Exactly. The current designs are much safer. Not only that, but the realistic dangers from meltdown are tiny in the scheme of things. Even assuming a terrible terrorist attack, causing the reactor to meltdown and spew radioactive scariness all over a ten-mile radius. It'd be bad, sure, and many would no doubt lose their lives, but it'd be an isolated incident. Letting coal plants continue to burn for false fears of atomic death would lead to thousands more deaths every year due to lung disease from air pollution, especially in places like China where the population is exploding.
90% of us have been using our computers for email, browsing, etc for the last ten years, but that hasn't stopped desktop computers getting more powerful. Smaller or more powerful computers are always going to be welcome- letting people play the latest games, watch media that little bit faster, boast about how awesome their new rig is, become more mobile or even open up new applications that haven't been considered due to their CPU-intensity. Saying we'll have super-computers in wristwatches is silly, not because we can't get powerful and small processors, but because a watch-size computer is, almost by definition, not a supercomputer.
Also, whilst pentium 2 and 3s aren't going in small devices, processors of equivalent power but with lower energy consumption, form factor and heat output are.
Well, yes. The strong spiritual feelings that many people experience whilst taking LSD, Psilocybin ('shrooms), and a few other hallucinogens are caused by activity in the exact same regions of the brain that this helmet and previous similar studies have targeted. It's pretty certain that these spiritual feelings are why tribal shamans and the like often take teas made from mescaline or DMT in order to visit the "spirit world".
I wouldn't say that. Whilst man-machine interfaces aren't common treatments yet, the technology they're based on is. Deep Brain Stimulation involves sending tiny electrical pulses deep into the brain using a pacemaker-like device, and has allowed well over 10,000 Parkinson's patients regain a huge amount of mobility.
The "Animal Rights" lot are even worse for that. They spend all their time bashing on about how bad medical animal research is, despite the fact that it helps science immeasurably and the animals involved are generally treated pretty well (in the UK and US, at least). You rarely see them demonstrating against the meat industry, despite the fact that all we gain from it is a tastier meal, and the animals are often kept in pretty unpleasant conditions.
Why? Because people have experience of enjoying meat and directly associate that with animals, but not many members of the public understand just how useful animal research can be. PETA know they can't win the public argument against meat alone, so they try to work their way in by slandering the research, spreading pharmaceutical company conspiracy theories, and using the creationists' "the science doesn't add up, honest!" arguments.
Wanna stop breaking the law to accomplish your goals? I'm all for legitimate protest (I've organised a couple in my time), but deliberately setting up pickets to prevent people doing their jobs is not the way to go. Try petitioning, marching peacefully and writing letters.
If that doesn't work, wanna deal with the fact that you live in a democracy? Sometimes the majority disagrees with you, and that doesn't justify illegal action (with the exception of some cases where basic human rights are being violated, so I'm less critical of your first example).
Last year, whilst wandering around Amsterdam, I popped into a Scientology "church" to have a see for myself what these people are like. I was quickly greeted by a young Dutch woman who offered to tell me more about this "great lifestyle", and sat me down at a table stacked with various Dianetics books. She spoke a little about the church being founded by a "genius scientist, author and philosopher" named L. Ron Hubbard. Had I heard of him before? I replied that I hadn't really heard much, and was just interested in seeing what the whole thing's about. I mentioned I was a Tom Cruise fan (thinking it best to disguise my real personality as best I could), which she seemed pleased about.
After she asked me a little about my life (I fabricated the answers, obviously), she prepared an E-meter and got me to grasp the electrodes. After confusing her for a few minutes by making the needle bounce around, she began with the questions. For an idea of the things their personality test consists of, just watch the South Park episode on Scientology. It's pretty much word-for-word. After completing the questions, it turned out (surprisingly) that I was a perfect candidate for a Dianetics course, and I should probably purchase many books straight away. Acting interested, I assured her that I'd order some online as soon as I got back from my holiday. Slightly freaked out by the wide-smiling staff and high-pressure sales, I left.
Was it childish to shout "All hail Xenu!" and run out? Definitely. Was it worth it? You betcha.
It's almost impossible to make predictions for this far in the future because of the sheer number of factors that would apply to space exploration. Provided Kurzweil's predictions for strong AI hold true, we'll develop the nano-engineering capabilities required to construct a space elevator with ease, and from there moon and mars bases would be a cinch. We could well be mining Jupiter's moons and preparing for travel into the great beyond. If technological and social change starts slowing down, then we may not be any further than the current "we're going to the moon soon, honest" posturing.
Interesting article, though.
Slashdot Mirror
Exactly. The current designs are much safer. Not only that, but the realistic dangers from meltdown are tiny in the scheme of things. Even assuming a terrible terrorist attack, causing the reactor to meltdown and spew radioactive scariness all over a ten-mile radius. It'd be bad, sure, and many would no doubt lose their lives, but it'd be an isolated incident. Letting coal plants continue to burn for false fears of atomic death would lead to thousands more deaths every year due to lung disease from air pollution, especially in places like China where the population is exploding.
90% of us have been using our computers for email, browsing, etc for the last ten years, but that hasn't stopped desktop computers getting more powerful. Smaller or more powerful computers are always going to be welcome- letting people play the latest games, watch media that little bit faster, boast about how awesome their new rig is, become more mobile or even open up new applications that haven't been considered due to their CPU-intensity. Saying we'll have super-computers in wristwatches is silly, not because we can't get powerful and small processors, but because a watch-size computer is, almost by definition, not a supercomputer.
Also, whilst pentium 2 and 3s aren't going in small devices, processors of equivalent power but with lower energy consumption, form factor and heat output are.
Well, yes. The strong spiritual feelings that many people experience whilst taking LSD, Psilocybin ('shrooms), and a few other hallucinogens are caused by activity in the exact same regions of the brain that this helmet and previous similar studies have targeted. It's pretty certain that these spiritual feelings are why tribal shamans and the like often take teas made from mescaline or DMT in order to visit the "spirit world".
I wouldn't say that. Whilst man-machine interfaces aren't common treatments yet, the technology they're based on is. Deep Brain Stimulation involves sending tiny electrical pulses deep into the brain using a pacemaker-like device, and has allowed well over 10,000 Parkinson's patients regain a huge amount of mobility.
They're made out of meat?
http://www.terrybisson.com/meat.html
Impossible? Perhaps not...
http://filer.case.edu/dts8/thelastq.htm
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong
*shudder*
The "Animal Rights" lot are even worse for that. They spend all their time bashing on about how bad medical animal research is, despite the fact that it helps science immeasurably and the animals involved are generally treated pretty well (in the UK and US, at least). You rarely see them demonstrating against the meat industry, despite the fact that all we gain from it is a tastier meal, and the animals are often kept in pretty unpleasant conditions.
Why? Because people have experience of enjoying meat and directly associate that with animals, but not many members of the public understand just how useful animal research can be. PETA know they can't win the public argument against meat alone, so they try to work their way in by slandering the research, spreading pharmaceutical company conspiracy theories, and using the creationists' "the science doesn't add up, honest!" arguments.
Wanna stop breaking the law to accomplish your goals? I'm all for legitimate protest (I've organised a couple in my time), but deliberately setting up pickets to prevent people doing their jobs is not the way to go. Try petitioning, marching peacefully and writing letters. If that doesn't work, wanna deal with the fact that you live in a democracy? Sometimes the majority disagrees with you, and that doesn't justify illegal action (with the exception of some cases where basic human rights are being violated, so I'm less critical of your first example).
Last year, whilst wandering around Amsterdam, I popped into a Scientology "church" to have a see for myself what these people are like. I was quickly greeted by a young Dutch woman who offered to tell me more about this "great lifestyle", and sat me down at a table stacked with various Dianetics books. She spoke a little about the church being founded by a "genius scientist, author and philosopher" named L. Ron Hubbard. Had I heard of him before? I replied that I hadn't really heard much, and was just interested in seeing what the whole thing's about. I mentioned I was a Tom Cruise fan (thinking it best to disguise my real personality as best I could), which she seemed pleased about.
After she asked me a little about my life (I fabricated the answers, obviously), she prepared an E-meter and got me to grasp the electrodes. After confusing her for a few minutes by making the needle bounce around, she began with the questions. For an idea of the things their personality test consists of, just watch the South Park episode on Scientology. It's pretty much word-for-word. After completing the questions, it turned out (surprisingly) that I was a perfect candidate for a Dianetics course, and I should probably purchase many books straight away. Acting interested, I assured her that I'd order some online as soon as I got back from my holiday. Slightly freaked out by the wide-smiling staff and high-pressure sales, I left.
Was it childish to shout "All hail Xenu!" and run out? Definitely. Was it worth it? You betcha.
FTA: Scientology has 10 million members
t ml#Scientology
Looks like Scientology's media goons have gotten to this article- adherents.com quotes it as probably having fewer than 750,000 active members.
http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.h
It's almost impossible to make predictions for this far in the future because of the sheer number of factors that would apply to space exploration. Provided Kurzweil's predictions for strong AI hold true, we'll develop the nano-engineering capabilities required to construct a space elevator with ease, and from there moon and mars bases would be a cinch. We could well be mining Jupiter's moons and preparing for travel into the great beyond. If technological and social change starts slowing down, then we may not be any further than the current "we're going to the moon soon, honest" posturing. Interesting article, though.