Make bacteria dependent i.e lac operon, etc
on
Bacteria As Fuel Cells?
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· Score: 3, Insightful
Make the bacteria dependent on an added compound that is associated with the genes you want to keep. Use the lac operon as an example - add lactate and the gene switches on, but in our bacteria, it turns on a gene cascade that produces the enzymes that give us EtOH/electricity as well as another product that the bacteria needs to survive. If the bacteria kicks out the desired gene that we want, it also kicks out the compound that regulates its cell cycle, and it dies.
It would be unlikely for the bacteria to spontaneously mutate out 2 genes at once, thereby subverting our design. Obviously bacteria, number in the billions, so it will be necessary to restock our fuel cell occasionally. Of course you could be clever and tie in a third gene that gives immunity to a toxic substance, so that non-desired mutated bacteria are killed off automatically.
Your comment about route 405 (it goes from the Valley into West L.A. for those not in the know) is probably wrong. People are mistaken about Los Angeles when they think it's a city - it's NOT! L.A. is a giant suburb, with really no center to speak of...it's too spread out. That's why mass transit won'r work well, cause no 2 people are coming/going in the same direction, even on the 405 Mass transit will work when L.A. becomes more crowded, and then trains/busses will be a viable option.
Well, instead of assuming that I've fallen for gas company prices - you could have held your tongue. I finally bought a Porsche that has a high compression engine, and it is recommended to use 93 octane of higher. As a result, by using a lower octane gas, the engine senses pre-detonation occuring, and retards the ping, thus reducing the power output.
Now before someone else rants about me using a gas wasting car, I've spent the first 20 years of my driving career using cars (87 oct) that got 30-40 mpg. As of now I only live 10 miles from work.
Just be "busy" most of the time, and also start to fail miserably,or be inconveinent at whatever they'e asking you to solve. Put them on hold while you attend to an "emergency" for a few minutes, make them back up everything, just be a pain in the butt, and eventually they'll realize that you're not worth their time anymore.
Sadly enough, I can't do any of that when it comes to my wife's computer questions - I just have to grin and bear it....
Wow - the tiny American alcohol producing industry has a choke hold on keeping pump prices inflated. I'm sure this protectionism tax is left over from trying to protect American DRINKING alcohol interests. Maybe if the alcohol was denatured (i.e. poisoned with a bit of methanol, making it unsafe to drink), could the foreign produced alcohol be imported without the tariff. Hell, I don't see why American sugarcane producers can't produce the alcohol for a cheaper price.
Damn wiould I like to see pump prices drop - I'm paying $3.70 out here in Los Angeles for premium 91 octane (we don't get the good 93 oct out here due to smog:-( ). While this is cheap compared to the rest of the world, I'm sure that we pay for the low gas prices by other means...
I'm sure once the American dependence on foreign oil abated, then the middle east situation (Iragi civil war) wouldn't "require" the American presence anymore......
But I would say that it's somewhere between normal handwriting and barcode. I guess what would be interesting would be to have OCR look at 100 peoples handwriting and see if there are any letters that are typically difficult to recognize, and then come up with a substitute that would be easy for the computer to read. Block capital letters should be fairly unambiguous, but I think many people don't write solely in that. I tend to mix my caps and non-caps within words, and I could see where the comp would mistake my F and P and O and Q U and V.
Does anyone know how Palm came up with their graffitti handwriting? - they must have done some studies.
I am a surgeon, so I do know what I'm talking about for the following concerns. Implanting a RFID is relatively easy - just a large sized needle to place it under the skin - and also fairly easy to take out that way too. The ones that have been used in pets without problems for YEARS! are covered with an inert plastic that also has been used for years in people, without allergic reactions. Yes I guess that if you did develop a large bruise,AND it became infected that the implant could get infected too, but you'd prolly' need medical attention anyway if you had an infected bruise.
Alpha particles!? WTF? - these implants are passive - they need a radio beam to power them, so that they can broadcast back. They don't need a power supply If you did implant a computer that needed a power supply, like a pacemaker, , maybe you could charge it via induction. An Alpha Nuke source emitter would generally have it's alpha particles stopped by the inert casing. Alpha particles are generally stopped by a piece of paper.
No, putting an implant deep into the abdominal cavity is a bad idea. Yes it would be more protected, but any surgery in the abdom cavity can cause adhesions, bowell obstruction, etc. There's a reason why all pacemaker batteries are placed under the skin by the chest/armpit - it's safe.
Having said all that, I still think an implantable RFID is a stupid idea, and wouldn't get one, but for security reasons, not for health ones.
Perhaps instead of trying to import complex games to the cellphone, which at best is only frustrating, the game developers should try a different approach. Simple games that you compete against other people in real time. COmpetitive Tetris, baseball, etc. Most cellphone games that I've quit, have had annoying interfaces, the ones that I've kept have been simple - Solitaire, freecell, block pushing games. Real time shooters just won't appeal to me - maybe a MUD might be a better approach.
I was in a car accident and went from 35 MPH to 0 in about 2 feet (thats the crumple distance the bumper was pushed in). Luckily I was wearing my seatbelt, because the force thru the seatbelt broke 3 ribs, and I broke my right wrist in 3 places on the steering wheel. My left, free hand, left AN IMPRINT of my fist in the winshield glass!! I really sprained my neck - couldn't turn to the right more than 30 degrees for about a month, and sprained my shoulder on the opposite side of my broken wrist.
Getting out of bed with 3 broken ribs (all low in front, by where the stomach muscles attach), a sprained neck and 2 bum arms took about 10 minutes each time, for the first month. I healed up just fine, it just involved putting an external fixator on my wrist for 8 weeks.
Old, but modified and state of the art tech
on
Bloodless Surgery
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· Score: 4, Informative
In many (not all) cases "keyhole" surgery (laparoscopic - in the belly, or Arthroscopic - in a joint), actually allows a BETTER view than the traditional open procedure. Every joint procedure (knee or shoulder 'scope) allows the surgeon a better view than the open method,'cause the camera is so small, it can get into many places, that you normally can't even see. Gallbladder surgery now is overnight or same day, as compared to a one to two week stay for the open method.
And yes, I am a surgeon , and I have done both open and closed shoulder repairs, and the 'scope method is waaaaay better. You can see more anatomy, more pathology, less blood loss, and less tissue damage. Trust me, we all need to sleep at night, and want what's best for the patient.
It's called a Bovie - electrocautery 50 years old
on
Bloodless Surgery
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· Score: 1
Pretty much ALL surgeons use it a lot! Originally invented in the 1940s? by a Neurosurgeon, it uses high frequency electric arc to cut, or cauterize tissue to a patient who has been grounded.
$20,000 per patient! - more like $500 per unit
on
Bloodless Surgery
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· Score: 3, Interesting
At least that's what most hospitals charge to the patient for predonated blood. . That $20,000 sounds like it's been pulled out of someone's exagerated butt - maybe for a very, very, very bloody heart transplant. Probably >90% of operations don't require a blood transfusion.
I'm an orthopaedic surgeon, and for those of you who don't know, most orthopaedic surgeries tend to resemble Aztec ceremonies. But anyway, my last 20 knee and hip replacements haven't required a transfusion. Most patients who do need a transfusion - i.e. bloody messes scraped off the pavement after being ejected from their car wreck, only need about 2-4 units.
Would it be cool if we found a safe, effective blood substitute? - yes. But today the risks from transfusion are approximately 1 in 350,000 of being exposed (not catching) hepatitus, and 1 in 2,000,000 exposure to the HIV. In other words, don't worry about it, your risk of being hit by lightning is about the same.
The shuttle was never intended by NASA scientists/engineers to be like it is. The military needed a space presence as well, and thus ensued some changes/compromises that helped neither NASA or the military. Nasa's original design was for a cheap re-usable 2 stage shuttle, capable of 50+ launches/year - to help build a space station in a low - earth orbit.
However, the desire to increase it's size, lead to the large external booster tank, the SRB's, all of which reduced the maximal launches to around 20/year, also increasing it's complexity and cost per launch. I still think it's done pretty well despite all the compromises.
Clearly most, if not all, of these people are not profitting financially from this "crime", and no physical harm is done to anyone. The massive fines pursued by the RIAA lawyers really seem excessive in these cases. Perhaps community/public service would better serve the accused, and the public, giving them a chance to reflect on their wrongdoings.
The RIAA will argue that there may be a financial loss, and need to be recompensated. This I believe is rightfully up for debate, as jury is still out on whether MP3 downloading has affected profits. Just remember that not everyone at these record labels are dickheads - many are just normal people, trying to support their family, etc. I do believe that the downloading of these MP3s without having paid for it at least once, is a crime, just like stealing food from a grocery store would be. Morally you are obligated to A) honour that contract and pay for the song, or B) choose not to support RIAA artists, and support other artists who permit free downloading.
May be all the people who had heart disease in the study were evil/Satanists, and their hearts were stained with the evilness of their actions. So any prayer to this group may have been redirected to A: to saving their soul first, or B, since they wee evil, praying to God was the wrong choice, since Satan may have helped them in this group.
What about religious choice - was that also cotrolled? Did they have Christians praying for Jews, Buddhists praying for Born agains?
Maybe it was a bandwidth problem - i.e. God only has allocated 50 PPS (prayers per second) for cardiac patients, and God got Slashdotted by the study.
I can imagine the poor guy trying to explain that to his wife. "Yeah Honey, I was just standing there, and some weird shriveled old bald guy bit it off my hand, and then he fell into a lava pit......I know it sounds weird. Why was I by the lava pit anyway?.....No, there were no women around there......Well yeah I had been drinking and eating some Elven bread and liquor...The broach?....That was just a present... Well she's the Elf Queen.....Well no, She's not married.....Yes, she gave me the cloak too.... What do you mean I have to sleep outside tonight?"
I concur - how about some real world benchmarks
on
Fedora Core 5 Review
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· Score: 1
Like time to log on, time to get OpenOffice running, FPS of Quake III, time to manipulate a large file with the Gimp, . What about some other "tests" like how hard is it to install CodeWeavers software to get certainWindows programs working, ripping a CD and then burning a CD.
I agree screenshots are nice, but I'd prefer to see data that something runs faster or more stable, or is easier to install/use.
Make it mandatory that part of the time must be spent with the person ON LINE! Don't just have it so that the person just doesn't log on for a week, and then comes back and his griefer is ready to roll. Make it so that he has to spend time on line, and BE ACTIVE, otherwise he gets auto-logged out. Now that would be a more suitable punishment.
Sounds like "advertising" dollars well spent. But seriously how is it ok to show people being blown up/slaughtered, but not ok to show some skin, or a hint at some questionable activities? Since the USA already has a violence problem, should we continue to show people being blown up/shot at, or participating in an orgy? I vote for the later, since I'd rather be invited to an orgy, than be shot.
Part of me being a good New Jerseyan, requires that I know AT ALL TIMES, where are good places to "dispose" of a body This law would clearly infrige upon the rights of a select few people, and thus prevent us from being able to pursue our livelyhood, and is there clearly unconstitutional. Later, Franky "The bulldog"
Slashdot Mirror
It would be unlikely for the bacteria to spontaneously mutate out 2 genes at once, thereby subverting our design. Obviously bacteria, number in the billions, so it will be necessary to restock our fuel cell occasionally. Of course you could be clever and tie in a third gene that gives immunity to a toxic substance, so that non-desired mutated bacteria are killed off automatically.
Title says it all
Your comment about route 405 (it goes from the Valley into West L.A. for those not in the know) is probably wrong. People are mistaken about Los Angeles when they think it's a city - it's NOT! L.A. is a giant suburb, with really no center to speak of...it's too spread out. That's why mass transit won'r work well, cause no 2 people are coming/going in the same direction, even on the 405
Mass transit will work when L.A. becomes more crowded, and then trains/busses will be a viable option.
I'm hoping you "didn't pay more than £3.20 " cause that would be around $5 a gallon ;-P
I'm not complaining about the prices, I think they're good for the environment.
Now before someone else rants about me using a gas wasting car, I've spent the first 20 years of my driving career using cars (87 oct) that got 30-40 mpg. As of now I only live 10 miles from work.
Sadly enough, I can't do any of that when it comes to my wife's computer questions - I just have to grin and bear it....
Damn wiould I like to see pump prices drop - I'm paying $3.70 out here in Los Angeles for premium 91 octane (we don't get the good 93 oct out here due to smog :-( ). While this is cheap compared to the rest of the world, I'm sure that we pay for the low gas prices by other means...
I'm sure once the American dependence on foreign oil abated, then the middle east situation (Iragi civil war) wouldn't "require" the American presence anymore......
I guess what would be interesting would be to have OCR look at 100 peoples handwriting and see if there are any letters that are typically difficult to recognize, and then come up with a substitute that would be easy for the computer to read. Block capital letters should be fairly unambiguous, but I think many people don't write solely in that. I tend to mix my caps and non-caps within words, and I could see where the comp would mistake my F and P and O and Q U and V.
Does anyone know how Palm came up with their graffitti handwriting? - they must have done some studies.
Implanting a RFID is relatively easy - just a large sized needle to place it under the skin - and also fairly easy to take out that way too. The ones that have been used in pets without problems for YEARS! are covered with an inert plastic that also has been used for years in people, without allergic reactions. Yes I guess that if you did develop a large bruise,AND it became infected that the implant could get infected too, but you'd prolly' need medical attention anyway if you had an infected bruise.
Alpha particles!? WTF? - these implants are passive - they need a radio beam to power them, so that they can broadcast back. They don't need a power supply If you did implant a computer that needed a power supply, like a pacemaker, , maybe you could charge it via induction. An Alpha Nuke source emitter would generally have it's alpha particles stopped by the inert casing. Alpha particles are generally stopped by a piece of paper.
No, putting an implant deep into the abdominal cavity is a bad idea. Yes it would be more protected, but any surgery in the abdom cavity can cause adhesions, bowell obstruction, etc. There's a reason why all pacemaker batteries are placed under the skin by the chest/armpit - it's safe.
Having said all that, I still think an implantable RFID is a stupid idea, and wouldn't get one, but for security reasons, not for health ones.
Perhaps instead of trying to import complex games to the cellphone, which at best is only frustrating, the game developers should try a different approach. Simple games that you compete against other people in real time. COmpetitive Tetris, baseball, etc. Most cellphone games that I've quit, have had annoying interfaces, the ones that I've kept have been simple - Solitaire, freecell, block pushing games. Real time shooters just won't appeal to me - maybe a MUD might be a better approach.
Getting out of bed with 3 broken ribs (all low in front, by where the stomach muscles attach), a sprained neck and 2 bum arms took about 10 minutes each time, for the first month. I healed up just fine, it just involved putting an external fixator on my wrist for 8 weeks.
Check out the life of Dr. (Col) John Stapp, who did all the early NASA high G experiments - he got up to 35 Gs in his rocket sled experiments. Similar injuries to mine, except he had a nice cushy 6 point restraint system, as compared to my 3 point typical car seat-beltt s/content_manager_v02/view_nahf/htdocs/menu_ps.asp ?NodeID=-654157167&group_ID=1134656385&Parent_ID=- 1
http://nationalaviation.blade6.donet.com/componen
Every joint procedure (knee or shoulder 'scope) allows the surgeon a better view than the open method,'cause the camera is so small, it can get into many places, that you normally can't even see. Gallbladder surgery now is overnight or same day, as compared to a one to two week stay for the open method.
And yes, I am a surgeon , and I have done both open and closed shoulder repairs, and the 'scope method is waaaaay better. You can see more anatomy, more pathology, less blood loss, and less tissue damage. Trust me, we all need to sleep at night, and want what's best for the patient.
Pretty much ALL surgeons use it a lot! Originally invented in the 1940s? by a Neurosurgeon, it uses high frequency electric arc to cut, or cauterize tissue to a patient who has been grounded.
.
That $20,000 sounds like it's been pulled out of someone's exagerated butt - maybe for a very, very, very bloody heart transplant. Probably >90% of operations don't require a blood transfusion.
I'm an orthopaedic surgeon, and for those of you who don't know, most orthopaedic surgeries tend to resemble Aztec ceremonies. But anyway, my last 20 knee and hip replacements haven't required a transfusion. Most patients who do need a transfusion - i.e. bloody messes scraped off the pavement after being ejected from their car wreck, only need about 2-4 units.
Would it be cool if we found a safe, effective blood substitute? - yes. But today the risks from transfusion are approximately 1 in 350,000 of being exposed (not catching) hepatitus, and 1 in 2,000,000 exposure to the HIV. In other words, don't worry about it, your risk of being hit by lightning is about the same.
The inventor of art brut -art painted as if from a primal background - very interesting stuff. Miro was one of my favs, until I saw Dubuffet& num=30&hl=en&lr=lang_en&c2coff=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct =title
http://images.google.com/images?q=Jean+Dubuffet++
Break your neck and then you go deaf and blind.
No thanks.
Apparently they only make Cadbury mini-eggs once a year, at Easter. I plan to stock up on several pounds
However, the desire to increase it's size, lead to the large external booster tank, the SRB's, all of which reduced the maximal launches to around 20/year, also increasing it's complexity and cost per launch. I still think it's done pretty well despite all the compromises.
The RIAA will argue that there may be a financial loss, and need to be recompensated. This I believe is rightfully up for debate, as jury is still out on whether MP3 downloading has affected profits. Just remember that not everyone at these record labels are dickheads - many are just normal people, trying to support their family, etc. I do believe that the downloading of these MP3s without having paid for it at least once, is a crime, just like stealing food from a grocery store would be. Morally you are obligated to A) honour that contract and pay for the song, or B) choose not to support RIAA artists, and support other artists who permit free downloading.
What about religious choice - was that also cotrolled? Did they have Christians praying for Jews, Buddhists praying for Born agains?
Maybe it was a bandwidth problem - i.e. God only has allocated 50 PPS (prayers per second) for cardiac patients, and God got Slashdotted by the study.
I can imagine the poor guy trying to explain that to his wife.
"Yeah Honey, I was just standing there, and some weird shriveled old bald guy bit it off my hand, and then he fell into a lava pit......I know it sounds weird. Why was I by the lava pit anyway?.....No, there were no women around there......Well yeah I had been drinking and eating some Elven bread and liquor...The broach?....That was just a present... Well she's the Elf Queen.....Well no, She's not married.....Yes, she gave me the cloak too.... What do you mean I have to sleep outside tonight?"
Like time to log on, time to get OpenOffice running, FPS of Quake III, time to manipulate a large file with the Gimp, . What about some other "tests" like how hard is it to install CodeWeavers software to get certainWindows programs working, ripping a CD and then burning a CD.
I agree screenshots are nice, but I'd prefer to see data that something runs faster or more stable, or is easier to install/use.
Make it mandatory that part of the time must be spent with the person ON LINE! Don't just have it so that the person just doesn't log on for a week, and then comes back and his griefer is ready to roll. Make it so that he has to spend time on line, and BE ACTIVE, otherwise he gets auto-logged out. Now that would be a more suitable punishment.
Sounds like "advertising" dollars well spent. But seriously how is it ok to show people being blown up/slaughtered, but not ok to show some skin, or a hint at some questionable activities?
Since the USA already has a violence problem, should we continue to show people being blown up/shot at, or participating in an orgy? I vote for the later, since I'd rather be invited to an orgy, than be shot.
Part of me being a good New Jerseyan, requires that I know AT ALL TIMES, where are good places to "dispose" of a body This law would clearly infrige upon the rights of a select few people, and thus prevent us from being able to pursue our livelyhood, and is there clearly unconstitutional.
Later, Franky "The bulldog"