Actually, the universe is a pared down version of emacs.
How is it then that inside a universe you can find emacs, which in turn contains a universe containing emacs... now I get it, it all works out in Linux which does infinite loops in five seconds!
If it's not at the center, it's got to be pretty close considering that Earth itself is at the center of the known universe.
For the sake of clarity, let's agree that it's the very centrepoint of Earth that is the centre of the Universe. From the fact that Earth is not a perfect sphere but slightly flat at the poles, it follows that Canada (being closer to the North Pole) is actually closer to the centre than the USA.
..and taken this picture of the screen in Tampere, Finland. It was big enough to walk through, in which case some steam would condense onto you. IIRC the layer of steam was kept in place by air currents on both sides.
Nanotubes as such are strong. The problem is connecting them up into a rope or ribbon, because the connections between adjacent tubes are usually much weaker. If there were nanotubes long enough for the full length of the ribbon, then we would not have this problem. Then again it's unlikely that we can build 36000-km long molecules.
Good point. More generally, sometimes the exclusivity of a circuit-switched network is more important than the flexibility of a packet-switched one. Another example is DSL, which almost guarantees data throughput between you and the ISP (not that it always helps, because of the rest of the Net).
The people of Hungary are related to Finns. One piece of evidence is the similarities between our languages, which (together with Estonian) are very different from other European languages. And Finland only has some 5 million people, plus one penguin.
While that is a huge simplification, it's a good point especially with cheaper computers that you can get for a couple of hundred bucks. There the fractional cost of Windows is quite significant. Moreover, those machines are not aimed at the most serious users, but for simple things like web and email, so the lack of Windows applications is less of a problem.
those are two different types of machines, as you have pointed out well. The type your ISP has is a server and it is expected to be up at anytime. While, your desktop may crash once a week and you will reboot once a week and go on downloading your movie.
Why should I expect anything less from a desktop computer? Crashing is quite annoying in any case, for example when you're in the middle of writing your dissertation. To say that people are used to their computers crashing doesn't alleviate the problem at all. Besides, having a stable unix-like OS does not exclude having a nice user interface (OS X being a good example).
The core of Buddhism is not about dissociation at all. In fact your description of Druidism sounds not that different from Buddhism. It reminds me of the two meditation practices that are central to Western Buddhism: one of them is for developing compassion towards all living beings (ultimately, everything in the Universe) and the other is for developing clarity of thinking and concentration. When one gets deeper into the practices, the connection between the two sides becomes gradually more apparent.
Buddhism is also very much about knowing yourself and the Universe. Mystical experiences are not excluded, but they are not very central. It has nothing to do with blind faith in ancient scriptures like the major religions.
Machines have been replacing humans in boring, repetitive jobs for a few hundred years. On the other hand the creative and social aspects of humans can never be completely replaced. IMHO this same progress will simply continue like it has before. It means there will be more resources left for new inventions and arts, and the development will continue in an exponential, positive-feedback manner.
On a related note, it appears there isn't enough work for everyone any more. The idea, that every healthy adult in the society should have a job, needs to change radically, because we obviously don't need everyone working in order to run this society and feed ourselves. What we could do is split up the work so that everyone could work, say, four hours a day and have plenty of spare time. This would be a natural progression, considering the working hours are already a lot shorter than they were in the early industrial times. Sadly, however, we're stuck in the notion that everyone has to work full days, even if there's no real need.
As someone who found meditation and yoga via Buddhism a few years ago, I'm usually quite wary of these "Zen and the art of $business" ideas and other similar fads. While I think it's good to introduce these practices to people in general, I think there can be fundamental clashes with the business world. Buddhism is very much about open-minded thinking and compassion, neither of which are really compatible with the capitalist system.
As a laptop + desktop user, I'd find it great if there was only one standard size for HDs. Currently laptop HDs are hideously expensive, partly because they're sold in smaller quantities. In the long run it would be cheaper (for both consumer and manufacturer) to focus on the 2.5'' drives that fit both kinds of computer.
As my story submission got rejected, I think this is a good opportunity to mention this New Scientist article. It's news for nerds who release early and release often.
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How is it then that inside a universe you can find emacs, which in turn contains a universe containing emacs... now I get it, it all works out in Linux which does infinite loops in five seconds!
For the sake of clarity, let's agree that it's the very centrepoint of Earth that is the centre of the Universe. From the fact that Earth is not a perfect sphere but slightly flat at the poles, it follows that Canada (being closer to the North Pole) is actually closer to the centre than the USA.
In fact, DSL goes well with the hypodermic needle, as it can be quite addictive (much more so than its inverse, LSD :).
..and taken this picture of the screen in Tampere, Finland. It was big enough to walk through, in which case some steam would condense onto you. IIRC the layer of steam was kept in place by air currents on both sides.
WTF? I thought 640MB ought to be enough for everyone...
Minesweeper Consultant and Solitaire Expert
Nanotubes as such are strong. The problem is connecting them up into a rope or ribbon, because the connections between adjacent tubes are usually much weaker. If there were nanotubes long enough for the full length of the ribbon, then we would not have this problem. Then again it's unlikely that we can build 36000-km long molecules.
Did it use Windows for suction?
I prefer the picture that says I P on everything. :-)
Good point. More generally, sometimes the exclusivity of a circuit-switched network is more important than the flexibility of a packet-switched one. Another example is DSL, which almost guarantees data throughput between you and the ISP (not that it always helps, because of the rest of the Net).
The people of Hungary are related to Finns. One piece of evidence is the similarities between our languages, which (together with Estonian) are very different from other European languages. And Finland only has some 5 million people, plus one penguin.
How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics!
While that is a huge simplification, it's a good point especially with cheaper computers that you can get for a couple of hundred bucks. There the fractional cost of Windows is quite significant. Moreover, those machines are not aimed at the most serious users, but for simple things like web and email, so the lack of Windows applications is less of a problem.
Why should I expect anything less from a desktop computer? Crashing is quite annoying in any case, for example when you're in the middle of writing your dissertation. To say that people are used to their computers crashing doesn't alleviate the problem at all. Besides, having a stable unix-like OS does not exclude having a nice user interface (OS X being a good example).
Imagine if Gates got a nickel for every time Windows crashed... oh, wait
Buddhism is also very much about knowing yourself and the Universe. Mystical experiences are not excluded, but they are not very central. It has nothing to do with blind faith in ancient scriptures like the major religions.
On a related note, it appears there isn't enough work for everyone any more. The idea, that every healthy adult in the society should have a job, needs to change radically, because we obviously don't need everyone working in order to run this society and feed ourselves. What we could do is split up the work so that everyone could work, say, four hours a day and have plenty of spare time. This would be a natural progression, considering the working hours are already a lot shorter than they were in the early industrial times. Sadly, however, we're stuck in the notion that everyone has to work full days, even if there's no real need.
As someone who found meditation and yoga via Buddhism a few years ago, I'm usually quite wary of these "Zen and the art of $business" ideas and other similar fads. While I think it's good to introduce these practices to people in general, I think there can be fundamental clashes with the business world. Buddhism is very much about open-minded thinking and compassion, neither of which are really compatible with the capitalist system.
As a laptop + desktop user, I'd find it great if there was only one standard size for HDs. Currently laptop HDs are hideously expensive, partly because they're sold in smaller quantities. In the long run it would be cheaper (for both consumer and manufacturer) to focus on the 2.5'' drives that fit both kinds of computer.
It's probably unrelated, but I bought a 120 GB Samsung in May, and got a 3 yr warranty.
How could you miss such an obvious stage?
As my story submission got rejected, I think this is a good opportunity to mention this New Scientist article. It's news for nerds who release early and release often.
If you want the new scheduler, preemption and other goodies on the stable 2.4.21 kernel, try the CK patch.
I think it requires the CK patch to change it. The patch also includes other low latency features which can be quite useful.
There's also Machinae Supremacy from Sweden who makes C64-inspired hard rock. I'll never forget the Bubble Bobble guitar solo :-)