I think CDs are price-gouging too, really, but remember, the movie on that DVD had a theatrical release and probably a TV release as well. They've already made back their production costs (unless it was a flop), so now they're just pulling in profit. And I'll tell you, CDs could be worse. You ever buy CD imports from Japan? Whoof!
> I think the more fundamental issue is that nobody really knows how to properly design large scale > software projects successfully.
Sure they do. The subject's been studied for decades; there's been loads of work (some of it quite good) done on it. The problem is the commercial software producers never pay any attention to any of it. "There's never time to do it right, but there's always time to do it over."
> Basically, in order to locate you in three dimensions, the GPS receiver needs to be able to see four satellites.
True, but because you can usually make the assumption that you are reasonably near the surface of the earth (or in the case of a submarine, how far you are from the surface) you can get by with three in a pinch. Not as accurate, of course.
> The fundamental problem in the argument that we are having is the assumption that running out > of fuel leaves the system with more entropy.
Correct. You need to realize that "using fuel" is a synonym for "increasing entropy". Until you do, you don't understand entropy.
Fuel has less entropy than the waste products. Any process which is not naturally reversible is one in which entropy is increasing. Thinking of entropy as simply "disorder" is inexact.
No, it space shifts it. Entropy in the vincinity of life can decrease because at the same time, entropy elsewhere is increasing (in the case of the Earth as a whole, it is increasing in the Sun. In your hypothetical situation, it is decreasing on the surface of the hollow world because it is increasing in the fusion generator (plus its fuel cells)).
> I am not really sure that you could say that going from hydrogen to helium is much of a gain in entropy
Um, yes, it is. It is readily demonstrated by the fact the you never hear of natural processes that split helium atoms into hydrogen. If you really want, I'll schlep out my old physics books and calculate exactly how much of an increase in entropy it is.
> we could start with hydrogen and anti-hydrogen and use the antimatter collision to create energy.
OK. That reaction *also* increases entropy.
> But absolutely, this closed system is antientropic.
Um, no. Once again, the increase in entropy in the reactor is greater than the decrease in entropy on the surface.
> Until the fuel runs out and everything dies...
Exactly! That's exactly the point! The entropy in the reactor plus fuel cells increases as it exhausts its fuel until it can no longer run. Then the whole thing grinds to a halt.
> I think you could argue that the presence of life makes the entire universe anti-entropic.
Sadly, no, you can't. Life doesn't prevent the suns from running of out of nuclear fuel. Life doesn't get us a free pass from obeying the basic laws of physics.
> What is the problem with alternative explanations for natural phenomena that we observe?
Absolutely nothing. When the available evidence will admit of more than one explanation, it is wise to keep all possible explanations in mind. The problem comes when you have one explanation that is shaped to fit the evidence, and another explanation that attempts to shape the evidence to fit itself.
> but you can understand the resistance when that's all that's been taught for the last 40 years.
Indeed I can. It is difficult to realize the truth you have been brought up on is a fable. But that does not mean we turn our backs on the truth to make the fabulists feel better.
> I'm sorry, did somebody observe a Big Bang while I wasn't looking?
Yep, they did. Try Googling on "microwave backround radiation."
> What gets *my* goat is that people call the Big Bang a theory, but get mad when people say > that it's only a theory. Huh? The Big Bang requires just as much faith as does the existence of God.
No, it doesn't. The Big Bang has actually evidence to support it. And what gets people mad is when idjits decide that "scientific theory"="wild ass guess".
> The fact that GAs provide a different way of tackling problems does not imply that this is > the same way that nature tackles problems.
Very true. But one of creationists main arguments against evolution has always been that complex design implies an intelligent designer. The effectiveness of GAs simply disintegrates that argument.
> does your assertion of local order at the expense of global disorder remain true?
Of course it does. You've simply replaced the sun with your fusion generator. The decrease of entropy on the Earth will be counterbalanced by the increase of entropy in the generator, which, like the sun, will eventually fail (and do so much more quickly than the sun, being so much smaller. I don't have the physics to work it out myself, but it would be interesting to try to estimate just how long such a small generator could theoretically last; it probably couldn't keep going long enough for anything beyond one-celled organisms to evolve).
> Personally, I agree completely that life is anti-entropic. In the presence of life, the > disordered becomes ordered.
Not a bad definition of life, in my opinion. But always remember life can do this because life is never a closed system. The second law always wins in the end.
Anybody who believes that a scientific theory is a "guess" is automatically disqualified from further participation in meaningful discussion. Sit down until you learn what a theory is.
Er, no, you don't understand correctly. If you are a convicted felon, your right to vote is *permanently* lost, even after you've served your time and reached the end of your parole. It takes a special petition to the courts to have it restored.
> Isn't it basically unconscionable that the actual process of elections be a for-profit venture?
Boat's kinda sailed on that one. Unless you're somewhere where they hand-count ballots (and that's nowhere in America, as far as I know), the machinery used will have been produced by a for-profit company. Electronic, punch-card, optical scan, lever, whatever--it's all made for profit.
I think I call mine a keychain drive as much as anything else. Of course, that's because I actually keep mine on my keychain. Might not seem as appropriate to someone who doesn't.
What shocked *me* was all those high-powered video cards--and they're starving their machines of memory. Almost *20%* fell into "128 Mb to 256 Mb" (which I don't think *includes* 256 Meg, so most of these guys are 128)? Oy. I only have a Radeon 9200 in my machine...but I have a Gig of memory, and it's worth it.
I took that survey; they don't ask the user, they ask the machine and get an exact count of memory, which they summarize here. As you point out, they summarize it badly, but the original data doesn't have that weakness.
> Many of the truths that we hold to are true, from a certain point of view
'Course, he said that when he was trying to weasel out of the the fact that he'd lied like a rug to Luke. (But what else could he say? "Sorry, Luke, didn't mean to make all that up, but Lucas can't do continuity to save his life...")
Slashdot Mirror
> "there's nothing wrong with you that I can't fix... with my hands!"
If I were Frank Miller, I'd be tempted to sue over that one...
Chris Mattern
I think CDs are price-gouging too, really, but remember, the movie on that DVD had a theatrical release and probably a TV release as well. They've already made back their production costs (unless it was a flop), so now they're just pulling in profit. And I'll tell you, CDs could be worse. You ever buy CD imports from Japan? Whoof!
Chris Mattern
> I think the more fundamental issue is that nobody really knows how to properly design large scale
> software projects successfully.
Sure they do. The subject's been studied for decades; there's been loads of work (some of it quite good) done on it. The problem is the commercial software producers never pay any attention to any of it. "There's never time to do it right, but there's always time to do it over."
Chris Mattern
"If your Windows XP crashes, it's *your* fault, not ours!"
Chris Mattern
> Basically, in order to locate you in three dimensions, the GPS receiver needs to be able to see four satellites.
True, but because you can usually make the assumption that you are reasonably near the surface of the earth (or in the case of a submarine, how far you are from the surface) you can get by with three in a pinch. Not as accurate, of course.
Chris Mattern
> The fundamental problem in the argument that we are having is the assumption that running out
> of fuel leaves the system with more entropy.
Correct. You need to realize that "using fuel" is a synonym for "increasing entropy". Until you do, you don't understand entropy.
Fuel has less entropy than the waste products. Any process which is not naturally reversible is one in which entropy is increasing. Thinking of entropy as simply "disorder" is inexact.
Chris Mattern
> The Chinese game is a casual online experience where families pit themselves against other families.
Please tell me Richard Dawson isn't involved...
Chris Mattern
> Ahh, so perhaps life timeshifts entropy?
No, it space shifts it. Entropy in the vincinity of life can decrease because at the same time, entropy elsewhere is increasing (in the case of the Earth as a whole, it is increasing in the Sun. In your hypothetical situation, it is decreasing on the surface of the hollow world because it is increasing in the fusion generator (plus its fuel cells)).
> I am not really sure that you could say that going from hydrogen to helium is much of a gain in entropy
Um, yes, it is. It is readily demonstrated by the fact the you never hear of natural processes that split helium atoms into hydrogen. If you really want, I'll schlep out my old physics books and calculate exactly how much of an increase in entropy it is.
> we could start with hydrogen and anti-hydrogen and use the antimatter collision to create energy.
OK. That reaction *also* increases entropy.
> But absolutely, this closed system is antientropic.
Um, no. Once again, the increase in entropy in the reactor is greater than the decrease in entropy on the surface.
> Until the fuel runs out and everything dies...
Exactly! That's exactly the point! The entropy in the reactor plus fuel cells increases as it exhausts its fuel until it can no longer run. Then the whole thing grinds to a halt.
> I think you could argue that the presence of life makes the entire universe anti-entropic.
Sadly, no, you can't. Life doesn't prevent the suns from running of out of nuclear fuel. Life doesn't get us a free pass from obeying the basic laws of physics.
Chris Mattern
> What is the problem with alternative explanations for natural phenomena that we observe?
Absolutely nothing. When the available evidence will admit of more than one explanation, it is wise to keep all possible explanations in mind. The problem comes when you have one explanation that is shaped to fit the evidence, and another explanation that attempts to shape the evidence to fit itself.
> but you can understand the resistance when that's all that's been taught for the last 40 years.
Indeed I can. It is difficult to realize the truth you have been brought up on is a fable. But that does not mean we turn our backs on the truth to make the fabulists feel better.
Chris Mattern
> I'm sorry, did somebody observe a Big Bang while I wasn't looking?
Yep, they did. Try Googling on "microwave backround radiation."
> What gets *my* goat is that people call the Big Bang a theory, but get mad when people say
> that it's only a theory. Huh? The Big Bang requires just as much faith as does the existence of God.
No, it doesn't. The Big Bang has actually evidence to support it. And what gets people mad is when idjits decide that "scientific theory"="wild ass guess".
Chris Mattern
> The fact that GAs provide a different way of tackling problems does not imply that this is
> the same way that nature tackles problems.
Very true. But one of creationists main arguments against evolution has always been that complex design implies an intelligent designer. The effectiveness of GAs simply disintegrates that argument.
Chris mattern
> does your assertion of local order at the expense of global disorder remain true?
Of course it does. You've simply replaced the sun with your fusion generator. The decrease of entropy on the Earth will be counterbalanced by the increase of entropy in the generator, which, like the sun, will eventually fail (and do so much more quickly than the sun, being so much smaller. I don't have the physics to work it out myself, but it would be interesting to try to estimate just how long such a small generator could theoretically last; it probably couldn't keep going long enough for anything beyond one-celled organisms to evolve).
> Personally, I agree completely that life is anti-entropic. In the presence of life, the
> disordered becomes ordered.
Not a bad definition of life, in my opinion. But always remember life can do this because life is never a closed system. The second law always wins in the end.
Chris Mattern
Anybody who believes that a scientific theory is a "guess" is automatically disqualified from further participation in meaningful discussion. Sit down until you learn what a theory is.
Chris Mattern
> Both NY and California contribute more to this country just about all other states combined
> both economically and culturally.
"So those rubes in flyover country can just suck it." You've just made a better case for the electoral college than I ever could.
Chris Mattern
Er, no, you don't understand correctly. If you are a convicted felon, your right to vote is *permanently* lost, even after you've served your time and reached the end of your parole. It takes a special petition to the courts to have it restored.
Chris Mattern
> Google is no help here.
Sure it is. Type in "GEM OS" (with the quotes) and look at all the lovely sites.
Chris Mattern
> Isn't it basically unconscionable that the actual process of elections be a for-profit venture?
Boat's kinda sailed on that one. Unless you're somewhere where they hand-count ballots (and that's nowhere in America, as far as I know), the machinery used will have been produced by a for-profit company. Electronic, punch-card, optical scan, lever, whatever--it's all made for profit.
Chris Mattern
...that there was no danger, as animals are not allowed in polling places.
Chris Mattern
I think I call mine a keychain drive as much as anything else. Of course, that's because I actually keep mine on my keychain. Might not seem as appropriate to someone who doesn't.
Chris Mattern
What shocked *me* was all those high-powered video cards--and they're starving their machines of memory. Almost *20%* fell into "128 Mb to 256 Mb" (which I don't think *includes* 256 Meg, so most of these guys are 128)? Oy. I only have a Radeon 9200 in my machine...but I have a Gig of memory, and it's worth it.
Chris Mattern
Ditto on the processor speed.
Chris Mattern
Stupid idiot frickin' lame filter....
I took that survey; they don't ask the user, they ask the machine and get an exact count of memory, which they summarize here. As you point out, they summarize it badly, but the original data doesn't have that weakness.
Chris Mattern
Ah, Kos. The last hold-out to believe that you could type a perfect Word document on a Selectric.
Chris Mattern
> Many of the truths that we hold to are true, from a certain point of view
'Course, he said that when he was trying to weasel out of the the fact that he'd lied like a rug to Luke. (But what else could he say? "Sorry, Luke, didn't mean to make all that up, but Lucas can't do continuity to save his life...")
Chris Mattern
You should have used SunScreen. Or better, IP Filter.
Chris Mattern