By law, corporations in the US must enhance their shareholders value. That means they're cheap. Cheap infrastructures are not robust. They are built to fail. Another blackout that happened in the NE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_1965

You could use a magsail to push items away, at least, any item you can induce a current in. And I do believe there were a few prototypes tested. Anyway, here's a NASA paper [PDF] on it, so yes, NASA thinks it may work.

They're the same thing but a magsail has way more power. And all technology was nothing but an idea at one time.

Why don't they just use magsails?

It takes a female chimpanzee 4 to 5 years to teach her offspring enough to survive. During that time, she does not come into heat. Humans, on the other hand, can have babies about once a year. A single female could not raise them all on her own without some help. Today, we call that helper a husband and father. Monogamy means more babies.

What makes you think that the current patents will be allowed to run out? After all, copyrights have been extended forever; how long before patents follow? And can you imagine what computers would be like if Knuth's books were patented?

All software patents are illegal. All software is algorithms and by patent law, algorithms cannot be patented. Someone should sue the US Patent Office for allowing them.

Yeah, I got the creepy feeling the first few times I watch real-time weather satellite images. It's strange to realize that you're looking down on yourself even tho there was no possibility of seeing yourself at that low resolution. :)

Go out, buy a RC model plane and stick a cell phone on it. DIY drone. Try regulating that.

All true but why is everyone so concerned now? They had plenty of time to protest this bill before it became law. Why the heck weren't they protesting back then?

Anyone who believes Google hired enough people to read the millions of email it handles per day deserves Microsoft.

All humour is just tragedy you laugh at.

I think Fox News is the best comedy show in America. Stop picking on it.

"time_t has also been 64-bit for a number of decades now" Fixed that for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_pregnancy#In_humans