The image quality in a cinema, or at home on a Blue-Ray, is at this point at such a level that it hardly matters IF film can be of a higher quality under optimal conditions. And with the digital standards sure to improve further over the next couple of decades, I feel a return to a renewed version of film is unlikely.

As mentioned above digital also has significant advantage when it comes to long term storage, not to mention organizing/sorting. One could argue that digital only last as long as it is maintained on one server or another; but the same could be said for film. At least with digital the quality should remain consistent for the duration of our civilization.

Not to mention that our alien overlords have proven that when they drop by for a quick visit their crafts tend to be reported as "saucer shaped". Thus we can conclude that saucer shaped crafts works for space flight!

Of course, as the article mentioned, Stardock is one of those companies that actual DO offer a refund; at least for customers that have trouble running their software.

Quote from their FAQ page

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I for one welcome images of our Great Old Overlords bathed in infra-red light!

Unless of course you go to a public library and use a public terminal. Though that is almost like having sex with a random stranger while wearing a ruptured condom.

More or less the same for Norway. The Government mandated that coverage should be as close to universal as possible. However just because coverage is universal don't mean that it's is free, only that the possibility of decent access should be present. If you want internet, you have to pay for it.

Statements by Norwegian Minister for Government Administration and Reform Heidi Grande Røys and Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, on the subject of internet policy.

(Poorly) Translated by me from the following Press release, 04.09.2009:

These statements followed the release of a report "Mål og virkemidler for bredere bredbånd" (only in Norwegian so far). "Goals and means for broader broadband."
A rapport from 07.07.2009 (also only in Norwegian); estimated that the coverage of broadband in Norway (defined as minimum 640 kbit/s capacity) was now at 99,9%. A few years back it was decided that full internet coverage, or as close as it was possible to get (Norway have some mountainous areas that are devilishly hard to cover), should be official policy of the Norwegian Government.

Being alert for possible abuses is a crime! Unreasonable bias towards police!

10 Point at suspect and say "hi you!"
20 Physical restrain a suspect for attempting to resist arrest.
30 Charge a suspect with attempting to resist arrest.
40 Go to 20

I can't speak about this particular case, but there is always in regards to hierarchical organizations, especially military and law-enforcement, people draw into its ranks seeking authority and respect. To such a mentality any slight against their authority is in itself a crime worthy of physical punishment. And anyone from within their own ranks that dare speak up are themselves criminals and traitors; often such whistle-blowers are effectively committing career-suicide.

Unfortunately proving that law enforcers used excessive force is almost practically impossible, unless the incident were clearly recorded, or the victim is an obvious cripple of such a nature and appearance that it instils immediate feelings of sympathy in most people (read: media). For the rest of the citizenry the best they can hope for is to have the charges dropped. Peter Watts will, in my opinion, probably find himself banned from visiting the US for quite some time to come; regardless of how badly he might have been mistreated.

Atmospheric scientists?

Indeed, and I'd go so far that to claim that the atmosphere is a part of any planet that has one; and as such how it developed, and which factors contributed to it's evolution, is highly relevant.

I wont claim any sort of knowledge, or particular interest, in how our atmosphere came to be, but I welcome any thesis, in any field, that challenges current theories. In so far as it forces scientists and researchers to dispute and discuss; ensuring that established theories are as consistent with available data as possible.

Yeah goon on "you" Slashdot for keep up the good work. Must say that I sincerely wish that the comment system used by Slashdot would inspire other news-sites as it is, in my own personal experience, the best system for making the decent comments readable and pushing the crap down into lower, and thus hidden from anyone not actively looking, tiers of the structure. While it is perhaps not perfect it is functional and, as I said, better than anything else I have seen.

Now on a different note; I wonder how many stories it would be in total if they removed all the double, or triple, posts.

Once I secretly broke into Cowboy Neal's home and stole some cold pizza from his fridge. Best I ever had.