Was I the only one who read "Creative" as an adjective and "Gunning" as a gerund, implying that the iPod was being converted into some sort of imaginitive weapon which might be carried by ESR?
I disagree. Which takes more memory - adding a couple more bytes to this counter, or putting in the code to check for maximum value exceeded and emit a message saying "Cannot perform more than 32767 crew reassignments in a single month."? Or did they just press on into unspecified behavior after an integer overflow?
Hell, just putting the word "unsigned" in front of "int" (do you really need to tally a negative number of crew reassignments?) would have prevented this particular problem and given double the capacity, all else being equal. If you're worried about memory usage, it's certainly not a good idea to waste a bunch of bits on unneeded signs.
By 1989, we certainly knew that the world was in the habit of using software for ten years or more. Software was being modified all the time as larger memory spaces and requirements came along. It was practice long before that to be explicit about memory-related design decisions because you knew it would be your problem in five years to update the software. Unless you just ran away and quit before the problem came up, and it was somebody else's worry.
Background: I'm a private pilot who owns a 1946 Luscombe, a plane not considered to be a terribly "safe" airplane by many. But as with any machine, treat it with the respect it deserves and it will reward you. I prefer to program in assembly and C, as well.
I'm not convinced that a "safer" airplane actually makes one safer. Twin engine airplanes have worse statistics for post-engine-failure accidents; the Ercoupe (a stall/spin-proof airplane which was about the only non-tailwheel plane of its time), was designed for a high level of safety but didn't have that great a record (and by the end of its life, had had all the safety features removed save the nosewheel); and the parachute-equipped Cirrus had a horrendous safety record early on.
I think that reliance on safety features may tend to lead one into more unsafe behavior than one would otherwise engage in. I can say from personal observation at the AirVenture fly-in (http://www.airventure.org/) this summer that Cirrus corporate demo pilots pushed the safety envelope to the point of being grounded this past year.
It's an old truism that the superior pilot relies on superior judgement to prevent the need of his superior skills. With very, very few exceptions, wings don't fall off airplanes until some time after the pilot makes a bad decision.
This layoff was announced weeks ago, it's really no surprise. But for the employees who are staying, AOL rented the new Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Air & Space Museum for the Christmas party.
An interesting idea, but I think that there's historical precedent showing it to be unnecessary.
Back in the day, ethereal "chat rooms" involved Morse Code. An even more dense system of abbreviations was codified, and it worked fine.
People have multiple vocabularies - they don't write like they speak, and I've never heard anybody speak like they do in chat rooms. I'm not worried about it.
Hurricanes weren't so much an issue during Mercury/Gemini/Apollo - the vehicles were expendable and not hanging around for long durations. By the time the Shuttle came along, you already had the entire infrastructure in place (pads, crawlers, VAB, etc.). But the big reason is really:
For launching rockets, closer to the equator = more "free" energy off the starting block. You know those human-powered playground merry-go-rounds? The kids at the edge have more kinetic energy, and can barely hang on at high speed, while the kid in the middle just stands idly and laughs and laughs at them.
Still different sense of ego. Ego as in "If anybody criticizes my code, they are criticizing me, but my code is good so they must be stupid." Egoless programming is disassociating your self from your code, and not taking it personally if somebody finds some places to make improvements.
The Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) was, I think, the first computer built completely of chips - and all the chips were the same, 3 input NOR gates (http://hrst.mit.edu/hrs/apollo/ic/medium/002.html ).
I'd like to see the complete design and build one of those! Where does one buy ferrite cores nowadays?
There have been airplanes in the U.S. running on corn ethanol since at least the 70s. Max Shauck, a math professor at Baylor, was flying airshows in an ethanol-powered Pitts in the 80s and flew across the Atlantic in a Velocity powered by 100% ethanol.
Ethanol could be a big win. It would stabilize the market for corn, generate lots of cheap protein from the corn byproduct, and is cleaner. Alcohol has much less energy in it than gasoline, so aircraft range would be significantly reduced.
But, it just doesn't seem economically viable to put this into production, especially through the FAA's lengthy (=pricey) certification process.
Aero diesels are starting to hit the market finally. Biodiesel is probably a better idea in the short run.
I would love to put an Anywhere Map into my antique airplane; the magnetic compass just doesn't cut the nav mustard anymore, especially with all the airspace restrictions now popping up here around WashDC.
It's a color moving map with aviation database running on an Ipaq. If only there were a Linux version.
Are you in school to get a degree or an education? (Other purposes will be disregarded here). If you are trying to educate yourself, then isn't it your responsibility to challenge yourself as much as possible, to best have something to show for this outlay of time and money? If you just want the degree, follow the path of least resistance and get out of everybody else's way.
Everyone seems to be under the misconception that the current radar system does not rely on airplanes to report any status. In fact, each airplane in the "system" must have a transponder, which responds to the querying groundstation (providing response-time derived range and bearing) with a 4-digit octal code (providing identification, also used to communicate emergency info) and altitude. Without this properly responding transponder, the airplane is most likely invisible.
Also, examine current TCAS collision avoidance systems.
Slashdot Mirror
He was interviewed about the book a few months ago on NPR's Science Friday. Listen to the archived show here:_ 022505.html
http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/2005/Feb/hour1
Because it's CHEESE, man!
Behold the power of cheese!
Was I the only one who read "Creative" as an adjective and "Gunning" as a gerund, implying that the iPod was being converted into some sort of imaginitive weapon which might be carried by ESR?
I thought it would be an announcement of a new formula Marvel Mystery Oil.
http://www.pipercubforum.com/marvel.htm
I disagree. Which takes more memory - adding a couple more bytes to this counter, or putting in the code to check for maximum value exceeded and emit a message saying "Cannot perform more than 32767 crew reassignments in a single month."? Or did they just press on into unspecified behavior after an integer overflow?
Hell, just putting the word "unsigned" in front of "int" (do you really need to tally a negative number of crew reassignments?) would have prevented this particular problem and given double the capacity, all else being equal. If you're worried about memory usage, it's certainly not a good idea to waste a bunch of bits on unneeded signs.
By 1989, we certainly knew that the world was in the habit of using software for ten years or more. Software was being modified all the time as larger memory spaces and requirements came along. It was practice long before that to be explicit about memory-related design decisions because you knew it would be your problem in five years to update the software. Unless you just ran away and quit before the problem came up, and it was somebody else's worry.
Background: I'm a private pilot who owns a 1946 Luscombe, a plane not considered to be a terribly "safe" airplane by many. But as with any machine, treat it with the respect it deserves and it will reward you. I prefer to program in assembly and C, as well.
t ml
I'm not convinced that a "safer" airplane actually makes one safer. Twin engine airplanes have worse statistics for post-engine-failure accidents; the Ercoupe (a stall/spin-proof airplane which was about the only non-tailwheel plane of its time), was designed for a high level of safety but didn't have that great a record (and by the end of its life, had had all the safety features removed save the nosewheel); and the parachute-equipped Cirrus had a horrendous safety record early on.
See, for example,
http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfarticles/2004/sp0402.h
I think that reliance on safety features may tend to lead one into more unsafe behavior than one would otherwise engage in. I can say from personal observation at the AirVenture fly-in (http://www.airventure.org/) this summer that Cirrus corporate demo pilots pushed the safety envelope to the point of being grounded this past year.
It's an old truism that the superior pilot relies on superior judgement to prevent the need of his superior skills. With very, very few exceptions, wings don't fall off airplanes until some time after the pilot makes a bad decision.
Admiral Hopper died some years back.
This layoff was announced weeks ago, it's really no surprise. But for the employees who are staying, AOL rented the new Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Air & Space Museum for the Christmas party.
An interesting idea, but I think that there's historical precedent showing it to be unnecessary.
Back in the day, ethereal "chat rooms" involved Morse Code. An even more dense system of abbreviations was codified, and it worked fine.
People have multiple vocabularies - they don't write like they speak, and I've never heard anybody speak like they do in chat rooms. I'm not worried about it.
"Pilots take no special joy in walking. Pilots like flying."
- Neil Armstrong, on being asked about walking on the moon
> If something did go wrong due to that decision, Neil probably would have a boatload of blame on him.
Most likely he'd have been dead, so I don't think the blame would have bothered him much.
Is it just me, or does the Toy Story 2 poster look like Al Bean's painting?
_ two.htmls y-new.html
Notice the bunny fingers:
http://www.impawards.com/1999/toy_story
http://www.alanbeangallery.com/CGBFanta
Hurricanes weren't so much an issue during Mercury/Gemini/Apollo - the vehicles were expendable and not hanging around for long durations. By the time the Shuttle came along, you already had the entire infrastructure in place (pads, crawlers, VAB, etc.). But the big reason is really:
For launching rockets, closer to the equator = more "free" energy off the starting block. You know those human-powered playground merry-go-rounds? The kids at the edge have more kinetic energy, and can barely hang on at high speed, while the kid in the middle just stands idly and laughs and laughs at them.
Still different sense of ego. Ego as in "If anybody criticizes my code, they are criticizing me, but my code is good so they must be stupid." Egoless programming is disassociating your self from your code, and not taking it personally if somebody finds some places to make improvements.
The Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) was, I think, the first computer built completely of chips - and all the chips were the same, 3 input NOR gates (http://hrst.mit.edu/hrs/apollo/ic/medium/002.html ).
i on .htm
I'd like to see the complete design and build one of those! Where does one buy ferrite cores nowadays?
http://hrst.mit.edu/hrs/apollo/public/introduct
I own an airplane. An antique. I'm going to bring doom upon us all!
1946 Luscombe Silvaire NC71102
There have been airplanes in the U.S. running on corn ethanol since at least the 70s. Max Shauck, a math professor at Baylor, was flying airshows in an ethanol-powered Pitts in the 80s and flew across the Atlantic in a Velocity powered by 100% ethanol.
Ethanol could be a big win. It would stabilize the market for corn, generate lots of cheap protein from the corn byproduct, and is cleaner. Alcohol has much less energy in it than gasoline, so aircraft range would be significantly reduced.
But, it just doesn't seem economically viable to put this into production, especially through the FAA's lengthy (=pricey) certification process.
Aero diesels are starting to hit the market finally. Biodiesel is probably a better idea in the short run.
I would love to put an Anywhere Map into my antique airplane; the magnetic compass just doesn't cut the nav mustard anymore, especially with all the airspace restrictions now popping up here around WashDC.
It's a color moving map with aviation database running on an Ipaq. If only there were a Linux version.
HW/SW bundle ~$1200
Are you in school to get a degree or an education? (Other purposes will be disregarded here). If you are trying to educate yourself, then isn't it your responsibility to challenge yourself as much as possible, to best have something to show for this outlay of time and money? If you just want the degree, follow the path of least resistance and get out of everybody else's way.
Everyone seems to be under the misconception that the current radar system does not rely on airplanes to report any status. In fact, each airplane in the "system" must have a transponder, which responds to the querying groundstation (providing response-time derived range and bearing) with a 4-digit octal code (providing identification, also used to communicate emergency info) and altitude. Without this properly responding transponder, the airplane is most likely invisible. Also, examine current TCAS collision avoidance systems.
Invented by Ted Nelson. Get your hands on the classic "Computer Lib/Dream Machines".