accurate

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TECHNOLOGY, VIDEO REELS

The National Broadband Rollout Has A Blind Spot: Lack Of Accurate, Transparent Data About Internet Access Speeds

Imagine purchasing “up to” a gallon of milk for US$4.50, or paying for “up to” a full tank of gas. Most people would view such transactions as absurd. And yet, in the realm of broadband service, the use of “up to” speeds has become standard business practice. Unlike other advertisements for goods and services – for example, what a car manufacturer tells a customer about expected fuel efficiency – there are no federally set standards for measuring broadband service speeds. This means there is no clear way to tell whether customers are getting what they pay for. Consumers typically purchase an internet service package that promises a speed up to some level – for example, 10 megabits per second, 25Mbps, 100Mbps, 200Mbps or 1000Mbps/1Gbps. But the speed you actually receive can often be much...

Astrology: It’s Only Accurate If You Do This

The majority of people roll their eyes at the topic of astrology. Here's an example: "I don't believe in astrology. It's a lot of crap. I just think that's another thing you should throw out the window. Mysticism. Cheap. It's amazing that people still hang on to that after all these years." Mick Jagger Well, we don't believe in the type of astrology you've likely been exposed to either, Mick. What Mick and many others don't realize is that astrology is like mathematics; you need to know where and when to use the many different factors and protocols (well beyond the mere Sun sign or horoscopes) for consistent accuracy. Unfortunately, the Age of Reason in the 17th and 18th centuries contributed to the corruption of the ancient science of astrology, as did the commercialization of it st...

Coronavirus tests are pretty accurate, but far from perfect

Widespread testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus is important to both slow the virus and gain information about how widespread it is in the U.S. But a second aspect of testing has gotten less attention: accuracy. It’s surprisingly hard to determine how accurate a coronavirus test is, identify the cause of any inaccuracies and understand how inaccuracies affect the data public health officials use to make decisions. There are two main types of test in use. The first is a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction test, or RT-PCR. This is the most common diagnostic test used to identify people currently infected with SARS-CoV-2. It works by detecting viral RNA in a person’s cells – most often collected from their nose. The second test being used is called a serological or antibody test. T...