I've never really understood why some people hate the idea of Gamestop (as opposed to individual gripes about the specific implementation, which may or may not be justified). As I've pointed out on Slashdot before, second-hand re-sales are simply another term in the cost/benefit equation of whether or not a software house should green-light the development of a given project in the first place. It's just something else that's to be factored into profit projections, like the production and distribution costs. As others have pointed out, it's really no different from the situation for book publishers.
As others have noted, we can (& do) work at the ALMA high site (AOS) and on the top of Mauna Kea (my last job). However, your point is well made: the 5000m Chajnantor plain is pretty inhospitable for extended periods of time (thin air, extremely dry), hence there are limits on the lengths of high-altitude work shifts.
Also, the thin air at 5000m affects reasoning & judgment, which can be an issue given the size & complexity of the machines. Even on Mauna Kea, I've seen clever people really struggle sometimes to decide whether they needed to add those two numbers or subtract them. Dehydration's also an issue, giving rise to headaches, etc. And there are some people who really just can't physically cope with the altitude - they get sick, dizzy, etc. Folk get driven down at the first signs of serious altitude sickness.
Indeed, props to the "Total Recall" show, but in particular:
I third the comments on "Regenesis". It was arguably the best-researched hard science fiction show I've *ever* seen (& I've seen a lot by this point). It's also one of the few shows where the science often really is the driving point of the story. Why on earth this whole show's run isn't yet available on DVD, I have no idea, other than the fact it was Canadian, & hence deemed obscure.
Yup. As others have pointed out, it's a laser guide star. In a nutshell, the basic idea is that the thing (e.g. a star) that the telescope's looking at gets all smeared out & wibbly wobbly by foreground atmospheric variations (twinkling). The idea here is that if you generate a bright spot in the sky with known properties close to the thing you want to observe, then by comparing what your spot looks like with what you know it should look like, you can calculate which tiny variable distortions you want to add in to the perfect curve of your mirrors to counteract these atmospheric wobbles. The thinking is that if you can correct the wobbles in your fake "star" & it's close to the real one on the sky, then the correction can be assumed to be about the same.
The actual corrective distortions to the mirror are handled by things that are basically very precise, very small computer-controlled pistons that can apply corrections many per second.
(For the record, IAAA - I Am An Astrophysicist,although I've worked at other observatories - not specifically at the VLT).
* There are very few companies one could reasonably argue as being evil, or at least being major proponents of evilness. Monsanto and Halliburton come to mind. But calling Apple "evil" is absurd. Do you even know what the word "evil" means?
Not arguing with your take on Monsanto & Halliburton, but just to be clear: Google were the ones who arguably popularized the use of the term "Evil" in this sense when referring to their own business practices, so I don't think you can blame a lot of other people on Slashdot for adopting the business world's own terminology here.
Of course, you could argue that the business world itself has devalued the idea of "Evil", deliberately or otherwise...
(Cue people commenting about how this better enables Wolfram & Hart/Veridian Dynamics/insert favourite fictional evil company here).
At this point, I don't actually care any more. I gave up on him at the point in "Quicksilver" when he rambled on at length about Parisian horse trading markets. I found it long, tedious, and far too reminiscent of the scene in the movie "Wonder Boys", in which the student, Hannah, critiques the professor's unending work-in-progress book:
"And even though you're book is really beautiful, I mean, amazingly beautiful, it's... it's at times... it's... very detailed. You know, with the genealogies of everyone's horses, and the dental records, and so on. And... I could be wrong, but it sort of reads in places like you didn't make any choices. At all."
I seem to remember Stephenson covering both horse genealogy *and* character dentistry at some point.
Perhaps the timing of this isn't a coincidence, given that Sony recently just launched their own pay-to-play subscription service, PSN Plus? They can claim that this is just the going rate, nowadays...
Why LucasArts never released a modern version of these games is beyond me. Utterly brilliant. Back in the day, I bought an MS Sidewinder Force Feedback joystick primarily for XvT. It used to clunk when you picked up a cargo container. Those were the days...
Slashdot Mirror
... and there goes any faint lingering hope of getting it onto the PS3 as well.
I wonder what they plan to do about Skype on the PSP (& successors)...
Mod parent up.
I've never really understood why some people hate the idea of Gamestop (as opposed to individual gripes about the specific implementation, which may or may not be justified). As I've pointed out on Slashdot before, second-hand re-sales are simply another term in the cost/benefit equation of whether or not a software house should green-light the development of a given project in the first place. It's just something else that's to be factored into profit projections, like the production and distribution costs. As others have pointed out, it's really no different from the situation for book publishers.
As others have noted, we can (& do) work at the ALMA high site (AOS) and on the top of Mauna Kea (my last job). However, your point is well made: the 5000m Chajnantor plain is pretty inhospitable for extended periods of time (thin air, extremely dry), hence there are limits on the lengths of high-altitude work shifts.
Also, the thin air at 5000m affects reasoning & judgment, which can be an issue given the size & complexity of the machines. Even on Mauna Kea, I've seen clever people really struggle sometimes to decide whether they needed to add those two numbers or subtract them. Dehydration's also an issue, giving rise to headaches, etc. And there are some people who really just can't physically cope with the altitude - they get sick, dizzy, etc. Folk get driven down at the first signs of serious altitude sickness.
And they're going to build CCAT 600m higher than ALMA: http://www.submm.org/overview.html
Good point...
Actually, before: I work on interstellar dust (& gas).
I suppose if it had been after, I'd have gone for "Dusty66": the final number of ALMA antennas...
For anyone who wants to know more about the ALMA project as a whole, here's the project's main page:
http://www.almaobservatory.org/
(Disclaimer: I work for the project as a staff astronomer).
Indeed, props to the "Total Recall" show, but in particular:
I third the comments on "Regenesis". It was arguably the best-researched hard science fiction show I've *ever* seen (& I've seen a lot by this point). It's also one of the few shows where the science often really is the driving point of the story. Why on earth this whole show's run isn't yet available on DVD, I have no idea, other than the fact it was Canadian, & hence deemed obscure.
Yup. As others have pointed out, it's a laser guide star. In a nutshell, the basic idea is that the thing (e.g. a star) that the telescope's looking at gets all smeared out & wibbly wobbly by foreground atmospheric variations (twinkling). The idea here is that if you generate a bright spot in the sky with known properties close to the thing you want to observe, then by comparing what your spot looks like with what you know it should look like, you can calculate which tiny variable distortions you want to add in to the perfect curve of your mirrors to counteract these atmospheric wobbles. The thinking is that if you can correct the wobbles in your fake "star" & it's close to the real one on the sky, then the correction can be assumed to be about the same.
The actual corrective distortions to the mirror are handled by things that are basically very precise, very small computer-controlled pistons that can apply corrections many per second.
(For the record, IAAA - I Am An Astrophysicist ,although I've worked at other observatories - not specifically at the VLT).
"I don't believe it!"
They chose... poorly.
.. dropped calls.
(Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. If you're unlucky).
Geeks are the ultimate drama queens.
* There are very few companies one could reasonably argue as being evil, or at least being major proponents of evilness. Monsanto and Halliburton come to mind. But calling Apple "evil" is absurd. Do you even know what the word "evil" means?
Not arguing with your take on Monsanto & Halliburton, but just to be clear: Google were the ones who arguably popularized the use of the term "Evil" in this sense when referring to their own business practices, so I don't think you can blame a lot of other people on Slashdot for adopting the business world's own terminology here.
Of course, you could argue that the business world itself has devalued the idea of "Evil", deliberately or otherwise...
(Cue people commenting about how this better enables Wolfram & Hart/Veridian Dynamics/insert favourite fictional evil company here).
Once again, kiddies: Correlation does not imply causation!
Actually, at the risk of being identified as pedantic, correlation does not *automatically* imply causation. It might, however, still suggest it.
I still agree with the gist of the parent & grandparent posts' point regarding this particular story, though.
"That money was just resting in my account!"
Mod parent up.
At this point, I don't actually care any more. I gave up on him at the point in "Quicksilver" when he rambled on at length about Parisian horse trading markets. I found it long, tedious, and far too reminiscent of the scene in the movie "Wonder Boys", in which the student, Hannah, critiques the professor's unending work-in-progress book:
"And even though you're book is really beautiful, I mean, amazingly beautiful, it's... it's at times... it's... very detailed. You know, with the genealogies of everyone's horses, and the dental records, and so on. And... I could be wrong, but it sort of reads in places like you didn't make any choices. At all."
I seem to remember Stephenson covering both horse genealogy *and* character dentistry at some point.
Actually, hey: let's just forget the "Oxy", shall we?
Perhaps the timing of this isn't a coincidence, given that Sony recently just launched their own pay-to-play subscription service, PSN Plus? They can claim that this is just the going rate, nowadays...
What even bugles my mind...
Is that something that, when you first hear it, makes you think "That blows!" ?
Actually, it predates the iPad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaBJb8nkXac
Can any Slashdotters with legal know-how are to comment on any implications this ruling might have for HDCP stripper dongles/boxes?
That just made my day.
Maybe I should get out more, though?
Build a Robot Kevin Costner?
Oops. Make that X-Wing Alliance for the Force Feedback. Played' 'em all, though.
The "Elite" sequels went that way as well. Much more physically accurate, but much less actual fun.
Mod parent up!
Why LucasArts never released a modern version of these games is beyond me. Utterly brilliant. Back in the day, I bought an MS Sidewinder Force Feedback joystick primarily for XvT. It used to clunk when you picked up a cargo container. Those were the days...