Lets not be too smug just yet. Once upon a time I, too, was a Pauling groupie. But good science stands up to scrutiny. Very smart people will be looking this over and asking tough questions. Lets wait a bit before we all jump for joy and contemplate the "C" word.
Well, that defeats the purpose of this entire project doesn't it? The way it is being presented, This genetically engineered bio-luminescent is intended to present meaningful lighting. If it is lighting of consequence, it is sensible to be able to shut it off under necessary circumstances. It has been already mentioned that even subtle amounts of light has consequences for the rhythmic cycle of some natural processes. Turtle hatchlings seek out moonlight reflected off the ocean to orient themselves after emerging from their nest. Insects also navigate by moon and starlight. What of nocturnal animals who depend on shade and darkness to hide from predators? This thing has the potential to upset a lot of things. It is a *very* realistic question.
and when the wind blows it off? and when it gets snagged in powerlines/passing cars/pets/wild animals? and when it gets lost? and when you don't have anyone willing to go out into the dark wet cold?
How do you control this thing? Normal lights running off electricity can be turned on and shut off with a power switch. If you are going to engineer a whole plant to be a light source, what mechanism will you use to activate and deactivate the enzymatic process? One that is cheap, reliable, and convenient? Always on may be convenient in certain situations, but still wouldn't you want a way to control it? One can well imagine this kind of think wreaking havoc for astronomers (both amateur and professional) who have always fought tough battles against light pollution of the night sky. This can become a nightmare if such plants start growing near prime observation locations.
..., they found that the young fly wiggled in place for an hour as if everything was fine.
This is the part that gets me. I don't know if there is a electron microscopy equivalent of shutter speed, but if your subject is moving around while you're trying to image it, do you get a blurry picture? If it isn't a problem (or an easy to solve problem) perhaps in the near future we can look forward to electron micro-cinema....in 3D...HD...with Dolby surround.
They found that the energy from the electrons changed the thin film on the larvae's skin, causing its molecules to link together—a process called polymerization. The result was a layer—only 50- to 100-billionths of a meter thick—that was flexible enough to allow the larva to move, but solid enough to keep its gasses and liquids from escaping.
Lately, I've discovered that I've actually been a fan of yours long before Babylon 5. For those not familiar,
Captain Power was short-lived but ground-breaking live action show that like Transformers, G.I.Joe, etc. was made to sell toys. Looking back at many things that helped define my childhood, this show is one of the few that somewhat stands the test of time through my adult eyes. I attribute that in large part to your high quality writing. It is generally known that a fully conceived second season would have continued telling the story if the series had not been canceled. Given the wild success of the big screen adaptations of Transformers and G.I.Joe and the recent record breaking kickstarter funded Veronica Mars movie, how do you feel about Gary Goddard's attempt at
reviving the franchise you worked on so long ago? I personally feel that as written, the characters and story lines you crafted are as relevant and compelling today as they were more than 25 years ago. But are you at all nervous about the show being "re-imagined" a la Battlestar Galactica?
what does a study like this hope to learn? What does this one gain us? (other than the already stated updates to basic science and technology). I mean the data they are gathering - what use is it going to be?
Another mystery has fallen under the concerted scrutiny of human curiosity. Another jewel we've acquired to bring wonder and awe to our children. And during this journey, we - some of us - have discovered something about what we are capable of achieving when we put our minds to it.
Not so in the case of intellectual property. Imagine corporate black ops where a company eliminates a competitor by ensnaring their key employees with hookers loaded with chlamydia that has been weaponized with a fatal payload.
His plan was to make all these articles available for free when access to them required a paid service.
I don't think Aaron ever made his actual intentions known before he killed himself. IIRC this was inferred by some people based on Aaron's past activities. For other things he'd done before, it was also proposed that he wanted to do a meta-analysis on the collection once he'd downloaded them.
Ironically, the last paragraph at Gizmodo somewhat answers your question:
What's particularly neat about this new approach is that it can be used with any kind of sensor without modification; CMOS, CCD, or BSI. And the filters can be produced using the same materials and manufacturing processes in place today. Which means we'll probably be seeing this technology implemented on cameras sooner rather than later.
If the source folder happened to be your home directory or some other default that is the part of the distro's file system, it would be wise to understand that many hidden files and directories exist that stores config information for specific programs or software packages. I'm unsure how those avi clips were moved, but it may be possible you inadvertently moved one of the more critical files along with the AVI clips. Such situations can easily happen if you use the mouse to do a quick highlight-enabled cut and paste without double-checking to see if anything should be excluded. I've done that before, although not the the point of bricking my box.
While I agree with you in the strictest sense, I nonetheless feel there are legitimate grips that newbies such as this one encounter. Serious problems exist in the realm of UI design that makes usability/stability a sometimes hazardous experience, even with relatively popular and well supported projects. I've been running various distros for close to 10 years and have run into chronic intermittent issues in relatively mature software packages. The last one that I was never quit able to figure out involved panels in XFCE that would disappear for no apparent reason. More to the point, a few years ago, my Ubuntu installation manifested a misbehaving login bug that I tracked for many months on launchpad without any resolution before I finally found a way around it. Any new Linux users being introduced via the relatively user-friendly Ubuntu with the tenacity and patience to face down problems right from the get go at the login screen is not likely to develop a very good first impression. To be fair, most of my experience has been smooth sailing. Personally, the benefits of using a dirt cheap, virus free, and modern/cutting-edge OS package far outweighs the occasional problems I have to deal with. I am mostly a happy camper, but I do feel compelled to sympathize with those who might still feel Linux isn't ready for prime time.
I wish one of these bugs would occupy Wall Street. Now there is a place conspicuously lacking in any meaningful predation characteristic of a healthy ecosystem.
the same type of functionality into what looked like a standard power strip
A few years ago, I remember a story on slashdot about how a con-man swindled some investors who thought they were supporting the development of a high performance broadband wireless technology. Demonstrations were arranged where data transmission occurred across a bay or some other body of water. When the scam was uncovered, it was discovered that a coax cable was disguised as a power plug and used to fake the data transmission. I have not been able to rediscover the story or anything similar to it. Do any old timers here remember any such caper?
Shame Linux isn't a option. Not only can my father not deal with an English only user interface, he has no sense of online security at all. So I installed Ubuntu with Chinese on a second hand P4 for his email and web-browsing habit. There is very little maintenance on my part because he doesn't do much of anything else. Occasionally I will go in and delete the unexecutable crap that gets downloaded unintentionally, but that's it. That was more than 3 years ago. Haven't had a serious problem yet. Haven't looked back since.
I stand by my position that evidence for evolution-driven tolerance to DEET is very weak based on available evidence at this point. The experiment was carried out without any mention of a control group for comparison that would have not been subjected to any evolution driven selective pressure. There was *one* mention in the article of genetic changes influencing immunity to DEET under controlled laboratory conditions: ".......although it was not clear if there were any mosquitoes like this in the wild." Let me put it another way. Would you consider a woman to be more fit for survival if she had a higher tolerance for the less flashy lifestyle of skilled, technically experienced nerds who can nonetheless retain employment in a bad economy with a competitive job market? Or is she choosing to be smart by using her brain to act maturely and override less important aversions for the sake of appreciating greater virtues? You are not born with it, it's learning that leads to adaptability. Ladies please don't be offended by comparison to a disease-carrying, blood-sucking insect.
If your comfort zone can be stretched into biotechnology, there are many opportunities for analyzing huge volumes of data in genomics/proteomics. As one modest example: a select number of model organisms are commonly used for basic research. Is it feasible to build an app/tool that can gauge the suitability of an experiment subject for a particular scientific inquiry based on available genomic data? Recently, I heard a talk by a researcher in autism attempt to find a mouse model of the disorder based on observed behavior in cognitive experiments across many different laboratory strains that have been inbreed to very exacting parameters for other experiments. Given the level of detailed information on these particular strains, it is easy to see how convenient it would be to have a tool that can mine their genomes for a particular trait or set of traits or perhaps even do an in silico genetic engineering experiment before any resources are physically committed. Even if hardcore biology isn't your forte, you might maybe talk to someone who teaches the subject and ask what tools can be developed to help visualize or otherwise communicate conceptual information that derive from databases of the type kept by organizations like NCBI.
There ya go! Perfect reason to bring the shuttle fleet out of mothballs and tricked out with cinematic, ostentacious, techno-bling. Except this time, Willy's young hot-headed buddy Ben Affleck is actually going along totally undercover in order to exfiltrate Sidney Bristow, the spy hottie with whom he has been two-timing Willy's half-elven daughter, Arwen.
24-48 hr advance warning isn't nearly enough. come on guys! we have to be on schedule to have something in place by 2130 capable of detecting a big-ass cylinder from out beyond Jupiter's orbit.
Slashdot Mirror
Lets not be too smug just yet. Once upon a time I, too, was a Pauling groupie. But good science stands up to scrutiny. Very smart people will be looking this over and asking tough questions. Lets wait a bit before we all jump for joy and contemplate the "C" word.
Well, that defeats the purpose of this entire project doesn't it? The way it is being presented, This genetically engineered bio-luminescent is intended to present meaningful lighting. If it is lighting of consequence, it is sensible to be able to shut it off under necessary circumstances. It has been already mentioned that even subtle amounts of light has consequences for the rhythmic cycle of some natural processes. Turtle hatchlings seek out moonlight reflected off the ocean to orient themselves after emerging from their nest. Insects also navigate by moon and starlight. What of nocturnal animals who depend on shade and darkness to hide from predators? This thing has the potential to upset a lot of things. It is a *very* realistic question.
and when the wind blows it off? and when it gets snagged in powerlines/passing cars/pets/wild animals? and when it gets lost? and when you don't have anyone willing to go out into the dark wet cold?
you are welcome.
Seriously? You rip out your light fixture every night before you go to sleep?
How do you control this thing? Normal lights running off electricity can be turned on and shut off with a power switch. If you are going to engineer a whole plant to be a light source, what mechanism will you use to activate and deactivate the enzymatic process? One that is cheap, reliable, and convenient? Always on may be convenient in certain situations, but still wouldn't you want a way to control it? One can well imagine this kind of think wreaking havoc for astronomers (both amateur and professional) who have always fought tough battles against light pollution of the night sky. This can become a nightmare if such plants start growing near prime observation locations.
..., they found that the young fly wiggled in place for an hour as if everything was fine.
This is the part that gets me. I don't know if there is a electron microscopy equivalent of shutter speed, but if your subject is moving around while you're trying to image it, do you get a blurry picture? If it isn't a problem (or an easy to solve problem) perhaps in the near future we can look forward to electron micro-cinema....in 3D...HD...with Dolby surround.
Apparently not:
They found that the energy from the electrons changed the thin film on the larvae's skin, causing its molecules to link together—a process called polymerization. The result was a layer—only 50- to 100-billionths of a meter thick—that was flexible enough to allow the larva to move, but solid enough to keep its gasses and liquids from escaping.
He perceives the farthest, most exotic places in the universe, but can't comprehend more than half of the human population. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/04/stephen-hawking-women-a-mystery_n_1184468.html
second season as conceived: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Power_and_the_Soldiers_of_the_Future#Season_2_.28unproduced.29
All the original actors have probably aged out of consideration, but one can hope......
Lately, I've discovered that I've actually been a fan of yours long before Babylon 5. For those not familiar,
Captain Power was short-lived but ground-breaking live action show that like Transformers, G.I.Joe, etc. was made to sell toys. Looking back at many things that helped define my childhood, this show is one of the few that somewhat stands the test of time through my adult eyes. I attribute that in large part to your high quality writing. It is generally known that a fully conceived second season would have continued telling the story if the series had not been canceled. Given the wild success of the big screen adaptations of Transformers and G.I.Joe and the recent record breaking kickstarter funded Veronica Mars movie, how do you feel about Gary Goddard's attempt at
reviving the franchise you worked on so long ago? I personally feel that as written, the characters and story lines you crafted are as relevant and compelling today as they were more than 25 years ago. But are you at all nervous about the show being "re-imagined" a la Battlestar Galactica?
what does a study like this hope to learn? What does this one gain us? (other than the already stated updates to basic science and technology). I mean the data they are gathering - what use is it going to be?
Another mystery has fallen under the concerted scrutiny of human curiosity. Another jewel we've acquired to bring wonder and awe to our children. And during this journey, we - some of us - have discovered something about what we are capable of achieving when we put our minds to it.
Not so in the case of intellectual property. Imagine corporate black ops where a company eliminates a competitor by ensnaring their key employees with hookers loaded with chlamydia that has been weaponized with a fatal payload.
His plan was to make all these articles available for free when access to them required a paid service.
I don't think Aaron ever made his actual intentions known before he killed himself. IIRC this was inferred by some people based on Aaron's past activities. For other things he'd done before, it was also proposed that he wanted to do a meta-analysis on the collection once he'd downloaded them.
Ironically, the last paragraph at Gizmodo somewhat answers your question:
What's particularly neat about this new approach is that it can be used with any kind of sensor without modification; CMOS, CCD, or BSI. And the filters can be produced using the same materials and manufacturing processes in place today. Which means we'll probably be seeing this technology implemented on cameras sooner rather than later.
If the source folder happened to be your home directory or some other default that is the part of the distro's file system, it would be wise to understand that many hidden files and directories exist that stores config information for specific programs or software packages. I'm unsure how those avi clips were moved, but it may be possible you inadvertently moved one of the more critical files along with the AVI clips. Such situations can easily happen if you use the mouse to do a quick highlight-enabled cut and paste without double-checking to see if anything should be excluded. I've done that before, although not the the point of bricking my box.
While I agree with you in the strictest sense, I nonetheless feel there are legitimate grips that newbies such as this one encounter. Serious problems exist in the realm of UI design that makes usability/stability a sometimes hazardous experience, even with relatively popular and well supported projects. I've been running various distros for close to 10 years and have run into chronic intermittent issues in relatively mature software packages. The last one that I was never quit able to figure out involved panels in XFCE that would disappear for no apparent reason. More to the point, a few years ago, my Ubuntu installation manifested a misbehaving login bug that I tracked for many months on launchpad without any resolution before I finally found a way around it. Any new Linux users being introduced via the relatively user-friendly Ubuntu with the tenacity and patience to face down problems right from the get go at the login screen is not likely to develop a very good first impression. To be fair, most of my experience has been smooth sailing. Personally, the benefits of using a dirt cheap, virus free, and modern/cutting-edge OS package far outweighs the occasional problems I have to deal with. I am mostly a happy camper, but I do feel compelled to sympathize with those who might still feel Linux isn't ready for prime time.
I wish one of these bugs would occupy Wall Street. Now there is a place conspicuously lacking in any meaningful predation characteristic of a healthy ecosystem.
the same type of functionality into what looked like a standard power strip
A few years ago, I remember a story on slashdot about how a con-man swindled some investors who thought they were supporting the development of a high performance broadband wireless technology. Demonstrations were arranged where data transmission occurred across a bay or some other body of water. When the scam was uncovered, it was discovered that a coax cable was disguised as a power plug and used to fake the data transmission. I have not been able to rediscover the story or anything similar to it. Do any old timers here remember any such caper?
Shame Linux isn't a option. Not only can my father not deal with an English only user interface, he has no sense of online security at all. So I installed Ubuntu with Chinese on a second hand P4 for his email and web-browsing habit. There is very little maintenance on my part because he doesn't do much of anything else. Occasionally I will go in and delete the unexecutable crap that gets downloaded unintentionally, but that's it. That was more than 3 years ago. Haven't had a serious problem yet. Haven't looked back since.
if you can't vote for CowboyNeal
I stand by my position that evidence for evolution-driven tolerance to DEET is very weak based on available evidence at this point. The experiment was carried out without any mention of a control group for comparison that would have not been subjected to any evolution driven selective pressure. There was *one* mention in the article of genetic changes influencing immunity to DEET under controlled laboratory conditions: ".......although it was not clear if there were any mosquitoes like this in the wild." Let me put it another way. Would you consider a woman to be more fit for survival if she had a higher tolerance for the less flashy lifestyle of skilled, technically experienced nerds who can nonetheless retain employment in a bad economy with a competitive job market? Or is she choosing to be smart by using her brain to act maturely and override less important aversions for the sake of appreciating greater virtues? You are not born with it, it's learning that leads to adaptability. Ladies please don't be offended by comparison to a disease-carrying, blood-sucking insect.
If your comfort zone can be stretched into biotechnology, there are many opportunities for analyzing huge volumes of data in genomics/proteomics. As one modest example: a select number of model organisms are commonly used for basic research. Is it feasible to build an app/tool that can gauge the suitability of an experiment subject for a particular scientific inquiry based on available genomic data? Recently, I heard a talk by a researcher in autism attempt to find a mouse model of the disorder based on observed behavior in cognitive experiments across many different laboratory strains that have been inbreed to very exacting parameters for other experiments. Given the level of detailed information on these particular strains, it is easy to see how convenient it would be to have a tool that can mine their genomes for a particular trait or set of traits or perhaps even do an in silico genetic engineering experiment before any resources are physically committed. Even if hardcore biology isn't your forte, you might maybe talk to someone who teaches the subject and ask what tools can be developed to help visualize or otherwise communicate conceptual information that derive from databases of the type kept by organizations like NCBI.
There ya go! Perfect reason to bring the shuttle fleet out of mothballs and tricked out with cinematic, ostentacious, techno-bling. Except this time, Willy's young hot-headed buddy Ben Affleck is actually going along totally undercover in order to exfiltrate Sidney Bristow, the spy hottie with whom he has been two-timing Willy's half-elven daughter, Arwen.
24-48 hr advance warning isn't nearly enough. come on guys! we have to be on schedule to have something in place by 2130 capable of detecting a big-ass cylinder from out beyond Jupiter's orbit.
I would have suggested they mine the asteroid.