The story I remember was that the storage of data and (just as important) the indexes to that data became smaller - almost quantum level, e.g. bits were represented as 1 or 0 on an atom - IIRC it was a complete atom for 1, and they "nicked" a neutron or proton to represent 0.
Anyway, soon the entire sum of human knowledge was stored in a matchbox-sized container, which was surrounded by many matchbox-sized containers of indexes. One day, a circular reference was discovered in the indexes, and in a series of cascading faults (which would NEVER happen in real life), the entire index was rendered useless, and nobody could remember where the actual box containing the data was stored - it was *somewhere* in the physical storage library, but couldn't be identified.
Here's some news for you - lots of I.T. is "shiny". Kids respond to "shiny". The "shiny" isn't the sole focus of the teaching - IT'S AN ADJUNCT! It's not on from 8:45 until 3pm, it's integrated where and whenever the teacher deems appropriate. I'm a guest tutor, not a teacher, but I tutor I.T. (so perhaps my exposure to other subjects is limited), but my observations are that items like smartboards and laptops are a boon when used with care and planning, and like it or not, kids need to know how to use the technology.
No, we don't "need" the shiny to teach, but heaven help the kids if they hit high school without some computer experience - playing flash games and chatting on MSN at home doesn't quite cut it.
Bite the big one, yourself. Why shouldn't teachers be provided with a basic introduction to a new teaching tool? Fortunately, the administrators at my kids' school made sure to include tuition in the funding grant for the smartboards. They realised that there's no sense spending 5 figures on equipment if no-one is shown how to use it. This is primary school - the kids don't generally have IT skills enough to figure it out for themselves, and the teachers are selected more for their ability to teach and communicate, not their level of proficiency in IT.
And the teachers LOVE the boards. They're *shiny* enough so that kids pay attention, and are keen on participating (they get to draw and write on the boards when demonstrating or presenting their work). I get to point to things on a projected computer screen instead of walking around to each and every laptop, making sure they're all getting to correct program/dialogue box/whatever.
Our drains *cough*35 years ago*cough* weren't big enough to walk in, so the smallest kid was the one chosen to retrieve any cricket ball/football that disappeared into the drain. I was that kid - once. I crawled down the drain leading to a junction under the street. Got to the junction, looked down, saw the ball, picked it up, then made the mistake of looking up - at THOUSANDS of cockroaches all gathered in a dark spot in the corner. Never again.
My house was dual-wired when it was built. All circuits run on standard 240VAC 10amp 3-core, with some connected to the 24 volt bus, and some connected to the 240 volt inverter. All the household lighting and refrigeration runs on 24 volt circuits, and I'm careful to not load any circuit beyond 8 or 9 amps. There are 240 volt outlets, and 24 volt outlets (polarised socket), so there's no danger of plugging a 24 volt device into a 240 volt socket!
Don't have any turbines - only solar PV - so the supply is 24VDC.
But yes, 12/24VDC is great for household lighting and refrigeration (maybe even computers, as long as it's a regulated supply), 220/230/240VAC for heavy needs like vacuum cleaners, etc.
Strangely enough, I've got a Fisher & Paykel washing machine that plugs into 240VAC, but runs 24VDC internally - when I have the time, money and inclination, I'll bypass the 240VAC stage and hook it directly to the household 24VDC circuit.
Ahem - B&W (monochromatic) silver halide photographic prints, properly processed and stored, are probably the "sweet spot" WRT permanence/density. I mean, carved stone tablets would outlast just about anything, but you can't fit much on 'em. OTOH, the resolution of low-speed B&W film provides a reasonable density. A bonus of such a system is that you don't need electronics to retrieve the information.
You could use lithographic film to store copies of the printed word or even binary data such as MP3, and orthographic film to store images - even colour images.
See, this is how they did it way back when - you take a sheet of 5x4 B&W film, expose it through a red filter, then repeat with another sheet and a green filter, and again with a blue filter. It's called colour separation. Then you contact-print the negatives onto identical film to produce a positive image of each one. Then you get three projectors, one with a red filter, one with a green filter, and one with a blue filter, load the image positives into the appropriate projector, turn 'em on, line 'em up, and hey, presto! You've got your original image without any electronics or software.
Of course you'd have to leave schematics for the projectors, but that's not difficult. And translating binary data would be a problem - maybe store music on vinyl and leave schematics for a phonograph.
I don't think they followed the kangaroo design all the way through. A female 'roo can have up to 3 youngsters going at once, all at different stages - the slug, attached to a nipple in the pouch, a joey not quite big enough to go venturing out, and a juvenile who stays mostly outside, but comes back for a feed once in a while. She produces 3 different kinds of milk, too - each type ideal for the feeder. She can also put the slug on hold if conditions deteriorate, e.g. drought. Not indefinately, obviously. It's self-control of the population - adapting your reproduction rate to the prevailing environmental conditions. Imagine that happening to humans?
Kangaroos are fascinating creatures. Ever seen the footage from the rear-facing keel-view cam of a 'roo in motion?
Y'know, sometimes I wish there was an "awesome" rating - "funny" doesn't do justice to some comments.
My son (11.5) - reckons he's ready to watch Alien - but I'm not going to let him until we have a big screen and 5.1 sound - and Mummy and little sister (almost 8) are away for the weekend.
Imagine sending a female-only crew to Mars - it's what, about 90 days to get there, a few days wandering around, and another 90 to get back.
Imagine the atmosphere in the cabin when their cycles synchronise...and I'm not talking about the O2/N ratios.
I hope you're not advocating actually running two anti-virus products at the same time?
Because you're asking for trouble. The effect on the processes that those products (norton/mcafee/trend micro/etc) stick their noses into would drag your system down. AVG has become more like them since Version 8 was released, and I'm not recommending it to customers anymore. Avast and PCTools products seem to mind their own business.
IBM iSeries aka AS400. You can take a binary (e.g. compiled program object) from the first AS400 (announced in 1988 IIRC), load it on to a brand-shiny-new iSeries today, and it will run.
Of course, it's not in the same price range as MS products. You get what you pay for.
Slashdot Mirror
Anyway, soon the entire sum of human knowledge was stored in a matchbox-sized container, which was surrounded by many matchbox-sized containers of indexes. One day, a circular reference was discovered in the indexes, and in a series of cascading faults (which would NEVER happen in real life), the entire index was rendered useless, and nobody could remember where the actual box containing the data was stored - it was *somewhere* in the physical storage library, but couldn't be identified.
You too can be a Zimbabwean trillionaire - http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=zimbabwe+currency&_sacat=See-All-Categories
"Ripley to the cargo deck STAT"
No, we don't "need" the shiny to teach, but heaven help the kids if they hit high school without some computer experience - playing flash games and chatting on MSN at home doesn't quite cut it.
It's quite common here in Oz - "extract digit" being a modern variation.
And the teachers LOVE the boards. They're *shiny* enough so that kids pay attention, and are keen on participating (they get to draw and write on the boards when demonstrating or presenting their work). I get to point to things on a projected computer screen instead of walking around to each and every laptop, making sure they're all getting to correct program/dialogue box/whatever.
Our drains *cough*35 years ago*cough* weren't big enough to walk in, so the smallest kid was the one chosen to retrieve any cricket ball/football that disappeared into the drain. I was that kid - once. I crawled down the drain leading to a junction under the street. Got to the junction, looked down, saw the ball, picked it up, then made the mistake of looking up - at THOUSANDS of cockroaches all gathered in a dark spot in the corner. Never again.
Yeah, I know it's SF, but the water vapour sounds plausible.
Hey! first-post.com ?!?!?!
Don't have any turbines - only solar PV - so the supply is 24VDC.
But yes, 12/24VDC is great for household lighting and refrigeration (maybe even computers, as long as it's a regulated supply), 220/230/240VAC for heavy needs like vacuum cleaners, etc.
Strangely enough, I've got a Fisher & Paykel washing machine that plugs into 240VAC, but runs 24VDC internally - when I have the time, money and inclination, I'll bypass the 240VAC stage and hook it directly to the household 24VDC circuit.
You could use lithographic film to store copies of the printed word or even binary data such as MP3, and orthographic film to store images - even colour images.
See, this is how they did it way back when - you take a sheet of 5x4 B&W film, expose it through a red filter, then repeat with another sheet and a green filter, and again with a blue filter. It's called colour separation. Then you contact-print the negatives onto identical film to produce a positive image of each one. Then you get three projectors, one with a red filter, one with a green filter, and one with a blue filter, load the image positives into the appropriate projector, turn 'em on, line 'em up, and hey, presto! You've got your original image without any electronics or software.
Of course you'd have to leave schematics for the projectors, but that's not difficult. And translating binary data would be a problem - maybe store music on vinyl and leave schematics for a phonograph.
Kangaroos are fascinating creatures. Ever seen the footage from the rear-facing keel-view cam of a 'roo in motion?
And I've heard that some people are willing to pay for entry to parks.
Now get off my lawn, it's time for my nap.
Right when the facehugger jumps out of the pod onto John Hurt's facemask.
My son (11.5) - reckons he's ready to watch Alien - but I'm not going to let him until we have a big screen and 5.1 sound - and Mummy and little sister (almost 8) are away for the weekend.
Interesting thing about iPrimus - they use Optus' feeds in a lot of areas. So, how valid are the data that Optus and iPrimus base their judgements on?
Hopefully NOT febreeze.
Imagine sending a female-only crew to Mars - it's what, about 90 days to get there, a few days wandering around, and another 90 to get back. Imagine the atmosphere in the cabin when their cycles synchronise...and I'm not talking about the O2/N ratios.
Mod p-p-parent u-u-u-u-u-u-p
Because you're asking for trouble. The effect on the processes that those products (norton/mcafee/trend micro/etc) stick their noses into would drag your system down. AVG has become more like them since Version 8 was released, and I'm not recommending it to customers anymore. Avast and PCTools products seem to mind their own business.
Just in case there are any young /.ers around - it's "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM"
My wife's going nuts. She asked me "what happens when it comes back online and a bazillion geocachers start hitting the site?
Of course, it's not in the same price range as MS products. You get what you pay for.