Absolutely Ben Rich's book is phenomenal. I had to comment in this thread to mention (and karma whore;) that the reason for the chunky, algular design of the F-117 was due to the limits of finite element and finite difference modelling (and basically computing power) at the time.
Angles are easier to model than curves, thus the blocky shape.
for the masses, but this is unacceptable! "Acoustic" waves? Puhhhhhhllleeeezzzzzzzzzzz. High temperature pressure waves in a gas medium constrained by a metallic cone is the proper description.
For crying out loud (sorry;) we are talking ROCKET SCIENCE HERE!!!!
apply similar tactics to Real Life situations as you would to computer to computer transictions.
Depending on the level of security required: a combination of all post, contextual transmissions, one time keypads, PGP encryption, ROT 13, plain text.
Yes, compputers and people are different. These are the best encryption techniques, in order of security, to date.
Security is not just computers, it is a constant in all possible 'power based' scenarios.
Its not actually a shale deposit that extraction takes place from, the two layers of shale exist above and below a fractured dolemite layer link.
The dolemite acts as the resevoir , the bottom shale acts as the source rock, and the top shale acts as the cap rock.
link
The oil generated in the source rock rises up (because it is less dense than surrounding materials) concentrates in the resevoir rock (because of the resevoir rock's highter porosity) and is trapped by further migration by a less permeable cap rock.
Just a quick guide to petroleum geology. Please don't get me into multi-phasic fluid flow:-)
I agree with both previous posters that the Rama series was unworthy from Book II [Rama II].
Has anyone heard of the Rendezvous with Rama movie with Morgan Freeman? I saw a preview several years ago and nearly had to clean myself up in the theatre bathroom.
gave up moderating, but I had to expound:
"A man drinks because he finds himself a failure.
By drinking he makes it so."
wish I could remember the author.
A large part of the "peak oil" scenario also has to do with specific locations where we as a society are willing to drill for oil. There are huge reserves off the east coast of the United States, but the nation as a whole has decided that the potential environmental cost is too high.
The issue as I see it is not that we are going to run out of oil any time soon, but that the environmental and sociological costs associated with obtaining this oil will exceed our willingness to extract it.
Or not. Perhaps oily sludge on the beaches of Florida is a reasonable price to pay for plastic and cheap gas.
I gotta second that, my TI-85 I bought in 1993, survived high school, college, a semester of grad school, and I still carry it in the glove box of my truck for use on job sites. Amazing piece of electronics.
speaking as a civil engineering intern (EI) that is the truth. And once you are a PE and out playing the dating game, the stress has made all your hair fall out and your "stamina" a bit not so good.
But you get to look down at code monkeys;-)
(sorry, no offense meant. Besides, I quit civil engineering years ago for the reasons stated above:-)
You missed my whole point. The US is spending huge sums of money on securing energy resources while neglecting alternative sources. Your statement is irrelevant to my "lack" of understanding of ITER because fusion research is no longer a "hard" science problem but an engineering problem. And the budget for ITER is of such minimal cost given US's annual budget your entire argument is irrelevant.
The entire east coast of the US has oil reservoirs ready for the drilling, as does any major river delta system on the planet (Gulf of Mexico? North slope of Alaska? Niger River delta? North Sea fjord turbidites? See a pattern here?) Politics and other non-technological/engineering issues prevents the exploitation of these resources. (And I am completely ignoring methane hydrates.)
Point is, the US government's energy policy is illogical, foolish, and dangerous to American self interests. This is what makes my blood boil. Current US energy policy is idiocy, to put it gently.
I don't mean to be a complete dork (aw hell, this is slashdot...), but I think you meant 2000ft/min. The previous number is significantly faster than terminal falling velocity of the airliner;-)
I am always amazed at the large-scale structures of the universe. Especially the way that these structures are almost always analogous to physical phenomenon on earth (perhaps no surprise or coincidence if you adhere to the anthropic principle;)
I agree, the images are fascinating, but it is important to remember that geometries and processes scale very differently. Geometries may scale in a fractal nature, but the processes driving the creation of said geometries may vary tremendously.
Or not, of course. My whole point is that you can't equally scale geometry and process; they are independent.
Now I am starting to realizr the importance of bioinformatics in neuroscience. This sort of multiple inputs produce differing behavior is reminiscent of Lie groups in mathematics. Its basically the same thing: a large (huge?) system of inputs, operators, and outputs, but a limited set at that (though limited is used with a grain of salt here;-)
Map out the structure, determine the operators, and combine the inputs with the outputs! Bang, easy as pie!*
Slashdot Mirror
Angles are easier to model than curves, thus the blocky shape.
another tidbit is that the stealth equations used to simulate the F-117 were developed BY A RUSSIAN http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-117_Nighthawk#Development.
and its called 4chan...
For crying out loud (sorry;) we are talking ROCKET SCIENCE HERE!!!!
Depending on the level of security required: a combination of all post, contextual transmissions, one time keypads, PGP encryption, ROT 13, plain text.
Yes, compputers and people are different. These are the best encryption techniques, in order of security, to date.
Security is not just computers, it is a constant in all possible 'power based' scenarios.
and thats my $0.02
The dolemite acts as the resevoir , the bottom shale acts as the source rock, and the top shale acts as the cap rock. link
The oil generated in the source rock rises up (because it is less dense than surrounding materials) concentrates in the resevoir rock (because of the resevoir rock's highter porosity) and is trapped by further migration by a less permeable cap rock.
Just a quick guide to petroleum geology. Please don't get me into multi-phasic fluid flow :-)
Thank you, cb, for lightening the mood. The GP had me wanting to, well, do unmentionable things. Their post was very... depressing.
I agree with both previous posters that the Rama series was unworthy from Book II [Rama II].
Has anyone heard of the Rendezvous with Rama movie with Morgan Freeman? I saw a preview several years ago and nearly had to clean myself up in the theatre bathroom.
Since then, nada...
gave up moderating, but I had to expound: "A man drinks because he finds himself a failure. By drinking he makes it so." wish I could remember the author.
I wish I hadn't spent all my mod points. That was pretty funny/sad.
The issue as I see it is not that we are going to run out of oil any time soon, but that the environmental and sociological costs associated with obtaining this oil will exceed our willingness to extract it.
Or not. Perhaps oily sludge on the beaches of Florida is a reasonable price to pay for plastic and cheap gas.
I gotta second that, my TI-85 I bought in 1993, survived high school, college, a semester of grad school, and I still carry it in the glove box of my truck for use on job sites. Amazing piece of electronics.
But you get to look down at code monkeys ;-)
(sorry, no offense meant. Besides, I quit civil engineering years ago for the reasons stated above:-)
The entire east coast of the US has oil reservoirs ready for the drilling, as does any major river delta system on the planet (Gulf of Mexico? North slope of Alaska? Niger River delta? North Sea fjord turbidites? See a pattern here?) Politics and other non-technological/engineering issues prevents the exploitation of these resources. (And I am completely ignoring methane hydrates.)
Point is, the US government's energy policy is illogical, foolish, and dangerous to American self interests. This is what makes my blood boil. Current US energy policy is idiocy, to put it gently.
And spend close to a trillion dollars on a war over fossil resources in the Middle East.
The US energy policy is fucked. Totally, completely, totally fucked. Utterly utterly mindbogglingly stupid.
My god ./ is a shameless group of male nerds.
(yes, I RTFA'd this, for a change...)
nuff said...
My fellow slashdotters, have we not yet reached the point where any digital photo/video evidence must be called into question?
I think we have, IMHO.
-OJ
from your sig: 01110101 00100000 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011 well, apparently I am.
I don't mean to be a complete dork (aw hell, this is slashdot...), but I think you meant 2000ft/min. The previous number is significantly faster than terminal falling velocity of the airliner ;-)
word.
sorry...
In that sense, I think that astrophysics, followed by geology, are the most melancholy of sciences.
You made a funny without realizing it: From your post, it's not unusual to be loved by anyone is a line by, who, Tom Jones?
I agree, the images are fascinating, but it is important to remember that geometries and processes scale very differently. Geometries may scale in a fractal nature, but the processes driving the creation of said geometries may vary tremendously.
Or not, of course. My whole point is that you can't equally scale geometry and process; they are independent.
Map out the structure, determine the operators, and combine the inputs with the outputs! Bang, easy as pie!*
*joke :-)