Apart from the obvious answer - the speed of light - its true maximum velocity will be a function of the gas density in space and the craft's velocity relative to the sun.
As you probably know, a body travelling with constant force in the atmosphere exhibits "terminal velocity" which is dependent on the density of the air, and also to a large extent on the turbulence of the flow. That is, a fast object (high force) hits more turbulence, so will get a relatively lower terminal velocity than a slow object.
In space, the "atmosphere" is the dust that fills space. Nowhere near as dense as air, of course, but at extremely high speeds the effective density increases. Thus, there will be a terminal velocity for a given thrust dependent on this. I doubt turbulence comes into this equation at all.
Of course, going from Earth to Mars you're going away from the Sun, so the radiation pressure assists you somewhat. On the return journey you have to fight the radiation pressure.
Systems software research isn't dead, it's just resting. It certainly is not irrelevant.
I agree with the point about Linux, which is why I find Linux so incredibly dull. It's good, but it's not exciting or new (unless you count the development model, which - er - well, Stallman thought of it a while ago now). Linux is like the uberclone of computing - no more exciting than OS/2.
On the other hand, there are great advances to be made in systems software. But it depends what you count to be systems software. Someone said parallel computing's been "solved" - yeah, along with Warp Drive design. That's a huge arena for future development, as are object brokering systems (CORBA isn't the be-all and end-all of that by any means). And ultimately the very way we program computers may change, which would require a complete rethink of everything from the ground up, including systems software.
God, if I thought systems software was "solved" - as some people here do - I'd give up now and become a painter or something.
So why do drug dealers have to be locked up with murderers and rapists? Do you know what the definition of "drug dealer" is in law? It's not just monsters pushing heroin onto 6-year-olds.
So that's relativity. All you need is a speed which is the same in all reference frames. It doesn't have to be anything to do with light at all. There isn't anything which forbids 'faster than light' travel.
You seem to be talking about a class of theories of relativity, in a very abstract way. The fact is, the speed which is the same in all reference frames is the speed of light, at least in our universe.
Re:Why designed for one platform
on
AtheOS
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· Score: 1
Why do some people have to be so rude? So you don't agree with the guy's opinion. That doesn't make him a wanker. But it takes one to know one, as they say.
If you have nothing to add to the conversation, why don't you just butt out?
... or perhaps it's a step forward that now we're only figuratively destroying ourselves, rather than literally destroying ourselves. Putting Mickey Mouse on a space station doesn't really compare to exploding an atomic device over a populated Japanese city, but maybe I'm just old-fashioned. Going into space is progress, no matter how you look at it, and tax dollars have got us basically nowhere since 1969. Let the corporations take us up there. Why the hell not?
Define "standalone". Are you saying that a Linux utility will run off a boot sector? Obviously not. Are you saying a Linux utility uses no operating system services? Obviously not. Indeed, a Linux utility requires many things in order to run. You choose to call this "standalone" but it is an utterly arbitrary distinction.
In fact, it is possible to engineer COM objects so that they are *far* more standalone than even Hello World. COM objects do not intrinsically link to anything, unless they need those services. I could make a COM object right now which was *truly* standalone, and could be invoked just as well from Linux as from Windows. It couldn't do I/O, but it could run.
So, fool, why don't you find out a bit about both Linux utilities and COM before you go off half-cocked calling me a fuckwit. And anyway, I'm talking about the principle of a browser, which is exactly the same as the principle of the shell. If you're too stupid to see the distinction, stay out of the fucking conversation.
A VBS file doesn't need execute permission, because it's not run from the shell. A UNIX email client (MS Outlook for Linux, say) could easily contain a script language, and happily run scripts from non-executable files. I'm sure a shell could be hacked to run shell scripts without execute permissions without much trouble, too. Not that you would do it, but it shows how important it is that every single executable has publicly-available source code so the community can check for such things.
I have an extremely good knowledge of how 3D games really work. But I'm not giving any authoritative views, because I really couldn't care less about how fast the latest FPS runs on Windows or Linux. I got bored after DOOM. Now I play (and write) console games exclusively.
In the UNIX environment you have a few dozen major command-line tools, and hundreds of secondary ones. Each does a specific task. You use the "shell" to invoke these tools; the shell can pipe results between tools, etc. etc.
In the environment I allude to, you have a few dozen major COM components (or similar) and hundreds of secondary ones. Each does a specific task. You use the browser to invoke these tools.
The "browser-as-focus" model is a lot closer to the old UNIX model than you think. It certainly doesn't imply statically linking all the code together!
Slashdot Mirror
So what is the point of your friend the Grammar Nazi? And he wouldn't be you, would he? ;)
As you probably know, a body travelling with constant force in the atmosphere exhibits "terminal velocity" which is dependent on the density of the air, and also to a large extent on the turbulence of the flow. That is, a fast object (high force) hits more turbulence, so will get a relatively lower terminal velocity than a slow object.
In space, the "atmosphere" is the dust that fills space. Nowhere near as dense as air, of course, but at extremely high speeds the effective density increases. Thus, there will be a terminal velocity for a given thrust dependent on this. I doubt turbulence comes into this equation at all.
Of course, going from Earth to Mars you're going away from the Sun, so the radiation pressure assists you somewhat. On the return journey you have to fight the radiation pressure.
Disclaimer: all this is speculative rubbish.
Also, instead of "gavity filled" try "gravity-filled" - not only is "gravity" spelt correctly, the combination is also properly hyphenated.
[PS: Don't take these comments too seriously!]
It's been a while since I played the Cave.
Damned right. I can say this without admitting to cheating, because I was responsible for one of the DOOM ports.
It was part of the game, scrawled (ISTR) on the wall in a cave, and essential to the game's completion.
PS: Slashdot moderation strikes again: if it's not overtly pro-Linux, it must be flamebait.
Yeah, technically.
I think he's an egoistic idiot who left the company that made him famous because he mistakenly thought he was something he is not.
And I bet he didn't learn a thing ... witness all the recent interviews.
He set himself up for this fall, and I for one am laughing my tits off.
I agree with the point about Linux, which is why I find Linux so incredibly dull. It's good, but it's not exciting or new (unless you count the development model, which - er - well, Stallman thought of it a while ago now). Linux is like the uberclone of computing - no more exciting than OS/2.
On the other hand, there are great advances to be made in systems software. But it depends what you count to be systems software. Someone said parallel computing's been "solved" - yeah, along with Warp Drive design. That's a huge arena for future development, as are object brokering systems (CORBA isn't the be-all and end-all of that by any means). And ultimately the very way we program computers may change, which would require a complete rethink of everything from the ground up, including systems software.
God, if I thought systems software was "solved" - as some people here do - I'd give up now and become a painter or something.
It's more like suing Ford after you drove off a cliff because the brakes failed after you opened the glove compartment.
Does anyone actually use VB or Word macros for anything other than viruses? ;)
So why do drug dealers have to be locked up with murderers and rapists? Do you know what the definition of "drug dealer" is in law? It's not just monsters pushing heroin onto 6-year-olds.
You seem to be talking about a class of theories of relativity, in a very abstract way. The fact is, the speed which is the same in all reference frames is the speed of light, at least in our universe.
If you have nothing to add to the conversation, why don't you just butt out?
... or perhaps it's a step forward that now we're only figuratively destroying ourselves, rather than literally destroying ourselves. Putting Mickey Mouse on a space station doesn't really compare to exploding an atomic device over a populated Japanese city, but maybe I'm just old-fashioned. Going into space is progress, no matter how you look at it, and tax dollars have got us basically nowhere since 1969. Let the corporations take us up there. Why the hell not?
In fact, it is possible to engineer COM objects so that they are *far* more standalone than even Hello World. COM objects do not intrinsically link to anything, unless they need those services. I could make a COM object right now which was *truly* standalone, and could be invoked just as well from Linux as from Windows. It couldn't do I/O, but it could run.
So, fool, why don't you find out a bit about both Linux utilities and COM before you go off half-cocked calling me a fuckwit. And anyway, I'm talking about the principle of a browser, which is exactly the same as the principle of the shell. If you're too stupid to see the distinction, stay out of the fucking conversation.
I'm not predicting anything. Nor have I previously. What was it with that post?
I never said a word.
Whatever. Maybe when your testosterone settles down in a few years you'll get over it.
No, I'm not ;) But I do think that, given the existence of the Mach microkernel, anyone writing a new OS today would be mad not to use it.
A VBS file doesn't need execute permission, because it's not run from the shell. A UNIX email client (MS Outlook for Linux, say) could easily contain a script language, and happily run scripts from non-executable files. I'm sure a shell could be hacked to run shell scripts without execute permissions without much trouble, too. Not that you would do it, but it shows how important it is that every single executable has publicly-available source code so the community can check for such things.
I have an extremely good knowledge of how 3D games really work. But I'm not giving any authoritative views, because I really couldn't care less about how fast the latest FPS runs on Windows or Linux. I got bored after DOOM. Now I play (and write) console games exclusively.
In the UNIX environment you have a few dozen major command-line tools, and hundreds of secondary ones. Each does a specific task. You use the "shell" to invoke these tools; the shell can pipe results between tools, etc. etc.
In the environment I allude to, you have a few dozen major COM components (or similar) and hundreds of secondary ones. Each does a specific task. You use the browser to invoke these tools.
The "browser-as-focus" model is a lot closer to the old UNIX model than you think. It certainly doesn't imply statically linking all the code together!
Sorry if my use of the jocular "Good Thing(tm)" annoyed you so much. My advice is to chill the fuck out. It would be a Good Thing(tm).