The weird thing is that we DO have significant launch capabilities. The Atlas and Delta systems have excellent safety records, they haven't been human rated for some odd reason. Seems like a good time to do some paperwork?
If FTL travel were possible, we should have been invaded and colonized millions of years ago.
One species could colonize the whole galaxy in a few thousand years.
Not necessarily. What happens if FTL travel is possible, but is limited in some sense such as cost, danger or another hazard that we cannot even guess at? What would happen if the best you can do with FTL technology is stuff some fungi through a wormhole? Maybe you could only send mechanical probes?
FTL transport, if it exists at all, is not likely going to look like some Star Trek rerun. We might not even be able to comprehend what it looks or acts like.
"Advertising" covers many things. "Detailing" drugs, where a finely turned out salesman / woman comes over to the doctor's practice to leave samples, lunch, trinkets and promises of better things to come is expensive. Direct-to-Consumer ads are expensive. If they were honest about it, they would include sponsoring "educational" meetings for docs, but I think that is in another category.
It does amaze me that big Pharma supposedly spends a bunch of money on research with precious little to show for it. I've not bothered to try to tease it out and I've actually not read about anyone else trying to do go through the numbers to see where the money goes. My gut feeling FWIW, is that either they're doing some shady accounting or their not thinking through their research programs well. They are so reliant on 'blockbuster' drugs that they are like gamblers looking for the big payout. Pulling on slots rather than playing poker. Tossing large amounts of money into a few areas hoping to get the big payout.
HIPAA doesn't cost the health care industry a 'small fortune'. HIPAA costs are a rounding error in the Medical Industrial Complex budget.
The problem isn't so much the quantity of health care rules and regulations, it's the quality. The quality is directly related to meddling by Congress. You can't make a sane policy when you have Congresscritters pulling for their very own escape clauses and individual mandates. It just doesn't work out.
He's selling crazy, and we're all stocked up on the stuff. For every good idea he has, he has two that are the ramblings of a freeway off-ramp prophet.
And this is different from the rest of the field in what particular way?
That's about right. If you consider the 'middle' to be anything two standard deviations around the mean.
If you look at the Wikipedia article on US Household income and include 'working class' you pretty much hit it right. It's not really a Gaussian curve - it has a long tail, but it's sort of close.
Some drugs like OxyContin are only supposed to be available with a prescription, since they could be abused for recreational use.
OK folks, has anyone out there actually purchased what they thought was a narcotic or benzo or other US DEA controlled substance through one of these 'pharmacies'? I'm actually curious. None of the people so inclined that I deal with on a daily basis have ever admitted to getting anything in the mail - it all comes from Fred, the local dealer.
You would be setting yourself up for a bust by the Postal Service inspectors - the fact that it came through a dodgy address in Canada would be an easy tip off for these folks. You would be at the mercy of anybody who has a pill press, some starch, some food coloring and a copy of the Physician's Desk Reference. You couldn't even complain to Fred that you got cheated....
I believe the NASA budget was cut exactly because the US doesn't want to get into the next space race with China. And the truth is, the US would never survive it.
You sure sound scared of a country that can barely toss up refurbished 1960's Russian hardware into LEO.
Yeah, wait another two decades and they just might have some reasonable tech. We've got a few years to get our act together.
You know, it says a lot about this country when someone with a history like Newt's can be a serious candidate for president. Vote Cthulu for 2012! It will be the lesser evil!
And what would be the point of pulling it over? Give it a stern reprimand before sending back on its way?
Unless the cop plans to either (1) Inspect it for malfunction/damage, or (2) Impound it, I don't see any reason to physically stop the vehicle. A properly tagged vehicle should provide all you need to issue a citation; no curb required.
The PD might want the vehicle to pull over if the police were involved in a high speed emergency run. Or an ambulance might want to have the car pull over. Or the PD might notice a light out or some other mechanical issue.
Lots of reasons why the authorities might want to stop or slow an autonomous vehicle.
Just for the record, I agree. I'm a registered Republican. Unfortunately, the Republicans haven't nominated anyone worthy of anything other than derision and disgust for quite some time. Not that the Democrats have done a whole lot better.
But come on....
Sarah "Drill, Baby, Drill" Palin Michelle "Dummy" Bachman Newt. I mean, can you even consider somebody who calls himself "Newt". If he had any class (which he most assuredly does not) he would call himself "N. Leroy Gingrich" or at least "NL" Romney? Maybe... At least he acts like he doesn't want to be in charge of things. Always a good sign. Santorum?
I've seen better political candidates at the local Salvation Army soup line.
Right. The NSA cares about which You Tube video you watch. It cares about which dodgy web site you go to (the ones with the midgets AND the horses). They care that you spend hours looking at DD bra advertisements.
Give it up. Nobody cares about you. I don't. Your mom doesn't and the NSA certainly doesn't.
In reality a libertarian system would have a much cleaner environment because anyone could sue for damages. The EPA exists to protect businesses from lawsuits. It sets a legal limit where companies can pollute to where they face no threat of lawsuit. Also they don't get sued for damages but are fined by the government which leaves the property owners that had their property damaged with no recourse.
Right. Because I want to spend the rest of my life (and income) suing various and sundry large corporations or interests that want to pollute or otherwise disturb the environment surrounding my own property.
Slashdot Mirror
The weird thing is that we DO have significant launch capabilities. The Atlas and Delta systems have excellent safety records, they haven't been human rated for some odd reason. Seems like a good time to do some paperwork?
If FTL travel were possible, we should have been invaded and colonized millions of years ago.
One species could colonize the whole galaxy in a few thousand years.
Not necessarily. What happens if FTL travel is possible, but is limited in some sense such as cost, danger or another hazard that we cannot even guess at? What would happen if the best you can do with FTL technology is stuff some fungi through a wormhole? Maybe you could only send mechanical probes?
FTL transport, if it exists at all, is not likely going to look like some Star Trek rerun. We might not even be able to comprehend what it looks or acts like.
This isn't going well. Every month there are new planets, new solar systems.
Soon we'll be surrounded!
Depends.
Old car: $2000 / 1000 kg
Old game: $20 / 100 gram
Games are worth 100 times more than cars.
You aren't smoking either of them, dude.
At least, I hope not.
It's true for used cars, why wouldn't it be true for games?
Because cars cost lots more than games.
"Advertising" covers many things. "Detailing" drugs, where a finely turned out salesman / woman comes over to the doctor's practice to leave samples, lunch, trinkets and promises of better things to come is expensive. Direct-to-Consumer ads are expensive. If they were honest about it, they would include sponsoring "educational" meetings for docs, but I think that is in another category.
It does amaze me that big Pharma supposedly spends a bunch of money on research with precious little to show for it. I've not bothered to try to tease it out and I've actually not read about anyone else trying to do go through the numbers to see where the money goes. My gut feeling FWIW, is that either they're doing some shady accounting or their not thinking through their research programs well. They are so reliant on 'blockbuster' drugs that they are like gamblers looking for the big payout. Pulling on slots rather than playing poker. Tossing large amounts of money into a few areas hoping to get the big payout.
HIPAA doesn't cost the health care industry a 'small fortune'. HIPAA costs are a rounding error in the Medical Industrial Complex budget.
The problem isn't so much the quantity of health care rules and regulations, it's the quality. The quality is directly related to meddling by Congress. You can't make a sane policy when you have Congresscritters pulling for their very own escape clauses and individual mandates. It just doesn't work out.
He's selling crazy, and we're all stocked up on the stuff. For every good idea he has, he has two that are the ramblings of a freeway off-ramp prophet.
And this is different from the rest of the field in what particular way?
That's about right. If you consider the 'middle' to be anything two standard deviations around the mean.
If you look at the Wikipedia article on US Household income and include 'working class' you pretty much hit it right. It's not really a Gaussian curve - it has a long tail, but it's sort of close.
Some drugs like OxyContin are only supposed to be available with a prescription, since they could be abused for recreational use.
OK folks, has anyone out there actually purchased what they thought was a narcotic or benzo or other US DEA controlled substance through one of these 'pharmacies'? I'm actually curious. None of the people so inclined that I deal with on a daily basis have ever admitted to getting anything in the mail - it all comes from Fred, the local dealer.
You would be setting yourself up for a bust by the Postal Service inspectors - the fact that it came through a dodgy address in Canada would be an easy tip off for these folks. You would be at the mercy of anybody who has a pill press, some starch, some food coloring and a copy of the Physician's Desk Reference. You couldn't even complain to Fred that you got cheated....
Seems like a pretty stupid way to do things.
The reason drugs are so expensive in the US is that drug companies need to have somebody pay for R&D.
Giggle.
Snort.
ROTFL.
I believe the NASA budget was cut exactly because the US doesn't want to get into the next space race with China. And the truth is, the US would never survive it.
You sure sound scared of a country that can barely toss up refurbished 1960's Russian hardware into LEO.
Yeah, wait another two decades and they just might have some reasonable tech. We've got a few years to get our act together.
Don't Panic.
We just need to find some Unobtainium.
You know, it says a lot about this country when someone with a history like Newt's can be a serious candidate for president. Vote Cthulu for 2012! It will be the lesser evil!
Ladies and Gentleman:
Cthulhu 2012
And what would be the point of pulling it over? Give it a stern reprimand before sending back on its way?
Unless the cop plans to either (1) Inspect it for malfunction/damage, or (2) Impound it, I don't see any reason to physically stop the vehicle. A properly tagged vehicle should provide all you need to issue a citation; no curb required.
The PD might want the vehicle to pull over if the police were involved in a high speed emergency run. Or an ambulance might want to have the car pull over. Or the PD might notice a light out or some other mechanical issue.
Lots of reasons why the authorities might want to stop or slow an autonomous vehicle.
Yawn.....
Wake up when they FINALLY get around to producing the Urban Assault Vehicle that I've been waiting for for decades...
Yeah, I want a four wheel drive version....
Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Just for the record, I agree. I'm a registered Republican. Unfortunately, the Republicans haven't nominated anyone worthy of anything other than derision and disgust for quite some time. Not that the Democrats have done a whole lot better.
But come on....
Sarah "Drill, Baby, Drill" Palin ... At least he acts like he doesn't want to be in charge of things. Always a good sign.
Michelle "Dummy" Bachman
Newt. I mean, can you even consider somebody who calls himself "Newt". If he had any class (which he most assuredly does not) he would call himself "N. Leroy Gingrich" or at least "NL"
Romney? Maybe
Santorum?
I've seen better political candidates at the local Salvation Army soup line.
google is the NSA's bitch
Right. The NSA cares about which You Tube video you watch. It cares about which dodgy web site you go to (the ones with the midgets AND the horses). They care that you spend hours looking at DD bra advertisements.
Give it up. Nobody cares about you. I don't. Your mom doesn't and the NSA certainly doesn't.
Movies. Microcode. Pizza Delivery.
(Sausage Pizza, mmmmm).
Not only do we have oil, we have coal, natural gas and uranium.
And what do you all do? Drive on the wrong side of the road and export Vegemite.
What sort of contribution to civilization is that?
Just wishful thinking.
Look, in the political climate that would even consider Newt Gingrich for president, anything other than overt genocide is going to get a pass.
In reality a libertarian system would have a much cleaner environment because anyone could sue for damages. The EPA exists to protect businesses from lawsuits. It sets a legal limit where companies can pollute to where they face no threat of lawsuit. Also they don't get sued for damages but are fined by the government which leaves the property owners that had their property damaged with no recourse.
Right. Because I want to spend the rest of my life (and income) suing various and sundry large corporations or interests that want to pollute or otherwise disturb the environment surrounding my own property.
I like arguing with people, but not that much.
abusus non tollit usum
: abuse does not take away use, i.e., is not an argument against proper use
Quod Latine sonat alta.
That would be a bit of a problem since Adobe made the PDF format open standard a while ago.