Had a talk with your Congressman lately? They determine what NASA is and isn't.
Had a look at NASA's charter? That determines what it is and isn't. Congress determines the funding after that.
NASA is underfunded. It has been for years. As a left winger who believes that believes knowledge is important, I feel that we are ruining this country by taking a short-sighted approach. Do with less. Get rid of Hubble. Trash good programs for market based ones (and do NOT go on about how the market is better, I have enough economics under my belt to clock you on THAT one!)
NASA has always gone with X risk is acceptable to accomplish Y mission. Always.
Look, I have a friend who is a retired engineer from NASA. He thinks it has all gone to hell. But, what the hell does he know?
But the reality is that NASA hasn't gone with the best technology. They've gone with what Congress funds. And if the funding picks someone in another state for solid boosters (which then requires O-Rings because you can't ship the things in one piece) over solid boosters made in Florida... well, you get my drift.
Congress wants to be engineers and scientists and doctors when they are none of the above.
I grew up reading everything about NASA. I was fascinated by it as it was a CIVILIAN space agency (in contrast to the military). This is all but forgotten today, but it is important because that is the charter.
Unfortunately, it went from "the best and brightest" to "how do we do with less". Now NASA is going with "eh, it seems like an acceptable risk" but you know the folks that say that are thinking "as long as I'm not the one on that shuttle".
It is attitudes like this that has allowed other countries to catch up (and even surpass) the U.S. While we are arguing over whether evolution should be taught in schools, other countries are pulling ahead of the U.S. (and why not, as American corporations apparently feel that Americans are not worth hiring).
Apollo 17 was the last mission to the moon. It only got noticed because it was the last mission to the moon. Shuttle missions are hardly even noticed now by the general public. As far the the public is concerned NASA barely exists.
Sadly, I fear that in my lifetime NASA will either be absorbed by the DoD or close its doors altogether. That will be a sad day for this country and for science.
I have a clock made from an old 15" Hard drive...
on
The Neuron Drive
·
· Score: 1
platter...
Somehow I think my clock is cooler than your nasty purple neuron painting.
How so? It would be trivial to build a machine that uses all the same exact components as a Dell.:)
Is it?
When people say this what they REALLY mean is "it is trivial to find a manufacturer who makes a MoBo that is similar" -- but there are probably not many on Slashdot that can build a MoBo from scratch.
If this were the case, one would have to ask "why has someone not reverse engineered the ORIGINAL Mac?". After all, IBM doesn't care who they sell G5's to!
I would LOVE to see someone reverse engineer one of our FPGA's...
Bennie Smith is entirely correct -- if ad blocking becomes standard in popular browsers, that will be the end of free content on the web.
Nah, the web will just start doing (sips his COCA-COLA) product placement (eats his DORITOS). I mean you won't notice it (as he looks through his RAY-BANS). After all, I don't notice billboards driving to work (in my CHEVY SILVERADO HD using EXXON-MOBIL fuel).
So we've prevented retarded terrorists from attackingus?
My god, first it was "color alerts" (with no specified time, location or date) and the "fear the reds under you bed" (err, terrorists, whatever), NOW they're pixelating because stupid terrorists would head for the giant pixels!
Yea that and what other wonderful things could be achieved if apple where to really leverage the iPod platform as more than just a hip looking overpriced fashion accessory.
Well, if you look at it from a business perspective, it HAS done some wonderful thing. Apple has gone from a "they'll die any day now" company to a "iPods will overtake Macs in terms of revenue" company. It has gone from a "yeah, but they use a strange processor" to a "they use a standard processor". Face it, you may think that it is pricey, which is fine, but to the business folks, this HAS been leveraged.
Sure, it isn't cheap. But, last I checked it was whether you can SELL the devices, not whether everyone can afford them.
If anything, this place is pretty right-wing. Hackers tend towards anarchism and libertarianism; most of the politics I've seen here, and indeed in this discussion, have been along the lines that government should get the hell out of our lives as much as possible.
Hmmmm... I tend to be pretty much left-wing (as are many others on Slashdot) so I don't think your "analysis" really holds.
When people argue that the left is "tends to prefer government intervention to solve social problems" it usually means these kinds of problems:
* child labor
* unions
* clean air and water
* health programs
* anti-descrimination laws
* inequality in the workplace
* sexual harrassment The list goes on. Are these social problems? Of course! Should the government care? Of course!
Today's right wing is no longer the party of "small government, balanced budget", but the party of deficits and larger government. It is the party that argues that the Downing Street Memo doesn't matter and that WMD's were NEVER the reason we went to Iraq. It is the part that listens to Exxon-Mobil in regards to global warming and was ready to make a office for Ken Lay of Enron. Government solely exists to make business happy. Screw the citizens.
Because China is buying U.S. Treasury Notes at an astounding rate (and it is also the only thing that allows the U.S. to run up a high deficit without crashing the dollar).
The downside to this is that all China has to do is say "hey, we're going to sell these puppies at a loss for 10 cents on the dollar... so do what we tell you!"
1. Get professional sweep gear. 2. Cordon off the area and do a thorough sweep of the Internet Cafe in question. 3. Make sure that and patrons and workers empty their nastly little pocketses. 4. Disassemble any electronic hardware that is shielded to make sure the keylogger isn't hidden in its nasty bowels. 5. Once the all clear is given, log in to AOL, download porn.
I run a ranch (which seems to have little to do with what we are talking about), but the concept is the same -- I had a year where I had a hay crop ruined.
So, I went to my accountant and said "hey, my hay was ruined, can't I count that as a loss?".
He said "NO! Only hay that is sold is counted. You can't count something that MIGHT have sold."
This is exactly what the Content Providers want you to believe - that you can count something that MIGHT have been sold.
In other words, they are BS'ing us (anyone surprised?).
The reality simply is that Cuba is run by a corrupt and incompetant (sic) military dictator whose only prior qualification was being a spoiled rich kid and lawyer.
Except for being a military dictator and a lawyer, how does it differ from the current U.S. President?
Even if the reviews said it was more of a cross between Ishtar and Battlefield Earth than a SW flick, we'd all still go see it just to finish the series off.
Not to quibble, but allegedly there were supposed to be 9 of these suckers.
Dr Peiser submitted his findings to Science in January, and was asked to edit his paper for publication - but has now been told that his results have been rejected...
Well, I heard from the wife of a cod salesman who knows this guy who lives in the same local area as Dr Peiser's ex-lover's hairdresser who had drinks in the same place that Dr Peiser likes to hang out at... well THAT place has DAMN good margaritas...
Slashdot Mirror
1. Next to pipelines, rail is the MOST reliable and cheapest method of moving goods (and people).
:)
No, I personally have nevered traveled by pipeline.
The time it would take for a cross-country rail trip might decrease from 60 hours to 25 hours, but it still couldn't beat a 7-hour plane trip.
High-speed rail service makes a lot of sense in a lot of places, but most of the United States is not such a place.
Except for a couple of key facts that you overlooked (or were ignorant of).
1. Next to pipelines, rail is the MOST reliable and cheapest method of moving goods (and people).
2. Oil is not going to come down in the future. Airlines may not be viable (not unless you are wealthy).
Sure, 25 hours doesn't beat 7 hours. But if you don't have the option of either, then you're screwed.
Had a talk with your Congressman lately? They determine what NASA is and isn't. Had a look at NASA's charter? That determines what it is and isn't. Congress determines the funding after that. NASA is underfunded. It has been for years. As a left winger who believes that believes knowledge is important, I feel that we are ruining this country by taking a short-sighted approach. Do with less. Get rid of Hubble. Trash good programs for market based ones (and do NOT go on about how the market is better, I have enough economics under my belt to clock you on THAT one!) NASA has always gone with X risk is acceptable to accomplish Y mission. Always. Look, I have a friend who is a retired engineer from NASA. He thinks it has all gone to hell. But, what the hell does he know? But the reality is that NASA hasn't gone with the best technology. They've gone with what Congress funds. And if the funding picks someone in another state for solid boosters (which then requires O-Rings because you can't ship the things in one piece) over solid boosters made in Florida... well, you get my drift. Congress wants to be engineers and scientists and doctors when they are none of the above.
With the new GoogleNARA...
nara.google.com
Oh, wait... I'm getting ahead of myself...
I grew up reading everything about NASA. I was fascinated by it as it was a CIVILIAN space agency (in contrast to the military). This is all but forgotten today, but it is important because that is the charter.
Unfortunately, it went from "the best and brightest" to "how do we do with less". Now NASA is going with "eh, it seems like an acceptable risk" but you know the folks that say that are thinking "as long as I'm not the one on that shuttle".
It is attitudes like this that has allowed other countries to catch up (and even surpass) the U.S. While we are arguing over whether evolution should be taught in schools, other countries are pulling ahead of the U.S. (and why not, as American corporations apparently feel that Americans are not worth hiring).
Apollo 17 was the last mission to the moon. It only got noticed because it was the last mission to the moon. Shuttle missions are hardly even noticed now by the general public. As far the the public is concerned NASA barely exists.
Sadly, I fear that in my lifetime NASA will either be absorbed by the DoD or close its doors altogether. That will be a sad day for this country and for science.
platter...
Somehow I think my clock is cooler than your nasty purple neuron painting.
Best part: it doesn't use USB!
But for the nerds that the OTHER nerds think are weird!
How so? It would be trivial to build a machine that uses all the same exact components as a Dell. :)
...
Is it?
When people say this what they REALLY mean is "it is trivial to find a manufacturer who makes a MoBo that is similar" -- but there are probably not many on Slashdot that can build a MoBo from scratch.
If this were the case, one would have to ask "why has someone not reverse engineered the ORIGINAL Mac?". After all, IBM doesn't care who they sell G5's to!
I would LOVE to see someone reverse engineer one of our FPGA's
Where do I go just to read ads?
I use postfix, does sendmail do something postfix doen't?
;^)
Yes. You have to upgrade continuously just to keep up with the security notices.
One of the reasons I use Postfix
Bennie Smith is entirely correct -- if ad blocking becomes standard in popular browsers, that will be the end of free content on the web.
Nah, the web will just start doing (sips his COCA-COLA) product placement (eats his DORITOS). I mean you won't notice it (as he looks through his RAY-BANS). After all, I don't notice billboards driving to work (in my CHEVY SILVERADO HD using EXXON-MOBIL fuel).
Nope, you won't notice it.
So we've prevented retarded terrorists from attackingus?
My god, first it was "color alerts" (with no specified time, location or date) and the "fear the reds under you bed" (err, terrorists, whatever), NOW they're pixelating because stupid terrorists would head for the giant pixels!
This isn't security, it's freakin' stupidity!
Yea that and what other wonderful things could be achieved if apple where to really leverage the iPod platform as more than just a hip looking overpriced fashion accessory.
Well, if you look at it from a business perspective, it HAS done some wonderful thing. Apple has gone from a "they'll die any day now" company to a "iPods will overtake Macs in terms of revenue" company. It has gone from a "yeah, but they use a strange processor" to a "they use a standard processor". Face it, you may think that it is pricey, which is fine, but to the business folks, this HAS been leveraged.
Sure, it isn't cheap. But, last I checked it was whether you can SELL the devices, not whether everyone can afford them.
Frankly, I was underwhelmed. The home-made air conditioner was kinda' interesting, but this just plain wasn't worth posting.
Man, now that the Mac has gone x86, slashdot has gotten boring...
If anything, this place is pretty right-wing. Hackers tend towards anarchism and libertarianism; most of the politics I've seen here, and indeed in this discussion, have been along the lines that government should get the hell out of our lives as much as possible.
Hmmmm... I tend to be pretty much left-wing (as are many others on Slashdot) so I don't think your "analysis" really holds.
When people argue that the left is "tends to prefer government intervention to solve social problems" it usually means these kinds of problems:
* child labor
* unions
* clean air and water
* health programs
* anti-descrimination laws
* inequality in the workplace
* sexual harrassment
The list goes on. Are these social problems? Of course! Should the government care? Of course!
Today's right wing is no longer the party of "small government, balanced budget", but the party of deficits and larger government. It is the party that argues that the Downing Street Memo doesn't matter and that WMD's were NEVER the reason we went to Iraq. It is the part that listens to Exxon-Mobil in regards to global warming and was ready to make a office for Ken Lay of Enron. Government solely exists to make business happy. Screw the citizens.
But you knew all of this...
We have just registered ourselves as unhip?
Just checking...
Why the embargo on Cuba, but not on China?
Because China is buying U.S. Treasury Notes at an astounding rate (and it is also the only thing that allows the U.S. to run up a high deficit without crashing the dollar).
The downside to this is that all China has to do is say "hey, we're going to sell these puppies at a loss for 10 cents on the dollar... so do what we tell you!"
Then watch the monkey dance.
1. Get professional sweep gear.
2. Cordon off the area and do a thorough sweep of the Internet Cafe in question.
3. Make sure that and patrons and workers empty their nastly little pocketses.
4. Disassemble any electronic hardware that is shielded to make sure the keylogger isn't hidden in its nasty bowels.
5. Once the all clear is given, log in to AOL, download porn.
I'm just saying...
Will announce that they will switch from x86 to PPC and offer an x86 emulator that runs near x86 speed :/
Correct.
I run a ranch (which seems to have little to do with what we are talking about), but the concept is the same -- I had a year where I had a hay crop ruined.
So, I went to my accountant and said "hey, my hay was ruined, can't I count that as a loss?".
He said "NO! Only hay that is sold is counted. You can't count something that MIGHT have sold."
This is exactly what the Content Providers want you to believe - that you can count something that MIGHT have been sold.
In other words, they are BS'ing us (anyone surprised?).
or Intel XScale processors for a video ipod...
Finally, the ONLY person that gets it!
Why is it that ANYTIME Intel is brought up the
FIRST thing people think of is "Ooooo, Apple is going to switch away from the PowerPC".
Xscale, WiMax, etc... these are all non-x86 things Apple might, JUST might be interested in.
But what do I know... I'm just a software guy.
[sigh]
The reality simply is that Cuba is run by a corrupt and incompetant (sic) military dictator whose only prior qualification was being a spoiled rich kid and lawyer.
Except for being a military dictator and a lawyer, how does it differ from the current U.S. President?
Oh CRAP! I thought he said:
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of abstinence"
You mean I've been feeling guilty for no reason for all these years?!?!
I'm free! I'm free!
Even if the reviews said it was more of a cross between Ishtar and Battlefield Earth than a SW flick, we'd all still go see it just to finish the series off.
Not to quibble, but allegedly there were supposed to be 9 of these suckers.
No, wait, I'M the sucker!!!
Dr Peiser submitted his findings to Science in January, and was asked to edit his paper for publication - but has now been told that his results have been rejected...
Well, I heard from the wife of a cod salesman who knows this guy who lives in the same local area as Dr Peiser's ex-lover's hairdresser who had drinks in the same place that Dr Peiser likes to hang out at... well THAT place has DAMN good margaritas...