I think you should stop reading science fiction, and go back to the "fiction" section of the bookstore. It's easier to imagine places and times that actually exist.
There's an easier solution. They probably just oriented the ring so the edge was facing towards the core. The 1000 mile high walls would make excellent radiation sheilds.
Destiny's road was very different from Niven's usual fare. I think because it was so different from what people expected, they reacted. In my personal opinion, Destiny's Road was one of his best.
Imagine if Slashdot only posted news once. If I was away for a few weeks, and slashdot posted a really cool article about some obscure subject that's rarely covered by anyone, I would most likely miss out.
Not everyone reads the first article. Quite frankly, I'm glad Slashdot reposts nearly identical articles.
Thanks for the clarifications. In some ways, though not others, the Communist Party behaved like feudal overlords. Some say this was not communism, others say it was a very poor attempt at it. The Communist Party would have said it was their version of communism, and it was the right way. It was probably a mix of all of these (except for the part about being the right way.)
But I think this shows there's no argument about the fact that the USSR was not fascist.
Why should I be insulting? It's quite true that the United States education system isn't broken. If you don't believe me, there's a topic posted on the main page today that exclusively deals with how horrible the education system is.
And it's obvious that you don't understand. USSR was closest to communism, because there were no corporations. Everything was centrally planned. The closest idea anyone had to capitalism was selling vegetables at the market. Any business larger than that was outlawed. Hence a communism.
Nazi Germany was fascist because corporations were allowed as much power and freedom as could be allowed. Hitler was quite pro-corporation. Many of the big firms still exist today, such as Siemens.
You think fascism means "Single powerful ruler, and repressing people's freedoms"? Fascism is unique because of how it treats economics. Even in it's most free times in the seventies, the USSR wasn't even close.
To quote Inigo Montoya... "You keep using that word, but I don't think it means what you think it means."
QUOTE (empahsis mine) "Here is my hypothesis: America, laregly due to fear first brought about by the cold war and now due to terrorism, has largely abrogated its dedication to a fair justice system, robust liberties, and a government that the people can meaningfully change through the democratic process. As a result, 21st century America shares more characteristics with traditional fascist states (viz. communist Russia c. 1975) than with secular democracies."
It seems that the United States government has also abrogated any responsibility to provide a decent educational system to it's citizens. Was that a typo, or do you honestly not understand why the USSR could never have been considered a fascist country?
I guess you missed the part about the "dictatorship of the proletariat". I agree with you that China isn't a communist country, but not for the reason you state.
We've strung many cables much longer than the space elevator across the atlantic. We just have to make one shorter, and a little stronger, and then hang it straight down from a satellite.
I havn't read anything about the Rotovator, nor did I know the idea existed before I read this thread. However, I'll attempt to answer your questions, based on what I know about physics.
The atmosphere at 100km is very thin, so there won't be nearly as much drag. In fact, the 100km boundary is called the "karman line". It's considered the boundary between air and space, because anything past that limit will not experience very much drag at all. So they would have to beef up the end of the tether, but not by very much.
Raising orbit can be done in one of a few ways. Since the Rotovator is a tether, you could use a tether electrodynamic system to raise orbit. (See this month's issue of Scientific American.)
Also you assume that the centre of gravity will be in geostationary orbit. If the centre was slightly further away, the Rotovator would have the tendency to "drift away", so to speak. It would then remain in place because the effects of drag and raising payloads would balance this, much like the counterweight on a space elevator. With a space elevator you have the constant pull of the tether. With the Rotovator you have the periodic pull of the tether when it brushes up against the atmosphere.
Of course, I'm just pulling these ideas out of my ass. By all means, google the Rotovator and read more about it if you're still interested. I think I'll do that too, I'm thinking this idea could actually work.
Sergey Brin speaks publicly about space elevators. David Brin (science fiction author) speaks publicly about space elevators too. Does anyone know if these two fellows are related? It just seems too coincidental to me.
Remember, you are special, just like everyone else.
"So the assumption is that a child young enough to be attracted to the weasel-ferret-whatever mascot will read and understand the license agreements included with his or her software? Perhaps the BSA wants to donate to some sort of fund for early legal education?"
--- SNIP ---
What's very interesting and ironic is that in most places, contracts involving childeren aren't legally binding, including licence agreements. In effect, as long as childeren can get ahold of software, any EULA is null and void.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around that, and what it means legally. Does anyone know?
So really, it wasn't the Dvorak keyboard that helps you type faster. I think your typing skills increased when you learned not to look at the keyboard, and the layout of the keys is irrelevant? Was there something special with the Dvorak keyboard, or was it just the keyboard that you happened to be using when you learned not to look at the keys?
That is incorrect, the biggest city in terms of land area is the municipality of Wood Buffalo, in northeast Alberta. And I'm sure they would love broadband.
Having listened to pop music from the united states, and watched their tv, I can certainly say that the Canadian Content rule is most certainly a form of quality control.:-))
But seriously though, US media is a threat to national unity. If we allowed the airwaves to be flooded with US stuff, we'd lose a good deal of our Canadian identity.
Slashdot Mirror
They will RE RE RE Release the Return of the Jedi, with an aged and mutilated Hayden Christensen underneath Darth Vader's helmet.
At least, that's what I'd do if I wanted more money.
Not if the entire ring is on it's side. 1000 mile high walls cast a big shadow.
I think you should stop reading science fiction, and go back to the "fiction" section of the bookstore. It's easier to imagine places and times that actually exist.
There's an easier solution. They probably just oriented the ring so the edge was facing towards the core. The 1000 mile high walls would make excellent radiation sheilds.
Destiny's road was very different from Niven's usual fare. I think because it was so different from what people expected, they reacted. In my personal opinion, Destiny's Road was one of his best.
Bork!
Imagine if Slashdot only posted news once. If I was away for a few weeks, and slashdot posted a really cool article about some obscure subject that's rarely covered by anyone, I would most likely miss out.
Not everyone reads the first article. Quite frankly, I'm glad Slashdot reposts nearly identical articles.
Providing they're not posted the same day.
My 802.11b and g have more channels, or at least they say they do? How is there effectively only 3? I havn't heard about this, can you please explain?
Thanks for the clarifications. In some ways, though not others, the Communist Party behaved like feudal overlords. Some say this was not communism, others say it was a very poor attempt at it. The Communist Party would have said it was their version of communism, and it was the right way. It was probably a mix of all of these (except for the part about being the right way.)
But I think this shows there's no argument about the fact that the USSR was not fascist.
I meant to say "the United States education system is broken."
Oops. Mea culpa.
Why should I be insulting? It's quite true that the United States education system isn't broken. If you don't believe me, there's a topic posted on the main page today that exclusively deals with how horrible the education system is.
And it's obvious that you don't understand. USSR was closest to communism, because there were no corporations. Everything was centrally planned. The closest idea anyone had to capitalism was selling vegetables at the market. Any business larger than that was outlawed. Hence a communism.
Nazi Germany was fascist because corporations were allowed as much power and freedom as could be allowed. Hitler was quite pro-corporation. Many of the big firms still exist today, such as Siemens.
You think fascism means "Single powerful ruler, and repressing people's freedoms"? Fascism is unique because of how it treats economics. Even in it's most free times in the seventies, the USSR wasn't even close.
To quote Inigo Montoya...
"You keep using that word, but I don't think it means what you think it means."
QUOTE (empahsis mine)
"Here is my hypothesis: America, laregly due to fear first brought about by the cold war and now due to terrorism, has largely abrogated its dedication to a fair justice system, robust liberties, and a government that the people can meaningfully change through the democratic process. As a result, 21st century America shares more characteristics with traditional fascist states (viz. communist Russia c. 1975) than with secular democracies."
It seems that the United States government has also abrogated any responsibility to provide a decent educational system to it's citizens. Was that a typo, or do you honestly not understand why the USSR could never have been considered a fascist country?
I guess you missed the part about the "dictatorship of the proletariat". I agree with you that China isn't a communist country, but not for the reason you state.
Now the knowlege of how to get her to do THAT, my friend, would be more valuable than the secrets of the universe. :P
My wife, unlike yours, does not carry the complete human genome. I think she lacks Y chromasome. Sometimes. It keeps leaking out.
"So, hating Microsoft's software is a healthy attitude, hating their hardware product isn't."
How then do you feel about the drivers that come with the mouse, and leave that funny icon in the system tray?
Bork!
We've strung many cables much longer than the space elevator across the atlantic. We just have to make one shorter, and a little stronger, and then hang it straight down from a satellite.
I havn't read anything about the Rotovator, nor did I know the idea existed before I read this thread. However, I'll attempt to answer your questions, based on what I know about physics.
The atmosphere at 100km is very thin, so there won't be nearly as much drag. In fact, the 100km boundary is called the "karman line". It's considered the boundary between air and space, because anything past that limit will not experience very much drag at all. So they would have to beef up the end of the tether, but not by very much.
Raising orbit can be done in one of a few ways. Since the Rotovator is a tether, you could use a tether electrodynamic system to raise orbit. (See this month's issue of Scientific American.)
Also you assume that the centre of gravity will be in geostationary orbit. If the centre was slightly further away, the Rotovator would have the tendency to "drift away", so to speak. It would then remain in place because the effects of drag and raising payloads would balance this, much like the counterweight on a space elevator. With a space elevator you have the constant pull of the tether. With the Rotovator you have the periodic pull of the tether when it brushes up against the atmosphere.
Of course, I'm just pulling these ideas out of my ass. By all means, google the Rotovator and read more about it if you're still interested. I think I'll do that too, I'm thinking this idea could actually work.
Bork!
Sergey Brin speaks publicly about space elevators. David Brin (science fiction author) speaks publicly about space elevators too. Does anyone know if these two fellows are related? It just seems too coincidental to me.
Remember, you are special, just like everyone else.
"So the assumption is that a child young enough to be attracted to the weasel-ferret-whatever mascot will read and understand the license agreements included with his or her software? Perhaps the BSA wants to donate to some sort of fund for early legal education?"
--- SNIP ---
What's very interesting and ironic is that in most places, contracts involving childeren aren't legally binding, including licence agreements. In effect, as long as childeren can get ahold of software, any EULA is null and void.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around that, and what it means legally. Does anyone know?
E
Because you can make a bid on as little as 4 shares, and get it right off the bat, at the same price as the guy who bid for 4000 shares.
So really, it wasn't the Dvorak keyboard that helps you type faster. I think your typing skills increased when you learned not to look at the keyboard, and the layout of the keys is irrelevant? Was there something special with the Dvorak keyboard, or was it just the keyboard that you happened to be using when you learned not to look at the keys?
"Thumbs up to the Italians, though :)"
They only did this because Berlusconi doesn't own Sony Italy yet.
That is incorrect, the biggest city in terms of land area is the municipality of Wood Buffalo, in northeast Alberta. And I'm sure they would love broadband.
You forgot language and race.
Having listened to pop music from the united states, and watched their tv, I can certainly say that the Canadian Content rule is most certainly a form of quality control. :-))
But seriously though, US media is a threat to national unity. If we allowed the airwaves to be flooded with US stuff, we'd lose a good deal of our Canadian identity.