Oh, you mean alarmist organizations like the WHO? My point stands, safety standards were enacted because of Silent Spring and we are better off for the standards. These are not just product labels, but safe use standard operating procedures (look at one yourself). Look, DDT largely was being applied incorrectly in the early 1900's. This shouldn't be surprising since the chemicals being used were developed during wartime and represented new technology. As anyone on Slashdot should know, standards usually lag behind new technology. Furthermore, no one "shut the door" on DDT use -- It IS currently being used to fight malaria (see above WHO document). In fact DDT has been used so frequently in countries like Africa there are populations of DDT-resistant mosquitoes (another justification for the development of genetically modified mosquitoes). And, for your information, I have slept under a bed net in Kenya and Tanzania and I have spent a year of my life fighting a mosquito-borne virus that at one point had me unconscious for an extended period of time. No one in my family has died from malaria but you point is mute because DDT is used (it was great while it lasted), its efficacy is failing, and an alternative is needed. Again, Silent Spring has improved pesticide safety and has nothing remotely in common with the outbreak of malaria and "death of millions".
Hmmm. That's interesting. You don't know what your talking about. Silent Spring, like its science or not, is the reason that FIFRA was revised to include provisions for the labeling and safe use of pesticides. Many pesticides, especially those that were available in 1947, when FIFRA was originally enacted, were very dangerous to use. Pesticide labeling is a good thing not just for fuzzy bunnies but for people too. Another handy thing about pesticide labels is that companies now do research on effective rates so that you apply only the amount of pesticide needed instead of wasting a lot of money. Ironically, the publication of this book is part of the reason that these genetically modified mosquitoes have been developed -- to reduced the use of pesticides! So, how does safety lead to the "death of millions [of people]"?
...but these are primaries. I'm just not sure why all the fuss about primary elections in NH when I am sure that Iowa's caucuses were much less accurate. And, no, I'm not whining, the candidate I supported in Iowa won.
You know after participating in the Democratic Caucuses in Iowa, I would say that this is nothing compared to the debacle that I witnessed. I would say that even the loss of a primary precinct of votes is small change in comparison to what happens in Iowa Caucuses. You see in a caucus the code for tallying votes consists of a loose set of guidelines (in my best pirate voice). All-in-all you end up with a general sense of the opinion of the populace, but it is in no way accurate.
Well, you apparently can get one of these "ModBooks" with 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo for 2,579.00 USD. Seems reasonable to me considering all the nifty gadgets (e.g., WAAS enabled GPS) that come with it. Again, I don't own one of these, nor I have I ever used one. But, if I really needed a tablet-style device, I would take a close look at these.
Your being paranoid. It is easy to add 1 and 1 to get 2. It is not currently possible to order the entire genome of Influenzavirus, strain H1N1, and create an epidemic. You don't really know what your talking about. Just for giggles say you could mastermind such an endevour and order your virus "to go". You could order a giant 200-base oligo from IDT and it would cost you about $5,435.20(US) and it would come in about 68 chucks that you would then have to reconstruct into its original multipartite genome. This would not be easy. This would require a very large lab with people and resources. Also, as with many other viruses, many of the base sequences are estimates and, additionally, may not represent the most virulent genome from the quasispecies population.
I don't think the world needs to worry about pimple-faced teenagers ravaging the world with influenza. I think the human species should be more concerned (especially in the "developed nations") with pimple-faced teenagers doing nothing.
True. Insert a homologous gene into a cat and you could design an orthogonal experiment with scaredeemice and scaredeecats and fearlessmice and fearlesscats. This could have a lot of potential for behavioral study.
Exactly how am I just "FUD"-ing the issue? I honestly don't think that many people know the cost structure of journals and transparency might equal better education for all of us. True, journals make a bundle from institutional subscriptions as well as page charges, etc. As you've pointed out, journals double-dip institutions. Won't this increase overhead costs? Or is that just unnecessary paranoia? But, some of us actually do have to justify "direct costs" for some journals that some institutions have canceled because of their subscription cost (which, in turn, links back to state funding shortfalls for scholarly institutions). But anyway, who cares, all I was pointing out is that there is no free lunch.
Folks who do not publish in scientific, refereed journals may not realize this but authors pay a lot in Publication charges. There are some that are open and free for the author but they are few. I suspect if this bill passes page charges in many of our higher-end journals (e.g., Science, Nature, PNAS, Cell, Virology) are going to increase. Now if this happens researchers will need to allocate more money from there NIH grants to cover higher page charges. And where does the funding for NIH come from? Federal taxes. Just something to think about in time when funding for science research has been scaled back and you puzzle as to why some scientist might not be so keen on the idea.
...speed the cure for Parkinson's Disease and thus help him live longer. However, his critique is a bit off. It is more like the difference between the FCC and FDA.
... and as cell phones have gained popularity land lines have been cut back. How common are pay phones these days? Used to find them on just about every street corner in the '80s, for example. Like it or not, society's demand has directed our current wireless communication structure and we need some reasonable way for our support systems to work in this new environment. I don't think that clandestine devices are a long term solution. Think about it. This activity will just increase verbal communications over wi-fi. Then what are you going to do? Jam all wireless communications? By the way, I don't own a cell phone.
Many presenters make poor use of presentation software. I don't think I would ban the software per se. Also, presentation software is also used for more than just presentations through a projection device. For example, presentation software is very useful for poster presentations, fliers, and great for setting complex figure plates for publication.
It isn't just costumer service folks. Entomologists get it too. I have had a couple people during my short tenure in science visit my office and swear that they are infested with something and insist that they have the culprit in a plastic sandwich bag. To make them feel like they are having their problems addressed you stick the contents under your scope and find nothing but dry skin cells and pass them off to some unfortunate dermatologist. There is a name for this condition but I'm too lazy to remember it at the moment.
Liars can also be fun. Once a female police officer handed a co-worker of mine a specimen for him to identify that she found "on a window ledge". It was a crab louse. No stage of a crab louse infests window ledges.
As one who studies plant-insect interactions I would be interested in this thing as a very portable leaf-scanning device. For sampling leaf herbivory and such in the field.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh, you mean alarmist organizations like the WHO? My point stands, safety standards were enacted because of Silent Spring and we are better off for the standards. These are not just product labels, but safe use standard operating procedures (look at one yourself). Look, DDT largely was being applied incorrectly in the early 1900's. This shouldn't be surprising since the chemicals being used were developed during wartime and represented new technology. As anyone on Slashdot should know, standards usually lag behind new technology. Furthermore, no one "shut the door" on DDT use -- It IS currently being used to fight malaria (see above WHO document). In fact DDT has been used so frequently in countries like Africa there are populations of DDT-resistant mosquitoes (another justification for the development of genetically modified mosquitoes). And, for your information, I have slept under a bed net in Kenya and Tanzania and I have spent a year of my life fighting a mosquito-borne virus that at one point had me unconscious for an extended period of time. No one in my family has died from malaria but you point is mute because DDT is used (it was great while it lasted), its efficacy is failing, and an alternative is needed. Again, Silent Spring has improved pesticide safety and has nothing remotely in common with the outbreak of malaria and "death of millions".
Hmmm. That's interesting. You don't know what your talking about. Silent Spring, like its science or not, is the reason that FIFRA was revised to include provisions for the labeling and safe use of pesticides. Many pesticides, especially those that were available in 1947, when FIFRA was originally enacted, were very dangerous to use. Pesticide labeling is a good thing not just for fuzzy bunnies but for people too. Another handy thing about pesticide labels is that companies now do research on effective rates so that you apply only the amount of pesticide needed instead of wasting a lot of money. Ironically, the publication of this book is part of the reason that these genetically modified mosquitoes have been developed -- to reduced the use of pesticides! So, how does safety lead to the "death of millions [of people]"?
...but these are primaries. I'm just not sure why all the fuss about primary elections in NH when I am sure that Iowa's caucuses were much less accurate. And, no, I'm not whining, the candidate I supported in Iowa won.
You know after participating in the Democratic Caucuses in Iowa, I would say that this is nothing compared to the debacle that I witnessed. I would say that even the loss of a primary precinct of votes is small change in comparison to what happens in Iowa Caucuses. You see in a caucus the code for tallying votes consists of a loose set of guidelines (in my best pirate voice). All-in-all you end up with a general sense of the opinion of the populace, but it is in no way accurate.
Keep up the fight for open standards and this becomes less of a problem.
Well, you apparently can get one of these "ModBooks" with 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo for 2,579.00 USD. Seems reasonable to me considering all the nifty gadgets (e.g., WAAS enabled GPS) that come with it. Again, I don't own one of these, nor I have I ever used one. But, if I really needed a tablet-style device, I would take a close look at these.
Or you can just get one now. No, I don't own one.
Your being paranoid. It is easy to add 1 and 1 to get 2. It is not currently possible to order the entire genome of Influenzavirus, strain H1N1, and create an epidemic. You don't really know what your talking about. Just for giggles say you could mastermind such an endevour and order your virus "to go". You could order a giant 200-base oligo from IDT and it would cost you about $5,435.20(US) and it would come in about 68 chucks that you would then have to reconstruct into its original multipartite genome. This would not be easy. This would require a very large lab with people and resources. Also, as with many other viruses, many of the base sequences are estimates and, additionally, may not represent the most virulent genome from the quasispecies population. I don't think the world needs to worry about pimple-faced teenagers ravaging the world with influenza. I think the human species should be more concerned (especially in the "developed nations") with pimple-faced teenagers doing nothing.
Yeah. Name the genes TomI and JerryI.
True. Insert a homologous gene into a cat and you could design an orthogonal experiment with scaredeemice and scaredeecats and fearlessmice and fearlesscats. This could have a lot of potential for behavioral study.
Exactly how am I just "FUD"-ing the issue? I honestly don't think that many people know the cost structure of journals and transparency might equal better education for all of us. True, journals make a bundle from institutional subscriptions as well as page charges, etc. As you've pointed out, journals double-dip institutions. Won't this increase overhead costs? Or is that just unnecessary paranoia? But, some of us actually do have to justify "direct costs" for some journals that some institutions have canceled because of their subscription cost (which, in turn, links back to state funding shortfalls for scholarly institutions). But anyway, who cares, all I was pointing out is that there is no free lunch.
Folks who do not publish in scientific, refereed journals may not realize this but authors pay a lot in Publication charges. There are some that are open and free for the author but they are few. I suspect if this bill passes page charges in many of our higher-end journals (e.g., Science, Nature, PNAS, Cell, Virology) are going to increase. Now if this happens researchers will need to allocate more money from there NIH grants to cover higher page charges. And where does the funding for NIH come from? Federal taxes. Just something to think about in time when funding for science research has been scaled back and you puzzle as to why some scientist might not be so keen on the idea.
... and we are all consumers.
...speed the cure for Parkinson's Disease and thus help him live longer. However, his critique is a bit off. It is more like the difference between the FCC and FDA.
... and as cell phones have gained popularity land lines have been cut back. How common are pay phones these days? Used to find them on just about every street corner in the '80s, for example. Like it or not, society's demand has directed our current wireless communication structure and we need some reasonable way for our support systems to work in this new environment. I don't think that clandestine devices are a long term solution. Think about it. This activity will just increase verbal communications over wi-fi. Then what are you going to do? Jam all wireless communications? By the way, I don't own a cell phone.
Many presenters make poor use of presentation software. I don't think I would ban the software per se. Also, presentation software is also used for more than just presentations through a projection device. For example, presentation software is very useful for poster presentations, fliers, and great for setting complex figure plates for publication.
Agree! This would be far more worth while.
Photoshop 7 does this pretty well on my PC.
Ha! Indeed! I guess I should wellcheck my hellspeck.
Worry about itching. Lots and lots of geeky itching.
Perhaps buy her some permethrin shampoo and a Chrysanthemum for a birthday gift.
Yep! That would be the one.
It isn't just costumer service folks. Entomologists get it too. I have had a couple people during my short tenure in science visit my office and swear that they are infested with something and insist that they have the culprit in a plastic sandwich bag. To make them feel like they are having their problems addressed you stick the contents under your scope and find nothing but dry skin cells and pass them off to some unfortunate dermatologist. There is a name for this condition but I'm too lazy to remember it at the moment. Liars can also be fun. Once a female police officer handed a co-worker of mine a specimen for him to identify that she found "on a window ledge". It was a crab louse. No stage of a crab louse infests window ledges.
As one who studies plant-insect interactions I would be interested in this thing as a very portable leaf-scanning device. For sampling leaf herbivory and such in the field.
for the crowd that the oversized trash can went up!