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User: DirtySouthAfrican

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Comments · 89

  1. Re:not sure on Dental X-Rays Linked To Common Brain Tumor · · Score: 1

    It is my understanding that our DNA has repair mechanisms that will fix some of these radiation-induced errors, but that these repair mechanisms are quite slow, so total dose is not as important as how quickly it is received. The parent here is correct, except that density over time is also important. I suggest brushing up on radiation safety before you work with any more of that ionizing radiation ;)

  2. Re:Slowing down. on Baumgartner Completes 13.5-Mile Free-Fall Jump, Aims For Record · · Score: 2

    Except the shock cone of say, an SR-71 Blackbird, originate at the nose and inlet cones of the aircraft, and these are specifically designed to keep the shockwaves ahead of the engines, and thus keep the airflow in the engines subsonic. What you are saying is mostly correct, except that this wall of sound is what happens when "sound" starts to behave non-linearly. When you try to push air faster than a certain speed, molecules begin to pile up, density increases, heat increases, and it stops behaving like air in the way we are used to. You don't need a sound source for this. The energy you are pumping into that shockwave will be plenty loud. I think some artillery create shock waves that can be felt before the cannon can be heard.

  3. Re:Remember Aerogel? on DoE Develops Flexible Glass Stronger Than Steel · · Score: 1

    Aeroloft is apparently quite widely used and is derived from aerogel.

  4. Re:Location on UVB-76 Broadcasts New Voice Message · · Score: 1

    Well, it does, actually. If you intercept a signal, you absorb part of it, so you are changing the electromagnetic field. If you are changing the electromagnetic field, you can be tracked (in principle). Of course you're not going to track a portable radio for reasons of practicality, but that's an issue of scale, and not something fundamentally inherent to the theory. In some circles it goes by the name of radar :)

  5. Any vibrations? on Piezo Crystals Harness Sound To Generate Hydrogen · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Maxwell's demon anyone?

  6. Wine on Scientists Discover Booze That Won't Give You a Hangover · · Score: 1

    Plus it makes red wine taste great!

  7. Re:Not same as elevator on Inflatable Tower Could Climb To the Edge of Space · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Actually, "out of Earth's gravity well" would truly be the "edge of space", i.e., infinitely far away. As I understand, the biggest problem in getting to space is to spend as little time as possible in the deepest part of the well, because, going straight up, maintaining that altitude costs a lot of power. But if the structure is self-supporting, then you can hoist up your fuel and payload using more efficient means, since you don't have to actively maintain your altitude. It's called "gravity drag". I'm not really up on the numbers, but the first 10% costs you a helluva lot more fuel than the "last" 10%, for most values of $destination.

  8. Re:string analogues on Strings Link the Ultra-Cold With the Super-Hot · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Well this is closer to "universality", which is a concept in field theory and condensed matter physics, in which the "atomic" characteristics of a system are largely irrelevant to its macroscopic properties, save for specifying a few parameters like viscosity or resistivity. Unlike your differential equation example, the equations for both are very different and non-trivial. When you start enumerating differential equations starting from the simplest you can write down, the harmonic oscillator, heat equation, diffusion equation and so forth pop out right away. You'll be writing for a long time before 11D supergravity equations of motion pop out.

  9. Re:What women want on How To Be A Geek Goddess · · Score: 1

    From context I gather that the author of the book *review* is a man.

  10. What women want on How To Be A Geek Goddess · · Score: 1

    Many women are interested in using technology, they just don't want to dive in to quite the same depth. Or they may not be interested in the way most men approach it.

    Or... and I'm going out on a limb here... many women don't want men telling them what they want. "Just don't want to dive into quite the same depth"? Dear lord.

  11. Re:And why the hell do I need a driver for this? on Handset Vendors Plug Micro-USB Charge Ports · · Score: 1

    Weird. I plugged my KRZR into my monitor and it charged just fine. Only later did I install drivers to get mass storage to work.

  12. Re:Atomic-scale chickens on Graphene Sheets Get Easier To Manufacture · · Score: 4, Funny

    You'd have to watch for atomic scale foxes, which will tunnel right through to your chickens.

  13. Re:Not hard to program that kind of thing. on Inside F.E.A.R. 2's Engine and AI · · Score: 1

    AFAIK, this is essentially the script paradigm of AI, which is fine to augment intelligence (we do it all the time), but without learning, it is quite expensive, and susceptible to the Chinese Room argument.

  14. Re:WTF on Maryland Court Weighs Internet Anonymity · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Or libel.

  15. Re:What about radiation shielding? on Researchers Getting the Lead Out of Electronics · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's all about cross section, which roughly depends on the incoming particle's energy being close to the energy of a bound state in the atoms of the material that is to absorb the radiation. The density contributes an overall factor to the calculation. Also, led is nasty when charged particles are involved (electrons, probably protons), because they will rapidly decelerate and create brehmstrahlung, so you've traded a charged particle which is easy to deflect with an X ray, which is not easy to reflect. My wife uses plexiglass shields in her lab for this reason, because it gracefully absorbs beta radiation.

  16. Re:Anal on Researcher Warns of "Digital Dark Age" · · Score: 1

    Though the general trend of technology is constant progress forward, in certain cases the ancients were able to teach us a thing or two.

    Including hyperspace travel and kick-ass plot devices!

  17. Re:Anal on Researcher Warns of "Digital Dark Age" · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Fortunately not everyone shares your view. The world we live in is the way it is (for better or for worse) because it has historical context. We don't live from one moment to the next wondering where our next meal is going to come from. We plan, we dream, we reflect.

  18. obecalp on Half of American Doctors Often Prescribe Placebos · · Score: 1
  19. Linux running on a brazillion voting machines? on Linux On Brazilian Voting Machines, the Video · · Score: 4, Funny

    Certainly the Year of Linux!

  20. New Democrats? on Canadian NDP Leader Praises P2P Communities · · Score: 3, Informative

    New Democratic Party, isn't it? We're not American, or did I not get the memo?

  21. Re:Back handed protectionism on EU Wants Removable Batteries In iPhones · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How? As soon as Apple releases a EU version with replaceable batteries, your point will become moot. They did the same thing with Windows XP, and it's not like Microsoft has any competition that needs protection.

  22. Re:There is no singularity on No Naked Black Holes · · Score: 2, Funny

    There is no magical singularity where the laws of physics break down. There doesn't need to be.

    Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude.

  23. Re:Penrose is smart on No Naked Black Holes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Heh... I knew who Roger Penrose was long before I heard of Richard Dawkins, and I suspect that I'll forget who Richard Dawkins soon enough. But I'm biased for being a physicist.

  24. No hair theorem on No Naked Black Holes · · Score: 1

    This isn't exactly my field, but I thought the no-hair theorem guaranteed this result. I guess the tricky part is in the transient phase.

  25. Braille on Amazon Kindle 2 Leaked, Sony Reader To Get Touch Screen · · Score: 1

    Perhaps the target market is those folks whom still run their finger along underneath the words?

    Those people are blind, you insensitive clod!