The rover would be swinging like my dick on those cables unless there were some thrusters used to stop any swinging motion
Erm.. if you watch the video you'll see the crane has multiple thusters. In fact, without those thrusters MSL would have a real problem landing.
(Hint: The rockets don't have to be mounted on the lander to counter swinging motions, just by moving the crane you can cancel out the swings - it works both ways).
Really, the Viking Landers used retro rockets. Phoenix used retro rockets. So I guess we can assume retro rockets are a proven technology. The only thing added is a few cables, and cables also are a proven technology. And given todays sensors and processing power, I don't see any problem in making a platform hover a while and fly away.
And before you all start jabbing, yes, I do believe MSL will be a great engineering feat, a fantastic machine and a great achievement for humanity, but there is no hocus-pocus involved. It's doable and there just aren't many safe ways to go from thousands of kilometers per hour to zero in a few minutes and land safely on the ground. It's a new idea but it makes sense.
I recently ended up on a party where the music was so loud, that I contacted a senator with the idea of a legal obligation to make earplugs available at dancings and parties. When I say loud, I mean that my t-shirt was moving with the beats.
He's also a doctor, so I figured he would realize the dangers. His answer was very positive, and gave me some further information on the damage done: apparently, damage done by short term exposure can heal, but long term exposure is permanent. He was also working on legislation to limit the maximum volume of mp3 players.
This is a lingering problem that will manifest itself in the next decades when hearing implants will become much more common.
Personally, I cecame much more aware of the problem after I spoke to a friend who has worked on sound measurements of jet fighter his whole life, and now he hears a loud, high-pitched tone 24/7, driving him crazy sometimes. The "solution" is to have two hearing aids, not to amplify the sounds around him, but to inject white noise. This drowns te tone he hears partly (our brains cancels out white noise), making his life more or less bearable. But I think it is still hard for him. Just imagine how it must feel and you'll realize it must be.
So yes, this is a real problem, and everybody should at least be aware of it.
And you get extra points if the task is a game, simply because games are fun. Simple ones are the animals "AI" game (aka expert system), or hangman. Just to give a few examples.
But stay realistic, they won't become masters overnight. All you can really hope for is to provide an appetizer.
If most of those people won't become software engineers, then you might want to do a little programming, and then go apply that to macro's in software packages, or scripting (bash, or if you're masochistic, batch). At least then they'll have some use for their skills later on.
Also, make them realize that if they are doing repetitive work on a computer, they are doing something wrong.
It's funny that Microsoft is trying to clean up the mess they've been producing for more than a decade (I'm being nice here), just to find themselves locked in just like the rest of us.
I too think that interference by something like a wireless mouse would be very unlikely. If they are so certain that it is indeed the cause, they should provide some strong evidence instead of making such suspicious claims. It would be very surprising if airplaines didn't use shielded twisted pair, which reduces interference a lot.
If it is indeed the cause, I hope they don't blame the poor guy, when it's a design error of the plane. Where I work, we build electronics that directly dive 20hp electric engines. Now *that* causes interference. Yet, the customer reports no problems.
I really hope that, one day, writing code like that will be a capital offence. Sometimes I just wonder what's going on in the heads of people who write code that way. Don't they ask themselves why their code doesn't work well? It didn't work well, did it? Unless if it was a small application, code written like that is guaranteed to be full of bugs.
In 11 pages, it condenses a lot of the knowledge you learn after programming for 20 years. Very, very interesting.
The rest is discipline to keep your code clean and well documented. Also, if you don't feel 100% comfortable with how you are going to implement a function, write the function comment first and describe what the function does. I found that by first writing it down in plain text, it becomes easier to transform the idea into statements. It's tricks like that you'll have to learn.
People aren't machines. And if your job is creative, you *need* to turn the switch from time to time to force you to think about something completely different. Otherwise you keep thinking the same way about a problem (tunnel vision), instead of finding a new and better way to solve it. At least, that's what I think.
Still have my first cellphone, a Nokia 3310. Unbreakable. Does one thing, and does it well (making phone calls). Easy to operate. And lately, totally worthless and unsexy, so theft isn't my biggest concern.
You conveniently omitted the US government and their greed for oil. There is no point denying that's the reason for the war in Iraq. Strategic leverage.
I'd like anyone with a minimum of imagination to think about the kind of wounds these weapons will cause. Seems horific to me. It always strikes me how these weapons are promoted to "eliminate targets", and while one might think about destroying infrastructure, they are actually talking about killing.
But hey, I guess more weapons is just what the world needs.
Just to bring you up to speed: pacemakers can already be accessed wirelessly, it's much more convenient than a wire sticking out of your chest. And it has already been hacked too.
IMO, code readability is more a question of discipline at the programmers end than it is of the language. You can write perfectly readable code in almost every language if you really want to. Good documentation, good naming and small functions (not 200 line monsters full with if/thens, each containing multiple conditions and'ed and or'ed together, e.g.) already takes you quite far.
Pose yourself the question "if someone reads this for the first time, what should he need to know?" and write it down in a comment. Also document your data structures, and how they are used (often forgotten).
Last but not least, good abstractions will make it possible to think on a higher level, will keep code small and easier to read too. Within the abstraction, you tacle a small problem so that's easy to follow, and outside the abstraction you don't waste attention on micro-management.
BTW, with good documentation I mean documentation that adds value, not something like "count++;// increment counter" (I can read that myself, thanks). Something like "count++;// found another target" is much more useful, as it tells you in 3 words what is happening at the application level.
Thoughtcrime would be thinking "I don't like niggers". If you deny some person a job because he's black, that's no thought, that's clearly an action influencing the chances someone else gets.
Hell I could probably get away with including "applicants must have black hair" on a job ad and get away with it.
I'm not so sure about that.. Of course it will depend on the local laws, but as long as it is discrimination, I don't think you can do so here in Belgium. Unless having a certain hair colour is important for the job.
I think there is a difference between racial bias and racism. You can be totally against racism based on ethical beliefs, but there still is the subconsciousness that can cause different behaviour based on skin color. It's really hard to completely get rid of it.
Personally I have this pretty strong after being attacked by some north africans. If I find myself in a situation where a group of them is walking behind me, I can get very nervous. Does that mean I'm a racist? No, because I don't have anything against them, and I even feel somewhat guilty that I react that way, but it's a behaviour I cannot control. A racist will think very differently and will automatically make conclusions based on skin colour and won't be persuadated otherwise. Basically, racists don't think very far (I don't know any smart racists, actually).
Slashdot Mirror
I don't think so. Cable cutters are very, very reliable. That's the least of my worries.
The rover would be swinging like my dick on those cables unless there were some thrusters used to stop any swinging motion
Erm.. if you watch the video you'll see the crane has multiple thusters. In fact, without those thrusters MSL would have a real problem landing.
(Hint: The rockets don't have to be mounted on the lander to counter swinging motions, just by moving the crane you can cancel out the swings - it works both ways).
To quote Monty Ptython: are you a man or a mouse?
Really, the Viking Landers used retro rockets. Phoenix used retro rockets. So I guess we can assume retro rockets are a proven technology. The only thing added is a few cables, and cables also are a proven technology. And given todays sensors and processing power, I don't see any problem in making a platform hover a while and fly away.
And before you all start jabbing, yes, I do believe MSL will be a great engineering feat, a fantastic machine and a great achievement for humanity, but there is no hocus-pocus involved. It's doable and there just aren't many safe ways to go from thousands of kilometers per hour to zero in a few minutes and land safely on the ground. It's a new idea but it makes sense.
These kind of responses clearly illustrate how people don't get it.
I recently ended up on a party where the music was so loud, that I contacted a senator with the idea of a legal obligation to make earplugs available at dancings and parties. When I say loud, I mean that my t-shirt was moving with the beats.
He's also a doctor, so I figured he would realize the dangers. His answer was very positive, and gave me some further information on the damage done: apparently, damage done by short term exposure can heal, but long term exposure is permanent. He was also working on legislation to limit the maximum volume of mp3 players.
This is a lingering problem that will manifest itself in the next decades when hearing implants will become much more common.
Personally, I cecame much more aware of the problem after I spoke to a friend who has worked on sound measurements of jet fighter his whole life, and now he hears a loud, high-pitched tone 24/7, driving him crazy sometimes. The "solution" is to have two hearing aids, not to amplify the sounds around him, but to inject white noise. This drowns te tone he hears partly (our brains cancels out white noise), making his life more or less bearable. But I think it is still hard for him. Just imagine how it must feel and you'll realize it must be.
So yes, this is a real problem, and everybody should at least be aware of it.
And you get extra points if the task is a game, simply because games are fun. Simple ones are the animals "AI" game (aka expert system), or hangman. Just to give a few examples.
But stay realistic, they won't become masters overnight. All you can really hope for is to provide an appetizer.
If most of those people won't become software engineers, then you might want to do a little programming, and then go apply that to macro's in software packages, or scripting (bash, or if you're masochistic, batch). At least then they'll have some use for their skills later on.
Also, make them realize that if they are doing repetitive work on a computer, they are doing something wrong.
BTW--your .sig seems oddly appropriate
Considering the amount of stupidity that can be found in this part of the milky way, my .sig is oddly appropriate most of the time.
It's funny that Microsoft is trying to clean up the mess they've been producing for more than a decade (I'm being nice here), just to find themselves locked in just like the rest of us.
I too think that interference by something like a wireless mouse would be very unlikely. If they are so certain that it is indeed the cause, they should provide some strong evidence instead of making such suspicious claims. It would be very surprising if airplaines didn't use shielded twisted pair, which reduces interference a lot.
If it is indeed the cause, I hope they don't blame the poor guy, when it's a design error of the plane. Where I work, we build electronics that directly dive 20hp electric engines. Now *that* causes interference. Yet, the customer reports no problems.
be as lazy as you like :)
Isn't that a very elaborate way to be lazy?
And pray they don't read slashdot, since your complete negotiating strategy will be available online. Way to go..
I really hope that, one day, writing code like that will be a capital offence. Sometimes I just wonder what's going on in the heads of people who write code that way. Don't they ask themselves why their code doesn't work well? It didn't work well, did it? Unless if it was a small application, code written like that is guaranteed to be full of bugs.
I recently saw a very interesting webpage (I've even printed it out) about coding: http://bsolano.com/ecci/ci-2200/artu/ch01s06.html
In 11 pages, it condenses a lot of the knowledge you learn after programming for 20 years. Very, very interesting.
The rest is discipline to keep your code clean and well documented. Also, if you don't feel 100% comfortable with how you are going to implement a function, write the function comment first and describe what the function does. I found that by first writing it down in plain text, it becomes easier to transform the idea into statements. It's tricks like that you'll have to learn.
People aren't machines. And if your job is creative, you *need* to turn the switch from time to time to force you to think about something completely different. Otherwise you keep thinking the same way about a problem (tunnel vision), instead of finding a new and better way to solve it. At least, that's what I think.
Now, back to work..
Still have my first cellphone, a Nokia 3310. Unbreakable. Does one thing, and does it well (making phone calls). Easy to operate. And lately, totally worthless and unsexy, so theft isn't my biggest concern.
The problem is that adding a dialog box to a program is too simple. It's good for debugging, but software tends to have too many of them, IMHO.
You conveniently omitted the US government and their greed for oil. There is no point denying that's the reason for the war in Iraq. Strategic leverage.
I completely agree that using lasers would eliminate innocent deaths by eliminating all those factors that effect bullets.
I think I'll just sit back and wait until the first friendly fire incident happens with these things.
I'd like anyone with a minimum of imagination to think about the kind of wounds these weapons will cause. Seems horific to me. It always strikes me how these weapons are promoted to "eliminate targets", and while one might think about destroying infrastructure, they are actually talking about killing.
But hey, I guess more weapons is just what the world needs.
(sorry for the sarcasm).
Just to bring you up to speed: pacemakers can already be accessed wirelessly, it's much more convenient than a wire sticking out of your chest. And it has already been hacked too.
However, if it's difficult to read, [...]
IMO, code readability is more a question of discipline at the programmers end than it is of the language. You can write perfectly readable code in almost every language if you really want to. Good documentation, good naming and small functions (not 200 line monsters full with if/thens, each containing multiple conditions and'ed and or'ed together, e.g.) already takes you quite far.
Pose yourself the question "if someone reads this for the first time, what should he need to know?" and write it down in a comment. Also document your data structures, and how they are used (often forgotten).
Last but not least, good abstractions will make it possible to think on a higher level, will keep code small and easier to read too. Within the abstraction, you tacle a small problem so that's easy to follow, and outside the abstraction you don't waste attention on micro-management.
BTW, with good documentation I mean documentation that adds value, not something like "count++; // increment counter" (I can read that myself, thanks). Something like "count++; // found another target" is much more useful, as it tells you in 3 words what is happening at the application level.
Indeed, I think they have just patented a methaphor.
Or to quote Donald Rumsfeld: "We know they have WMDs, there is no debate about it".
(For that quote alone he should get a Weasel Of The Year award, a free punch in the stomach, and a one-way trip to Guantanamo).
Thoughtcrime would be thinking "I don't like niggers". If you deny some person a job because he's black, that's no thought, that's clearly an action influencing the chances someone else gets.
Hell I could probably get away with including "applicants must have black hair" on a job ad and get away with it.
I'm not so sure about that.. Of course it will depend on the local laws, but as long as it is discrimination, I don't think you can do so here in Belgium. Unless having a certain hair colour is important for the job.
I think there is a difference between racial bias and racism. You can be totally against racism based on ethical beliefs, but there still is the subconsciousness that can cause different behaviour based on skin color. It's really hard to completely get rid of it.
Personally I have this pretty strong after being attacked by some north africans. If I find myself in a situation where a group of them is walking behind me, I can get very nervous. Does that mean I'm a racist? No, because I don't have anything against them, and I even feel somewhat guilty that I react that way, but it's a behaviour I cannot control. A racist will think very differently and will automatically make conclusions based on skin colour and won't be persuadated otherwise. Basically, racists don't think very far (I don't know any smart racists, actually).