typo83 - Slashdot User

Comment Re:One sad conclusion (Score 5, Informative) 221

by typo83 on Sunday July 27, 2008 @11:35PM (#24363891) Attached to: Mars Soil Frustrates Phoenix Again

You ever run a front end loader? In January when the temperature is 9 below zero Fahrenheit? You know the 'scoop' on the front of the loader is called a 'bucket'? What happens when the loader operator digs into a pile of steaming coal, or gravel? The material is 'steaming' because it is warmer and wet than ambient air. The bucket is -9 degrees F, and the material freezes in the bucket. What does come out of the bucket goes into a dump truck (in some cases), where it freezes to the inside walls, corners and bottom of the dump body. At the end of the day, the truck driver, and the loader operator have to dig that material out by hand, with a shovel. Been there, done that. Why would it be any different on mars with colder temperatures, and 38% earth normal gravity?

Fake Subpoenas Sent To CEOs For Social Engineering 112

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday April 15, 2008 @06:38PM from the whale-fishing dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Internet Storm Center notes that emails that look like subpoenas are being sent out to the CEOs of major US corporations. The email tries to entice the victim to click on a link for 'more information.' According to the ISC's John Bambenek: 'We've gotten a few reports that some CEOs have received what purports to be a federal subpoena via email ordering their testimony in a case. It then asks them to click a link and download the case history and associated information. One problem, it's [totally] bogus. It's a "click-the-link-for-malware" typical spammer stunt. So, first and foremost, don't click on such links. An interesting component of this scam was that it did properly identify the CEO and send it to his email directly. It's very highly targeted that way.'"

Tech That Will Save Our Species - Solar Thermal Power 648

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday April 15, 2008 @09:35AM from the we-could-use-a-little-saving dept.

NoMoreCoal writes "Salon has up a story by Joe Romm, former undersecretary of energy during the Clinton administration, discussing a lesser-known alternative energy solution. It's a technology that (he claims) is ready to provide zero-carbon electric power big, fast, cheap and (most importantly) right now: solar thermal power. 'Improvements in manufacturing and design, along with the possibility of higher temperature operation, could easily bring the price down to 6 to 8 cents per kilowatt hour. CSP makes use of the most abundant and free fuel there is, sunlight, and key countries have a vast resource. Solar thermal plants covering the equivalent of a 92-by-92-mile square grid in the Southwest could generate electricity for the entire United States. Mexico has an equally enormous solar resource. China, India, southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Australia also have huge resources.'" Interesting stuff, even if he does mention the Archimedes Death Ray.

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