Exactly. That is a cycles problem in a way that sequencing is not.
The problem is how a 1-dimensional sequence of length n, with 21 possible values at each location, becomes a 3-dimensional structure. What is needed is an algorithm to solve the problem though, not just power. Does anyone know of a genetic algorithms approach to this problem?
Right now there are some heuristics: this pattern means a DNA binding domain, this particular sequence means a transmembrane segment, etc. A stopgap, intellectually unsatisfying approach, I must say.:)
Re:Stephenson: Cool on Software - Dumb on Wetware
on
Snow Crash
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· Score: 1
Thank you, DrRobin. I am a graduate student in molecular endocrinology with all hacker-friends who insisted I read the book. Like you, I was underwhelmed to the point of annoyance with the weakness of the biology Stephenson presented, and I'm sad to say it severely impacted my enjoyment of the book as well. The subject matter of biology is so ripe for science fiction (one of my favorites in recent years is GATTACA, for example), and it's a shame that a writer as goddmaned smart as Stephenson doesn't take better advantage. FWIW, though, I liked Cryptonomicon fine, and Diamond Age is probably my favorite of his books--biology is important to the plot in neither.
I guess this is a "me too" but I haven't read the book in ages. For the sake of conversation, I'll also say I have the same problem with the X-Files, but there I amuse myself (and annoy my friends) by imagining what changes they have to make to make their story lines plausible.:)
There was one female jedi. In the background during a council scene. I agree with the overall point though...which is worse? A universe where everyone is white like Episode IV? Or one where the trade federation are asian, the merchant is jewish, and the fool/comic relief/infantile character is caribbean?
I went to independent private schools all my life. Trust me, things may be better at private schools but there is a whole other set of problems. The group is more homogenous, because everyone is richer, but god help the kid who is there on scholarship (her clothes won't be right, uniforms or no; her house too small, her parents too divorced or otherwise poor...and so on). Also, since there is more homogeneity, even rich full-tuition kids can feel the loneliness if they are weird at all. On the other hand, I didn't witness any in-crowdout-crowd violence, while my public-school friends did all the time.
One of the reasons public high schools are so tension-filled is because it's prolly the first and last time people will spend that much time with people so different from themselves. Private schools help solve that, but at what societal cost?
There are no easy solutions. And to high schoolers, the pain does get better, and you can feel it with empathy and not immediacy, like I am doing right now. hang in there and don't shoot anyone:)
Contact defenders: maybe you can't read?
on
EDtv
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· Score: 1
Calm down, sheesh! Perhaps Jon meant that the "disaster" in Contact was McConaughey, not the movie overall, and I gotta agree with him there. He could have said it clearer, okay, fine. Give the guy a break, he's on a book tour, they're stressful.:) And even if he meant that Contact sucked...so the fuck what? We all have to agree about movies now, too, in addition to operating systems, and political viewpoints, and...?
You argue that the reason that Microsoft has a monopoly is that people are too lazy to shop around. But that indicates to me that it must not be too important to them, and it may even mean that they (gasp) prefer Windows. So if these users are happy, who are we to complain?
There's an idea in psychology called learned helplessness--if you shock an animal enough times in an inescapable way, and then shock them in an arena where they CAN escape, they won't. They'll sit there and take the pain, even if they don't have to, because it's what they know. A developer friend of mine uses this idea to explain the dominance of horrible programs in the market today.
The question is, what should the role of the government be with respect to this behavior? Should they try to break the inertia of the masses? To argue that they must is somewhat frighteningly parental, I agree. But realistically, what power does the DOJ have over MS? Are they gonna confiscate computers with Windows on them? Are they gonna strong-arm the MS lovers into using another OS? No. Even if MS breaks into 20 pieces, Windows will still be installed on millions of computers. The DOJ is not going to take away people's freedom of choice. It's going to try to make more options, ultimately.
Just for the record, those jumps are called "saccades." They are generated unconsciously and you can watch the process in action: get a friend and move your finger before their eyes, slowly, at a distance of about 1 ft. Watch their eyes. They do what is called "smooth pursuit." Only higher primates can do this. Now ask them to pretend they are following your finger and trace their eyes back and forth like before. Their eyes will do saccades and jump--you need to be looking at a moving target for smooth pursuit.
I had a test on this very subject earlier today and thought I would share!
--there is no summit. there is no peak. no everest. you just think there is. everybody can find someone who knows more, and you are always God to someone who knows less. already you saw this: you knew something your wife didn't. it looked like magic to her, but you knew it wasn't. cool huh?
--you seriously need to find yourself a RL friend who can help you. virtual help is okay but there is NO substitute for watching someone do something or asking them ?s in realtime or having them look over your shoulder as you do something. I had the misfortune to learn linux alone with the help of friends hundreds of miles away. It was okay, books and 'net resources helped, but it wasn't ideal.
--you'll look back at this post and think "what a dork I was, I can't believe I was proud of THAT!" In time this will seem like nothing, and you'll have some new hurdle.:)
Slashdot Mirror
Good luck everybody. Cecil Adams has a column on this citing ex-CIA guys, and OTPs are unbreakable. Go read the column and be enlightened!
Exactly. That is a cycles problem in a way that sequencing is not.
:)
The problem is how a 1-dimensional sequence of length n, with 21 possible values at each location, becomes a 3-dimensional structure. What is needed is an algorithm to solve the problem though, not just power. Does anyone know of a genetic algorithms approach to this problem?
Right now there are some heuristics: this pattern means a DNA binding domain, this particular sequence means a transmembrane segment, etc. A stopgap, intellectually unsatisfying approach, I must say.
Thank you, DrRobin. I am a graduate student in molecular endocrinology with all hacker-friends who insisted I read the book. Like you, I was underwhelmed to the point of annoyance with the weakness of the biology Stephenson presented, and I'm sad to say it severely impacted my enjoyment of the book as well. The subject matter of biology is so ripe for science fiction (one of my favorites in recent years is GATTACA, for example), and it's a shame that a writer as goddmaned smart as Stephenson doesn't take better advantage. FWIW, though, I liked Cryptonomicon fine, and Diamond Age is probably my favorite of his books--biology is important to the plot in neither.
:)
I guess this is a "me too" but I haven't read the book in ages. For the sake of conversation, I'll also say I have the same problem with the X-Files, but there I amuse myself (and annoy my friends) by imagining what changes they have to make to make their story lines plausible.
There was one female jedi. In the background during a council scene. I agree with the overall point though...which is worse? A universe where everyone is white like Episode IV? Or one where the trade federation are asian, the merchant is jewish, and the fool/comic relief/infantile character is caribbean?
I went to independent private schools all my life. Trust me, things may be better at private schools but there is a whole other set of problems. The group is more homogenous, because everyone is richer, but god help the kid who is there on scholarship (her clothes won't be right, uniforms or no; her house too small, her parents too divorced or otherwise poor...and so on). Also, since there is more homogeneity, even rich full-tuition kids can feel the loneliness if they are weird at all. On the other hand, I didn't witness any in-crowdout-crowd violence, while my public-school friends did all the time.
:)
One of the reasons public high schools are so tension-filled is because it's prolly the first and last time people will spend that much time with people so different from themselves. Private schools help solve that, but at what societal cost?
There are no easy solutions. And to high schoolers, the pain does get better, and you can feel it with empathy and not immediacy, like I am doing right now. hang in there and don't shoot anyone
--doing her part to waste diskspace
There's an idea in psychology called learned helplessness--if you shock an animal enough times in an inescapable way, and then shock them in an arena where they CAN escape, they won't. They'll sit there and take the pain, even if they don't have to, because it's what they know. A developer friend of mine uses this idea to explain the dominance of horrible programs in the market today.
The question is, what should the role of the government be with respect to this behavior? Should they try to break the inertia of the masses? To argue that they must is somewhat frighteningly parental, I agree. But realistically, what power does the DOJ have over MS? Are they gonna confiscate computers with Windows on them? Are they gonna strong-arm the MS lovers into using another OS? No. Even if MS breaks into 20 pieces, Windows will still be installed on millions of computers. The DOJ is not going to take away people's freedom of choice. It's going to try to make more options, ultimately.
Just for the record, those jumps are called "saccades." They are generated unconsciously and you can watch the process in action: get a friend and move your finger before their eyes, slowly, at a distance of about 1 ft. Watch their eyes. They do what is called "smooth pursuit." Only higher primates can do this. Now ask them to pretend they are following your finger and trace their eyes back and forth like before. Their eyes will do saccades and jump--you need to be looking at a moving target for smooth pursuit.
I had a test on this very subject earlier today and thought I would share!
from someone who has been there:
--there is no summit. there is no peak. no everest. you just think there is. everybody can find someone who knows more, and you are always God to someone who knows less. already you saw this: you knew something your wife didn't. it looked like magic to her, but you knew it wasn't. cool huh?
--you seriously need to find yourself a RL friend who can help you. virtual help is okay but there is NO substitute for watching someone do something or asking them ?s in realtime or having them look over your shoulder as you do something. I had the misfortune to learn linux alone with the help of friends hundreds of miles away. It was okay, books and 'net resources helped, but it wasn't ideal.
--you'll look back at this post and think "what a dork I was, I can't believe I was proud of THAT!" In time this will seem like nothing, and you'll have some new hurdle. :)
--elizabeth's first post