There seems to be a lot of confusion about what is really meant by "laws" of nature; that is apparent in the article and some of the comments here.
Try substituting the word "model" for "law" in the texts. There is nothing absolute about the models as they are described; they are just the best models we have been able to describe so far. There may be better models waiting to be discovered.
Consider Newton's model of gravity. Since it's a model, how would we go about deciding if the model is wrong? Well, you might propose that the model does not hold for, say, bananas. We can then go off and conduct an experiment where we drop bananas in vacuum chambers and measure if the time to impact the ground is the one predicted by the model. If it's not, the model isn't correct.
As we know, it turns out that Newton's model doesn't give the full picture - once we get into extremely dense objects (black holes) or objects moving at high speed (i.e. near the speed of light) - so better models are introduced.
The basis of science, then, is to describe models that fit with the phenomena we can observe. The models need to be testable (I can construct an experiment to test my model), reproducible (you can do it as well), and falsifiable (we can conceive of an experiment that would prove the model wrong).
The last point is crucial. Otherwise, we could end up with a model of the universe like: "Everything happens because the plant om my desk decided it should be that way". There is no way of disproving this model, but it is useless because we cannot predict anything from it; any outcomes are equally likely based on this model.
Press Play On Tape is a 6-person rock-ish band that performs live versions of Commodore 64 songs. They're Danish, but have performed several times in the UK and Norway.
There's a version of Cannon Fodder performed on game controllers here, and a boy-band cover of Comic Bakery here.
On the Commodore 64, 1986 saw the release of such illustrious titles as Marble Madness, Ark Pandora, Saxion, Parallax, International Karate, Paperboy, Thrust, Green Beret, Warhawk, Gauntlet, Comic Bakery, Ghosts 'n' Goblins, Bomb Jack, etc...
(By the way: You can listen to cover versions of the above at Press Play On Tape's website.)
The founder of the world's largest software development company, Bill Gates, is now ready to close Navision in Denmark and move the approximately 800 developers behind Denmark's largest software success to USA.
This was made clear by the Microsoft boss when he met with prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, minister of economy and business Bendt Bendtsen, and the minister of science Helge Sander in November.
The threat may become reality if parts of the IT business succeed in blocking a disputed EU directive about software patents that means the world for Microsoft to have passed. Approval of directive has repeatedly been delayed by the opponents' effective lobbying.
"If I am to maintain my development center in Denmark, the rights question must be settled. Otherwise I will move it to USA, where I can protect my rights," Bill Gates said according to Microsoft's chief legal counsel Marianne Wier, who also took part in the meeting with Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Bill Gates acquired the Danish development department that is based on the fusion of the two IT companies Navision and Damgaard for about 12 billion kroner [approx $2.1 Bn] in 2002.
It has not been possible to get prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to elaborate on how he reacted to the strong message from Bill Gates.
The C64 Cover band (imagine that!) PRESS PLAY ON TAPE does rock-ish interpretations of C64 music. They have several mp3's available for download from their site.
Tom Lehrer wrote this song ("Send the Marines") in 1969. It's scary that it's all still true...:)
When someone makes a move Of which we don't approve, Who is it that always intervenes? U.N. and O.A.S., They have their place, I guess, But first - send the Marines!
We'll send them all we've got, John Wayne and Randolph Scott; Remember those exciting fighting scenes? To the shores of Tripoli, But not to Mississippoli.
What do we do? We send the Marines! For might makes right, And till they've seen the light, They've got to be protected, All their rights respected, Till somebody we like can be elected.
Members of the corps All hate the thought of war; They'd rather kill them off by peaceful means. Stop calling it aggression, Ooh, we hate that expression!
We only want the world to know That we support the status quo. They love us everywhere we go, So when in doubt, Send the Marines!
Slashdot Mirror
There seems to be a lot of confusion about what is really meant by "laws" of nature; that is apparent in the article and some of the comments here.
Try substituting the word "model" for "law" in the texts. There is nothing absolute about the models as they are described; they are just the best models we have been able to describe so far. There may be better models waiting to be discovered.
Consider Newton's model of gravity. Since it's a model, how would we go about deciding if the model is wrong? Well, you might propose that the model does not hold for, say, bananas. We can then go off and conduct an experiment where we drop bananas in vacuum chambers and measure if the time to impact the ground is the one predicted by the model. If it's not, the model isn't correct.
As we know, it turns out that Newton's model doesn't give the full picture - once we get into extremely dense objects (black holes) or objects moving at high speed (i.e. near the speed of light) - so better models are introduced.
The basis of science, then, is to describe models that fit with the phenomena we can observe. The models need to be testable (I can construct an experiment to test my model), reproducible (you can do it as well), and falsifiable (we can conceive of an experiment that would prove the model wrong).
The last point is crucial. Otherwise, we could end up with a model of the universe like: "Everything happens because the plant om my desk decided it should be that way". There is no way of disproving this model, but it is useless because we cannot predict anything from it; any outcomes are equally likely based on this model.
Press Play On Tape is a 6-person rock-ish band that performs live versions of Commodore 64 songs. They're Danish, but have performed several times in the UK and Norway.
There's a version of Cannon Fodder performed on game controllers here, and a boy-band cover of Comic Bakery here.
(By the way: You can listen to cover versions of the above at Press Play On Tape's website.)
Check out PRESS PLAY ON TAPE for covers of Commodore 64 game music. There's also a spoof boy-band video that's worth watching here.
This is a translation of the article at Børsen.
The founder of the world's largest software development company, Bill Gates, is now ready to close Navision in Denmark and move the approximately 800 developers behind Denmark's largest software success to USA.
This was made clear by the Microsoft boss when he met with prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, minister of economy and business Bendt Bendtsen, and the minister of science Helge Sander in November.
The threat may become reality if parts of the IT business succeed in blocking a disputed EU directive about software patents that means the world for Microsoft to have passed. Approval of directive has repeatedly been delayed by the opponents' effective lobbying.
"If I am to maintain my development center in Denmark, the rights question must be settled. Otherwise I will move it to USA, where I can protect my rights," Bill Gates said according to Microsoft's chief legal counsel Marianne Wier, who also took part in the meeting with Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Bill Gates acquired the Danish development department that is based on the fusion of the two IT companies Navision and Damgaard for about 12 billion kroner [approx $2.1 Bn] in 2002.
It has not been possible to get prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to elaborate on how he reacted to the strong message from Bill Gates.
The C64 Cover band (imagine that!) PRESS PLAY ON TAPE does rock-ish interpretations of C64 music. They have several mp3's available for download from their site.
Tom Lehrer wrote this song ("Send the Marines") in 1969. It's scary that it's all still true... :)
When someone makes a move
Of which we don't approve,
Who is it that always intervenes?
U.N. and O.A.S.,
They have their place, I guess,
But first - send the Marines!
We'll send them all we've got,
John Wayne and Randolph Scott;
Remember those exciting fighting scenes?
To the shores of Tripoli,
But not to Mississippoli.
What do we do?
We send the Marines!
For might makes right,
And till they've seen the light,
They've got to be protected,
All their rights respected,
Till somebody we like can be elected.
Members of the corps
All hate the thought of war;
They'd rather kill them off by peaceful means.
Stop calling it aggression,
Ooh, we hate that expression!
We only want the world to know
That we support the status quo.
They love us everywhere we go,
So when in doubt, Send the Marines!