[continued from previous message]

and are reassured that you are immune, you actually only have a 50/50 chance that you encountered the virus, and do have any defence. (In BC, where I
live, the infection rate is about .03%, so the chance that a positive test
is of any use at all is far worse.)

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2020 17:28:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Weaver <woody.weaver@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Masking the CoVID-19 problem (Slade, RISKS-31.65)

The purpose of contrarian writing is to promote discussion. Slade has certainly done so, and thus perhaps it has achieved its purpose. In particular, it is important to question significant controls proposed by
major bodies based upon scientific fact (with the caveat, that Julian
Bradfield < jcb@inf.ed.ac.uk mailto:jcb@inf.ed.ac.uk > observed, "in so far
as there any "facts" in such a fast-moving situation".)

I would also like to call into question the "six feet of separation" rule.
I get that we are talking large droplet transmission, and sneezing runs the risk of transmission of droplets onto the clothes or other surfaces -- but then, we are touching possibly contaminated surfaces anyways. Are there studies to support this, or is this just tied to a convenient number similar
to 'six feet under'?

It seems like these are good questions to ask and resolve for the *next* pandemic.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2020 17:24:43 +0000
From: Chuck Petras <Chuck_Petras@selinc.com>
Subject: Re: Can Legislatures Safely Vote by Internet? (Andrew Appel)

I'd imagine that the political class is terrified by the prospect of
immediate transparency. It seems that the legislative process has been
designed to hide their more despicable actions behind voice votes. Doing
things remotely would require them to actually cast a vote (aye or nay)
which would be recorded and immediately visible to their constituency.

It's my understanding that a favorite ploy in the US Congress, especially
for unpopular legislation, is to do it late on a Friday night right before a recess, with only a few members (maybe 3) present in the chamber and the gallery (both public and press) empty. If a majority then voice vote aye it passes.

Then there is when a bill is passed, a clerk walks the original (marked up
with any floor passed amendments) to somewhere where it will be printed. Apparently at this point its not unheard of for additional pages to be inserted. Once it's been printed as a law, someone (press or public) notes these new provisions and asks where they came from, with the typical
response being we don't know.

Over the years I've read news reports describing the above, but google isn't cooperating in locating them.

------------------------------

Date: 11 Apr 2020 21:36:24 -0400
From: "John Levine" <johnl@iecc.com>
Subject: Re: Should we teach children about quantum computing? (bbc.com)

Nothing wrong with stimulating curiosity in young people. Imagine a 13-year-old from Poughkeepsie, NY who could author a quantum programming language solution that calculates the Fermi surface of iron! "That's my little girl!"

I've been to Poughkeepsie. Would that be the daughter of an IBM computer design engineer, or an unusually young Vassar student? [Most likely. PGN]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2019 11:11:11 -0800
From: RISKS-request@csl.sri.com
Subject: Abridged info on RISKS (comp.risks)

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