That study is total bullshit. Having a hands-free phone is no different to having someone else in the car, whom you're talking to. Actually, it's safer, because you're not going to be turning to face anyone. So what now - we have to put soundproof barriers between each seat? Or should we simply prohibit having more than one person in the car. Hey - at least it'll subsidize the auto industry.
Nothing beats a quality fountain pen. The way it feels, the way the ink flows... I've yet to find a ballpoint or gel equivalent that can match even the cheaper fountain pens, not to mention the >$100 ones. And with a syringe reservoir, 20-30 refills of ink are like $4.
These days you could probably get a patent for a "process of expelling excess gas generated by metabolic processing of protein and accumulated in the large intestine and colon."
Any chemical that can be synthesized biologically should be perfectly capable of being synthesized in-vitro. Any protein can be cloned and synthesized en masse. This scenario isn't very realistic, and smacks of ultra-enviromentalist garbage... like anti-GM-crop people.
The "stuff" is actually viral proteins extracted from a dead virus. Ignoring the fact that it's an inefficient and not particularly successful method of inducing immunity in the first place, you're right - using eggs to make large quantities of H5N1 is impossible.
The way to do it would be using a recombinant vaccine.
Drinking yourself to death is damn near impossible. A person with a healthy kidney and a minimum food intake can remove 17 liters (>4.5 gallons) of water from their body per day.
I guess you could do it if you drink a few gallons of water and don't take in any salt equivalents.
But it's difficult nonetheless.
Re:Sensationalist Journalism?
on
A Flu Pandemic?
·
· Score: 1
I know Peter Palese, met him a couple of times. I haven't had a chance to speak with him about this, but I would like to, since he's one of the influenza experts.
It's interesting to hear this point of view from him, however, he would agree that a coinfection could change all that. All you need is for a man sick with the current flu to contract H5N1, and the viruses will be free to recombine.
Influenza has 7 independent pieces of RNA, which it mixes and matches when packaging into the virions. It might not even need to replace the hemagluttinin or neuraminidase (the H and the N types), but recombining another one could do the job.
I still think it's only a matter of time, and with the bird variety spreading, that time is getting closer.
That's exactly why I posted that. See you on the Darknet.
Re:Sensationalist Journalism?
on
A Flu Pandemic?
·
· Score: 1
In case of an epidemic, wear any N-95 rated or higher respirator filter. They filter out 0.3micron or larger particles and will provide a reasonably good level of protection, as long as they are worn properly. Make sure to follow directions on how to put it on, then check for proper cheek seals by covering the mask with your hands and trying to breathe in. If you can't breath, then the seals are good.
3M makes good ones, and you can buy them here: http://store.yahoo.com/filtera/3mn95parres.html
The simplest way not to get sick is to limit your exposure. If you're going to be exposed to people, wear a mask (obviously don't start wearing one now, this is only in the case of a widespread lethal epidemic).
And the best policy - wash your hands and face often.
Re:Sensationalist Journalism?
on
A Flu Pandemic?
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I can't call myself an expert in the field, but I am definitely on my way there. And I can tell you that H5N1 is coming... and all we can do is prepare to manage the disaster whenever it comes.
However, there are a few hope-instilling facts:
1. Most bird-derived influenza strains that infect humans were more lethal when they were xenobiotic infections than when they were once they gained the capability to transmit human-to-human.
2. We do have drugs (oseltamivir, amantadine and rimantidine) that can fight influenza at the molecular level.
But aside from that, if it's even 1/10th as lethal in its pandemic form, it will lead to a crisis unlike any the world has seen since the plague. Actually, worse, since the plague epidemic was largely limited to europe.
I wasn't summarizing leftist intent. Actually, if you search through my posts on Slashdot, I doubt you'd find a reference to anything "leftist".
That being said, I see as much danger to American society from the left, as I see from the right. It just so happens that the right is stronger now, and thus the danger is more imminent.
New criminal offenses in the US coming in the next 3 years
1. Copying CDs 2. Disabling, deleting or avoiding XXAA spyware/zombification tools 3. Informing others or the press about the time you were taken to Turkey to be tortured. 4. Knowing the reason why you were taken to Turkey to be tortured. 5. Abortion 6. Masturbation 7. Using condoms or any other means of birth control 8. Teaching evolution
Patents, while extremely useful for development of pharmaceuticals (since
they allow the companies to make profits), may be actually killing innovation.
When I was doing my psychiatry rotation they explained that paranoia is usually relative to the cultural environment in which the person was brought up. For people who grew up in cities, the "government conspiracy" paranoia is most common. For those who were brought up in rural areas, the "aliens" conspiracy is most widespread. And obviously for those who were brought up religiosly, "demonic possession" is the price element of paranoia. Obviously most real cases are mixes of these, but it is easy to see that people get their paranoid ideations from the fears that are most prevalent in their environment.
It doesn't matter. This is exactly what the Bush administration needs to close the space program altogether. I imagine there are enough soundbites from the interview to make it sound like he's totally against space exploration.
Actually, why not just say he's AGAINST all science and FOR Bible Study in schools (mandatory, of course).
step 1: announce a new era in space exploration (far far in the future of course) step 2: have the NASA chief speak on the space program failures step 3: close the space program next year step 4:.... (give the money to Haliburton in no-bid contracts) step 5: Profit!
I think that I, like a lot of fellow geeks, object far more to the monopoly and the forcing-down-our-collective throats tactics of the music/movie/software companies than DRM as a concept. I understand that artists need to make money, I just don't understand where distribution companies get the nerve to take 95% of what we pay. I do not condone, the current distribution model for music. For example, I refuse to pay $15 for a soundtrack of a movie that you can buy on DVD for $15. Frankly, with the availability of the digital distribution medium I feel that large labels have outlived their usefulness.
In their final convulsions they will fight to monopolize every area of the marketplace, and ensure that closed standards will prevent anyone from toppling their business models.
Therefore, I believe that if the DRM standard became open-source, this painful experience can be avoided, or at least eased.
I think the world should get used to the fact that restricting the flow of information is going to be more difficult with every passing year. This isn't strategically-important data. If Google was transmitting a real-time high-resolution image, maybe I would agree with the AU gov't, but censoring 2-year-old satellite photos is simply unnecessary.
Actually, we should rejoice that this information is available publicly, because in an age where governments can use information to attack the rights of their citizens, it is somewhat comforting to know that their secrets may not be safe from public scrutiny.
At least the Lynch version of Dune retained some of the spirit of the book, without recounting the plot. The scifi version was a lot closer to the plot (except for a few changes that absolutely destroyed it), but it sucked so badly, I could barely recognize the book behind the film.
Slashdot Mirror
That study is total bullshit. Having a hands-free phone is no different to having someone else in the car, whom you're talking to. Actually, it's safer, because you're not going to be turning to face anyone. So what now - we have to put soundproof barriers between each seat? Or should we simply prohibit having more than one person in the car. Hey - at least it'll subsidize the auto industry.
Nothing beats a quality fountain pen. The way it feels, the way the ink flows... I've yet to find a ballpoint or gel equivalent that can match even the cheaper fountain pens, not to mention the >$100 ones. And with a syringe reservoir, 20-30 refills of ink are like $4.
What makes you think the troops would be fighting against the population?
These days you could probably get a patent for a "process of expelling excess gas generated by metabolic processing of protein and accumulated in the large intestine and colon."
Any chemical that can be synthesized biologically should be perfectly capable of being synthesized in-vitro. Any protein can be cloned and synthesized en masse. This scenario isn't very realistic, and smacks of ultra-enviromentalist garbage... like anti-GM-crop people.
In Europe, robots deploy you.
The "stuff" is actually viral proteins extracted from a dead virus. Ignoring the fact that it's an inefficient and not particularly successful method of inducing immunity in the first place, you're right - using eggs to make large quantities of H5N1 is impossible.
The way to do it would be using a recombinant vaccine.
I think you've got it backwards. Google would do well to prevent Microsoft from buying it.
It won't. Biodiesel is hydrocarbons... the breakdown of the protein in question has already been catalyzed in the process of making it into a fuel.
Drinking yourself to death is damn near impossible. A person with a healthy kidney and a minimum food intake can remove 17 liters (>4.5 gallons) of water from their body per day.
I guess you could do it if you drink a few gallons of water and don't take in any salt equivalents.
But it's difficult nonetheless.
I know Peter Palese, met him a couple of times. I haven't had a chance to speak with him about this, but I would like to, since he's one of the influenza experts.
It's interesting to hear this point of view from him, however, he would agree that a coinfection could change all that. All you need is for a man sick with the current flu to contract H5N1, and the viruses will be free to recombine.
Influenza has 7 independent pieces of RNA, which it mixes and matches when packaging into the virions. It might not even need to replace the hemagluttinin or neuraminidase (the H and the N types), but recombining another one could do the job.
I still think it's only a matter of time, and with the bird variety spreading, that time is getting closer.
I have to read this article. Frankly I thought this was old news.
That's exactly why I posted that. See you on the Darknet.
In case of an epidemic, wear any N-95 rated or higher respirator filter. They filter out 0.3micron or larger particles and will provide a reasonably good level of protection, as long as they are worn properly. Make sure to follow directions on how to put it on, then check for proper cheek seals by covering the mask with your hands and trying to breathe in. If you can't breath, then the seals are good.
3M makes good ones, and you can buy them here:
http://store.yahoo.com/filtera/3mn95parres.html
The simplest way not to get sick is to limit your exposure. If you're going to be exposed to people, wear a mask (obviously don't start wearing one now, this is only in the case of a widespread lethal epidemic).
And the best policy - wash your hands and face often.
I can't call myself an expert in the field, but I am definitely on my way there. And I can tell you that H5N1 is coming... and all we can do is prepare to manage the disaster whenever it comes.
However, there are a few hope-instilling facts:
1. Most bird-derived influenza strains that infect humans were more lethal when they were xenobiotic infections than when they were once they gained the capability to transmit human-to-human.
2. We do have drugs (oseltamivir, amantadine and rimantidine) that can fight influenza at the molecular level.
But aside from that, if it's even 1/10th as lethal in its pandemic form, it will lead to a crisis unlike any the world has seen since the plague. Actually, worse, since the plague epidemic was largely limited to europe.
I wasn't summarizing leftist intent. Actually, if you search through my posts on Slashdot, I doubt you'd find a reference to anything "leftist".
That being said, I see as much danger to American society from the left, as I see from the right. It just so happens that the right is stronger now, and thus the danger is more imminent.
New criminal offenses in the US coming in the next 3 years
1. Copying CDs
2. Disabling, deleting or avoiding XXAA spyware/zombification tools
3. Informing others or the press about the time you were taken to Turkey to be tortured.
4. Knowing the reason why you were taken to Turkey to be tortured.
5. Abortion
6. Masturbation
7. Using condoms or any other means of birth control
8. Teaching evolution
Patents, while extremely useful for development of pharmaceuticals (since they allow the companies to make profits), may be actually killing innovation.
When I was doing my psychiatry rotation they explained that paranoia is usually relative to the cultural environment in which the person was brought up. For people who grew up in cities, the "government conspiracy" paranoia is most common. For those who were brought up in rural areas, the "aliens" conspiracy is most widespread. And obviously for those who were brought up religiosly, "demonic possession" is the price element of paranoia. Obviously most real cases are mixes of these, but it is easy to see that people get their paranoid ideations from the fears that are most prevalent in their environment.
It doesn't matter. This is exactly what the Bush administration needs to close the space program altogether. I imagine there are enough soundbites from the interview to make it sound like he's totally against space exploration.
Actually, why not just say he's AGAINST all science and FOR Bible Study in schools (mandatory, of course).
step 1: announce a new era in space exploration (far far in the future of course)
step 2: have the NASA chief speak on the space program failures
step 3: close the space program next year
step 4:.... (give the money to Haliburton in no-bid contracts)
step 5: Profit!
You mean Windows Vista?
I think that I, like a lot of fellow geeks, object far more to the monopoly and the forcing-down-our-collective throats tactics of the music/movie/software companies than DRM as a concept. I understand that artists need to make money, I just don't understand where distribution companies get the nerve to take 95% of what we pay. I do not condone, the current distribution model for music. For example, I refuse to pay $15 for a soundtrack of a movie that you can buy on DVD for $15. Frankly, with the availability of the digital distribution medium I feel that large labels have outlived their usefulness.
In their final convulsions they will fight to monopolize every area of the marketplace, and ensure that closed standards will prevent anyone from toppling their business models.
Therefore, I believe that if the DRM standard became open-source, this painful experience can be avoided, or at least eased.
Then again, it may be just wishful thinking.
I think the world should get used to the fact that restricting the flow of information is going to be more difficult with every passing year. This isn't strategically-important data. If Google was transmitting a real-time high-resolution image, maybe I would agree with the AU gov't, but censoring 2-year-old satellite photos is simply unnecessary. Actually, we should rejoice that this information is available publicly, because in an age where governments can use information to attack the rights of their citizens, it is somewhat comforting to know that their secrets may not be safe from public scrutiny.
The country name you're looking for is "Iran"
As if...
At least the Lynch version of Dune retained some of the spirit of the book, without recounting the plot. The scifi version was a lot closer to the plot (except for a few changes that absolutely destroyed it), but it sucked so badly, I could barely recognize the book behind the film.