Comment Re:Quality of output? (Score 1) 201
Thank you, but that's not what I said. To illustrate the problem, you can read about a recent investigation by the Chinese government here: https://retractionwatch.com/20...
Comment Quality of output? (Score 1, Insightful) 201
I don't think this factors in what I believe is a higher likelihood for scientific papers originating in China to involve plagiarism and/or fraud. Although the authors note an increase in publications in high-impact journals like Nature and Science, there doesn't appear to be any other real quality metric - just a note about valuing the average paper coming from China as 1/5 as much as a Western paper, based on number of subsequent citations. With the goals of this study, I don't think that's a rigorous enough metric to draw any conclusions other than that the quantity of papers emerging from China is increasing.
Comment Re:Steam generation under one sun (Score 4, Informative) 80
A lot of similar systems use solar concentrators involving a concentrating lens or reflector, increasing the amount of illumination on the area of interest. It's conventional to refer to the amount of illumination in terms of multiples of normal solar radiation - so 2 suns, 10 suns, etc.
Comment Re:Huh? (Score 1) 80
Nope, the idea is that the device soaks up lots of solar radiation (infrared through ultraviolet, presumably), and heats up. As it heats up, though, it emits as little as possible energy through infrared radiation. This allows the device to stay as warm as possible, speeding up the steam generation - the heat transfer to the water occurs on the device's underside, I believe through conductive heat transfer.
Comment Re:Here's how it works (Score 1) 767
What happens if you have an encrypted boot volume? It's pretty obvious that the disk is encrypted when you power-on.
...similarly, it'd be ... odd ... to claim that you didn't know the password to your computer.
Would it follow that having an encrypted boot volume is sorta pointless because you can automatically be compelled to release the data?
Would it follow that having an encrypted boot volume is sorta pointless because you can automatically be compelled to release the data?
NASA Optimistic About Fuel Tank Repairs 104
DarkNemesis618 writes "NASA is now optimistic Atlantis' fuel tank will be able to be repaired in Florida. Due to a freak hail storm February 26 that had golf-sized hail chunks raining down on the launchpad put several thousand dings in the foam covering the external fuel tank as well as damaging 28 tiles on Atlantis' wing. 20 of the 28 tiles have been repaired and workers have started sanding down the damaged area of the tank itself. After it was decided that Atlantis needed to return to the VAB, NASA was unsure as to whether or not the tank could be repaired. But after bringing it back and doing more extensive inspections, the tank appeared to be in good enough shape that repairs could be done on the spot and a replacement was not necessary. This will allow for Atlantis to be launched late April for its construction mission to the ISS as well as not interfering with the remaining 4 launches planned this year. If the tank needed to be replaced, Atlantis would not have launched until June at the earliest."
Submission + - New teeny tiny RFID chips
paltemalte writes: "Hitachi has just come out with a new crop of RFID tags, measuring only 0.05 x 0.05 millimeters. Compare that with the previously smallest chips at 0.4 x 0.4 millimeters. The new chips width is slightly smaller than the width of a human hair.
These new chips could put an end to shoplifting forever, but they could also be used by a government or other entity to 'dust' crowds or areas, easily tagging anyone present without their knowledge or consent. Think easy tracking of dissenters or demonstrators.
Will someone come up with a surefire way of neutralizing chips that may be on your body or in your clothing?"
Submission + - Canadian ISPs Send Thousands of Copyright Notices
An anonymous reader writes: The CBC reports
that Canadian Internet service providers are passing along
thousands of copyright infringement notifications from U.S. copyright lobby groups such as the Business Sofware Alliance to subscribers under
a system called notice and notice. Michael Geist comments
that unlike the U.S. takedown approach, the Canadian system is proving
effective while protecting privacy and free speech.
Cancer Drug Found; Scientist Annoyed 349
sporkme writes "A scientist was frustrated when the compound she was working with (called PPAR-gamma) destroyed her sample of cancer cells. Further research revealed that the substance was surprisingly well suited as a cancer treatment. Lab test results on mice resulted in the destruction of colon tumors without making the mice sick." Quoting: "'I made a calculation error and used a lot more than I should have. And my cells died,' Schaefer said. A colleague overheard her complaining. 'The co-author on my paper said, "Did I hear you say you killed some cancer?" I said "Oh," and took a closer look.' ... [They found that the compound killed] 'pretty much every epithelial tumor cell lines we have seen.'" Update: 02/15 17:27 GMT by KD : As reader CorporalKlinger pointed out, PPAR-gamma is a cellular receptor, not a compound; and this news is not particularly new.
