The idea that mass is the drag of particles through a sea of Higgs boson actually makes some sense if you think about it.
In a way, it's a similar idea to an object having weight because of the Earth's gravity acting on the mass of the object. It's the kind of idea that makes you change your perspective on physics. This idea of mass being the drag acting on particles moving through Higgs bosons is one that never occured to me before. Is mass then only a perceptual value or is it really a matter of (pardon the pun) how much stuff?
Also, I think people tend to confuse mass and weight because they think weight is how much stuff is in the object but it's actually mass. I mean, you feel the weight of something you hold in your hand because of gravity and the only reason the object remains stationary in your hand is because the muscles that force your hand and the object upwards is the same as the gravitational force downwards.
Although it does give one the impression that we are all underwater in a sea of Higgs bosons. Is it possible for one to drown?
Self Bias Resistor
"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition."
I agreee that it is sad that 3dfx used to make seriously bitchin' hardware. Now the problem with 3dfx is price and performance value. Anyone remember that word? Value? It was when we didn't have to pay an extra $300 for what amounts to about 2 extra fps! 3dfx used to be the market leader in graphics accelerators, but if they don't pull their heads out of their asses then they'll get they'll be well and truly kicked by nVidia.
I mean seriously - who the hell would buy a graphics card that requires an external power supply!? There's only so much electricity in the friggin' world!
Self Bias Resistor
"Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
I think so Brain, but we'll never get a monkey to use dental floss."
I agree with Perdo's comment about important information that should be stored offline. With the exception of some high-grade encryption algorithms currently in the possession of the NSA, it is remarkably easy to eavesdrop on somebody's Internet communications.
Anyone see Tom Cruise explaining the Langley supercomputer room in Mission: Impossible? It's on a stand-alone. No modem access. If there's no modem access then there's NO FUCKIN WAY that you can pull something off that computer. Even if you reconstructed the radio emissions from the screen into another computer (which can be done I might add) you'd have to be at least a few feet away. By then (provided your security personnel have at least half a brain between them) your datathief would already be out the door and into a jail cell.
So if it's important or confidential, store it offline.
I just don't get it. I really don't see what the problem is with Napster. Setting aside all the legal bullshit, the main fear of the RIAA and the Big Five is the loss of control over distribution. If the Big Five have less control over distribution, then they have less power to set and control price levels (which I might add is still considered perfectly legal). The reason that you pay AU$30 for a CD is not because it costs that much to make or that the artist gets even a tiny fraction out of it. It's because the only way you can get it is through a long chain of distributors, stores and other assorted middlemen all taking a piece of the big money pie. The artist doesn't get jackshit and the record companies get fat off the profits.
This is EXACTLY the reason why the rise of MP3 was so rapid. Suddenly, you could get music for FREE! Now the RIAA and the Big Five are complaining that MP3 means lost music sales. This is bullshit and a smokescreen for the distribution control agenda outlined above. Research shows that despite online piracy music sales have increased. Did you hear that you greedy fat-ass music executive leech? Increased! MP3 has allowed music lovers to experience more kinds of music, therefore increasing their range of tastes and subsequent need to buy.
Which makes the whole fear of nobody paying for music seem kinda silly doesn't it?
Self Bias Resistor
"The human brain is like an enormous fish. It's grey, slimy and has gills through which it can see." -Monty Python
I know there's no easily solution to this whole employee privacy/employer responsibility issue but I think you first have to consider how much time employees are spending on the Internet.
I agree, a five-minute break checking eBay for a limited edition CD or something like that is pretty trivial and employees shouldn't be having a heart attack over it. But if an employee is spending so much time on the 'Net that it's really screwing up their productivity then something has to be done. Although it has to be said that monitoring individual employee keystrokes, keywords and opening their email goes over the line and if that's what's happening at your workplace then do something! Which brings me to my next point.
The most important thing in this entire issue is that employees know where they stand rergarding privacy issues. If an employee doesn't know what the regulations are regarding the privacy of their communications then it just creates an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion and that is when you feel that Big Brother is watching you.
Self Bias Resistor
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -Albert Einstein
Okay, I do not present myself as an expert on astrophysics but I think I can provide answers these questions.
1. Black holes come from the collapse of massive stars. Only stars of a certain mass can generate the immense gravity needed to create a black hole (I think it's about several times the mass of the sun).
2. As far as we (scientists) know, black holes do not "grow" in size, they just keep sucking in more matter.
3. The "size" of the black hole is known as the Event Horizon and is the point at which you start getting sucked into the black hole.
4. When something is getting pulled into a black hole it stretches as gravity pulls on it (called "spaghettification") until you're pulled apart. After which, what's left of you floats to the singularity where it is crushed until oblivion. Great. From the outside, people can only see you because light is reflected off you. As you get deeper into the black hole, the light has a hard time getting out until it can't. From the outside, you appear to slow down indefinitely so it only *looks* like you'll never reach the black hole.
Hope this helps...
Personally, I'd like to see more anime on TV in the form of TV shows and movies. I like the Macross and Teknoman series but I'd like to see more series like Tenchi. I also love the movies like The Guyver, Akira and Riding Bean. Also, what are the chances of the Cartoon Network showing the Gunsmith Cats mini-series one night? Now *that* would be something...
At the core of this issue are several points about the failings of censorship software and internet censorship in general which appear in all (on-topic) posts on this web site that I would like to clarify if I may:
1. Those who oppose censorship, contrary to the opinion of the AFA or the Republican party, are not Satan-worshipping, porn-loving, children-corrupting heathens. Rather, they are level-headed, free-thinking (not while this shit keeps happening) and intelligent individuals with the (supposed) right to free speech and to view whatever they want. The right for a person to determine (by themselves and unassisted by government, corporations and so-called family groups) what they read, see, hear and say is important not only to the Constitution, but to a soundly functioning republic. Censorware and the measures used to implement it threaten this much-cherished right.
2. The software is inefficient in that it only blocks out sites based on keywords and not on actual site content. This means that many sites that feature keywords but not the inappropriate content (the definition of which is defined only by the software corporations that write the censorware). This means that a large number of sites about homosexuality, reproduction, women's rights, censorware and anti-censorship views and other important topics are blocked for no reason. On top of that, the list sites that are blocked are not made public and the user(s) of the software are meant to just accept that the blocked software is porn or hate propaganda or violence when clearly that is not the case (if you want that then turn on the TV). This clearly fits in with the party line of not only Republicans but also many hate groups in America.
3. The implementation of this software, will actually result in the reduction of performance on computers as the browser will have to consult the censorware in order to verify that the site can be accessed. This only slows down the system dramatically on all but the fastest PCs which most librarys don't have (remember that not all librarys have P3-500s with 128Mb of RAM - not an exact estimate but I'm trying to illustrate a point here).
4. Many of the groups that are pushing to implement censorware and other such measures are largely hypocritical in that they preach tolerance and understanding, while at the same time denying it to those who need it most (such as young people, homosexuals, the poor & disadvantaged).
Unfortunately, the whole idea of the people (what would they know anyway, they say) being able to vote on this is being completely fucked around because a vocal minority (i.e. the people who whinge the most about this bullshit) are in just the right places that they can rush through legislation without any consultation to the community whatsoever. This has already happened in Australia (my country of residence and a damn good one, too) where the government has introduced legislation of this type to require ISPs to remove offensive content (once again, a subjective term) on a by-complaint basis. Which means that the same vocal minority can shut down sites that they deem inappropriate for young children.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is let the people decide what they read, see, hear and say instead of the government, religious right, corporations, hate groups or anyone else. Otherwise George Orwell's vision of a repressed society in 1984 and on the album Obsolete by Fear Factory (a great album for fans of industrial music) will someday become reality. And that will be the greatest shame of all.
Slashdot Mirror
The idea that mass is the drag of particles through a sea of Higgs boson actually makes some sense if you think about it.
In a way, it's a similar idea to an object having weight because of the Earth's gravity acting on the mass of the object. It's the kind of idea that makes you change your perspective on physics. This idea of mass being the drag acting on particles moving through Higgs bosons is one that never occured to me before. Is mass then only a perceptual value or is it really a matter of (pardon the pun) how much stuff?
Also, I think people tend to confuse mass and weight because they think weight is how much stuff is in the object but it's actually mass. I mean, you feel the weight of something you hold in your hand because of gravity and the only reason the object remains stationary in your hand is because the muscles that force your hand and the object upwards is the same as the gravitational force downwards.
Although it does give one the impression that we are all underwater in a sea of Higgs bosons. Is it possible for one to drown?
Self Bias Resistor
"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition."
I agreee that it is sad that 3dfx used to make seriously bitchin' hardware. Now the problem with 3dfx is price and performance value. Anyone remember that word? Value? It was when we didn't have to pay an extra $300 for what amounts to about 2 extra fps! 3dfx used to be the market leader in graphics accelerators, but if they don't pull their heads out of their asses then they'll get they'll be well and truly kicked by nVidia.
I mean seriously - who the hell would buy a graphics card that requires an external power supply!? There's only so much electricity in the friggin' world!
Self Bias Resistor
"Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
I think so Brain, but we'll never get a monkey to use dental floss."
I agree with Perdo's comment about important information that should be stored offline. With the exception of some high-grade encryption algorithms currently in the possession of the NSA, it is remarkably easy to eavesdrop on somebody's Internet communications.
Anyone see Tom Cruise explaining the Langley supercomputer room in Mission: Impossible? It's on a stand-alone. No modem access. If there's no modem access then there's NO FUCKIN WAY that you can pull something off that computer. Even if you reconstructed the radio emissions from the screen into another computer (which can be done I might add) you'd have to be at least a few feet away. By then (provided your security personnel have at least half a brain between them) your datathief would already be out the door and into a jail cell.
So if it's important or confidential, store it offline.
I just don't get it. I really don't see what the problem is with Napster. Setting aside all the legal bullshit, the main fear of the RIAA and the Big Five is the loss of control over distribution. If the Big Five have less control over distribution, then they have less power to set and control price levels (which I might add is still considered perfectly legal). The reason that you pay AU$30 for a CD is not because it costs that much to make or that the artist gets even a tiny fraction out of it. It's because the only way you can get it is through a long chain of distributors, stores and other assorted middlemen all taking a piece of the big money pie. The artist doesn't get jackshit and the record companies get fat off the profits.
This is EXACTLY the reason why the rise of MP3 was so rapid. Suddenly, you could get music for FREE! Now the RIAA and the Big Five are complaining that MP3 means lost music sales. This is bullshit and a smokescreen for the distribution control agenda outlined above. Research shows that despite online piracy music sales have increased. Did you hear that you greedy fat-ass music executive leech? Increased! MP3 has allowed music lovers to experience more kinds of music, therefore increasing their range of tastes and subsequent need to buy.
Which makes the whole fear of nobody paying for music seem kinda silly doesn't it?
Self Bias Resistor
"The human brain is like an enormous fish. It's grey, slimy and has gills through which it can see." -Monty Python
I know there's no easily solution to this whole employee privacy/employer responsibility issue but I think you first have to consider how much time employees are spending on the Internet.
I agree, a five-minute break checking eBay for a limited edition CD or something like that is pretty trivial and employees shouldn't be having a heart attack over it. But if an employee is spending so much time on the 'Net that it's really screwing up their productivity then something has to be done. Although it has to be said that monitoring individual employee keystrokes, keywords and opening their email goes over the line and if that's what's happening at your workplace then do something! Which brings me to my next point.
The most important thing in this entire issue is that employees know where they stand rergarding privacy issues. If an employee doesn't know what the regulations are regarding the privacy of their communications then it just creates an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion and that is when you feel that Big Brother is watching you.
Self Bias Resistor
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -Albert Einstein
Okay, I do not present myself as an expert on astrophysics but I think I can provide answers these questions. 1. Black holes come from the collapse of massive stars. Only stars of a certain mass can generate the immense gravity needed to create a black hole (I think it's about several times the mass of the sun). 2. As far as we (scientists) know, black holes do not "grow" in size, they just keep sucking in more matter. 3. The "size" of the black hole is known as the Event Horizon and is the point at which you start getting sucked into the black hole. 4. When something is getting pulled into a black hole it stretches as gravity pulls on it (called "spaghettification") until you're pulled apart. After which, what's left of you floats to the singularity where it is crushed until oblivion. Great. From the outside, people can only see you because light is reflected off you. As you get deeper into the black hole, the light has a hard time getting out until it can't. From the outside, you appear to slow down indefinitely so it only *looks* like you'll never reach the black hole. Hope this helps...
Personally, I'd like to see more anime on TV in the form of TV shows and movies. I like the Macross and Teknoman series but I'd like to see more series like Tenchi. I also love the movies like The Guyver, Akira and Riding Bean. Also, what are the chances of the Cartoon Network showing the Gunsmith Cats mini-series one night? Now *that* would be something...
1. Those who oppose censorship, contrary to the opinion of the AFA or the Republican party, are not Satan-worshipping, porn-loving, children-corrupting heathens. Rather, they are level-headed, free-thinking (not while this shit keeps happening) and intelligent individuals with the (supposed) right to free speech and to view whatever they want. The right for a person to determine (by themselves and unassisted by government, corporations and so-called family groups) what they read, see, hear and say is important not only to the Constitution, but to a soundly functioning republic. Censorware and the measures used to implement it threaten this much-cherished right.
2. The software is inefficient in that it only blocks out sites based on keywords and not on actual site content. This means that many sites that feature keywords but not the inappropriate content (the definition of which is defined only by the software corporations that write the censorware). This means that a large number of sites about homosexuality, reproduction, women's rights, censorware and anti-censorship views and other important topics are blocked for no reason. On top of that, the list sites that are blocked are not made public and the user(s) of the software are meant to just accept that the blocked software is porn or hate propaganda or violence when clearly that is not the case (if you want that then turn on the TV). This clearly fits in with the party line of not only Republicans but also many hate groups in America.
3. The implementation of this software, will actually result in the reduction of performance on computers as the browser will have to consult the censorware in order to verify that the site can be accessed. This only slows down the system dramatically on all but the fastest PCs which most librarys don't have (remember that not all librarys have P3-500s with 128Mb of RAM - not an exact estimate but I'm trying to illustrate a point here).
4. Many of the groups that are pushing to implement censorware and other such measures are largely hypocritical in that they preach tolerance and understanding, while at the same time denying it to those who need it most (such as young people, homosexuals, the poor & disadvantaged).
Unfortunately, the whole idea of the people (what would they know anyway, they say) being able to vote on this is being completely fucked around because a vocal minority (i.e. the people who whinge the most about this bullshit) are in just the right places that they can rush through legislation without any consultation to the community whatsoever. This has already happened in Australia (my country of residence and a damn good one, too) where the government has introduced legislation of this type to require ISPs to remove offensive content (once again, a subjective term) on a by-complaint basis. Which means that the same vocal minority can shut down sites that they deem inappropriate for young children.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is let the people decide what they read, see, hear and say instead of the government, religious right, corporations, hate groups or anyone else. Otherwise George Orwell's vision of a repressed society in 1984 and on the album Obsolete by Fear Factory (a great album for fans of industrial music) will someday become reality. And that will be the greatest shame of all.
"Free-thinkers are dangerous." -System Of A Down