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Comment Re:Not be a nudge, but.... (Score 1) 6

by Arch_Android (#40344337) Attached to: Linux OS written in pure Python
While you could probably rewrite a lot of the GNU tools in Python, what will you do about more performance oriented things, like GCC? Even if you can write a compiler in Python, the performance would be so bad as to make it pointless. Also, you can not write a kernel in Python as it exists right now. Python simply does not have the low level functions that you need. While you could create a bunch of modifications, at that point you've lost your "Pure Python" goal.

You also have the issue of a bootloader.I'll simply state it right now that it is impossible to write a bootloader in Python. It can not be done.For a simple proof, how would you go about switching the CPU from real mode to protected mode? How will you enable the A20 gate? How will you load a GDT? How will you access a particular memory address without pointers? And the most important part of all, how in the world will you run Python in a bootloader or kernel without the interpreter? The interpreter needs a kernel to run on. If the kernel is written in Python, it needs that interpreter to run.

It's a very interesting, noble goal, but I'm really afraid that it simply can not be done.

Comment Not be a nudge, but.... (Score 2) 6

by Arch_Android (#40341477) Attached to: Linux OS written in pure Python
The Linux kernel and the GNU Userland Utilities are written in C. If you've used them at all, the OS is not "Pure Python." You also have to have a bootloader written, which will be in assembly, or possibly C.

Also, most users don't pick an operating system for the language it's written in.
Space

Submission + - Report Warns Space Junk Reaching Tipping Point (reuters.com)

Submitted by intellitech
intellitech writes: From the article: The amount of debris orbiting the Earth has reached a tipping point for collisions, which would in turn generate more debris which threatens astronauts and satellites, according to a U.S. study released on Thursday. "The current space environment is growing increasingly hazardous to spacecraft and astronauts," Donald Kessler, the former head of NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office who chaired the study team, said in a statement. In addition to more than 30 findings, the panel made two dozen recommendations for NASA to mitigate and improve the orbital debris environment, including collaborating with the State Department to develop the legal and regulatory framework for removing junk from space. The study, "Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Assessment of NASA's Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Programs," was sponsored by NASA.
Security

Submission + - DHS Warns Of Planned Anonymous Attacks (computerworld.com)

Submitted by
CWmike
CWmike writes: "The Department of Homeland Security on Fridayissued a somewhat unusual bulletin warning the security communityabout the planned activities of hacking collective Anonymous over the next few months. It warns financial services companies especially to be on the lookout for attempts by Anonymous to 'solicit ideologically dissatisfied, sympathetic employees' to their cause. The unclassified communique is addressed broadly to those in charge of cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection and also warns about new tools Anonymous has said it plans to use in launching future attacks. One is dubbed #RefRef, which is said to be capable of using a server's resources and processing power to conduct a denial of service (DoS) attack against itself. 'Anonymous has stated publicly that the tool will be ready for wider use by the group in September 2011,' the DHS said. But although there have been several publicly available tools that claim to be versions of #RefRef, so far it's unclear what the 'true capabilities of #RefRef are.' The bulletin also cites the so-called Apache Killer tool, for which there is a recent fix."
Emulation (Games)

Submission + - Atari C&Ds Emulators, Site About Asteroids

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Atari Inc. has launched another round of cease-and-desist letters targeted at what remains of its fan community. Having threatened homebrewers for the Atari 2600 and 8-bit systems, as well as emulator authors for mobile platforms like Droid, they're now upping the ante by menacing Atari emulator authors on the Dreamcast and sites with Asteroids in the name (though in fairness, that site apparently once hosted a version of the Asteroids game). The working theory is that the company is planning a big push into the mobile market, and trying to eliminate everything it believes could threaten its latest attempts at reviving the brand name. However, the emulators in question appear to have no copyrighted content from Atari, so it's unclear what exactly Atari believes the infringing material to be.
Medicine

Submission + - Biological 'Computer' Destroys Cancer Cells (mit.edu)

Submitted by intellitech
intellitech writes: Researchers led by ETH professor Yaakov Benenson and MIT professor Ron Weiss have successfully incorporated a diagnostic biological "computer" network in human cells. This network recognizes certain cancer cells using logic combinations of five cancer-specific molecular factors, triggering cancer cells destruction. In a study that has just been published in Science (abstract), they describe a multi-gene synthetic "circuit" whose task is to distinguish between cancer and healthy cells and subsequently target cancer cells for destruction. This circuit works by sampling and integrating five intracellular cancer-specific molecular factors and their concentration. The circuit makes a positive identification only when all factors are present in the cell, resulting in a highly precise cancer detection. Researchers hope that it can serve a basis for very specific anti-cancer treatments.
Censorship

Submission + - Canadian Court Sides With Anon Identity Online 2

Submitted by bs0d3
bs0d3 writes: Michael Geist writes "Anonymous speech can be empowering — whistleblowers depend upon it to safeguard their identity and political participants in some countries face severe repercussions if they speak out publicly — but it also carries the danger of posts that cross the line into defamation without appropriate accountability."

Although I disagree that defamation is an acceptable reason for a court to find someones identity, the outcome of this trial seems favorable. The court was not asked to determine whether the posts at issue were in fact defamatory. Rather, it simply faced the question of whether it should order the disclosure of personal information about the posters themselves so that someone could proceed with a defamation lawsuit.

The court relied on "Warman v. Fournier", a previous Canadian defamation case and asked, "(1) Whether there was a reasonable expectation of anonymity; (2) Whether the plaintiff established a prima facie case of wrongdoing by the poster; (3) Whether the plaintiff tried to identify the poster and was unable to do so; and (4) Whether the public interest favouring disclosure outweigh the legitimate interests of freedom of expression and right to privacy of the persons sought to be identified if the disclosure is ordered." In this case the order to identify the poster was denied. Since the plaintiff did not identify the specific defamatory words, she failed to establish a prima facie case of defamation. Moreover, the court also ruled that the posters had a reasonable expectation of anonymity and that there were insufficient efforts to try to identify them.
Censorship

Submission + - China Calls for Even Firmer Internet Control (reuters.com)

Submitted by
eldavojohn
eldavojohn writes: "Chinese state media has published a long article detailing why China needs to take even firmer stances on sites like Twitter and the internet as a whole or risk backlash to The Communist Party from "Internet Opinion." The commentary warned, 'Unless administration is vigorous, criminal forces, hostile forces, terrorist organizations and others could manipulate public sentiment by manufacturing bogus opinion on the Internet, damaging social stability and national security.' China seized upon the London riots recently to justify tighter internet censorship. The article, of course, ends with the conclusion that 'Clearly, in the future when developing and applying new Internet technologies, there must first be a thorough assessment, adopting even more prudent policies and enhancing foresight and forward thinking in administration.' While this provides China with their Emmanuel Goldstein and his Brotherhood, it should be noted that the People's Daily is often over the top."
Digital

Submission + - The computer labs that created the digital world (extremetech.com)

Submitted by
MrSeb
MrSeb writes: "Throughout history there is a recurring theme of like-minded individuals coming together to create a shared “hive mind” intelligence that is greater than its constituent parts. . In the time of Socrates and Plato and Cicero, this would’ve been the local forum or sophist schools, and the Enlightenment of the 18th century was triggered by homely gatherings at salons and fueled by the steaming hotpot of coffeehouses and caffeine. Today we still use forums of course, and plenty of inventions and insight still originate from coffeehouses, but most innovation occurs in laboratories.

ExtremeTech takes a look at the six computer labs that gave birth to the digital world — from Bletchley Park in Blighty, to PARC labs in Palo Alto, and everything in between."
Moon

Submission + - Moon younger than previously thought (news.ku.dk) 2

Submitted by TaeKwonDood
TaeKwonDood writes: Analysis of a piece of lunar rock brought back to Earth by the Apollo 16 mission in 1972 has shown that the Moon may be much younger than previously believed.

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