My XBox 360 had an autosave to cloud function. Only then that copy became corrupt. There were no other cloud copies. I had to start the game all over again after putting in many, many hours. I learned to periodically rotate between save multiple checkpoints to disk and periodically save to cloud.

The problem is getting it safely to central Australia in the first place. Lots of disasters can happen en route. The same resistance is found in the USA. People near railroads and interstates that will transport waste to American deserts are nervous.

Some Human Centipede terminology.

Don't Feed the Trolls means don't engage them will novel comments you crafted yourself. The impersonal act of downvoting without comment doesn't fit in their diet.

The researchers are really bad at establishing causation. People who generate content awful enough that others actually bother to make the clicks to Downvote ... are more likely to make inferior content again in the future. It's because they suck at critical thinking and/or writing. No combination or up or down voting will magically bestow these skills upon them. The "shame" of being downvoted in a non-personal way is not enough behavioral impetus to motivate someone to acquire skills (to do better "next time.")

"Whatever answer to an ethical dilemma the car industry might lean towards will not be satisfying to everyone."

Everyone being satisfied is inconsequential. What is satisfying to the lawyers is everything. Laws will need to be passed giving exemption to autonomous cars choosing to crash into what the law predetermined to be the right choice.

If The People later decide those predetermined choices to be unsatisfactory, they have to battle it out in Congress, not in the courtroom and not in pleas to auto manufacturers.

The entire House of Representatives can be completely replaced by virtual entities. Each entity unconditionally votes according to the majority of its voting constituents. It's like an electoral college where each constituency is reduced to a single vote, yet without any human electors who could vote contrary to the majority opinion.

All bills introduced by the House are drafted by volunteers. Any citizen can volunteer. When enough citizens upvote a proposal, the bill automatically goes up for vote.

As far as apocalypses go, that's one lame-sounding apocalypse.

Awesome quote! I will attribute you, russotto!

I will be more impressed by a dozens of drones simultaneously spraying, crossing streams to make more colors.

Until that ambulance, fire truck, or police cruiser comes by, spontaneously changing the light.

Whew! Live-viewing with a special analog, optical "periscope" is still permissible!

This does not change how we think of the brain. We've know for decades from synesthesia that sensory cortices have no choice but to process any inputs they receive.

If the MPAA loses here, they'll just appeal to the WTO to override US law. If the US doesn't comply, the WTO will slap even bigger penalties at the US.

Unfortunately, it's also highly feasible as a terrorist target. How are you going to patrol the entire span of the cable for kamikazes?

"When you hear a friend's voice, you immediately picture her ..."

Nope. I do not. I might visualize an abstract, inky blob, but I most certainly do not picture the person.