"The problem with diradical substances is that they have always been extremely chemically active, so they never stayed around longer than a few microseconds at room temperature."
Erm, if I remember my basic LCAO/MO theory from first year chemistry atmospheric oxygen, yes O2, is a diradical as is Fremy's salt, which I made in second-year labs and they hang around for longer than a couple of microseconds.
"A second item is that modern rounds have to deal with air resistance effects. Given a lead and DU round of the same weight, the lead round because of its lighter density is going to be slowed more by air resistance because it will have a greater area. I suppose a long cylindrical bullet might work, but you need to prevent tumbling."
Yep, it gives a very high ballistic coefficient - a measure of how air friction affects it in comparison to a particular standard.
Long cylindrical bullets do indeed work - you just need to spin them faster.
It's used because it is refractory and very dense - hence being able to stand crunching through armour plate and giving the projectiles a high ballistic coefficient.
Two things: Yes, isotopes are in fact elements and they are on a sufficiently detailed periodic table; but then again I am about to get a master's degree in chemistry so what would I know?
A design which has been around since about 1941 if I remember correctly: A version of one of the British (and probably American tanks too) existed then with exactly this system on it.
A couple of points: I don't think that they're going to detonate the mine - $10,000 is a lot to pay for a suicidal robot.
Many expolosives do indeed burn without exploding, including most of the types used in this kind of application: On the other hand the type of explosive used in the detonator or percussion cap (such as lead styphnate) will most certainly not burn without exploding and it will then set off the main charge as is its job. Set fire to this and you might as well detonate the sod.
On the other hand (and I'm guessing here that they mean 3 km/s and NOT 3m/s as 3 m/s isn't very fast at all, about a fast walk) if you smash the mine into little pieces very fast then the flash (if any) from the cap won't be able to sufficiently ignite the charge to go kaboom.
...make friends with an organic chemist: Access to the 9.4 Tesla magnetic field of a 400 MHz Proton NMR machine can really do damage to magnetic coatings.
I hate to rain on several respective parades but optical nerves, albeit from rat embryos, could be made to do grow back about 11 years ago: I knew this because I worked with a research group at Guy's and Tommmy's in London who did this while deciding what I wanted to do at university.
The increased length is a bonus but not particularly important: They proved that the nerves formed synapses with the other nerves in the brain by shining light on the eye tissue and oberving the rats' pupils shrink in response.
the computer in question "Jane" (I think) is actually "in" all the ansible-linked computers across the various worlds: The jewel is merely a communicator.
"I shall call you Usul, which is the strength of the base of the pillar. This shall be your secret name in our tribe but you must choose the name by which we shall call you openly..."
Okay, it's from the film but I don't have a copy of the book handy.
Agreed on the graphical game bit but I don't agree with the cutting edge bit - for a bachelors about the hardest thing you'll do is write a compiler, although this isn't easy either.
Elgon - Any compiler will have n passes, where n tends towards the number of coders on the project.
Rare only in the US - Where I live in the UK they are relatively common, in that you can buy them in all the vegetable shops in the village in which I live.
Whilst I agree thoroughly with your point about US citizens donating cash to the IRA, you are missing a couple of points:
1. The British Army originally went into Northern Ireland to protect the Catholics from the Loyalists.
2. There is ONLY one policy as a soldier when you shoot at someone who is armed - You shoot for the centre of mass and keep shooting until they do down, which tends to kill a lot of people but then again, tough shit.
I know you're a trolling dickhead but I just had to bite. Since when did one become magically an adult at age 18?
I agree that a line has to be drawn somewhere but to say that a "child" has no judgement is simply bone-headed and proves that your own judgement is lacking.
Elgon
Places you know in books...
on
The Business
·
· Score: 1
Hmmm. This is rather like me and the book "The Liar" by Stephen Fry, given that I went to the same school (Uppingham, a public school in Rutland - Note for US'ers: A "public" school in the UK is actually a fee-paying, boarding school of a certain provenance.) and live in Cambridge, when I'm not abroad, that is. I know some of the locations very well, eg. "The Baron of Lamb" actually "The Baron of Beef" next to "The Mitre" on Bridge Street.
I love Iain [M] Banks with a passion: He would have to be my favourite author along with Umberto Ecco and David Eddings. The "Culture" novels are excellent as are most of his "real world" books. Complicity and The Bridge are the two best, followed closely by The Wasp Factory and then The Crow Road. The TV version of The Crow Road wasn't bad either - got it on video.
I also live in England and I have had virtually free access to firearms from the age of 15 and my own firearm and license from the age of 17. I am also an extremely competent shot, that is to say, nearly international standard.
I was also bullied extensively for three of my five years at a reasonably well known UK public school, including having my bed urinated on and other such wonderful experiences. Please don't postulate possibilities, deal in reality and the facts.
A gun is a tool. You can kill with it should you so choose. The real strength lies in choosing not to.
Slashdot Mirror
"The problem with diradical substances is that they have always been extremely chemically active, so they never stayed around longer than a few microseconds at room temperature."
Erm, if I remember my basic LCAO/MO theory from first year chemistry atmospheric oxygen, yes O2, is a diradical as is Fremy's salt, which I made in second-year labs and they hang around for longer than a couple of microseconds.
Talk sense boyo.
Elgon
"A second item is that modern rounds have to deal with air resistance effects. Given a lead and DU round of the same weight, the lead round because of its lighter density is going to be slowed more by air resistance because it will have a greater area. I suppose a long cylindrical bullet might work, but you need to prevent tumbling."
Yep, it gives a very high ballistic coefficient - a measure of how air friction affects it in comparison to a particular standard.
Long cylindrical bullets do indeed work - you just need to spin them faster.
Elgon
It's used because it is refractory and very dense - hence being able to stand crunching through armour plate and giving the projectiles a high ballistic coefficient.
Elgon
I may not know shit but this isn't the point - I know more than you!
Elgon
Erm...deuterium perhaps? Which is stable and hence not radioactive by the way.
Elgon
Two things: Yes, isotopes are in fact elements and they are on a sufficiently detailed periodic table; but then again I am about to get a master's degree in chemistry so what would I know?
Elgon
Narr di muk'h (spelling?)
Eh, tu n'es pas le seul qui parle francais ici mon petit: Alors, va te faire foutre d'ailleurs...
Quel connard!
A design which has been around since about 1941 if I remember correctly: A version of one of the British (and probably American tanks too) existed then with exactly this system on it.
Elgon
A couple of points: I don't think that they're going to detonate the mine - $10,000 is a lot to pay for a suicidal robot.
Many expolosives do indeed burn without exploding, including most of the types used in this kind of application: On the other hand the type of explosive used in the detonator or percussion cap (such as lead styphnate) will most certainly not burn without exploding and it will then set off the main charge as is its job. Set fire to this and you might as well detonate the sod.
On the other hand (and I'm guessing here that they mean 3 km/s and NOT 3m/s as 3 m/s isn't very fast at all, about a fast walk) if you smash the mine into little pieces very fast then the flash (if any) from the cap won't be able to sufficiently ignite the charge to go kaboom.
Elgon
...make friends with an organic chemist: Access to the 9.4 Tesla magnetic field of a 400 MHz Proton NMR machine can really do damage to magnetic coatings.
Elgon
...if only you could have seen what I have seen with your eyes.
Elgon
I hate to rain on several respective parades but optical nerves, albeit from rat embryos, could be made to do grow back about 11 years ago: I knew this because I worked with a research group at Guy's and Tommmy's in London who did this while deciding what I wanted to do at university.
The increased length is a bonus but not particularly important: They proved that the nerves formed synapses with the other nerves in the brain by shining light on the eye tissue and oberving the rats' pupils shrink in response.
Otherwise, the article is excellent.
Elgon
Nope he doesn't,
the computer in question "Jane" (I think) is actually "in" all the ansible-linked computers across the various worlds: The jewel is merely a communicator.
Gaz
I believe that Wintermute implants this as a dream into Case's head as a desription of Tessier-Ashpool SA rather than the internet.
Elgon
"I shall call you Usul, which is the strength of the base of the pillar. This shall be your secret name in our tribe but you must choose the name by which we shall call you openly..."
Okay, it's from the film but I don't have a copy of the book handy.
Elgon
Usul means the strength of the base of the pillar IIRC.
Elgon - A storm is coming. Our storm. And when it arrives it will shake the universe.
Agreed on the graphical game bit but I don't agree with the cutting edge bit - for a bachelors about the hardest thing you'll do is write a compiler, although this isn't easy either.
Elgon - Any compiler will have n passes, where n tends towards the number of coders on the project.
Freedom is slavery.
War is peace.
Elgon
The article is wrong fuckwad - do you actually believe what journalists write?
Elgon - El Cynical Bastard
Rare only in the US - Where I live in the UK they are relatively common, in that you can buy them in all the vegetable shops in the village in which I live.
Elgon
Whilst I agree thoroughly with your point about US citizens donating cash to the IRA, you are missing a couple of points:
1. The British Army originally went into Northern Ireland to protect the Catholics from the Loyalists.
2. There is ONLY one policy as a soldier when you shoot at someone who is armed - You shoot for the centre of mass and keep shooting until they do down, which tends to kill a lot of people but then again, tough shit.
Elgon
I know you're a trolling dickhead but I just had to bite. Since when did one become magically an adult at age 18?
I agree that a line has to be drawn somewhere but to say that a "child" has no judgement is simply bone-headed and proves that your own judgement is lacking.
Elgon
Hmmm. This is rather like me and the book "The Liar" by Stephen Fry, given that I went to the same school (Uppingham, a public school in Rutland - Note for US'ers: A "public" school in the UK is actually a fee-paying, boarding school of a certain provenance.) and live in Cambridge, when I'm not abroad, that is. I know some of the locations very well, eg. "The Baron of Lamb" actually "The Baron of Beef" next to "The Mitre" on Bridge Street.
I love Iain [M] Banks with a passion: He would have to be my favourite author along with Umberto Ecco and David Eddings. The "Culture" novels are excellent as are most of his "real world" books. Complicity and The Bridge are the two best, followed closely by The Wasp Factory and then The Crow Road. The TV version of The Crow Road wasn't bad either - got it on video.
In short, he rules. Go buy the books.
Elgon
I also live in England and I have had virtually free access to firearms from the age of 15 and my own firearm and license from the age of 17. I am also an extremely competent shot, that is to say, nearly international standard.
I was also bullied extensively for three of my five years at a reasonably well known UK public school, including having my bed urinated on and other such wonderful experiences. Please don't postulate possibilities, deal in reality and the facts.
A gun is a tool. You can kill with it should you so choose. The real strength lies in choosing not to.
Elgon