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User: captain_nifty

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  1. Re: Plausible. on Our Early Solar System May Have Been Home To a Fifth Giant Planet · · Score: 1

    It's okay, I heard they brought back the Brontosaurus.

    Although Google for some reason still brings up an information panel about Apatosaurus if you search for Brontosaurus.

  2. Security Clearance Revocation on Clinton Surrendering Email Server/Data To Feds After Top Secret Mail Found · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Any normal person would have their security clearance revoked after a breech of much lesser magnitude, which interestingly makes you unable to perform a job that requires handling classified material, it's one of the few ways to actually get fired from a government job.

    Just another facet of our societies aristocracy, they are above the rules. (note this has nothing to do with party, both side get far too many free passes)

  3. Africanized Killer Bees on Bumblebees Being Crushed By Climate Change · · Score: 2

    Bring in the undomesticated bee strains as pollinators.

    The European /North American bees have been bread for docility for centuries to the point where we transport hives on trucks to pollinate where needed, is it any wonder that they are not migrating "naturally" they are for all intents and purposes domesticated, it's like expecting cows to migrate on their own.

    I would expect that so called "killer" bees would be adapting better to climate change.

  4. Re:Make them drink it ... on Recent Paper Shows Fracking Chemicals In Drinking Water, Industry Attacks It · · Score: 1

    This makes me think of Hyman G. Rickover, Admiral in the US Navy and founder of the nuclear fleet.
    He once drank a glass of primary nuclear coolant (tritium laced water) in front of congress to demonstrate how safe the nuclear reactors were.

  5. Re:Gamechanger on Tesla Announces Home Battery System · · Score: 1

    The problem with modular addition is that the power conditioning equipment and professional installation required to sell back to the grid tend to cost several thousand dollar, regardless of the amount of energy your selling back.

    Starting small can work if you want to play around with it yourself, but when you connect to the grid you get into big trouble if you don't meet all of the utilities requirements.

  6. Re:Hello Computer... on Breakthough Makes Transparent Aluminum Affordable · · Score: 1

    I figure keyboards were like the bathrooms on TOS, they were there, just never on camera.

    Voice controls are okay, but in a crowded noisy engine room you don't want everyone trying to talk to the computer at once.

  7. Hello Computer... on Breakthough Makes Transparent Aluminum Affordable · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hello Computer... [no response] oh how quaint [begins rapidly using keyboard]

    I still greet my computer this way sometimes.

  8. Radioactive Fuel... on Audi Creates "Fuel of the Future" Using Just Carbon Dioxide and Water · · Score: 1

    This reminded me of some of the plowshares experiments (where they tried to come up with non-war uses for hydrogen bombs) Link

    One of the ones I remember being interesting was the use of underground detonations to break up rock and free natural gas (think super-fracking), it was tested and worked with only one problem, it was horribly inefficient and not cost effective, oh and all the natural gas was radioactive. As with all the plowshares crazy ideas this one didn't quite pan out, but it amazed me that they actually tried it. Oh and just to be sure they did it 3 times.

  9. Re:Era of micro transactions on ESA Rebukes EFF's Request To Exempt Abandoned Games From Some DMCA Rules · · Score: 2

    The thing is I don't want to play a game with the best business model, or revenue.
    People want to play games because they are enjoyable and fun.

    This is one of the big problems with the large game studios.

  10. Re:Mistake on UN Backs Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign · · Score: 1

    In the pacific northwest (Seattle Area) my calculations show break even at around 18 years, which is pretty bad given that, the panels are only usually rated for 15 years.

    Every few years I get to thinking about doing it and I run through the calculations and come up with similar numbers, panel prices are down, but power conditioning set-ups are still a big part of the cost, and then you have to pay for a contractor to install the setup (one of the largest parts of the cost) if you want to get any of the tax credits or connect to the grid.

    Looking at my last utility bill, 99% of my energy is coming from non fossil fuel sources, hydroelectric mostly. So green guilt is not going to get me to put PV on my house and it doesn't really make economic sense either.

    I'm sure I'll run the numbers again in a few years when I need to re-roof the house; I like the idea of energy independence, but where I live Solar PV is just not cost effective.

  11. Diablo?? on New Crypto-Ransomware Encrypts Video Game Files · · Score: 1

    It targets files associated with single-user games Call of Duty, Star Craft 2, Diablo, Fallout 3...

    Seriously Diablo?? WTF is that a typo and supposed to be DIablo II or 3, are people still playing single player Diablo, a few years back I installed it in a VM to get some nostalgic gameplay and it was horrible.

  12. Re:Default Government Stance on Feds Admit Stingray Can Disrupt Bystanders' Communications · · Score: 1

    Don't Blame Me I Voted for Kodos!

  13. Tracking Badges? on Can Tracking Employees Improve Business? · · Score: 1

    I predict that these tracking badges will show that the employees remain at their desk hard at work throughout the workday, while the employees will continue to take breaks, visit others in the cube-farm, and take long lunches.

  14. Scared Idiots on 1950s Toy That Included Actual Uranium Ore Goes On Display At Museum · · Score: 5, Insightful

    People are scared of radiation because they don't understand it.
    Rather then educate children todays society is more concerned with protecting them.
    Relevant XKCD for dosage information.
    I would be interested in how many banana doses of radiation this kit contained.
    Everything is radioactive, granite countertops, bananas, sea-salt, living in Denver (higher elevations), hell carbon dating works because all life is radioactive.

  15. Re:Escaping only helps you until a war. on Davos 2015: Less Innovation, More Regulation, More Unrest. Run Away! · · Score: 1

    You may be interested in feudalism (it's basically just what you just described) it's been the norm for much longer than the recent democracy idea.

  16. Please be good... on Heinlein's 'All You Zombies' Now a Sci-Fi Movie Head Trip · · Score: 1

    Heinlein is one of the greatest SF writers, but after the mess they made of starship troopers I am not very optimistic.

  17. Re:How is that startling? on Mathematicians Study Effects of Gerrymandering On 2012 Election · · Score: 1

    The fed controls the other governing bodies through the simple means of money.

    Do you want that federal funding for your state, better not enact laws against the will of the federal masters.
    Local cops want some new tech from homeland security, better have policies in place that meet federal standards. (oh and sign this NDA)
    Want federal funding for interstate highways, your drinking age had better be 21.

    Originally the constitution prevented this by preventing the fed from directly taxing the people, limiting the amount of money they had, the federal income tax is the source of this problem, give enough money to the fed and you give them power over every policy imaginable.

    The fed may not be the ones in your face daily, but they are the ones directing a large number of locally enforced policies.

  18. Re:Generator and fuel on Ask Slashdot: Minimizing Oil and Gas Dependency In a Central European City? · · Score: 2

    Chemical batteries are also, generally the cheapest most compact method to store electricity, which is what you need to run servers, if all you want to do is store energy, hot water is a better method.

    All the other storage methods have huge losses when trying to get electricity out, requiring larger and larger storage capacity to deliver the required electricity.
    .

  19. Generator and fuel on Ask Slashdot: Minimizing Oil and Gas Dependency In a Central European City? · · Score: 2

    If it's 24 hour semi-reliable power you want for periodic short (up to several days) grid outages than the easiest method would probably be a small generator and a stored supply of fuel. (not the most environmental but it works)

    Some will suggest solar with your roof area, which you are obviously aware of, but if you want 24 hour power with that you will need a large battery bank which is going to cost you more and take up a large amount of space.

    As far as heating the cost effective method is to add more insulation, and if you're running servers you have a ready made electric heat source.

  20. Re:Don't get mad, get even on Ken Ham's Ark Torpedoed With Charges of Religious Discrimination · · Score: 1

    Best idea ever!! It would have to have better rides though or no one would go to Evolution Land.

  21. Re:Live by the sword, die by the sword on Senators Threaten To Rescind NFL Antitrust Exemption · · Score: 1

    Ah a Kids in the Hall reference, that takes me back.
    One of their greatest sketches ever...

    I'm crushing your head!

  22. Re:The Moon is a weapons platform on Russia Pledges To Go To the Moon · · Score: 1

    It would take a lot of laser energy to destroy a good sized rock, and the moon has no shortage of rocks.

  23. Re:Exploited procedural loophole on A 24-Year-Old Scammed Apple 42 Times In 16 Different States · · Score: 1

    A simple work around is to alter the phone number on the card to a number you control.

    Then the retailer could call the number receive the code from your accomplice and provide a valid false code.

  24. Re:Why not just burn the ammonia on New Chemical Process Could Make Ammonia a Practical Car Fuel · · Score: 1

    Ammonia has odd burning properties, it's combustion temperature in air is lower than its ignition temperature it won't get hot enough to keep itself burning.

    To fix this you can inject a small amount of hydrogen to aid combustion, which is mentioned in the article.

  25. MUTANTS AMONG US! on Small Genetic Change Responsible For Blond Hair · · Score: 5, Funny

    Although their powers are not very impressive.