In order to avoid liability all developers have to do is create a file sharing program that it's developers or maintainer's cannot track files and users? This seems to be a flimsy defence at best. If this is the case however, then programs like Freenet will give the likes of MPAA, headaches.
The reason that this news is important is that the time span for geological activity for water movement on Mars has been reduced from around 2 Billion years a few years ago, down to 10 million years. If water was free flowing on the surface of Mars only 10 million years ago than the possibility of finding evidence of life on Mars increases immensely.
The US Government seems to have a very blinkered approach to patent reform. Blindfolded in fact.
However some of the cures seem worse than the disease. For Example:
Others are calling for more radical government reform. Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, argues Congress should exclude software from the patent system. "That," he says, "would really solve the problem."
or
"One reform is to require applicants to do prior art searches, as opposed to the current rule that they disclose what they know," he says. "The current rule allows them to wimp out by saying, 'We didn't know because we didn't search.'"
They do not tackle the underlying problem. The Patents system was never designed for software and code. Patent legislation and practice law has been distorted to accomodate them and this has led to "bad" patents.
If this can be resolved is up to FTC but going on past experience I wouldn't expect too much progress.
The Irish Times Breaking news section is not automated but edited by staff specifically for the Ireland.com website. The Website is updated between 6AM GMT and 10PM.
I found this website which suggests that a smaller scale space elevator could be built using existing materials.
It gives the facts and figures on an 860 mile long elevator as opposed to the accepted idea of a much longer elevator.
Interesting.
The one engineering problem I forsee is the ground platform which would have to be a minimum of 50Km tall to adequately serve the elevator. This is a huge obstacle to overcome. The current tallest buildings are a little over.5 KM IIRC. This presents a major construction problem that no one has found a solution to yet.
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In order to avoid liability all developers have to do is create a file sharing program that it's developers or maintainer's cannot track files and users? This seems to be a flimsy defence at best. If this is the case however, then programs like Freenet will give the likes of MPAA, headaches.
The reason that this news is important is that the time span for geological activity for water movement on Mars has been reduced from around 2 Billion years a few years ago, down to 10 million years. If water was free flowing on the surface of Mars only 10 million years ago than the possibility of finding evidence of life on Mars increases immensely.
However some of the cures seem worse than the disease. For Example:
Just to add to the many thousands you've already recieved! :)
So much for comedy.
The Irish Times Breaking news section is not automated but edited by staff specifically for the Ireland.com website. The Website is updated between 6AM GMT and 10PM.
Just you're average nitpicker.
This was picked up first by Associated Press and then reported by The Irish Times.
Just you're average nitpicker.
It gives the facts and figures on an 860 mile long elevator as opposed to the accepted idea of a much longer elevator.
Interesting.
The one engineering problem I forsee is the ground platform which would have to be a minimum of 50Km tall to adequately serve the elevator. This is a huge obstacle to overcome. The current tallest buildings are a little over .5 KM IIRC. This presents a major construction problem that no one has found a solution to yet.
Any idea's? ;-)