I'm saddened by the knee-jerk reactions I'm reading here from/. users. There is real science here, and it has been used successfully in the past. Apparently, some/. readers are not interested in science and its potential benefits.
Ok, let's say that the military backs off on this project, and it turns out that perhaps it could have saved many lives. Too bad? If it doesn't work, the research does not stop, does it?
In wartime, lots of seemingly "crackpot" ideas are tried, because OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT. Let the results speak for themselves, when the time comes. Letting a couple of science-deaf congress critters make fun of the idea and away it goes. Too bad, one less weapon in our anti-terrorism armament. Maybe we should get rid of the guns toted by the guards at the airline security checkpoints,
too. Or maybe the metal detectors. Goofy ideas, too, eh?
The famous example of using these theories was the finding of a sub that was lost in mid-Atlantic during the Cold War. An amazing story of how "new" science and seemingly anti-common sense work could reap great benefits.
By the way, DARPA has the word "research" in it. Not everything they try becomes operational, not everything they try works, but some do, like microprocessors.
And don't worry about this all being "sick". The military (and even insurance companies) have to plan and study for
events and things that are a
LOT more disgusting than simply wagering
on unpleasant outcomes.
Do you think that ground troops and
their commanders don't go through
similar patterns of thinking and
behavior as this betting pool?
If they don't cover all the
possibilities, they become
dead soldiers.
By the way, also, commercial firms
are heavily into this type of information
analysis, successfully predicting
credit card fraud, and so on. If we
cut it off for the anti-terrorism,
we just make ourselves more open to
attack. If there is one clear result of
the 9/11 commission report, we need
a way to process ALL the information,
as fast as possible to see danger
patterns as they unfold. This means
that the information gathered will
not always be processed by people.
In that case, you need algorithms
and techniques to squeeze knowledge
out of the Niagara Falls of data.
How do you develop the algorithms?
Research projects like the above.
Hmmm, lets start with COSTCO. They mail out their rebates JUNK MAIL rates. So, they get lost, trashed, etc. In our case, the checks (several) took at least 3 months to get here (yes we live on Maui), and were expired before they were received!
Absolutely a very dangerous chemical. Large numbers of people around the world die every year from inhaling it. But the sad and dangerous fact is, that it is not regulated by any US Government agency!
Where are the rules for capturing and containing this dangerous product? And for then selling it to an unsuspecting public??!!!??!
I think that Congress should take up legislation to control this substance, and spend the next 2-3 years debating the legislation. Instead of the ridiculous junk they argue about now.
Larry Niven reads Pratchett and
O'Brian: you should too. Both are
excellent writers. Both excellent
antidotes to the junk that
is filling the world under the
name "literature".
About time someone mentioned "Cordwainer Smith". Remarkable literature, especially for its time. Very human-level stuff, in fact that is the theme of a lot of the books. I highly recommend the two books about "the boy who bought Earth". No other SF writer has ever brought me to tears reading his stories.
>>In the first half of the last century, the >>government didn't have the power or will to control >>individual's lives the way it wants to now.
In WW I, the US had its first opportunity to control all aspects of people's lives. Information (the press) was controlled in an unprecidented manner. Food production was controlled, the government took over the means of communication (railroads, telegraph, radio, etc), dissent was severely stifled, far harsher than today. And all done by the "progressive" party of Wilson, not by "conservatives". The social changes made in 1917-19 forever changed the United States, and brought about a command and control society. Read "Over Here" by David Kennedy for more background.
I dont recall seeing PC Magazine utilities mentioned in this discussion. The source is available for these utilities and they can be very useful for Win32 users. For instance, they just came out with the latest version of RoboType3.
The threads issue needs to be solved, and soon. We are using Java with Linux and get regular hangs. Conversations with IBM's Java support indicates that this is a problem with the Linux kernel, Java thread design, and underlying thread libraries on Linux. And no, we are not running thousands of threads, just two Java programs on a 2 CPU SMP machine.
This discussion has included some comments about the poor implementation of threads in Linux. Other writers suggest avoiding threads, if possible. Note that Java is nothing but threads. Any Java program is running 4-6 threads (depending on the JRE) right out of the box.
Where I work, we have had severe problems getting Java programs to work correctly on Linux. The IBM Java support team has shared our frustration. Maybe IBM's new thread implementation is needed, just to get Linux, Java (and thread users in general) working correctly in an enterprise environment. After that is working, then we can see about improving other areas like performance.
Rather than gripe about "90% web sites only run on IE", we need to make websites that are standards-compliant. If all XML application containers (that's the new name for browsers, BTW) are standards-compliant, then there won't be all this workaround code. I'm having enuf trouble keeping my sites compatible with NN 4.7!
If you liked DA's fine, dry British humour and unlikely planets, take a look at the books by Terry Pratchett. A whole new world to read about, and laugh out loud!
I got a major in physics and just at the end "discovered" software and programming. I've been working at it ever since and have no regrets. One of the sharpest people I've worked with majored in anthropology, and another in English.
The fact is that you need to work hard, learn to learn, be both creative and curious. You want to foster those skills and attitudes, they pay off for you throughout life, and not just in the work environment.
While you are in college, you have the chance to follow some whims, too, and not get locked into the academic treadmill. I have a sceptical opinion of Computer Science degrees. Like many tracked programs, they are sending people into more academic work with the goal of college professor. If that is what you want, fine, but if you want to work in industry, just get a good grounding in science. Oh yes, learn some written and verbal communication. Yes, English (yuk). Everyone in the computer business needs to communicate. I find that the schools have given up completely on this critical subject.
Again, learning to learn is critical. Just 2 years ago I couldn't spell XML, but now I work with it all day. If you can't learn and master new subjects, you are missing out. Part of the "training" you get in college is to be flexible and learn new things.
It is not even semi-private, it receives major
support from you and me, the taxpayers.
They pay no tax on the fuel they use,
they do not license their vehicles
in any state,
all activities occurring in a PO
are protected by federal law, not
state law, etc, etc. If UPS had
these statutory benefits, it would be
more profitable, too.
There was a major confrontation with
congress before Sept 11, because
the PO was spinning out of control. They
were warned to get their act
together, and they have not, because
they are a huge, bloated burocracy.
Their visit with congress after
Sept 11 was just another attempt
to get bailed out. Just like
AmTrack, which managed to tell
congress that they needed billions
post-Sept 11 to keep running. Exactly
what happened Sept 11 to AmTrack is
a mystery. It is clear that
nasty things happened to the USPS,
but that does not excuse near-criminal
mis-management.
They have already tried a number of stupid ideas
to try to increase revenue in the Post
Offices themselves, and most of these
have been ridiculous failures. KMart
can do a better job of retailing. The
PO's are now full of ties and
other junk they cannot
sell, all now being sold off below
cost.
Who pays for these failed retailing
attempts? Whenever you send a letter,
package, etc., its factored in. In spite
of trying to cover such failures, they
are still in the hole. The only
way out is to do as many otherwise
socialist countries have done
in Europe: make it completely independent
and make it pay its own way with
no federal crutches.
Yes, there is a world plot to separate "stamp collectors" from their money. The space hologram with the money is especially bad, in that they have marked up US currency by a hefty margin (triple?).
Switzerland at least has chocolate smelling stamps, a much more useful smell than others. When will we have stamps that smell like magazine inserts?
As a stamp collector, I agree with the many posts about improving service, rather than emptying our pockets. I quit collecting recent stamps due to the costs. If they issued dumb-looking, dull stamps, collectors would still collect them. What they want is the money from the "pretty trinket" crowd who don't necessarily know what a water mark, or perf guage is.
Re:In the end, if you cant repeat it, it ain't so.
on
Excess Heat
·
· Score: 1
Strongly recommend "Voodoo Science" to
anyone in the science (and yes technology)
business. His section on CF placed most
of the blame on the gullible media and grasping
politicians. Hmmm, and a "media
consultant" named Ira Magaziner (yes,
THAT one). Oh yes, the science was
bad too, just like current bad science
we see in the media: for instance, foot & mouth scares.
See:
http://www.junkscience.com
I have been previously spoiled in the Windows world using CBuilder, but
am more spoiled now by using Java.
Runs well everywhere; GUI's, databases, the
whole thing. Plenty of IDE's around,
including JBuilder. Ready to do
serious prime-time work. I recommend Java
to anyone who has been working in
the C++ world. I'm not trying to start
a war here, but this is not a black and
white situation, and alternatives DO
exist.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm saddened by the knee-jerk reactions I'm reading here from /. users. There is real science here, and it has been used successfully in the past. Apparently, some /. readers are not interested in science and its potential benefits.
Ok, let's say that the military backs off on this project, and it turns out that perhaps it could have saved many lives. Too bad? If it doesn't work, the research does not stop, does it?
In wartime, lots of seemingly "crackpot" ideas are tried, because OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT. Let the results speak for themselves, when the time comes. Letting a couple of science-deaf congress critters make fun of the idea and away it goes. Too bad, one less weapon in our anti-terrorism armament. Maybe we should get rid of the guns toted by the guards at the airline security checkpoints, too. Or maybe the metal detectors. Goofy ideas, too, eh?
The famous example of using these theories was the finding of a sub that was lost in mid-Atlantic during the Cold War. An amazing story of how "new" science and seemingly anti-common sense work could reap great benefits.
By the way, DARPA has the word "research" in it. Not everything they try becomes operational, not everything they try works, but some do, like microprocessors.
And don't worry about this all being "sick". The military (and even insurance companies) have to plan and study for events and things that are a LOT more disgusting than simply wagering on unpleasant outcomes.
Do you think that ground troops and their commanders don't go through similar patterns of thinking and behavior as this betting pool? If they don't cover all the possibilities, they become dead soldiers.
By the way, also, commercial firms are heavily into this type of information analysis, successfully predicting credit card fraud, and so on. If we cut it off for the anti-terrorism, we just make ourselves more open to attack. If there is one clear result of the 9/11 commission report, we need a way to process ALL the information, as fast as possible to see danger patterns as they unfold. This means that the information gathered will not always be processed by people. In that case, you need algorithms and techniques to squeeze knowledge out of the Niagara Falls of data. How do you develop the algorithms? Research projects like the above.
Hmmm, lets start with COSTCO. They
mail out their rebates JUNK MAIL
rates. So, they get lost, trashed,
etc. In our case, the checks
(several) took at least
3 months to get here (yes we live
on Maui), and were expired before
they were received!
Absolutely a very dangerous
chemical. Large numbers of people
around the world die every year
from inhaling it. But the sad
and dangerous fact is, that it
is not regulated by any US
Government agency!
Where are the rules for capturing
and containing this dangerous product?
And for then selling it to an unsuspecting
public??!!!??!
I think that Congress should take
up legislation to control this
substance, and spend the next
2-3 years debating the legislation.
Instead of the ridiculous junk they
argue about now.
Larry Niven reads Pratchett and O'Brian: you should too. Both are excellent writers. Both excellent antidotes to the junk that is filling the world under the name "literature".
About time someone mentioned "Cordwainer Smith".
Remarkable literature, especially for its time.
Very human-level stuff, in fact that
is the theme of a lot of the books. I highly
recommend the two books about "the boy who
bought Earth". No other SF writer
has ever brought me to tears reading
his stories.
>>In the first half of the last century, the
>>government didn't have the power or will to control
>>individual's lives the way it wants to now.
In WW I, the US had its first
opportunity to control all aspects of people's
lives. Information (the press) was controlled in an
unprecidented manner. Food production
was controlled, the government took
over the means of communication (railroads,
telegraph, radio, etc), dissent was severely
stifled, far harsher than today. And
all done by the "progressive" party of
Wilson, not by "conservatives". The social changes
made in 1917-19 forever changed the
United States, and brought about a command
and control society. Read "Over Here" by
David Kennedy for more background.
For those interested in trying
a pure Java text editor, also
try J before deciding.
Pure Java Text Editor
I dont recall seeing PC Magazine utilities
mentioned in this discussion. The source is available
for these utilities and they can be
very useful for Win32 users. For instance,
they just came out with the latest version
of RoboType3.
The threads issue needs to be solved, and
soon. We are using Java with Linux
and get regular hangs. Conversations with
IBM's Java support indicates that
this is a problem with the Linux kernel,
Java thread design, and underlying
thread libraries on Linux. And no,
we are not running thousands of
threads, just two Java programs
on a 2 CPU SMP machine.
We eagerly await a fix.
comments about the poor implementation of
threads in Linux. Other writers suggest
avoiding threads, if possible. Note
that Java is nothing but threads. Any
Java program is running 4-6 threads (depending
on the JRE) right out of the box.
Where I work, we have had
severe problems getting Java programs to
work correctly on Linux. The IBM Java
support team has shared our frustration.
Maybe IBM's new thread implementation is
needed, just to get Linux, Java (and
thread users in general) working correctly
in an enterprise environment. After that
is working, then we can see about improving
other areas like performance.
Rather than gripe about "90% web sites
only run on IE", we need to make websites
that are standards-compliant. If all
XML application containers (that's the new name for
browsers, BTW) are standards-compliant, then
there won't be all this workaround code.
I'm having enuf trouble keeping my sites
compatible with NN 4.7!
If you liked DA's fine, dry
British humour and unlikely planets,
take a look at the books by Terry Pratchett.
A whole new world to read about,
and laugh out loud!
I got a major in physics and just at the end "discovered" software and programming. I've been working at it ever since and have no regrets. One of the sharpest people I've worked with majored in anthropology, and another in English.
The fact is that you need to work hard, learn to learn, be both creative and curious. You want to foster those skills and attitudes, they pay off for you throughout life, and not just in the work environment.
While you are in college, you have the chance to follow some whims, too, and not get locked into the academic treadmill. I have a sceptical opinion of Computer Science degrees. Like many tracked programs, they are sending people into more academic work with the goal of college professor. If that is what you want, fine, but if you want to work in industry, just get a good grounding in science. Oh yes, learn some written and verbal communication. Yes, English (yuk). Everyone in the computer business needs to communicate. I find that the schools have given up completely on this critical subject.
Again, learning to learn is critical. Just 2 years ago I couldn't spell XML, but now I work with it all day. If you can't learn and master new subjects, you are missing out. Part of the "training" you get in college is to be flexible and learn new things.
It is not even semi-private, it receives major
support from you and me, the taxpayers.
They pay no tax on the fuel they use,
they do not license their vehicles
in any state,
all activities occurring in a PO
are protected by federal law, not
state law, etc, etc. If UPS had
these statutory benefits, it would be
more profitable, too.
There was a major confrontation with
congress before Sept 11, because
the PO was spinning out of control. They
were warned to get their act
together, and they have not, because
they are a huge, bloated burocracy.
Their visit with congress after
Sept 11 was just another attempt
to get bailed out. Just like
AmTrack, which managed to tell
congress that they needed billions
post-Sept 11 to keep running. Exactly
what happened Sept 11 to AmTrack is
a mystery. It is clear that
nasty things happened to the USPS,
but that does not excuse near-criminal
mis-management.
They have already tried a number of stupid ideas
to try to increase revenue in the Post
Offices themselves, and most of these
have been ridiculous failures. KMart
can do a better job of retailing. The
PO's are now full of ties and
other junk they cannot
sell, all now being sold off below
cost.
Who pays for these failed retailing
attempts? Whenever you send a letter,
package, etc., its factored in. In spite
of trying to cover such failures, they
are still in the hole. The only
way out is to do as many otherwise
socialist countries have done
in Europe: make it completely independent
and make it pay its own way with
no federal crutches.
Yes, there is a world plot to separate "stamp collectors" from their money. The space hologram with the money is especially bad, in that they have marked up US currency by a hefty margin (triple?).
Switzerland at least has chocolate smelling stamps, a much more useful smell than others. When will we have stamps that smell like magazine inserts?
As a stamp collector, I agree with the many posts about improving service, rather than emptying our pockets. I quit collecting recent stamps due to the costs. If they issued dumb-looking, dull stamps, collectors would still collect them. What they want is the money from the "pretty trinket" crowd who don't necessarily know what a water mark, or perf guage is.
Strongly recommend "Voodoo Science" to anyone in the science (and yes technology) business. His section on CF placed most of the blame on the gullible media and grasping politicians. Hmmm, and a "media consultant" named Ira Magaziner (yes, THAT one). Oh yes, the science was bad too, just like current bad science we see in the media: for instance, foot & mouth scares. See: http://www.junkscience.com
I have been previously spoiled in the Windows world using CBuilder, but am more spoiled now by using Java. Runs well everywhere; GUI's, databases, the whole thing. Plenty of IDE's around, including JBuilder. Ready to do serious prime-time work. I recommend Java to anyone who has been working in the C++ world. I'm not trying to start a war here, but this is not a black and white situation, and alternatives DO exist.