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User: spineboy

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  1. Interesting on Eye Drops Could Dissolve Cataracts · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While cataract surgery isn't a big deal, it still is surgery, requiring cutting of the eye, replacing the lens, etc.

    Part of the aging process of the eye also makes it stiffer, producing presbyopia (Far sightedness). I wonder if these drops will also affect that as well. Now that I'm on the high side of 40, I've noticed this in my own eyes, and it is quite irritating.

  2. Re:Spaceballs on "Ludicrous Speed" For Tesla's Model S Means 0-60 MPH In 2.8 Seconds · · Score: 2

    Maximum Plaid will actually be the highest speed offering of Tesla, in their newly planned new roadster which will come out in about 4 years

  3. No logical benefit from this on Doctors Replace Patient's Thoracic Vertebrae With 3D-Printed Replica · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm an orthopaedic surgeon, and I doubt it's anything more than just a typical spacer that is commonly used.

    OK found the article, and I'm corect.

    http://3dprint.com/30512/3d-pr...

    The title is misleading - it's just a 3D printed version of spacers that are commonly used - it really doesn't look, nor function any differently than the ones currently being used. The patient had a non-ossifying fibroma - rare in the spine, but benign, and will turn into regular bone eventually. This could have been treated with some bone graft and a plate and screws, which is basically what they did.

    Nothing really new here.

  4. Tin foil hat solution? on Comcast Sued For Turning Home Wi-Fi Routers Into Public Hotspots · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wrap aluminum foil around it - to block the signal?

  5. Re:How big a fuss is it, really? on How Apple Watch Is Really a Regression In Watchmaking · · Score: 1

    And they continue to work well in a long term power outage/disaster.

  6. Re:Less. on FBI Concerned About Criminals Using Driverless Cars · · Score: 1

    And stays in the lane at the speed limit. Talk about an easy cat to PITT manuever, spike, shoot, etc. Is this some sort of backwards psychology by the FBI to get people to be more in favor of these cars?

  7. remote doesn't equal secure on Dump World's Nuclear Waste In Australia, Says Ex-PM Hawke · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While having a remote storage location is iseal for minimizing fallout risks, having an area that is sparsely seen y people can have security risks. It may be prone to terrorist type invasions, looking for dirty bomb material. I'm still not sure why a Nevada military type storage facility at Yucca mountain was blocked. - Guess NIMBY applies, even if your nearest neighbor is 200 miles away.

  8. Strength of plastic compared to ....? on 3D Printing: Have You Taken the Plunge Yet? Planning To? · · Score: 1

    How strong are the final printed products. Have you ever compared them to pre-existing similar pieces? I'd imagine since the printed product is non-homogeneous, then it would be a bit weaker than a uniform injected similar plastic.

  9. Al engine blocks on Ford Rolls the Dice With Breakthrough F-150 Aluminum Pickup Truck · · Score: 1

    I think Porsche might want to argue against your quote about "being handled in a gentle manner" with the Al engine block on their GT3. It's been their most successful racing car engine for years and is bulletproof as far as those things go. In no way will the truck engine exceed the strains of a racing engine designed to run at high compression at 5-8.4K for hours on end. As far as strain - the truck has an automatic transmission which is easier on the engine, and puts out less HP and torque perdisplacement, lower compression, etc.

    Of course there will be a few problems as there always are with something new, but to blame in on AL will be foolish. Hell, they even have had Al DIESEL engine blocks for a while.

  10. Need a different form - the CARPOON! on RF Safe-Stop Shuts Down Car Engines With Radio Pulse · · Score: 1

    Have a police car with a Taser type of device, except it's a bit heavier duty - enought to stick into the cars metal skin.
    Once it sticks - it fires a big electric shock, frying the cars electronics, and shuts the whole works down.

    Yes

    The Carpoon

  11. Albini actually gives a crap on Why Steve Albini Still Prefers Analog Tape · · Score: 1

    I saw him when he was plaing in a band called Big Black at CBCGs a long, long time ago. He was a perfectionist then, and you could see him giving it his complete effort. I still think he cares that way about music, and wouldn't do it for mere financial gain.

  12. You both have it wrong on The Father of Civilization: Profile of Sid Meier · · Score: 1

    Probably the vast majority of ANYTHING coming out - movies, music, books, etc is not very good. The stuff that survives is tried and tested good. A lot a good things are popular (Beatles, Sinatra, Nirvana, Stravinski, etc), but not all popular stuff is good (Brittany Spears, etc). The same goes for anything old, and the notion that they don't build them like they used too- well the hardy ones survived, and the crap broke.

  13. 40% med students don't graduate? - WRONG on Med Students Unaware of Their Bias Against Obese Patients · · Score: 0

    Absolutely not - it's about 96% of medical students graduate

    http://www.aamc.org/data/aib/aibissues/aibvol7_no2.pdf

  14. Re:Med students on Med Students Unaware of Their Bias Against Obese Patients · · Score: 1

    probably less than 5% of obese people are obese from the above listed medical conditions. The rest are obese from too much eating.

    http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/Hypothyroidism/

    http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090954

  15. Multiple small supercaps on Charge Your Cellphone In 20 Seconds (Eventually) · · Score: 1

    Easy solution would be to have multiple smaller ones - I don't know enough electronics to know the advantages/disadvantages of having them in this situation in parrallel or in series, In this way, you might be able to "pop" charge your battery in very small increments. That is - have multiple small supercaps, that you quick charge, and have them hooked up to your battery (or even be the batery).

  16. Uhhhh Breaking Bad? on World of Warcraft Loses 1.3 Million Players in First Quarter of 2013 · · Score: 1

    Breaking Bad,
    Homeland
    Downton Abbey
    Game of Thrones

  17. Well , GOOD idea actually Space junk is expensive on Space Junk 'Cleaning' Missions Urgently Needed · · Score: 1

    It should be a high priority to collect the debris, as it is quite valuable - it takes a lot on money to get stuff into orbit, and most of the stuff is probably space worthy material.

    We shouldn't think of it as junk, but as free bulding material left around.

  18. LongTie Gnome-KDE on GNOME 3.8 Released Featuring New "Classic" Mode · · Score: 2

    Been using LInux since 97-98, and using Gnome pretty much most of the time (OK, did use WindowMaker and Enlightenment at first).

    And now I'm using KDE (Kubuntu), because I just can't stand Unity, and Mint at work.

    I just can't stand scrolling through pages of apps trying to find the infrequently used ones. I've given it a fair shot several times, and it's made me a convert.....to KDE.

    Can I hear from someone the reason(s) as to why they like Unity better than the old Gnome?

  19. Longtime Linux User Uses Ubuntu on Ask Slashdot: New To Linux; Which Distro? · · Score: 2

    Heh - Started in 97-98 using LInux with early version of Redhat, then went to Suse, and Mandrake, back to Suse for a long time then to Ubuntu. I'm not going to talk about my experience with Gentoo, other than I spent too much time compiling. I think I had a couple of Suse boxes running for about 3 years of uptime before a power outage.

    Been on Ubuntu for about 3 years or so, and run KDE on top of it.
    I just want something that works - and Ubuntu is that - makes the computer more transparent.. Package system is much better IMHO than Suse, and that's why I switched a while ago.

    Oh yeah - and it runs Steam

  20. Hello- What about the Upcoming Steam Box -by Valve on Next-Gen Console Wars Will Soon Begin In Earnest · · Score: 2

    I think that the new steam (Linux) box by Valve will grab a significant market share. Why? because it will be much more customizable, AND run current PC games.

  21. Volume and newest titles vs boutique on Ask Slashdot: How To Make a DVD-Rental Store More Relevant? · · Score: 1

    People often change their minds, and are inspired to see other films when browsing. Having said that, The biggest advantage the online destinations have vs a brick and motar physical store is volume, and you can't compete with that.

    The latest movies - sure you can get that. I think the real question for financial success is to offer a "flavor" or style, that isn't generated by an endless catalog, because you just have to get the people who are there, rent what you have, and be happy about it. They have to see what you have, and think "Hey that looks cool/good! I want to watch that." Even if it's an older movie.

    I think people who are leaving a store don't know what they want, and can't make up their minds, or aren't inspired by anything they've seen. I think what you're aiming for is a niche destination. It can never compete on a sheer volume of scale with Netflix, or other services, but it will need to offer something that captures, and rewards a certain group of people. Somewhat like Starbucks vs the local coffee shop.

  22. Medical residency on Faculty To Grad Students: Go Work 80-Hour Weeks! · · Score: 1

    Before the 80 hour/week restriction, surgical residents used to average over 100 hours/week. I did that for 5 years learning how to be a specialized surgeon, and hit up to 130 hours a few times
    There is that much to learn.

    The average person does not need 9 hours/night of sleep - 6 to 8 I'd say yes, but there are many very driven people in doctorate fields, and many who just aren't like other people.
    I typically need about 4-5 hours/night, and have been doing that for 25 years. Some people just don't need that much.

  23. One of my first memories on Astronaut Neil Armstrong Has Died · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was 4 and remember being rushed inside by my parents and grandparents. Many people were crowded around our TV, as not everyone had one yet.

    That blurry, slow, staticy picture would forever inspire me to love space and science.

    We need more of this for our future. Money better spent on building and science as opposed to destruction....

  24. Linux games often run better, faster on Is It Time For an OpenGL Gaming Revolution? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've played a few Linux ports - America's Army Online, Diablo 2 (with Cedega), etc.

    And they've all palyed faster under Linux, than windows on my own PC.

    Also crashed a lot less, when played in Linux.

    So I'm not surprised, and think they are reasonable numbers

  25. Are you kidding? on Iran Nuclear Agency Not "Thunderstruck" By Virus · · Score: 2

    Sic the RIAA after them - they go sue Iran, and bankrupt their nuclear program.