I think you mean it facetiously, but you certainly a valid and apt observation. The last thing we need to be sending to people who are starving to death and getting shot by wandering bands of "people's militias" is a damn computer. And we can't even reasonably distribute food - something that actually matters - so why the heck would we be able do distribute what amounts to a trinket.
But it doesn't work with plutonium. You need far greater assembly velocities than are practical, otherwise it blows itself apart long before much fuel is burned.
The only effective part of it is the hysteria, not the actual effects. So many people have been fed so much nonsense about the dangers of radiation over the years that I am sure wide-spread evacuations would be mandated. That does make it effective as a terror weapon - never mind the reality. There are still those who refer to as 3-mile-island as a "tragedy" and a "disaster" when in fact no one has been or ever will have been negatively affected by it. Aside those who experience the high electricity bills, and pollution side-effects, from abandoning nuclear energy over the hysteria.
Oh, bullshit. Sure, there are plenty of sketches around, but going from those sketches (many of which contain *intentional* but subtle errors - why do you think they are available), to engineering drawings, to making the parts, to assembling it, is quite a project. And the construction itself requires a few very tricky pieces that are very closely controlled.
Right now, virtually no terrorist group independent of an established government has anything like the wherewithall to build an implosion weapon that works properly. It could be argued that even a fizzle would be useful to them. But to all indications from almost any of the likely candidates are concentrating on Uranium and that means a gun-assembled bomb, not an implosion weapon.
You are correct that it doesn't work as well in all kinds of ground, but we had one in rural Kentucky ~35 years ago, and it wasn't exactly unique in the area. Didn't even have to bury it very deep to get a reasonably constant 55 degree sink. And that's cave country - it's not exactly difficult to avoid sticking the heat exchanger in a cave!
Note that this is hardly the only time this happened, in fact it happened on Soyuz TMA-11 last year, and to a fair number of the Vostok/Voskhod flights before it. It's a source of concern for the ISS return spacecraft.
I don't know why anyone thinks this is a potential solution. Passenger rail traffic has *NEVER* been a viable proposition, at last not for over 100 years, outside of a few commuter applications. Passenger service was subsidized by freight as a glamour operation for decades until interstate trucking started putting the pinch on freight. Finally, the losses on passenger service were just too much, and everyone flew on an airplane anyway, so it died. Amtrak is a financial disaster even with huge government subsidies and unbelievable fares for anything other than a coach seat. Anyone want to spend 53 hours one-way from Chicago to San Francisco in a coach seat?
Moreover, why in the world does anyone think Detroit can do a better job of it than existing rail car manufacturers? They haven't shown enough innovation to make a slightly different car - how in the hell are they going to be innovative enough to compete in a nearly unrelated industry?
Of course, the teacher wasn't aware of open software, so the fact that she didn't know that a community existed and who the "major player"s might be isn't too surprising.
I am glad the original blogger came to his senses eventually, but I can't tell you how much damage the "zealot" approach will cause. See it here *all* the time, someone insults the sacred cow and hundreds go completely crazy over it.
A far more effective response could have been given that didn't come across like we're on a jihad.
Coriolis is indeed an effect of the rotating reference frame, but the dynamics *do* require something to be done about it, because the reference frame (i.e. the Earth) is in fact rotating.
We figured that out in about 10 minutes 25 years ago. I used it a test case for my trainees at work. To make it function, it requires an active stability control system.
I doubt that this is news - I find it unfathomable that the people who have researched this actively over the year are unaware of this. If they are they are even less competent than I thought.
>We are here to break, hack and have fun, and > Apple seems to think that's unacceptable.
Who is this "we" you speak for? I certainly don't want to hack or break anything, and my defintion of "fun" doesn't include a computer in any aspect. while I can break and hack things with the best of them, I just want the damn thing to work when I need it to, therefore, I use a Mac.
That's the target market, not "computers for the sake of computers" hobbyists.
>Seriously. We respect your service in Afghanistan, but this is clearly not a >question for Slashdot other than you are trying to use Slashdot's fame to draw >attention to your case to get you preferential treatment. Clearly if what you >cared about was your money, you'd call your credit card company and the matter >would be settled in minutes.
And, given that he is risking his life in Afghanistan, why the hell shouldn't he get preferential treatment?
Get him a nice red rubber ball and play catch in the backyard! The idea that you would stick a young child in front of a computer at 2 borders on child abuse. He needs to learn how to speak well, how to coordinate his muscles, and how to interact with people. Not how to punch buttons on a fucking box!
While you are at it, buy yourself a copy of Dr. Spock's book and read it.
You're not sold? I would suggest that "a computer for every student" is/would be quite counterproductive. What is lacking in current education is fundamental math and reading skills, and lack of development of critical thinking skills. None of those require a computer nor are they obviously enhanced by having a computer. You could argue that you could hypothetically develop critical thinking skills by teaching programming, but in reality it would be highly counterproductive.
Slashdot Mirror
>And their customers will be nothing but MCSEs looking for a place to hang out.
You mean "*unemployed* MCSEs looking for a place to hang out".
Brett
I think you mean it facetiously, but you certainly a valid and apt observation. The last thing we need to be sending to people who are starving to death and getting shot by wandering bands of "people's militias" is a damn computer. And we can't even reasonably distribute food - something that actually matters - so why the heck would we be able do distribute what amounts to a trinket.
Brett
They only put out 12 of those a year! Oh, wait...
That does it, I'm switching to "Cracked".
Brett
But it doesn't work with plutonium. You need far greater assembly velocities than are practical, otherwise it blows itself apart long before much fuel is burned.
Brett
Walked right into that one!
Brett
The only effective part of it is the hysteria, not the actual effects. So many people have been fed so much nonsense about the dangers of radiation over the years that I am sure wide-spread evacuations would be mandated. That does make it effective as a terror weapon - never mind the reality. There are still those who refer to as 3-mile-island as a "tragedy" and a "disaster" when in fact no one has been or ever will have been negatively affected by it. Aside those who experience the high electricity bills, and pollution side-effects, from abandoning nuclear energy over the hysteria.
Brett
Oh, bullshit. Sure, there are plenty of sketches around, but going from those sketches (many of which contain *intentional* but subtle errors - why do you think they are available), to engineering drawings, to making the parts, to assembling it, is quite a project. And the construction itself requires a few very tricky pieces that are very closely controlled.
Right now, virtually no terrorist group independent of an established government has anything like the wherewithall to build an implosion weapon that works properly. It could be argued that even a fizzle would be useful to them. But to all indications from almost any of the likely candidates are concentrating on Uranium and that means a gun-assembled bomb, not an implosion weapon.
Brett
Anybody who uses "brick" as a verb should be bricked - with a brick.
Brett
Can we, for God's sake, just permanently ban the use of the word "brick" or "bricked" in the summaries. I have yet to see it used correctly.
Brett
You are correct that it doesn't work as well in all kinds of ground, but we had one in rural Kentucky ~35 years ago, and it wasn't exactly unique in the area. Didn't even have to bury it very deep to get a reasonably constant 55 degree sink. And that's cave country - it's not exactly difficult to avoid sticking the heat exchanger in a cave!
Brett
Note that this is hardly the only time this happened, in fact it happened on Soyuz TMA-11 last year, and to a fair number of the Vostok/Voskhod flights before it. It's a source of concern for the ISS return spacecraft.
Brett
I don't know why anyone thinks this is a potential solution. Passenger rail traffic has *NEVER* been a viable proposition, at last not for over 100 years, outside of a few commuter applications. Passenger service was subsidized by freight as a glamour operation for decades until interstate trucking started putting the pinch on freight. Finally, the losses on passenger service were just too much, and everyone flew on an airplane anyway, so it died. Amtrak is a financial disaster even with huge government subsidies and unbelievable fares for anything other than a coach seat. Anyone want to spend 53 hours one-way from Chicago to San Francisco in a coach seat?
Moreover, why in the world does anyone think Detroit can do a better job of it than existing rail car manufacturers? They haven't shown enough innovation to make a slightly different car - how in the hell are they going to be innovative enough to compete in a nearly unrelated industry?
Brett
VAX FORTRAN Language Reference Manual.
Brett
You do realize that technology existed prior to computers, do you not? How the heck is this not technology?
Brett
How can we blame Chimpymcbushitler/Cheney/Halliburton/Xenu/Illuminati for this one?
Brett
Of course, the teacher wasn't aware of open software, so the fact that she didn't know that a community existed and who the "major player"s might be isn't too surprising.
I am glad the original blogger came to his senses eventually, but I can't tell you how much damage the "zealot" approach will cause. See it here *all* the time, someone insults the sacred cow and hundreds go completely crazy over it.
A far more effective response could have been given that didn't come across like we're on a jihad.
Brett
Coriolis is indeed an effect of the rotating reference frame, but the dynamics *do* require something to be done about it, because the reference frame (i.e. the Earth) is in fact rotating.
Brett
We figured that out in about 10 minutes 25 years ago. I used it a test case for my trainees at work. To make it function, it requires an active stability control system.
I doubt that this is news - I find it unfathomable that the people who have researched this actively over the year are unaware of this. If they are they are even less competent than I thought.
Brett
Our most capable politicians in charge of determining how to deflect and asteroid. How reassuring!
Brett
Oh, I pretty well knew it before, I just couldn't help myself.
Brett
>We are here to break, hack and have fun, and
> Apple seems to think that's unacceptable.
Who is this "we" you speak for? I certainly don't want to hack or break anything, and my defintion of "fun" doesn't include a computer in any aspect. while I can break and hack things with the best of them, I just want the damn thing to work when I need it to, therefore, I use a Mac.
That's the target market, not "computers for the sake of computers" hobbyists.
Brett
>Seriously. We respect your service in Afghanistan, but this is clearly not a
>question for Slashdot other than you are trying to use Slashdot's fame to draw
>attention to your case to get you preferential treatment. Clearly if what you
>cared about was your money, you'd call your credit card company and the matter
>would be settled in minutes.
And, given that he is risking his life in Afghanistan, why the hell shouldn't he get preferential treatment?
Brett
Get him a nice red rubber ball and play catch in the backyard! The idea that you would stick a young child in front of a computer at 2 borders on child abuse. He needs to learn how to speak well, how to coordinate his muscles, and how to interact with people. Not how to punch buttons on a fucking box!
While you are at it, buy yourself a copy of Dr. Spock's book and read it.
Brett
Absolutely - our internal company network has banned personally-owned USB drives in DoD closed areas for years. It's obvious.
Brett
You're not sold? I would suggest that "a computer for every student" is/would be quite counterproductive. What is lacking in current education is fundamental math and reading skills, and lack of development of critical thinking skills. None of those require a computer nor are they obviously enhanced by having a computer. You could argue that you could hypothetically develop critical thinking skills by teaching programming, but in reality it would be highly counterproductive.
Brett