SMP Life is Being Drunk -Random Content thread

[Loce]

Originally Posted by Ratamahatta

Two questions:

I can't possibly brows thousands of scientific journals with thousands of articles searching for a specific topic.

Yes, you can. It is not that difficult. Google is very good, otherwise I am using mainly Scopus and Web of Science.

EDIT: Google Scholar that is.

[Zeno]

Originally Posted by Ratamahatta

Two questions:

-Can I publish a scientific paper if I don't belong to any scientific institution or research center, basically if I work from home in my spare time?

-What if I found a good subject for a paper, how do I find out if the subject has been already researched and written about? I can't possibly brows thousands of scientific journals with thousands of articles searching for a specific topic.

Yes, example: Nature Journals-

http://www.nature.com/authors/peer_review/index.html

Pdf file of guide:

http://www.nature.com/authors/gta.pdf

Although belonging to or association with an academic institution is an immense help it is not a requirement to get published in most peer-reviewed science journals. Just know that the article requirements and standards are rigorous and that it can take as long as two years to get published.

-Zeno

[Faluzure]

Originally Posted by lastcardcharlie

Do people gamble more or less during a recession? I mean they've got less money but are possibly more desperate.

Poor people play the lottery more than wealthy people. Id guess the frequency goes up, with more people trying to escape poverty, but the average amount wagered would be down.

[Loce]

Just had a paper accepted with "very minor revision". Two reviewers. One rejected it. And the other one - I have no idea what he other one thinks. WTF MINUS x MINUS = PLUS???

My best guess is that the editor realised that it was a communication / news article that will be followed by a full research article (I have to get it out asap as others are already working on it as well) and that the reviewers didn't. But still. WTF?

[Vantek]

Originally Posted by Ratamahatta

Two questions:

-Can I publish a scientific paper if I don't belong to any scientific institution or research center, basically if I work from home in my spare time?

-What if I found a good subject for a paper, how do I find out if the subject has been already researched and written about? I can't possibly brows thousands of scientific journals with thousands of articles searching for a specific topic.

These two are connected. I would envision the biggest problem with publishing scientific papers "from home", would be precisely lack of access to literature. Scientific literature is disappointingly hard to access. For a random visitor, the fees are astronomical. Institutions get access to most literature for reasonable prices though, and if you belong to an institution, you have no personal costs.

You won't have to browse thousands of scientific journals with thousands of articles, but generally, in order to publish a meaningful paper, you have to be sufficiently familiar with the literature touching the subject, that you actually will have browsed hundreds of articles. I like Scopus (but again, it's not free). Use Google Scholar if you want something free.

[wazz]

Hi guys. Not sure if this is the right setting - but in any case. I'm running the London Marathon in 6 days time, for the 2nd year in a row, raising money for juvenile diabetes - I'm type 1 diabetic myself. If anyone would like to sponsor me, it would be greatly appreciated

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MichaelPiper

Or you can ship on stars - wazzbot (UK, pic of a dude in sunglasses)

Thanks! <3 <3 <3

[BrianTheMick]

Originally Posted by wazz

Hi guys. Not sure if this is the right setting - but in any case. I'm running the London Marathon in 6 days time, for the 2nd year in a row, raising money for juvenile diabetes - I'm type 1 diabetic myself. If anyone would like to sponsor me, it would be greatly appreciated

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MichaelPiper

Or you can ship on stars - wazzbot (UK, pic of a dude in sunglasses)

Thanks! <3 <3 <3

You'd get a much better response if you could run the marathon in less than 6 days time. Rather curious if you misunderstand the meaning of "running."

[BrianTheMick]

I just got attacked by a bug. My reaction was nearly the same as if someone had pulled a gun on me.

We clearly were not built by anyone with any sense of craftsmanship.

[housenuts]

Aside from skeptics guide to universe (which isn't even all space-based) are there any good space podcasts out there?

[BrianTheMick2]

There is nothing quite like going to a party that you had no interest in going to and staying until 4am.

[All-In Flynn]

Does anyone know the origin of the phrase, as of a surprising or confusing situation, "to not know whether to sh*t or go blind"?

I've tried and failed to envision a set of circumstances - however fanciful - where one is presented with a true choice between ****ting and going blind. And it seems to me that, even assuming one were faced with such a choice, the choice is hardly a difficult one: I **** at least every other day with no harmful consequences. But going blind would be a tremendous disadvantage. Answers on a postcard, please.

Any thoughts on the origins of the verb 'to star' would also be appreciated.

[housenuts]

anyone watching the spacex falcon 9 launch? 50 minutes till launch.

[rwesty]

http://www.spacex.com/webcast/

[rwesty]

The extremely awkward celebrations were pretty entertaining to watch on the NASA feed.

[lastcardcharlie]

One Summer when I was a kid I practiced juggling until the moment came when I could juggle. From that moment on, I would always be able to do it, even if I hadn't done it for years. Like riding a bike, the moment comes when you're forever able to do it. WTF is going on with that: practice, practice and then bang, you've got that ability permanently?