Yep, oxygen build up was a disaster for the cyanobacteria that created it and had reigned Earth for 3+ billion years. On the plus side the free oxygen enabled collagen to form, which is the substance that holds single cells together in multi-cellular organisms. We call that transition "The Cambrian explosion". The collision we are talking about occurred 3.5 billions years before the Cambrian explosion.

Never heard of Shad Moss but the "value" is in what he says to his fans off-show. If he tells his fans something like - "Forensics is a fascinating science. CSI is a TV drama that takes the boring bits out of police work and adds a bit of hi tech magic." - then more power to him.

I grew up in the 60's, loved star trek and I dream of Genie. The "adult" backdrop was the Moon race, portrayed as scientific but driven by the fear sputnik induced in the pentagon. Virtually every boy in my school wanted to be an astronaut even though we knew there was no such thing as an Aussie astronaut at the time.

Humans are inspired by human stories, "magic" is just a plot device. To enjoy fiction such as Dr Who or CSI you have to "suspend belief", often that is not possible if you are expert in a specific kind of "magic"; eg "infinite zoom" which was ok in the 80's has now become a bad cliché because the general population are more familiar with pixilation. The problem starts when popular actors/storytellers start conflating their fiction with reality to drum up business (eg: Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code).

If the storyteller offers details about the magic it's important to me that the details are correct (eg: Big Bang Theory), a few correct details makes the magic much harder to reject. For example has Dr Who ever explained how the magic wand (sonic screwdriver) works? Do we need an explanation to enjoy the show?

...I think you're the first person in history to call Windows 8.1 "good" and Windows 2000 "bad." What's your secret?

Fracking and disposal wells are very similar, they both involve pumping liquid deep underground. I've heard it said that water pumped into faults can lubricate the interface between the "boulder" and the mountain, I believe there have been experiments on minor faults in CA to examine that theory that tension can be relived in the fault by pumping water into it.

The theory is that faults are similar to large glaciers where melt water has been shown to lubricate the interface between a glacier and the bedrock, accelerating the flow of the glacier and speeding up the calving of icebergs. This phenomena has long been a concern by climate scientists looking at east Antarctica. There is a difference between horizontal/vertical, ice/rock, but it seems to me that the mathematically chaotic behaviour of the crust means pumping water into deep wells is something we should should avoid if possible.

I've been a "science based greenie" since the 70's. It doesn't matter to me if you call it a fracking operation or a disposal well, the unpredictability and risks associated with pumping (often polluted) water deep underground is the core issue for both types of well.

Must be good, it has ubiquitous hardware support. ;)

I don't think you understood what was meant by "efficient". Greater mass (the ethanol plus the absorbent material) makes it a less efficient method of transporting ethanol. This product does not produce a drink nearly as strong as regular 80-proof, 40% liquor. It's not even close. I'd carry some 151 (75.5% alcohol) and be much better off. There are lightweight non-glass containers that would be more than suitable.

Did you ever consider that they already know that? These are people who jumped through so many hoops to get where they are that they just enjoy being in control, flexing their muscles, and feeling secure in their positions by using them to real effect. Frivolous shit like this is the low-hanging fruit for control freaks. The very fact that it doesn't involve anything important means that the degree of serious, committed opposition will be minimal.

The important part for this mentality: if it doesn't work, nothing is really lost and you can wait a bit then keep trying until it sticks; if or when it does work, it establishes a "useful" precedent, giving an appearance of legitimacy to the idea that yes, the state can regulate this thing, too.

This is how sociopaths think. It's about winning and winning is about strategy. Most of that comes from a good knowledge of history, what others have tried beore, which things worked and which backfired, and what one is willing to risk. The campaign promises and speeches are just part of playing the game. The problem, the disconnect, is that average people don't think this way. They keep misinterpreting the actions they're observing.

As long as that keeps happening, things are unlikely to change. It's really difficult to solve a problem you haven't even defined.

If an obsession does not "fuck up your life", it's just a hobby.

When will the US learn that capitalism doesn't work on things like health, education, and justice?

Standardised tests are an essential tool used to monitor and compare the progress of different student populations. Making a huge deal about them is not essential, in fact it is detrimental. Stress severely impairs the brain's ability to lay down memories, people simply don't learn well when stressed (eg: cramming for a test). This is not just my opinion, it is what neuroscience has been telling us for a couple of decades now.

- Did any of his victims (or customers) remedy their "social inconvenience" via suicide? - What is a "killer", do spiders count?

Using the phrase "social inconvenience" to describe extortion via sexual humiliation shows that you don't even recognise sexual abuse when it's right under your nose, let alone begin to understand it. Educate yourself on the human mind, you have one of your own, right? I suggest starting with some of the talks from Ruby Wax on YT

Their business model is to profit from revenge, it is implemented via sexual humiliation (abuse). Personally I don't think 20yrs is long enough to rehabilitate such a badly broken moral compass. The customer may also have psychological problems or may suffer psychological problems associated with the guilt and shame of what they did on the internet at a drunken pity party. The people who run the business have no feelings of guilt or shame, let's all hope they find some in the next 20yrs.

There's no point in acting all surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years, so you've had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaints, and it's far too late to start making a fuss about it now.

What do you mean you've never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven's sake, mankind, it's only four light years away, you know! I'm sorry, but if you can't be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that's your own regard. Energise the demolition beams! God, I don't know⦠apathetic bloody planet, I've no sympathy at allâ¦

To anyone who has ever had anything to do with industrial strength desktop support, that post is a giant neon sign that your haven't got a clue.

The AC (not me) is giving solid advice on the subject at hand - for free - when know-it-all's such as yourself empty their bile on them, it discourages that educational charity.

Disclaimer: Degree qualified computer scientist working as C/C++ software engineer for the last 25yrs.

Ignoramus, most Hollywood films are not made in Hollywood studios, they're not even made in the US.