Wasn't there some darpa grants going around 2003 or so about doing these sorts of sims for major cities, figuring out where bottlenecks would happen in case of say a dirty bomb in the middle of the city, etc. this isn't exactly "new".
Seriously. Government should be completely useless. It should do -nothing- on its own. It must provide an environment in which things can be done efficiently, but it should not do anything for its own sake.
Part of that environment would be: free public transportation, free medical care, etc. No more laws for the sake of laws (such as war on drugs). Make it very easy to cancel laws and very difficult to pass new ones (ie: 3/4th of house to pass a law, but 1/4th to repel it).
I think there's one that uses the constant stream thing... (read about it on slashdot a few years ago?). I think the downside is that it causes arteries to accumulate stuff (ie: the beats tend to move things that would otherwise settle on the walls).
Just about every spread spectrum watermark will be wiped by a successive spread spectrum (even via a different scheme) re-watermarking. Or as many folks have mentioned, by averaging a bunch of watermarked files together (though that might not always work).
With compressed audio, you're forcing the watermark to be in the audible chunk, so putting in a strong watermark will not an option---and weak ones will disappear pretty quickly after a few tweaks.
Well, if this scheme is to work, the record corps will actually be going after their own paying -customers- (those who were too stupid to pay for the music in a way that can be traced back to them).
Have they completely given up on CDs that I can buy in a store with cash?
The trick about watermarks: the more robust you make them, the more they alter the content. The less detectable watermark you make, the easier it is to remove.
Similarly, I remember going to school by myself since first grade (~7 years old); had to use public transportation. I dunno what changed, but I hardly know of anyone sending their kids by themselves at that age---what's with this "school bus" business? That's just silly!
Either the society got screwed up, kids got dumber, or something is very wrong with the current generation of kids.
It depends. I've personally switched three `computer illiterate' (well, not programmers) folks to Linux. They installed Ubuntu, and guess what... they're using it. I doubt they realize it's not Windows, but... for everything they do, it just works. No issues.
They use the Internet, play games (well, card games, sudoku, etc), listen to music (mp3s) and watch movies (dvds, mostly).
Artists are a weird bunch, and there's a culture behind Apple, so... they're not gonna switch. But 90% of computer users at home don't need anything beyond basic internet terminal with music/video capability---and that's where Linux shines compared to the rest (well, price/utility).
I was thinking it would be great for criminals. The people who are likely to have PI licenses aren't likely to be the same people who are any good at IT.
...enough computer power to model our universe down to the quantum level decides to run Sim-like models...
But that's the beauty of quantum mechanics. They don't -need- to simulate the whole universe. In fact, for all you know, they're only simulating just you... They only need to simulate/model what ``sentient'' beings perceive---they also don't have to run it in real time. You don't see atoms, so---they don't need to simulate them; on an off chance you look into an electron microscope or perform some quantum level experiment, they just have to ``make up'' an outcome (ie: quantum randomness:-)
You're right in that it doesn't matter. It's not like we can "surprise" them by finding something out they don't already know or let us know.
What would be curious is if we find a way to divide by zero or find some other way to crash the simulation... a kill switch to the universe... that our simulators don't know of themselves.
Of course the entity running -our- simulation are themselves in an even -higher-level- simulation...
Paradoxically, that other "higher level simulation" is the same simulation that we ourselves will create!
(ie: they simulate us, we simulate them, no need for creator:-)
Hmm... Gah. Now I'm starting to wonder: is it possible to make program A, that runs program B, which in turn runs program A, etc., without any speed `real' speed reduction---what shape/properties would the `real' universe need to have to make such infinitely circular simulations work?
I have the EEE, and for an ultraportable, I think they went a bit overboard. It'be perfect if they widened it by 1" to have a slightly less cramped keyboard, and 10" screen. That would make it perfect.
you get a random text from HAL-9000 saying "Turn left and park at Starbucks for a mandatory meeting."...and then HAL will refuse to open the door to the said Starbucks---ruining the caffeine fix!
What if each sampled domain cost $1 a week. That would solve the issue of grabbing 20 of them, showing them to customers, picking one which they really like, and letting others go---all for $20. Small price to pay compared to: having a name swiped from right under your nose (especially after you showed it to your client), or registering 3 names that the client didn't like.
$1 a week/domain is also a bit above what an average squatter can maintain for a while.
Or how about have all of CEO's stock options kick in 5 years after the CEO leaves (with a condition to zero'em out if the CEO is fired).
Awards (and salary) should be capped at ~5 times what the lowest paid employee gets.
If they want to benefit from the fantastic growth of the company... why don't they -buy- stocks, like every other investor.
I really don't think they should be entitled to fantastic riches when the shareholders are suffering. I bet even GS investors would rather see that $68m as a `profit' on the books instead of written off as a bonus to the CEO.
Slashdot Mirror
Wasn't there some darpa grants going around 2003 or so about doing these sorts of sims for major cities, figuring out where bottlenecks would happen in case of say a dirty bomb in the middle of the city, etc. this isn't exactly "new".
But look at how much attention they're getting -now-!
Seriously. Government should be completely useless. It should do -nothing- on its own. It must provide an environment in which things can be done efficiently, but it should not do anything for its own sake.
Part of that environment would be: free public transportation, free medical care, etc. No more laws for the sake of laws (such as war on drugs). Make it very easy to cancel laws and very difficult to pass new ones (ie: 3/4th of house to pass a law, but 1/4th to repel it).
Nah, I think they're just full of hot air.
I think there's one that uses the constant stream thing... (read about it on slashdot a few years ago?). I think the downside is that it causes arteries to accumulate stuff (ie: the beats tend to move things that would otherwise settle on the walls).
Who then committed a crime by distributing it...
Technically, that's not a ``crime''. It's only copyright violation.
Now, if they sell you some music, and then for whatever technical glitch (you re-encode it) prevent you from playing it, that -is- a crime.
Just about every spread spectrum watermark will be wiped by a successive spread spectrum (even via a different scheme) re-watermarking. Or as many folks have mentioned, by averaging a bunch of watermarked files together (though that might not always work).
With compressed audio, you're forcing the watermark to be in the audible chunk, so putting in a strong watermark will not an option---and weak ones will disappear pretty quickly after a few tweaks.
ie: Watermark technology is mostly bullshit.
Well, if this scheme is to work, the record corps will actually be going after their own paying -customers- (those who were too stupid to pay for the music in a way that can be traced back to them).
Have they completely given up on CDs that I can buy in a store with cash?
I did a bit of research in watermarks, and it is my firm belief it's all bullshit science.
I'm not alone in this opinion. Many folks (especially from Microsoft research, of all places) say about the same thing.
Depends. Usually, the watermark will disappear.
The trick about watermarks: the more robust you make them, the more they alter the content. The less detectable watermark you make, the easier it is to remove.
It's a choice between living poorly and worrying about being re-elected, or living richly and not caring whether you're re-elected.
Politicians don't get far (becoming rich & powerful) by doing good things for the public (unless those things coincide with corporate interests).
Similarly, I remember going to school by myself since first grade (~7 years old); had to use public transportation. I dunno what changed, but I hardly know of anyone sending their kids by themselves at that age---what's with this "school bus" business? That's just silly!
Either the society got screwed up, kids got dumber, or something is very wrong with the current generation of kids.
It depends. I've personally switched three `computer illiterate' (well, not programmers) folks to Linux. They installed Ubuntu, and guess what... they're using it. I doubt they realize it's not Windows, but... for everything they do, it just works. No issues.
:-)
They use the Internet, play games (well, card games, sudoku, etc), listen to music (mp3s) and watch movies (dvds, mostly).
Artists are a weird bunch, and there's a culture behind Apple, so... they're not gonna switch. But 90% of computer users at home don't need anything beyond basic internet terminal with music/video capability---and that's where Linux shines compared to the rest (well, price/utility).
Oh, and it makes a great server
I was thinking it would be great for criminals. The people who are likely to have PI licenses aren't likely to be the same people who are any good at IT.
Just say "Computer, Arch!". Damn, no arch. Must not be a simulation.
They fixed that bug a while ago!
...enough computer power to model our universe down to the quantum level decides to run Sim-like models...
:-)
But that's the beauty of quantum mechanics. They don't -need- to simulate the whole universe. In fact, for all you know, they're only simulating just you... They only need to simulate/model what ``sentient'' beings perceive---they also don't have to run it in real time. You don't see atoms, so---they don't need to simulate them; on an off chance you look into an electron microscope or perform some quantum level experiment, they just have to ``make up'' an outcome (ie: quantum randomness
You're right in that it doesn't matter. It's not like we can "surprise" them by finding something out they don't already know or let us know.
What would be curious is if we find a way to divide by zero or find some other way to crash the simulation... a kill switch to the universe... that our simulators don't know of themselves.
Of course the entity running -our- simulation are themselves in an even -higher-level- simulation...
:-)
Paradoxically, that other "higher level simulation" is the same simulation that we ourselves will create!
(ie: they simulate us, we simulate them, no need for creator
Hmm... Gah. Now I'm starting to wonder: is it possible to make program A, that runs program B, which in turn runs program A, etc., without any speed `real' speed reduction---what shape/properties would the `real' universe need to have to make such infinitely circular simulations work?
I have the EEE, and for an ultraportable, I think they went a bit overboard. It'be perfect if they widened it by 1" to have a slightly less cramped keyboard, and 10" screen. That would make it perfect.
Yes, but you -can- touch type on EEE, which makes it a "real" computer, and not just some fancy PDA.
you get a random text from HAL-9000 saying "Turn left and park at Starbucks for a mandatory meeting." ...and then HAL will refuse to open the door to the said Starbucks---ruining the caffeine fix!
What if each sampled domain cost $1 a week. That would solve the issue of grabbing 20 of them, showing them to customers, picking one which they really like, and letting others go---all for $20. Small price to pay compared to: having a name swiped from right under your nose (especially after you showed it to your client), or registering 3 names that the client didn't like.
$1 a week/domain is also a bit above what an average squatter can maintain for a while.
Maybe they should use pedal bikes.
I think they do. Also horses.
Is that $25/gallon in 2012 dollars? 'cause that's only $3 in today's dollars :-)
Or how about have all of CEO's stock options kick in 5 years after the CEO leaves (with a condition to zero'em out if the CEO is fired).
Awards (and salary) should be capped at ~5 times what the lowest paid employee gets.
If they want to benefit from the fantastic growth of the company... why don't they -buy- stocks, like every other investor.
I really don't think they should be entitled to fantastic riches when the shareholders are suffering. I bet even GS investors would rather see that $68m as a `profit' on the books instead of written off as a bonus to the CEO.
Personally, I'm waiting for the Christmas rush to pass so I can get the console without a forced bundle.
Yes, you and about a million others!