Widespread legal ownership of firearms is a problem when there's practically no restrictions on who can own a gun. Did you see the recent study saying that almost 1 in 10 Americans both own a gun and self-report aggressive, impulsive behavior? In that society the old or infirm don't worry about predators, they're too busy worrying about bumping into some hothead and getting shot in response.
What on earth are you talking about? It most certainly works, as in there's absolutely no impediment to beaming power down from space - it's what the sun does. The only thing your article shows is that if you use the same size solar array in space as you do on earth, and for a given loss (which I can't find in that source it links), you get less power over their lifetime. Given a fixed number of collectors it may be more efficient to deploy them on earth, but that doesn't imply it doesn't work.
As for why you might want solar cells in space anyway, just off the top of my head consider:
That land is a precious resource, and if the population keeps growing in the long run it will be more economical to put those cells in orbit rather than on land.
That there's a lot more space up at 36,000 km, so you can have a lot more cells than down on earth, and a higher total power generation.
- There's over a billion iPhones sold, so let's estimate that a third of those are still in circulation. That ignores iPods, other smartphones, tablets, and whatever else you might want to charge wirelessly.
- I would estimate a typical modern smartphone phone needs an hour of charge per day
2 W * (1/24) * 3e8 = 25 MW
That's an extra gas turbine, small wind farm, or similar, just to compensate for the losses of chargers, and not taking into account the fact that the peak power draw going to loss could be as high as 600 MW, or almost a fission-plant's worth.
Or, we could all not be lazy and just plug the damn things in.
Problem is, that arid climate happens to be where the good sun and soil is. I just moved from wet Northern Europe to arid Southern California, and it's amazing how much longer the growing season is here. Maybe they could grow somewhere else where there's more water, but colder temperatures and less sun would probably lead to a drop in productivity.
I'm actually more incensed by the casual wasting of water I see here - sprinklers on during a rain storm, for instance.
As for using my brain, I have, and have come to the conclusion that even free will is an illusion, much less the idea of inventing something all by yourself. It's a useful construct that allows your conscious mind to function, but don't bother trying to use it to perform any kind of value judgement.
The Sixth Amendment is for people who commit crimes, not acts of war. Citizens in insurrection during the American Civil War were not tried in criminal court nor was the Sixth Amendment deemed to apply.
If this is a war, where's the official declaration?
Like all parts of the Constitution it also only applies on U.S soil.
Hah! Try telling that to the IRS, as I'd love that they stop taxing me when I'm not in the country. Hell, you've got people renouncing their citizenship over this issue.
Fair enough. I actually don't tend to play the games you mentioned, so I don't run into those kind of idiots. I have however read about the experience of women on MMOs before this scandal, and it looks very similar to that recent video posted online of street harassment. More broadly I've also spoken to women in business about the discrimination they face there. There's clearly still a wider problem of sexism, as there is with racism, and people declaring victory over both are being a bit premature.
I prefer to stay out of this particular discussion, however, as it's gotten way too polarized. Gamers feel like they're being personally attacked, so they get defensive and irrational. I have no idea what's going through the activits' minds, but at this point I despair of getting a clear picture of that as well. Therefore, I'm going to wait for it to blow over and for tempers to cool, at which point I hope reason will prevail and we can start making progress again.
Nonetheless, I wish you good luck. I don't necessarily agree with how you're fighting this fight, but we do have a similar goal. Foul language aside, there's absolutely no call for the serious death threats we're seeing. They may not all be real, but conversely some of them are, and that should be taken seriously.
Honestly, I think you know as little as I do about what's actually happening and who's acting badly. Letting media coverage, forum posts and whatnot turn you into a gamergater, a feminist, or whatever, would therefore be foolish.
I'm ignoring the whole thing for the most part, apart from a few posts like these. I'll base my opinion on what I see around me and on the people I meet, and not on an online storm in a teacup.
The notion that these women are sending themselves or making these threats up seems a bit far-fetched to me.
See AC's post above. There's too many threats coming from anonymous jackasses who I'd like to see prosecuted, but these activists are stirring the pot as well.
The simple impracticality of trying to replicate a duration which represents most of the recorded history of mankind in a spaceship is sheer foolishness.
Just because you lack imagination, doesn't mean it's not possible.
"But generational starships"- nope, sorry. We can't build a Buick where the fucking bumper doesn't fall off in 3 years... we are sure as SHIT not building a spaceship that will last the literally tens of thousands of years required to travel to our nearest neighbors with orbiting planets while supporting huge amounts of life on board. Let alone the fact that there's no guarantee the planets you find on the other end of that 30,000 year flight will be habitable in any appreciable way.
Except it may not take nearly that long for the ship itself. If you can scale up one of the low impulse drives they're developing now, say the ion drive, and accelerate the ship to say 90% the speed of light, time dialation kicks in. For crew and ship, a 27,000 light year journey will only take 13,000 years subjective. At 99% a 29,700 light year trip would only take 4000 years subjective. High speeds, but if you can keep accelerating during the whole journey, they're not unfeasible.
Relativity makes FTL possible, in the subjective sense that 29700 light years / 4000 years is a speed faster than light.
Regarding the many different Linux configurations, then I agree with you in principle. But I don't think the fragmentation of Linux has been really helpful either. It is clear that there now is a major push to reduce Linux fragmentation.
I think the "every distro is a separate island" doing everything their own particular way, is something that will disappear. But perhaps that isn't so bad, maybe the interesting thing about different distros, aren't that they all place their shared libs in different subdirs, but rather, what software platform they deliver above the system level. Less Linux fragmentation will definitely make it easier for distro maintainers and upstream developers in many respects, so perhaps this will release energy to do more cool things, instead of patching up differences. I mean, a pure systemd version of Gentoo will still be Gentoo, it will just share some basic OS characteristics with other Linux distros that will make it easier for upstream projects to support it.
I still think there will be many, many different Linux distros in the future, catering for either the mass market, or specialist use, I just think they will be less fragmented and different at the core system level, thanks to systemd etc.
I can see the value in that. At some point I expect I'll set up a box with a mainstream distribution if only to run Steam, for instance. The current fragmentation does make it difficult to run software packages that make assumptions about how the system is laid out. I can often get something working, but it can be a pain.
If I had to choose between very fragmented or completely uniform, however, I'd choose fragmented. We can't predict where Linux will be used in the future, and so we may need the core-level diversity that fragmentation brings. It's about more than just where libraries are placed, but about ways of doing things. Being able to drop in an alternative system-level structure lets us try out new principles, such as systemd versus sysvinit for instance. We might all be using systemd in 10 years, but I would bet you nobody will be in 50, so if we're no longer able to experiment with alternatives because we're locked into one system, that new alternative will come from outside the Linux ecosystem. It's evolution: stop growing and settle into a niche, and eventually something nimbler will outcompete you.
This is a similar discussion I have with the rest of my family: they use OS X because they see a computer as a tool to run software, whereas I also see it as a testbed to experiment with the running-of-software as well. I value diversity and flexibility over ease of use, which is why I've stuck with Slackware and similar distributions, and only occasionally use a package manager. That's an issue of taste, however, and as they say: de gustibus non est disputandum. I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm hoping the majority doesn't abandon us as it feels like is happening at the moment.
I think the only way the smaller distros will have a say in the new direction Linux is taking at the moment, is to organize and counter it with their own proposals.
Yeah... There are some interesting alternatives out there for various parts of systemd - I've been using runit as init system for a few months and like it - but few of those are gaining enough traction.
Patrick Volkerding seems to have made no firm decision in any direction at the moment.
Ok, my mistake.
...it seems that the future for non-systemd distros is very bleak.
The future definitely doesn't look good, and I don't disagree with the arguments you offer to paint it so bleakly. I'm not ready to give up on alternatives, however, so I'll do what I can with my meager skills and encourage anyone else also doing so. I prefer to remain optimistic, that we can get enough people together to continue offering an alternative to systemd.
Not requiring everyone to use the same setup is one of the big strengths of Linux. That's one of the main reasons I don't like systemd as an ecosystem: it seems to be trying to force everyone to use the same setup, by depreciating everything else. No one piece of software should be so central that there is no way to replace it with an alternative, because otherwise you end up with monoculture and monopoly.
Slackware still doesn't have systemd, and Patrick Volkerding has apparently come down pretty hard against it. He still hasn't accepted Pulse Audio for similar reasons, and that's from a decade ago. Unless you think Slackware will disappear, or that it doesn't qualify as a "distribution of note", I think it'll end up proving you wrong.
Yes, probably no Gnome and similar, but there's always Enlightenment, Xmonad, and plenty of other more palatable alternatives. There's eudev to handle/dev, Slackware already hasn't shipped with Gnome for years now, and there's daemontools/runit/s6 to replace sysvinit. I'm sure we'll find a way to steer clear of systemd, even if we end up in the minority.
I expect using a larger font, or actually a larger system DPI setting, is exactly what he wants to do. There's a huge difference between a 12 pt sentence at 92 DPI and at 300 DPI, one of the reasons I still prefer to print out articles when I'll be reading them intensively. It's the high DPI in addition to the lack of backlight that makes e-paper displays so great.
I'm only 31 and I can't see details like I used to either, so anything that makes text sharper is good. I'd be interested in a 300 DPI 27", but that's roughly 7050x3960.
Ideal viewing times for these come rarely, and at the magnifications required he would also need a very expensive tracking mount in order to really enjoy them.
That's news to me... I regularly watched Saturn's rings a few years ago using a cheap Nature Company 4" refractor. Couldn't see any details of course, but I could very clearly make them out, an inspiring sight. Can you do that with binoculars?
I agree, a panacea it is not. I'd rather see nukes than coal, but I'm looking forward to the day we can rely on space-born generation. It's still a pipe dream, but a conference I was at a few years ago had a few people presenting on the topic. Seems the Japanese are very interested.
Misrepresenting the facts. Egypt closed the border with Gaza among other reasons because Hamas is seen as part of the Muslim Brotherhood, who Sisi kicked out. It's because the Egyptian leaders are not Muslim that they're blockading, not despite of them being.
Both strongmen considered their victims to be their citizens and subjects. In the state of rebellion, but citizens nonetheless. Bullshit propaganda much?
Whereas Israel does not consider the Palestinians to be citizens? What are they then, an invading army?
How are they citizens?
They're native to the region, which satisfies the definition you linked. Even the US will admit that anyone born on its soil is a citizen.
So? The "boundaries" have Israel on one of the sides - why aren't you claiming them to be citizens of Jordan and Egypt? At least, those two neighbors actually once occupied the entire West Bank and Gaza respectively - for twenty years...
Simple: Jordan and Egypt are not claiming that Gaza and the West Bank are part of their country, whereas Israel is.
Israeli government has changed many times since the country's establishment - swinging from Left to Right and anything in between. Never once have PLO or Hamas changed their official goal of destroying Israel.
Besides the point, verging on a straw-man. Whatever the Palestinians are, that doesn't make the Israelis any less far-right.
Slashdot Mirror
Widespread legal ownership of firearms is a problem when there's practically no restrictions on who can own a gun. Did you see the recent study saying that almost 1 in 10 Americans both own a gun and self-report aggressive, impulsive behavior? In that society the old or infirm don't worry about predators, they're too busy worrying about bumping into some hothead and getting shot in response.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com...
What on earth are you talking about? It most certainly works, as in there's absolutely no impediment to beaming power down from space - it's what the sun does. The only thing your article shows is that if you use the same size solar array in space as you do on earth, and for a given loss (which I can't find in that source it links), you get less power over their lifetime. Given a fixed number of collectors it may be more efficient to deploy them on earth, but that doesn't imply it doesn't work.
As for why you might want solar cells in space anyway, just off the top of my head consider:
So:
2 W * (1/24) * 3e8 = 25 MW
That's an extra gas turbine, small wind farm, or similar, just to compensate for the losses of chargers, and not taking into account the fact that the peak power draw going to loss could be as high as 600 MW, or almost a fission-plant's worth.
Or, we could all not be lazy and just plug the damn things in.
Problem is, that arid climate happens to be where the good sun and soil is. I just moved from wet Northern Europe to arid Southern California, and it's amazing how much longer the growing season is here. Maybe they could grow somewhere else where there's more water, but colder temperatures and less sun would probably lead to a drop in productivity.
I'm actually more incensed by the casual wasting of water I see here - sprinklers on during a rain storm, for instance.
Eloquently stated.
As for using my brain, I have, and have come to the conclusion that even free will is an illusion, much less the idea of inventing something all by yourself. It's a useful construct that allows your conscious mind to function, but don't bother trying to use it to perform any kind of value judgement.
i.e., everyone.
No one develops cultural norms by themselves. That's why they're called cultural norms.
In fact, no one develops anything whatsoever in a vacuum.
If this is a war, where's the official declaration?
Hah! Try telling that to the IRS, as I'd love that they stop taxing me when I'm not in the country. Hell, you've got people renouncing their citizenship over this issue.
Well it works on a Chromebook, and I didn't think those had Silverlight...
Fair enough. I actually don't tend to play the games you mentioned, so I don't run into those kind of idiots. I have however read about the experience of women on MMOs before this scandal, and it looks very similar to that recent video posted online of street harassment. More broadly I've also spoken to women in business about the discrimination they face there. There's clearly still a wider problem of sexism, as there is with racism, and people declaring victory over both are being a bit premature.
I prefer to stay out of this particular discussion, however, as it's gotten way too polarized. Gamers feel like they're being personally attacked, so they get defensive and irrational. I have no idea what's going through the activits' minds, but at this point I despair of getting a clear picture of that as well. Therefore, I'm going to wait for it to blow over and for tempers to cool, at which point I hope reason will prevail and we can start making progress again.
Nonetheless, I wish you good luck. I don't necessarily agree with how you're fighting this fight, but we do have a similar goal. Foul language aside, there's absolutely no call for the serious death threats we're seeing. They may not all be real, but conversely some of them are, and that should be taken seriously.
Honestly, I think you know as little as I do about what's actually happening and who's acting badly. Letting media coverage, forum posts and whatnot turn you into a gamergater, a feminist, or whatever, would therefore be foolish.
I'm ignoring the whole thing for the most part, apart from a few posts like these. I'll base my opinion on what I see around me and on the people I meet, and not on an online storm in a teacup.
See AC's post above. There's too many threats coming from anonymous jackasses who I'd like to see prosecuted, but these activists are stirring the pot as well.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanha...
Just because you lack imagination, doesn't mean it's not possible.
Except it may not take nearly that long for the ship itself. If you can scale up one of the low impulse drives they're developing now, say the ion drive, and accelerate the ship to say 90% the speed of light, time dialation kicks in. For crew and ship, a 27,000 light year journey will only take 13,000 years subjective. At 99% a 29,700 light year trip would only take 4000 years subjective. High speeds, but if you can keep accelerating during the whole journey, they're not unfeasible.
Relativity makes FTL possible, in the subjective sense that 29700 light years / 4000 years is a speed faster than light.
I can see the value in that. At some point I expect I'll set up a box with a mainstream distribution if only to run Steam, for instance. The current fragmentation does make it difficult to run software packages that make assumptions about how the system is laid out. I can often get something working, but it can be a pain.
If I had to choose between very fragmented or completely uniform, however, I'd choose fragmented. We can't predict where Linux will be used in the future, and so we may need the core-level diversity that fragmentation brings. It's about more than just where libraries are placed, but about ways of doing things. Being able to drop in an alternative system-level structure lets us try out new principles, such as systemd versus sysvinit for instance. We might all be using systemd in 10 years, but I would bet you nobody will be in 50, so if we're no longer able to experiment with alternatives because we're locked into one system, that new alternative will come from outside the Linux ecosystem. It's evolution: stop growing and settle into a niche, and eventually something nimbler will outcompete you.
This is a similar discussion I have with the rest of my family: they use OS X because they see a computer as a tool to run software, whereas I also see it as a testbed to experiment with the running-of-software as well. I value diversity and flexibility over ease of use, which is why I've stuck with Slackware and similar distributions, and only occasionally use a package manager. That's an issue of taste, however, and as they say: de gustibus non est disputandum. I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm hoping the majority doesn't abandon us as it feels like is happening at the moment.
Yeah... There are some interesting alternatives out there for various parts of systemd - I've been using runit as init system for a few months and like it - but few of those are gaining enough traction.
Ok, my mistake.
The future definitely doesn't look good, and I don't disagree with the arguments you offer to paint it so bleakly. I'm not ready to give up on alternatives, however, so I'll do what I can with my meager skills and encourage anyone else also doing so. I prefer to remain optimistic, that we can get enough people together to continue offering an alternative to systemd.
Not requiring everyone to use the same setup is one of the big strengths of Linux. That's one of the main reasons I don't like systemd as an ecosystem: it seems to be trying to force everyone to use the same setup, by depreciating everything else. No one piece of software should be so central that there is no way to replace it with an alternative, because otherwise you end up with monoculture and monopoly.
Slackware still doesn't have systemd, and Patrick Volkerding has apparently come down pretty hard against it. He still hasn't accepted Pulse Audio for similar reasons, and that's from a decade ago. Unless you think Slackware will disappear, or that it doesn't qualify as a "distribution of note", I think it'll end up proving you wrong.
Yes, probably no Gnome and similar, but there's always Enlightenment, Xmonad, and plenty of other more palatable alternatives. There's eudev to handle /dev, Slackware already hasn't shipped with Gnome for years now, and there's daemontools/runit/s6 to replace sysvinit. I'm sure we'll find a way to steer clear of systemd, even if we end up in the minority.
I expect using a larger font, or actually a larger system DPI setting, is exactly what he wants to do. There's a huge difference between a 12 pt sentence at 92 DPI and at 300 DPI, one of the reasons I still prefer to print out articles when I'll be reading them intensively. It's the high DPI in addition to the lack of backlight that makes e-paper displays so great.
I'm only 31 and I can't see details like I used to either, so anything that makes text sharper is good. I'd be interested in a 300 DPI 27", but that's roughly 7050x3960.
Or maybe he was a foreigner with a funny accent.
Like I was...
That's news to me... I regularly watched Saturn's rings a few years ago using a cheap Nature Company 4" refractor. Couldn't see any details of course, but I could very clearly make them out, an inspiring sight. Can you do that with binoculars?
Don't know why on earth you'd think that, considering that the average outdoor temperature in Portland in the winter is around 40...
I agree, a panacea it is not. I'd rather see nukes than coal, but I'm looking forward to the day we can rely on space-born generation. It's still a pipe dream, but a conference I was at a few years ago had a few people presenting on the topic. Seems the Japanese are very interested.
Cheers,
And when the wind dies and the sun sets, guess where Germany gets its power instead: France's nuke plants.
So, 24 FPS is the vacuum tube amplifier of the film world - the distortion we're familiar with and like?
Misrepresenting the facts. Egypt closed the border with Gaza among other reasons because Hamas is seen as part of the Muslim Brotherhood, who Sisi kicked out. It's because the Egyptian leaders are not Muslim that they're blockading, not despite of them being.
Whereas Israel does not consider the Palestinians to be citizens? What are they then, an invading army?
They're native to the region, which satisfies the definition you linked.
Even the US will admit that anyone born on its soil is a citizen.
Simple: Jordan and Egypt are not claiming that Gaza and the West Bank are part of their country, whereas Israel is.
Besides the point, verging on a straw-man. Whatever the Palestinians are, that doesn't make the Israelis any less far-right.