Posts by James Green

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  • Speaker: Seeking Better Science,

    But, some of the increased (in my dream-world) Marsden funding should be used to run it in a transparent and morally defendable way.

    I'm not sure that I agree. I think if they could fund a sensible proportion of applicants, there would be no need for pointless hurdles. It's rather like using academic grades to select medical students. It's not that it's a good selection tool, it's just an easy way to weed out the pool (some overseas universities actual use random ballots for people over a much lower grade threshold).

    In fact, based on this model, perhaps they should have an annual lottery, and if your name comes out of the hat, you get to submit a full proposal. The longer your name has been in the pool without selection, the more entries you get. Or they could triple the Marsden fund. Obviously, I'd prefer the latter.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Hard News: Catching up with the future…,

    Nobody is buying those things even now.

    Indeed. Years too late. I might have considered getting one after seeing Miranda's on SATC, but how many years ago was that? I tired of that show what seems like forever ago.
    What I want is 4 tuners, 3+ TB of storage, and to have all my CDs losslessly stored on a device. Oh wait, I have that. Mwahahahahaha.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Hard News: Catching up with the future…,

    but even at "high quality" the full screen image was pretty ropey

    We only have a 32" 720p Sony TV, but I've thought the quality was pretty exceptional. Clutching at straws, but I guess either the smaller screen, or maybe the 9600 GT?

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Hard News: Experiment have seen collisions!!!!!!!!!!!,

    Hadron Collider II planned for Circle Line

    London Underground is in talks with the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern) about the possibility of using the 23km tunnel of the Circle Line to house a new type of particle accelerator similar to the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva...

    (seriously worth a read)
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/hadron-collider-ii-planned-for-circle-line-1932744.html

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Hard News: Good Newsing,

    Hmmm. So in fact, I think rather than the dairy farming proposed for the Mackenzie country, Twizel should become the centre of a new data centre industry. Plentiful supply of cheap electricity. They can use the canal water for cooling, and having an earth roof planted out in tussock, they can be discreet as well.

    The Mackenzie: Server Farms, not Dairy Farms(tm)

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Hard News: Good Newsing,

    <em>it's questionable how the new cable is going to pay its costs back</em>
    Iceland is trying to get into data centre hosting (less cooling costs and renewable energy). That could also be a thing for the South Island.

    Southern Cross has substantial unused capacity, but its owners ration that to keep prices high

    That is also my understanding, but one of the appeals of the new cable is that it takes a more direct route, and so has lower latency as well. It's not just offering higher capacity, but also a better quality connection. Undoubtedly though, the price of Southern Cross will drop as soon as any new connection is made*.

    *Relatedly, I just about fell out of my chair this week when my LPG supplier announced a price decrease. LPG has increased by around 50% over the past 5 years, so I can only assume that there is a new competitor to the market!

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Hard News: Good Newsing,

    Perhaps someone should suggest to Stephen Joyce that the information superhighway might be a better investment than his not-so-super-highways.

    For the price of Waterview, we could get some serious connections.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Hard News: Ready for the Big One?,

    I have a shower radio shaped like a frog, which I use daily to listen to NatRad during my ablutions. But I am 35.

    You raise a good point. Another service of NatRad (and probably Radio Sport), enhancing New Zealand's disaster preparedness. I mean why else do people have small battery powered radios?

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Angry Fisk of Rightwing…,

    [6th form chemistry]
    "What's this?"
    "Chloroform."
    "What should I do with it?"
    "Sniff it."
    "Oh, Ok"

    I inadvertantly inhaled a teensy bit of chlorine gas while attempting to make said substance. Ooops.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Whankernui Factor,

    Or maybe we could properly anglicise/bastardise 'wanganui', so the first syllable should be pronounced more well like /wang/ not /wong/. We should mangle the language, not mongle it. And it's wanker not not wonker...

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

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