Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror

Comment Re:Superman is not an interesting character (Score 2) 124

A mostly uninteresting superhero. This perfect man, with perfect super powers

Agreed. He has it too easy, except for Kryptonite -- and good luck finding some of that.

Give me batman or something any day.

Can't agree here, as it's the opposite problem: Batman is just a rich guy with expensive toys (not unlike Iron Man). No superpowers whatsoever. How are they even considered superheroes?

But I have to admit that the Batmobile in the 1960s Adam West series was totally badass.

Submission + - Dangerous fungal spores may travel the globe on 'stratospheric superhighway' (science.org)

Submitted by sciencehabit
sciencehabit writes: Scientists have captured fungal spores cruising in the inhospitable environment of the stratosphere, much higher than commercial aircraft fly. When brought back to the lab, the researchers found that some of the spores—including pathogens of plants and people—had survived intercontinental trips and could be cultured in the lab.

Made possible via a cheap, homespun sampling device dangled from weather balloons, the project could help researchers figure out what traits and conditions allow spores to survive a swing through the stratosphere and how they get up there in the first place. The work could also be a first step towards an atmospheric monitoring system that could nip emerging fungal pathogens in the bud, the study’s authors reported at a conference of the European Geophysical Union.

After five preliminary flights, the team has already learned a lot. Based on DNA sequencing analysis, they identified spores from 235 genera, including fungi that infect blackberries and carrots in the United States and Japan, and one species, Naganishia albida, that can make immunocompromised people sick. In the lab, they were able to revive and culture spores from 15 different fungal species, among them several plant pathogens.

Mostly the results show that their sampler works. Now, the researchers want to set up regular flights to track airborne fungal biodiversity and seasonal variations. They also want to identify how events such as wildfires or volcanic eruptions inject spores into the stratosphere.

Comment Re:As someone who WFH and uses Teams all the time. (Score 3, Insightful) 125

And productivity. If I have a thought, and want to talk to Bob about it, I can walk over to his office and bounce the idea off him, get feedback, and get back to work in a minute or two. Contrast that with getting the idea, sending a Zoom invite, getting verification from Bob, then having the meeting, then getting back to work, after a lot of time messing around. Telephone is almost useless if I have to spend 10 minutes getting Bob on the same page - and is he on the same page? So a lot of times, a person might just have an idea, then decide it is too much trouble to pursue.

My experience is quite the opposite. When we were all "in the office" (where, ironically, NOBODY had an office) if you wanted a quick chat with someone, you had to find a place to do it, otherwise you were (righty) considered a disruptive butthole. Good luck with that if you hadn't booked a room in advance.

On the other hand, with remote working and Zoom (or whatever, we use Teams now) you can simply call someone, share your screen, and talk about the thing you need to talk about. No need for an invitation or verification if it's someone on your team or someone you're working on a project for. You don't even need to leave your desk. To me, this is the height of efficiency. Absolutely zero time "messing around." Not to mention the ability to record everything -- to me, this is an absolute godsend. I can pay attention to what's happening in the here and now without taking notes, which I'm terrible at. If necessary I can review the recording later, which might even lead to thinking of some better ideas.

Not to mention that most of the people I interact with are in other states or other countries.

I don't doubt that some benefit from being in the office. That ain't me. I already told them I'm never going back, even though they called everybody back a couple of years ago. Since then I've gotten raises and bonuses so I assume they're okay with it.

Slashdot Top Deals

Everyone has a purpose in life. Perhaps yours is watching television. - David Letterman

Close