Slashdot Mirror


User: MemoryAid

MemoryAid's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
371
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 371

  1. Re:This was no AP. on LAX To London Flight Delayed Over "Al-Quida" Wi-Fi Name · · Score: 1

    ...as in Iraqu and Quatar. But those are Arabic words, not English.

  2. Re:It's OK to attack mythology and superstition... on Drought Inspires a Boom In Pseudoscience, From Rain Machines To 'Water Witches' · · Score: 1

    I think that would be better stated as "the odds of being dead are 94%," which makes me feel lucky to be alive. Dodged that bullet...

  3. Re:More power from the Sun meets the Tesla technol on How a Solar Storm Two Years Ago Nearly Caused a Catastrophe On Earth · · Score: 1

    I get the impression you're not talking about cars, batteries and charging stations...

  4. Re:fraud opportunity! on Earthquake Warning Issued For Central Oklahoma · · Score: 1

    What's the deductible? In California, it's about 1/6th the value of the house.

  5. Amateur web site on Maintaining Internet Freedom Isn't Easy (Video) · · Score: 0

    I was interested in this story until I checked out the page at stopthesecrecy.net. Centering blocks of text removed any credibility bestowed by a Slashdot reference. (I know I need a made-up html tag for that last sentence...maybe "/snark"?)

  6. Re:Dumb logic on Measles Outbreak In NYC · · Score: 1

    How about this: The government compels blood samples to be eligible for some health-related government subsidy, but instead of just taking blood, a vaccine is also given.

  7. Re: They would have to take budget from somewhere on NASA Forgets How To Talk To ICE/ISEE-3 Spacecraft · · Score: 1
    So, to summarize, you have put forward a nuanced position to clarify that you don't favor the extreme position. You have then been charged with favoring a different extreme position. Now you are challenging the AC to support his own straw man.

    As an aside, is there a sub-classification of the straw man fallacy that deals specifically with oversimplifying toward one extreme or another? I'm a big fan of labeling logical fallacies within the discussions where they occur.

  8. Lex Luthor could use this on Metamaterials Developed To Bend Sound Waves, Deflect Tsunamis · · Score: 1
    Imagine if Lex Luthor controlled a construction company that did major projects around the Los Angeles area. With each project carefully selected by location, he builds, over the years, a lens that will focus earthquake energy onto a specific building to be specified later, perhaps with a tie-in to current events, destroying it completely.

    I should note that I haven't really kept up with Lex Luthor's aspirations since the 1978 film.

    If he could come up with a good way to trigger the earthquake, the film could be a remake of Black Sunday. Or at least use a similar target.

  9. Re:Your call on Spotify's Own Math Suggests Musicians Are Still Getting Hosed · · Score: 1

    Period. Anyone who says otherwise is either a fool, a greedy bastard, or both.

    Nice use of ad hominum attack to pre-emptively silence dissent.

  10. Re:A few minutes googling for patents... on Patent Battle May Loom Over 'Copenhagen Wheel' Electric Bike · · Score: 1

    Others have described this as suitable for 'fixies' (fixed-gear) only. In that design, the only torque supplied to the wheel comes from the chain, as there are no brakes. Braking action comes from applying pressure to the pedals on the 'other' side of the stroke. Whatever motor is inside this wheel would then become a generator, providing regenerative braking.

  11. Re:Anecdote, data, and all that, but... on 62% of 16 To 24-Year-Olds Prefer Printed Books Over eBooks · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I want to see a proper double blind study done of this.

    How do you do a double-blind study on screens?

    "You will be looking at either a back-lit screen or a book--we won't tell you which until after the study--and then we will ask you questions and examine your eyes to determine the effects."

  12. Re:England on EU Plastic Bag Debate Highlights a Wider Global Problem · · Score: 2
    There's a lot of talk about 'the environment' when plastic bags are discussed. Where is that, exactly? Seagulls choking on plastic bags is a pretty clear example of 'bad for the environment,' I'll admit, but 'plastic bags buried in a landfill' doesn't sound so bad to me. The landfill has bigger problems, environmentally speaking. That's why we have landfills--to confine the problem.

    Plastic bags that degrade in UV light would seem to mitigate the danger to wildlife (for surface-dwelling animals), which is where they cause the most damage. If it ends up being buried and lasting for 1000 years, so what? Archaeologists will be thrilled.

  13. Re:England on EU Plastic Bag Debate Highlights a Wider Global Problem · · Score: 1

    I've bought bags before--not necessarily the reusable grocery type--only to be asked at checkout "would you like that in a bag?" To which I replied, "it is a bag." It might just take a little nudge to break out of the 'put everything in a bag' habit.

  14. Re:bulls!@$ on Your Digital Life Will Only Get More Crowded... If You Let It · · Score: 1

    Furthermore, I could read Slashdot for two hours and not come close to consuming the amount of data on a DVD. I suppose the uncompressed video signal to the monitor might have that much data, but I don't examine the font closely enough when I read to count that as consumption.

  15. Re: Gorilla glass on The Feathered Threat To US Air Superiority · · Score: 1
    Some older aircraft feature through-canopy ejection systems. See the part about non-standard egress systems.

    Also note that many aircraft canopies have multiple parts (e.g., EA-6B), where the windscreen can be thicker than the overhead portion of the canopy. The birds won't hit from above where the ejection seat pierces the canopy.

    The EA-6B has one of those through-the-canopy ejection systems. Note in the photos the presence of a structural aluminum beam along the centerline of the canopy. Aircrew are well advised to keep their body parts clear of that should they need to eject.

  16. Re:Ever been in a SCIF ? on Mobile Devices Banned From UK Cabinet Meetings Over Surveillance Fears · · Score: 1

    Maybe a Nikon?

  17. Re:In Soviet Russia.. on Russia Issues Travel Warning To Its Citizens About United States and Extradition · · Score: 1
    It's convenient that your sig applies so neatly to your argument. ("For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956))

    In this case, the problem of the federal government is the 'complex problem', and the inevitability of a facsist police state is the simple solution. We know how to prepare for tyranny, so let's go ahead and do that. Dealing with the status quo is hard, so we should wait until it gets worse.

  18. Re:Statistical fallicies on At Current Rates, Tesla Could Soon Suck Up Worldwide Supply of Li-Ion Cells · · Score: 1

    And more recently, for the iPhone. Nobody needed one until Apple announced them.

  19. Re:Really? on First California AMBER Alert Shows AT&T's Emergency Alerts Are a Mess · · Score: 1
    My T-Mobile phone got the alert eight times, starting about 6:30pm August 5th, but I am in the same county and I didn't turn off my alerts after the first one.

    The alert sound was similar to a televised weather warning, three long tones. (At least until I was able to silence the phone...)

  20. Location-based settings on Apple Plans Hearing Aid Social Networking · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I can see where it may be helpful to crowd-source settings at certain locations. Maybe the noise profile at a pub responds best to a certain setup for most people, but you don't want to twiddle with your hearing aid until you figure it out. A statistical analysis of others' settings, along with some rating of satisfaction with them, could help adjust a hearing aid more quickly.

    I'm sure Apple could come up with an easy interface on the iPhone to quickly adjust, rate and share settings. Maybe even store some info about each person's hearing loss profile to better match people with settings...

    Of course, I haven't read the article yet, so this could be redundant.

  21. Re:How legit do you want to be? on Ask Slashdot: Best Way To Watch TV In 2012? · · Score: 1

    What? Shows are out in less than an hour. Sometimes as little as around 10 mins after airing.

    ...and with a slow internet connection, they can be on your hard drive the next day.

  22. Re:30x more cooling on Sandia's Floating, Dust-Free, Spinning Heatsink · · Score: 1
    Try to think of cooling in terms of watts.

    I realize this is a joke, but the possibility (very real generally, but hopefully less likely on Slashdot) that somebody could misapprehend the phrase '30x more cooling' so egregiously tramples the intended humor.

  23. Re:no, they are still quacks. on Cyanide-Producing GM Grass Linked To Texas Cattle Deaths · · Score: 1
    Creating hybrids involves crossing to varietals to produce a third varietal, hoping for an improvement. It would be expected for the new strain to have characteristics that combine those of the two parents in some way, but it's not guaranteed.
    Now, we put that on steroids. I would expect a random mish-mash of new characteristics along with some or all of the characteristics of the parents. That's what the steroids analogy does for me.

    Genetic modification, in contrast, usually involves isolating the gene sequence for a specific trait that is desired in the new strain, then splicing the genes into an existing genome. Much more precise.

    I propose a different analogy: if hybridization efforts were surgery, they would be done with a spoon. GM would then be like SURGERY WITH A SCALPEL!!! Horrors.

  24. Inward-looking facial recognition? on Intel To Launch TV Service With Facial Recognition By End of the Year · · Score: 1

    I was hoping for facial recognition of the actors that appear on television. It would save a lot of time flipping through the channels; imagine being able to tell your TV which actors (or newscasters) you enjoy watching and have all their televised appearances recorded for you, even uncredited cameos. You could get Star Trek, TJ Hooker, Boston Legal and Priceline commercials with one request! Utopia!

  25. Re:Well, these ought to be interesting pictures... on Russian Scientist Claims Signs of Life Spotted On Venus · · Score: 1

    Scroll down to the bottom. The last picture resembles a lifeform. The speech bubble clinches it: "Destroy Dan Dare!"