That was 1999, when the TiVo came out.

Technically, I suppose I didn't buy the game, I just bought the right to download it and play it on any computer I want without ever needing to find or fix a disc.

Not saying it isn't a trade off, I would love to be able to resell my games, however, for me and many hundreds of thousands of gamers it is a system that adds value rather than subtracting it like every other DRM system out there.

Yes it is.
Actual science is the empirical testing of falsifiable ideas (called hypotheses) via a cyclical process of prediction, experimentation, and reassessment.

There are a lot of people and things going around claiming authority under the mantle of "Science" that don't fit this description and are not scientific.

It doesn't mean they are all "bad," but they are not science. For an example, there is no such thing as "Scientific Doctrine" beyond the basic acceptance of empiricism. (which is a philosophical decision, not a scientific one)

The real division is not between science and whatever is not science, the real divisions are between empiricism and the other theories of epistemology.
We really should bring back the term "Natural Philosophy" to refer to the general investigation of thoughts and ideas relating to the cosmos beyond us.

Sounds like using symbolic links would help you out.

I've been storing my ( >600 ) steamapps folder on another HDD for years.

by that same argument you would have to ban all time based performance metrics for any commercial drivers, since they would encourage speeding. At some point you have to let the driver be responsible for complying with the law.

...and she can reasonably expect that you will pull over briefly to read and respond to a text that she sends you, assuming you can't just wait till you arrive at your destination.

I was going to post this, but Anonymous got here first. Those guys are everywhere these days!

Anyway, I agree. It seems highly likely that the soda consumption we're seeing here is a symptom of other parental and social factors rather than a cause in its own right.

Well, it's not a failure, it just isn't enough data to draw conclusions from.

should read energy *requirements*

What if as population and energy increase so does our ability and willingness (due to cost effectiveness) to attain resources (including shelter) from more and more expensive sources? You know, like it has throughout history. The Malthusian Scissors don't exist.

This. Apart from the totalitarian world government you mention (and there's honestly no guarantee even that would work), there is no way to significantly alter the rate of consumption of fossil fuels, let alone stop it.
If you truly believe that catastrophic warming is going to happen then the only rational response is preparation, not prevention.

No, that's not how value works. In this hypothetical you would end up with 60 trillion dollars that are worth less than they were before. There's no such thing as a closed economy in the sense of a fixed amount of value. Total value always fluctuates.

The answer is: pretty often.
Numbers are argued over constantly, so I won't bother quoting any, but this subreddit is relevant: http://www.reddit.com/r/dgu