If you're interested in the history of scientists chasing cold, "Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold" by Tom Shachtman is an interesting read.

Beginning in 1620 when Cornelis Drebbel cooled Westminster Abbey, the book follows the exploration of lower & still lower temperatures, liquefying gasses, and some of the effects ultra-cold can have on various materials. The invention & refinement of the thermometer is covered along with the natural ice industry & commercial refrigeration.

Anyway... if you enjoy science history you may want to give this book a look.

And these "in-house" parts will be manufactured where?

Perhaps I misunderstood or it was written poorly but it read like he was saying retired Union members have flipped and were now anti-union. If that's so, I haven't met any.

This discussion is boring.

Oh for Pete's sake - Google it

"... there's a shitload of retirees will remain anti-union despite benefiting heavily from Union activity during their working lives..."

As a retired Union (IAMAW) member I have to ask: What are you talking about?

"...Everybody gets closer and closer to using it to write their stuff..."

If you're using it to write your stuff then it isn't really your stuff at all. What, you can claim authorship 'cause you're the one who pushed the "GENERATE TEXT" button?

If you can find a place to watch Italian TV (without pirating, of course), try to find the Nero Wolf series. As I understand, the eight episodes were originally broadcast in 2012. It really is Nero Wolf - in Italy. It is superb. Some of the best television I've ever seen.

Here in the US it's available on MHZ Choice along with lots of other shows from Europe & elsewhere. If you don't mind subtitles, anyway.

Way off-topic but just had to get in a plug for that TV show. It's great.

If the U.S. Government is going to patrol the interweb we'll need to go retro for our disinformation - like playing vinyl records backwards to learn Paul is dead.

If the people in power want a right to repair for everyone, have Congress pass a law. Not an ineffective, watered-down "rule" but instead a true law which would come from - wait for it - the Capitol Building. That's where laws come from - not the White House or the Supreme Court or the CDC or the FTC.

Stop trying to do an end run around the Constitution.

The book, "The Poison Squad" by Deborah Blum is a fascinating story of the lack of food safety at the end of the nineteenth century. Dr. Harvey Wiley was named chief chemist at the agriculture department and for more than two decades campaigned for safety in food ingredients & honesty in food labeling. Jars of honey on the store shelf which contained no honey at all; bottles labeled "Whiskey" which contained no whiskey; milk laced with formaldehyde; arsenic, lead, and other metal compounds used as food coloring; all of these were common and violated no law or regulation here in the U.S. ...anyway, a very good book for anyone interested.

Topre Realforce - but you might not like the price.

Thus the "artificial" in "artificial intelligence".

If you've gone through all the brochures and endured several visits with yacht brokers, it can be hard to accept that you're going to have to settle for something less. And, let's not forget, usually the deposit is non-refundable.

When I read the headline I thought Tencent was a rap singer.

"Panama Fever", by Matthew Parker, is a fascinating account of the efforts to build the Panama Canal. Quite authoritative and well written.