Slashdot Mirror


User: expatriot

expatriot's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
239
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 239

  1. Re:The science! on Stem-Cell-Like Cells Produced From Skin · · Score: 1

    Of course the skin-cell stem cell process would not have been possible if there had not been other embryonic experimentation earlier. And there will still be cases where studying embryonic cells provides more (or different) information than the skin cell studies.

  2. Re:Of course on Know How To Use a Slide Rule? · · Score: 1

    I should try to find the one I used in university 40 years ago.
    I can't remember the brand, it was mahogony and ivory with a leather case. Given to me by a friend of my father who taught math.
    It had a belt loop, but you were considered way too nerdy if you wore it rather than carried it

  3. Re:What are you talking about? on Another US Tech Trade Deficit · · Score: 1

    >> For every dollar the U.S. spends on foreign goods, those foreign traders need to spend a dollar on U.S. goods
    >> (or on U.S. stocks or bonds or property).

    So America buys toys and cameras and they buy American companies. What could possibly go wrong?
    Maybe America doesn't control outsourcing, own the IP,copyrights, and patents, and valuable skills and knowledge are transferred away.
    At least America gets the cheap cameras and a lifetime of debt to pay off. Worth it to some.

  4. Re:open-source alternatives? on Google's Continued Growing Pains · · Score: 1

    This is a very good point.

    Perhaps there could be open source search software, but open source massive server farms paid for by advertising revenue. How could that even exist in theory, a charity search company?

  5. Re:name on Echeria Coli Co-Opted To Make Gasoline · · Score: 1

    TFA said E. Coli
    Not Escher, from Wikipedia:
    Escherichia coli (IPA: [..kj ko.la]) (E. coli), is one of many species of bacteria living in the lower intestines of mammals, known as gut flora. When located in the large intestine, it actually assists with waste processing, vitamin K production, and food absorption. Discovered in 1885 by Theodor Escherich, a German pediatrician and bacteriologist,
    I'm beginning to wonder if this really a geek site. Especially after the thread above trying to figure out how to divide.

  6. Re:Yeah, right. Something has changed. on Study Proves Having Fat Friends Makes You Fat · · Score: 1

    I went back to the States after a long spell in Europe and thought that I would really like to have some Mexican food
    The assortment menu entry looked good (taco, burrito, etc). Somehow I thought there would be only one of each, or maybe very small examples.
    A large platter arrived that would easily feed two people. Not all the items listed on the menu were on it, but there was plenty of food so I didn't care.
    A few minutes later another large platter arrived with the rest of the food. The combined platters would feed five people easily. (I didn't finish it all. I love Mexican food and I tried, but it was too much.)

  7. Re:my 1.9432534656 cents worth... on Flaws In Intel Processors Quietly Patched · · Score: 2, Informative

    Neither NOR or NAND flash uses fuses. Fuses were used in the PROM technology from the 70's and 80's. (Though perhaps you were speaking figuratively.)
    The number of times flash memory can be reprogrammed means your PC will be in a landfill site long before the flash breaks.

  8. Re:dear sensitive religious types on Indian Nationalists Forcibly Censor Orkut · · Score: 1

    I saw the show on the BBC where Sister Wendy was defending the piss Christ BTW. She spoke about how it evoked the humilation of Christ.
    Something everyone (except Bill Hicks) seems to have forgotten.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ

  9. Re:Incresingly difficult, yes. on UK's Blair Dismisses Online Anti ID-Card Petition · · Score: 1

    Most people, including me, want more spycams to watch known areas of vandalism, mugging, and random violence.
    I would be happy to have one outside my house if it stopped the mirrors on my car being regularly broken.
    While there is a long-term danger from Big-Brother, right now I am more worried about excessive criminality.
    ymmv

  10. Re:No, no, no NO!!!! on CSIRO Demonstrates Fastest Wireless Link Yet · · Score: 1

    To be fair, there is some relationship, so maybe it is only -3 Totally Wrong
    You can't have 2MHz of bandwidth on a 100Hz center frequency. It would be more correct to say in this case that the center frequency is somewhere around 1MHz.
    As you increase the information content by modulating the carrier, the channel bandwidth increases. The AM, FM, or phase modulation creates sidebands.
    The main reason higher carrier frequencies are used is so that it is easier to create large bandwidths. (I know that this is a generalization with lots of exceptions, but due to practicalities in circuit design, it is easier to get 50M baud over a 100MHz carrier than it is on a 10MHz carrier.)

  11. Re:Will "unchanging" become a marketing advantage? on Aging Baby Boomers Spawn New Tech Markets · · Score: 1
    Stability of the user interface can be a big selling point to many people. For example, the success of Apple.

    My wife (61) is unhappy with the change to IE7.

    Being reminded to take pills can be a life and death issue, as I noticed with my mother-in-law's Parkinsons.

    Age-related memory problems are a bit like losing the index on a database. You know the data is in there, but you can't find it quickly. PDA with keyword searchs could keep people functioning longer.

  12. UK is best, but many good alternatives on If Not America, Then Where? · · Score: 1
    I left the US years ago (1979)and have lived in Denmark, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands and England.

    Everywhere has pluses and minuses.
    • Denmark: strong community feeling, cold and high taxes
    • Italy: amazing beauty, lots of bureaucracy
    • France: great food, French
    • Belgium: good location for travel (sorry), everything else
    • Netherlands: modern, difficult language and high taxes
    • England: sophisticated humor and best TV in world, weather (food is a lot better now)
    A lot of people emphasized freedom. That's a good thing, but also important are:
    • truthfulness in goverment (Blair tries to lie, but there are a lot of people pointing out the truth, unlike in US)
    • equality of opportunity
    • compassion (that means paying more tax so someone does not die because they can't afford basic medical care like in US)
    • culture, having art and literature valued (US dumbing down is creeping in however)
    You pays your money and takes your chances
  13. Re:What's the point on New Explosive Detection Tech · · Score: 1

    The UK parliament is on vacation (recess). So there is no way they could have a vote on anything. There have been some MPs calling for a recall to debate the war in general.

  14. Linux not usable on embedded on Nokia Could Make Linux Top Embedded OS · · Score: 1

    Many large SW development companies (including the one I work for) will not consider Linux because proprietary drivers are not practical. Embedded requires proprietary drivers for areas such as safety, telecoms compliance, use of third-party hardware.