this is a lovely idea but surely isn't a complete vision of an education - part of the reason there are standard classes with standard exercises is that there are skills you need to have and background knowledge you need acquire to do the kind of cool stuff he envisions. You can't stand on the shoulders of giants if you don't climb up there and that is a lot of stuff to learn. Which doesn't mean that adding projects like this that drive a student to creatively exercise knowledge along the way wouldn't enrich and build on that understanding - just that you sort of do have to know what is already known to get to the point you can can add something new.

or the obligatory Star Trek Next Generation reference(s) - someone got a book out of this ?

Please mod this guy up. The best statement in this string about the fundamental error in the topic as presented . Anyone who feels they have come to understand the TRUTH about the world is welcome to it but that's not what science is about at it's core. It's about the creation of an outcome I desire by understanding "how" to create it. It's about finding the mathematical relationships between aspects of the reality we perceive - directly or through our tools. How we come to identify which mathematics might apply , envisioning models that build from our " "first-level" generalizations which are directly, perceptually obvious" , is an interesting topic but it never relates to discovering truth in the sense philosopher's seek.

thanks for the comment - I realize this quickly devolved into a discussion about what was or wasn't said in the article but it is interesting that the shape of the vehicle can create a hole in this plasma and thus provide another solution to the issue . Maybe it's not always possible to design the object involved to create this hole and the plasma antenna is a useful alternative, but in any case it was interesting to me to know this other 'solution' exists....

Thank God no European nation ever had a court system rigged against a minority - then every decision they made today would be suspect too. Go ahead and complain if you have the facts that bear on the case but spare us the historical references...

okay , I carefully read all the posts and am deeply disappointed - not one comment about needing network connections so someone can get a bunch of these and build a Beowulf cluster. Missing the old Slashdot standby comment. Clearly the next step is to put biological sensors in the fridge to tell you when the spore count is spiking and identify the most probable substrate.

others have made the same comment - the only 'justice' these kids are getting is through the flawed but functional civil system . Why haven't any criminal cases been brought . The taxpayer pays the insurances and the guilty walk . At least the civil case brought some heat on the guilty however imperfect . Pay the lawyer - at least he did something !

anyone know what that might be?

okay with me - promise no more pictures of dead birds and sad fishermen if another one goes just as they get this one stopped . It seemed kind of obvious that the regulators of this enterprise were as rotten and deficient as any in the government and we have absolutely no assurance anything out there in the terribly remote deep gulf can be known to be built to reasonable standards until someone looks . 6 months to try to finally take a look at where we are now seemed pretty minimal to me . Clearly Obama should have thought of this before supporting more of the same - thought the quality of the financial regulators might have clued him in . Oh well - maybe having the gulf coated with oil will slow water evaporation and reduce hurricane severity this year

well , now I know what the Tetragrammaton is . I have heard the english version used (said out loud !) but didn't realize everyone who did it were potentially pissing off G-d . I hope the creator of all things isn't really this thinned skinned (or whatevered) - he/she/it/they should have more self esteem than that . If G-d does exist I would think this kind of crap between humans would be irritating as all get out ......

if you really understand and comprehend what you are saying I bow to your superior intellect - the concept that there truly was 'nothing' and then for some reason a lot of 'something' existed without boundary (because after all you can't have a boundary with 'nothing') and began expanding but not into anything really leaves me wondering what in the heck we are talking about . I understand the math and the concepts but the attempt to envision what it all means is beyond my simple mind . wonderful stuff to try to think about though

thank you so much for this comment - incredibly helpful addition to the discussion . I am always amazed we live in an information culture but actual useful information never floats to the top . Seems like this point would ring out in every discussion but this is the first I have seen it (admittedly I live under a rock)

clearly the best idea yet

metabolize not synthesize .......... enough mutation took place that this substance became a survival enhancing resource (or at least not a debilitating one in the environment)