OK, so at first I read "highly oxodizing" and was thought, "neat; now they know why Mars is rust colored." However, even after RTFA, I was still clueless as to why I should care. Luckily, Wikipedia comes to the rescue.
Both potassium perchlorate (KClO4) and ammonium perchlorate (NH4ClO4) are used extensively within the pyrotechnics industry, whereas ammonium perchlorate is a component of solid rocket fuel. Lithium perchlorate, which decomposes exothermically to give oxygen, is used in oxygen "candles" on spacecraft, submarines and in other esoteric situations where a reliable backup or supplementary oxygen supply is needed. Most perchlorate salts are soluble in water.
So, it seems to me that the important discovery is that there could be a relatively massive supply of a chemical compound which is able to produce breathable oxygen, if and when we can ever get people to Mars. If this is indeed the case, then YES, this is exciting news, a whole lot more important than why Mars is red, and is on the level of the sort of thing that the President might want to know about.
Only because precious few computers have a floppy drive these days. That makes utilizing them as a coin slot sort of platform-dependent and usually ties you to hardware incapable of viewing the product.
Neither KDE nor GNOME is a windowing system. However, they are platforms -- and platforms are platforms, so to speak. I could just as easily have said Java vs.NET or something, and I suppose I probably should have -- except its too popular on slashdot to hate both.
If market share were determined by who deserved it, we'd have non-profit pharmas, home-based rapid-production kits, and most "work" would be a thing of the past.
However, the future will probably be more like Minority Report than Star Trek.
Yeah, I too am a non-believer and I still use the references. It apropos cultural memetics... and everyone knows what I mean rather than if I were on about Odin or something just to be different.
I have taken to saying "I swear to Dawkins,..." though.
I always say that I'd like to meet the Atheist who doesn't say "god damn it" or "go to hell," and he lesbian that doesn't use a dildo... but they both seem to be very elusive specimens.
Maybe he agreed with what the mayor did in that case? Just because you think he was wrong doesn't mean everyone else does. Rose Parks broke the law, too. Good luck finding anyone reputable to agree that she did the wrong thing.
I'm glad I got rid of MySpace about a year and a half ago. I never really do anything with my blogger account, and i'll probably buy my own domain again to get away from gmail.
To paraphrase Ian Malcolm, what they call progress, I call the rape of the digital world.
Slashdot Mirror
OK, so at first I read "highly oxodizing" and was thought, "neat; now they know why Mars is rust colored." However, even after RTFA, I was still clueless as to why I should care. Luckily, Wikipedia comes to the rescue.
From the wiki:
Both potassium perchlorate (KClO4) and ammonium perchlorate (NH4ClO4) are used extensively within the pyrotechnics industry, whereas ammonium perchlorate is a component of solid rocket fuel. Lithium perchlorate, which decomposes exothermically to give oxygen, is used in oxygen "candles" on spacecraft, submarines and in other esoteric situations where a reliable backup or supplementary oxygen supply is needed. Most perchlorate salts are soluble in water.
So, it seems to me that the important discovery is that there could be a relatively massive supply of a chemical compound which is able to produce breathable oxygen, if and when we can ever get people to Mars. If this is indeed the case, then YES, this is exciting news, a whole lot more important than why Mars is red, and is on the level of the sort of thing that the President might want to know about.
The editors learned math from their Latin professors... what are you going to do?
No, you fire a couple of other people, too -- then say you "right sized" the company, thus covering your tracks.
What? No Rick Roll?
Would you pass up such a golden opportunity for a large-scale, manned mission to Mars?
that's a BSDaemon, thank you very much...
Only because precious few computers have a floppy drive these days. That makes utilizing them as a coin slot sort of platform-dependent and usually ties you to hardware incapable of viewing the product.
But then again, isn't that what they want anyway?
the MacBook Pro already has a multi-touch trackpad, so I'm not sure where the rumor part comes in...
Neither KDE nor GNOME is a windowing system. However, they are platforms -- and platforms are platforms, so to speak. I could just as easily have said Java vs .NET or something, and I suppose I probably should have -- except its too popular on slashdot to hate both.
If market share were determined by who deserved it, we'd have non-profit pharmas, home-based rapid-production kits, and most "work" would be a thing of the past.
However, the future will probably be more like Minority Report than Star Trek.
I was mostly referring to application development which depends on a certain desktop, rather than "independent" apps or other *nix-specifics.
Couldn't the same argument be used in reverse -- quit developing for KDE/GNOME, Windows already dominates, develop for that?
Oh, that's right -- monoculture is ok so long as its your monoculture.
If guys could screw their way to the top, I seriously doubt that anyone would be complaining. Just sayin'.
well, it is one of the greatest movies of all time... so, yes; i think its worthy of a reference or two.
Yeah, I too am a non-believer and I still use the references. It apropos cultural memetics... and everyone knows what I mean rather than if I were on about Odin or something just to be different.
I have taken to saying "I swear to Dawkins, ..." though.
There are no guilty men in prison, haven't you heard? Everyone in there is innocent...
I always say that I'd like to meet the Atheist who doesn't say "god damn it" or "go to hell," and he lesbian that doesn't use a dildo... but they both seem to be very elusive specimens.
Serial killers anyway... they can't seem to resist the urge to brag.
Yes, Rosa Parks... 'twas a typo.
Maybe he agreed with what the mayor did in that case? Just because you think he was wrong doesn't mean everyone else does. Rose Parks broke the law, too. Good luck finding anyone reputable to agree that she did the wrong thing.
single point of failure!!
I'm glad I got rid of MySpace about a year and a half ago. I never really do anything with my blogger account, and i'll probably buy my own domain again to get away from gmail.
To paraphrase Ian Malcolm, what they call progress, I call the rape of the digital world.
Yes, but everyone ought to read Ovid anyhow -- quite brilliant stuff, actually.
Isn't St Catherine from Assisi? I seem to recall viewing her body there, as she's supposedly an "incorruptible."
Do Americans still have first-year Latin classes?
They got rid of it just before they did away with Pompous 101.
odi profanum vulgus, et aceo
Yes, and first year Spanish, French, German, Greek and many others... you have to get through the first year to get to the second.
Its just not required, depending on the school.