Just finished reading this. Very interesting concept but the novel's ending just leaves you hanging with no resolution. Also, it was based on Earth, not Mars.
Almost every comment posted so far is bashing Microsoft or Windows for being an insecure OS but I can't find any mention of either in the article. It doesn't give any information about what kind of system the Ambulance Service was running.
On a normal Thursday, Greger Huttu sits in the blue glow of a computer screen, in his bedroom in the teeny town of Vaasa on the west coast of Finland. In the afternoons, he joins his fisherman father to land a catch of perch netted from Arctic waters. But not today. Instead, he's wedged into the cockpit of a single-seater race car, in the boiling heat of Road Atlanta raceway, Georgia. He's never driven anything like this before - his regular drive is an old Ford Sierra - yet an empty track awaits him, a full race team is at his service and he has full permission to drive as fast as he pleases. Slippery fish suddenly seem a million miles away.
Why? Because TopGear is conducting an experiment. Back on that computer in Finland, Greger dominates the world of online racing. He is the undisputed grandmaster of iRacing, a fiendishly difficult driving simulator that recreates the exact physics of scores of race cars and circuits from around the world.
It's not some gimmicky graphics-fest, but a serious way to hone racecraft and learn about car control. And in the last six years, in iRacing and earlier online sims, Greger has conquered all - leading 2,339 of his 2,581 laps and winning every race from pole. Just a week ago, he clinched the iRacing World Championship, earning himself $10,000 as he crossed the line. No wonder fellow iRacer and NASCAR king Dale Earnhardt Jr is Greger's biggest fan. He is untouchable. Today's test is to see how such digital dominance translates into real life.
We'll soon find out. Under the searing morning sun in Atlanta, Greger squeezes into his car, a Star Mazda racer provided by the Andersen Racing team. The Mazda is a slicks'n'wings single-seater powered by the same rotary engine as the RX-8. It weighs just 607kg, has 260bhp, a six-speed sequential 'box and adjustable wings. And it's really, seriously quick - as quick as a GT car around some circuits.
In other words, it's a proper car that needs to be driven in the sweet spot where the tyres and aero do their thing. If our thinking is right, Greger could be the man to put it there. Because iRacing's physics programme is so accurate, he already knows the car well - the way it steers, the way it grips, even the way it sounds and every tiny intricacy of its set-up, from wing angles to suspension bump and rebound rates - and he's lapped this track thousands of times online.
As engineer Alan Oppel briefs him on the controls, Greger displays some typical Finnish cool. He's a humble bloke, a quiet 30-year-old with a hint of podge around the midriff and, if we're honest, everywhere else too. Despite the cameras and attention, he doesn't strut like a superstar. Instead his head is bowed, his words softly spoken. He appears thoughtful - analytical, measured - and as he digests instructions, he simulates a gearchange and angles the wheel, like he's sat here a hundred times before. Which he has. Virtually.
After one installation lap to check everything's working, he starts his first flyer. All eyes turn to the final corner, a swooping downhill-right with a vicious wall on the outside, ready to collect understeery mishaps. Here comes Greger. The engine revs high and hard and his downshifts sound perfectly matched. Then he comes into sight and, to the sound of many sucked teeth, absolutely bloody nails it through the bend, throttle balanced, car planted. His only hiccup is a late upshift, that has the rotary engine blatting off its limiter. "Time to crank up the revs," says Alan. "He's quick."
The telemetry confirms it. His braking points are spot on. He's firm and precise on the throttle. And in the fastest corner, he's entering at 100mph compared to an experienced driver's 110 - a sign of absolute confidence and natural feel for grip. Remember, this is a guy who has never sat in a racing car in his life - he's only referencing thousands of virtual laps. Then, on lap four, he pops in a 1:24.8, just three seconds off a solid time around here. He recko
The fucking DRM is NOT what caused this issue. It was the anti-cheating software that got confused when they were in the middle of an update. I hate DRM as much as the next guy but I don't feel the need to blame it for things it has nothing to do with.
I understand why the "whom" in the parent is wrong but what's wrong with "these seats are reserved for my wife and I" ?
Serious question. I thought that was the correct way.
Actually we have some damn good wine. But I can't argue with your other points.
To be honest it seems reasonable to aim it at the centre of Australia, incredibly sparse population, not-exactly-habitable environment, no major ecosystems. But in exchange for letting the world crash the asteroid here we get ownership of any precious metals that may be included AND exclusive scientific access. Fair?
This sounds AWESOME!!!! I've been getting less and less use out of my C2 but this sounds just geeky enough to get me rowing regularly again. Any chance you could send me that plugin?
The program included with the C2 is excellent for monitoring exercise, even just using the logcard and the rower itself is pretty good. Track by workout types, dates, distances, times. Even keep track of multiple users.
Right now, they wouldn't learn anything, because they would be dead. If NASA is dicking around with anything, it would be the ISS. Haul that low orbit pile of resources into a much more stable orbit, and then use it for parts/construction platform for a station with centrifugal gravity and as close to a closed ecosystem as we can manage. Until we improve those technologies, to the level of near permanent space habitats, then multi-year space exploration will be the sole domain of robots.
...a station with centrifugal gravity... Sorry to be pedantic, but Centifugal Force
I don't know if it's the correct reason, but it makes sense to me. Pretty much the same reason as freshwater rivers fed from rainfall runoff or melting glaciers.
That's pretty much what I was trying to say. I like to see that when people find evidence contrary to their beliefs they are willing to accept the fact that they may have been wrong, no matter what side of an argument they may be on.
Well.. yeah. It does. Kinda.
What I was trying to say, although not very well, is that I like to hear when people actively try to learn about whatever it is they believe. And if through that they find evidence contrary to their beliefs, they are willing to change them instead of ignoring that evidence and looking only and what supports their idea.
I'm always pleased to hear about an activist (doesn't matter what kind) publicly admit they were wrong after learning more about the subject.
Firstly because they took the initiative to actually research something instead of taking as gospel anything those around them say.
Secondly because they're big enough to admit they were wrong. I just wish more activists would do the same.
Slashdot Mirror
Perhaps they should have learned the difference between 'then' and 'than'.
And there weren't even any videos.
Reminds me of the video of a methane engine being tested. Same "shock diamonds" evident in the thrust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dumolLDfWw4
Just finished reading this. Very interesting concept but the novel's ending just leaves you hanging with no resolution. Also, it was based on Earth, not Mars.
What about us Australians? Colonised by the people that weren't good enough for the 'Notorious wankers'
Almost every comment posted so far is bashing Microsoft or Windows for being an insecure OS but I can't find any mention of either in the article. It doesn't give any information about what kind of system the Ambulance Service was running.
But there are no ads on the page. It's just photos accompanying the article. If anything, it's saving them the cost of the bandwith.
Full article for karma whoring.
On a normal Thursday, Greger Huttu sits in the blue glow of a computer screen, in his bedroom in the teeny town of Vaasa on the west coast of Finland. In the afternoons, he joins his fisherman father to land a catch of perch netted from Arctic waters. But not today. Instead, he's wedged into the cockpit of a single-seater race car, in the boiling heat of Road Atlanta raceway, Georgia. He's never driven anything like this before - his regular drive is an old Ford Sierra - yet an empty track awaits him, a full race team is at his service and he has full permission to drive as fast as he pleases. Slippery fish suddenly seem a million miles away.
Why? Because TopGear is conducting an experiment. Back on that computer in Finland, Greger dominates the world of online racing. He is the undisputed grandmaster of iRacing, a fiendishly difficult driving simulator that recreates the exact physics of scores of race cars and circuits from around the world.
It's not some gimmicky graphics-fest, but a serious way to hone racecraft and learn about car control. And in the last six years, in iRacing and earlier online sims, Greger has conquered all - leading 2,339 of his 2,581 laps and winning every race from pole. Just a week ago, he clinched the iRacing World Championship, earning himself $10,000 as he crossed the line. No wonder fellow iRacer and NASCAR king Dale Earnhardt Jr is Greger's biggest fan. He is untouchable. Today's test is to see how such digital dominance translates into real life.
We'll soon find out. Under the searing morning sun in Atlanta, Greger squeezes into his car, a Star Mazda racer provided by the Andersen Racing team. The Mazda is a slicks'n'wings single-seater powered by the same rotary engine as the RX-8. It weighs just 607kg, has 260bhp, a six-speed sequential 'box and adjustable wings. And it's really, seriously quick - as quick as a GT car around some circuits.
In other words, it's a proper car that needs to be driven in the sweet spot where the tyres and aero do their thing. If our thinking is right, Greger could be the man to put it there. Because iRacing's physics programme is so accurate, he already knows the car well - the way it steers, the way it grips, even the way it sounds and every tiny intricacy of its set-up, from wing angles to suspension bump and rebound rates - and he's lapped this track thousands of times online.
As engineer Alan Oppel briefs him on the controls, Greger displays some typical Finnish cool. He's a humble bloke, a quiet 30-year-old with a hint of podge around the midriff and, if we're honest, everywhere else too. Despite the cameras and attention, he doesn't strut like a superstar. Instead his head is bowed, his words softly spoken. He appears thoughtful - analytical, measured - and as he digests instructions, he simulates a gearchange and angles the wheel, like he's sat here a hundred times before. Which he has. Virtually.
After one installation lap to check everything's working, he starts his first flyer. All eyes turn to the final corner, a swooping downhill-right with a vicious wall on the outside, ready to collect understeery mishaps. Here comes Greger. The engine revs high and hard and his downshifts sound perfectly matched. Then he comes into sight and, to the sound of many sucked teeth, absolutely bloody nails it through the bend, throttle balanced, car planted. His only hiccup is a late upshift, that has the rotary engine blatting off its limiter. "Time to crank up the revs," says Alan. "He's quick."
The telemetry confirms it. His braking points are spot on. He's firm and precise on the throttle. And in the fastest corner, he's entering at 100mph compared to an experienced driver's 110 - a sign of absolute confidence and natural feel for grip. Remember, this is a guy who has never sat in a racing car in his life - he's only referencing thousands of virtual laps. Then, on lap four, he pops in a 1:24.8, just three seconds off a solid time around here. He recko
We need to rescue Spirit and Opportunity. Loyalty should count for something.
http://xkcd.com/695/ It should count, but doesn't.
The fucking DRM is NOT what caused this issue. It was the anti-cheating software that got confused when they were in the middle of an update. I hate DRM as much as the next guy but I don't feel the need to blame it for things it has nothing to do with.
I understand why the "whom" in the parent is wrong but what's wrong with "these seats are reserved for my wife and I" ? Serious question. I thought that was the correct way.
Actually we have some damn good wine. But I can't argue with your other points. To be honest it seems reasonable to aim it at the centre of Australia, incredibly sparse population, not-exactly-habitable environment, no major ecosystems. But in exchange for letting the world crash the asteroid here we get ownership of any precious metals that may be included AND exclusive scientific access. Fair?
This sounds AWESOME!!!! I've been getting less and less use out of my C2 but this sounds just geeky enough to get me rowing regularly again. Any chance you could send me that plugin?
The program included with the C2 is excellent for monitoring exercise, even just using the logcard and the rower itself is pretty good. Track by workout types, dates, distances, times. Even keep track of multiple users.
...a station with centrifugal gravity... Sorry to be pedantic, but Centifugal Force"would require the 12th century Catholic Church making a deal with Microsoft"
I thought all deals made with Microsoft involved the devil in some way.
I don't know if it's the correct reason, but it makes sense to me. Pretty much the same reason as freshwater rivers fed from rainfall runoff or melting glaciers.
That's pretty much what I was trying to say. I like to see that when people find evidence contrary to their beliefs they are willing to accept the fact that they may have been wrong, no matter what side of an argument they may be on.
Well.. yeah. It does. Kinda. What I was trying to say, although not very well, is that I like to hear when people actively try to learn about whatever it is they believe. And if through that they find evidence contrary to their beliefs, they are willing to change them instead of ignoring that evidence and looking only and what supports their idea.
I'm always pleased to hear about an activist (doesn't matter what kind) publicly admit they were wrong after learning more about the subject. Firstly because they took the initiative to actually research something instead of taking as gospel anything those around them say. Secondly because they're big enough to admit they were wrong. I just wish more activists would do the same.
Now they're just trying to look like asshats. Before this we could almost give them the benefit of the doubt, but now...... nope.
Should I be a little worried that I read through that and understood exactly what it meant?
You just had to post that didn't you? Now I have to go home and watch Firefly AGAIN. My girlfriend will not be impressed.