How can the universe, the sum of everything which exists, have shape? What, then, is outside this funnel? Isn't it infinitely large by definition?
It might be seemingly infinite in three dimensions, but imagine two-dimenional topology mapped onto a ball. You could go seemingly infinitely in a single direction. Yet the ball has a finite volume. Now apply this to dimension over three....
As for what's outside the universe, there can be only one answer:
Well, I wish they would compare undergraduate engineering programs across all schools. It would be interesting. Which is better for undergraduates, a school that has PhD programs, or one that is dedicated to undergraduates only? I know that in many undergraduate classes at larger schools, the classes are often taught entirely by TAs. At RHIT, the only class not taught by a professor was College and Life Skills. It's part of the reason I chose RHIT over MIT and Cal Tech. Does it make a difference? Who knows...schools like RHIT, Cooper Union, and Harvey Mudd are considered the place to get an elite undergraduate education, which you can then take to another school's graduate-level programs. Usually, it looks better anyway to have your degrees from different schools.
Sometimes graduate programs aren't that intensive, either...as an example, I was recently helping someone solve problems with VHDL work they were doing in a graduate-level digital design course. They only needed to make a simple PWM...in my junior level classes at RHIT, we were using VHDL to control memory and synthesize music, interface to keyboards, etc. We made PWMs in sophomore classes.
So the rankings don't compare the undergraduate programs of RHIT, MIT, and Purdue. Until they do, it's dangerous to assume anything about their relative value. However, I'd say that maintaining the #1 rank for five years is something to be proud of. Congratulations to your wife.
The rankings from last year, in more detail:
1. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 2. Harvey Mudd College (CA) 3. Cooper Union (NY) Tied 4. United States Military Academy (NY), United States Naval Academy (MD) Tied 6. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (CA), United States Air Force Academy (CO) 8. Bucknell University (PA) Tied 9. Swarthmore College (PA), Villanova University (PA), Calif. State Poly Univ. - Pomona, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL), Milwaukee School of Engineering (WI)
I'm a 2002 alumni of RHIT...don't worry about THAT ranking. This ranking matters a bit more.
However, if you're ranking by wireless coverage, Rose-Hulman isn't going to be too far up there. They really only have a couple wireless access points in the main social areas. There really isn't a NEED for wireless access anywhere else, since practically every desk has had an Ethernet port since before wireless was practical. Plus, it's a small school: providing wireless access to tens of thousands of students is a bit more of an accomplishment.
Sooo...in the neighborhood of $50-70 at inflated cable prices depending on desired length, assuming you have no other peripherals you want to use, but you don't have ready access to your computer, you have a lot of cables snaking across a room, and the computer is just noisy over in that other room. Doesn't a $90 quiet case seem like a decent deal now?
Re:Someone get out of bed the wrong side today?
on
Making Use Of Old LCDs?
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Look, the only reason I'm saying this is because I know. I do this kind of stuff every day. Curiosity, interest, and skill will do nothing to solve this problem: what you need instead is hard information, hard cash, and hard work.
I've been working on a small LCD interface project of my own, when I find the time, but it's a relatively simple LCD with full datasheets and timing diagrams available, low bit depth and low resolution so the pincount and bandwidth is not off the charts. It is an achievable goal.
The fact is this: the person who would actually ask "Can I hook up this laptop LCD to..." is a person who does not have the technical knowledge to figure it out anytime soon. From this point, you need a few good years of in-depth investigation into and experience with LCD timing constraints, firmware and software development, high speed digital design, video controller architectures, multilayer circuit board design, and general computer and electrical engineering concepts. And you will still need the datasheets.
If you DO have the datasheets, and you can GET a controller that will work with a certain panel, and you HAVE the firmware already, and you can MOSTLY COPY an existing application circuit, then you have a fighting chance of making it work. It will still cost more than buying an equivalent ready-made solution. However all of the above is going to be pretty unlikely for a display scrounged out of a dead laptop.
Honestly, I swear the following is an exact parallel to this LCD question that no one ever bother to research on their own:
Dear Ask Slashdot: A few days ago, my uncle gave me an old John Deere tractor, which is pretty much shot except for the engine. It seems a shame to waste a perfectly good engine, so I was wondering if I could take it out and hook it into my VW Jetta somehow. I know that the engine turns when you put liquid stuff into it and run the starter, so it should be able to work in my Jetta too. I did a Google search for "engine" but didn't find what I was looking for in the first ten results. Could you tell me how to accomplish this task? I only want to spend $20 or less, and only want to use a flat-point screwdriver and a cigar box full of old rusty bolts. Thanks!
Whenever I see someone go "Is there any way to take an LCD screen..." I instantly wince, because there it is again, the question that just won't DIE. It's a question that's been in existence since the first laptop computer died. If you've been anywhere on the internet, especially in the electronics Usenet groups, you've seen n00bs ask this question hundreds, if not thousands, of times. I think that every laptop should come with a label stating "No, without large investments of time, money, and unobtainable specifications, you cannot use this display apart from the laptop."
I wish there was a Snopes for Engineers, where people could ask their questions that have already been answered a hundred times, and not waste everyone's time because they couldn't do a few simple searches and find the answer (which is NO) on their own.
That is not what the submitter was looking for. The HD44780 interface is old as dirt and very well known; there are lots of programs available for practically every computer, operating system, and microcontroller in existence, in every language that each of the preceding platforms support.
The real question, interfacing TFT displays, is a wild goose chase. Without the datasheets, an appropriate controller chip, and a good understanding of how to get configurations into said chip, you're not going to get it to work. Some converter boards do exist, but they cost a couple hundred dollars and support only a few LCD panels.
Your best bet at using a given LCD panel is to find the part number, then try to locate a single-board computer that has a personality module for it. This still isn't going to be a cheap solution.
My preferred use: neat pressure-sensitive coaster.
I no longer have the time to sit and tweak kernel configs, follow endless loops of dependency problems, hunt on the web in search of answers until I find myself trying to understand something in Russian, recompile to fix an error, fail to fix it, and add another error...I've given up on 2.6 until some major distributions other than Mandrake are actually set up to use it. Go ahead and blame me for being stupid, but I've compiled hundreds of kernels, worked out config problems, and never run into a dead end before.
Heh, that's pretty neat. I was considering something like this. Actually...yup...I have every single part listed. BTW that's not an FPGA, that's a CPLD. The particular one in that project is very inexpensive, about a dollar...that's why I have a few on hand. Actual FPGAs run in the tens to fifties.
I have used these, and definitely recommend them. A good solid scope and analyzer, even though the bandwidth and number of digital inputs isn't incredibly impressive. The computer link is pretty handy. It probably is adequate for most people.
This is typical. Focus on just one part of a greater problem. The issue is security overall. Your computers can have the most advanced security possible, but it can become useless with a few misplaced words from one of thousands of employees, or a document that missed an appointment with the shredder. When I worked in tech support, I can't count the number of times I found usernames and passwords in plain view on post-it notes...the "security conscious" employees would put them under the keyboard. Outside vendors could see any of this at will.
The internal network can also be destroyed by a simple click on an email attachment. The real issue here is educating people about computers, and expecting a certain level of competency. To many employees are using something they don't understand; it would be like giving company cars to people who don't know how to remove the keys from the ignition and lock the doors.
At least you realized it wouldn't work at that age. A lot of people these days believe worse nonsense all the time, and invest money in some swindler's scam.
You tried to make a map? And you gave up in 15 minutes? Oh well. Most of the mapmaking programs are not intuitive, at least they aren't like other programs you've used. You cannot just jump in and whip out a map. There is a steep learning curve, due to the nature of the content you are creating, and you really need to dedicate time to following some tutorials. It's the same with virtually every other 3D modeling program out there...Blender, Lightwave, Maya, etc.
The reason that people CAN make beautiful maps with this software is because the software does not restrict you to a few easy-to-use options. The existence of good fan-built maps should prove that the software is not at fault here.
And a "burst resistant container" may be useful if you want to do science in the millisecond that the probe has to survive on the surface. Seriously! A recent Mars mission had a couple of probes that were supposed to work this way (they failed).
This article calculates the energy required for reverse osmosis. It uses 0.66 Calories to desalinate one liter of water. Converting that amount of water to steam requires 610 Calories. A lot of the heat from boiling can be recovered, but the efficiency would have to be over 99.892% to compare with reverse osmosis.
It's still expensive though. However, it uses far fewer chemicals than regular treatment plants: after desalination, not much else needs to be done.
I thought that regular lawn grass was already pretty resistant to weed killer. At least, the last time I put weed killer on a lawn, the weeds died and the grass didn't. So Scott is making a product that acts like normal grass.
Genetic modification is a tool. There are many, many advancements to be made by exploiting this new resource. It's new technology, people will be scared of it. The same was true with electricity.
There once was a fear of AC as opposed to DC, Edision wanted everyone to believe that AC was much too dangerous to be used. Of course...he had an ulterior motive, as the major provider of DC power. There may be some lessons from this which might apply to some aspects of the current debate over genmod crops.
Think I'll set up a 900 number. For a buck, people can call me to hear me blow air into the microphone.
I wonder if you'll be able to hear people shouting into the other phones. If some phones are close enough, it could turn into an impromptu conference call.
Well, Anonymous Coward, stop trying to KEEP people from spending money on tech gadgets when they can afford it. My career is somewhat linked to the strength of the technology industry, what about yours? Besides, having gigabit ethernet CAN'T HURT.
Actually, I think that this is the right approach to making a wood-grain PC, though I agree with you about the price.
There is one problem with building your own case out of chunks of wood (or plastic for that matter). The problem is shielding. Computers are extremely noisy RF interference sources. That's why most normal retail cases are metal or have shielding inside. If you build a wooden case, and I've drawn up a few concepts before, it would be a good idea to get some adhesive foil to line the inside, or some EMI spray (conductive paint).
Everyone thinks that their computer is such a small influence that it doesn't matter. Well, RF noise pollution is a real problem that engineers have to deal with...don't complain if your wireless connection or cell phone doesn't work very well in the room with all your unshielded computers. Or if there's a persistent buzz in your stereo system.
If you start with a good metal case and then apply a wood layer to the outside, you don't have to worry as much about it. Unless, of course, you cut a huge ugly gaping hole in the side and glue in some plexiglass so people can see a couple of blue LEDs rattling around inside. You can't completely shield a computer, but cutting it open doesn't help.
Yeah, but consider multiple terminals around the house, all pulling down different full-resolution DVD video streams. I could see the bandwidth piling up. Plus, who knows what network-intensive applications we'll be using a few years down the road.
Plus, what if he wants to have a fast backup solution? With the sizes of hard drives these days, you can use all the transfer speed you can get. Let's say he has a server with enough space to maintain a full backup of his 120 Gig drive on his workstation. Using gigabit ethernet, it will take a theoretical minimum of 17 minutes to transfer all of the data. With 100mb ethernet, it'll take a minimum of 2 hours and 50 minutes. That's an extreme example, but you know, it'll shave off a few seconds here and there during normal use. It all adds up at the end of the day.
Slashdot Mirror
How can the universe, the sum of everything which exists, have shape? What, then, is outside this funnel? Isn't it infinitely large by definition?
It might be seemingly infinite in three dimensions, but imagine two-dimenional topology mapped onto a ball. You could go seemingly infinitely in a single direction. Yet the ball has a finite volume. Now apply this to dimension over three....
As for what's outside the universe, there can be only one answer:
Lost socks.
Well, I wish they would compare undergraduate engineering programs across all schools. It would be interesting. Which is better for undergraduates, a school that has PhD programs, or one that is dedicated to undergraduates only? I know that in many undergraduate classes at larger schools, the classes are often taught entirely by TAs. At RHIT, the only class not taught by a professor was College and Life Skills. It's part of the reason I chose RHIT over MIT and Cal Tech. Does it make a difference? Who knows...schools like RHIT, Cooper Union, and Harvey Mudd are considered the place to get an elite undergraduate education, which you can then take to another school's graduate-level programs. Usually, it looks better anyway to have your degrees from different schools.
Sometimes graduate programs aren't that intensive, either...as an example, I was recently helping someone solve problems with VHDL work they were doing in a graduate-level digital design course. They only needed to make a simple PWM...in my junior level classes at RHIT, we were using VHDL to control memory and synthesize music, interface to keyboards, etc. We made PWMs in sophomore classes.
So the rankings don't compare the undergraduate programs of RHIT, MIT, and Purdue. Until they do, it's dangerous to assume anything about their relative value. However, I'd say that maintaining the #1 rank for five years is something to be proud of. Congratulations to your wife.
The rankings from last year, in more detail:
1. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
2. Harvey Mudd College (CA)
3. Cooper Union (NY)
Tied 4. United States Military Academy (NY), United States Naval Academy (MD)
Tied 6. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (CA), United States Air Force Academy (CO)
8. Bucknell University (PA)
Tied 9. Swarthmore College (PA), Villanova University (PA), Calif. State Poly Univ. - Pomona,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL), Milwaukee School of Engineering (WI)
I'm a 2002 alumni of RHIT...don't worry about THAT ranking. This ranking matters a bit more.
However, if you're ranking by wireless coverage, Rose-Hulman isn't going to be too far up there. They really only have a couple wireless access points in the main social areas. There really isn't a NEED for wireless access anywhere else, since practically every desk has had an Ethernet port since before wireless was practical. Plus, it's a small school: providing wireless access to tens of thousands of students is a bit more of an accomplishment.
Sooo...in the neighborhood of $50-70 at inflated cable prices depending on desired length, assuming you have no other peripherals you want to use, but you don't have ready access to your computer, you have a lot of cables snaking across a room, and the computer is just noisy over in that other room. Doesn't a $90 quiet case seem like a decent deal now?
Look, the only reason I'm saying this is because I know. I do this kind of stuff every day. Curiosity, interest, and skill will do nothing to solve this problem: what you need instead is hard information, hard cash, and hard work.
I've been working on a small LCD interface project of my own, when I find the time, but it's a relatively simple LCD with full datasheets and timing diagrams available, low bit depth and low resolution so the pincount and bandwidth is not off the charts. It is an achievable goal.
The fact is this: the person who would actually ask "Can I hook up this laptop LCD to..." is a person who does not have the technical knowledge to figure it out anytime soon. From this point, you need a few good years of in-depth investigation into and experience with LCD timing constraints, firmware and software development, high speed digital design, video controller architectures, multilayer circuit board design, and general computer and electrical engineering concepts. And you will still need the datasheets.
If you DO have the datasheets, and you can GET a controller that will work with a certain panel, and you HAVE the firmware already, and you can MOSTLY COPY an existing application circuit, then you have a fighting chance of making it work. It will still cost more than buying an equivalent ready-made solution. However all of the above is going to be pretty unlikely for a display scrounged out of a dead laptop.
Thank you so much for my biggest laugh of the day!
Honestly, I swear the following is an exact parallel to this LCD question that no one ever bother to research on their own:
Dear Ask Slashdot:
A few days ago, my uncle gave me an old John Deere tractor, which is pretty much shot except for the engine. It seems a shame to waste a perfectly good engine, so I was wondering if I could take it out and hook it into my VW Jetta somehow. I know that the engine turns when you put liquid stuff into it and run the starter, so it should be able to work in my Jetta too. I did a Google search for "engine" but didn't find what I was looking for in the first ten results. Could you tell me how to accomplish this task? I only want to spend $20 or less, and only want to use a flat-point screwdriver and a cigar box full of old rusty bolts. Thanks!
Whenever I see someone go "Is there any way to take an LCD screen..." I instantly wince, because there it is again, the question that just won't DIE. It's a question that's been in existence since the first laptop computer died. If you've been anywhere on the internet, especially in the electronics Usenet groups, you've seen n00bs ask this question hundreds, if not thousands, of times. I think that every laptop should come with a label stating "No, without large investments of time, money, and unobtainable specifications, you cannot use this display apart from the laptop."
I wish there was a Snopes for Engineers, where people could ask their questions that have already been answered a hundred times, and not waste everyone's time because they couldn't do a few simple searches and find the answer (which is NO) on their own.
That is not what the submitter was looking for. The HD44780 interface is old as dirt and very well known; there are lots of programs available for practically every computer, operating system, and microcontroller in existence, in every language that each of the preceding platforms support.
The real question, interfacing TFT displays, is a wild goose chase. Without the datasheets, an appropriate controller chip, and a good understanding of how to get configurations into said chip, you're not going to get it to work. Some converter boards do exist, but they cost a couple hundred dollars and support only a few LCD panels.
Your best bet at using a given LCD panel is to find the part number, then try to locate a single-board computer that has a personality module for it. This still isn't going to be a cheap solution.
My preferred use: neat pressure-sensitive coaster.
I no longer have the time to sit and tweak kernel configs, follow endless loops of dependency problems, hunt on the web in search of answers until I find myself trying to understand something in Russian, recompile to fix an error, fail to fix it, and add another error...I've given up on 2.6 until some major distributions other than Mandrake are actually set up to use it. Go ahead and blame me for being stupid, but I've compiled hundreds of kernels, worked out config problems, and never run into a dead end before.
Heh, that's pretty neat. I was considering something like this. Actually...yup...I have every single part listed. BTW that's not an FPGA, that's a CPLD. The particular one in that project is very inexpensive, about a dollar...that's why I have a few on hand. Actual FPGAs run in the tens to fifties.
I have used these, and definitely recommend them. A good solid scope and analyzer, even though the bandwidth and number of digital inputs isn't incredibly impressive. The computer link is pretty handy. It probably is adequate for most people.
This is typical. Focus on just one part of a greater problem. The issue is security overall. Your computers can have the most advanced security possible, but it can become useless with a few misplaced words from one of thousands of employees, or a document that missed an appointment with the shredder. When I worked in tech support, I can't count the number of times I found usernames and passwords in plain view on post-it notes...the "security conscious" employees would put them under the keyboard. Outside vendors could see any of this at will.
The internal network can also be destroyed by a simple click on an email attachment. The real issue here is educating people about computers, and expecting a certain level of competency. To many employees are using something they don't understand; it would be like giving company cars to people who don't know how to remove the keys from the ignition and lock the doors.
At least you realized it wouldn't work at that age. A lot of people these days believe worse nonsense all the time, and invest money in some swindler's scam.
Or even better, let you review and adjust character stats or something.
You tried to make a map? And you gave up in 15 minutes? Oh well. Most of the mapmaking programs are not intuitive, at least they aren't like other programs you've used. You cannot just jump in and whip out a map. There is a steep learning curve, due to the nature of the content you are creating, and you really need to dedicate time to following some tutorials. It's the same with virtually every other 3D modeling program out there...Blender, Lightwave, Maya, etc.
The reason that people CAN make beautiful maps with this software is because the software does not restrict you to a few easy-to-use options. The existence of good fan-built maps should prove that the software is not at fault here.
And a "burst resistant container" may be useful if you want to do science in the millisecond that the probe has to survive on the surface. Seriously! A recent Mars mission had a couple of probes that were supposed to work this way (they failed).
Beagle II?
I meant to include this link.
This article calculates the energy required for reverse osmosis. It uses 0.66 Calories to desalinate one liter of water. Converting that amount of water to steam requires 610 Calories. A lot of the heat from boiling can be recovered, but the efficiency would have to be over 99.892% to compare with reverse osmosis.
It's still expensive though. However, it uses far fewer chemicals than regular treatment plants: after desalination, not much else needs to be done.
Nuclearsharkgrass...hey, thanks for my new punk band name!
I thought that regular lawn grass was already pretty resistant to weed killer. At least, the last time I put weed killer on a lawn, the weeds died and the grass didn't. So Scott is making a product that acts like normal grass.
Genetic modification is a tool. There are many, many advancements to be made by exploiting this new resource. It's new technology, people will be scared of it. The same was true with electricity.
There once was a fear of AC as opposed to DC, Edision wanted everyone to believe that AC was much too dangerous to be used. Of course...he had an ulterior motive, as the major provider of DC power. There may be some lessons from this which might apply to some aspects of the current debate over genmod crops.
Think I'll set up a 900 number. For a buck, people can call me to hear me blow air into the microphone.
I wonder if you'll be able to hear people shouting into the other phones. If some phones are close enough, it could turn into an impromptu conference call.
Well, Anonymous Coward, stop trying to KEEP people from spending money on tech gadgets when they can afford it. My career is somewhat linked to the strength of the technology industry, what about yours? Besides, having gigabit ethernet CAN'T HURT.
Actually, I think that this is the right approach to making a wood-grain PC, though I agree with you about the price.
There is one problem with building your own case out of chunks of wood (or plastic for that matter). The problem is shielding. Computers are extremely noisy RF interference sources. That's why most normal retail cases are metal or have shielding inside. If you build a wooden case, and I've drawn up a few concepts before, it would be a good idea to get some adhesive foil to line the inside, or some EMI spray (conductive paint).
Everyone thinks that their computer is such a small influence that it doesn't matter. Well, RF noise pollution is a real problem that engineers have to deal with...don't complain if your wireless connection or cell phone doesn't work very well in the room with all your unshielded computers. Or if there's a persistent buzz in your stereo system.
If you start with a good metal case and then apply a wood layer to the outside, you don't have to worry as much about it. Unless, of course, you cut a huge ugly gaping hole in the side and glue in some plexiglass so people can see a couple of blue LEDs rattling around inside. You can't completely shield a computer, but cutting it open doesn't help.
Yeah, but consider multiple terminals around the house, all pulling down different full-resolution DVD video streams. I could see the bandwidth piling up. Plus, who knows what network-intensive applications we'll be using a few years down the road.
Plus, what if he wants to have a fast backup solution? With the sizes of hard drives these days, you can use all the transfer speed you can get. Let's say he has a server with enough space to maintain a full backup of his 120 Gig drive on his workstation. Using gigabit ethernet, it will take a theoretical minimum of 17 minutes to transfer all of the data. With 100mb ethernet, it'll take a minimum of 2 hours and 50 minutes. That's an extreme example, but you know, it'll shave off a few seconds here and there during normal use. It all adds up at the end of the day.