A great interactive piece (complete with pictures, video and animation) on the L.A. Times website did a great job explaining this along other serious problems facing our oceans.
A Great read!
You mean you're still using IE? Well maybe it'll convince you to switch this time.
Not All Radioactive Decay are Equal
on
Nuclear Batteries
·
· Score: 1
The type of radioisotopes being consider for nuclear batteries are not the ones that are used in reactors or nuclear bombs. The ones being considered are nickel-63 and tritium, They have much lower energy density than that of fissile materials. Because of the lower energy density, the particles they emit are less energetic than the radioactive materials most poeple think of. For example, the particle these candidate isotopes emit penetrate no more than 25 micrometers in most materials, so you can actually contain these particles by a simple packaging. And also remember that the layer of dead skin over your body are thicker than 25 microns. With that being said, these batteries will only able to power very low power device or used to trickle charge a much larger chemical battery. The only advantage is they can trickle charge for months or years (depending of the half-life of the isostope). So, don't expect these batteries to reach critical mass, or X-ray your genitals into impotence and most of all, don't expect them to power anything more than a PDA.
There's similar service already running here in BC run by Fido (Microcell)
Check out the link
ifdo
Not sure about the Technology it uses, the website is not very forthcoming about the specs.
Laws aren't absolute, they are design (imperfectly by people) and revised to serve their purpose. But more than often, the laws themselves do not ultimately serve their intended purpose. In the case of DRM related laws, there is quite a observable gap between the actual implementation of the laws and their intended purpose. When that happens and enough people see it, you will get the relaxation of the laws as common sense takes over. For example, the purposes of copyright laws are quite clear, they are created to ensure that artists are properly and fairly compensated for their work so they can keeping producing more art. However, the current laws seems to be doing neither, they seem to over-compensate the distributors ( Record labels.. etc) and giving them too much control over what type of art gets distributed. The digital medium was suppose to change that, distribution is now commonplace and the masses have become more in control of the expression of art. The distributors see that, and are using the excuse of piracy to tightened DRM laws beyond common sense. The public simply let loose and breathed a little.
what happen to the good old days when you can run a decent OS just with a few floppies? Remember how 650 megs was all you even needed? ( at least for a linux distro)? Guess not
At the current rate of fossil fuel consumption, the world's fossil fuel (particularily oil and gas) reserve will be depeleted in about 40 years presuming there are no new major reserves discovered and consumption rate stays constant (which it more likely won't). What then?
Fusion will definitely be important then and I hope it will not be vaporware still. Any advances in alternate energy and fuel conservation ( I think hybrid cars are great) should be welcomed and I can only hope that the scientists didn't embelish on their claims.
Maybe fusion will be viable before the world's oil reserve runs out. But with our addiction to petroleum in mind, we will probably be at a war to "secure" other people's oil when fusion is announced to the world as THE next energy source.
This could open the door for more research and explorations to be done in the deep ocean due to the lower cost of diesel engines (even this system) when compared to the expensive, heavy batteries used to power un-tethered subs. Unless fuel cell technology pan out and the development and implementation speed along faster, this could be the technology that will be adopted in the next generation of cheaper and more capable undersea exploration vessels.
Now if they can only fit one of these systems in a hardsuit, I'd go out and buy one. (with other poeple money ofcourse)
Competing technologies
on
Flywheel UPS
·
· Score: 1
With the current slow trend of fuel cell technology advancement, flywheel could very well become the underdog that will be viable on the market. Expect to see flywheels powering cars, buses and laptops.
AMD makes fast quality chips for less. The problem is AMD chips runs too hot. people don't want to have to buy a 300W power supply to run a thunderbird. Maybe this speculative "buy-out" will let AMD adapt some Transmeta technology to make their chips run cooler.
Slashdot Mirror
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/oceans/la-oceans -series,0,7842752.special
this is perfect for people not travelling with their own computer or at work where you can't install a client
http://www15.meebo.com/
You mean you're still using IE? Well maybe it'll convince you to switch this time.
The type of radioisotopes being consider for nuclear batteries are not the ones that are used in reactors or nuclear bombs. The ones being considered are nickel-63 and tritium, They have much lower energy density than that of fissile materials. Because of the lower energy density, the particles they emit are less energetic than the radioactive materials most poeple think of. For example, the particle these candidate isotopes emit penetrate no more than 25 micrometers in most materials, so you can actually contain these particles by a simple packaging. And also remember that the layer of dead skin over your body are thicker than 25 microns. With that being said, these batteries will only able to power very low power device or used to trickle charge a much larger chemical battery. The only advantage is they can trickle charge for months or years (depending of the half-life of the isostope). So, don't expect these batteries to reach critical mass, or X-ray your genitals into impotence and most of all, don't expect them to power anything more than a PDA.
There's similar service already running here in BC run by Fido (Microcell) Check out the link ifdo Not sure about the Technology it uses, the website is not very forthcoming about the specs.
Looks like I'll have to go back school again but major in Arts.
At least then I won't be bitter about being overqualified to operate the microphone at the Drive-Thru window...
Laws aren't absolute, they are design (imperfectly by people) and revised to serve their purpose. But more than often, the laws themselves do not ultimately serve their intended purpose. In the case of DRM related laws, there is quite a observable gap between the actual implementation of the laws and their intended purpose. When that happens and enough people see it, you will get the relaxation of the laws as common sense takes over. For example, the purposes of copyright laws are quite clear, they are created to ensure that artists are properly and fairly compensated for their work so they can keeping producing more art. However, the current laws seems to be doing neither, they seem to over-compensate the distributors ( Record labels.. etc) and giving them too much control over what type of art gets distributed. The digital medium was suppose to change that, distribution is now commonplace and the masses have become more in control of the expression of art. The distributors see that, and are using the excuse of piracy to tightened DRM laws beyond common sense. The public simply let loose and breathed a little.
what happen to the good old days when you can run a decent OS just with a few floppies? Remember how 650 megs was all you even needed? ( at least for a linux distro)? Guess not
At the current rate of fossil fuel consumption, the world's fossil fuel (particularily oil and gas) reserve will be depeleted in about 40 years presuming there are no new major reserves discovered and consumption rate stays constant (which it more likely won't). What then?
Fusion will definitely be important then and I hope it will not be vaporware still. Any advances in alternate energy and fuel conservation ( I think hybrid cars are great) should be welcomed and I can only hope that the scientists didn't embelish on their claims.
Maybe fusion will be viable before the world's oil reserve runs out. But with our addiction to petroleum in mind, we will probably be at a war to "secure" other people's oil when fusion is announced to the world as THE next energy source.
This could open the door for more research and explorations to be done in the deep ocean due to the lower cost of diesel engines (even this system) when compared to the expensive, heavy batteries used to power un-tethered subs. Unless fuel cell technology pan out and the development and implementation speed along faster, this could be the technology that will be adopted in the next generation of cheaper and more capable undersea exploration vessels.
Now if they can only fit one of these systems in a hardsuit, I'd go out and buy one. (with other poeple money ofcourse)
With the current slow trend of fuel cell technology advancement, flywheel could very well become the underdog that will be viable on the market. Expect to see flywheels powering cars, buses and laptops.
AMD makes fast quality chips for less. The problem is AMD chips runs too hot. people don't want to have to buy a 300W power supply to run a thunderbird. Maybe this speculative "buy-out" will let AMD adapt some Transmeta technology to make their chips run cooler.
My Duron melted my copper heat sink...
Now we will see a much wider user base for linux as a desktop operating system. Maybe as popular as the Iron Chefs.
I have failed you Chairman Kaga.