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User: Smivs

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Comments · 391

  1. I'll bet they didn't see that coming... on Did Large Eyes Lead To Neanderthals' Demise? · · Score: 1

    even with their big eyes - The double post that is.

  2. Re:The World's gone mad! on Australian Federal Court Rules For Patent Over Breast Cancer Gene · · Score: 1

    you grew and made the shape you have all by yourself.

    Oh, crap, you mean that's my fault!

  3. The World's gone mad! on Australian Federal Court Rules For Patent Over Breast Cancer Gene · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is another example of where the patenting system (around the World it seems) has just gone completely stupid. A gene is a naturally occuring entity and should not be patentable. Patents are there to give right of ownership of a novel idea, concept or mechanism, not things that already exist in nature. Have I got to patent myself now to stop anybody else from 'owning' me?

  4. Oops on Russian Search Engine Yandex Beats Bing · · Score: 4, Informative

    The slide into oblivion continues apace.

  5. Re:Ethics for veggies on In Vitro Grown Meat 'Nearly Possible' · · Score: 1

    It is a misconception. What you have found is that good veggie food is not as common as it should be. This may be more a problem in the U.S. Good veggie food is quite common in Europe, and if you ever visit India (where the majority of the population is veggie) I promise your taste-buds will be blown away!

  6. Re:Ethics for veggies on In Vitro Grown Meat 'Nearly Possible' · · Score: 1

    Yes, I agree. When I used to eat meat I had all the usual suspects, but have never tried kangaroo or crocodile or dozens of other things that people eat. If lab-grown meat was ever made that could mimic these accurately, i might try it out of interest. What I'm saying is that although this 'meat' is probably technically veggie I see no point in me eating it as it's the same as things I've tried and decided I don't want, that's all.

  7. Re:Ethics for veggies on In Vitro Grown Meat 'Nearly Possible' · · Score: 1

    Yup, no bacon for 40 years, and not missed at all. There is a common mis-conception amongst carnivores that a meal has to contain meat to be tasty. This is complete nonesense, but unfortunately prejudice and ignorance prevent many people from even investigating this fact with an open mind.
    @ 1st A/C - my tastebuds are fine thanks, and are stimulated frequently :)
    @ A/C No2 - As for the 'New Fruit', well of course I'd try it. I am a keen explorer of flavour and am more than willing to try new foods (providing they are veggie ;) ) which is one of the reasons I never find food boring.

  8. Ethics for veggies on In Vitro Grown Meat 'Nearly Possible' · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As a vegetarian for the last 40-odd years this would certainly pose an ethical question for me - could I eat it?
    Probably yes, as it's not a part of the corpse of an animal and presumably no animal has suffered or been exploited in its manufacture. But in practice no, because What's the Point!? I ate meat until my late teens and don't miss it at all. I enjoy a very tasty, healthy and nutritious diet and that's what really matters.

  9. Re:Boggle on USMA: Going the Extra Kilometer For Metrication · · Score: 2

    We English have come up with the best solution anyway. We are now completely metric - we even drink metric pints of beer and have metric miles on our road signs. (wink)

  10. Re:Exciting on Ubuntu Focusing on Tablets and the Cloud in 2013 · · Score: 1

    Likewise. I'd assumed that the move towards Unity was aimed at the 'future' ie tablets etc, and that the desktop was yesterday and was to be sidelined. Ubuntu seem to be totally lost at sea now, with what I see as a troubled tablet UI (Unity) and a rejected and stagnant desktop UI.

  11. Very sad news on Sir Patrick Moore Dies Aged 89 · · Score: 5, Informative

    He will be greatly missed. Amongst his many claims to fame was the fact that during his lifetime he met the first man to fly, the first man to go into space and the first man to step on the Moon. R.I.P.

  12. Re:Decline of western civilisation on US Scientific R&D Could Face Fiscal Cliff Doom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We are not witnessing the decline of Western Civilisation, what we are seeing is the decline of a once-great Nation that has badly lost its way.
    The financial problems of the US (and consequently the rest of the World) were caused by greed and stupidity - banks lending too much money to people who had no realistic prospect of paying off the loans, which in turn became 'toxic' debts.
    The US has also got itself into the ridiculous situation of pissing-off half the World and as a result is now commited to spending un-sustainable ammounts of money on the Military.
    As for science and science spending (which this thread is supposed to be about), well what do you expect. In a Nation where it seems half the population don't believe in Global Warming and the other half don't believe in Evolution, and science/technology is based on patenting curved corners then profiting from the resultant litigation, what chance does 'real' science stand?

  13. and David Brabham announcing a new installment of the classic Elite

    David Braben, not Brabham - Brabham's the car guy.

  14. Mischief on Homeland Security Mining Social Media For Signs of Bio Attacks · · Score: 1

    Smivs goes off to his Farcebook page to post "Won't be coming out to play tonight - gone down with Bubonic Plague".

  15. Re:No comments on oolite yet? on David Braben Kickstarts an Elite Reboot · · Score: 2

    Sorry, I was too busy playing Oolite to read /. for a while :P
    The thing about Oolite is the customisation options...you can make the 'Ooniverse' into pretty much any kind of experience you want to.
    And as for the lack of instructions, well you get a reference sheet with the (free, open source) download, and the Wiki is excellent as is the Forum.

  16. Re:Oh My! on All Five Star Trek Captains Share a Stage · · Score: 1

    ..and what about Pike? The first of them all you could argue.

  17. Ping-pong balls on Ask Slashdot: Transporting Computers By Cargo Ship? · · Score: 2, Funny

    Whatever else you do, pack all the spare space in the container with ping-pong balls. At least then if the ship sinks or the container is washed overboard it will float.

  18. Re:New York trying to copycat London? on New York Plans World's Largest Ferris Wheel · · Score: 1

    Well, Wikipedia suggests they were around in Europe in the 17th Century. Although the term 'Ferris Wheel' was not used then that is what they were.

  19. Yeah, but... on Seaweed is Good for You and Can Be Tasty, Too (Video) · · Score: 1

    hasn't anybody noticed that the company is currently not selling any seaweed?!

  20. Not so on How Apple Killed the Linux Desktop · · Score: 4, Informative

    Linux is still alive and well on my desktop, thank you!

  21. To dissappear... on Ask Slashdot: What Would Your 'I've Got To Disappear' Plan Look Like? · · Score: 1

    I'd just delete my facebook account...

  22. Re:I cancelled my Netflix subscription a while ago on Latest Netflix Earnings Report Mixed · · Score: 3, Informative

    The reason Netflix is Linux-unfriendly is because they have locked themselves in to a failed M$ technology (Silverlight) and are too keen to placate the Movie moguls with excessive DRM. And who cares? Not me for one. If they choose to look backwards in terms of the tech and service and ignore a whole chunk of their potential customer base they deserve to die, and don't deserve my hard earned cash.

  23. Global warming on Ask Slashdot: Storing Items In a Sealed Chest For 25 Years? · · Score: 1

    Just make sure it's at a sufficiently high altitude so it's still above sea-level when you want to retrieve it.

  24. Re:Don't Waste Your Time on Asking Slashdot: Converting an SUV Into an Hybrid Diesel-Electric? · · Score: 1

    Ha, I thought you meant one of these :D

  25. Re:Fuel Injection on Ask Slashdot: How To Add New Tech To Old Van? · · Score: 1

    Agreed....drop in a nice big V8 with open headers. That'll take care of the 'music' as well :)