Not to break off this delightful train of thought, but the problem is that the sun is getting cooler. A lot cooler. It's magnetic field is looking
BOOM. Full stop. Train of thought broken. That's a cognitive speedbump, and I stopped reading immediately. If you want people to actually read what you write, especially smart people, then treat the language with respect.
See the link in my sig below. Yeah, it's a sore point for me, especially around here.
Knobs. Buttons. A little display. Wired and wireless Ethernet. A powerful loudspeaker.
Quote: If only I could just hit the power switch, and then turn a knob to the "KGO" station... ? I'd be pretty likely to buy something like this.
And I did exactly that a couple months ago. Drove over to my local big box electronics retailer and drove home with a Logitech Squeezebox Radio (it was definitely hard to find in the store, though, since it straddles the world of boomboxes/radios and internet gear).
At $150 it's not really that cheap, but it does exactly what many people here are clamoring for: gives them SIMPLE one-button access to internet radio, without having to fire up a full-blown PC app. I bought it for my elderly father, and have a preset button (a hardware button) set to KCBS (San Francisco), WINS (New York), an internet station that plays Celtic tunes, and so forth. Two button presses (power + preset) and he's got the sound filling the room, and the PC can stay off.
And soon the battery module will be available for sale and he'll be able to carry the radio around, even.
This is a solved problem, folks. Go buy one for your elderly relative.
DNA has been getting relied on heavily lately to solve otherwise cold cases. States have started running crime scene evidence through DNA databases wholesale, and then running with whatever match they get, even if it's just a partial.
Think about it: if there's a one in a million chance that the DNA will match, and you have a 20 million person database, then you're going to get 20 matches. Now just find the guy who's most convenient to prosecute. Boom, instant cold case conversion!
Even if this gets modded up to +5, it's going to be buried under a dozen pointless and irrelevant posts about imperial vs. metric...
From the ISS Flight Director briefing on NASA TV at 1:30pm today: http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5693:sts-130-iss-flight-director-update-fd-7-8&catid=1:latest [transcribing] "Crew was able to use their eyes and hands and gave good info on interference along with photos, Jeff has had a lot of hands on the hardware and he's given us the best info. His info allowed us to validate what he's seeing with our records on the ground. Actual interference is just a bolthead, that caused us to question our clearance analysis. We went back and looked at it since we don't want clearance issue when we install Cupola on nadir, and found that we have more clearance than originally expected."
From the Flight Day 8 "execute package" sent up around 3pm to the Endeavour astronauts: ( http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/426345main_FD08.pdf ) "Because of your excellent work in checking interferences, we are now comfortable with proceeding with cupola depress and relocate today!!! Thanks so much!!!"
From the NASA TV schedule, Tuesday: CUPOLA MLI REMOVAL 10:39 PM EST / 03:39 UTC
After that the windows can be opened, which is what we're all waiting for!
The result, according to Python, works out to around 1.143*10^796, which is large, but not infinite.
37 minutes.
As I read "infinite" in the summary, I thought "OK, let's see how long it takes for one of these yahoos to calculate how many combinations there really are", since it is of course not infinite. The post went up at 6:02pm, and the parent of this post went up at 6:39pm. Congratulations:)
They should have been proud of this, frankly. Distributed computing is a very interesting field and becoming more and more relevant. Certainly it would have been a great educational opportunity. Similarly, SETI really isn't laughed at much anymore... Well, unless you're not too bright and take things like the Drudge Report and Sarah Palin seriously. Oh, crap.
Making the rounds of the blogs and TV shows is the story of William Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi who, at age 14, taught himself enough about electricity to build a windmill generator for his house. But what kills me is that he made a GFCI from... nails, wire and a magnet. Look at this video of his appearance on The Daily Show last month, specifically starting 2 minutes in, and note his description of what it does. (here's a picture) He calls it a circuit breaker, but that is functionally actually a GFCI! Jesus H. Christ, that is brilliant!
I'd like to see someone here explain what the difference is between this and an ion thrust engine, like the Xenon unit in use on the Dawn spacecraft now. Since I'm posting this, I won't be able to mod up, but if you see such an explanation please mod it up.
Also, can someone explain was those huge RF power outputs are NOT expected to wreak havoc with ISS communications?
-----
Ad Astra Rocket Companys VASIMR® VX-200 rocket prototype reached its highly-coveted 200 kW maximum power milestone at 11:59 am (CST) September 30th 2009 in tests conducted at the companys Houston laboratory. The DC power trace actually exceeded the design requirement by 1 kW and exhibited the clear signature of a well established plateau at peak power. The achievement comes after an intense experimental campaign that began in April 2009 when the engine was fitted with a powerful low temperature superconducting magnet, a critical component that enables VASIMR® to process large amounts of plasma power. The electrical power processing is accomplished using high efficiency, 95%, solid state RF generators built by Nautel Ltd of Halifax, Canada. Demonstration of a 200 kW capability was required to validate, with full scale performance data, the design of the VF-200-1 already underway. The VX-200 turns out to exceed the expected power density of VF-200-1 by about 25%, so this is a robust demonstration of the technology. The VF-200-1 is the first engine that the company plans to fly in space, and it is presently working with NASA to effectuate inspace testing in late 2013 on the International Space Station (ISS).
The total power processed by the engine is distributed between its two electromagnetic stages. The first, tested last July at its full 32 kW power rating, generates the plasma from Argon feedstock gas, while the second energizes it to the desired output conditions. At maximum power, the second stage contributes an additional 168 kW to complete the 200 kW power rating. The 200 kW test is, in effect, a validation of the VASIMR® second stage design, a hitherto untested element of the engine at these tremendous power levels, said Dr. Jared P. Squire, Ad Astras Director of Research and leader of the experimental team conducting the tests. Preliminary data indicate a better than expected power coupling, leading to slightly less thermal stress than originally predicted. These findings will continue to be verified, but the indications point to operation well within the chosen design specifications he said.
Short for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, VASIMR® is a new high-power plasma-based space propulsion technology, initially studied by NASA and now being developed privately by Ad Astra. A VASIMR® engine could transport payloads in space far more efficiently and economically than todays chemical rockets. The company envisions an early commercial deployment of the technology, beginning in 2014, to greatly reduce the operational costs of maintaining an evolving space infrastructure, including space stations, satellites, lunar outposts and fuel depots in the Earth-Moon environment. Ultimately, VASIMR® engines could also greatly shorten robotic and human transit times for missions to Mars and beyond.
Over the past few years, IEEE Spectrum magazine has been running a series of reviews of "Sci/Tech Museums". You'll find most of the reviews simply by searching there:
Seeing the crap from the 80's that has been regurgitated as awesome, with little mention of what really WAS great back then (Gang Of Four, Minutemen, Cramps. etc.) makes me wonder what was really going on in the 60's, under the Joplin/Doors/Beatles shite that was regurgitated to us in the 80's and 90's.
less slashdotted trailer link
on
Tron Legacy Exposed
·
· Score: 2, Informative
OK OK, I won't mod him down like I was going to. But JESUS CHRIST goombah99, take a extra minute and proofread your post next time and fix all the errors! There's apparently something of value in there, but trying to read it makes my brain bleed.
"Our current estimate for re-establishing Bing Travel functionality is 5pm PST," says a notice at Bing
When someone in a technical role screws up a timezone designation, for me that is always a red flag that they are sloppy with facts, and I need to closely watch their other decisions, actions and statements, because they may be in over their head.
I know I'm heading to the moderation cellar for this, but COME ON guys, don't be so damn lazy about your language. See my sig below.
That kind of mistake is a huge cognitive speed bump for many readers. You're blowing your chance to communicate with your audience when you make (and belittle complaints about) adolescent mistakes like this.
The geysers are old news. The new news is that Cassini has detected SALTS in Saturn's rings, pointing to a possible salty ocean under the icy surface of Enceladus.
Last fall during the run-up to the original launch date, NASA conducted their usual round of press briefings on this mission, 30 days prior to launch. The briefings included the usual information about the mission, the crew, the scheduled spacewalk work, etc.
In addition to those briefings typical for any shuttle flight, they conducted a "science briefing" to explain what the work of this servicing mission was going to do for the scientific capabilities of Hubble. In the briefing was an all-star cast of astronomical scientists:
Ed Weiler, NASA administrator
David Leckrone, Hubble senior scientist
Robert O'Connell, committee chair for one of the two new instruments
James Green, principal investigator for the other new instrument
Heidi Hammel, scientist representing users of Hubble
Each of them made a short speech and then the rest of the briefing was turned over to questions from the press. I would encourage anyone with even a fleeting interest in science or astronomy to take the time to download and watch the entire briefing, as it is truly fantastic stuff they're talking about, and these guys do a great job of explaining it to regular people. Certainly science could use a bit of a pep talk after weathering the last 8 years of the Bush administration's hostility to science and objective truths.
In particular, the last person on the dais, Dr. Hammel, give an impassioned 10-minutes speech on the impact of Hubble on science and indeed on culture. It's an astonishing and beautiful statement on where we are in astronomical science and where we may be headed if this shuttle mission goes as planned. I'm surprised the press room didn't erupt in applause when she finished.
Dr. Hammel's speech starts at the 38:50 mark in the first half of the briefing that I've linked below. If you don't have time to watch the entire 90-minute briefing, at least watch her 10 minutes.
The above is adapted from an entry that I made to my personal blog back in September (not linked here). Sadly, I see that the above download links no longer work. I have not been able to find the briefing on Youtube, and the repeat briefings from a couple weeks ago did not include Dr. Hammel. FORTUNATELY, I did find most of Dr. Hammel's speech incorporated into a nice 5 minute video right here. Please check it out!
incredible artist rendition
on
When Comets Attack
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
This artist's rendition of the explosion graced the back cover of this month's The Planetary Report (from The Planetary Society). It illustrates how the bolide likely blew up above the ground and hence produced no crater. The artist is Don Davis.
I've been a Netflix member for about 8 years. I get my movies extremely quickly, but I'm also an extremely light user -- maybe 1-2 movies a month. Parent post is right on everything.
And maybe mod grandparent down a little bit from the +5 it's at...
Slashdot Mirror
Not to break off this delightful train of thought, but the problem is that the sun is getting cooler. A lot cooler. It's magnetic field is looking
BOOM. Full stop. Train of thought broken. That's a cognitive speedbump, and I stopped reading immediately. If you want people to actually read what you write, especially smart people, then treat the language with respect.
See the link in my sig below. Yeah, it's a sore point for me, especially around here.
By posting this, I'm undoing some much-needed moderation I already did on this thread, but nobody's said anything about it so I gotta do it.
Squeezebox RADIO. No, not a Squeezebox, a Squeezebox RADIO.
http://www.logitechsqueezebox.com/products/squeezebox-radio.html
Knobs. Buttons. A little display. Wired and wireless Ethernet. A powerful loudspeaker.
Quote: If only I could just hit the power switch, and then turn a knob to the "KGO" station... ? I'd be pretty likely to buy something like this.
And I did exactly that a couple months ago. Drove over to my local big box electronics retailer and drove home with a Logitech Squeezebox Radio (it was definitely hard to find in the store, though, since it straddles the world of boomboxes/radios and internet gear).
At $150 it's not really that cheap, but it does exactly what many people here are clamoring for: gives them SIMPLE one-button access to internet radio, without having to fire up a full-blown PC app. I bought it for my elderly father, and have a preset button (a hardware button) set to KCBS (San Francisco), WINS (New York), an internet station that plays Celtic tunes, and so forth. Two button presses (power + preset) and he's got the sound filling the room, and the PC can stay off.
And soon the battery module will be available for sale and he'll be able to carry the radio around, even.
This is a solved problem, folks. Go buy one for your elderly relative.
DNA has been getting relied on heavily lately to solve otherwise cold cases. States have started running crime scene evidence through DNA databases wholesale, and then running with whatever match they get, even if it's just a partial.
Think about it: if there's a one in a million chance that the DNA will match, and you have a 20 million person database, then you're going to get 20 matches. Now just find the guy who's most convenient to prosecute. Boom, instant cold case conversion!
DNA's Dirty Little Secret: a forensic tool renowned for exonerating the innocent may actually be putting them in prison
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1003.bobelian.html
Also:
New Rule Allows Use of Partial DNA Matches
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/nyregion/25dna.html
DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18dna.html
The new Hubble movie in IMAX 3D has two major flythrough visualizations using Hubble data. One of them is of the star nursey in the Orion Nebula.
Go see the movie. It actually wasn't playing in my (major!) city, and so last weekend I drove 4 hours roundtrip to go see it. I know, I know.
I came in here to see if someone had figured out and posted the Google Maps URL for this location.
Instead, even at +5, I've got 27 comments with the same tired "debate" about global warming.
Slashdot, you suck.
Here's the location, supposedly:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=New+Moore+Island,+Bangladesh&ie=UTF8&hl=en&cd=1&split=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&hq=&hnear=New+Moore+Island&ll=21.638282,89.145126&spn=0.213497,0.276031&t=h&z=12
Even if this gets modded up to +5, it's going to be buried under a dozen pointless and irrelevant posts about imperial vs. metric ...
From the ISS Flight Director briefing on NASA TV at 1:30pm today:
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5693:sts-130-iss-flight-director-update-fd-7-8&catid=1:latest
[transcribing] "Crew was able to use their eyes and hands and gave good info on interference along with photos, Jeff has had a lot of hands on the hardware and he's given us the best info. His info allowed us to validate what he's seeing with our records on the ground. Actual interference is just a bolthead, that caused us to question our clearance analysis. We went back and looked at it since we don't want clearance issue when we install Cupola on nadir, and found that we have more clearance than originally expected."
From the Flight Day 8 "execute package" sent up around 3pm to the Endeavour astronauts:
( http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/426345main_FD08.pdf )
"Because of your excellent work in checking interferences, we are now comfortable with
proceeding with cupola depress and relocate today!!! Thanks so much!!!"
From the NASA TV schedule, Tuesday:
CUPOLA MLI REMOVAL 10:39 PM EST / 03:39 UTC
After that the windows can be opened, which is what we're all waiting for!
The result, according to Python, works out to around 1.143*10^796, which is large, but not infinite.
37 minutes.
As I read "infinite" in the summary, I thought "OK, let's see how long it takes for one of these yahoos to calculate how many combinations there really are", since it is of course not infinite. The post went up at 6:02pm, and the parent of this post went up at 6:39pm. Congratulations :)
This post needs to be tagged with "Memento".
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/
They should have been proud of this, frankly. Distributed computing is a very interesting field and becoming more and more relevant. Certainly it would have been a great educational opportunity. Similarly, SETI really isn't laughed at much anymore ... Well, unless you're not too bright and take things like the Drudge Report and Sarah Palin seriously. Oh, crap.
Making the rounds of the blogs and TV shows is the story of William Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi who, at age 14, taught himself enough about electricity to build a windmill generator for his house. But what kills me is that he made a GFCI from ... nails, wire and a magnet. Look at this video of his appearance on The Daily Show last month, specifically starting 2 minutes in, and note his description of what it does. (here's a picture) He calls it a circuit breaker, but that is functionally actually a GFCI! Jesus H. Christ, that is brilliant!
This is a pretty big deal. The fact that NASA signed up about a year ago to let him test it on ISS makes it worth paying attention to.
The embedded video links on the AdAstra website don't work so great, so here are some YouTube videos posted by one of the AdAstra PhD's yesterday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIg6pWwezEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bRgK590u-M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvuNUNqW6Sc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs0e2qhxdZ4
Below is the info attached to that first video.
I'd like to see someone here explain what the difference is between this and an ion thrust engine, like the Xenon unit in use on the Dawn spacecraft now. Since I'm posting this, I won't be able to mod up, but if you see such an explanation please mod it up.
Also, can someone explain was those huge RF power outputs are NOT expected to wreak havoc with ISS communications?
-----
Ad Astra Rocket Companys VASIMR® VX-200 rocket prototype reached its highly-coveted 200 kW maximum power milestone at 11:59 am (CST) September 30th 2009 in tests conducted at the companys Houston laboratory. The DC power trace actually exceeded the design requirement by 1 kW and exhibited the clear signature of a well established plateau at peak power. The achievement comes after an intense experimental campaign that began in April 2009 when the engine was fitted with a powerful low temperature superconducting magnet, a critical component that enables VASIMR® to process large amounts of plasma power. The electrical power processing is accomplished using high efficiency, 95%, solid state RF generators built by Nautel Ltd of Halifax, Canada. Demonstration of a 200 kW capability was required to validate, with full scale performance data, the design of the VF-200-1 already underway. The VX-200 turns out to exceed the expected power density of VF-200-1 by about 25%, so this is a robust demonstration of the technology. The VF-200-1 is the first engine that the company plans to fly in space, and it is presently working with NASA to effectuate inspace testing in late 2013 on the International Space Station (ISS).
The total power processed by the engine is distributed between its two electromagnetic stages. The first, tested last July at its full 32 kW power rating, generates the plasma from Argon feedstock gas, while the second energizes it to the desired output conditions. At maximum power, the second stage contributes an additional 168 kW to complete the 200 kW power rating. The 200 kW test is, in effect, a validation of the VASIMR® second stage design, a hitherto untested element of the engine at these tremendous power levels, said Dr. Jared P. Squire, Ad Astras Director of Research and leader of the experimental team conducting the tests. Preliminary data indicate a better than expected power coupling, leading to slightly less thermal stress than originally predicted. These findings will continue to be verified, but the indications point to operation well within the chosen design specifications he said.
Short for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, VASIMR® is a new high-power plasma-based space propulsion technology, initially studied by NASA and now being developed privately by Ad Astra. A VASIMR® engine could transport payloads in space far more efficiently and economically than todays chemical rockets. The company envisions an early commercial deployment of the technology, beginning in 2014, to greatly reduce the operational costs of maintaining an evolving space infrastructure, including space stations, satellites, lunar outposts and fuel depots in the Earth-Moon environment. Ultimately, VASIMR® engines could also greatly shorten robotic and human transit times for missions to Mars and beyond.
THE TECHNOLOGY
The VASI
Over the past few years, IEEE Spectrum magazine has been running a series of reviews of "Sci/Tech Museums". You'll find most of the reviews simply by searching there:
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/search?media=all&q=museums&x=0&y=0
You'll get a good dozen or so reviews right there, and done by sharp, observant technology professionals.
Right ON brother!
Seeing the crap from the 80's that has been regurgitated as awesome, with little mention of what really WAS great back then (Gang Of Four, Minutemen, Cramps. etc.) makes me wonder what was really going on in the 60's, under the Joplin/Doors/Beatles shite that was regurgitated to us in the 80's and 90's.
http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/07/27/wake-n-watch-tron-legacy-teaser-trailer/
OK OK, I won't mod him down like I was going to. But JESUS CHRIST goombah99, take a extra minute and proofread your post next time and fix all the errors! There's apparently something of value in there, but trying to read it makes my brain bleed.
"Our current estimate for re-establishing Bing Travel functionality is 5pm PST," says a notice at Bing
When someone in a technical role screws up a timezone designation, for me that is always a red flag that they are sloppy with facts, and I need to closely watch their other decisions, actions and statements, because they may be in over their head.
I know I'm heading to the moderation cellar for this, but COME ON guys, don't be so damn lazy about your language. See my sig below.
That kind of mistake is a huge cognitive speed bump for many readers. You're blowing your chance to communicate with your audience when you make (and belittle complaints about) adolescent mistakes like this.
Your sarcasm detector is broken.
The geysers are old news. The new news is that Cassini has detected SALTS in Saturn's rings, pointing to a possible salty ocean under the icy surface of Enceladus.
One of the funniest Daily Show bits ever:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=87155&title=News-I%27d-Like-to-F@#k
Last fall during the run-up to the original launch date, NASA conducted their usual round of press briefings on this mission, 30 days prior to launch. The briefings included the usual information about the mission, the crew, the scheduled spacewalk work, etc.
In addition to those briefings typical for any shuttle flight, they conducted a "science briefing" to explain what the work of this servicing mission was going to do for the scientific capabilities of Hubble. In the briefing was an all-star cast of astronomical scientists:
Each of them made a short speech and then the rest of the briefing was turned over to questions from the press. I would encourage anyone with even a fleeting interest in science or astronomy to take the time to download and watch the entire briefing, as it is truly fantastic stuff they're talking about, and these guys do a great job of explaining it to regular people. Certainly science could use a bit of a pep talk after weathering the last 8 years of the Bush administration's hostility to science and objective truths.
In particular, the last person on the dais, Dr. Hammel, give an impassioned 10-minutes speech on the impact of Hubble on science and indeed on culture. It's an astonishing and beautiful statement on where we are in astronomical science and where we may be headed if this shuttle mission goes as planned. I'm surprised the press room didn't erupt in applause when she finished.
Dr. Hammel's speech starts at the 38:50 mark in the first half of the briefing that I've linked below. If you don't have time to watch the entire 90-minute briefing, at least watch her 10 minutes.
download page for first half of briefing
download page for second half of briefing
The above is adapted from an entry that I made to my personal blog back in September (not linked here). Sadly, I see that the above download links no longer work. I have not been able to find the briefing on Youtube, and the repeat briefings from a couple weeks ago did not include Dr. Hammel. FORTUNATELY, I did find most of Dr. Hammel's speech incorporated into a nice 5 minute video right here. Please check it out!
This artist's rendition of the explosion graced the back cover of this month's The Planetary Report (from The Planetary Society). It illustrates how the bolide likely blew up above the ground and hence produced no crater. The artist is Don Davis.
For those who think "poring" in the summary is a typo, you're not as smart as you think you are.
http://www.google.com/search?q=poring+pouring
See also Turner's rebranding of "Court TV" as "truTV".
I've been a Netflix member for about 8 years. I get my movies extremely quickly, but I'm also an extremely light user -- maybe 1-2 movies a month. Parent post is right on everything.
And maybe mod grandparent down a little bit from the +5 it's at ...