Comment Re:Einstein replied "Check your measurements, son" (Score 2) 1088
Spot on - even down to the turn of phrase I was going to use to describe the problem: "faulty ruler". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_error
Comment Re:Not yet. (Score 2, Informative) 80
I am an idiot.
Comment Not yet. (Score 4, Informative) 80
4 sigma detection != (officially) found. You need 5 sigma for "discovery" status.
The BBC have a good explanatory piece:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14811580
Comment Re:Website hacked? (Score 1) 192
With apologies to the reg's admins, I tried to get to a story I was reading earlier on, and got the following in return:
Not Found The requested URL /2011/09/02/samsung_webos_acquisition_no_not_ever/ was not found on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Apache/2.2.17 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.17 OpenSSL/0.9.8e-fips-rhel5 mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 mod_perl/2.0.4 Perl/v5.8.8 Server at www.theregister.co.uk Port 80
Not Found The requested URL
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Apache/2.2.17 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.17 OpenSSL/0.9.8e-fips-rhel5 mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 mod_perl/2.0.4 Perl/v5.8.8 Server at www.theregister.co.uk Port 80
Comment Re:Website hacked? (Score 2) 192
As I write, the site is still defaced. It's been up and down in the last few minutes though...
Comment Re:You Don't. That's the point. (Score 1) 218
Car Analogy: If you're doing your own oil changes, and instead of hauling the waste oil to a recycler, you dump it into your backyard, don't complain when you try and sell your house and the highest bid still leaves you $100,000 underwater on your mortgage, or requires you to spend $150,000 remediating it. Your property is worth less than it could have been, had you only been a better steward of it.
I'd hate to see your house analogies.
Comment Re:Rule of thumb with the Daily Mail (Score 1) 366
I'd have just gone with:
if daily mail, no.
This is the paper that is (unknown to them, apparently) the British cousin of The Onion - despite Private Eye's best efforts.
Comment As an astrophys graduate (Score 1) 276
I have to confess that sometimes the gentlest intoductions were the best. The most expensive book on my reading list was Astronomy: The Evolving Universe, by Zeilik. I still love reading it to this day. Yes, maybe too many pictures for those that like the heavy stuff. If you really want to understand the basic principles - introduced in an absolutely clear manner - you won't get better.
