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Submission + - Alaskan Blob is an Algae Bloom (time.com)

Submitted by Bryan Gividen
Bryan Gividen writes: Time.com is running a story on the previously unidentified blob floating off of the coast of Alaska. The article states that the blob is an algae bloom — far less sinister (or exciting) than any The Thing or The Blob comparison that was jokingly made. From the article: "'It's sort of like a swimming pool that hasn't been cleaned in a while.' The blob, Konar said, is a microalgae made up of 'billions and billions of individuals.'"
Supercomputing

Submission + - Quantum walking cesium atoms (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Ars Technica brings us news of a breakthrough in quantum computing efforts. German scientists have managed to get cesium atoms in a state called a quantum walk, basically a superposition of all the possible states of particle, according to the article. From the article: "Quantum walks were first proposed by physicist Richard Feynman and are, in terms of probability, the opposite of a random walk. A random walk might be modeled by a person flipping a coin, and for each flip he steps left for heads and right for tails. In this case, his most probable location is the center, with the probability distribution tapering off in either direction. A quantum walk involves the use of internal states and superpositions, and results in the hypothetical person "exploring" every possible position simultaneously."
Government

Submission + - WoW gamer earns Federal Investigation achievement.

Submitted by barnyjr
barnyjr writes: A teenager could face federal charges after investigators say he made online threats to kill Americans on a plane from Indianapolis to Chicago. According to investigators, a monitor of the online interactive game World of Warcraft saw the alleged threats in an on-line chat and called Johnson County authorities. She told investigators the chatter didn't seem like a game. Full Story
Television

Submission + - Stephen Fry Admits Bittorrent "Piracy" (stuff.tv) 1

Submitted by Airw0lf
Airw0lf writes: Stephen Fry (British comedian/entertainer and self-proclaimed tech addict) admitted during an Apple iTunes festival that he had used Bittorrent to download episodes of "24" and "House" (The latter happens to star his old comedy partner Hugh Laurie.) More tellingly, he pointed out that the Digital Britain report represented the views of "industry insiders" instead of the general public. He also said that "making example of ordinary people is the stupidest thing the record industry can do." So in all it's an interesting example of someone in the content industry who actually gets technology and understands that the industry must adapt to new content delivery methods instead of just trying to shut the stable doors after the horse has bolted.

Comment Re:skool is not enough (Score 0, Redundant) 157

by ssintercept (#27806515) Attached to: The In-House Decency Patrol At Facebook

You are still in school, right?

Yes, because, mr. great economist, if everyone was skilled, everyone would command large sums of money for their work.

you would like to think that way wouldnt you...

if all have skills then the demand would drop because of the over-supply of skilled labor.

because, mr. great economist, if everyone was skilled, no one would command large sums of money for their work.

Comment Re:Misleading or Deceptive Conduct (Score 1) 213

by ssintercept (#27806203) Attached to: Merck Created Phony Peer-Review Medical Journal

if physicians would not lend their names or pens to these efforts, and publishers would not offer their presses, these publications could not exist.

Why is it the publishers job to censor or police what people publish?

i think the word being searched for here is ETHICS
from the doctors hippocratic oath to the publisher who profits from the bogus journal. they are all culpable.

maybe the publishers and doctors should have a disclaimer along the lines of-"the following may/may not be true. believe at your own peril."
that wouldn't hurt sales or credibility...

Comment Re:Nuclear Portables (Score 1) 255

by ssintercept (#27805903) Attached to: Small Nuclear Power Plants To Dot the Arctic Circle
well, sort of. you are right that it has been 50 years. the US Army had been successful with portable nuclear power plants. from the 60's to the 70's they have used 2mW and 10mW power plants successfully (about halfway down for info )
the russians are not unfamiliar with the concept it seems.
PBS had a great documentary on how the US Army could set up and safely use portable nuclear power plants in the arctic, however no linkie could be found...

Comment Re:me too (Score 3, Informative) 458

by ssintercept (#27797411) Attached to: Lithium In Water "Curbs Suicide"
as a person who took lithium for years, i would like to point the kind readers to Lithium toxicity. regular blood tests are highly recommended to prevent your blood from going toxic and killing your ass.
while lithium bicarbonate worked well for me for several years, the side effects got worse and the drug became ineffective.
the toxic levels for lithium are close to the therapeutic levels.

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