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Canada

Snoozing Pilot Mistakes Venus For Aircraft; Panic, Injuries Ensue 307

Cazekiel writes "In January 2011, an Air Canada Boeing 767 carrying 95 passengers and eight crew members was on route to Zurich from Toronto when its First Officer, fatigued and disoriented from a long nap he'd taken, panicked in seeing what he believed to be a U.S. cargo plane on a collision course with his aircraft. The panicking F.O. pushed forward on the control column to make a rapid descent. Only, it wasn't an aircraft he'd been looking at, but Venus. According to the article: 'The airliner dropped about 400 feet before the captain pulled back on the control column. Fourteen passengers and two crew were hurt, and seven needed hospital treatment. None were wearing seat belts, even though the seat-belt sign was on.' The only danger in this situation had been the F.O. napping for 75 minutes instead of the maximum 40, as the disorientation and confusion stemming from deeper sleep was the culprit in this mix-up. However, the Air Canada Pilots Association, 'has long pressured authorities to take the stresses of night flying into account when setting the maximum hours a pilot can work,' taking into account that North Atlantic night-flights are hardest on an already-fatigued pilot."

Comment Re:Or could it be (Score 1) 458

Thats an oversimplification of history without taking into account the geo-polictical and economical climate at that time.

They did not run him over because Gandhi had mass support. Once there are millions of people behind you, your opponent no matter how big a bully cannot easily kill you.

The british did not want social order in India to break down.

Comment Re:Dangerous (Score 1) 104

And yes, a computer CAN evaluate code without executing it. It could just execute it in a VM, simulating itself. Derp!

A computer cannot fully simulate itself. A computer with b bits of memory can go through 2^b states. The machine it simulates has less than 2^b states. If a computer can simulate itself perfectly, then the halting problem is solved.

Comment Re:Just to throw this out there (Score 1) 322

* What is the smallest number of moves I can make to complete a 14x14 puzzle?
        * Can I complete a given 14x14 puzzle in 25 moves?

If you have an efficient algorithm to calculate if you can solve a given puzzle in n moves, then you can answer the question what is the smallest number of moves required by doing a binary search and calling your algorithm every time in the binary search.
In other words, you can call your algorithm for (2) polynomial number of times and find the answer for (1).

Comment Re:US is in trouble (Score 1) 691

India with corruption so deep-set and intractable that even buying a TV usually involves multiple pay-offs?

What are you talking about ? You just go to the store, pay for your TV and get it home. If the shopkeeper increases the price or asks you for a bribe, you can go to the next shop. India sells the same Chinese made TV just as the US. It also costs about just the same (Actually a little bit less in absolute value, but then compared to the cost of living, it is like 3x more expensive)

Comment Re:Possibly because it worked? (Score 1) 519

It's one thing to help you along as you age (glasses, hearing aids, canes, etc.), but this ever-growing trend in trying to dodge time's arrow every step of the way (cosmetic surgery, perpetual drug regiments, etc.) is sad commentary on a society that supposedly believes in an afterlife. Enjoy your life, in all its stages, then move along -- this world was never meant to be your home forever.

Hmmmm... Not sure how you get to decide what humans are "meant" to do. But if you don't like cosmetic surgery, perpetual drug regiments etc, don't do it. If someone else wants to dodge the arrow of time, why does it matter to the rest of us.

Comment Re:This violates VMware's EULA (Score 5, Informative) 195

Wrong! VMware only wants to review the methodology and approve it. You do not have to get the results approved.

From register.vmware.com/content/eula.html

"you (and not unauthorized third parties) may publish or publicly disseminate; provided that VMware has reviewed and approved of the methodology, assumptions and other parameters of the study. Please contact VMware at benchmark@vmware.com to request such review."

The Almighty Buck

Microsoft Slaps $250K Bounty On Conficker Worm 258

alphadogg writes "The spreading Conficker/Downadup worm is now viewed as such a significant threat that it's inspired the formation of a posse to stop it, with Microsoft leading the charge by offering a $250,000 reward to bring the Conficker malware bad guys to justice. The money will be paid for 'information that results in the arrest and conviction of those responsible for illegally launching the Conficker malicious code on the Internet,' Microsoft said today in a statement, adding it is fostering a partnership with Internet registries and DNA providers such as ICANN, ORG, and NeuStar as well as security vendors Symantec and Arbor Networks, among others, to stop the Conficker worm once and for all. Conficker, also called Downadup, is estimated to have infected at least 10 million PCs. It has been slowly but surely spreading since November. Its main trick is to disable anti-malware protection and block access to anti-malware vendors' Web sites."
Networking

How To Keep Rats From Eating My Cables? 1032

An anonymous reader writes "I am curious to know what vermin prevention/eradication methods are used in other locations. I am working at a dealership and we have an exterminator man who puts out glue traps and bait stations, but they still come and eat my cable. The latest was a couple of fiber runs — very expensive. I have threatened my boss with a cat for the server room (my office), going so far as to cruise the local Humane Society's website and eye-balling a nice Ragdoll-Siamese mix. Even if I do feel like dealing with a litter box, cat hair in the equipment and pouncings on my keyboards (and I'm not sure I do), that only covers the server room. We have multiple buildings on the campus which get locked up to prevent theft, but it isn't secure enough to keep out the critters and the latest chew spot was in the ceiling. Any ideas?"
Biotech

Family Dog Cloned, Thanks To Dolly Patents 261

patentpundit writes "BioArts International announced today that they have delivered the world's first commercially cloned dog, a 10-week old Labrador named Lancey, to Florida residents Edgar and Nina Otto. According to the press release issued by the company, 'BioArts International is a biotech company focused on unique, untapped markets in the global companion animal, stem cell and human genomics industries. The Best Friends Again program is a collaboration between BioArts and the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea, home to the best and most experienced dog cloning team in the world.' The technology that makes this animal cloning possible stems from the cloning patents developed at the Roslin Institute for the cloning of the now famous, or infamous depending on your view, Dolly the sheep."
Microsoft

Microsoft Donates Code To Apache's "Stonehenge" Project 184

dp619 writes "Several months after joining the Apache Foundation, Microsoft has made its first code contribution to an Apache project. The project, known as Stonehenge, is made up of companies and developers seeking to test the interoperability of Web standards implementations."Reader Da Massive adds a link to coverage at Computer World.
The Internet

Unemployment Claims Crash State Web Sites 233

1sockchuck writes "A sign of the times: a surge in filings for unemployment benefits has crashed online application systems in four states this week. Web sites in Ohio, New York, Kentucky and North Carolina have been knocked offline by unusually high volumes of jobless claims. Phone applications systems appearing to be faring even worse in many states. The thin silver lining: states are hiring workers for phone banks and buying new servers to prop up their web sites."

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