Read my comment again. It's the *submission* I was complaining about, not the paper. And no, I'm not American. Furthermore, I'm a statistician, which is partially why I was interested enough to click on the link in the first place; I have no issues with the content of the paper itself, or its readability.
Parse this sentence:
In their paper 'How to gamble if you're in a hurry,' they present algorithmic strategies and reclaim the world of gambling, which they say has up till recently flourished on the continuous Kolmogorov paradigm by some sugary discrete code that could make us hopefully richer, if not wiser.
Up until the "world of gambling", it's reasonable, but beyond there it ceases making any sense. If the submitter had broken the sentence down into a couple of discrete thoughts, they might have gotten their synopsis across.
I've had no issues with PDFs on the Kindle, whether the DX (which is the right form factor), or the 3 (which is conveniently portable). It's not a perfect solution, but it works.
IMO, the optimal solution would be a hybrid display (like Pixel Qi make), a form factor halfway between the DX and the 3 (i.e. roughly the screen size of a normal book), and running an Android OS so apps can be written to support things like DJVU. I had high hopes for the Adam (Notion Ink, http://www.notionink.com/), but they're a little too... grungy... for me to be willing to spend $600 on.
Given that in Australia, there are numerous million+ cities with roundabouts everywhere, the arguments that 'high traffic volume' is somehow impossible to flow with a roundabout is clearly false. The fact that the UK also has roundabouts with cities like Manchester, London, etc. also supports this idea that high volumes and high populations can deal with it.
All the people going on about how light-based intersections allow high volumes through clearly don't remember the last time they were at a stopped traffic light and sat through three changes of the light before they even made it up to the head of the line, and then a fourth change to move forward. I hit an intersection like that here in my small Canadian city every day, and it happens anywhere there are lights and a 'high traffic volume' that can't make it through the intersection in the time of the light sequence. Lots of people? You get to wait a little. At least with roundabouts there isn't wasted time as everyone waits for the advanced-left signals, the idiots who block the whole intersection because they decide to run through on a yellow and don't make it, etc., just the wasted time as everyone waits for a chance to merge.
Exactly. When tenure is based on publishing, then teaching, then service, and editing/peer-reviewing journal articles *barely* counts as service, Wikipedia ranks somewhere between sleep and bathroom breaks in terms of priority. Academic ego has absolutely nothing to do with it: credit in a way that matters does. Academics are too busy doing 'real research' to bother editing an online encyclopedia for no benefit but warm fuzzies.
In other news, what's with posters adding their own personal bias to news articles on Slashdot lately? Just report the facts, thanks. I don't need your weird, slanted viewpoint on the issue, even if you think you're being edgy and smart.
With respect to the pedigree idea, it's certainly valid, but it's not quite as all-encompassing as you stated. When doing your PhD, there is another factor that you missed entirely: the status and reputation of your primary advisor. If you have the chance to work directly with one of the top N (N. Aim high, but be happy with 'good'.
If you're serious about taking mathematical notes, there really isn't anything to beat LaTeX except for the multi-mentioned writing tablets, where you're essentially recording images (and could do the job just as easily with pen and paper).
If you're worried about your typing of LaTeX taking too long, make macros. It's trivial to create commonly used macros for "long" things like \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} so instead, you type \iII (i - i-cap - i-cap) or some other easily remembered name. If you're still typing out every bit of math you do in LaTeX long-hand, you aren't coming close to using the true power inherent in a markup language.
Want easy ways to represent \mathbb{R} or \mathbb{C}? \rS or \cS defines work great. Integrals? Same idea. Just figure out what the commonly used things are in the class you're taking notes for, and make macros for that.
This is the student-owned-and-non-profit-organization-run bookstore at Queen's. Originally formed by the Engineering Society some 80-odd years ago to sell supplies to eng students, it is now the source of all textbooks sold NEW on campus.
Their prices are basically as low as they can go and still break even (non-profit). However, if you check out Amazon.com.uk and compare some prices there, you'll soon find that textbooks there are cheaper in some cases.
Why?
Because publishing companies have different prices for different countries, and different continents.
If you really want cheap textbooks, find someone from India and have them bring back all your books from there when they come back to school in the fall. *The* textbook on electronics (Sedra & Smith) is roughly $155 CAD... and can be found for roughly $4 in India.:)
It's a rip-off... plan ahead, find out what texts you need, and import them. I ordered three texts from the UK, and even with shipping saved $30 on each one. Not too bad for a little bit of work and some web browsing.
Ditto in Ontario, except that Comp Eng - Software Option is currently in its probationary period (5-years in length) while they decide if it's 'worthy' of being called Engineering.
And yes, it is a much more difficult program that CS (or the 'School of Computing' as they've renamed it here at Queen's - www.queensu.ca). The first two years of CS are pretty much a joke for any technically literate person, while the first two years of eng. are fairly brutal.
And IIRC, almost every single issue of the PEng magazine that comes out has cases in it of people who misrepresented themselves as engineers and got caught.
Usually they haven't caused any actual problems, but they are dealt with as if they had -- huge fines, prison time (in some cases), and large amounts of publicity. All from appending "engineer" or "PEng" to their name on literature.
As an engineer-in-training, I agree that most engineers can't use computers (look around my classes to see that!), but our schooling does teach us how to properly perform our duties *for the greater good of society*. How many coders can say that? [btw: I have a lot of respect for coders, just not quite the same level of respect I have for engineers... ]
The iron is not actually from the collapsed bridge, but the traditions and ceremony ("The Calling of an Engineer") were instituted after poor engineering practices resulted in the collapse of a bridge in Quebec, causing numerous deaths.
I'm studying to be an engineer now, and I must agree with those above who state that a 'code monkey' is not an engineer. I respect those who choose to work in computer-oriented fields, but they are not engineers. An engineer is more than the definition of the word -- we go through extremely rigorous training and must pass lengthy accreditation probation periods before being given the official title.
And if you think Texas' laws are draconian, check out the OSPE (Ontario Society of Professional Engineers) or the CEAB (Canadian Engineering Accredidation Board) to see what you have to do in Canada to be called an engineer.
Oh, and that "$3000 / day" charge? Try $50k+ up here for misuse of the title. Although, I will admit, $50k CAD ~ $5 USD, but anyway...:-)
Just because there are people out there who go far and beyond the level of sane belief doesn't mean that you have to paint all Christians with the same brush.
And as far as any 'fundamentalists that [know] any appreciable amount of information about any scientific discipline' goes, I know several. One has his doctorate in macroeconomics, another in theoretical physics. Just because they have faith doesn't automatically make them inane ranters about the evils of society and so on and so on.
This article is a complete farce. If someone believes this, that's their business, but it's either a hoax or written by someone who is a few fries short of a Happy Meal (TM).
I am a professing Christian - that is my faith. I am an engineering student - that is my education. And I plan on being a researcher in my field down the road. That is my job. The three are not mutually exclusive, nor are they mutually inclusive. It's a balance. You seem to believe that all Christians automatically cannot form a balance between these three. I do not.
(I always wanted Darth's ship - Executor - and got it for a couple weeks until the boss decided having a server that sounded like an axe murderer wasn't so great)
Deathstar - primary domain controller
Stardestroyer - webserver
X-Wing - secondary domain controller
Chewie - tech machine
Han Solo - secondary tech machine
Luke - storage machine (i.e. movies)
Falcon - secondary domain controller (remote)
Made it much more fun... 'Deathstar is going down' sound so much better than 'oh, that machine - the primary domain controller - is going down' (and the boss goes into 'duh' mode and says 'huh? what's a.... ').
Speaking as a Queen's student, I must say - thanks.:-) I've examined our car, and briefly considered being a part of the team responsible for designing our 'next' car.
If you check out the webpage:
http://solarcar.queensu.ca/
you'll see Mirage -- this guy's right -- isn't it nice?
Interesting differences between 'our' car and others is that ours is entirely student-designed. The only review that it gets is for safety by a couple of mech.eng profs here, and the occasional consultation with the companies the guys (and gals!) buy their equipment from.
According to things I've read, the UMich team gets a fair bit of help from some industry people in the area -- that's their way, and it certainly has improved their car. I personally admire teams like Waterloo/us/etc. who manage to design their car entirely on their own. It's two years of work and literally over a million dollars to build these things -- do you think it's worth it?
Anyway, 'Go Queen's!'.
Queen's College colours we are wearing once again,
Soiled as they are by the battle and the rain,
Yet another victory to wipe away the stain,
So, Gaels go in and win!
Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath!
Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath!
Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath!
Cha-Gheill! Cha-Gheill! Cha-Gheill!
Slashdot Mirror
Canadian hospitals switched to ICD-10 in 2001-2003. Welcome to the 21st century.
Read my comment again. It's the *submission* I was complaining about, not the paper. And no, I'm not American. Furthermore, I'm a statistician, which is partially why I was interested enough to click on the link in the first place; I have no issues with the content of the paper itself, or its readability.
Parse this sentence:
In their paper 'How to gamble if you're in a hurry,' they present algorithmic strategies and reclaim the world of gambling, which they say has up till recently flourished on the continuous Kolmogorov paradigm by some sugary discrete code that could make us hopefully richer, if not wiser.
Up until the "world of gambling", it's reasonable, but beyond there it ceases making any sense. If the submitter had broken the sentence down into a couple of discrete thoughts, they might have gotten their synopsis across.
Half this submission makes no sense, grammatically or otherwise.
I've had no issues with PDFs on the Kindle, whether the DX (which is the right form factor), or the 3 (which is conveniently portable). It's not a perfect solution, but it works.
IMO, the optimal solution would be a hybrid display (like Pixel Qi make), a form factor halfway between the DX and the 3 (i.e. roughly the screen size of a normal book), and running an Android OS so apps can be written to support things like DJVU. I had high hopes for the Adam (Notion Ink, http://www.notionink.com/), but they're a little too ... grungy ... for me to be willing to spend $600 on.
Given that in Australia, there are numerous million+ cities with roundabouts everywhere, the arguments that 'high traffic volume' is somehow impossible to flow with a roundabout is clearly false. The fact that the UK also has roundabouts with cities like Manchester, London, etc. also supports this idea that high volumes and high populations can deal with it.
All the people going on about how light-based intersections allow high volumes through clearly don't remember the last time they were at a stopped traffic light and sat through three changes of the light before they even made it up to the head of the line, and then a fourth change to move forward. I hit an intersection like that here in my small Canadian city every day, and it happens anywhere there are lights and a 'high traffic volume' that can't make it through the intersection in the time of the light sequence. Lots of people? You get to wait a little. At least with roundabouts there isn't wasted time as everyone waits for the advanced-left signals, the idiots who block the whole intersection because they decide to run through on a yellow and don't make it, etc., just the wasted time as everyone waits for a chance to merge.
Exactly. When tenure is based on publishing, then teaching, then service, and editing/peer-reviewing journal articles *barely* counts as service, Wikipedia ranks somewhere between sleep and bathroom breaks in terms of priority. Academic ego has absolutely nothing to do with it: credit in a way that matters does. Academics are too busy doing 'real research' to bother editing an online encyclopedia for no benefit but warm fuzzies.
In other news, what's with posters adding their own personal bias to news articles on Slashdot lately? Just report the facts, thanks. I don't need your weird, slanted viewpoint on the issue, even if you think you're being edgy and smart.
With respect to the pedigree idea, it's certainly valid, but it's not quite as all-encompassing as you stated. When doing your PhD, there is another factor that you missed entirely: the status and reputation of your primary advisor. If you have the chance to work directly with one of the top N (N. Aim high, but be happy with 'good'.
If you're serious about taking mathematical notes, there really isn't anything to beat LaTeX except for the multi-mentioned writing tablets, where you're essentially recording images (and could do the job just as easily with pen and paper).
If you're worried about your typing of LaTeX taking too long, make macros. It's trivial to create commonly used macros for "long" things like \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} so instead, you type \iII (i - i-cap - i-cap) or some other easily remembered name. If you're still typing out every bit of math you do in LaTeX long-hand, you aren't coming close to using the true power inherent in a markup language.
Want easy ways to represent \mathbb{R} or \mathbb{C}? \rS or \cS defines work great. Integrals? Same idea. Just figure out what the commonly used things are in the class you're taking notes for, and make macros for that.
www.campusbookstore.com
... and can be found for roughly $4 in India. :)
... plan ahead, find out what texts you need, and import them. I ordered three texts from the UK, and even with shipping saved $30 on each one. Not too bad for a little bit of work and some web browsing.
This is the student-owned-and-non-profit-organization-run bookstore at Queen's. Originally formed by the Engineering Society some 80-odd years ago to sell supplies to eng students, it is now the source of all textbooks sold NEW on campus.
Their prices are basically as low as they can go and still break even (non-profit). However, if you check out Amazon.com.uk and compare some prices there, you'll soon find that textbooks there are cheaper in some cases.
Why?
Because publishing companies have different prices for different countries, and different continents.
If you really want cheap textbooks, find someone from India and have them bring back all your books from there when they come back to school in the fall. *The* textbook on electronics (Sedra & Smith) is roughly $155 CAD
It's a rip-off
Ditto in Ontario, except that Comp Eng - Software Option is currently in its probationary period (5-years in length) while they decide if it's 'worthy' of being called Engineering.
And yes, it is a much more difficult program that CS (or the 'School of Computing' as they've renamed it here at Queen's - www.queensu.ca). The first two years of CS are pretty much a joke for any technically literate person, while the first two years of eng. are fairly brutal.
And IIRC, almost every single issue of the PEng magazine that comes out has cases in it of people who misrepresented themselves as engineers and got caught.
... ]
Usually they haven't caused any actual problems, but they are dealt with as if they had -- huge fines, prison time (in some cases), and large amounts of publicity. All from appending "engineer" or "PEng" to their name on literature.
As an engineer-in-training, I agree that most engineers can't use computers (look around my classes to see that!), but our schooling does teach us how to properly perform our duties *for the greater good of society*. How many coders can say that? [btw: I have a lot of respect for coders, just not quite the same level of respect I have for engineers
I'm studying to be an engineer now, and I must agree with those above who state that a 'code monkey' is not an engineer. I respect those who choose to work in computer-oriented fields, but they are not engineers. An engineer is more than the definition of the word -- we go through extremely rigorous training and must pass lengthy accreditation probation periods before being given the official title.
And if you think Texas' laws are draconian, check out the OSPE (Ontario Society of Professional Engineers) or the CEAB (Canadian Engineering Accredidation Board) to see what you have to do in Canada to be called an engineer.
Oh, and that "$3000 / day" charge? Try $50k+ up here for misuse of the title. Although, I will admit, $50k CAD ~ $5 USD, but anyway
And as far as any 'fundamentalists that [know] any appreciable amount of information about any scientific discipline' goes, I know several. One has his doctorate in macroeconomics, another in theoretical physics. Just because they have faith doesn't automatically make them inane ranters about the evils of society and so on and so on.
This article is a complete farce. If someone believes this, that's their business, but it's either a hoax or written by someone who is a few fries short of a Happy Meal (TM).
I am a professing Christian - that is my faith. I am an engineering student - that is my education. And I plan on being a researcher in my field down the road. That is my job. The three are not mutually exclusive, nor are they mutually inclusive. It's a balance. You seem to believe that all Christians automatically cannot form a balance between these three. I do not.
My 2c. on this overhashed topic. :-)
(I always wanted Darth's ship - Executor - and got it for a couple weeks until the boss decided having a server that sounded like an axe murderer wasn't so great)
Deathstar - primary domain controller
Stardestroyer - webserver
X-Wing - secondary domain controller
Chewie - tech machine
Han Solo - secondary tech machine
Luke - storage machine (i.e. movies)
Falcon - secondary domain controller (remote)
Made it much more fun
If you check out the webpage:
http://solarcar.queensu.ca/ you'll see Mirage -- this guy's right -- isn't it nice?
Interesting differences between 'our' car and others is that ours is entirely student-designed. The only review that it gets is for safety by a couple of mech.eng profs here, and the occasional consultation with the companies the guys (and gals!) buy their equipment from.
According to things I've read, the UMich team gets a fair bit of help from some industry people in the area -- that's their way, and it certainly has improved their car. I personally admire teams like Waterloo/us/etc. who manage to design their car entirely on their own. It's two years of work and literally over a million dollars to build these things -- do you think it's worth it?
Anyway, 'Go Queen's!'. Queen's College colours we are wearing once again,
Soiled as they are by the battle and the rain,
Yet another victory to wipe away the stain,
So, Gaels go in and win!
Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath!
Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath!
Oil thigh na Banrighinn a'Banrighinn gu brath!
Cha-Gheill! Cha-Gheill! Cha-Gheill!