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User: Velox_SwiftFox

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  1. They already know what will happen on Iconic Predator-Prey Study In Peril · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Whether the wolves leave or a few arrive, what is going to happen is that in three or so years the excessive moose population will indeed overrun its browse, and die off from starvation.

    Again. Exactly as happened the last time the moose population reached this point, and shortly popped up to over 2500 with no apparent wolf effects, from considerably more wolves.

    If the moose damage is to be avoided, either NPS-hired sharpshooters or human hunters will have to cull the moose, period.

  2. Re:Television on NPR Labs is Working on Emergency Alerts for the Deaf (Video) · · Score: 1

    Yep, what was wrong with the crawling message at the bottom of the screen telling the deaf that if this had been a real emergency, they would have been instructed to tune their AM radio to 640 or 1240KHz for the details?

  3. Just the marketing model changed on You Might Rent Features & Options On Cars In the Future · · Score: 1

    The part about temporarily enabling the features is new, but not the ability to simply turn them on or off there. I actually tested the software that ran various car subsystems for a major auto manufacturer which was bought by the federal government about 15 years ago, and there were maybe a dozen convenience features -- automatic driver side windows instead of having to hold the button, etc -- that were merely a bit in firmware settings on or off. They were turned on if the car had premium feature packages or was a deluxe model.

    It's just the ability to turn them on or off for a period of time by subscription that is new. I blame OnStar.

  4. Re:I know what this is!!!! on Mystery Rock 'Appears' In Front of Mars Rover · · Score: 1

    The goal of space rover wheel design is probably going to remain being efficient propelling devices, but in the spirit of your suggestion's practicality maybe this will influence the mudflap design of future missions to the fetid swamps of Venus.

  5. Just the processors on Intel Challenges Manufacturers To Avoid "Conflict Metals" · · Score: 1

    Call me when they get rid of the tantalum capacitors on their motherboards. Are there that many "conflict" elements used in integrated circuits?

  6. Re:Hope it doesn't melt the car! on Ford Will Demo Solar-Charged Car At CES · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Zinc. Melting nickel takes a little more.

  7. Re:free power on Magma Reservoir Under Yellowstone Is Much Bigger Than Previously Thought · · Score: 1

    it is 80km x 20 km x 2.5 km? Not clear in article.

  8. Re:How does one pee for 24h straight ? on Cell Phone Powered By Urine · · Score: 2

    Urine touch with the iPee

  9. Re:Start here on White House: Use Metric If You Want, We Don't Care · · Score: 1

    55 MPH
    88.5139 KPH

  10. Re:Can't figure it out on Insects As Weapons · · Score: 1

    Controls for two more psyllids were due to be released when they arrived of their own accord.

    Layers on layers of intrigue...

  11. Re:There's always a downside on Canadians Protest Wind Turbines · · Score: 2

    And elephants. Don't forget elephants.

  12. Re:Good. on NY District Judge Dismisses Blogger Suit Against Huffington Post · · Score: 1

    My name is The Lorax, and I speak for the Zoning commission.

  13. Re:is it even possible? on Earthquakes That May Be Related To Fracking Close Ohio Oil Well · · Score: 1

    It has been proven that not including your pissing into that hurricane in the calculations would make predicting that path (I specified next year's hurricane) using a simulated model impossible.

    I don't know if this qualifies as proof of the effect itself.

    The pilot of that cruise ship deliberately applies negative feedback to cancel any effect of that fly landing on his nose and distracting him into moving the rudder.

  14. Re:is it even possible? on Earthquakes That May Be Related To Fracking Close Ohio Oil Well · · Score: 1

    Fluid pore pressure at faults is known to change their ability to slip. I think the question is, do small changes cause the asperities - the "stuck" areas of a fault - to change probabilities of slipping by much.

    And how much depends on small changes in initial conditions. The butterfly effect means your pissing in the hurricane does change the direction of them next year.

  15. Re:Nice to see on Earthquakes That May Be Related To Fracking Close Ohio Oil Well · · Score: 1

    Sorry, the east coast of the US isn't geographically stable. You have to go to the Michigan Basin or Canadian Shield to find big areas that are.

    That's why the oil and gas is there, faults and deformation form traps for it.

    Your potential grief bond proposal is interesting from a legal standpoint. How much potential grief is someone causing me by blocking someone else drilling for energy I might use? Should they have to post a bond with their legal attempts to someone from drilling for that reason, too?

    I feel grief...

  16. Re:Anti-fracking goal on Earthquakes That May Be Related To Fracking Close Ohio Oil Well · · Score: 2

    Profitable enough, or they'd close it.

    Sadly, all the best geothermal potential is is places so desolate that anyone proposing developing it is virtually always blocked by the "you'll ruin the wilderness ambiance/desecrate the spirit/affect the traditional cattle range/startle the endangered jackrabbit subspecies" arguments. I've heard an environmentalist whine just because they couldn't block clean energy from being generated on military reservations closed to the public, as this might compete with their preferred conservation. Evidently people are supposed to conserve down to zero first.

  17. Re:Anti-fracking goal on Earthquakes That May Be Related To Fracking Close Ohio Oil Well · · Score: 1

    They still drill in The Geysers because the resulting quakes are predictably minor and the geothermal energy harvested is much more economically important than cracked foundations, paying millions in claims or not.

    The problem I see here is that the Ohio quakes are in a known quake zone that has produced larger ones historically. It might be more logical to assume that the prior quakes somehow caused humans to drill the later wells.

  18. Re:Excellent! on Reverse Robocall Turns Tables On Politicians · · Score: 1

    Actually politicians like to interpret a constituent's right to petition the government broadly.

    It allows lobbyists to be a fruitful source of support.

  19. Re:Bah! on Meet the Saber-Toothed Squirrel · · Score: 1

    And shrews, and Cuban Solenodons, and European moles

  20. Re:Bah! on Meet the Saber-Toothed Squirrel · · Score: 1

    Of course, we have no way of knowing if it is venomous.

  21. Re:Gol dern it! on Flooding Takes Major Hard Drive Plant Offline; Shortages Predicted · · Score: 1

    Simple fact is that the Pacific plate edge is where the cooling water is. Too bad.

    I
    could tell you why
    the ocean's always near the shore,

  22. bus bandwidth on Why We Don't Need Gigabit Networks (Yet) · · Score: 1

    An ordinary PCI interface cannot handle GB rates. You need at least a PCIe x1.

    There is a conspicuous lack of affordable PCIe wired interfaces available. Directly onboard chips are feasable. But only if properly designed. A laptop may have other limiting factors.

  23. None of these script kiddies are going o get my IP on Microsoft Patches 1990s-Era 'Ping of Death' · · Score: 2

    at 127.0.0.1 they'll find out it's armored beyond anything they can come up with

  24. Re:Follow the data! on New NASA Data Casts Doubt On Global Warming Models · · Score: 2

    Do you get to pull out the dart and throw it again every time you hit an ice age or other industrial revolution suppressing factor? Changes the odds.

  25. How does this differ from a nuclear cruise missile on Military Drone Attacks Are Not 'Hostile' · · Score: 2

    Other than the size of the delivered bang?