experiment0 (u/experiment0)

experiment0 commented on Down with Determinants (1995) axler.net/DwD.html... · Posted by u/sdenton4

experiment0 · 8 years ago

This is a great paper.

As a counterpoint, one place where determinants are incredibly useful is in Hartree-Fock theory, where they effective encode the Pauli exclusion principle (or anti-symmetry requirements) of atomic orbitals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartree–Fock_method

experiment0 commented on See-Through Solar Is Tomorrow’s Threat to Oil bloomberg.com/news/articl... · Posted by u/antr

higherpurpose · 10 years ago

As they say in the video, even if these are half as efficient as regular solar panels, you could still see them on other types of surfaces where current solar panels can't be used right now: think windows or smartphone screens.

We could also see them on large buildings or rich people's villas whose owners perhaps want to use energy from solar panels, but don't like the "look" of solar panels on those buildings. So then the choice becomes using this or using no other solar panels.

experiment0 · 10 years ago

We really don't have a shortage of space to put solar panels. The challenge is making solar panels that are cost effective (e.g. $ per Watt).

In response to your edit: That is a possibility, that yes they may find a niche in the fancy of the rich.

But the point I'm making is that the article is hyperbolic and misleading.

Transparent solar is not the future of utility scale power generation. It is not going to solve any of the problems currently holding back solar power from becoming ubiquitous.

experiment0 commented on See-Through Solar Is Tomorrow’s Threat to Oil bloomberg.com/news/articl... · Posted by u/antr

experiment0 · 10 years ago

We are already struggling to make low cost solar panels that have a high efficiency using light absorbed from the visible spectrum (which accounts for most of the sun's spectral irradiation [1]).

Furthermore, you can't just have solar cells that absorb a wide range of the solar spectrum, there is an optimum band gap for these materials of around 1.34 eV [2].

This means that the most popular solar cells in development, namely CIGS and CdTe are already occupying the niche for maximum efficiency. The challenge now is finding new materials that are cheaper to make and show greater efficiencies whilst not relying on the use of rare earth/toxic elements.

(Hint: the real development in this area at the moment is hybrid perovskites [3])

Basically, this is irrelevant cruft.

[1] http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~imamura/122/images/solar_spectrum.p...

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shockley%E2%80%93Queisser_limit

[3] http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv/images/efficiency_chart.jpg

(source: currently doing a PhD in a new photovoltaic materials)

experiment0 commented on Oliver Sacks on learning he has terminal cancer nytimes.com/2015/02/19/op... · Posted by u/the_duck

dr_ · 11 years ago

Anyone who is even remotely interested in end of life issues, and anyone who is a physician, should really read Atul Gawandes Being Mortal. Many people are unable to live their lives out the way Dr Sacks hopes to, simply because the medical establishment as is doesn't really allow for it. The best takeaway from this essay is that, in the end, you have to focus entirely on things that matter to you most. But you should also be clear on this with your treating providers - so at the end you are spending time with your loved ones, and not going in and out of the hospital.

experiment0 · 11 years ago

He delivered the BBC Reith Lectures this year too, which were fantastic.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00729d9

experiment0 commented on Peers call for a pardon for Alan Turing [video] bbc.co.uk/democracylive/h... · Posted by u/ra

eshvk · 12 years ago

Does it really? It seems like more of a "I apologized, now hurry up and accept it" kind of gig. A true apology is one where people learn from it.

experiment0 · 12 years ago

Gay marriage has this week been legalised in the UK. I'm really not sure what else they can do.

experiment0 commented on Magnets in the iPad2 and its smart cover can turn off defibrillator implants recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.d... · Posted by u/chemcoder

thedrbrian · 12 years ago

I'm amazed that only the apple magnets do this and not any other magnets at all.

experiment0 · 12 years ago

> So a person who lays the iPad2 on their chest while napping, or holds one on their chest while reading, could trigger magnet mode.

I think the point the article is trying to make is that holding an iPad close to your chest is both more likely to happen, and less noticeable than holding a magnet to your chest.

experiment0 commented on I spend a lot of time thinking about myself medium.com/the-healthy-li... · Posted by u/oliyoung

hollerith · 12 years ago

I suggest ignoring experiment0's comments in this thread.

At any rate, your article has convinced me that you're not just engaging in self-fulfilling prophecies or theorizing as he seems to imply when he writes "psychosomatic".

(And experiment0, you can't have gotten far in your study of neuroscience if you think there are just 3 neurotransmitters.)

experiment0 · 12 years ago

Why would you suggest to ignore me when I was aiming to promote discussion. I was primarily questioning the science behind the post as there's a lot of questionable reporting on topics like these and so if it looks dubious, then I'm set to promote clarification. As it turns out oliyoung does seem to know what he's talking about, so I guess I needn't have worried.

And the snark at the bottom of your reply is really quite unnecessary.

experiment0 commented on I spend a lot of time thinking about myself medium.com/the-healthy-li... · Posted by u/oliyoung

oliyoung · 12 years ago

I was trying to simplify it, admittedly a lot, I was just trying to illustrate that really in the end behaviour and affect is just chemistry, effected by various different stimulus. (i also should've added as a footnote, i studied psychology for several years)

And sure these are all things that people suffer day-to-day, what makes it more is that an episode can go days, weeks and (thankfully not recently for me) months.

experiment0 · 12 years ago

OK. I understand what you were trying to put across. But ultimately what you described was a set of symptoms of a disorder that you didn't fully explain, so I found it confusing reading the essay with vague hints of the underlying issue.

I'm just saying this as cognitive scientists spend a lot of effort working out which mechanisms and pathways are malfunctioning for a specific disorder, and a generalised statement listing 3 neurotransmitters didn't sit well with me.

From a neuroscience perspective, there is a major issue with self diagnosis, its very hard to be objective when you're examining yourself and once you begin to notice something, you tend to 'fix' the evidence in your mind. Psychosomatic symptoms are surprisingly common. However I don't want to sound like I'm questioning your diagnosis, so if you are aware of a deficit on a functional level please ignore me.

experiment0 commented on I spend a lot of time thinking about myself medium.com/the-healthy-li... · Posted by u/oliyoung

experiment0 · 12 years ago

I'm really not sure what this means:

> My brain works a little differently than most people’s. My body doesn't balance chemicals like serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine well and as a result I get “sick”, my label for my particular mix of anxiety, depression and general mental health issues.

Chemicals like serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine? So neurotransmitters? And what does balance have to do with it? Do you lack dopaminergic neurons? Do you have an over expression of serotonin? I'm not asking for you to go into detail about your problems but that sounds a little too wishy washy.

A lot of these issues sound exactly like what many other people also suffer from every day. So it's hard to not think that on some level this is psychosomatic.