I love that the Java auto updater on Windows doesn't work correctly on standard user accounts with UAC enabled.
I mean, it's only been 7 years since Vista introduced UAC…
Originally posted on Google+ · February 13, 2014
The Java auto updater still breaks under Windows UAC
Posted by Dustin
on February 13, 2014
2 comments
The Amazon Basin was more populated than you think
Posted by Dustin
on February 13, 2014
No comments
(Unless you already thought this, then it exactly as populated as you think.)
A hundred, fifty, or perhaps even 20 years ago, this idea would have seemed preposterous. Just imagine the Amazonian jungle, riddled with towns and cities – how can this be? Besides, if this was the case, then why haven’t we found any ruins, or other viable evidence? Still, more and more archaeologists are embracing this idea, believing that before Columbus arrived, the Amazon basin was actually a thriving area, with many populations, much more sophisticated and able to manipulate the environment than previously believed.
Study shows Amazon jungle was dotted with significant towns and perhaps even cities
A hundred, fifty, or perhaps even 20 years ago, this idea would have seemed preposterous. Just imagine the Amazonian jungle, riddled with towns and cities
Originally posted on Google+ · February 13, 2014
Big study says don't do mammograms.
Posted by Dustin
on February 12, 2014
4 comments
In a linked paper (doi:10.1136/bmj.g366), Miller and colleagues present the results for up to 25 years of follow-up in the Canadian study.4 No difference in breast cancer mortality was observed between the mammography and control arms, whereas a significant excess incidence of invasive breast cancer was observed in the mammography arm, resulting in 22% overdiagnosis. This means that 22% of screen detected invasive cancers would not have reduced a woman’s life expectancy if left undetected.
Originally posted on Google+ · February 12, 2014
Selling kidneys. I support it
Posted by Dustin
on February 12, 2014
5 comments
We have estimated how much individuals would need to be paid for kidneys to be willing to sell them for transplants. These estimates take account of the slight risk to donors from transplant surgery, the number of weeks of work lost during the surgery and recovery periods, and the small risk of reduction in the quality of life.
Our conclusion is that a very large number of both live and cadaveric kidney donations would be available by paying about $15,000 for each kidney. That estimate isn't exact, and the true cost could be as high as $25,000 or as low as $5,000—but even the high estimate wouldn't increase the total cost of kidney transplants by a large percentage.
How to fix the organ donor shortage? Let people sell their kidneys, say Gary Becker and Julio Elias
There is a clear remedy for the growing shortage of organ donors, say Gary S. Becker and Julio J. Elias: Establish a market, offer payments and save lives.
Originally posted on Google+ · February 12, 2014
How to communicate between stars
Posted by Dustin
on February 12, 2014
3 comments
If we want to communicate with other civilisations, it turns out that the laws of physics, the nature of interstellar space and a little common sense place surprisingly strict bounds on how this communication can take place.
My favorite bit:
In addition to this, says Messerschmitt, a good idea is to exploit the laws of physics and in particular Shannon’s mathematical theory of communication, which determines how much information can be sent to a noisy channel the certain power level. stop
Yes, to a noise channel the certain power level. stop
How to Design an Interstellar Communications System | MIT Technology Review
If we want to communicate with other civilisations, it turns out that the laws of physics, the nature of interstellar space and a little common sense place surprisingly strict bounds on how this communication can take place.
Originally posted on Google+ · February 12, 2014
Gold nanoparticle motors churning inside human cells
Posted by Dustin
on February 11, 2014
2 comments
Gold. Nanoparticles. Human cells. Go.
As these nanomotors move around and bump into structures inside the cells, the live cells show internal mechanical responses that no one has seen before," Tom Mallouk, a professor of materials chemistry and physics at Penn State, said in a press release.
Originally posted on Google+ · February 11, 2014
How far would a ski jumper jump if a ski jumper jumped on the moon?
Posted by Dustin
on February 11, 2014
2 comments
But my calculations show that if the skiers were to jump from the same slope on the Moon, they would be moving slower off the jump and the ratio of the distance they travel on the Moon verses on Earth is one, meaning they travel the same distance!
(I didn't check the math because I like living on the edge and just throwing stuff out there and see if some internet wiseguy calls me on posting wrong stuff)
Physics Buzz: Olympic Women Ski Jump Equally Far on the Moon
Right now, for the first time in Olympic history, women are taking to the ski jumping slopes to compete for Olympic gold. If they were on the Moon how far might they fly? Would they surpass the Moon’s escape velocity and go soaring through space? Or would they manage to circle around the …
Originally posted on Google+ · February 11, 2014
Crows as problem solvers
Posted by Dustin
on February 10, 2014
No comments
Originally posted on Google+ · February 10, 2014
Prisoners better than the public?
Posted by Dustin
on February 10, 2014
1 comment
Seems about right.
Compared with "an average prisoner" the participants rated themselves as more moral, kinder to others, more self-controlled, more law-abiding, more compassionate, more generous, more dependable, more trustworthy, and more honest. Remarkably, they also rated themselves as higher on all these traits than "an average member of the community", with one exception – law-abiding. The prisoners rated themselves as equivalent on this trait relative to an average community member.
Originally posted on Google+ · February 10, 2014
If you're happy now, you'll be happy and more introverted in the future
Posted by Dustin
on February 9, 2014
1 comment
If you're happy now, you'll be happy and more introverted in the future.
(Insert clause about one study without replication, blah, blah , blah)
An analysis of personality and well-being surveys for 16,000 Australians attempted to see what personality measurements said about future personality.
Happy people tended to become more agreeable, conscientious, emotionally stable and introverted over time. This last finding – higher well-being leading to more introversion – was opposite to what was expected, given that higher extraversion usually leads to future happiness.
How being happy changes your personality
Originally posted on Google+ · February 9, 2014