Actually, there are many ways to measure the contents of a tank in space. Here are a few I can think of: You can bump it to measure the change in velocity, you can spin it and measure the change in momentum, you can hit it with a hammer to make it ring, or you can just measure the inflow and outflow properly.
These 500 click sized craters are not all that uncommon. There is for example the Bushveld Complex in South Africa (the source of much of it's mineral wealth), which could have been an impact crater. Since it is so old, it is not possible to tell whether it was an impact crater, or a gigantic volcano, or an alien experiment with anti-matter gone wrong - either way, it is friggen huge. Despite it's size, the continent of Africa just shrugged it off and is none the worse for it. Also, a glance at the enormous craters on the moon indicates that similar events must have happened on earth. So, a 500 click crater causing a continent to rift? Don't think so - not nearly big enough.
You are forgetting something - they are poor - they will always be poor - the poor doesn't pay tax, not even in America. Therefore, in economic terms, there is no difference between an illegal poor migrant and a legal poor immigrant. The middle and upper class have to support them anyway. In any case, the poor represent a small part of the US population and should not be a burden.
Yup, I'm sure the Texans will blow them away with shotguns, but the Mexicans will simply climb up and remove them, then sell them somewhere. It could be a lucrative trade. There is big difference in mentality between these two friendly(?) neighbours. Americans like blowing things up. Mexicans? Well, let's just say they like a little business on the side.
In the movies, all industrial systems are connected to the internet and a 10 year old with a TRS80 and a 300 baud audio coupler can hack it in 30 seconds. Reality is a little different though.
Doctors Barnard (two brothers) implanted second hearts into patients about 30 years ago in South Africa. This helped the original hearts to recover and then allowed them to remove the second heart later. So, hearts do try to mend themselves, but it is a slow process.
Yup, there has been struggles in Asia, but I don't know the whole story - who provoked whom. Also, if a large country invades a smaller neighbour in order to squash a civil war or depose a cruel tyrant, then that is more of a regional policing effort than a war.
If however, we look at China's record in the last 50 years only, then it is OK and getting better I think.
Somalia, Chad and Central African Republic have no government as far as I know. Angola still has a civil war. Ethiopia has a civil war. Congo doesn't really control all its territory, only a few small spots are under 'government' control. Madagascar used to be a pirate haven for centuries and is still best avoided. Mozambique doesn't have much of a government either and doesn't control all its territory...
Well, yeah, I actually do trust Bejing more than a whole zoo of other countries. China does have a shaky history regarding personal freedoms, but life in most of China is orders of magnitude better than in most of Africa and many other parts of Asia. Also bear in mind that China has *never* attacked Western Europe or America. Militarily and economically, China is an allied force and a friend of America and Europe. That is the reality of the matter. Of course there are things they can improve, but they have come a long way in the latter half of the last century.
Now look at Africa, with hell-holes like Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia, Zimbabwe and so on. Several countries in Africa do not even have a government and exist only on paper maps, they do not exist in reality as a country. They have no infrastructure, no roads, no railways, no hospitals, no schools, no clean water, but they do have a seat in the UN, where a nephew of a local war lord can spout off against developed countries...
Whaddayamean 'future'? Have a look at the enormous trade imbalance between the USA and China! China lost the wars against Europe a couple hundred years ago and then Japan and Mao did them in again twice more in the last century, but they have made a huge comeback lately.
Melt a nicle-iron meteor and let it drip down like taffee - except that in reality it would not want to drip down, since in space things tend to form nice spherical balls and always try to stay that way...
Slashdot Mirror
...(or john)...
Geez, there are already Johns and Hos in space even before the first space hotel is launched???
Actually, there are many ways to measure the contents of a tank in space. Here are a few I can think of: You can bump it to measure the change in velocity, you can spin it and measure the change in momentum, you can hit it with a hammer to make it ring, or you can just measure the inflow and outflow properly.
Uhmm, the Artic ice cap is only about two feet thick. The Antarctice ice cap is 2 MILES thick. A teenie, weenie difference there...
These 500 click sized craters are not all that uncommon. There is for example the Bushveld Complex in South Africa (the source of much of it's mineral wealth), which could have been an impact crater. Since it is so old, it is not possible to tell whether it was an impact crater, or a gigantic volcano, or an alien experiment with anti-matter gone wrong - either way, it is friggen huge. Despite it's size, the continent of Africa just shrugged it off and is none the worse for it. Also, a glance at the enormous craters on the moon indicates that similar events must have happened on earth. So, a 500 click crater causing a continent to rift? Don't think so - not nearly big enough.
Better - A V-chip:L onger_&_Uncut
5 01_020501_roborats.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park:_Bigger,_
or a rat remote control chip:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/05/0
Nah, what you'll get is the smiling face of one kid disassembling the camera, then some snow...
You are forgetting something - they are poor - they will always be poor - the poor doesn't pay tax, not even in America. Therefore, in economic terms, there is no difference between an illegal poor migrant and a legal poor immigrant. The middle and upper class have to support them anyway. In any case, the poor represent a small part of the US population and should not be a burden.
Yup, I'm sure the Texans will blow them away with shotguns, but the Mexicans will simply climb up and remove them, then sell them somewhere. It could be a lucrative trade. There is big difference in mentality between these two friendly(?) neighbours. Americans like blowing things up. Mexicans? Well, let's just say they like a little business on the side.
I wonder how much these cameras will fetch on the flea markets in Mexico City...
http://spamradio.com/spamradio.m3u ;)
In the movies, all industrial systems are connected to the internet and a 10 year old with a TRS80 and a 300 baud audio coupler can hack it in 30 seconds. Reality is a little different though.
A magnet? Sorry, nothing short of a 25lb sledge will destroy the data on a HDD platter.
That one is for military use, so expect it to weigh in at 100lb or more... ;)
Doctors Barnard (two brothers) implanted second hearts into patients about 30 years ago in South Africa. This helped the original hearts to recover and then allowed them to remove the second heart later. So, hearts do try to mend themselves, but it is a slow process.
Yup, there has been struggles in Asia, but I don't know the whole story - who provoked whom. Also, if a large country invades a smaller neighbour in order to squash a civil war or depose a cruel tyrant, then that is more of a regional policing effort than a war.
If however, we look at China's record in the last 50 years only, then it is OK and getting better I think.
Somalia, Chad and Central African Republic have no government as far as I know. Angola still has a civil war. Ethiopia has a civil war. Congo doesn't really control all its territory, only a few small spots are under 'government' control. Madagascar used to be a pirate haven for centuries and is still best avoided. Mozambique doesn't have much of a government either and doesn't control all its territory...
Well, yeah, Bejing is a lesser evil, and they are reforming. Other places are much worse and are regressing.
Well, yeah, I actually do trust Bejing more than a whole zoo of other countries. China does have a shaky history regarding personal freedoms, but life in most of China is orders of magnitude better than in most of Africa and many other parts of Asia. Also bear in mind that China has *never* attacked Western Europe or America. Militarily and economically, China is an allied force and a friend of America and Europe. That is the reality of the matter. Of course there are things they can improve, but they have come a long way in the latter half of the last century.
Now look at Africa, with hell-holes like Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia, Zimbabwe and so on. Several countries in Africa do not even have a government and exist only on paper maps, they do not exist in reality as a country. They have no infrastructure, no roads, no railways, no hospitals, no schools, no clean water, but they do have a seat in the UN, where a nephew of a local war lord can spout off against developed countries...
Bah, humbug!
Whaddayamean 'future'? Have a look at the enormous trade imbalance between the USA and China! China lost the wars against Europe a couple hundred years ago and then Japan and Mao did them in again twice more in the last century, but they have made a huge comeback lately.
Exactly - that is my peeve with Windoze. I have better things to do than fixing Windoze for all around me.
Hmmm, if the two stolen PCs in Chad or Somalia are using 100% stolen software - who cares? It is not exactly a thriving market for anything...
No, no, on the forehead - see Dante's Religious Comedy.
Soooooo, to keep guest workers out, it is proposed to put all Americans in jail?
Sigh...
Melt a nicle-iron meteor and let it drip down like taffee - except that in reality it would not want to drip down, since in space things tend to form nice spherical balls and always try to stay that way...
Hmmm, got to go and patent my electrostatic, super conducting, spinning, gravity cancelling, space elevator design, before you do...