Slashdot Mirror

Well, usually.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/04/02041 2074739.htm

"Energy specialists estimate that oil production will start to decline within the next 10 to 15 years"

While in this story (On /. here):

"Fossil fuel supplies are plentiful"

It was found recently that the speed of light of light probably isn't constant... And yes, I'm sure there are better articles out there. That was a result of a quick google search.

I seem to remember reading about thermal diodes being able to convert excess heat in the 200-400 range into electricity. Perhaps these two technologies could come together.

Here is a link for something along those lines

The only problem is that we need lengths of about 4 meters to build the space elevator; currently we can build buckytubes about 3 mm, at best. But with self-assembly techniques like the one referenced in this article at Science Daily , which allowed the authors to build buckytubes with buckyballs inside, we may have the necessary materials soon.

We're out of explosives. What we need is a plan!

This article has linked somewhat major stress during pregnancy to autism in children. To quote the article:
Women who have had a major stressful event - death of a spouse, job loss, or a long-distance move - midway through their pregnancy may have a greater chance of having an autistic child than do their unstressed"
I can see 'long-distance move' fitting into the california equasion. I wonder how many job offers still include paying for the house and moving the whole family. Newly wedds ... Pregnant with first child ... Job of a life time ... Who would have thought?

The 1st problem with this technology is the high temprature 400C is a material science problem.

The next is the poor overall efficiency. MIT says they get 2X times the efficiency. From Photonpower.com I remember a 5% efficiency, so lets be generous and claim 15% efficiency.

Yet, with the use of stirling engine technology A $90 750Watt engine or the mystical Ginger or IT you can use waste heat and get power. Stirlings will move with as little as a 2C temprature difference. 90% as a CHP is possible

If you want to get excited about the idea of heat/electricity, then go take a look at some Naval research that could provide room grade AC w/o state change presently used.

But this technology? Not that exciting, and that is ONLY because of the high temprature.

There is an interesting article here that describes recent work in analysing electrical patterns in the brains of people to determine what they are looking at. Success rates were very good, at least in being able to tell what type of object the subjects were looking at.

What is the obsession with fighting wildfires?
They're usually in the middle of nowhere with few if any homes threatened. They're good for the environment - many plant species have evolved to require fire for germination, for example.
See, for example, this article

A UN study : http://www.unep.ch/iucc/fs108.htm
some recent studies about the temperature rise itself :
BY IPCC : (PDF,long article) http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/spm22-01.pdf
by ipcc : (PDF,Very long, very technical) http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/wg1TARtechsum.pdf
EPA : http://www.lter.uaf.edu/~davev/nrm304/glbxnews.htm
by NCAR :http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/07/0107 20093052.htm
There are already some effects : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/07/01072 6101653.htm
overview of effects by region : http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/sr97.htm
We already missed some heating by sheer luck : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/04/01042 4072410.htm

Of course, most of these documents are just models, but ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE ???

A UN study : http://www.unep.ch/iucc/fs108.htm
some recent studies about the temperature rise itself :
BY IPCC : (PDF,long article) http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/spm22-01.pdf
by ipcc : (PDF,Very long, very technical) http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/wg1TARtechsum.pdf
EPA : http://www.lter.uaf.edu/~davev/nrm304/glbxnews.htm
by NCAR :http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/07/0107 20093052.htm
There are already some effects : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/07/01072 6101653.htm
overview of effects by region : http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/sr97.htm
We already missed some heating by sheer luck : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/04/01042 4072410.htm

Of course, most of these documents are just models, but ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE ???

A UN study : http://www.unep.ch/iucc/fs108.htm
some recent studies about the temperature rise itself :
BY IPCC : (PDF,long article) http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/spm22-01.pdf
by ipcc : (PDF,Very long, very technical) http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/wg1TARtechsum.pdf
EPA : http://www.lter.uaf.edu/~davev/nrm304/glbxnews.htm
by NCAR :http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/07/0107 20093052.htm
There are already some effects : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/07/01072 6101653.htm
overview of effects by region : http://www.ipcc.ch/pub/sr97.htm
We already missed some heating by sheer luck : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/04/01042 4072410.htm

Of course, most of these documents are just models, but ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE ???

You can find the article here.

You can find the article here.

There has been alot of work using computer genetic algorithyms modeling of diesel engines. Engines with these later designs have 50% reduced emissions and 15% increased fuel efficiency over todays best engines. See genetic diesel algorithym

All that the results prove is that these simulations agree with the expectations of those running them (I can't use the word "scientists" here). There's an indication that they are not simulating the real world.

And other things keep getting discovered, like the cirrus iris effect where local heating causes cooling.

As cameras get smaller, smarter, and eventually mobile, privacy is simply going to evaperate. Wireless swarms of cameras the size of flies will be everywere (this technology is already being tested) recording your every movement.
Small surveillance Plane
Camera size of a quarter
6 inch flying camera

Even without trying, most people get on surveillance video a few times a day: the bank, the local 'quicky mart', the gas station.

The only way to preserve privacy is to make preserving privacy a top concern of your government. Many people seem eager to trade their privay for security, but this only works when the security is in the hands of someone you trust, who would never abuse that power. Of course, no western government would ever abuse its power, right? Just ask Steve Jackson.

People who are willing to trade their privacy and freedom to the government for security are abdicating their adulthood, and letting the government be their babysitter.

A few months ago I saw this article. It concerns making water run up hill so that micro coolers such as these can work in low gravity and zero gravity environments without the need of pumps.

AFAIK a team of researcher working on FreeBSD still have the record for TCP performance, using FreeBSD/Alpha on a Myrinet network.

See..

• Duke Computer Scientists Exceed "Gigabit" Data Processing Speeds With Internet Software
• DUKE COMPUTER SCIENTISTS EXCEED 'GIGABIT' DATA FLOW SPEEDS WITH INTERNET SOFTWARE

The performance reached was 1.147 billion bps on a single TCP connection... Way over what Gigabit Ethernet or ATM are even physically able to do. Those boards are really fast...

Anyone know about more recent results ?

And who says Plastics has to be based on petro?

Plants as plastic producer
Plants projected as fuel replacement

In short:Chemists have known for decades how to alter the hydrocarbon chains in petroleum through processes known as cracking and reforming. Shortened hydrocarbon chains are used as solvent bases for paints and chemicals. Longer chains - as many as 200 hydrocarbons - are known as plastics. But these products also can be made from plants.

What is more responsible, from an enviromental POV? A process where you take a slice of copper, remove what you do not want with chemicals and use other chemicals to clean it, and have a product of metal, glass fibers, and epoxies, or a product based on a plastic that is broken down over time with common soil bacteria?

The push is on in the EU to make electronics re-cycable by forcing the manufactors to take back their items and re-use/re-cycle them.

Plant based plastics just might allow a 'compostable VCR', instead of the 'throwaway VCR'.

And who says Plastics has to be based on petro?

Plants as plastic producer
Plants projected as fuel replacement

In short:Chemists have known for decades how to alter the hydrocarbon chains in petroleum through processes known as cracking and reforming. Shortened hydrocarbon chains are used as solvent bases for paints and chemicals. Longer chains - as many as 200 hydrocarbons - are known as plastics. But these products also can be made from plants.

What is more responsible, from an enviromental POV? A process where you take a slice of copper, remove what you do not want with chemicals and use other chemicals to clean it, and have a product of metal, glass fibers, and epoxies, or a product based on a plastic that is broken down over time with common soil bacteria?

The push is on in the EU to make electronics re-cycable by forcing the manufactors to take back their items and re-use/re-cycle them.

Plant based plastics just might allow a 'compostable VCR', instead of the 'throwaway VCR'.

I saw an article on sciencedaily here. It basicly says that co2 levels and methanes levels balance each other out, or something to the like. I wouldnt worry too much about global warming though, at least not in the sense of 'we're going to turn earth into venus, and have to move to mars' kinda way. The article says that studies that take into account that urban areas are where most measurements occur disprove rapid global warming.
and about that article, how the hell do they know CO2 levels from 20 million years ago?

This research shows that playing agressive video games increases agression, at least in the study group: http://www.sciencedaily .co m/releases/2000/04/000424094004.htm.

While this one shows that childrend's core personality is not changed by video games: http://www.sciencedaily .co m/releases/2000/08/000811061557.htm.

Take your pick. Having children, I can authoritatively say that the only way I could raise them to "*freely choose* not to play them" would be to remove all game consoles and computers from my house. And then I'd still have to forbid the kids to go anywhere such a device existed. They like the games because they're exciting (not to mention the peer pressure); the way I raise them won't do anything about that.

Instead, I'm trying to raise them to realize that the solutions presented by violent video games are not the right solution for all situations; not even for any situation, necessarily. I don't condone laws forbidding kids to play the games, but I do like the idea that they're labeled, so I can have some idea of what my kids are considering buying right off the bat.

This research shows that playing agressive video games increases agression, at least in the study group: http://www.sciencedaily .co m/releases/2000/04/000424094004.htm.

While this one shows that childrend's core personality is not changed by video games: http://www.sciencedaily .co m/releases/2000/08/000811061557.htm.

Take your pick. Having children, I can authoritatively say that the only way I could raise them to "*freely choose* not to play them" would be to remove all game consoles and computers from my house. And then I'd still have to forbid the kids to go anywhere such a device existed. They like the games because they're exciting (not to mention the peer pressure); the way I raise them won't do anything about that.

Instead, I'm trying to raise them to realize that the solutions presented by violent video games are not the right solution for all situations; not even for any situation, necessarily. I don't condone laws forbidding kids to play the games, but I do like the idea that they're labeled, so I can have some idea of what my kids are considering buying right off the bat.

• UniSci
  
• Space Telescope Science Institute
  
• MSNBC
  
• BBC
  
• CNN (buggy--text at bottom)
  
• Spaceflight Now
  
• Space.com
  
• USA Today (under weather... Bah!)
  
• Fox News
  
• Science Daily
  

There is an article at: www.sciencedaily.com

It outlines research that is being done to allow real world devices to respond to brain signals and the issues that need to be overcome.

The article doesn't specifically mention anything about uses for the disabled, but I imagine the implications for the physically disabled would be enormous.

I'm waiting for when they can fine-tune it enough to eliminate the need for keyboards and mice.

Cool Stuff!

shadowmn

Read again. He's not digging test wells around the world with his little shovel, others are testing and finding oil in "impossible" places. And just this week was the announcement of researchers confirming that methane can be produced by oil-eating bacteria without requiring sulfur, which helps explain methane deposits in more places than previously thought, and that methane did not require any fossil decomposition process.

A follow up on Apple:

Apple also makes its iMac line of computers with polycarbonate plastic. This plastic contains bisphenol A.

Apple acknologies the plastic outgasses enough for people to notice the smell.

A list of links from 'it causes testicles to shrink' to 'everything is ok'
http://www.wwfcanada.org/red uce-risk/questionable.html
http://www.sciencedai ly.com/releases/1999/10/991021075812.htm
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/news/seala nt.htm
http://www.doh.gov.uk/hef/bisphena.htm
The Pro BPA page telling you everything is Ok, nothign to see here...http://www.bisphenol-a.org/

Now the question:
Is it socially responsible to
1) be making this kind of machine covering
2) have these computers in schools, where endocrine disruption has more of an effect.

Keep in mind that the Good Design (tm) award given out in Japan was NOT given to the iMac. Why? Because of the use of bisphenol-A. (this is how I found out in fact....)

You know, You'd thnk a 'reputable' science magazine would be more accurate.
www.sciencedaily.com reports: Geomagnetic Storms May Kick Off The New Millennium

You know, You'd thnk a 'reputable' science magazine would be more accurate.
www.sciencedaily.com reports: Geomagnetic Storms May Kick Off The New Millennium

Read 23/3/99 at sciencedaily.com "Researchers at MCP Hahnemann University and Duke University have developed a method for recording brain signals onto electrode arrays in laboratory rats that enable the rats to control a robotic arm without any actual muscle movement." Look here for the story

*cough*
a
b

of course, they had to fastroute the packets through the system because it can't handle processing at that speed..

I knew I read this story a while ago... here.

Hmm. Could this be like genetic programming, but computers could design themselves to make generations of improvement incredibly quickly? If so, that'd be pretty scary. Once computers have that much control over themselves, we would begin to lose some. Granted, control is something of an illusion, but it's one I like to have.

There is an interesting article in Science Daily about a a 21 year old bull's DNA being used as cloning material, they have a clone up and around right now and are supervising it carefully to see signs of premature aging or suseptability to disease etc...

I don't see a huge problem if the telomeres are truncated due to age or not. Appending a new length to the ends of the chromosomes can't be that difficult anyway since you only have to do it to the original source DNA anyway, of course with ~200 tries to every successful clone this could get tedious fast...

"And this whole research area is where you should be looking if you really want to save species." Great, so we have lots of formerly dead species and can only keep them in Zoos because all the habitat has been paved over. Give that man a giant spatuala for the most self-serving scientist of the year award.

Is either relevant? Anyone with a trained interest in science will go to other sources for their news . ( like from Science Daily's Space & Time News Headlines.) The reporting aimed at the general public is usually tied to someone's pursuit of funding, or its tained by some other finincial / investment interest. True science news is just not relevant to most readers.

Gallium arsenide? I don't think so.. maybe something like indium phosphide.

There was an interesting piece recently on sciencedaily about some research being done on electro-optical effects in photo-reactive crystals.

If you like that link, Salamo has a (very brief) page describing some of his other work as well.