come to slashdot to get answers not marketing BS. Now you are going to give some company "authority?"

I think an importantent distinguishing difference here will be that the "experts" the sponsor is providing have no special powers over the conversation. The sponsor will not be able to censor what the average slashdot user has to say. I believe that the average slashdot reader will not be fooled by a companies marketing BS, which will in the end force the sponsor to actaully engage in a serious manner with our readers lest they themselves be made a fool of.

Think of it this way: When a company sponsor's a question, and provides someone they classify as an "expert" to take part in the conversation, you will have the opportunity to get real answers to your real questions.
Android

Submission + - Top 5 Android Malware Families (net-security.org)

Submitted by Orome1
Orome1 writes: Android’s high market share and open development environment comes with a price. FortiGuard Labs has found approximately five times the amount of malicious families on Android versus iOS. To date, they've have seen a 90% increase in Android malware families in 2011 compared to 2010, while malicious iOS families only increased by 25%. Of course, those statistics do not account for infection rates or dangerousness. Help Net Security has more details and a list of the top 5 malware families for which FortiGuard Labs have received the most samples in 2011.
Space

Submission + - Nasa launches new Mars rover (sciencedaily.com)

Submitted by
PerlJedi
PerlJedi writes: ""NASA began a historic voyage to Mars with the Nov. 26 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory, which carries a car-sized rover named Curiosity. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket occurred at 10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST)"

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover"
IT

Submission + - Why everyone hates the IT department (pcpro.co.uk) 1

Submitted by
Barence
Barence writes: "Why are IT staff treated with near universal contempt? PC Pro has investigated why everyone hates the IT department. From cultivating a culture of "them and us", to unrealistic demands from end users and senior management, to the inevitable tension created when employees try and bring their own equipment into the office, PC Pro identifies the key reasons for the lack of respect for IT."

Submission + - Octopus walks around on land [w/video] (treehugger.com)

Submitted by AmyVernon
AmyVernon writes: It turns out this behavior is not as uncommon as one might expect. Captive octopuses escape with alarming frequency. While on the lam, they have been discovered in teapots and even on bookshelves.

"Some would let themselves be captured, only to use the net as a trampoline. They'd leap off the mesh and onto the floor—and then run for it. Yes, run. You'd chase them under the tank, back and forth, like you were chasing a cat," Middlebury College researcher Alexa Warburton says. "It's so weird!"

Comment SciFi (Score 1) 363

by PerlJedi (#38158096) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Science Sights To See?
Two more recommendation I didn't see on the list:
The SciFi museum and hall of Fame in Seattle: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60878-d493346-Reviews-Science_Fiction_Museum_and_Hall_of_Fame-Seattle_Washington.html
The Spy museum in D.C. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60878-d493346-Reviews-Science_Fiction_Museum_and_Hall_of_Fame-Seattle_Washington.html

Comment Re:The Henry Ford (Score 1) 363

by PerlJedi (#38158068) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Science Sights To See?
I second this recommendation. The Henry Ford has lots of cool stuff to see, and its not just cars... They have planes and trains, I am also fascinated by the antique generators. Also, if going to the Henry Ford museum, you should check out the River Rouge factory tour.

Submission + - Developing a computerized adaptive Geek Test (bureau42.com)

Submitted by
fiziko
fiziko writes: "I'm trying to develop a computerized adaptive geek test. Unlike the percentage scores on traditional geek tests, the final version will produce norm referenced "geek level" scores in a variety of geekdom's domains (Doctor Who, comics, computer science, math, physics, etc.) The framework I've developed for the initial norming seems to work well, but I'm lacking one critical piece: volume. If there's one thing Slashdot does well, it's sending large volumes of geekdom's best to the sites it links to."
Science

Submission + - Blocking a light source makes it brighter? (sciencedaily.com)

Submitted by
PerlJedi
PerlJedi writes: "There is a famous example of light, photons in particular, behaving strangely on the very small scale. Now researchers at Princeton University have a new experiment with light which seems to defy logic.

"The common wisdom in optics is that if you have a metal film with very small holes and you plug the holes with metal, the light transmission is blocked completely," said Chou, the Joseph Elgin Professor of Engineering. "We were very surprised."

"

Submission + - RootKit creator CarrierIQ tries to sue Developer f (xda-developers.com)

Submitted by PcItalian
PcItalian writes: TrevE a recognized developer at XDA was issued a Cease and Desist letter from CIQ after the explosion of controversy that was caused by his findings which was brought up about in a previous article. This article explains how a good majority of Cell phone devices have a "RootKit" installed tracking all information that user does on their device. With no Opt-Out or even notification of the software installed, it rightfully was called a "RootKit". http://www.xda-developers.com/android/the-rootkit-of-all-evil-ciq/

Anyone that can assist in bringing Carrier IQ out into the cross-hairs for annihilation would be appreciated.
User Journal

Journal Journal: Go Timmy!

Journal by PerlJedi
Sorry for the meta moment, but just wanted to call attention to the hard work my colleauge Vroom has been doing.
Hop over to his journal to check out some of the improvements coming out.

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