http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/yN9SgpCgnLI/examining-science-on-the-fringes-vital-but-generally-wrong.ars

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/11/examining-science-on-the-fringes-vital-but-generally-wrong.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

The history of science is replete with examples, from plate tectonics to prions, of heretical ideas that received a poor reception from the scientific establishment when they were first proposed. The apparent resistance to new ideas has earned scientists a fair bit of criticism. But some recent publications have indicated both that it is possible for fringe ideas to get a hearing from mainstream science, and that their proponents may end up wishing they didn't.

Fringe ideas that go against mainstream scientific thought are effectively a constant in most areas of science, and there are a number of examples where the ideas have moved from the fringes to the mainstream. The classic example here is Alfred Wegener, who is celebrated for his development of the ideas we now know as plate tectonics, a phenomenally successful scientific theory. At the time, however, his ideas were ridiculed. "Reaction to Wegener's theory was almost uniformly hostile, and often exceptionally harsh and scathing," as the Berkeley site notes.

http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/wjOO7G5LXTA/blu-ray-discs-get-managed-copy-hardware-support-nonexistent.ars

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/11/blu-ray-discs-get-managed-copy-hardware-support-nonexistent.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

"Managed copy" has been slouching its way toward our living rooms for years now, but the technology that can make backup copies of films will finally come to all Blu-ray discs on December 4, 2009. Unfortunately, no Blu-ray player yet has the ability to make one of these copies, rendering the whole scheme pretty pointless until consumers purchase the new players (available at some point in 2010) that are capable of contacting an authorization server over the Internet, verifying that this particular disc is allowed to make a copy, making the copy, then slathering the whole thing in a heavy marinade of DRM.

Oh, and no one said that these managed copies have to be free, either.

http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/As6q1ClR4Mg/manhunt-2s-ao-re-release-shows-problems-with-highest-rating.ars

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/11/manhunt-2s-ao-re-release-shows-problems-with-highest-rating.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

Manhunt 2 wasn't exactly a masterpiece when it was released in 2007; the backstory of its Adults Only rating and subsequent toning-down to earn the Mature designation was more interesting than the game itself. Of course, it didn't take long to find out just what had been edited from the game, as a hack was released on the Web that restored the adult version of the game to its before-market glory. Up until now, though, the only way to experience the Adults Only version of the game was to perform an illegal modification. The recent release of an official AO-rated Manhunt 2 via Direct2Drive has brought the title back into the public eye.

This release (2 years after its initial release) has highlighted the plight that developers and publishers face when they try to put out a game with content too extreme for the Mature label. Though Rockstar is keeping mum about why it finally decided to let the original game out of its cage, it's hard to deny that there is a market out there for AO games; it's just a harder one to reach because of the limitations that go hand-in-hand with the rating.

http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/nXAgakDRBGw/smartphones-beat-recession-nokia-still-on-top.ars

http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2009/11/smartphones-beat-recession-nokia-still-on-top.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

There are a few consumer markets that are surprisingly robust, despite rising unemployment and a fragile economy. One of of these markets is apparently shoes, and the other is smartphones. For a gadget that not only costs a chunk of change up front, but also ties you into a costly service contract with a mobile provider that you may even despise at the time of purchase, it's hard to see how the smartphone could've made anybody's list of "Most Likely to Beat the Recession." But if IDC's latest shipment numbers are to be believed, the smartphone posted robust 4.2 percent year-over-year shipment growth in the third quarter of 2009.

Nokia came in at the top of the heap in terms of market share (37.9 percent) and shipping volume (16.4 million units), and second in terms of year-over-year growth (6.6 percent). The phone maker's numbers were no doubt buoyed by the launch of the N97.

http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/whdRpkonA04/glenn-beck-loses-domain-dispute-still-ends-up-with-domain.ars

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/11/glenn-beck-loses-domain-dispute-still-ends-up-with-domain.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

Talk show host and one-man media empire Glenn Beck has lost his bid to shut down the glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com domain name.

We've covered the strange circumstances of the case before: a Gilbert Gottfried comedy routine (NSFW) about Bob Saget raping and murdering a teenaged girl made its way to the Fark forums, where commenters quickly adapted it for use with Glenn Beck. The idea is to force someone to explain away completely baseless charges made by insinuation alone; since Beck already has a reputation for doing this, the joke was supposed to give Beck a taste of his own medicine.

shadorunr

[	Tags	|	comics and animation, everyday glory, family and friends, football, music, news and info, office antics, quote of the day, science and technology, travel, whiskey tango foxtrot...?!	]
[	mood	|	working	]

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
7 17
The Ravens (4-3) headed to Cincinnati to take on the 5 - 2Bengals... and maybe get a little closer to the top of the division.Quoth the Ravens: Never score. I don't know what happened, but I'm willing to wager that it was one of two things: Someone suited up Owings Mills' JV team in Ravens' uniforms The Bengals were seriously out for blood Whatever it was, the Ravens apparently didn't perform like the team that ended Denver's perfect season last week. And, according to janietrain, they couldn't buy a decent call, either. *sigh* It makes me glad that the game wasn't broadcast here. Congratulations to janietrain and carefreespirit on both the win and sole possession of the lead in the AFC North. (And, yes, I'll be a Broncos fan tonight, when Pitt takes on Denver.)

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
17 27
The Dolphins, continuing their road series, headed to New England for a rematch against the Patriots! Everyone in Foxboro apparently got the "One if by land, two if by sea" memo, because they went to town on the Dolphins. Where's Greenpeace when you need them...?

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
20 - 30
I didn't get to see this one, but I was a little torn on it. On one hand, it's Carolina, my NFC team. On the other hand, it's the 7-0 Saints, led by former Boilermaker Drew Brees. Loyalties... torn.... In the end, the Saints went marching in with a win and an 8-0 record. And I was just fine with that.

• By way of SaraRules: Jewish Arts Festival: Esther, the superheroine


• Berlin Marks 20th Anniversary of Wall's Fall
  
  
  
  • In a related note: Controversy over U2's Berlin Wall
  
  
  
  


• High Court Weighs Life Terms for Minors


• 


• Mixed Race Americans Picture a 'Blended Nation'


• By way of everydave: The Hoover Dam Bypass Will Make You Ooooh and Aaaah

asdf_cat

Rob was a great hire. He has the skills to fit into which ever technical role we happened to throw at him at the time. However his true talent came forward whenever we needed to put a little pressure on an employee or make someone disappear. We still don't know what happened to some of the bodies.

http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/1Y7BsYqxq7o/premier-subscribers-live-chat-with-the-effs-fred-von-lohmann-wednesday-night.ars

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/11/premier-subscribers-live-chat-with-the-effs-fred-von-lohmann-wednesday-night.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

Ars Premier 2.0 is our new and improved subscriber program that offers some fantastic benefits for subscribers. So far we've had chats with Mac OS X reviewer John Siracusa and Ars cofounder Jon Stokes. We're excited to announce our next live chat, with Electronic Frontier Foundation senior staff attorney Fred von Lohmann.

The chat will start at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT on Wednesday, November 11. Fred will be answering premier subscribers' questions about copyright, Big Content, and the crowded, messy intersection of IP law and the Internet. All you need is a Web browser for this and all of our other Moderated Live Discussions.

http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/lO5CihEG1jc/personal-data-theft-senate-wants-you-to-be-notified.ars

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/11/personal-data-theft-senate-wants-you-to-be-notified.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

Every time there's a major data breach in retail or government, there's a chorus of frustrated customers trying to find out whether their information was exposed to would-be identity thieves. The problem is that it's near impossible to find out this information unless the organization in question takes the initiative to notify customers with exposed data. This, quite frankly, happens very slowly.

In response to this annoying trend, members of Congress have introduced legislation that would require organizations to notify customers when their information is no longer secure. None have passed as of yet—interest in such bills peaks when data breaches happen and wanes with the next news cycle—but there are currently two bills making their way through the system that show some promise.