There is absolutely no realistic way that "space colonization" will help with the worlds population problems, at least not in the forseeable future.
Once robots are ubiquitous (definitely in the forseeable future) and "the singularity" (not M$'s) happens, I think humanity will become more like benign pets anyway.
The next replier, who mentions the Moon as a mining source, hits the nail on the head. Also, scientific research in zero-g is the way to go. Thats really what any space station should be about.
I agree with the need for waste reprocessing, but of course the Europeans are always ahead of the U.S. in such things. What else is new.
Also, the amount of Mercury coming over from Chinese coal burning power plants alone (forget the US plants) is enough to taint every lake and strem in the western U.S. Try checking the Forest Service, BLM or Fish and Game web sites about Mercury warnings in Lakes and streams that are far from any urban areas.
But what really warms my heart is that your one "slash" to my "dot" (so to speak) is your lame ass attack on my humorous use of the letter K instead of C. Personally, I like the "hard" c sound that a k brings to mind, especially in the word krap.
Oh, and by the way, I wouldn't use any deadly plutonium in my stir fry if I was you...
Well, Jimmy, I also live on the Wasatch Front, and by the way, you may want to come out of your FPS, Cheetos and Mountain Dew-induced haze once in a while an read the newspaper. Either one will do, the Trib or the DN. Heck, you could even get adventurous and read the SL Weekly. You see Jimmy, not only does Orrin Hatch (a rabid environmentalist by anyones reckoning) oppose the PFS site at Skull Valley (boy, there is some irony for ya) and most of the rest of Utah's hardcore Republican "environmentalists", but also the uber-activist "Earth First" enviro himself, the ultra liberal John Huntsman. You know him, right, the governor of Utah? You live in Utah, right?
Here is a quote from that most activist, liberal, anti-business Governor of ours, who, by the way is a Republican. Who would have known?
You're correct about Nuclear being the only realistic power source to \kreate\ the Hydrogen economy. However, I guess it's not worth wasting anyones time discussing the problems with current Nuclear tech, waste being the main one. Ask anyone living in or near Las Vegas or Utah's Wasatch Front about Nuclear waste and you'll get a negative opinion. Why don't we ship the waste, overland in trains and trucks, to where you live?
Also, your comment about the well fed person is absolute \krap\ in my book. Don't try to play the "I'm proposing Nuclear because I care about the worlds hungry" card.
I can't understand why the Japanese or especially the European car makers haven't made a Diesel Hybrid. You would have the best of both worlds. Use renewable BioDiesel for fuel for hiway driving while your city driving is powered by the hybrid tech. What could be simpler. No "retooling" of the trasportation sector and most current Diesel engines work fine with B10 and B20 or even higher.
With current technology, it requires quite a lot of electricity to create the Hydrogen based economy, as opposed to a 'flirtation' with it. If the US wanted to move its transportation sector to Hydrogen, it would require massive power plant building.
Will they build Natural Gas burning power plants? With the expected rise in prices and shortening of supply due to distribution problems and higher demand, I don't think so.
Will Wind and Solar, etc;, create enough power to create the Hydrogen necessary? Not on your life.
What we have left is Nuclear.
To quote a now not so famous industrial band:
"Connect the God Damned dots!"
Episode IV is perfect the way it is(was). When will it stop? Probably when each person can devote themselves to entirely recreating each piece of art they have access to to suit their personal, ahem, "vision". Sure, Lucas probably will "fix" all those \lame\ 70's FX, but why stop there? Why not completely remove all human actors/voices and replace with digital recreations? Thats what you want, right?
I'm gonna go home and completely fu*$ing rewrite ALL of Mozarts Sonatas, then move onto ALL of Hitchcocks film catalog, then I'm moving onto ALL of the Seinfeld episodes (I always hated Kramers hair, I think I'll "fix" it)
TFA seems to make a big deal out of unreleased material coming out.
This is totally different than editing material at a later time. Whats the big deal if musicians realease old tracks that never saw the light of day. You can't compare that to going back and changing a released film, which completely changes it's impact. Spielberg changing guns to walkie talkies!?!? WTF is that?!?!
The "editing" of media due to what is called political correctness, is pushed by both ends of the political spectrum. Some don't like the "degradation" of women, some don't like the "degradation" of religion, especially christianity, some don't like smoking, some don't like the portrayal of "racial sterotypes", etc; etc;.
You correct. It is getting out of hand. Personally, I'm sick of people being offended by one thing or another. Get the f^#k over it.
This is a shout out to any lame asses (you know who you are) who can \stomach\ episode IV with the ultra lame-dick \enhancements\ that were added. Get a life and watch the original. When I saw the "gee-wiz, look what I can do with FX" krap that was added, I almost blew chunks. Sure, deride me all you want you cultural cretins, but the original episode IV was a film making landmark, that Lucas in his divine SkyWalker Ranchette wisdom peed all over with his \enhancements\.
From my own personal anecdotal research, I think many people still don't use the internet, or use it very little. Cell phones and text messaging seem to me to be used more.
When I try to talk about the web/internet with many people I still get the glazed eye response. Sure, they use it occasionally and surf for "the basics", it seems to me many people are either technically daunted by browsers and the internet, or scared from the fear of pr0n/hax0rz.
This isn't just a generational thing, from my perspective. I've been using computers since the late 80's, and I still run into Gen Z'ers who know very little about the web/computers.
I too run both and see the usefulness of both, at work and home.
My home network server is FC3, but most of my desktops are XP.
As the Devils Advocate I would like to point out to the converted, (myself included) that there is still quite a few pieces of software that are a complete pain in the ass to get to run on Linux. Sure, basic apps, openoffice, browsing, listening to music, etc, they all work fine and run right out of the install. But as soon as you get into more interesting software, especially security software such as Acid, Snort, etc, things get a lot more interesting and much more tweaking and hair pulling is required.
As a US citizen, I agree completely, but you must understand the cultural forces at work here.
Since the mid-80's, when energy conservation/innovation became passe, and something to be ridiculed like an 8-track tape or bell bottom jeans, the American marketing and advertising paradigm has increasingly encouraged waste and consumption. Since the 90's, when the explosion of consumer electronics really took off, American consumers have been on a binge of gadgetry, all of which require electricity. Yes, I know I'm a hypocrite, because I too love the gadgets and have a home network, etc;
If anyone here remembers not only the energy crisis of the 70's, but also the summer of 2001 in California, with the rolling black/brown-outs, then you will understand how critical this is.
I think this entire subject needs to be prefaced with a discussion about Peak Oil. Several books have been written about the impending energy crisis, most notably, Beyond Oil : The View from Hubbert's Peak.
What really interests me is the usual human nature reaction to this. Government, business and the public at large seem to think that their "wish", that things continue as they always have continued, will ensure a continued cheap and easy to access energy supply.
Sure, Coal and Nuclear can and probably will supply our forseeable electrical needs, but what about transportation? Jet fuel, overseas shipping, etc?
"You were right about one thing, Master: The negotiations were short."
-Obi-Wan Kenobi to Qui-Gon Jinn after the two Jedi are treacherously attacked by the Trade Federation.
Slashdot Mirror
That I should be using Plate +3 (+5 versus State Department goons, diplomats and internet cafe baristas)
They tried to shut Meh down on MTV but it feels so empty without Meh.
Ahoy there mateys!
There is absolutely no realistic way that "space colonization" will help with the worlds population problems, at least not in the forseeable future.
Once robots are ubiquitous (definitely in the forseeable future) and "the singularity" (not M$'s) happens, I think humanity will become more like benign pets anyway.
The next replier, who mentions the Moon as a mining source, hits the nail on the head. Also, scientific research in zero-g is the way to go. Thats really what any space station should be about.
I agree with the need for waste reprocessing, but of course the Europeans are always ahead of the U.S. in such things. What else is new.
Also, the amount of Mercury coming over from Chinese coal burning power plants alone (forget the US plants) is enough to taint every lake and strem in the western U.S. Try checking the Forest Service, BLM or Fish and Game web sites about Mercury warnings in Lakes and streams that are far from any urban areas.
But what really warms my heart is that your one "slash" to my "dot" (so to speak) is your lame ass attack on my humorous use of the letter K instead of C. Personally, I like the "hard" c sound that a k brings to mind, especially in the word krap.
Oh, and by the way, I wouldn't use any deadly plutonium in my stir fry if I was you...
Well, Jimmy, I also live on the Wasatch Front, and by the way, you may want to come out of your FPS, Cheetos and Mountain Dew-induced haze once in a while an read the newspaper. Either one will do, the Trib or the DN. Heck, you could even get adventurous and read the SL Weekly. You see Jimmy, not only does Orrin Hatch (a rabid environmentalist by anyones reckoning) oppose the PFS site at Skull Valley (boy, there is some irony for ya) and most of the rest of Utah's hardcore Republican "environmentalists", but also the uber-activist "Earth First" enviro himself, the ultra liberal John Huntsman. You know him, right, the governor of Utah? You live in Utah, right?
Here is a quote from that most activist, liberal, anti-business Governor of ours, who, by the way is a Republican. Who would have known?
that is cold comfort to the hundreds of thousands of Utahns who live immediately downwind from this site.
Posting as a coward suits you well.
You're correct about Nuclear being the only realistic power source to \kreate\ the Hydrogen economy. However, I guess it's not worth wasting anyones time discussing the problems with current Nuclear tech, waste being the main one. Ask anyone living in or near Las Vegas or Utah's Wasatch Front about Nuclear waste and you'll get a negative opinion. Why don't we ship the waste, overland in trains and trucks, to where you live?
Also, your comment about the well fed person is absolute \krap\ in my book. Don't try to play the "I'm proposing Nuclear because I care about the worlds hungry" card.
I can't understand why the Japanese or especially the European car makers haven't made a Diesel Hybrid. You would have the best of both worlds. Use renewable BioDiesel for fuel for hiway driving while your city driving is powered by the hybrid tech. What could be simpler. No "retooling" of the trasportation sector and most current Diesel engines work fine with B10 and B20 or even higher.
But blocking vision is why I drive!
With current technology, it requires quite a lot of electricity to create the Hydrogen based economy, as opposed to a 'flirtation' with it. If the US wanted to move its transportation sector to Hydrogen, it would require massive power plant building.
Are they going to build coal burning power plants? Not in California, and recently California told it's out-of-state electrical suppliers to clean up their act.
Will they build Natural Gas burning power plants? With the expected rise in prices and shortening of supply due to distribution problems and higher demand, I don't think so.
Will Wind and Solar, etc;, create enough power to create the Hydrogen necessary? Not on your life.
What we have left is Nuclear.
To quote a now not so famous industrial band: "Connect the God Damned dots!"
Just the description of the bill/legislation should provide us with endless hours of /. opinnuendo!
See, that just shows how embedded this is!
I can't even post a f^#king comment without the cultural habit of editing my own swear words!
Sorry Danathar.
Knee jerk retracted.
Fixed?!?
WTF is that?!?
Episode IV is perfect the way it is(was). When will it stop? Probably when each person can devote themselves to entirely recreating each piece of art they have access to to suit their personal, ahem, "vision". Sure, Lucas probably will "fix" all those \lame\ 70's FX, but why stop there? Why not completely remove all human actors/voices and replace with digital recreations? Thats what you want, right?
I'm gonna go home and completely fu*$ing rewrite ALL of Mozarts Sonatas, then move onto ALL of Hitchcocks film catalog, then I'm moving onto ALL of the Seinfeld episodes (I always hated Kramers hair, I think I'll "fix" it)
More like Roger Waters first solo album. Oh, and actually quite kicks ass.
TFA seems to make a big deal out of unreleased material coming out.
This is totally different than editing material at a later time. Whats the big deal if musicians realease old tracks that never saw the light of day. You can't compare that to going back and changing a released film, which completely changes it's impact. Spielberg changing guns to walkie talkies!?!? WTF is that?!?!
The "editing" of media due to what is called political correctness, is pushed by both ends of the political spectrum. Some don't like the "degradation" of women, some don't like the "degradation" of religion, especially christianity, some don't like smoking, some don't like the portrayal of "racial sterotypes", etc; etc;.
You correct. It is getting out of hand. Personally, I'm sick of people being offended by one thing or another. Get the f^#k over it.
This is a shout out to any lame asses (you know who you are) who can \stomach\ episode IV with the ultra lame-dick \enhancements\ that were added. Get a life and watch the original. When I saw the "gee-wiz, look what I can do with FX" krap that was added, I almost blew chunks. Sure, deride me all you want you cultural cretins, but the original episode IV was a film making landmark, that Lucas in his divine SkyWalker Ranchette wisdom peed all over with his \enhancements\.
If a new episode of Rome or Deadwood is one, don't even think about taking my teevee!
From my own personal anecdotal research, I think many people still don't use the internet, or use it very little. Cell phones and text messaging seem to me to be used more.
When I try to talk about the web/internet with many people I still get the glazed eye response. Sure, they use it occasionally and surf for "the basics", it seems to me many people are either technically daunted by browsers and the internet, or scared from the fear of pr0n/hax0rz.
This isn't just a generational thing, from my perspective. I've been using computers since the late 80's, and I still run into Gen Z'ers who know very little about the web/computers.
Great comment.
I too run both and see the usefulness of both, at work and home. My home network server is FC3, but most of my desktops are XP.
As the Devils Advocate I would like to point out to the converted, (myself included) that there is still quite a few pieces of software that are a complete pain in the ass to get to run on Linux. Sure, basic apps, openoffice, browsing, listening to music, etc, they all work fine and run right out of the install. But as soon as you get into more interesting software, especially security software such as Acid, Snort, etc, things get a lot more interesting and much more tweaking and hair pulling is required.
As a US citizen, I agree completely, but you must understand the cultural forces at work here.
Since the mid-80's, when energy conservation/innovation became passe, and something to be ridiculed like an 8-track tape or bell bottom jeans, the American marketing and advertising paradigm has increasingly encouraged waste and consumption. Since the 90's, when the explosion of consumer electronics really took off, American consumers have been on a binge of gadgetry, all of which require electricity. Yes, I know I'm a hypocrite, because I too love the gadgets and have a home network, etc;
If anyone here remembers not only the energy crisis of the 70's, but also the summer of 2001 in California, with the rolling black/brown-outs, then you will understand how critical this is.
I think this entire subject needs to be prefaced with a discussion about Peak Oil. Several books have been written about the impending energy crisis, most notably, Beyond Oil : The View from Hubbert's Peak.
What really interests me is the usual human nature reaction to this. Government, business and the public at large seem to think that their "wish", that things continue as they always have continued, will ensure a continued cheap and easy to access energy supply.
Sure, Coal and Nuclear can and probably will supply our forseeable electrical needs, but what about transportation? Jet fuel, overseas shipping, etc?
"You were right about one thing, Master: The negotiations were short."
-Obi-Wan Kenobi to Qui-Gon Jinn after the two Jedi are treacherously attacked by the Trade Federation.