Slashdot Mirror

theidocles writes "The ongoing debate over the 'hockey stick' climate graph has an interesting side note. McKitrick & McIntyre (M&M), the critics, have published their complete source code and it's written using the well-known R statistics package (covered by the GPL). Mann, Bradley & Hughes, the defenders, described their algorithm but have only released part of their source code, and refuse to divulge the rest, which really makes it look like they have some errors/omissions to hide (they did publish the data they used). There's an issue of open source vs closed source as well as how much publicly-funded researchers should be required to disclose - should they be allowed to generate 'closed-source' solutions at the taxpayers' expense?"

An anonymous reader writes "Berkeley physics professor Richard A. Muller writes that a key study showing a sudden 'hockey stick shape' increase in global temperature may be flawed from bad mathematics. Stephen McIntyre and Ross McKitrick say that Michael Mann's computer program handled data normalization incorrectly and exaggerated data with a hockey stick shape." Update: 10/18 18:26 GMT by J : Alas for the environment, it looks like McKitrick and McIntyre have been refuted. "In previous rounds of the debate, Lambert has shown that McKitrick messed up an analysis of the number of weather stations, showed he knew almost nothing about climate, flunked basic thermodynamics, couldn't handle missing values correctly and invented his own temperature scale. But Tim's latest discovery really takes the cake."

An anonymous reader writes "An important paper that re-examines historical climate data was published on 28 October in the respected journal Energy & Environment. (The paper is also available here.) According to an article in Canada's National Post, the paper shows that a "pillar of the Kyoto Accord is based on false calculations, incorrect data and an overtly biased selection of climate records." (USA Today also has a story.) This paper will undoubtedly be controversial and should stir a vigourous data review." Update: 11/05 14:54 GMT by T : newyhouse points out a similarly contrarian 2001 Economist article by Bjorn Lomborg, author of The Skeptical Environmentalist .

MacGod asks: "As an extra-curricular for my university, I am working some other engineers to try and design a RoboSoccer Project (please don't wipe out our server if possible), with the hopes of entering the RoboCup tournament in the near future. We are currently using some low-frequency Abacom RF communication modules, but would like to able to go to BlueTooth if possible. However, I have found it nearly impossible to locate any suitable BlueTooth modules. We'd really like something that could be put onto a breadboard, and that would come with sufficiently detailed instructions that we'd be able to implement it without being BlueTooth experts. Any suggestion on homebrew BlueTooth solutions, Slashdot?"

jizmonkey writes "This guy built a balloon to take digital aerial photographs from thousands of feet up. It cost less than $50 altogether, including the image sensor, controller, and balloon. The circuit is surprisingly straightforward: just a hacked Vivitar minicamera, a 555 timer chip driving a relay through a voltage regulator, and a one-meter party balloon like the ones you see at used car dealerships. It just so happens that the entire circuit, strapped to a piece of a pizza box and tied to a really long string, is light enough to be lifted by the balloon. What could low-cost aerial photography be used for? I'm sure some people have some ideas...."

An anonymous reader writes "On Nov. 4, 18 Canadian universities and will create the most powerful computer in Canada for a day to solve an important computational chemistry question in one day -- a task that would normally take six years to complete." Here is more information on the temporary supercomputer available at the project's home page and at UofG's News.

screenbert writes: "A new and novel way of communicating over fiber optics is being developed by physicists supported by the Office of Naval Research. Rather than using the amplitude and frequency of electromagnetic waves, they're using the polarization of the wave to carry the signal. Such a method offers a novel and elegant method of secure communication over fiber optic lines. This press release has more information. Of course I always thought that fiber was always pretty secure anyway since it's a lot harder to tap than copper."

screenbert writes: "A new and novel way of communicating over fiber optics is being developed by physicists supported by the Office of Naval Research. Rather than using the amplitude and frequency of electromagnetic waves, they're using the polarization of the wave to carry the signal. Such a method offers a novel and elegant method of secure communication over fiber optic lines. This press release has more information. Of course I always thought that fiber was always pretty secure anyway since it's a lot harder to tap than copper."

Diabolus writes "This is the tale of a man, a bunch of disposable cameras, and his techniques for harvesting lots of capacitors to build a gauss gun. Insane..." A basic capacitor tutorial is probably in order.

rakerman writes: "This is a gallery of images of the astrophysical simulations running at McMaster University using the computing resources of the SHARC-net collaboration. SHARC net is a Canadian University computing grid. SHARCNet, structured as a ?cluster of clusters?, is designed to need the computational needs of the researchers in these areas and to facilitate the development of the next generation computational tools for use of high performance computing grids. Built on the latest Alpha processors, SHARCNet clusters consist of four-processor, 833Mhz, Alpha SMP (symmetric multi-processors) systems connected via Quadrics interconnection technology. Clusters of 24 SMPs (96 processors) are deployed at MacMaster University and 27 SMPs (108 processors) are deployed at the University of Guelph. At The University of Western Ontario two clusters, one of 12 SMPs (48 processors) and one of 36 SMPs (144 processors) are deployed and will be connected using Nortel?s optical DWDM (Dense Wave Division Multiplexing). Smaller development clusters (8 processors) are deployed at the University of Windsor and at Wilfrid Laurier Universities to enable researchers to develop software and test it before using one of the larger clusters."

Mason Dixon writes: "The white pine tree -- known for its majestic heights and soft blue-green needles -- is a predator under the soil, teaming up with fungi to eat insects alive. University of Guelph researchers found that white pine trees form a deadly partnership underground with the fungus Laccaria bicolor, which grows from the tree's root. The two work as mutualists, with the fungus preying on insects to get animal-origin nitrogen, then using it to "barter" with the host tree for the carbon it needs to synthesize enzymes."

Mason Dixon writes: "The white pine tree -- known for its majestic heights and soft blue-green needles -- is a predator under the soil, teaming up with fungi to eat insects alive. University of Guelph researchers found that white pine trees form a deadly partnership underground with the fungus Laccaria bicolor, which grows from the tree's root. The two work as mutualists, with the fungus preying on insects to get animal-origin nitrogen, then using it to "barter" with the host tree for the carbon it needs to synthesize enzymes."

Gryphon writes "Eric S. Raymond has posted an interesting response to the RMS response to the Metcalf story. " It's called 'Shut Up and Show Them the Code' and it addresses RMSs comments about differences between the Open Source and the Free Software movement.

Gryphon writes "PC Magazine has published a pretty level-headed 8-page review of the Linux 2.2 kernel. Mostly a features review, compared to Windows NT. I think this is pretty significant, considering a lot of Windows users (including me in years now past) read that magazine! "

Gryphon sent us a link to a Linux Power article on Open Source causing more harm than good. Talks about OSI, ESR, the recent proliferation of "Open Source" and more things that are also being discussed fairly passionately in the article on ESR wanting to retire that we posted earlier. Update: 03/29 11:45 by S : In other reactions to the ESR story, AbiSource's Eric Sink argues replacing ESR is the wrong goal, and Bruce Perens says we need speakers not leaders. Thanks to LT and rokhed.

Todd Burgess writes "This is an article I wrote that I feel illustrates many of the flaws in the ideas being promoted by the Linux advocates. The article is called Linux For the Masses and Other Popular Myths and can be found here. "

Todd Burgess writes "This is an article I wrote that I feel illustrates many of the flaws in the ideas being promoted by the Linux advocates. The article is called Linux For the Masses and Other Popular Myths and can be found here. "