Slashdot Mirror

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"About two years from now--if MAP survives the simulator, the launch, and a three-month journey into space--humankind is likely to finally find out how old the universe really is; how it will come to an end; whether space is really infinite; and most astonishing of all, what shape the universe takes."

"What appears to be a distant galaxy might actually be light from a very young version of the Milky Way that has made a 13-billion-year complete circuit around a finite universe. Instead of holding billions of different galaxies, the universe might hold mostly mirages, repeated images of a far smaller number of galaxies. The images would be the result of light taking different pathways through the cosmos at different points in a galaxy's history."

Pretty interesting article that explains some of the objectives in an easy to understand manner.

"About two years from now--if MAP survives the simulator, the launch, and a three-month journey into space--humankind is likely to finally find out how old the universe really is; how it will come to an end; whether space is really infinite; and most astonishing of all, what shape the universe takes."

"What appears to be a distant galaxy might actually be light from a very young version of the Milky Way that has made a 13-billion-year complete circuit around a finite universe. Instead of holding billions of different galaxies, the universe might hold mostly mirages, repeated images of a far smaller number of galaxies. The images would be the result of light taking different pathways through the cosmos at different points in a galaxy's history."

Pretty interesting article that explains some of the objectives in an easy to understand manner.

I would think it would be patently obvious to the casual observer that you would NOT use a mouse when using electronic voting. The machines that the actual voting is done on would more than likely be some sort of custom-constructed kiosks with touch screens and large buttons. I read an article on Discover.com that detailed a test a company conducted in California of a demo electronic voting system. They used touch screens and invited EVERYBODY to try it and according to the arcitle 100% of the people who tried it thought it was great. They even had 80 year old women and DRUNKS using it! If you can't handle the same things an 80 year old woman and a drunk can handle, you shouldn't be voting. Just my two cents :)

This year, Discover magazine published an article the month before the election about the problems of electing candidates based on simple majority, which begins to fail when more than two candidates have a strong following. With the fuss about Nader voters "taking away" votes from Gore, this is very relevant in this election.

Four years ago, they did a similar article on the electoral college, and how it actually gives more power to the average voter when a very large pool of voters exists.

Both articles should be required reading for all scientifically-minded would-be voting reformers.

The mathematics behind the US election system (and what's wrong with it) where presented in Discover Magazine, now online at http://www.d isc over.com/nov_00/gthere.html?article=featbestman.ht ml
They also present several other voting schemes' pros and cons, but point out the difficulty in getting all of America to understand and switch to a new system.

What we need is the Borda count. See this article in Discover magazine. It seems to provide the best way to select the winner from multiple candidates. It lets you rank the candidates so that you don't have to "waste" your vote. It is apparently used by some scientists because of its accuracy.

This article at Discover.com explains the problem best.

PS: I originally got this link from here, but I forget who posted it. Thanks ... it's coming in handy for an Essay I'm writing.

Just curious. I recently saw an advertisement in the latest Discover magazine for a "hands free headset" made by GN Netcom.

It's for what they call a Voice Array Microphone that screens out ambient noise.

Looks like it's designed to rest on the upper edge of your monitor. It's not designed for live music, but do you think it uses the technology you describe?

Mojotoad

The november issue of Discover Magazine (or its web version discover.com) has an interesting article on the various types of vote counting systems that have been proposed. Most of them are far better then the current system.
Discover article

I wonder who you'd have to talk to to get the voting system changed?

Anyway, the fact that McCain is 'out of the race' to me is a crime. That and the fact that the only two you see debating are Gore and Bush. I just don't understand why people feel disconnected from government...

To say corporations are against people is insane, they are people.

A 'corporation' is an artificial construct. From the Western World, who's sole purpose is profit. It is neither a Person or is it really a display of the will of 'people'.
The corporation employee's people - dont do as it asks: starve.
The corporation lives forever, providing a mandate and continuity that becomes very powerfully: it lives 'forever' unchanging in its pursuit for power (concentration of wealth and other influences).
The corporation will do things that are irrational and irresponsible to serve the bottom line: uncontrollable pollution/unnecessary layoffs/re-construct its environment (exert influence on a citizen organized government)

Although 'people' are the 'owners' and 'workers' that power corporations they are merely cogs - our economic system is being shaped to act as environment to foster the development of these beasts, but 'people' are not the ones putting it together - corporations, empowering themselves, will construct their own environment in order to assure there success.

Imagine a virus who is capable of building its own perfect host. This is what is happening to the governments of the western world.People are no longer in control A single person isnt capable of shouting loud enough, of hitting hard enough, of cutting deep enough to influence these gargantuan entities. Very few people are in control of the economic future of the world - by virtue of their greed or sheer luck they are in this position, ordinary people yes, but with an exorbitant amount of influence. A position that is so easily corrupted. The fact that 1000's of people organize to support it is an act of self-preservation, nothing more (on behalf of those citizens). With the overwhelming drive to keep oneself fed, clothed, sheltered - it becomes clear what the involvement of people becomes. Quite frankly, the present state of the world (that Katz describes) is undeniably true - look at the undemocratic nature of your government: closed debates, flawed electoral system (which would be the best, easiest step to right some of the present wrongs! dont forget about this people! share this information! tell your government to move to another voting system!), corporate lobbies and Soft Money all devices used to predicate the present broken/flawed system.

Change is good people - start demanding fundamental, basic changes in the system... no better time to start than 11.07.00


Start by telling your friends/neighbours/relatives/coworkers to:

Actually that's the basis for Borda voting - you list the candidates in order that you think are qualified to be in the office. Check out a good piece here from Discover magazine that explains several different voting systems.

This month's Discover magazinehad a good article (Election Math) about various voting systems, discussing the pros, cons, and how/why's, for anyone interested.

The link, from page source, is http://www.discover.com/nov_00/gthere.html?article =featbestman.html

Real link : Does the electoral college still work?

Here is a really good article on discovery.com that I posted on my site the other day. neurocomputers are cool. I'm quite excited to see where it all goes. The next many years are going to be a exciting ride.... My site is here. Its just all the cool links and stuff that I find everyday.

The article goes on to note alternative systems, including "approval" based elections and the "Benbo" system. Approval elections allow voters one vote per candidate, giving the freedom to endorse (for example) the main party front runner of choice while also noting a vote for third party candidates. Benbo, on the other hand, asks voters to rank all candidates by preference. Neither system is perfect, but they both are better than the current system in that they guage which alternatives the voters would be comfortable with, and by so doing they gather a more accurate assessment of the general consensus.

The author of the article suggests that instating such a system would do more to bring equality to the electoral process than campaign finance reform could, though reform there is of course welcome as well. It is widely felt that the current elections -- especially the debates -- have unfairly and undemocratically excluded the voices of such candidates as Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanana, along with the millions of people who are saying that they would vote for these men. It seems clear to these millions that something needs to be done in order to bring more variety into the political process, and yet the two main parties do not seem interested in allowing it.

Where do you stand on such voting reform and campaign finance reform proposals, and the sentiment behind them that favors broadening the political dialogue in this country? What if any reform proposals would you endorse, and how far would you be willing to go to support it? Millions of people feel disenfranchised by the current system, and feel that something needs to be done. Are you the candidate to do it?

Discover ran this story about a similar technology that "prints" ice sculptures, the idea being to provide real, temporary prototypes of a CAD design. Probably much cheaper that other technologies, and probably much closer to real world use. Discover also provides thie link which provided more detail on the process.

Discover ran this story about a similar technology that "prints" ice sculptures, the idea being to provide real, temporary prototypes of a CAD design. Probably much cheaper that other technologies, and probably much closer to real world use. Discover also provides thie link which provided more detail on the process.

You know, they have a word that describes that, its called analog.

Its true, in this increasingly digital world, the fact is that you can store more data accuratly with an analog device (Theoretically). I think people are too quick today to dismiss anything analog as obsolete and out dated. Perhaps digital technology has surpassed analog for now, but it may not always be so.

I am not the only one who thinks there is too much emphasis on the digital. There was a recent article in a Discover on a man building analog robots. (Discover, Sept 2000 Vol 21, No. 9, Pg 86: Biobots) I don't know if it is also covered on the website, www.Discover.com. Analog devices use waveforms instead of descrete steps. This means that there can be numbers or states described that are not rational. (PI anyone?)

Sorry, my soapbox

I don't know about affecting the Earth's orbit, but ISTR reading something in Discover about the Earth's rotation slowing a very small amount because of dams (and the pools of water they are associated with) near the equator. Apparently, the dams have shifted the Earth's mass around a little, moving more near the equator, causing the rotation to slow, similar to how a spinning ice skater slows when they extend their arms.

Of course, I can't find a reference to this at Discover.com, but that just means that the conspiracy to make me think I'm going senile is back at work.

Heh. Okay. I hereby vow never again to post without finishing the article first. The environmental tax is definitely a cool idea, especially coupled with elimination of income tax.

The problem is that such a fundamental change in the US tax structure is difficult for politicians to address. Conservatives would obviously risk the alienation of their core constituency (I mean it's the environment and taxes. For a conservative, putting these two in the same sentence would be the equivalent of sticking her head in the oven.) Liberals, in the current centrist political climate, would also be wary of suggesting such a change.

However, in time, I think that particular change is inevitable. In the 1970s, we were well aware that chlorofluorocarbons were deteriorating the ozone layer, but they weren't phased out until the 1990's. It just takes time. The cover of this month's issue of Discover magazine is about the strong possibility that global warming is now causing extreme weather fluctuation. A growing awareness of the problem will lead to political change. It doesn't happen immediately. It's a cool idea, but it will never happen without public debate.

Heh. Okay. I hereby vow never again to post without finishing the article first. The environmental tax is definitely a cool idea, especially coupled with elimination of income tax.

The problem is that such a fundamental change in the US tax structure is difficult for politicians to address. Conservatives would obviously risk the alienation of their core constituency (I mean it's the environment and taxes. For a conservative, putting these two in the same sentence would be the equivalent of sticking her head in the oven.) Liberals, in the current centrist political climate, would also be wary of suggesting such a change.

However, in time, I think that particular change is inevitable. In the 1970s, we were well aware that chlorofluorocarbons were deteriorating the ozone layer, but they weren't phased out until the 1990's. It just takes time. The cover of this month's issue of Discover magazine is about the strong possibility that global warming is now causing extreme weather fluctuation. A growing awareness of the problem will lead to political change. It doesn't happen immediately. It's a cool idea, but it will never happen without public debate.

Back on topic, the whole thalidomide incident in the 60's was a good example of the different effects of chiral molecules. One of them was supposed to combat morning sickness. The other one led to serious birth defects (e.g., no arms, no legs, &c). Oops. Thalidomide is actually still used for leprosy. You can read more about future applications of it here - I won't bore you.

Also, I believe that one of those OTC pain killers (aspirin, acetomeniphen, whatever) also has an interesting chiral property. When they make the drug, it comes out ~50/50 each enantiomer. Even though only one of the enantiomers works in the body, they don't bother to screen out the other, but leave it in as "dead weight." Turns out the body converts the "dead" enantiomer into the functional, working drug one on its own. Isn't science neato? ;-)

---- Stultus

To answer questions re: looking for smaller planets -- NASA has plans to launch the Planet Finder Array -- a cluster of telescopes designed to do optical inferometry -- in about 2005. It will go into an orbit around the sun at roughly the same distance as Jupiter, and be capable of seeing Earth-sized planets out to about 50 light-years. Further, plans call for the ability to analyze the spectrum of the planet, which will allow for atmospheric analysis.

A recent issue of Discover magazine had a "field guide" to all the new extra-solar planets that we've found up to now. 47 Ursa Majoris has a Jupiter-sized planet that orbits its star at about the same distance Mars is from ours... Given that 47Uma is a little brighter and a little larger, this planet could very well have habitable moons, and is actually one of the targets for a new radio search, so the science already has applications.

As for the Hubble issue, I suspect it will be handled like Mir and kept aloft for at least five years beyond its expected life. There are plans for a "Hubble II" that uses a segmented mirror like the Keck. (And whomever asked about the X-Ray observatory: no, it cannot take over Hubble's duties -- it is without optical capabilities.)

The Physics of ... Glass

Genomic (and anti-genomics) Links [To Top]

Mapping the Icelandic Genome. "An Anthropology of the scientific, political, economic, religious, and ethical issues surrounding the deCode Project and its global implications." Contains useful pointers.

Indigenous people's coalition against biopiracy.

The Human Genome Diversity Project as explained by Stanford Professor and posted on the U.N. website.

Various UN reports on the Genome question.

An Outline : Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) Background.

Cultural Survival has issue 20.2 (sum 1996) dedicated to 'Genes, People, and Property' issues.

The archive for discover magazine. Nov. 1994 issue has a few articles about genome and diversity.

The gene letter. The Nov. 96 issue has an HGDP article.

High school lesson plan for teaching students about the HGDP.

"The Gene Wars: Science, Politics, and the Human Genome." An excellent book review with bibliography and online resources.

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has a Bibliography Page about the HGP.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) of the HGP.

The Human Genome Diversity Project: Scientific, Social and Ethical Issues .

A list of articles from Native-L mailing list, listing all articles related to HGDP posted to the list.

Six papers given at various genome-related conferences. Topics include:

*"Why Human Genetics is a Social Science"
* "Racism, Eugenics, and the Burdens of History"
* "Scientific and Folk Idea About Heredity"
* "The Spectrum of Human Variation"
* "The Human Germ-Plasm Project: Eugenics in the 1920s and the 1990s."

Native net letter to HGDP scientists.

Pilot Projects for a Human Genome Diversity Project - Special Competition.

Molecular Anthropology Symposium at Stanford.

Seeds of Destruction. A must read for anyone who eats french fries or is concerned with genetically modified crops.

Also see Patents and Jumpstations.

Comics [To Top]

Angels of Health/Medicine Cartoon by Quino. Here is another one of a dis-orderly girl.

Patent$ and Thing$ [To Top]

An Upside article discussing patents and its history. Very informative.

Gene Patents and Bioethics.

6,000 human gene patents sought in BBC News and also the Washington Post.

American Society of Human Genetics Position Paper on Patenting of Expressed Sequence Tags.

of course the list is continually updated, ... hope this helps, bobbaqATyouknowHOO

This URL is probably referencing the same material you saw on TV. There is also a picture of their new ergonomic keyboard. Enjoy

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// ///#\)

Discover magazine had some very interesting conjecture, in the Nov 99 issue about the evolutionary/biological basis for artistic preferences. In "The Natural History of Art", Richard Conniff cites the research that these two conducted to support a premise that humans across cultures tend to favor environments and art that reflect ancestral preferences (the African savannah -- grassland, watering holes, blue sky, widely spaced trees). Old English manor houses (and art) reflected redesigned English landscapes to match this subconscious preference. Least favored art objects were those that reflected ancestral threats -- sharp edges, large eye spots, predator skin patterns, etc. It's easy to stretch the point beyond reason, but the basic premise is worth considering.

Discover magazine had some very interesting conjecture, in the Nov 99 issue about the evolutionary/biological basis for artistic preferences. In "The Natural History of Art", Richard Conniff cites the research that these two conducted to support a premise that humans across cultures tend to favor environments and art that reflect ancestral preferences (the African savannah -- grassland, watering holes, blue sky, widely spaced trees). Old English manor houses (and art) reflected redesigned English landscapes to match this subconscious preference. Least favored art objects were those that reflected ancestral threats -- sharp edges, large eye spots, predator skin patterns, etc. It's easy to stretch the point beyond reason, but the basic premise is worth considering.

So far as I've read, one of the biggest obstacles in undertaking this whole cloning thing is that it's going to take a long time before we see any results. Assuming we are able to impregnate an elephant with a mammoth or half-mammoth zygote, the gestation period of an elephant is anywhere from 600 to 760 days(!), and it takes ten or twelve years for an elephant calf to reach sexual maturity. Even if everything goes according to plan, we won't know if we have a viable mammoth (or half-mammoth) for well over a decade after conception.

Regards,

So far as I've read, one of the biggest obstacles in undertaking this whole cloning thing is that it's going to take a long time before we see any results. Assuming we are able to impregnate an elephant with a mammoth or half-mammoth zygote, the gestation period of an elephant is anywhere from 600 to 760 days(!), and it takes ten or twelve years for an elephant calf to reach sexual maturity. Even if everything goes according to plan, we won't know if we have a viable mammoth (or half-mammoth) for well over a decade after conception.

Regards,

While the cost of change can be drastic in any situation, there comes a time when one must decide whether the paying the cost now, is worth it in the longrun. For instance, the deciding to pay the cost to switch over to fibre cable, and not stick with copper, while costly, was the best decision.

Zillions of tests and user-testaments over the years can't be wrong - maybe it is time to switch over to the Dvorak keyboard? Not convinced? Check out the following URLs:

Introducing DVORAK
The Curse of QWERYTY
Mavis Beacon's History of DVORAK


There are similar reasons why the metric systems hasn't been adopted world wide.

While this is slightly off-topic, and i apoligize, i find it worthy to point out that the Metric system has been officially adopted in every country except the U.S.
For more information on the metric system, and how it pertains to the U.S., try : The US Metric Association, and the WSDOT Metrics Page.


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| big bad mr. frosty
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I am happy to see that big blue is coming back, and doing it in style too. If you ever pick up a discover magazine you'll generally note what the ibm labs are working on, and if you stack all the things they've been creating together, you start to see an interesting future where they will deff. play a large role.

-Malachi-