I would also recommend the more recent work (2005) of scientific popularization 1491 by Charles Mann. He also has a good section devoted to the Maya.

Here is the relevant part of the exchange:

QUESTION: What kind of probability do you think exists that they currently have a nuclear device?

GEORGE TENET: I think we've unclassified the fact that they probably have one or two plutonium-based devices today.

QUESTION: And how about their, they fired missiles over Japan, what is the likelihood that they currently have a missile capable of hitting the west coast of the United States?

GEORGE TENET: I think the declassified answer is yes, they can do that.

QUESTION: So in all likelihood they have nuclear warheads and an ability to deliver them to the west coast of the United States. Obviously very, very troubling.

LEIGH SALES: Mr Tenet didn’t elaborate further, although US officials admit the ballistic missiles haven't been flight tested, which raises questions about how effective they would be.

Tenet confirmed that North Korean has a missile that could hit the West Coast. He did not confirm that it had a missile that could carry a nuclear warhead. The fact that North Korea has placed a payload in orbit indisputably shows that they have a launching system with intercontinental range that can deliver some sort of payload, so Tenet's comment is hardly surprising. But a limited technical capability does not an effective weapon systems make.

First up. Sony voluntarily suspended enforcement of the contract clause. The theaters would have real difficulty arguing in the court that "Sony forced them to show the movie" when Sony publicly declared they did not.

Second. Are you trained in contract law? I would be quite surprised to learn that if both parties in a normal two-party contract agree to temporarily suspend enforcement of one clause in a contract they are "breaking the law" in some way. What would be the aggrieved party that would bring suit? Who would have standing? Or are you saying this a criminal act? Cite a statute please?

More like a case of China with Alien Hand Syndrome. North Korea is geographically an appendage to China, a fact that cannot be changed. The problem for China is that the Kim dynasty runs North Korea and is not going away, it has no choice to deal with it. China supports the North Korean regime, but the regime knows how to manipulated the relationship to its own ends. All of the other options are much worse for China, outright collapse of the state and attending flood of desperate refugees into China, etc.; loss of a buffer state with a U.S. ally, etc.

The U.S. has had lots of experience itself with unruly client states that learned to yank the "puppet master's" strings and make him jerk.

Yeah, we have them on the ropes! Another 55 years should do the trick for sure!

According to this Conservative-run Federal budget reference website the current Federal budget deficit is $483 billion on a $3504 billion dollar budget, or 13.8%. That is a far cry for "twice what it takes in". Smart to remain anonymous, you would not want to reveal your math skills to those who know you.

That notorious Marxist rag The Wall Street Journal concurs.

I was unaware that Watson had been "blacklisted". After 39 years as Chancellor of CSHL, a good long run, which is largely a public relations function - he did show himself unsuited to continue filling that role due to his 'unfiltered' public expressed opinions (which had been occurring for quite awhile, even when he was not-so-old). Still his punishment was 'promotion' to Chancellor Emeritus with a perpetual $375,000 salary, still with a free mansion to live in. Few 'blacklisted' people are treated so favorably.

He is still knocking down $30,000-$75,000 minimum fees for public appearances. Pretty good money for someone who is 'blacklisted'.

What You really seem to be saying is that he should be above criticism, and not accountable for anything he says. I disagree.

It will empower the few - to put the majority of people out of work.

Seriously - we are in the early phase of the Cybernetic Revolution - whether you call it "AI" or not - that will cannibalize jobs like the First Industrial Revolution did. If you think automation has already done that, you ain't seen nothing. Between ubiquitous, cheap computing power, an always-connected-world, and robotics whole classes of jobs that still exist are going to be automated away over the next quarter century.

And only two days later the medal is being returned to him just I suggested!

It might make "no sense" to you, oh AC, but the fix WAS in from the beginning, Watson knew the billionaire who was going to buy it.

A rapid quench would destroy any magnet, sure, but a sacrificial safe quench system could probably be designed to handle this. Think of composite flywheels that can disintegrate safely. SCES can use conventional metal sacrificial busbar to dump energy into, kinetic energy absorbing materials, a strong case, etc.

You hit the nail right on the head. It seems the Great New Thing in Linux is something for which there is no evident need, and often is undesirable in many ways, yet the desktop - even with a straight default install - is glitchy and rough in ways Windows (as much as I detest it) is not. The polish just does not go where it is needed. Who wants to detail someone else's car?

Quite so. And in both cases the possession of small arms was utterly irrelevant. They played no role at all in the collapse of tyranny. Why do Americans suppose that they are less capable of peaceful overthrow than Russians or Romanians?

The mass purchase of books written by right-wing commentators and politicos by right-wing organizations is well established as a form of support (aka "pay-off") is well established.

I do like the "rich fiends" bit though!

Upthread the interesting theory is offered that the fix was in, and this was a way for rich fan of Watson's unsavory remarks to kick some money his way. The buyer was anonymous of course. It would be interesting to learn if the medal is eventually loaned back to him, or to CSHL, for display only of course.

All this material does is passively cool through radiation. If you want your house cooled all the time, and have no other need for electricity at all, then hafnium-shingling your house may work out for you.