actually its a good job you pointed it out or else I could have gone through my whole life meeting blank stares to such unintelligible phrases as 'to boldly go where no man has gone before'. I mean how can anyone extract sense from that jumble of words?
Actually, I believe that language is defined by common usage; if people understand what is said (or written) then it works and is therefore, by definition, correct usage.
Natural languages do not come from books (or websites).
"The Progress/Mir accident was caused when Russia decided to save money by ditching the autopilot and having a human remotely dock Progress from Mir via a joystick remote control and looking out the window at it."
Wrong; NASA insisted that the Russians develop and test methods to dock manually because NASA didn't trust the Russian computers.
When they did it the NASA way, they had their first major accident in a docking maneuver.
"This partial failure is to show that it is not an easy stuff to launch a satellite and let it autonomously dock itself to another object."
No, its evidently its quite difficult.
Just ask the Russians, who have been doing it with enormous success for decades and who have well-developed systems that have been proven to perform this function extremely reliably.
It must be incredibly hard, if NASA have trouble with it.
"Timespace is curved, and it's that curvature that gives the acceleration."
That gives the *appearance* of acceleration, right?
This reminds me so much of Zenos paradoxes, the aim of which were to prove that time and space do not exist.
By taking each combination of time or space being continuous or discrete and showing that all possible options lead to paradox. There must be another explaination for what we experience other than what we take to be time, space, or continuous/discrete models of these.
Actually, its more of an axiom, or more accurately a theorem, than a 'theory' or a 'fact'.
Basically you get evolution, as mathematicians might say 'for free', out of the way in which reproduction works in biological systems.
The way that reproduction works, you have to have evolution. Theres no two ways about it, its a simple product of the processed involved. Maybe even a side-effect.
Those who don't believe in evolution are simply ignorant of reproduction.
I once played a game of 'Civilization: Call to Power' the one where you can colonize space.
ANyhow it turned out there was a glitch with the tech tree in that you could build the space elevator wonder before developing the techs which allow you to construct hydroponic farms for space colonies.
I was playing the Chinese on a huge Earth map (communist of course:), then I built the space elevator.
Cool I have the first space colony! Can't support it but I have lots of food production down on Earth.
Then I get the 'corporate republic' tech, so I change government to that and a couple of turns later all but one of my cities revolts and goes 'barbarian'.
The one city remaining? That outpost on top of the space elevator and they slowly starve.
I'm sure theres a good scifi novel in there somewhere, but survival? I tried to carry on for several turns but it was a dead end, sadly.
(The mess that was unfolding below on Earth was something to watch as this gigantic 'barbarian' empire started throwing its weight around).
I agree, what I describe is the lead-in to an Orwellian nightmare. Its far from funny. In fact, I got the idea from Orwell; I was trying to work out how we could get to the 'viewscreen' system from where we are today.
Slashdot moderation is crazy; posts I make that *I* consider funny get modded +5 insightful. Posts that I make as deliberate trolls get +5 informative and a a genuine attempt to be insightful gets to +4 funny.
You know, the worst part is that this 'vision' (more nightmare) is derived from Orwells '1984'
I started by wondering how the 'viewscreen' system could get started. Then I read about how 'reality TV' is so economical for the networks and this just dropped out.
Re:I, for one, welcome our new Exoskeleton Overlor
on
Commercial Exoskeletons
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Interesting thoughts, but a highly mobile one-man machinegun nest.
If theres three things I learned playing various mechwarrior games, its that vs ground opponents a mechs strength is mobility.
I also played apache longbow sims and learned that the mech is not just a 'hog' on legs; its an infantryman with a punch. A mech can loiter to set up an ambush or to defend an area.
In the games they were severely limited by munitions; the missiles were appaling. I always wanted to try a loadout of winchester hellfires and sidewinders:)
In the real world, mobility isn't just about being able to clamber over obstacles or duck down shuffle along and pop up. Its also about endurance.
Those overgrown SUVs the yanks call 'High Mobility Vehicles' have very short range. Their mobility is limited by the mobility of their supply train.
The civilian ones get 10 miles per gallon on sealed roads. Offroad? 5 mpg?
One must ask the Battle Mech sales guy "Does your mech need a fuel truck following it around?"
Slashdot Mirror
Ok heres a helpful heuristic for all those web site designers who are concerned about this sort of thing. Its simple;
Assume that anyone who accesses your site is a child.
There, now remember to keep it nice and simple to, nothing political, nothing scientific. Pictures of Jesus and teddy bears, that sort of thing.
actually its a good job you pointed it out or else I could have gone through my whole life meeting blank stares to such unintelligible phrases as 'to boldly go where no man has gone before'. I mean how can anyone extract sense from that jumble of words?
Actually, I believe that language is defined by common usage; if people understand what is said (or written) then it works and is therefore, by definition, correct usage.
Natural languages do not come from books (or websites).
Freaking pedant.
What is usually meant by this usage of the singular in English is something like:
"If (those) NASA (guys) have trouble with it."
Something that can usually be fully understood and comprehended by native English speakers.
So I've either riled up a dedicated *pedant* or I have assisted in the education of someone who has English as a second (or third or n) language.
"The Progress/Mir accident was caused when Russia decided to save money by ditching the autopilot and having a human remotely dock Progress from Mir via a joystick remote control and looking out the window at it."
Wrong; NASA insisted that the Russians develop and test methods to dock manually because NASA didn't trust the Russian computers.
When they did it the NASA way, they had their first major accident in a docking maneuver.
"This partial failure is to show that it is not an easy stuff to launch a satellite and let it autonomously dock itself to another object."
No, its evidently its quite difficult.
Just ask the Russians, who have been doing it with enormous success for decades and who have well-developed systems that have been proven to perform this function extremely reliably.
It must be incredibly hard, if NASA have trouble with it.
Oops sorry, that last bit was a troll.
"Ex parte orders mean that you're asking for something in your benefit without the other party consenting or defending the decision"
Damn, all I saw was 'Parte!!!!!'
I already got the tequila, salt and lemons, it'd be a shame to waste them...
Let me guess, you saw 'Videodrome'?
:)
If not, then do. Great movie.
"No, the contract has been violated by the marketers and the webmasters who use them."
Marketting types violate social contracts all the time. Its what they do.
They are to social contracts what courier drivers are to the road code.
Thank *you*!
I tried putting it through babelfish, but apparently that doesn't work with legalese.
"Timespace is curved, and it's that curvature that gives the acceleration."
That gives the *appearance* of acceleration, right?
This reminds me so much of Zenos paradoxes, the aim of which were to prove that time and space do not exist.
By taking each combination of time or space being continuous or discrete and showing that all possible options lead to paradox. There must be another explaination for what we experience other than what we take to be time, space, or continuous/discrete models of these.
And this was pre-Socrates.
"Evolution is a FACT, not a theory"
Actually, its more of an axiom, or more accurately a theorem, than a 'theory' or a 'fact'.
Basically you get evolution, as mathematicians might say 'for free', out of the way in which reproduction works in biological systems.
The way that reproduction works, you have to have evolution. Theres no two ways about it, its a simple product of the processed involved. Maybe even a side-effect.
Those who don't believe in evolution are simply ignorant of reproduction.
They need to get out more.
"More SEA MONKEYS!"
You can get all the sea men you want, just have to close your eyes and suck it out of a hose.
Sea women might be harder to come across though.
oh the innuendo...
I once played a game of 'Civilization: Call to Power' the one where you can colonize space.
:), then I built the space elevator.
ANyhow it turned out there was a glitch with the tech tree in that you could build the space elevator wonder before developing the techs which allow you to construct hydroponic farms for space colonies.
I was playing the Chinese on a huge Earth map (communist of course
Cool I have the first space colony! Can't support it but I have lots of food production down on Earth.
Then I get the 'corporate republic' tech, so I change government to that and a couple of turns later all but one of my cities revolts and goes 'barbarian'.
The one city remaining? That outpost on top of the space elevator and they slowly starve.
I'm sure theres a good scifi novel in there somewhere, but survival? I tried to carry on for several turns but it was a dead end, sadly.
(The mess that was unfolding below on Earth was something to watch as this gigantic 'barbarian' empire started throwing its weight around).
"How the hell did that post get modded +4 Funny?"
I agree, what I describe is the lead-in to an Orwellian nightmare. Its far from funny. In fact, I got the idea from Orwell; I was trying to work out how we could get to the 'viewscreen' system from where we are today.
Slashdot moderation is crazy; posts I make that *I* consider funny get modded +5 insightful. Posts that I make as deliberate trolls get +5 informative and a a genuine attempt to be insightful gets to +4 funny.
Its a madhouse...
You know, the worst part is that this 'vision' (more nightmare) is derived from Orwells '1984'
I started by wondering how the 'viewscreen' system could get started. Then I read about how 'reality TV' is so economical for the networks and this just dropped out.
Interesting thoughts, but a highly mobile one-man machinegun nest.
:)
If theres three things I learned playing various mechwarrior games, its that vs ground opponents a mechs strength is mobility.
I also played apache longbow sims and learned that the mech is not just a 'hog' on legs; its an infantryman with a punch. A mech can loiter to set up an ambush or to defend an area.
In the games they were severely limited by munitions; the missiles were appaling. I always wanted to try a loadout of winchester hellfires and sidewinders
In the real world, mobility isn't just about being able to clamber over obstacles or duck down shuffle along and pop up. Its also about endurance.
Those overgrown SUVs the yanks call 'High Mobility Vehicles' have very short range. Their mobility is limited by the mobility of their supply train.
The civilian ones get 10 miles per gallon on sealed roads. Offroad? 5 mpg?
One must ask the Battle Mech sales guy "Does your mech need a fuel truck following it around?"
"No? Well, then, YOU explain reality TV shows!"
I'm just waiting for the next logical step in reality TV shows;
Networks start offering *free* cable and/or satellite, as much as you can 'eat', all you have to do is get a 'webcam' installed in your lounge.
Of course, all that will be on TV will more reality TV; the view through everyone elses 'webcam'...
"3. New Zealand 537"
;)
That would have to be because the top two have so many students here.
Most NZ-ers can't spell or do math for shit.
Yeah yeah flamebait, troll, whatever, I live here, I have to work with these people
"We all watched in horror as the Teri Shiavo in Florida was starved to death."
I hear you, Brother!
And didn't we both look on in disbelief when Pope John Paul the Second died, instead of entering a persistent vegetative state?
Terrible.
"Because,
The [insert public school here] doesn't use the bible as a textbook."
Ok fair enough.
So all thats needed to get equivalent stickers on the bibles is for the schools to start using the bible as a textbook?
I'd support that.
I bet it'd get a lot of support.
"But what I'd like to know, is why the hell to egg-laying aliens in sci-fi have breasts?!"
I'd just like to know whats supposed to come out of those nipples???? Cos I bet it isn't milk.
Might come in useful for thai and malaysian cuisine though.
"A turnkey box is low-profile. It may not even show a Linux splash-screen. It may not even have a console."
Good thought.
Just give it a BSoD screen saver and noone will be any the wiser!
"My but this female fish alien has shapely breasts.."
"They're not breasts, they're arrhgghhhhh nooooo!!!!"
The moral of this story is 'Never assume that chest-bumps fulfil the same function across species'.
"nor until science figures out how to convey its teachings to the lowest common denominator."
That would be hypnosis; they don't have to believe science, they just have to believe that they believe it.
"I think John von Neumann once said..."
And the halting problem didn't count?