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User: Hessi

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  1. Re:It's too easy on Amazing Things Your Automobile Can't Do · · Score: 3, Informative

    uhm - not exactly.
    In Germany, the actual written test is a simple 4-pages multiple choice test with some numbers to fill in (amount of meters you need for breaking at 100 km/h and so on), and the question are chosen from a...100 pages? catalogue of all possible questions. With average intelligence, it is possible to read all questions one time and pass the test with 0 errors (9 errors are allowed, one questions counts between 2 and 4 error points).

    The practical test depends heavily on the examiner - between 15 minutes and 60 minutes of driving, with parking, city, Autobahn, everything. Everyone can have bad luck and spoil that.

    The biggest difference between the US (at least what I know of it) and Germany is the driving school: You are not allowed to drive with your parents, you have to drive with a teacher. And you need a minimum amount of driving experience to do the test (12 hours, 3 hours Autobahn, 3 hours overland, 3 hours in the night). Most people use between 18 to 25 hours. It's really expensive to get a drivers license, it is not easy to stay within 1.500 EUR.

    But in the end, nearly noone who just passed the drivers test is actually able to drive. You just need at least half a year of experience to know what you are doing, and after that, the most dangerous time starts - the kids stop using their brain while driving...and the boys start using their ... :-(

  2. Re:Zuse stuff... on Mechanical Pong · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Oh yes, the Z3 in Munich is great. During a guided tour, I had the chance to see it in action. I think I never heard a computer with better sound.

    Funny thing: We wanted to compute: 5+3. The result was 7, because some of the relais were not functioning anymore.
    Unfortunately, they do not have the manpower to keep their old stuff in good shape, more and more of it gets damaged over the years. :-(