Encryption isn't new, but tansparent on-by-default encryption is. Remember just how tech-dumb the average person is - you'd be lucky if you could get them to realise a web browser and the internet are not the same thing. Most governments weren't too worried (US aside) when encryption was something available only to the moderately skilled, especially in communications where the lowest standard has to rule*. After the NSA scandal though, companies are starting to design encryption into their products at a lower level, such that the user benefits without even having to know what encryption is.

*Would you like to explain to your mother how to use gnupg to encrypt emails?

They don't need to whack every mole. Just enough that the average non-techie user isn't willing to get involved and will still fork over their money.

Not quite. There's a little trick, fractional reserve. The bank loans you $10k, you put it in the bank, they immediately loan $9500 of that to someone else, who puts it in the bank... Effectively the amount of currency in circulation can be vastly greater than the amount of currency that actually exists. Debt itsself becomes currency.

The big down-side to this is that it becomes possible, in theory, for the bank to run out of money and hundreds of thousands of people to lose everything they have through no fault of their own. But this is a very unlikely event - it shouldn't be even remotely possible unless the economy is pretty much ruined anyway. Besides, if it did, the government would have no choice but to bail the bank out.

It's not that easy. Land based nuclear sites in the US do require the two men with two keys - and then another two men with another two keys at a distant location.

Nuclear submarines have no distant location to validate their order, but they are incapable of launching nukes by the command of even the entire crew: The nukes require a code before they'll launch, and these codes are only transmitted to the sub via radio along with the attack order. I don't know how second-strike capability is handled, but if I were designing the system I'd simply give each submarine the codes to launch a few other submarines, so that no one sub acting alone can fire but collectively they can still act as a deterent with the promise of counterattack.

Your model assumes independent events. One suicidal pilot can influence another pilot into suicide too.

Hiding a passenger jet would be an impressive achievement. You'd need state support, and even then it would be risky.

Priests have legally protected confidentiality purely because they are members of an organization with substantial political influence: Religion. Mostly the Catholics, but other religions get to ride along on the confidentiality they demanded for themselves.

Would it help much? A rogue pilot has the advantage of surprise. They get the first punch - and with a little luck and some practice, one punch is enough. Lock door, punch unsuspecting attendant in the face, pummel them unconscious before they recover.

Sorry. Easy mistake for me: I'm over the other side of the world. If Comcast are present here, they aren't going by that name. I do have a local cable monopoly, but I'm not too bothered because they are providing a good service to me personally - though I've heard horror stories from elsewhere in the country, so it probably varied by region.

He contacted two major cable companies prior to purchase to confirm availability of service. Both of them lied, due to improper checking of the address: They just looked at the zip code, confirmed that they serviced that area and promised him they could supply cable broadband. Neither comcast nor xfinity checked throughly enough to be sure that individual property could be serviced.

Which would be why Amazon is improving the technology. Human workers aren't going to get an better - but robots can be improved. If they aren't good enough right now, invest some money in engineering until they are.

They will do evaluations to see which is cheaper, of course. A great many low-paid pickers, including management overhead, verses a much smaller number of high-skilled, high-paid service people and a higher outlay cost. One serviceperson could maintain a great many robots, each of which could replace two or three human pickers.

The big difference is that China got caught. I'm sure the US has this capability too - but they use it only in targeted intercepts, so as to maintain deniability.

Don't forget that life expectancy is going up too, and old age is getting more manageable - that should partially compensate. Extended childhood may take some years of adult life away, but medical technology will give them back at the other end.

Here in the UK, the age of independence is shooting up. For practical reasons: We've got a housing shortage. Can't afford a mortgage, can't afford rent, no option but to stay with the parents a few more years. I moved out, but I had to move back in again for financial reasons: I'm in a skilled job, but I still wasn't earning enough to cover rent and utilities.

2. They do not have confidence in the testing system (eg, 'I'm studying to be a technical writer, so it isn't fair that I need to dissect archaic character descriptions in Romeo and Juliet to pass this english course.')
3. They believe other people cheat ('It's only fair, I'd be at a disadvantage otherwise.')
4.