(Yes, I realize you can't patent an instance of an object, especially a celestial object. If you're the type of person constantly pointing out flaws in other people's jokes, I'll bet you don't get invited to a lot of parties.)
I'd be more interested in selectively turning off services to make Windows as fast as possible.
I don't like how programmers bloat their programs; how the programs expand to fill the speed and HD capacity of the modern computer. I have half a mind to install DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1 on my 1.2 GHz box. Fewer unnescessary services, and programs really will open instantly.
Speed is the very reason my default photo-editing client is Paint Shop Pro 4, not Photoshop Elements. Why the hell should I wait minutes for a program to load? What is this, 1980?
"Actually, the only way to get rid of these imperialistic Western countries is to tell these people who ELECT them to operate to go fuck off, and then terrorize. Kill the women, children, etc (and i mean kill them RUTHLESSLY)"
Huh. It doesn't make so much sense anymore, does it?
How wide-focus is this? Would police be able to use this on the street without frying everyone?
Could some sort of protection be made against this? (Portable Faraday cage, maybe?) If not, what's to prevent one of these falling into the black market and eventually being used on Police?
So Iraq has become the population-control guinea pig. What's even better is that this will probably be viewed by police as a magical dissent-eliminating ray. It's not. If people can't peacefully protest (or even riot), dissent is just forced underground, causing it to be made manifest more anonymously, more unexpectedly, and likely more distructively. Instead of more protests or riots, we have more things like...say...roadside bombs.
Wait, isn't that terrorism? Using this thing could increase terrorism? Fucking wonderful.
"Here's what's wrong with textbooks: they peddle an oversimplified, predigested, emasculated version of whatever they're trying to teach. You say the solution is better teachers? Good teachers hate textbooks. Good teachers know that the job is to teach student to do actual thinking -- a process not assisted by the unchallenging, anti-thought-provoking crap standard textbooks contain."
Have you ever set foot inside a Science class? You can challenge the laws of physics all you want, but they're not going to change.
And yes, good teachers and textbooks can make even Physics interesting.
"These teachers in universities, who make over $100,000 per year are not happy enough with their salaries."
I'm sure money isn't the only motivator for writing textbooks. There are some subjects, too many in my opinion, where there are too few good textbooks.
"The teachers write a textbook, then sell it for over $100 a pop. Has anyone picked up a Biology or Chemistry textbook?"
Have you ever written Biology or Chemistry textbook? It's not easy! It can be the kind of Herculean task you lose your family over.
"Someone please explain why a new version of a book is needed every other year, and why a professor who is using the 7th edition of Chem won't let a student use the 6th edition of the book. Does (sic) the fundamentals of Chem 101 change that much year to year?"
There can be errors in textbooks. Sometimes the field changes, or the popular curriculum changes. Sometimes they add problems or examples. Why does anything change ever?
I've never had a problem using an old textbook. In fact, here it's often encouraged. You're warned that the problems may be different; you should get problems from someone with a current edition, but not allowed to use an old textbook? Never!
I'll be rooting for my home team.
How much energy does it take to make a solar panel? Once in a while I hear someone say that solar panels take more energy to manufacture than they will produce in their entire lifetime, but I don't buy that without any numbers...
So, if the drug prevents HIV from entering cells, what's the difference between that and immunity? My guess is the virus can still enter the bloodstream...
Making a vaccine is one thing, getting it to Africa is another thing entirely. Last I read, drugs exist to treat the "Sleeping Sickness" but aren't readily available because it's not profitable to sell them to the poor Africans...
Though this is only alluded to in the article, one of the greatest dangers is using information like this as an ransom hit-list. If you could abduct the kids of the ten richest people in Moscow, odds are at least one of them would pay up...
Things like that are depressingly common in some parts of the world.
The Gamer Girl I know best also plays Halo. Lots and Lots of Halo.
Yeah, I found most people's responses pretty stereotypical.
I know another girl who likes Myst, but she's a physicist, so...
I read the replies to your post, and it seems that no one was able to detect your sarcasm without the tag, despite the fact you are clearly being sarcastic. I find that a little sad.
Best game ever: Star Control 2. It's a hilarious RPG with, in my opinion, fairly high replay value. The best part? It's now abandonware!
This discussion reminds me of Sim City 2 VS Sim City 4. Sure, SC4 had more features, but it lacked the same soul. Pretty graphics can't make up for a sense of humour and fun gameplay. Another example: the decline of the Leisure Suit Larry franchise.
One of my other favourite games is Chopper Commando by Mark Currie. CGA Graphics, but the messages when you died were awesome.
"I'm sorry, but your husband died on his last mission."
"That's okay. He wasn't that good of a husband anyway. What are you doing tonight?"
"He didn't make it on the last mission, sir"
"Alright, you win. Here's your five bucks."
I dunno - I wouldn't like to claim something, especially something in physics/engineering, is impossible. Given enough time you will be wrong, just like Lord Kelvin and those damn heavier-than-air flying machines.
Slashdot Mirror
(Yes, I realize you can't patent an instance of an object, especially a celestial object. If you're the type of person constantly pointing out flaws in other people's jokes, I'll bet you don't get invited to a lot of parties.)
"...given one finds and mounts the corresponding materials with the right eletrical/magnetical properties." That's the hard part, isn't it?
Good thinking, though.
I'd be more interested in selectively turning off services to make Windows as fast as possible.
I don't like how programmers bloat their programs; how the programs expand to fill the speed and HD capacity of the modern computer. I have half a mind to install DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1 on my 1.2 GHz box. Fewer unnescessary services, and programs really will open instantly.
Speed is the very reason my default photo-editing client is Paint Shop Pro 4, not Photoshop Elements. Why the hell should I wait minutes for a program to load? What is this, 1980?
Don't forget MSN Messenger. For some reason, when Messenger started coming with computers, ICQ just died.
"Actually, the only way to get rid of these imperialistic Western countries is to tell these people who ELECT them to operate to go fuck off, and then terrorize. Kill the women, children, etc (and i mean kill them RUTHLESSLY)"
Huh. It doesn't make so much sense anymore, does it?
Wait, isn't that terrorism? Using this thing could increase terrorism? Fucking wonderful.
"Here's what's wrong with textbooks: they peddle an oversimplified, predigested, emasculated version of whatever they're trying to teach. You say the solution is better teachers? Good teachers hate textbooks. Good teachers know that the job is to teach student to do actual thinking -- a process not assisted by the unchallenging, anti-thought-provoking crap standard textbooks contain."
Have you ever set foot inside a Science class? You can challenge the laws of physics all you want, but they're not going to change.
And yes, good teachers and textbooks can make even Physics interesting.
"These teachers in universities, who make over $100,000 per year are not happy enough with their salaries."
I'm sure money isn't the only motivator for writing textbooks. There are some subjects, too many in my opinion, where there are too few good textbooks.
"The teachers write a textbook, then sell it for over $100 a pop. Has anyone picked up a Biology or Chemistry textbook?"
Have you ever written Biology or Chemistry textbook? It's not easy! It can be the kind of Herculean task you lose your family over.
"Someone please explain why a new version of a book is needed every other year, and why a professor who is using the 7th edition of Chem won't let a student use the 6th edition of the book. Does (sic) the fundamentals of Chem 101 change that much year to year?"
There can be errors in textbooks. Sometimes the field changes, or the popular curriculum changes. Sometimes they add problems or examples. Why does anything change ever?
I've never had a problem using an old textbook. In fact, here it's often encouraged. You're warned that the problems may be different; you should get problems from someone with a current edition, but not allowed to use an old textbook? Never!
I'll be rooting for my home team.
How much energy does it take to make a solar panel? Once in a while I hear someone say that solar panels take more energy to manufacture than they will produce in their entire lifetime, but I don't buy that without any numbers...
So, if the drug prevents HIV from entering cells, what's the difference between that and immunity? My guess is the virus can still enter the bloodstream...
Making a vaccine is one thing, getting it to Africa is another thing entirely. Last I read, drugs exist to treat the "Sleeping Sickness" but aren't readily available because it's not profitable to sell them to the poor Africans...
"We can't take the spyware out, your honour. It's integrated into the OS."
I think I'll hold off on the jokes until I know whether or not this is serious. I'd hope most people would do the same.
Though this is only alluded to in the article, one of the greatest dangers is using information like this as an ransom hit-list. If you could abduct the kids of the ten richest people in Moscow, odds are at least one of them would pay up...
Things like that are depressingly common in some parts of the world.
The Gamer Girl I know best also plays Halo. Lots and Lots of Halo. Yeah, I found most people's responses pretty stereotypical. I know another girl who likes Myst, but she's a physicist, so...
"...major Internet security event."
A euphemism if I've ever heard one. Can I think of a better euphemism?
"Wardrobe malfunction"
Ah, there it is.
Chocolate bars aren't SI!
I clicked the link. Ugh, what's with all those wordart graphics that look like they were created on a Tandy 1000?
I read the replies to your post, and it seems that no one was able to detect your sarcasm without the tag, despite the fact you are clearly being sarcastic. I find that a little sad.
Best game ever: Star Control 2. It's a hilarious RPG with, in my opinion, fairly high replay value. The best part? It's now abandonware!
This discussion reminds me of Sim City 2 VS Sim City 4. Sure, SC4 had more features, but it lacked the same soul. Pretty graphics can't make up for a sense of humour and fun gameplay. Another example: the decline of the Leisure Suit Larry franchise.
One of my other favourite games is Chopper Commando by Mark Currie. CGA Graphics, but the messages when you died were awesome.
"I'm sorry, but your husband died on his last mission."
"That's okay. He wasn't that good of a husband anyway. What are you doing tonight?"
"He didn't make it on the last mission, sir"
"Alright, you win. Here's your five bucks."
Hey, the comment wasn't all bad; he finally gave me a use for my "foes" setting.
Anyone else tired of the media's love of terrible puns? If I see another bad pun... I'll do absolutely nothing, partly because I'm lazy.
Also, partly because I live in a country with gun control laws. Editors should be thankful.
"Why would we need chainsaws on Mars?!"
Underage or no, I would be flattered if someone would go so far as to forge ID just to have sex with me.
Her: mmmm. mmmmm. MMMMMM. Oh ye...
You: Before I go any farther, I have to see your driver's license or a birth certificate, ma'am.
I dunno - I wouldn't like to claim something, especially something in physics/engineering, is impossible. Given enough time you will be wrong, just like Lord Kelvin and those damn heavier-than-air flying machines.