You've obviously never had to do vacuum experiments in science class before.

The test tube is 4' diameter, not the plans for a real one. Think of it as a working scale model, where the real one isn't so tiny.

Of course you can, but due to the volume of the tube that has to be filled, it's going to take a lot of time, unless you want a hollywood style idiot caused disaster.
Now if you can seal off discrete sections of the tube, you can reduce that volume, but those kinds of emergency seals will be expensive mechanisms to install, so don't expect there to be very many of them, so you are probably still dealing with a LOT of volume, just not an absurd volume.
Now it would probably be a lot safer and faster to use frequent emergency access ports that can lock onto a pod and airlock open just like at the stations, but that assumes you can get the pod to such a point rapidly.

All in all, it's a neat idea, just like it was when they published it way back in the 40s. (I forget whether it was popular mechanics, or popular science.) But it still has plenty of issues, and dealing with emergency situations isn't even the first in line. (Like how do you make a full sized track at a length of a hundred miles or more that is torn apart or otherwise caused to leak unacceptably due to geological movement, not just from quakes, but also from thermal expansion and even the sun tide. Half a meter every day in some places isn't something for an engineer to sneeze at, especially when they want to try and maintain a near vacuum in a giant metal noodle in those conditions. )

Only in the aspect that you have a whole lot LESS applicants to interview.
On the other hand, there are a LOT of far more capable programmers out there that are excluded because they haven't wasted time learning your internal language that's pretty much only applicable if you already work for them.

In other news, NASA has developed a new language this year to make communicating with Martians easier. If you'd like to submit an application, please be aware that they require fluency in their new language along with 6 years usage with actual Martians. :P

"Some of the mice have lived as long as a day after the operations according to Ren and he hopes to have similar success with primates."
Really? He'd better get survival rates down to something close to normal lifespans before he moves up to primates or he's an idiot.
I wonder if he's even bothered to look at the old Soviet attempts at this. With that short "survival" duration, I highly doubt it.

There was a particular well known mobster that they could only nail for tax evasion. When they want to get you, they often find a way.
The big question is if the charges they are trying to prosecute on are prosecutable charges. If so, that's what they are trying to convict him of, even if they'd love to be able to add the other charges that they haven't added because they don't meet the requirements to charge him for.

I've heard there are places where it is illegal to pay blackmail. It's a kind of disincentive to get people to not cooperate with blackmailers. When the criminals know their money making crimes will most likely not make them anything, they are far more reticent in doing those crimes. On the other hand, you pay those low lifes, they'll often just keep doing it over and over. Just look at Mexicos revolving door kidnapping economy. It's so common, companies have funds set aside to pay for it.

Yes, something awful will happen, some unnamed person from a three letter agency won't be able to peruse your porn while he's at work. :P

Don't forget that Avengers:Age of Ultron is still in theaters, and Mad Max opened the same time. Too much known competition for an unknown property unless it's something that will totally blow peoples minds, which are exceedingly rare.

"Jet" can be, and has been, applied to a lot of technologies, but there's no way that NASA could even try to develop it on their budget. So far we haven't even gotten a manned mission to Mars, so one to Alpha Centauri, or any other star system, is pretty much a moot point.
For now it's just science fiction until somebody will lay apply the necessary resources.

Wrong Ramjet
Try checking out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussard_ramjet

He was making a game reference you racist troll.

You can also get arrested for doing that to private property you know.

Wow I really messed up the grammar in that one. :P

Yes, because you will unable to be able to get them all, so there will still be a breeding population, but hopefully much smaller and mostly consisting of non-infectious males.

Anything that's likely to take down the entire EU if not handled just right will seriously impact the livelyhood of a large number of us.
Maybe it's just to piss of people who keep asking why various articles are on Slashdot.
If you aren't interested in the subject, don't bother clicking on the link.