I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he meant, yes. Besides, South Africa has 11 official languages, with English being only the 6th most common spoken in the home.
Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders are still subjects of the crown, and for all their fuss, which only leaves Ireland. Fortunately, they also consider "billion" to mean 1e9.
It's a scientific imperative, and a recurring theme on Slashdot, that a sufficient sample size is necessary to draw a meaningful conclusion. And when it comes to planets we've sufficiently explored, our sample size is somewhere between 1 and 3, including Earth. We *believe* the moon is devoid of life, which is probably accurate since it's the moon is a relatively static environment, and life tends to alter its environment. We *suspect* that life is absent from Mars, but we don't know for sure. For all we know, there are planets in our own solar system that are teeming with life. The only thing we can say with any degree of confidence is that the odds of life inhabiting a given body are less than 1 and greater than 0, and that we have yet to observe extraterrestrial life.
Now it makes sense to extrapolate from our observations, but only when we have sufficient data, and drawing *any* conclusions from 1-3 points out of of billions is insane, no matter how rational it may *feel*. It's the very root of superstition. If we count the moon as a second data point, and that's still a leap of faith, then the incidence of life is 50/50. If we found bacteria on Mars, then we suddenly have data showing that life is more likely than not, and confirming evidence that 100% of worlds containing water also have life.
Given the above, trying to make predictions based on the observed data is worse than useless -- it's detrimental. It limits our focus and makes us oblivious to alternatives. It's the scientific equivalent of believing that a broken mirror brings bad luck, or that angry gods cause lightning. After all, why investigate the source of lightning when we already know that it was caused by our sin? Why investigate arid worlds when we know that life requires water? Such beliefs make us oblivious to the truth, even when we're staring it in the face.
The Drake Equation, and its variants, are nothing more than a roll of the dice or the flip of a coin at this point. Let's treat them as such, and move on.
Fuel is only a small minority of nuclear waste, or more properly, radioactive waste, which is any material that has been, or may have been, exposed to nuclear radiation. This includes PPE like hazmat suits, as well as used tools and containers. There's usually a relatively low level of radioactivity, but it's still desirable to isolate and properly dispose of the materials to prevent exposure through particle inhalation, ingestion or absorption. Proper disposal is more of a safeguard than a necessity -- it would most likely be harmless in a dump or at the bottom of the ocean. Since the companies are not getting the proper disposal they paid for, in accordance with regulations, that makes this more of a scam than a serious public health risk. Doubly so, since now somebody has to pay to retrieve it and dispose of it in accordance with applicable regulations.
it is possible that government contracts require US-made computers containing US-made components.
Yeah, no. The government buys from domestic companies as much as possible, but it's not a requirement. Aside from that, many of Dell's components are sourced from overseas, and apart from the anemic configurations at premium prices, the PCs the government purchases are identical to the consumer versions. Plenty of other hardware is purchased directly from foreign companies as well.
That said, there's really no reason to source from domestic companies exclusively, because domestic companies are not inherently more trustworthy, and treating them as if they were would be a mistake from a security perspective. It is therefore the role of Information Assurance (IA) to ensure that there is no data leakage from ANY system. How well they perform that task is another matter entirely.
Exactly.. the fact that you can out-bandwidth a network connection via Sneakernet is not news, even for values of Sneaker == Pigeon. With a 2Mbit upstream, it would take me over 4.5 hours to send 4GB, which means it's faster to take a thumb drive for most distances < 270mi (60mph * 4.5h), and certainly all distances <= 50mi.. at least for points coinciding with the surface of the earth.
The latency of Sneakernet sort of sucks though, and I wouldn't recommend it for anything other than the most casual of turn-based games.
That summarizes why I jailbroke my iPhone. Took all of 5 minutes. Sure, it could be "fixed" in a future iPhone OS update, but there's nothing that says I have to update. It took a bit longer to bypass the "official developer" signing requirements, but seriously.. if you're a Linux user, complaining about having to use obscure hacks is the ultimate in pot-kettle diametrical thinking.
I'm not sure whether to like that show or hate it. One the one hand, there's plenty of jokes *for* nerds. On the other, there's plenty more jokes *about* nerds, and pretty harsh, stereotypical ones at that. Even the characters are stereotypes, with varying degrees of social ineptitude in direct proportion to their intelligence. Sure it's good to laugh at yourself, but that's what Slashdot is for.
Assuming you weren't being snarky, they're two sides of the same coin -- electromagnetic force, which is one of the four fundamental forces, along with the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and gravity. That's why you can generate an electromagnet by passing current through a wound wire, or generate electricity by passing a magnet along the same.
1) But they're NOT big relative to the light source. Moreover, inaccuracies will be greatly amplified between the wheel filter and the projection surface, and the projection surface IS the light source for the viewer.
I don't know about some of the newer color wheels (and color wheels have been largely phased out in favor of colored LED light sources for DLP anyway) BUT the older wheels were 4-segment: Red, Green, Blue, and White, and each color is projected throughout the duration of the rotation for each color. With 4 segments, that's 90 degrees of rotation, which is completely worthless. Even if you double the number to 8 segments, that's 45 degrees of rotation.
And finally, a sanity check: if it were as easy as putting filters on a wheel, don't you think the cinemas would use that instead of forking out the cash for two separate synchronized projectors?
This idea is the equivalent of those hokey "big screen TV via Fresnel lens" projects. It might work, but it won't work well, and people almost certainly aren't going to pay money for it.
--
2) What I meant wasn't that people would need a separate TV for 2D, just that I don't see this taking off. In order for movies to be released in a new format, you need a large audience, but you won't get a large audience unless you release lots of movies in the new format. It's exactly what happens to Sony over and over with their proprietary media formats. Every once in a while they catch a lucky break, like with BluRay, but they have a lot of MiniDiscs and Memory Sticks in their portfolio as well.
Except that it's hard to polarize a projection when the polarization filter is rotating. At best, it would happen so fast that instead of seeing varying intensities over the duration of each frame, you'd instead have significant bleeding of each left/right image into the other, making the glasses all but useless.
But any 3D technology that requires glasses is a gimmick. They're fine for using for a couple of hours, a couple of times a year when you take the kids to the cinema, but in everyday use they'd get dirty/lost/scratched/broken, and they preclude casual viewing. FFS, people watch TV to be lazy, not because they want to do chores. Additionally, you'll have to buy 3D-specific recordings, which will probably end up being in some crazy nonstandard format that costs more, isn't available from most vendors, and only has a handful of titles.
If/when holographic projection becomes possible at an affordable price, then maybe, maybe casual 3D would make sense. Until then, my prediction is that 3D TVs will be no more popular than shuttered glassses and VR helms for 3D gaming.
By that logic, there wouldn't be traffic jams. The reality is that everybody wants the roads clear -- they just want the *other* guy to be the one off the road.
And there's more to it than just host-to-host infections. Many pathogens have natural reservoirs -- plants or animals that can host the pathogen without themselves becoming ill, or with only minor effects. While in the reservoir, the pathogen can still mutate by its normal mechanisms, and could become even more deadly to humans (or its reservoir.)
It's all a game of dice, and every once in a while you can, and probably will, roll snake eyes. Just because a mutation isn't good for the long-term viability of a pathogen doesn't mean it won't occur. It's not as if the pathogen has some sort of intelligent control that says "Woah, I'm killing my hosts way too fast.. I'd better slow things down a bit." Short term success is still success.
Consider that an oft-quoted statistic is that 99% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct. I'm not sure how accurate that figure is, but it only takes 1 to prove the point: Those extinct organisms were successful enough, until for whatever reason, they weren't.
The money saved by shipping cheap goods from China or India is cheaper than the money paid-out to people with burned hands.
I think you meant it's cheaper to pay out people with burned hands than to correct a design flaw. Presumably the product would still be assembled in China, regardless.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he meant, yes. Besides, South Africa has 11 official languages, with English being only the 6th most common spoken in the home.
Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders are still subjects of the crown, and for all their fuss, which only leaves Ireland. Fortunately, they also consider "billion" to mean 1e9.
assuming that pink unicorns don't start farting pixie dust first.
When did they stop?!?
It's a scientific imperative, and a recurring theme on Slashdot, that a sufficient sample size is necessary to draw a meaningful conclusion. And when it comes to planets we've sufficiently explored, our sample size is somewhere between 1 and 3, including Earth. We *believe* the moon is devoid of life, which is probably accurate since it's the moon is a relatively static environment, and life tends to alter its environment. We *suspect* that life is absent from Mars, but we don't know for sure. For all we know, there are planets in our own solar system that are teeming with life. The only thing we can say with any degree of confidence is that the odds of life inhabiting a given body are less than 1 and greater than 0, and that we have yet to observe extraterrestrial life.
Now it makes sense to extrapolate from our observations, but only when we have sufficient data, and drawing *any* conclusions from 1-3 points out of of billions is insane, no matter how rational it may *feel*. It's the very root of superstition. If we count the moon as a second data point, and that's still a leap of faith, then the incidence of life is 50/50. If we found bacteria on Mars, then we suddenly have data showing that life is more likely than not, and confirming evidence that 100% of worlds containing water also have life.
Given the above, trying to make predictions based on the observed data is worse than useless -- it's detrimental. It limits our focus and makes us oblivious to alternatives. It's the scientific equivalent of believing that a broken mirror brings bad luck, or that angry gods cause lightning. After all, why investigate the source of lightning when we already know that it was caused by our sin? Why investigate arid worlds when we know that life requires water? Such beliefs make us oblivious to the truth, even when we're staring it in the face.
The Drake Equation, and its variants, are nothing more than a roll of the dice or the flip of a coin at this point. Let's treat them as such, and move on.
Closer to a decade ago. Hope you got a good deal on that UID.
Fuel is only a small minority of nuclear waste, or more properly, radioactive waste, which is any material that has been, or may have been, exposed to nuclear radiation. This includes PPE like hazmat suits, as well as used tools and containers. There's usually a relatively low level of radioactivity, but it's still desirable to isolate and properly dispose of the materials to prevent exposure through particle inhalation, ingestion or absorption. Proper disposal is more of a safeguard than a necessity -- it would most likely be harmless in a dump or at the bottom of the ocean. Since the companies are not getting the proper disposal they paid for, in accordance with regulations, that makes this more of a scam than a serious public health risk. Doubly so, since now somebody has to pay to retrieve it and dispose of it in accordance with applicable regulations.
You've never been overcharged because most places don't overcharge tourists.
We just give a local "discount". ;)
it is possible that government contracts require US-made computers containing US-made components.
Yeah, no. The government buys from domestic companies as much as possible, but it's not a requirement. Aside from that, many of Dell's components are sourced from overseas, and apart from the anemic configurations at premium prices, the PCs the government purchases are identical to the consumer versions. Plenty of other hardware is purchased directly from foreign companies as well.
That said, there's really no reason to source from domestic companies exclusively, because domestic companies are not inherently more trustworthy, and treating them as if they were would be a mistake from a security perspective. It is therefore the role of Information Assurance (IA) to ensure that there is no data leakage from ANY system. How well they perform that task is another matter entirely.
That word, aught... I do not think it means what you think it means.
...Outlook not so good?
Exactly.. the fact that you can out-bandwidth a network connection via Sneakernet is not news, even for values of Sneaker == Pigeon. With a 2Mbit upstream, it would take me over 4.5 hours to send 4GB, which means it's faster to take a thumb drive for most distances < 270mi (60mph * 4.5h), and certainly all distances <= 50mi.. at least for points coinciding with the surface of the earth.
The latency of Sneakernet sort of sucks though, and I wouldn't recommend it for anything other than the most casual of turn-based games.
Dominant position.
See also: The bit you quoted just there...
That summarizes why I jailbroke my iPhone. Took all of 5 minutes. Sure, it could be "fixed" in a future iPhone OS update, but there's nothing that says I have to update. It took a bit longer to bypass the "official developer" signing requirements, but seriously.. if you're a Linux user, complaining about having to use obscure hacks is the ultimate in pot-kettle diametrical thinking.
It was kinda fun to live in that age when people were gullible enough to accept ANYTHING that popped up on screen.
Yeah, we're way more savvy these... OHHH, A talking moose wants my credit card number! That's only fair.
I'm not sure whether to like that show or hate it. One the one hand, there's plenty of jokes *for* nerds. On the other, there's plenty more jokes *about* nerds, and pretty harsh, stereotypical ones at that. Even the characters are stereotypes, with varying degrees of social ineptitude in direct proportion to their intelligence. Sure it's good to laugh at yourself, but that's what Slashdot is for.
[Insert joke about lack of girlfriend here].
Assuming you weren't being snarky, they're two sides of the same coin -- electromagnetic force, which is one of the four fundamental forces, along with the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and gravity. That's why you can generate an electromagnet by passing current through a wound wire, or generate electricity by passing a magnet along the same.
1) But they're NOT big relative to the light source. Moreover, inaccuracies will be greatly amplified between the wheel filter and the projection surface, and the projection surface IS the light source for the viewer.
I don't know about some of the newer color wheels (and color wheels have been largely phased out in favor of colored LED light sources for DLP anyway) BUT the older wheels were 4-segment: Red, Green, Blue, and White, and each color is projected throughout the duration of the rotation for each color. With 4 segments, that's 90 degrees of rotation, which is completely worthless. Even if you double the number to 8 segments, that's 45 degrees of rotation.
And finally, a sanity check: if it were as easy as putting filters on a wheel, don't you think the cinemas would use that instead of forking out the cash for two separate synchronized projectors?
This idea is the equivalent of those hokey "big screen TV via Fresnel lens" projects. It might work, but it won't work well, and people almost certainly aren't going to pay money for it.
--
2) What I meant wasn't that people would need a separate TV for 2D, just that I don't see this taking off. In order for movies to be released in a new format, you need a large audience, but you won't get a large audience unless you release lots of movies in the new format. It's exactly what happens to Sony over and over with their proprietary media formats. Every once in a while they catch a lucky break, like with BluRay, but they have a lot of MiniDiscs and Memory Sticks in their portfolio as well.
I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that circular polarization filters create circularly polarized light, which is not useful for 3D glasses.
Except that it's hard to polarize a projection when the polarization filter is rotating. At best, it would happen so fast that instead of seeing varying intensities over the duration of each frame, you'd instead have significant bleeding of each left/right image into the other, making the glasses all but useless.
But any 3D technology that requires glasses is a gimmick. They're fine for using for a couple of hours, a couple of times a year when you take the kids to the cinema, but in everyday use they'd get dirty/lost/scratched/broken, and they preclude casual viewing. FFS, people watch TV to be lazy, not because they want to do chores. Additionally, you'll have to buy 3D-specific recordings, which will probably end up being in some crazy nonstandard format that costs more, isn't available from most vendors, and only has a handful of titles.
If/when holographic projection becomes possible at an affordable price, then maybe, maybe casual 3D would make sense. Until then, my prediction is that 3D TVs will be no more popular than shuttered glassses and VR helms for 3D gaming.
No wonder he hated her...
"God damnit, look at me when I'm talking to you!"
I joke, I joke.. it's actually refreshing that he saw past her superficial flaws. Lord knows she saw around his.
By that logic, there wouldn't be traffic jams. The reality is that everybody wants the roads clear -- they just want the *other* guy to be the one off the road.
And there's more to it than just host-to-host infections. Many pathogens have natural reservoirs -- plants or animals that can host the pathogen without themselves becoming ill, or with only minor effects. While in the reservoir, the pathogen can still mutate by its normal mechanisms, and could become even more deadly to humans (or its reservoir.)
It's all a game of dice, and every once in a while you can, and probably will, roll snake eyes. Just because a mutation isn't good for the long-term viability of a pathogen doesn't mean it won't occur. It's not as if the pathogen has some sort of intelligent control that says "Woah, I'm killing my hosts way too fast.. I'd better slow things down a bit." Short term success is still success.
Consider that an oft-quoted statistic is that 99% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct. I'm not sure how accurate that figure is, but it only takes 1 to prove the point: Those extinct organisms were successful enough, until for whatever reason, they weren't.
I'd be happy just to see the British apologize for giving us Lord British.
Teddy Bears + Maple Syrup = Napalm
Too bad his little bro drank all of the former and killed the latter.
What? Too soon?
The money saved by shipping cheap goods from China or India is cheaper than the money paid-out to people with burned hands.
I think you meant it's cheaper to pay out people with burned hands than to correct a design flaw. Presumably the product would still be assembled in China, regardless.