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Comment Re:And what seeded the comet or asteroid? (Score 1) 199

I'm fairly certain that the idea isn't a passing of the buck, that life arose on the meteorite and was transfered to the earth, but rather that some of the *ingredients* required for the formation of amino acids and whatnot were contained in/on that meteorite. When the rock delivered them to the surface of the planet, the disparate piles of otherwise inert ingredients were introduced to each other.

Comment This does not need to be a complex discussion. (Score 1) 870

You are a college professor. They are college students. In your syllabus, declare that only four-function calculators will be allowed during exams, and that you will be happy to provide said devices. Disallow all other electronic devices to be visible during an exam. If they took notes on a laptop, they should print them out before the exam.

This doesn't need to be a conversation about Faraday cages and the legality of blocking wireless signals. You are not expected to babysit your students--both you and they will enjoy being treated like adults, having been given clear guidelines and expectations at the start of the semester. Your efforts to accommodate your students are thoughtful and speak of good intentions, but there's no reason why the notes of a student for whom English is not a primary language cannot include a description of a difficult concept in their native language--especially if the potential need for that kind of information is called out in your syllabus.

Good luck, though. I mean it.

Piracy

Ikatako Virus Replaces Victims' Files With Pictures of Squid 105

An anonymous reader writes "Ikatako is a virus that spreads through Japanese P2P network Winny, aided by the pirates' lack of wit. Once downloaded and run, the virus sends their data to a central server and replaces it with cephalopod and cnidarian imagery. Japanese hacker (and virus creator) Masato Nakatsuji thought he wouldn't be arrested this time. However, Japanese police considered the files in Japanese pirates' hard drives to be more important than his manga depictions of octopods and other tentacled fauna."
Data Storage

Preserving Memories of a Loved One? 527

An anonymous reader writes "My wife is dying of metastatic (stage 4) cancer. Statistically she has between one and two years left. I have pre-teen daughters. I'm looking for innovative ideas on how to preserve memories of their mother and my wife so that years down the road we don't forget the things we all tend to forget about a person as time passes. I have copious photos and am taking as much HD video as I can without being a jerk, so images and sounds are taken care of (and backed up securely). I'm keeping a private blog of simple daily events that help me remember the things in between the hospitalizations and treatments. In this digital age what other avenues are there for preserving memories? Non-digital suggestions would be welcome, too."
Australia

AU R18+ Rating Plans Put On Hold Due To "Interest Groups" 139

Dexter Herbivore writes "Australian gamers are yet again left disappointed by their government's response to a lack of an R18+ rating for games. Gamespot reports that Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor has blamed 'interest groups' for swamping the public consultation with pro-R18+ submissions. From the article: 'A strong response from gamer groups in the Australian Federal Government's R18+ public consultation has led Censorship Ministers to claim that more views from the community are needed before a decision into the introduction of an R18+ classification for video games can be reached.'" Reader UgLyPuNk adds that support for the new rating is coming from unexpected places.

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