It would take five Earths to support the world population if everybody consumed resources at the rate Americans do
You would think this has been debunked enough times, but it keeps coming back. That statistic means absolutely nothing. Americans use more resources because America manufacturers more than can be used by Americans (i.e., a lot of it is exported). It will never happen that the entire world uses that much resources, because that is more than there are people to use them.
But beyond that, this is the old "limited pie" theory. The pie is limited, therefore anyone who has more than anyone else is robbing that person of their share.
Listen carefully: The pie is not limited. There is an unlimited amount of resource in the world. Let me repeat that: There is an unlimited amount of resource in the world. One more time: There is an unlimited amount of resources in the world.
Don't believe it? That's because you don't think about what the word "resources" actually means. It does not mean oil. It does not mean trees. It means "that which is used in production of other things." For example, we will never run out of oil. Never. All that will happen is oil will get more expensive as it gets more scarce, and then something else becomes economical to use instead.
As for third world "exploitation", the issue is not as simple as you make it sound. The "pennies per hour" is misleading. Could you live here at that rate? No, but they can live in their own country on that rate. That means that you are mixing apples/oranges when comparing pay rates.
We have a responsibility to vote for people who will work hard to make it possible for every single person on the planet to live the way we do.
We're voting for the president of the U.S., not president of the world. We do not have a responsibility to fix the world. The people in each country have a responsibility to fix their own countries, which in many cases means overthrowing their current government (or economic system) and fixing it. As has been proved time and again, you can't fix other people, they have to fix themselves.
It's fascinating to me to read some of these articles about the world Katz lives in, which bears so little resemblence to the world I live in. It's almost like he's describing an alien place.
Jon, the reason no one cares about politics right now is not because of any sense of corporate powerlessness, it's because life is too good! Unemployment is incredible low, salaries are high, and so people have to find issues to whine about (that being human nature).
When the inevitable downturn comes, people will become interested in politics again, and these "pseudo-issues" that grace the frontpage of Slashdot will fade away.
For the past year or so, I've been doing consulting work. This is the best time to do it... all these dot-coms flush with money, looking for a place to spend it. I've mostly been working as a sub-contractor for another consulting company, which means I don't have to do my own marketing. Although my hourly rate is bit lower, they can fill my pipeline with as much work as I want.
As for benefits, I would recommend anyone who wants to do this to wrap themselves in a sub-S corporation (Oh no! Not an evil corporation!). You can set up medical plans, 401Ks, even profit sharing plans. My accountant has said the latter are actually better than 401Ks for tax-deferring savings. He is supposed to give me the details in a few weeks. I don't pretend to understand tax policies (and don't want to).
The question is whether a device can be put together using Crusoe at a reasonable price that taken as a whole, fulfills consumers' needs.
That's sort-of the question, but not really. The real question is whether the Crusoe chip provides better (or at least equivalent) performance for the same price as Intel or AMD offerings. As the original poster correctly points out, there is an open question as to whether the Transmeta chip is really going to make that much difference in battery life compared to the cost in performance.
For most people, "not Intel or AMD" is not a feature. In fact, for most people "not Intel" is a bug. Transmeta needs to be considerably better or cheaper to make a dent in the industry.
I think I would take some Transmeta stock if I could get it for the opening price, but then would promptly sell it after the irrational run-up.:)
I am a little sceptical of your friends laser TV... seeing as it seems to be quite the hack, which one would be hard pressed to reproduce given the latest technology.
You know, now that you're making me shake off the effects of the crack and actually remember the details, I think you're right -- it didn't work. What I actually remember is him getting the controller to work with an oscilloscope (seeing a TV image on the 'scope was kind of cool in itself) but the mirrors couldn't move fast or accurately enough to make an image.
He did end up using the little light blocker in his laser shows, though. He could synchronize the blocker with the mirrors to create some cool effects.
On the flip side, if MS wins it's anti-trust appeals, then Netware has to compete with NT/2000 and ActiveDirectory.
Er, exactly how does NT/2000 and ActiveDirectory go away if MS loses its anti-trust appeals? He seems to think that the trial is about forcing Microsoft into bankruptcy.
It is possible to do raster games with a laser controller. My buddy did it 15 years ago -- not actually with a game, but a television image.
This guy was the ultimate tinkerer. He actually built his own laser light show controller from scratch. The way he did the television image was to set up the mirror controllers to sweep the laser across in lines (that's two mirror controllers). Then, he welded a small piece of metal on a third controller, which could block or let the beam through. It would block the beam in proportion to the brightness of the pixel. It was pretty darn cool.
I think these guys really need to do some raster games. It's also a lot easier on the beam controllers.
Jesus, what are you, twelve years old? Are people's memories that short, that they can even put the word "republican" in the same _sentence_ with "personal freedom"?
Congratulations, you have bought into every cliche the Democrat party has ever made. Nope, my memory is not short. Are Republicans perfect? That would be a big N-O. But they are infinitely preferable to Democrats. All freedom begins with economic freedom, and Democrats are anti-economic freedom.
You mention Nixon, but curiously neglect to mention Clinton. In my mind, Clinton is far, far worse than Nixon. The difference is that Clinton never got caught with enough evidence, except for preying upon his female subordinates.
why I wonder if you're too young to know better.
Again, no, I've been around the block a few times. On the other hand, perhaps you haven't mentally evolved beyond the 60s "flower" mentality. I'm reminded of the old saying: "If you're young and Republican, you have no heart, if you're old and Democrat, you have no brain." So true.
Yeah, what's your point? I've read it before. One of the most frightening and oppressive documents I've ever read. Proving, of course, that socialism != freedom.
So can phone wiretaps. So what? The point is not that the system is perfect and can never be defeated, it's that it can gather information in the cases where it can. Most criminals are pretty stupid.
The claim that learning Chinese characters is harder than learning an alphabet is false.
That's easily demonstrated as false. A 5 year old child can be taught to read just about any book (but not understand all the words, of course). Can a 5 year old chinese child read any chinese book?
Not to mention that Alphabets are much more flexible in accepting new words.
...China someday unseats the US as a world power...
China is the next great world power, and always will be. How long has this been said, 500 years now?
Chinese as a world language is usually dismissed on the bases that the concentration of speakers is localized [...]
I usually dismiss it because they use ideograms rather than an alphabet. I understand the cultural significance (not to mention the artistic aspects), but they really need to just bite the bullet. Alphabets are just a better method.
Did the book say anything about the age when someone would start playing to become a world class guitarist?
The book is packed away in a box somewhere, but I don't recall anything specific to guitarists. The book is mostly about sports where there is a fair amount of empirical evidence (by looking at current and historical players and when they began). Violinists have fairly formalized training, so he had some knowledge to draw from there. I don't know if anyone has studied guitarists.
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There's more to vision than simply an image
on
End To Blindness?
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· Score: 2
I recall a story in one of the Oliver Sacks books about someone who had "motion blindness". There are parts of the brain that process motion, and the patient could see things that were still, but could see them in motion. It wasn't a tracking problem, it was a perception problem. The patient literally couldn't perceive objects in motion.
By the way, anyone who is interested in how the brain works and the nature of perception, concousness and reality should pick up some of his books. They are absolutely fascinating. Any of them will do. Sometimes the best way to see how the brain works is looking at the various ways it can malfunction.
One last story: he had a patient how could only percieve things on the right side of her, but not on the left. She was perfectly rational. Her vision was perfect. She simply couldn't percieve it. When she ate, she would have to eat from the right side of her plate, then turn the plate around. Then eat half of that. Then turn it around again, etc until there was nothing left.
Actually, brains are remarkably flexible, but it's also equally interesting where they are not flexible.
A fascinating book on the subject is called Why Michael Couldn't Hit (and Other Tales from the Neurology of Sports). The author, a Neurologist, talks about the brain's role in becoming a world-class athlete. The title is in reference to asking the question of why Michael Jordan, possibly the best basketball player in history, utterly failed to be a competent baseball player.
It turns out that to be a world-class athlete, there are certain critical neurological growth periods where you have to play the sport or you will never be world-class in the sport. What's interesting is that the age seems to vary based on the sport. Most critical periods seem to be in adolescence, but he also talks about the fact that world-class violinists have to start at a very early age (like 5 or something) or it's simply too late.
You don't have to be into sports to enjoy the book. I found it extremely interesting because rarely do you see information about what the brain can't do.
Furbies are just a stupid plastic piece of American consumerism,
Yes, we must stamp out all childhood fun! Good God, there might be children who actually become attached to this small, cute, colorful, furry doll! Whoever invented such an abomination?
I'll never understand the geek need to destroy anything that might be cute and fun.
Here's a hint to others who feel this way (and this includes Barney, etc): It's not designed for you! It's designed for small children! Get over it!
You've reminded me of another really funny computer book, The Fortran Coloring Book by Kaufman. It's a real textbook, totally hand-written. Out of print now, but it's a pretty funny book.
Slipping in irrelevant weasel words is not a substitute for debate.
I wasn't trying to be cute with language. I mean the newborn brain literally isn't capable of cognition or personality. A newborn is driven by total instinct, and is actually capable of less sophisticated behavior than a lot of animals at birth.
Read some literature on brain development. The first three months is when the brain starts to develop any cognitive capability. It undergoes tremendous physical changes during that time. In fact, the brain still has a smooth appearance at birth, and the "folds" don't develop until later.
Do you have any children? If you do, then you know all they do for the first few months is eat, sleep, cry, pee and poop. They barely even move during that time.
It's clear you're only about 15-16 years old, but that's OK. Eventually you'll learn the world is not as simple as you think.
THIS DOESN"T HAVE TO DO WITH BABIES !!!!! IT"S ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU CAN"T CONTROL PEOPLE !!
We attempt to control people every day. You can't kill others. You can't drive on the wrong side of the road. Of course, you can always choose to break these laws, but society imposes many, many ways of controlling people (including jail).
It's maddening that people don't always make the decisions that would most please you or I.
Indeed. It must be similar to how people felt back in the 1700s when thinking about the immorality of the slave trade. It was much the same arguments "Hey, you live your life the way you want, and I'll live my the way I want". "Don't force your morality on me". "Don't try and control my life". "Don't own slaves if you don't like it". Or any number of other rationalizations.
But civilized society evolves.
you can't make someone carry a baby to term?
Even after all this time, we haven't eliminated the slave trade, either (or murder, for that matter). That doesn't mean we shouldn't continue trying.
I am twenty times more cruel and selfish then you will ever know Mr. Reality Master
You flatter yourself. Got news for you... you're not that unique, even in a negative way. Maybe when you grow up you'll be a little more interesting, but spouting cliches is not rational dialogue.
Slashdot Mirror
It would take five Earths to support the world population if everybody consumed resources at the rate Americans do
You would think this has been debunked enough times, but it keeps coming back. That statistic means absolutely nothing. Americans use more resources because America manufacturers more than can be used by Americans (i.e., a lot of it is exported). It will never happen that the entire world uses that much resources, because that is more than there are people to use them.
But beyond that, this is the old "limited pie" theory. The pie is limited, therefore anyone who has more than anyone else is robbing that person of their share.
Listen carefully: The pie is not limited. There is an unlimited amount of resource in the world. Let me repeat that: There is an unlimited amount of resource in the world. One more time: There is an unlimited amount of resources in the world.
Don't believe it? That's because you don't think about what the word "resources" actually means. It does not mean oil. It does not mean trees. It means "that which is used in production of other things." For example, we will never run out of oil. Never. All that will happen is oil will get more expensive as it gets more scarce, and then something else becomes economical to use instead.
As for third world "exploitation", the issue is not as simple as you make it sound. The "pennies per hour" is misleading. Could you live here at that rate? No, but they can live in their own country on that rate. That means that you are mixing apples/oranges when comparing pay rates.
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We have a responsibility to vote for people who will work hard to make it possible for every single person on the planet to live the way we do.
We're voting for the president of the U.S., not president of the world. We do not have a responsibility to fix the world. The people in each country have a responsibility to fix their own countries, which in many cases means overthrowing their current government (or economic system) and fixing it. As has been proved time and again, you can't fix other people, they have to fix themselves.
--
It's fascinating to me to read some of these articles about the world Katz lives in, which bears so little resemblence to the world I live in. It's almost like he's describing an alien place.
Jon, the reason no one cares about politics right now is not because of any sense of corporate powerlessness, it's because life is too good! Unemployment is incredible low, salaries are high, and so people have to find issues to whine about (that being human nature).
When the inevitable downturn comes, people will become interested in politics again, and these "pseudo-issues" that grace the frontpage of Slashdot will fade away.
--
For the past year or so, I've been doing consulting work. This is the best time to do it... all these dot-coms flush with money, looking for a place to spend it. I've mostly been working as a sub-contractor for another consulting company, which means I don't have to do my own marketing. Although my hourly rate is bit lower, they can fill my pipeline with as much work as I want.
As for benefits, I would recommend anyone who wants to do this to wrap themselves in a sub-S corporation (Oh no! Not an evil corporation!). You can set up medical plans, 401Ks, even profit sharing plans. My accountant has said the latter are actually better than 401Ks for tax-deferring savings. He is supposed to give me the details in a few weeks. I don't pretend to understand tax policies (and don't want to).
--
The question is whether a device can be put together using Crusoe at a reasonable price that taken as a whole, fulfills consumers' needs.
That's sort-of the question, but not really. The real question is whether the Crusoe chip provides better (or at least equivalent) performance for the same price as Intel or AMD offerings. As the original poster correctly points out, there is an open question as to whether the Transmeta chip is really going to make that much difference in battery life compared to the cost in performance.
For most people, "not Intel or AMD" is not a feature. In fact, for most people "not Intel" is a bug. Transmeta needs to be considerably better or cheaper to make a dent in the industry.
I think I would take some Transmeta stock if I could get it for the opening price, but then would promptly sell it after the irrational run-up. :)
--
I am a little sceptical of your friends laser TV... seeing as it seems to be quite the hack, which one would be hard pressed to reproduce given the latest technology.
You know, now that you're making me shake off the effects of the crack and actually remember the details, I think you're right -- it didn't work. What I actually remember is him getting the controller to work with an oscilloscope (seeing a TV image on the 'scope was kind of cool in itself) but the mirrors couldn't move fast or accurately enough to make an image.
He did end up using the little light blocker in his laser shows, though. He could synchronize the blocker with the mirrors to create some cool effects.
It was still a cool experiment, though. :)
--
On the flip side, if MS wins it's anti-trust appeals, then Netware has to compete with NT/2000 and ActiveDirectory.
Er, exactly how does NT/2000 and ActiveDirectory go away if MS loses its anti-trust appeals? He seems to think that the trial is about forcing Microsoft into bankruptcy.
--
It is possible to do raster games with a laser controller. My buddy did it 15 years ago -- not actually with a game, but a television image.
This guy was the ultimate tinkerer. He actually built his own laser light show controller from scratch. The way he did the television image was to set up the mirror controllers to sweep the laser across in lines (that's two mirror controllers). Then, he welded a small piece of metal on a third controller, which could block or let the beam through. It would block the beam in proportion to the brightness of the pixel. It was pretty darn cool.
I think these guys really need to do some raster games. It's also a lot easier on the beam controllers.
--
Jesus, what are you, twelve years old? Are people's memories that short, that they can even put the word "republican" in the same _sentence_ with "personal freedom"?
Congratulations, you have bought into every cliche the Democrat party has ever made. Nope, my memory is not short. Are Republicans perfect? That would be a big N-O. But they are infinitely preferable to Democrats. All freedom begins with economic freedom, and Democrats are anti-economic freedom.
You mention Nixon, but curiously neglect to mention Clinton. In my mind, Clinton is far, far worse than Nixon. The difference is that Clinton never got caught with enough evidence, except for preying upon his female subordinates.
why I wonder if you're too young to know better.
Again, no, I've been around the block a few times. On the other hand, perhaps you haven't mentally evolved beyond the 60s "flower" mentality. I'm reminded of the old saying: "If you're young and Republican, you have no heart, if you're old and Democrat, you have no brain." So true.
--
Yeah, what's your point? I've read it before. One of the most frightening and oppressive documents I've ever read. Proving, of course, that socialism != freedom.
--
Personal freedom is #1. Vote Green!
You want personal freedom, therefore you advocate voting for Socialists? Here's a hint: socialism and freedom are mutually exclusive.
It's posts like this that make me wonder whether people actually look at what the parties believe.
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So can phone wiretaps. So what? The point is not that the system is perfect and can never be defeated, it's that it can gather information in the cases where it can. Most criminals are pretty stupid.
--
What is the advantage of being able to sound out words if you don't understand what they mean?
Because it's only one thing to learn (the meaning), rather than two things (the meaning and the idiogram).
--
The claim that learning Chinese characters is harder than learning an alphabet is false.
That's easily demonstrated as false. A 5 year old child can be taught to read just about any book (but not understand all the words, of course). Can a 5 year old chinese child read any chinese book?
Not to mention that Alphabets are much more flexible in accepting new words.
--
China is the next great world power, and always will be. How long has this been said, 500 years now?
Chinese as a world language is usually dismissed on the bases that the concentration of speakers is localized [...]
I usually dismiss it because they use ideograms rather than an alphabet. I understand the cultural significance (not to mention the artistic aspects), but they really need to just bite the bullet. Alphabets are just a better method.
--
Did the book say anything about the age when someone would start playing to become a world class guitarist?
The book is packed away in a box somewhere, but I don't recall anything specific to guitarists. The book is mostly about sports where there is a fair amount of empirical evidence (by looking at current and historical players and when they began). Violinists have fairly formalized training, so he had some knowledge to draw from there. I don't know if anyone has studied guitarists.
--
I recall a story in one of the Oliver Sacks books about someone who had "motion blindness". There are parts of the brain that process motion, and the patient could see things that were still, but could see them in motion. It wasn't a tracking problem, it was a perception problem. The patient literally couldn't perceive objects in motion.
By the way, anyone who is interested in how the brain works and the nature of perception, concousness and reality should pick up some of his books. They are absolutely fascinating. Any of them will do. Sometimes the best way to see how the brain works is looking at the various ways it can malfunction.
One last story: he had a patient how could only percieve things on the right side of her, but not on the left. She was perfectly rational. Her vision was perfect. She simply couldn't percieve it. When she ate, she would have to eat from the right side of her plate, then turn the plate around. Then eat half of that. Then turn it around again, etc until there was nothing left.
--
Actually, brains are remarkably flexible, but it's also equally interesting where they are not flexible.
A fascinating book on the subject is called Why Michael Couldn't Hit (and Other Tales from the Neurology of Sports). The author, a Neurologist, talks about the brain's role in becoming a world-class athlete. The title is in reference to asking the question of why Michael Jordan, possibly the best basketball player in history, utterly failed to be a competent baseball player.
It turns out that to be a world-class athlete, there are certain critical neurological growth periods where you have to play the sport or you will never be world-class in the sport. What's interesting is that the age seems to vary based on the sport. Most critical periods seem to be in adolescence, but he also talks about the fact that world-class violinists have to start at a very early age (like 5 or something) or it's simply too late.
You don't have to be into sports to enjoy the book. I found it extremely interesting because rarely do you see information about what the brain can't do.
--
Eating animals is not only itself a violent act...
Er, last I checked, humans are omnivores. We are supposed to eat animals. It's called the food chain.
Is it immoral when a lion kills an antelope?
--
Furbies are just a stupid plastic piece of American consumerism,
Yes, we must stamp out all childhood fun! Good God, there might be children who actually become attached to this small, cute, colorful, furry doll! Whoever invented such an abomination?
I'll never understand the geek need to destroy anything that might be cute and fun.
Here's a hint to others who feel this way (and this includes Barney, etc): It's not designed for you! It's designed for small children! Get over it!
--
You've reminded me of another really funny computer book, The Fortran Coloring Book by Kaufman. It's a real textbook, totally hand-written. Out of print now, but it's a pretty funny book.
Q: Why is '*' called the Nathan Hale operator?
A: Because he only had his asterisk.
--
Slipping in irrelevant weasel words is not a substitute for debate.
I wasn't trying to be cute with language. I mean the newborn brain literally isn't capable of cognition or personality. A newborn is driven by total instinct, and is actually capable of less sophisticated behavior than a lot of animals at birth.
Read some literature on brain development. The first three months is when the brain starts to develop any cognitive capability. It undergoes tremendous physical changes during that time. In fact, the brain still has a smooth appearance at birth, and the "folds" don't develop until later.
Do you have any children? If you do, then you know all they do for the first few months is eat, sleep, cry, pee and poop. They barely even move during that time.
--
It's clear you're only about 15-16 years old, but that's OK. Eventually you'll learn the world is not as simple as you think.
THIS DOESN"T HAVE TO DO WITH BABIES !!!!! IT"S ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU CAN"T CONTROL PEOPLE !!
We attempt to control people every day. You can't kill others. You can't drive on the wrong side of the road. Of course, you can always choose to break these laws, but society imposes many, many ways of controlling people (including jail).
It's maddening that people don't always make the decisions that would most please you or I.
Indeed. It must be similar to how people felt back in the 1700s when thinking about the immorality of the slave trade. It was much the same arguments "Hey, you live your life the way you want, and I'll live my the way I want". "Don't force your morality on me". "Don't try and control my life". "Don't own slaves if you don't like it". Or any number of other rationalizations.
But civilized society evolves.
you can't make someone carry a baby to term?
Even after all this time, we haven't eliminated the slave trade, either (or murder, for that matter). That doesn't mean we shouldn't continue trying.
I am twenty times more cruel and selfish then you will ever know Mr. Reality Master
You flatter yourself. Got news for you... you're not that unique, even in a negative way. Maybe when you grow up you'll be a little more interesting, but spouting cliches is not rational dialogue.
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I have a collage education
I hate to pick on you, but that was too funny. I think that should be college education.
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I've been using it under Linux recently. If this is much faster, I'd hate to see what it was like in previous versions.
Did they actually write the class loader in Java? It seems to me that you'd have to try hard to make it this slow.
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