Skeptics Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [computers]

A computer is a programmable machine designed to automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations.

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Is it dangerous to vacuum-clean motherboards (and other electronics)?

I've been informed that using the standard household vacuum cleaner's blower attachment to clean motherboards (and the insides of laptops and desktops in general) is dangerous due to the possibility of damaging electronic components. This apparently…
user7920
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Was the C compiler trojan horse written by Ken Thompson ever distributed?

This is a followup to the comments in this question. Thanks to Oddthinking for bringing up the issue. Ken Thompson gave a famous speech upon receiving an award titled "Reflections on Trusting Trust" In the speech, he described inserting an almost…
Dr. belisarius
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Did Intel have low chip yields due to a clerk hand-checking blank wafers?

In this blog post Bob Cringley recounts the following story (abriged for brevity here): There was a time in the early 1980s when Intel suffered terrible quality problems. [..] The problem was caused by dust, the major enemy of computer chip…
Paul Johnson
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Is Sprockit the robot an AI or a fake?

I just attended a local technical conference and there was a robot roaming the building, talking to people. His name was Sprockit, and he was talking with people. He saw a guy and said "Hey dude, good to see you again" and the guy replied in a…
thursdaysgeek
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Did the Windows XP CD include Microsoft Bob?

Microsoft employee Raymond Chen says that an encrypted copy of Microsoft Bob is included on the Windows XP CD to take up space. But Windows XP doesn't take up the entire CD; there is a lot of free space remaining. Is the story true?
user8342
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Can reading fine print cause damage to eyes?

I have my computer font set quite small so that I can see more on one screen at a time, but a collegue recently warned me that I would cause damage to my eyes later in life. Is there any scientific evidence to support this claim? Not sure how widely…
Jamie Twells
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Does using the computer before sleeping affect sleep patterns?

According to this Bloomberg Businessweek article using electronics before bed may hamper sleep. Is it true that using a computer, watching T.V. or using some other type of face-to-screen electronics before going to bed causes people to have trouble…
ruddfawcett
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Does using a computer affect your eyesight?

I've heard it said very often: Using a computer/smartphone can make you nearsighted. Is it true? Is there good research on the topic?
MarkZ
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Did Burmese typewriters contain an upside-down character, which subsequently became proper typewriter style?

I was reading about the Internet Archive's work to archive the materials of a famous New York City typewriter family: http://blog.archive.org/2020/08/26/an-archive-of-a-different-type/ I was interested in reading more about this anecdote, but was…
pkamb
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Has the birth certificate recently uploaded to whitehouse.gov been digitally altered?

Whitehouse.gov - Birth Certificate Long Form (Web Archive) This is the one. I tried asking in my normal channels (hacker news, IRC) but am getting bombarded with accusations of being a Birther. I am definitely not. Someone showed me there are…
geoff
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Do Gunnar Glasses reduce eye strain?

In my RSS feeds today, I got an article named Gunnar Glasses Reduce Computer Eyestrain, Are 75% Off for the Next Two Days which links to a previous article about their benefits: Gunnar's website claims they protect your vision by filtering out…
Brendan Long
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Does baking your graphics card fix it?

There's a tonne of articles online about fixing you graphics card by baking it in the oven. Supposedly this 'reflows' the solder to fix flaky connections. It's even been reported on sites such as Lifehacker. Does it work? Is it safe?
fredley
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Are ergonomic keyboards better for your health?

Popular consensus seems to be that ergonomic keyboards (with the middle split or curve) are better for your physical health than standard keyboards, and reduce the likelihood of carpel tunnel syndrome or other medical issues. If this is the case, I…
DuckMaestro
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Are these suppliers providing Macbook Pros for only US$230?

After requesting some quotes on computers in China-based global trade site Ali Baba, a friend of mine was bombarded with offers via email. You can see an example in the image bellow. The prices are too good to be true. Is it a scam? Can a Macbook…
Tulains Córdova
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Does working at a standing desk consume more calories than sitting?

src I've heard conflicting claims: Site that claims it maks a crap load of difference Site that claims it doesn't make a shred of difference What does science say? You may find this question about the general health effects also interesting
Sklivvz
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