You're right, the linked website seems really fake... it's built to look like the nasa website, but is on a third-party domain. What's more, all the navigation icons actually take you to nasa's website. Has anyone ever actually heard of nasaupdatecenter.us before today?
Looking at the image of the green and purple plastic beads convinced me that it was fake.
Nothing exposed on the surface is going to stay that color in the unshielded martial atmosphere, even if it dropped off the rover.
Uhhh...we had already seen how they work in space, so making the moon glow in the dark would make NO sense!
My guess is its more likely an "Operation Plowshares" kind of deal, everyone forgets that once upon a time they thought you could use nukes like really really REALLY big dynamite, they even looked at making canals by using shaped nuke charges.
Considering how many completely stupid things we did, what with the above ground tests and air bursts and water tests? Frankly we are lucky we aren't having to look at the moon as a new home, man we were REALLY stupid when it came to radiation back then. Of course back then our ships were filled with asbestos to cut down the risk of fires so long term thinking? REALLY not big back then.
Hindsight is 20-20. Every generation thinks that the prior one made some really bad choices. You need to remember that the state of science back then was not what it was today and it not what it will be in the future.
Do you really think that our kids won't be thinking the same thing 50 years from today about the Iraq/Afganistan war, TSA's terahertz detectors, burning hydrocarbons for fuel, smoking, etc...?
2. Definition of a game: Unless you have a winning state then your game is really a toy, at best.. Interestingly enough, conversely a game doesn't need a losing state. A winning state is necessary, a loosing state sufficient.
i.e. MMOs are NOT games, they are toys. There is NO WAY to WIN at a MMO. You don't "win" at WoW or another MMO (although some people would joke that the only way to "win" is when you quit playing, but I digress.:-) )
Also, people want closure in movies, books, and games. That is not say an open-ended sandbox ala Minecraft, WoW, aren't fun. They are, but once you remove any sense of closure they have stopped becoming games and have become toys where you play. They are more about the journey then the destination. THAT is the key difference between a game and a toy.
I find your definitions interesting.
Please apply your definitions to sex to determine if this activity is a game or a toy. Consider it from the male and female perspective!
How sure is that 90% hit rate? I wonder what it is about the other 10% that lets them through?
It's called propagation of error or uncertainty. You start with a base measurement error. That error is then propagated through the equations of motion resulting in a range of space where the target will be at a given instant. If that range of space is larger than the interceptor's lethal blast radius, then you have a finite probability of not destroying the target.
Longer duration observations of the target will yield a more accurate prediction of its trajectory, but may prevent the interceptor from reaching the target in time.
Obviously, that is a simplistic description and there are multiple sources of uncertainty, but it should be enough to give you the idea.
Haven't they practically done that already? I remember a Mythbusters episode where an air traffic controller was able to successfully talk the (untrained) team through an emergency landing in a simulated 747. Now, obviously there are a lot of variables with flying a commercial jet, but with so much of the work becoming more and more automated these days, it seems like the trend would go toward lower minimum hours, not more. Granted, you might then run into serious problems should the automated systems ever fail.
Wait, if the air traffic controllers are the ones handling all the landing details, maybe we need to increase the training requirements for them too!
It simply makes me sigh and wonder again when The American People[tm] will come to its senses and get themselves a voting system that's less paralysable by a mere two parties and effectively disenfranchises just a hair short of half the voters.
Your post is very insightful. Really.
Please explain how "The American People" can alter the current voting system, that is held in a stranglehold by an elite set of politicians who only work to re-elect themselves, in a non-violent manner. Provide specific, actionable examples.
The fact that people actually modded your snarky, hollow, and nameless post up says more about the public's ability to evaluate content than anything you just typed.
Funny thing nobody seems to mention. But the customer, the woman's (boy)friend must have taken up on the offer. Otherwise he couldn't have known it was her. Right?
No one is mentioning it because, if you read the police report, you would learn that the pictures were placed on the phone of the woman's friend (referred to as the witness) without his request or permission.
You'd think a country that executes prisoners humanely (as much as I'm opposed to death penalty, atleast they're not tortured) would want the atleast the same humane treatment for it's citizens that actually choose to die.
The longer you prevent someone from killing themselves, the more taxes they pay.
"A bullet works, too, but it leaves more of a mess for someone to clean up. I understand haning one's self isn't a bad way to go. Slitting your wrists might be a little painful, particularly if the blade isn't sharp."
For the sake of someone who might consider any of these things they are all bad ways to go. Most people don't know enough about bullets and human anatomy to be certain they don't end up a vegetable or paralyzed. Hanging is a horrible way to go along with drowning, it is a slow and painful process and most of the rope you would buy at the store will stretch when your weight is applied. My aunt hung herself on a closet door and I'll never forget the long fingernail grooves in the door.
Suicide is extremely selfish but if someone is going to do it a combination of drugs to put you to sleep and a heavy gas are what you need. Take strong pain killers, muscle relaxers, etc. Get a CO2 tank and a solenoid you can put on a timer then go into an enclosed space like a closet. The drugs put you to sleep, the gas makes sure you don't wake up. If I'm wrong somehow, or you didn't have enough drugs, or you otherwise find it unpleasant, just open the door to the enclosed space.
How about:
(1) carbon monoxide inhalation
(2) stepping in front of a train.
Most people would probably find that easier than connecting a CO2 tank to a valve. And you know you never have the right tube fitting when you really *need* it.
There's no expectation of privacy in public, therefore it's exempt.
Bullshit, that doesn't mean I can just stick my camera up your girlfriend's skirt because she's in public. There are limits.
Actually, you apparently can do that in Seattle.
(From http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=125746&page=1#.UJQu7IXahaw) "The [upskirt imaging] case went all the way up the Washington State Supreme Court in Olympia, where to the surprise of prosecutors, lawmakers and Jang herself, the taping of her and other targets was ruled "disgusting and reprehensible," but not against the law. "
This story is a pretty good one because it shows the difference between people's desired privacy and actually their legal protections in public. A lot of people are getting upset at the actions of the camera man, and that is exactly his point. Is he a persistent, creepy dick? Yes. Can you legally stop what he is doing? Probably not. Does this bother most people? Apparently.
Funny you should mention FUD... Want an example of that? Okay, here you go (and mind that it's PDF). That was the the result of 5 seconds poking around on Google. Analyze it to your heart's content, but know that you're missing the point of the exercise - read on and you'll see why...
Like I said in the previous post: "Even if he were perfectly non-liable in civil court and perfectly innocent of any criminal charges, the time, effort, money, and potential loss of freedom (e.g. while awaiting trial) would be more than enough to make his life a living hell."
Seriously - in your rush to 'win' a 'debate', you missed the point entirely: It doesn't matter if it applies to him or not. Doesn't matter one whit if he's perfectly legit or if he's flirting with a long stint in PMITA prison. Let me repeat that: It. Does. Not. Matter. Fact is, he's still flirting with a long expensive legal process that, even if innocent/non-liable, will cost him a shitload of money, time, and possibly freedom.
All it takes is someone with an axe to grind with the guy, and who can find a lawyer dumb enough to do it on contingency. The rest equals upwards of a year+ of one very expensive living hell for the gent in TFA.
Do you understand what I was getting at now?
It's worth remembering that some Americans are still willing to put themselves out there for beliefs that are important to them.
Also remember that the ACLU will back this guy to the hilt. Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, even if you don't like the individual or circumstances.
There is an extra annoyance factor of having something (or this guy) IN YOUR FACE though. Would you say that a fly buzzing around across the street is just as annoying as a fly buzzing around your face?
Now you know how famous people feel when they try to live their lives.
Also, surveillance cameras in public places are installed there under the authorization of people who have been democratically elected by society to preserve the best interests of that society.
What about the video cameras in privately owned "public" spaces, like the mall or Starbucks. Or the changing room at your favorite clothing store?
Technically speaking yes, but casually speaking an image that's 10"x10" is generally regarded as being the "twice the size" of 5"x5", so it's that kind of thinking they're going with.
But that is the point, it's not 1/2 the size, but 1/4 (you can fit 4 5x5's in a 10x10).
It's half the width and a quarter of the area. Size generally does not refer to area, but rather a length scale. Thus, the article is correct.
You wouldn't want to anyway. In blind studies, drug- and explosive-sniffing dogs actually have a pretty terrible track record. A literally unacceptable percentage of false positives, for example.
Turned out, the dogs were responding to very subtle cues from their handlers, rather than their own senses. Which renders them completely inappropriate for law-enforcement use.
I don't understand? If the dogs were blind, how could they see their handlers' cues?
Putting people in jail is nothing more than revenge against someone who didn't understand what they were doing in the first place. If they actually understood it and realized the danger and the risk (legal) they wouldn't have done it
Really? Really!?!?
How much higher level brain function is necessary to understand that trying to shine a bright, focused light source in the eyes of a pilot flying an aerial craft at over a hundred mph is dangerous?
If these people could get guns as easily as lasers, they would be shooting at planes or people.
The only place for them is in jail or soylent green.
That's such a rubbish argument. The company spent big bucks hyping the next version of a industry-leading premium product as an industry-leading premium product, not a beta sample. They delivered a flawed product instead, and are being loudly ridiculed for it. That's how it should be.
Stop yourself when you start typing "it never ceases to amaze me". Neckbeard smug is no different than turtleneck smug. You've sidetracked some rational consideration for a feel-good hit. Let your cliches warn you off doing that. They're always substitutes for thinking.
Why does my comment make you so upset? (Did you buy an iPhone 5?)
I think you missed my point: The official release of products is now the unofficial beta test. This has been going on for at least a decade.
It's become acceptable for all companies to do this. Consumers complain a bit, but keep buying the untested tech-ware to be cutting-edge. The companies understand this consumer motivation and take advantage of it.
This is why cautious users don't wait until the first patch or two to upgrade to the next version of Windows/OS X/Linux. Microsoft does it, Adobe does it, Apple does it, Blackberry does it, and on and on it goes. People complain, but as long as the company fixes the flaws by the next quarter, it doesn't hurt their bottom line.
You're holding it wrong, you want to get lost, these pictures should be that colour, wifi connections should use your wireless bandwidth, battery life is supposed to be that poor if you use it (especially for facebook), those scratches are normal out of the case, this new connector is far better than the old one and adapters are the best you can get.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people rush out to purchase a new product with both unreviewed hardware and software and then get upset that there are flaws.
Do you not yet understand that the price for showing off your elite toy is that you are a paying beta tester?
Should something written by your great great grandfather still give you income?
Yes, but only if it was written by my great grandfather. If it was written by anyone else's relative then I should be able to download it for free over the internet.
Why didn't Apple covertly develop their mapping app while continuing to use Google's maps?
Then they could have taken the extra time they needed to get things done right, before cancelling the deal with Google and rolling out their own mapping app.
It seems like that would have been a more conservative and business-savvy approach in a competitive business environment. I'll bet that's what Steve-o would have done.
Slashdot Mirror
You're right, the linked website seems really fake... it's built to look like the nasa website, but is on a third-party domain. What's more, all the navigation icons actually take you to nasa's website. Has anyone ever actually heard of nasaupdatecenter.us before today?
Looking at the image of the green and purple plastic beads convinced me that it was fake.
Nothing exposed on the surface is going to stay that color in the unshielded martial atmosphere, even if it dropped off the rover.
Uhhh...we had already seen how they work in space, so making the moon glow in the dark would make NO sense!
My guess is its more likely an "Operation Plowshares" kind of deal, everyone forgets that once upon a time they thought you could use nukes like really really REALLY big dynamite, they even looked at making canals by using shaped nuke charges.
Considering how many completely stupid things we did, what with the above ground tests and air bursts and water tests? Frankly we are lucky we aren't having to look at the moon as a new home, man we were REALLY stupid when it came to radiation back then. Of course back then our ships were filled with asbestos to cut down the risk of fires so long term thinking? REALLY not big back then.
Hindsight is 20-20. Every generation thinks that the prior one made some really bad choices. You need to remember that the state of science back then was not what it was today and it not what it will be in the future.
Do you really think that our kids won't be thinking the same thing 50 years from today about the Iraq/Afganistan war, TSA's terahertz detectors, burning hydrocarbons for fuel, smoking, etc...?
In Silicon valley, when you reached the age of 40 you supposed to have at least 50 millions dollars under you name.
The role that people 40 and above play in Silicon Valley is that of the Angel Investor.
If you are over 40 and still looking for opportunity to toil through the night hacking away - man, you do not belong in the Valley.
I left that place when I was 32 - after I sold my creations (plural) there to the highest bidders
Pics or it didn't happen!
(Seriously.)
You're post is correct except you are missing two key definitions:
1. In MMO's grinding is just another form of gambling, aka, The Skinner Box. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning_chamber
2. Definition of a game: Unless you have a winning state then your game is really a toy, at best.. Interestingly enough, conversely a game doesn't need a losing state. A winning state is necessary, a loosing state sufficient.
i.e. MMOs are NOT games, they are toys. There is NO WAY to WIN at a MMO. You don't "win" at WoW or another MMO (although some people would joke that the only way to "win" is when you quit playing, but I digress. :-) )
Also, people want closure in movies, books, and games. That is not say an open-ended sandbox ala Minecraft, WoW, aren't fun. They are, but once you remove any sense of closure they have stopped becoming games and have become toys where you play. They are more about the journey then the destination. THAT is the key difference between a game and a toy.
I find your definitions interesting.
Please apply your definitions to sex to determine if this activity is a game or a toy. Consider it from the male and female perspective!
How sure is that 90% hit rate? I wonder what it is about the other 10% that lets them through?
It's called propagation of error or uncertainty. You start with a base measurement error. That error is then propagated through the equations of motion resulting in a range of space where the target will be at a given instant. If that range of space is larger than the interceptor's lethal blast radius, then you have a finite probability of not destroying the target.
Longer duration observations of the target will yield a more accurate prediction of its trajectory, but may prevent the interceptor from reaching the target in time.
Obviously, that is a simplistic description and there are multiple sources of uncertainty, but it should be enough to give you the idea.
Haven't they practically done that already? I remember a Mythbusters episode where an air traffic controller was able to successfully talk the (untrained) team through an emergency landing in a simulated 747. Now, obviously there are a lot of variables with flying a commercial jet, but with so much of the work becoming more and more automated these days, it seems like the trend would go toward lower minimum hours, not more. Granted, you might then run into serious problems should the automated systems ever fail.
Wait, if the air traffic controllers are the ones handling all the landing details, maybe we need to increase the training requirements for them too!
It simply makes me sigh and wonder again when The American People[tm] will come to its senses and get themselves a voting system that's less paralysable by a mere two parties and effectively disenfranchises just a hair short of half the voters.
Your post is very insightful. Really.
Please explain how "The American People" can alter the current voting system, that is held in a stranglehold by an elite set of politicians who only work to re-elect themselves, in a non-violent manner. Provide specific, actionable examples.
The fact that people actually modded your snarky, hollow, and nameless post up says more about the public's ability to evaluate content than anything you just typed.
Get rid of the old payphones and install satellite phones...
OR
Make the electrical grid and cell phone towers more robust to disasters and conduct system stress tests.
This is Slashdot.
We don't steal technology and knowledge.
Also how could they? Do they have direct access to the planes? Inspired by I suppose. But don't all?
Anyway, what I wanted to say is that if you want to look at it that way everyone has stolen the technology from Germany.
Seriously?!?!?!
Why is this guy's post modded "insightful" and not "funny?"
Funny thing nobody seems to mention. But the customer, the woman's (boy)friend must have taken up on the offer. Otherwise he couldn't have known it was her. Right?
No one is mentioning it because, if you read the police report, you would learn that the pictures were placed on the phone of the woman's friend (referred to as the witness) without his request or permission.
You'd think a country that executes prisoners humanely (as much as I'm opposed to death penalty, atleast they're not tortured) would want the atleast the same humane treatment for it's citizens that actually choose to die.
The longer you prevent someone from killing themselves, the more taxes they pay.
The estate tax is just the icing on the cake.
"A bullet works, too, but it leaves more of a mess for someone to clean up. I understand haning one's self isn't a bad way to go. Slitting your wrists might be a little painful, particularly if the blade isn't sharp."
For the sake of someone who might consider any of these things they are all bad ways to go. Most people don't know enough about bullets and human anatomy to be certain they don't end up a vegetable or paralyzed. Hanging is a horrible way to go along with drowning, it is a slow and painful process and most of the rope you would buy at the store will stretch when your weight is applied. My aunt hung herself on a closet door and I'll never forget the long fingernail grooves in the door.
Suicide is extremely selfish but if someone is going to do it a combination of drugs to put you to sleep and a heavy gas are what you need. Take strong pain killers, muscle relaxers, etc. Get a CO2 tank and a solenoid you can put on a timer then go into an enclosed space like a closet. The drugs put you to sleep, the gas makes sure you don't wake up. If I'm wrong somehow, or you didn't have enough drugs, or you otherwise find it unpleasant, just open the door to the enclosed space.
How about:
(1) carbon monoxide inhalation
(2) stepping in front of a train.
Most people would probably find that easier than connecting a CO2 tank to a valve. And you know you never have the right tube fitting when you really *need* it.
There's no expectation of privacy in public, therefore it's exempt.
Bullshit, that doesn't mean I can just stick my camera up your girlfriend's skirt because she's in public. There are limits.
Actually, you apparently can do that in Seattle.
(From http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=125746&page=1#.UJQu7IXahaw)
"The [upskirt imaging] case went all the way up the Washington State Supreme Court in Olympia, where to the surprise of prosecutors, lawmakers and Jang herself, the taping of her and other targets was ruled "disgusting and reprehensible," but not against the law. "
This story is a pretty good one because it shows the difference between people's desired privacy and actually their legal protections in public. A lot of people are getting upset at the actions of the camera man, and that is exactly his point. Is he a persistent, creepy dick? Yes. Can you legally stop what he is doing? Probably not. Does this bother most people? Apparently.
Funny you should mention FUD... Want an example of that? Okay, here you go (and mind that it's PDF). That was the the result of 5 seconds poking around on Google. Analyze it to your heart's content, but know that you're missing the point of the exercise - read on and you'll see why...
Like I said in the previous post:
"Even if he were perfectly non-liable in civil court and perfectly innocent of any criminal charges, the time, effort, money, and potential loss of freedom (e.g. while awaiting trial) would be more than enough to make his life a living hell."
Seriously - in your rush to 'win' a 'debate', you missed the point entirely: It doesn't matter if it applies to him or not. Doesn't matter one whit if he's perfectly legit or if he's flirting with a long stint in PMITA prison. Let me repeat that: It. Does. Not. Matter. Fact is, he's still flirting with a long expensive legal process that, even if innocent/non-liable, will cost him a shitload of money, time, and possibly freedom.
All it takes is someone with an axe to grind with the guy, and who can find a lawyer dumb enough to do it on contingency. The rest equals upwards of a year+ of one very expensive living hell for the gent in TFA.
Do you understand what I was getting at now?
It's worth remembering that some Americans are still willing to put themselves out there for beliefs that are important to them.
Also remember that the ACLU will back this guy to the hilt. Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, even if you don't like the individual or circumstances.
There is an extra annoyance factor of having something (or this guy) IN YOUR FACE though. Would you say that a fly buzzing around across the street is just as annoying as a fly buzzing around your face?
Now you know how famous people feel when they try to live their lives.
Also, surveillance cameras in public places are installed there under the authorization of people who have been democratically elected by society to preserve the best interests of that society.
What about the video cameras in privately owned "public" spaces, like the mall or Starbucks. Or the changing room at your favorite clothing store?
Technically speaking yes, but casually speaking an image that's 10"x10" is generally regarded as being the "twice the size" of 5"x5", so it's that kind of thinking they're going with.
But that is the point, it's not 1/2 the size, but 1/4 (you can fit 4 5x5's in a 10x10).
It's half the width and a quarter of the area. Size generally does not refer to area, but rather a length scale. Thus, the article is correct.
You wouldn't want to anyway. In blind studies, drug- and explosive-sniffing dogs actually have a pretty terrible track record. A literally unacceptable percentage of false positives, for example.
Turned out, the dogs were responding to very subtle cues from their handlers, rather than their own senses. Which renders them completely inappropriate for law-enforcement use.
I don't understand? If the dogs were blind, how could they see their handlers' cues?
Joking, joking...
Maybe not to you, but this is a blatantly stupid statement. It has a massive user base, of addicted people.
So does heroin. Is that relevant to you?
Putting people in jail is nothing more than revenge against someone who didn't understand what they were doing in the first place. If they actually understood it and realized the danger and the risk (legal) they wouldn't have done it
Really? Really!?!?
How much higher level brain function is necessary to understand that trying to shine a bright, focused light source in the eyes of a pilot flying an aerial craft at over a hundred mph is dangerous?
If these people could get guns as easily as lasers, they would be shooting at planes or people.
The only place for them is in jail or soylent green.
Good for you... Coffee is bad for you... Coffee is good for you... Coffee is bad for you...
Coffee is making me sea sick.
Which is why I switched to tea ... which is good for you ... which is bad for you .. which is good for you ...
I am contemplating just switching to soda. That way I'll know that it's bad for me.
I just can't take the uncertainty anymore.
That's such a rubbish argument. The company spent big bucks hyping the next version of a industry-leading premium product as an industry-leading premium product, not a beta sample. They delivered a flawed product instead, and are being loudly ridiculed for it. That's how it should be.
Stop yourself when you start typing "it never ceases to amaze me". Neckbeard smug is no different than turtleneck smug. You've sidetracked some rational consideration for a feel-good hit. Let your cliches warn you off doing that. They're always substitutes for thinking.
Why does my comment make you so upset? (Did you buy an iPhone 5?)
I think you missed my point: The official release of products is now the unofficial beta test. This has been going on for at least a decade.
It's become acceptable for all companies to do this. Consumers complain a bit, but keep buying the untested tech-ware to be cutting-edge. The companies understand this consumer motivation and take advantage of it.
This is why cautious users don't wait until the first patch or two to upgrade to the next version of Windows/OS X/Linux. Microsoft does it, Adobe does it, Apple does it, Blackberry does it, and on and on it goes. People complain, but as long as the company fixes the flaws by the next quarter, it doesn't hurt their bottom line.
You're holding it wrong, you want to get lost, these pictures should be that colour, wifi connections should use your wireless bandwidth, battery life is supposed to be that poor if you use it (especially for facebook), those scratches are normal out of the case, this new connector is far better than the old one and adapters are the best you can get.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people rush out to purchase a new product with both unreviewed hardware and software and then get upset that there are flaws.
Do you not yet understand that the price for showing off your elite toy is that you are a paying beta tester?
Should something written by your great great grandfather still give you income?
Yes, but only if it was written by my great grandfather. If it was written by anyone else's relative then I should be able to download it for free over the internet.
Why didn't Apple covertly develop their mapping app while continuing to use Google's maps?
Then they could have taken the extra time they needed to get things done right, before cancelling the deal with Google and rolling out their own mapping app.
It seems like that would have been a more conservative and business-savvy approach in a competitive business environment. I'll bet that's what Steve-o would have done.