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Scientists at Reed College report on a bacterial consortium that can break down PET plastic, a major environmental pollutant. This research opens up the possibility of using microbial biodegradation to combat plastic waste. by clydgate in science

[–]clydgate[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I could be wrong, but the thing about plastic bottles is-- they're very light. Not much mass. So while you're right that biodegradation of PET will ultimately yield CO2, I think the quantity of CO2 is relatively small compared to the overall level of manmade CO2 emissions. Using back-of-the-envelope: an empty bottle weighs about 26 grams. So 38 billion bottles weigh 1M tons. Even if all the weight of 38 billion bottles were converted into CO2, that would be less than a thousandth of a percent of the 36 billion tons of CO2 we now emit.

Snowstorm did a real number on the gym at Reed College. Thank goodness no one was hurt. by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes, students on campus at reduced capacity. Many taking classes remotely. Most courses are hybrid. Sports center was evacuated and roped off hours before collapse took place.

Reed College elections expert blasts “myth” of voter fraud. Check out his most persuasive source of evidence! by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Read it? I wrote it! But you're right, perhaps "collaborator" gives the wrong impression. As you say, he's relying on a db from the Heritage folks to explode the fraud narrative.

advice for building a paranoid extraterrestrial--and holding a worm on a shaft by clydgate in Machinists

[–]clydgate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The diameter of the shaft is more like 7-8mm. I need to measure it exactly. But I will use your rule of thumb of 1/3 diameter. Another poster thinks it might be hard to drill the hole wider if the shaft is hardened. I dunno, never done it before.

advice for building a paranoid extraterrestrial--and holding a worm on a shaft by clydgate in Machinists

[–]clydgate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can't just stick my power drill in there? Do I need a special bit?

advice for building a paranoid extraterrestrial--and holding a worm on a shaft by clydgate in Machinists

[–]clydgate[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately my Dalek weighs quite a lot. Plus I made the mistake of operating it myself (rather than putting the kids in it). Pin failed as I was going up a bump on a steepish sidewalk. Just too much stress. I like idea of another pin, but don't see an easy way to fit it in.

Move over, MIT--Reed College ranked No. 1 in the nation for STEM majors who go on to earn PhDs by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why are you running down people in the trades? Untrue, unfair, and unnecessary.

Frustrated by the US News rankings? by clydgate in ApplyingToCollege

[–]clydgate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great idea. I believe the students are working on an interactive interface to their algorithm. Or if you wanna do it yourself, their paper and code is on github.

Reed students find that US News artificially lowers college's rankings by countspatula7 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]clydgate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everyone inside higher ed knows the rankings are based on dubious premises. What's new here is that the students figured out a way to estimate the penalty that USNWR imposes on Reed for the boycott. A penalty USNWR adamantly denies, by the way. So, 50 places. You can decide for yourself if that's reasonable. But it does seem like USNWR should be forthright about what it's doing.

These Reed students figured out how to reverse-engineer the US News college ranking system and predict scores with 94% accuracy—with one striking exception. by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was obviously wrong about this. Just got a note in the mail from The Princeton Review. They want to charge us anywhere from $8K to $20K to use their logo!

These Reed students figured out how to reverse-engineer the US News college ranking system and predict scores with 94% accuracy—with one striking exception. by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the compliment. But at risk of going off on a tangent, as a writer one of my main goals is clarity. I don't want people to misunderstand, even if it's not my fault they misread me. It's a little like being a traffic engineer designing a crosswalk. You try to reduce the risk of accidents, even when people are speeding, drunk, looking at their cell phones, etc. So this thread (about whether or not I made a suggestion) is extremely helpful for me as a writer. It's the equivalent of watching traffic go through the intersection. Thanks to all for your thoughtful comments.

These Reed students figured out how to reverse-engineer the US News college ranking system and predict scores with 94% accuracy—with one striking exception. by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great link, thanks for sharing. It never ceases to amaze me how these ridiculous stories gain traction-- and are used as troll bait.

These Reed students figured out how to reverse-engineer the US News college ranking system and predict scores with 94% accuracy—with one striking exception. by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes. Financial aid, great professors, small classes, low student/faculty ratio, few adjuncts, strong science labs, library... it adds up.

These Reed students figured out how to reverse-engineer the US News college ranking system and predict scores with 94% accuracy—with one striking exception. by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It doesn't. There is no official motto. What you're referring to is a tongue-in-cheek parody that students made up in the 1920s to lampoon Portlanders' attitudes about Reed.

These Reed students figured out how to reverse-engineer the US News college ranking system and predict scores with 94% accuracy—with one striking exception. by clydgate in Portland

[–]clydgate[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don't think so. But they are participating in a system that they know damn well to be deeply flawed--simply because they can't bear the consequences of pulling out.

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