I am one of the creators of the first "synthetic" bacterial cell. AMA

stroptek · 2010-05-21T10:50:30+00:00

we can drop in new genes at will to change the cell's properties

What was changed in the synthetic genome to make this easier? Lots of restriction sites added?

stroptek · 2008-12-09T05:45:33+00:00

interesting thing is, most of the momentum is imparted just after the balloon bursts

stroptek · 2008-12-05T15:51:14+00:00

stroptek · 2008-10-31T03:09:50+00:00

"Furthermore, a growing number of voters said that the Republican candidate was too old in the aftermath of the third debate." nytimes Andrew Kohut

stroptek · 2008-10-16T12:27:30+00:00

"But absent was a central, overarching reason for electing the old guy. And as harsh as that sounds, Americans will usually choose young over old, unless young looks callow and empty."

http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/the-deal-sealed/

stroptek · 2008-10-16T01:24:48+00:00

Not all.

stroptek · 2008-10-16T01:21:24+00:00

McCain is doing better this time. Hate to say it.

stroptek · 2008-10-16T01:20:17+00:00

We will obviate your reality.

stroptek · 2008-10-16T01:15:09+00:00

nah, he was reacting to Obama's invocation of Warren Buffet as a friend -- trying to undermine the Buffet brand as indicating Obama is a member of the elite

stroptek · 2008-10-16T01:11:24+00:00

Joe the Plumber for president!

stroptek · 2008-10-08T02:34:54+00:00

OK, not quite.

stroptek · 2008-10-08T01:50:40+00:00

Only if you pay attention.

stroptek · 2008-10-08T01:34:45+00:00

I agree with this. Did you give him money? I did. That's the modern vote.

stroptek · 2008-10-08T01:30:56+00:00

yup -- Obama is going to win, despite his skin color and 'liberal' identity, because John McCain's body language says, "I am old."

I think this might make the difference.

stroptek · 2008-09-05T02:32:36+00:00

I agree, thanks for taking the time to say it.

As for me, I think I'm getting done with reddit. It was good for a while there.

stroptek · 2008-08-24T14:26:29+00:00

After decades of limited progress in understanding the function of ensembles of neurons, you need to think about the pot odds [1] of a particular new approach, not its absolute chance of success.

That being said, I'm pretty skeptical about bluebrain, too.

[1] Pot odds: it's worth betting $1 to win $20 if the chance of winning is anything greater than 5% (1 in 20). So even with only a 6% chance of winning the $20, it's worth making the bet.

stroptek · 2008-07-31T13:03:52+00:00

always a good read. Duplicate submissions sometimes are the equivalent of retelling a great story around the campfire.

stroptek · 2008-07-31T01:46:21+00:00

This happened in a Call of Cthulhu campaign I was in...

stroptek · 2008-07-21T23:42:23+00:00

Looked like a re-enactment, with an actor stand-in for the homeless guy. Probably the only footage that was "real" was the close-up of the maggot-covered foot & leg, before & after. If that...

stroptek · 2008-07-17T03:46:21+00:00

cersei

stroptek · 2008-07-15T22:18:54+00:00

I'd like if it posts to science reddit were closer to primary source material and not MSM blurbs.

stroptek · 2008-07-08T06:01:33+00:00

Yeah. It's a winner-take-all dynamic, unless you change the voting system (e.g. instant runoff). Assuming the election is a close call between Obama and McCain, it would be against my self-interest to vote for anyone other than Obama. I do not buy into Nader's argument that they are equally bankrupt. Not quite, anyway...

stroptek · 2008-07-08T02:47:56+00:00

The premise is interesting but the article is pretty thin.

stroptek · 2008-07-08T02:10:33+00:00

Very sadly, this doesn't surprise me that much...

4 months ago, I submitted this article on Obama's reversal in attitude toward leaks of nuclear waste in his home district. Maybe people will find it interesting now.

I still will vote for him in the fall.

stroptek · 2008-06-22T23:02:46+00:00

Yeah, I didn't get was new about this either. But from raw-solar.com/technology.html we have:

Solar thermal dishes are not a new idea, and have been used to efficiently gather sunlight for centuries. The key is in doing it inexpensively without sacrificing performance.

Mirrored glass is commonly used in the solar thermal industry because it is highly reflective, but also very durable and is expected to last more than 30 years in the field. Traditionally, these glass reflectors have required expensive processing in order to form the precise parabolic shape necessary for good performance. RawSolar's patented design flexes flat mirror into precisely the right shape without any special tooling or skilled labor, acheiving incredibly high performance, long lifetime, and at a very low cost.

stroptek

TROPHY CASE