The solution you've outlined for the birthday paradox is another case where statistics is not accurate in solving the problem at hand. However, in this case statistics acts as a lower bound for how many you could have. In reality, a "random sample" of people will almost always yield much higher birthday repetition because humans, in general, have certain times of the year when they are more likely to procreate. This study makes the same kind of mistake, but in the opposite direction. You can pretty much assume that they've established something close to a statistical upper bound on this, because humans do not have uniform performance, are effected by a large number of outside elements (such as the stress that comes with approaching a record).
If you look at the patent, it's just a system for monitoring when customers begin waiting, determining their "reward" based upon how long they've been waiting, and frequently communicating their reward to them. The purpose appears to be to stop people from hanging up while they're on hold at a call center (especially when the customer has options to go elsewhere for the service). I'm sure some people would be likely to stay on the line if they were told they were earning some kind of points/money/discount, instead of just completely wasting their time.
The NES has to be the greatest console of all-time. Before the NES, console gaming was considered dead after the industry imploded in the early 80's. The NES not only brought the "game console" back from the dead, but also marked the beginning of so many now-legendary video game franchises. Super Mario Bros. 1-3, Zelda, Final Fantasy... You could argue if it were not for Nintendo's excellent execution with the NES, the modern video game industry as we know it may not even exist.
From the article:
May Wu, an environmental scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, says Coskata's ethanol produces 84 percent less greenhouse gas than fossil fuel even after accounting for the energy needed to produce and transport the feedstock. It also generates 7.7 times more energy than is required to produce it. Corn ethanol typically generates 1.3 times more energy than is used producing it.
Biological evolution works on a macro time scale..thousands and millions of years. A change like what is described in the article has an effect in the short term. Yes, eventually even these genetically modified mosquitoes could mutate to compensate for their defect, but that's unlikely to happen for a long, long time. When its humans vs. 'survival of the fittest', humans win. That's why pandas still exist.
"In his encyclical Humani Generis (1950), my predecessor Pius XII has already affirmed that there is no conflict between evolution and the doctrine of the faith regarding man and his vocation, provided that we do not lose sight of certain fixed points....Today, more than a half-century after the appearance of that encyclical, some new findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than an hypothesis. In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies -- which was neither planned nor sought -- constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory." (John Paul II, Message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Evolution)
I believe most mainstream Christian faiths accept generally all mainstream scientific theories. Thermodynamics, gravity, electromagnetism, mechanics, biology..I think we're all on board. I don't see what should infuriate you about that. There are ignorant Christians who like to argue, and ignorant atheists who like to argue as well. They're both equally infuriating to reasonable people.
"I'm theologically on the side of the scientists on all these issues"
On what issues? How can you be theologically on the side of scientists? Just as someone said earlier (and I totally agree with), why would you go see the Pope if he were going to talk about physics or science? Does he have a science degree? By the same logic, why would you care what a scientist had to say about religion? Did he go to divinity school or study any scripture or religious history? Does he have a doctorate in theology? How are his ideas about religion more informed?
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The solution you've outlined for the birthday paradox is another case where statistics is not accurate in solving the problem at hand. However, in this case statistics acts as a lower bound for how many you could have. In reality, a "random sample" of people will almost always yield much higher birthday repetition because humans, in general, have certain times of the year when they are more likely to procreate. This study makes the same kind of mistake, but in the opposite direction. You can pretty much assume that they've established something close to a statistical upper bound on this, because humans do not have uniform performance, are effected by a large number of outside elements (such as the stress that comes with approaching a record).
If you look at the patent, it's just a system for monitoring when customers begin waiting, determining their "reward" based upon how long they've been waiting, and frequently communicating their reward to them. The purpose appears to be to stop people from hanging up while they're on hold at a call center (especially when the customer has options to go elsewhere for the service). I'm sure some people would be likely to stay on the line if they were told they were earning some kind of points/money/discount, instead of just completely wasting their time.
The NES has to be the greatest console of all-time. Before the NES, console gaming was considered dead after the industry imploded in the early 80's. The NES not only brought the "game console" back from the dead, but also marked the beginning of so many now-legendary video game franchises. Super Mario Bros. 1-3, Zelda, Final Fantasy... You could argue if it were not for Nintendo's excellent execution with the NES, the modern video game industry as we know it may not even exist.
From the article: May Wu, an environmental scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, says Coskata's ethanol produces 84 percent less greenhouse gas than fossil fuel even after accounting for the energy needed to produce and transport the feedstock. It also generates 7.7 times more energy than is required to produce it. Corn ethanol typically generates 1.3 times more energy than is used producing it.
Biological evolution works on a macro time scale..thousands and millions of years. A change like what is described in the article has an effect in the short term. Yes, eventually even these genetically modified mosquitoes could mutate to compensate for their defect, but that's unlikely to happen for a long, long time. When its humans vs. 'survival of the fittest', humans win. That's why pandas still exist.
That is one of the most ridiculous abuses of acronym creation I have ever seen.
"In his encyclical Humani Generis (1950), my predecessor Pius XII has already affirmed that there is no conflict between evolution and the doctrine of the faith regarding man and his vocation, provided that we do not lose sight of certain fixed points....Today, more than a half-century after the appearance of that encyclical, some new findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than an hypothesis. In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies -- which was neither planned nor sought -- constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory." (John Paul II, Message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Evolution) I believe most mainstream Christian faiths accept generally all mainstream scientific theories. Thermodynamics, gravity, electromagnetism, mechanics, biology..I think we're all on board. I don't see what should infuriate you about that. There are ignorant Christians who like to argue, and ignorant atheists who like to argue as well. They're both equally infuriating to reasonable people.
"I'm theologically on the side of the scientists on all these issues" On what issues? How can you be theologically on the side of scientists? Just as someone said earlier (and I totally agree with), why would you go see the Pope if he were going to talk about physics or science? Does he have a science degree? By the same logic, why would you care what a scientist had to say about religion? Did he go to divinity school or study any scripture or religious history? Does he have a doctorate in theology? How are his ideas about religion more informed?