Perhaps they were between the probe & the shield, so that when the latches were released to shed the shield, it would push away from the lander (crasher). If it did not do this, the shield could (although unlikely) land directly on top of the rover, breaking something.
Well, if the sun puts out more light in that frequency range (green), maybe plants are green only because there is SO MUCH green light coming in to be reflected?
Or maybe I need to go back & take more science classes.
> It had a thin central body with four legs on each side
Unless all your equipment was mounted in a way to allow full free rotation and still be usable (the hard part), this wouldn't be a terribly good idea.
Without the rotation, as soon as you get flipped, your images are upside down (no big deal) and your soil sample collectors, etc are all pointing at the sky. And your million-dollar antenna is broken in half, on the ground millions of miles away.
Another thing to note is that these probes have to not just survive, but be fully functional after an extremely high-speed crash landing. Good luck making something with leg joints (16 of them, no less, 4 legs x 2 sides x 2 hinges each, I assume) that will still work reliably after that. If one hinge gets stuck, it could jeopardize locomotion compeletely. That's a big advantage to wheels.
HOWEVER (a big one), if the robots were to accompany humans that had to survive the trek & landing, yours would be a great idea!
> stopping every few metres to sit around for a day or so and test rock and soil samples.
Granted, my only experiences that I know of are on Earth and are therefore limited, but in an area of 20 meters, isn't it pretty likely that two soil samples would be nearly identical? I would think depth would be the only factor -- in which case they would want to go INTO a deep crater, instead of around it (except for that whole "no communication" thing if deep enough).
On Earth, you would have to go quite a number of miles to find big variations, except near certain special places (mountainous areas, hot springs, etc). IANAGeologist, of course.
> Spinners on the next one. Some Bling with practicality.
That is a surprisingly good idea. However, since a "crash landing" (come on, it's not like these things really land) is guaranteed, the spinners' bearings would have to be of pretty amazing quality.
Perhaps a better idea is to not make the wheels so sharply concave, where things can wedge into it.
> I still think "Who's on First?" is one of the funniest skits on any medium ever.
It would be if it hadn't been redone so damn many times by so many people, badly. A&C even did it too many times themselves. I've seen the same skit done by them at least three different times (different settings, etc). Now, as soon as I hear "who's on first," I grab the remote.
It's not creepy -- you know terrorists aren't the only or first (by far) to behead people... They just get their kicks by videotaping it so they can take their anger at the world and try to play it off as international revolution.
From your link: > In order to keep the site from being looted, steamrollers crushed and flattened the games
Friggin' brilliant. "If we can't make money from it, it must be destroyed to prevent anyone from enjoying it." I'd make a bigger deal of it, but I guess it was the game itself that kept people from enjoying it...
If you'll call someone a "piece of shit" because you don't agree with their opinion (which was well-reasoned), I highly doubt you sent 5 grand to help tsunami victims.
I haven't had mod points for about 3 years... I Meta-mod at least 3 times a week, usually 5-6. That's supposed to increase the frequency of getting mod pts, but evidently it really does not.
You never know, some crazy stuff has gotten by eBay. Like that virgin mary cheese sandwich. If anyone ever opens the plastic case, the human race could be facing a new plague. The thing has been sealed for 10 years! Regardless of spirituality, that's still a health hazard.
Ooh, I know! Get a microscope for those clippings & find something vaguely resembling a religious symbol and sell it as a prophecy from God! Then if eBay takes it down you can sue them for religious discrimintation! Brilliant!
And also funny ("funny" as in "OMFG")... Evidently, fake soda cans (sold as key safes) are illegal. Roach Clips? Will gator clips, clothespins, tweasers all be outlawed now?
> It's more fun and rewarding for them to work high-profile "piracy" cases
Do you really think the average net using citizen cares more about a piracy busting operation than a reduction in the amount of spam they get in their In-Boxes? I don't have numbers, but I would believe not.
> Well, you do, but the state reserves the right to impose discipline for criminal behavior.
Thank you for pointing that out (no, seriously).
We seem to be on different sides of the argument over copyright infringement WRT the ethical state of it but in this case, I agree with you from a current legal perspective. These people broke a law that was established and extremely well-known in their "line of work." They knew what could happen, did it anyway, now are forced to suffer the consequences.
Regardless of whether the issue of making copyright infringement a criminal offense is "right" or not, no one's rights appear to have been violated here (well, except for the content producers). Slashdot's own little version of FUD, I guess.
Slashdot Mirror
> I wonder what [the spring] was used for.
Perhaps they were between the probe & the shield, so that when the latches were released to shed the shield, it would push away from the lander (crasher). If it did not do this, the shield could (although unlikely) land directly on top of the rover, breaking something.
Ah yes, science through wild speculation.
Well, if the sun puts out more light in that frequency range (green), maybe plants are green only because there is SO MUCH green light coming in to be reflected?
Or maybe I need to go back & take more science classes.
> It had a thin central body with four legs on each side
Unless all your equipment was mounted in a way to allow full free rotation and still be usable (the hard part), this wouldn't be a terribly good idea.
Without the rotation, as soon as you get flipped, your images are upside down (no big deal) and your soil sample collectors, etc are all pointing at the sky. And your million-dollar antenna is broken in half, on the ground millions of miles away.
Another thing to note is that these probes have to not just survive, but be fully functional after an extremely high-speed crash landing. Good luck making something with leg joints (16 of them, no less, 4 legs x 2 sides x 2 hinges each, I assume) that will still work reliably after that. If one hinge gets stuck, it could jeopardize locomotion compeletely. That's a big advantage to wheels.
HOWEVER (a big one), if the robots were to accompany humans that had to survive the trek & landing, yours would be a great idea!
> Robots get repetitive motion problems also it seems.
Whenever a moving part is involved (unless suspended in air by magnetism, etc), wear will happen. One unfortunate side effect of friction.
> stopping every few metres to sit around for a day or so and test rock and soil samples.
Granted, my only experiences that I know of are on Earth and are therefore limited, but in an area of 20 meters, isn't it pretty likely that two soil samples would be nearly identical? I would think depth would be the only factor -- in which case they would want to go INTO a deep crater, instead of around it (except for that whole "no communication" thing if deep enough).
On Earth, you would have to go quite a number of miles to find big variations, except near certain special places (mountainous areas, hot springs, etc). IANAGeologist, of course.
> Spinners on the next one. Some Bling with practicality.
That is a surprisingly good idea. However, since a "crash landing" (come on, it's not like these things really land) is guaranteed, the spinners' bearings would have to be of pretty amazing quality.
Perhaps a better idea is to not make the wheels so sharply concave, where things can wedge into it.
> I fail to see how being blessed with an abundance of mayonaise would prohibit you from learning what a tater-tot was.
I believe he was comparing the relatively plebeian nature of mayonnaise to the fine cuisine that is the "Tater Tot."
> I still think "Who's on First?" is one of the funniest skits on any medium ever.
It would be if it hadn't been redone so damn many times by so many people, badly. A&C even did it too many times themselves. I've seen the same skit done by them at least three different times (different settings, etc). Now, as soon as I hear "who's on first," I grab the remote.
> everybody knows since 1st grade that people like different things
No, no, no, you missed the point. Of course everyone knows that. They pretend not to so that they have justification to make fun of someone else.
For each generation, take what you knew at age 15, and assume the next generation will know it at 10.
I don't think the terrorists have X-Wings yet.
It's not creepy -- you know terrorists aren't the only or first (by far) to behead people... They just get their kicks by videotaping it so they can take their anger at the world and try to play it off as international revolution.
> does it ever occur to any of you that it is your imagination that has lessened as you have grown?
Uh, no.
How much imagination does it take to identify a dragon when it's full-screen in 16.7mil colors, 1024x768 res?
Now, how much imagination does it take to identify a dragon that looks like this: %
The easier it is to identify something immediately the less imagination it takes to recognize it.
I agree. Put yourself 20 years in the future.
GTA San Andreas, The Sims (if you dig that bag), Doom 3, stuff like that will be remembered.
Who will remember "Big Game Hunter" and "Big Mutha Truckers?"
From your link:
> In order to keep the site from being looted, steamrollers crushed and flattened the games
Friggin' brilliant. "If we can't make money from it, it must be destroyed to prevent anyone from enjoying it." I'd make a bigger deal of it, but I guess it was the game itself that kept people from enjoying it...
If you'll call someone a "piece of shit" because you don't agree with their opinion (which was well-reasoned), I highly doubt you sent 5 grand to help tsunami victims.
> Tabula Rasa of comedy.
Doesn't Tabula Rasa mean "Blank Slate?"
> Why is he called Redface?
:)
You can tell when he starts getting mad, his face turns bright red... and he shouts a lot
> Well the joke can be split into Three constituent elements.
:)
> Fifth there is a similar joke in this post, which all you rabid DNA lovers will get.
That you have explained five out of three elements?
Don't know how that ties into Mr. Adams, but I'm not a "rabid" fan (just slightly mad).
> the general dude who's name I cant remember.
:)
General "Redface," Wesley Clark
> What do you mean he didn't run for anything? Edwards finished #2 in the primaries
Derrr, oh yeah. <BACKPEDAL, BACKPEDAL> When I said Edwards wasn't running for anything, I was thinking of him as the VP candidate.
I haven't had mod points for about 3 years... I Meta-mod at least 3 times a week, usually 5-6. That's supposed to increase the frequency of getting mod pts, but evidently it really does not.
You never know, some crazy stuff has gotten by eBay. Like that virgin mary cheese sandwich. If anyone ever opens the plastic case, the human race could be facing a new plague. The thing has been sealed for 10 years! Regardless of spirituality, that's still a health hazard.
Ooh, I know! Get a microscope for those clippings & find something vaguely resembling a religious symbol and sell it as a prophecy from God! Then if eBay takes it down you can sue them for religious discrimintation! Brilliant!
Sorry, my sarcasm detector must be broken :)
> The system works just fine. You're just wrongly assuming that its real purpose
:) because its funny or a :/ because its true.
Okay, "The System" works, "The Justice System" does not.
Not sure if that's deserving of a
That page made me disgusted.
And also funny ("funny" as in "OMFG")... Evidently, fake soda cans (sold as key safes) are illegal. Roach Clips? Will gator clips, clothespins, tweasers all be outlawed now?
> It's more fun and rewarding for them to work high-profile "piracy" cases
Do you really think the average net using citizen cares more about a piracy busting operation than a reduction in the amount of spam they get in their In-Boxes? I don't have numbers, but I would believe not.
> Well, you do, but the state reserves the right to impose discipline for criminal behavior.
Thank you for pointing that out (no, seriously).
We seem to be on different sides of the argument over copyright infringement WRT the ethical state of it but in this case, I agree with you from a current legal perspective. These people broke a law that was established and extremely well-known in their "line of work." They knew what could happen, did it anyway, now are forced to suffer the consequences.
Regardless of whether the issue of making copyright infringement a criminal offense is "right" or not, no one's rights appear to have been violated here (well, except for the content producers). Slashdot's own little version of FUD, I guess.