Others have commented on other platforms not being supported; I just helped someone using Windows 98 last weekend and they also don't get a viewer from Microsoft. Heck, MS even removed the Word97 viewer that would have worked for them.
It would obviously be a huge evolutionary advantage -- unless there are some pretty grim side effects.
Actually, it probably isn't that big an advantage. The survival and reproduction rate for non-regenerators is probably very similar to that of those who can regenerate. And what seems to happen in evolution is that if a benefit doesn't result in reproductive benefits, it "goes away", as mutations that weaken it appear in the population and aren't evolved out. Some of our ancestors probably had better hearing, vision, smell, etc., but we lost those abilities because they weren't necessary for survival.
..when your H2 catches fire and takes your parent's McMansion with it, you'll want some money.
Well yeah, that's why I pay for insurance. I wouldn't expect a check from the Feds, though.
If I build near a fault-line, building codes generally require somewhat earthquake-resistant construction. Up north? Roofs strong enough to survive the snow weight. Near the ocean and below sea level? Make the first story non-residential, they do that along the Atlantic beaches now. The objection is that we're going to have to pay for them not taking the first level of precautions.
There is a problem that certain disasters are too big for insurance. Hurricane Andrew bankrupted some insurance companies, and Katrina looks like it could do the same. I can certainly see fed assistance for particularly large distasters. But I can also complain if the people in those areas didn't build in a way to mitigate the impact of those distasters.
I've thought about this myself, but I think it's impractical. Think about New York's massive, 50 year pipeline project, and how small that is relative to the national system you propose.
Other countries were in a similar situation not too long ago, but birth rates have declined substantially. Even Congolese birth rates have declined, albeit slowly (down around 4% between 2000 and 2004.) Note that AIDS is a huge problem there, and thus may keep birth rates high even as it kills tens of thousands.
Even with AIDS, infant mortality is down in the Congo over that same time period.
But if you give humanity lower child mortality rates, and less of a need for them to work farms, and you get fewer humans. There is a distinct possibility that the world's population will crest at about 10 billion in the middle of the next century.
As for the U.S. cutting emissions, it's true. Airborne polutants have been cut by over half since the mid '70's.
We've certainly improved emissions, but this is largely irrelevant. CO2 is not considered a pollutant by this measure, but is the primary greenhouse gas.
Look, it's indisputable that every year we're taking gigatons of carbon out of the ground and putting it into the air by burning it as coal, oil, and so on. The only debate is what effect this is having on climate. I see no reason to believe this carbon is magically disappearing, or being absorbed by an absorber of infinite capacity. Arguing that it has no effect seems foolish to me; it's only a question of how much effect it has.
Standard cable is $40/month. So $1500 for a set is about three years of cable, or about 30 trips to the movies. It's also, in constant dollars, probably the same price a standard 25 inch TV was 20 years ago. It just seems high to you because TVs have dropped so much in price (in constant dollars). But for something that is used so much, $1500 really isn't much.
Why do you say that? 37" LCD flat panels are now in the $1500 range, that's tolerable for a middle-class family -- and the only reason I haven't bought one is the price is still dropping pretty rapidly. There will be little reason not to buy an HDTV soon.
Drink milk may or may not be cruel to the cow, but cows must calve to produce milk, and either you have an exponentially increasing number of cows, or lots of them are going to get killed and eaten.
As an omnivore, I will also admit I'm somewhat concerned about milk-related issues, such as BGH in the milk, and that U.S. milk needs to be pasteurized. Perhaps an offshoot of this process will allow milk production sans cow.
Moreover, on an ecological level, the majority of our farming is simply to produce feedstock for animals. If synthemeat allows us to feed more with less land, we can also reduce the environmental impact of farming, produce more biofuel, etc.
5 minutes at an average speed of 50 mph (I hit 70 for part of it) gives approximately 4 miles. At walking speed, that's approximately 1 hour 20 minutes each way. Are you really such a smuck as to generate moral outrage because I don't want to spend 13+ hours a week walking to and from work?
As for bike-riding, I know too many people injured from doing just that, as the roads I could ride to work are not bike-safe.
If you don't live in a war zone you do not have an excuse.
I live fairly near Washington, D.C.; does that count?:-)
Tell me, genius, how do I get from my daughter's 8:38 am bus stop pick up to my 9 am meetings, fitting in that one hour walk plus shower?
I remember what I thought was the hard-working life of a student, when I actually could (and did) afford the time to walk significant distances. Now I have a job and kids, and realize just how easy I had it. But I love how in your arrogance you claim that because you spend two hours a week walking, I should be able to spend ten hours walking.
And I haven't even mentioned the knee surgery I had one month ago...
Don't forget the wonderful draw of not having to stop at gas stations so often. Along with the detour and the waste of time, there's that wonderful smell of gasoline you get on your hands.
I have a five minute commute. I'd love to have a plug-in Prius, I'd almost never have to buy gas.
We are pumping billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year. It's mind-boggling to think anyone could think that wouldn't have any impact on the atmosphere and thus the climate.
As a parent, I will tell you that at least part of the problem is that even if I'm diligent, my kids almost certainly have friends whose parents aren't so diligent.
Have you considered a class action lawsuit? Millions for you and the lawyers, $25 off coupons for the rest of the VIAO owners -- but at least Sony might get the message...
Slashdot Mirror
but that's just me.
It's me too (no Diablo 2, no WoW), but yeah, I think the number of us who have maintained the boycott could fit in a Yugo.
Oh no! Now we will have regenerating trolls in real life as well! ..
I'm training a little dog so it will eat them for me. Anyone got a tripe ration?
Others have commented on other platforms not being supported; I just helped someone using Windows 98 last weekend and they also don't get a viewer from Microsoft. Heck, MS even removed the Word97 viewer that would have worked for them.
It would obviously be a huge evolutionary advantage -- unless there are some pretty grim side effects.
Actually, it probably isn't that big an advantage. The survival and reproduction rate for non-regenerators is probably very similar to that of those who can regenerate. And what seems to happen in evolution is that if a benefit doesn't result in reproductive benefits, it "goes away", as mutations that weaken it appear in the population and aren't evolved out. Some of our ancestors probably had better hearing, vision, smell, etc., but we lost those abilities because they weren't necessary for survival.
..when your H2 catches fire and takes your parent's McMansion with it, you'll want some money.
Well yeah, that's why I pay for insurance. I wouldn't expect a check from the Feds, though.
If I build near a fault-line, building codes generally require somewhat earthquake-resistant construction. Up north? Roofs strong enough to survive the snow weight. Near the ocean and below sea level? Make the first story non-residential, they do that along the Atlantic beaches now. The objection is that we're going to have to pay for them not taking the first level of precautions.
There is a problem that certain disasters are too big for insurance. Hurricane Andrew bankrupted some insurance companies, and Katrina looks like it could do the same. I can certainly see fed assistance for particularly large distasters. But I can also complain if the people in those areas didn't build in a way to mitigate the impact of those distasters.
I've thought about this myself, but I think it's impractical. Think about New York's massive, 50 year pipeline project, and how small that is relative to the national system you propose.
Other countries were in a similar situation not too long ago, but birth rates have declined substantially. Even Congolese birth rates have declined, albeit slowly (down around 4% between 2000 and 2004.) Note that AIDS is a huge problem there, and thus may keep birth rates high even as it kills tens of thousands.
Even with AIDS, infant mortality is down in the Congo over that same time period.
You give humanity more food, you get more humans.
But if you give humanity lower child mortality rates, and less of a need for them to work farms, and you get fewer humans. There is a distinct possibility that the world's population will crest at about 10 billion in the middle of the next century.
As for the U.S. cutting emissions, it's true. Airborne polutants have been cut by over half since the mid '70's.
We've certainly improved emissions, but this is largely irrelevant. CO2 is not considered a pollutant by this measure, but is the primary greenhouse gas.
Look, it's indisputable that every year we're taking gigatons of carbon out of the ground and putting it into the air by burning it as coal, oil, and so on. The only debate is what effect this is having on climate. I see no reason to believe this carbon is magically disappearing, or being absorbed by an absorber of infinite capacity. Arguing that it has no effect seems foolish to me; it's only a question of how much effect it has.
Standard cable is $40/month. So $1500 for a set is about three years of cable, or about 30 trips to the movies. It's also, in constant dollars, probably the same price a standard 25 inch TV was 20 years ago. It just seems high to you because TVs have dropped so much in price (in constant dollars). But for something that is used so much, $1500 really isn't much.
And, as I said, the prices are still dropping.
Why do you say that? 37" LCD flat panels are now in the $1500 range, that's tolerable for a middle-class family -- and the only reason I haven't bought one is the price is still dropping pretty rapidly. There will be little reason not to buy an HDTV soon.
If we're talking Olympic sized swiming pools
We can't, remember? Perhaps you're talking "international sporting event taking place two years after 2010 between the summer and fall" sized pools.
Maybe I'm not reading it correctly, but are you saying that "Ubiquitous piracy made Linux a contender?"
Perhaps the implication is that Linux wouldn't be merely a contender if Windows wasn't pirated so much.
Note: I'm omnivorous.
Drink milk may or may not be cruel to the cow, but cows must calve to produce milk, and either you have an exponentially increasing number of cows, or lots of them are going to get killed and eaten.
As an omnivore, I will also admit I'm somewhat concerned about milk-related issues, such as BGH in the milk, and that U.S. milk needs to be pasteurized. Perhaps an offshoot of this process will allow milk production sans cow.
Moreover, on an ecological level, the majority of our farming is simply to produce feedstock for animals. If synthemeat allows us to feed more with less land, we can also reduce the environmental impact of farming, produce more biofuel, etc.
Winkflash.com has $0.12 for 4x6es, with $0.99 shipping. Costco beats 'em on the larger prints tho'.
5 minutes at an average speed of 50 mph (I hit 70 for part of it) gives approximately 4 miles. At walking speed, that's approximately 1 hour 20 minutes each way. Are you really such a smuck as to generate moral outrage because I don't want to spend 13+ hours a week walking to and from work?
As for bike-riding, I know too many people injured from doing just that, as the roads I could ride to work are not bike-safe.
If you don't live in a war zone you do not have an excuse.
:-)
I live fairly near Washington, D.C.; does that count?
Tell me, genius, how do I get from my daughter's 8:38 am bus stop pick up to my 9 am meetings, fitting in that one hour walk plus shower?
I remember what I thought was the hard-working life of a student, when I actually could (and did) afford the time to walk significant distances. Now I have a job and kids, and realize just how easy I had it. But I love how in your arrogance you claim that because you spend two hours a week walking, I should be able to spend ten hours walking.
And I haven't even mentioned the knee surgery I had one month ago...
Don't forget the wonderful draw of not having to stop at gas stations so often. Along with the detour and the waste of time, there's that wonderful smell of gasoline you get on your hands.
I have a five minute commute. I'd love to have a plug-in Prius, I'd almost never have to buy gas.
We are pumping billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year. It's mind-boggling to think anyone could think that wouldn't have any impact on the atmosphere and thus the climate.
How about a Mac Mini? Pretty easy to get set up.
As a parent, I will tell you that at least part of the problem is that even if I'm diligent, my kids almost certainly have friends whose parents aren't so diligent.
What do you care if someone wants to spend their tuition to play solitaire
Because no one can resist the urge to say "put the red nine on the black ten" when solitaire is visible in front of them.
Seriously, it's a shiny thing that distracts one's attention. Would you think differently if they were viewing swimsuit models, porn, or slashdot
Forget it, he's rolling.
But, whoever invented the phrase "fracking" should be put in front of a firing line and shot.
Exactly. Who the frell thought up that dren?
Have you considered a class action lawsuit? Millions for you and the lawyers, $25 off coupons for the rest of the VIAO owners -- but at least Sony might get the message...