Tropical Plant Fats: Coconut Oil, Part I

Traditional Uses for CoconutCoconut palms are used for a variety of purposes throughout the tropics. Here are a few quotes from the book Polynesia in Early Historic Times:Most palms begin to produce nuts about five years after germination and continue to yield them for forty to sixty years at a continuous (i.e., nonseasonal) rate, producing about fifty nuts a year. The immature nut contains a tangy liquid that in time transforms into a layer of...

Theorem 8.10. P ≠ NP.

Nearly two weeks ago Indian-American mathematician Vinay Deolalikar, the employee of HP Labs, sent a letter to a group of mathematicians asking them to proof-read his attempt to prove P ≠ NP. The pre-print was eventually distributed over the Internet, so a lot of people became aware. Later two major flaws were found in the proof, so it is now considered wrong. Nevertheless, Vinay has removed the paper...

Regarding Quotas

In my post on nurture vs. nature, thehackerfairy asked about my thoughts on some comments left after a recent Guardian article on this topic. The article helps support my claim that really it's a social problem we're facing in CS, not some difference due to biology. And the article cites my favorite developmental neuroscientist, Lise Eliot, as support.I couldn't find the particular comment HF was alluding to, but I think the basic idea...