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Comment Re:Hey North Korea! (Score 1) 707

During WWII most warring nations used such weapons to an extent. Regretfully, only those who lost were punished additionally for that. Those who won got a free pass, and that is why we may yet see some WMD usage, especially now that MAD is gone for good.

It has always been the case that the loser is punished and the winner isn't and always will be. That's why when you're fighting a war you need to do everything you can to make sure that you win.

Comment Re:Low carbon foot print? (Score 1) 466

uh, it's not a lawn and they don't water it. It's a vacant field that is covered with the annual rye that covers most of California's grasslands. While it isn't native to the area, it performs a similar ecological role to the now rare native grass and probably isn't worth exterminating to replace with native grasses. Goats are a better option for fire control than mowing or discing which are the two other options.

Comment Re:Sounds expensive... (Score 4, Insightful) 263

I should add that this isn't a reason not to pursue research for cures for HIV. It's a very interesting problem and this technique may have broad application if it works. Also in some parts of the world HIV is very common and hard to avoid.

Just as we would treat a heart attack in a 400 lb man, so we should also treat someone with HIV as best we can.

Comment Re:Sounds expensive... (Score 0, Troll) 263

But the big majority of people with HIV in the developed world have it because they are stupid. Avoid shooting up and receptive anal intercourse and you've dramatically cut your chances. Insist on only doing the nasty with clean partners in safe ways and you're very safe. Keep your dick dry, your asshole closed and don't shoot up and your chances of getting HIV are pretty much 0.

Comment Re:Why is the government even subsidizing this? (Score 1) 591

The government didn't provide car vouchers, but the (very few) people who still needed leaded gasoline could (and still can, for that matter) still buy the lead additive separately and add it to their tanks. For nearly all drivers the answer was a minor adjustment to their engines and using premium unleaded gas.

Interestingly, leaded gasoline hasn't completely disappeared. It is still used as an aviation fuel.

Comment Re:Riiight (Score 1) 685

Assuming what you say is true, something is seriously wrong with your light installation. Either your wiring is dangerously f'd up or the bulbs are getting wet. Either way, if you value your safety you should identify what the problem because it could indicate some real danger.

Biotech

Submission + - Scientists Identify How Body Senses Cold

Vicissidude writes: As an ice cream melts in your mouth this summer, take a moment to contemplate the protein that may be bringing you that sense of cool relief — and numbing your tongue. Researchers have pinned down the particular protein in mice used by the body to sense cold temperatures, and think that a similar one in humans does the same job. Mice rely on a single protein, called TRPM8, to sense both cold temperatures and menthol, the compound that gives mints their cool sensation. The sensor also controls the pain-relieving effect of cool temperatures, but does not seem to play an important role in the response to painfully cold temperatures below 10 C. TRPM8 is in the same family as the protein that detects heat and capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot. These proteins lie in the cell membranes of select neurons, and form channels that open and close in response to external signals.

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