I think it's basically this:

1) I don't know how something happened
2) Oh, but wouldn't it be exiting if there was a great over-arching story behind it all?
3) Therefore the government did it and is covering it up

Yeah, one day a company like Netflix may no longer ship physical discs, but instead rely on digital streaming over the Internet. Remember where you heard it first!

Python works almost as well for this learning stage.

This is an example of a valid 2-line Python program:
x = 1+1
print x

Here is another valid program:
def oneplusone():
        return 1+1
print oneplusone()

This next program will crash at line 1 with "NameError: name 'oneplusone' is not defined":
print oneplusone()
def oneplusone():
        return 1+1

The one stumbling block with Python is that indentation matters. Copy-pasting your classmate's code into your program can easily break it.

From the screenshot it looks like the work could be done in less than a second on an 8-bit 20 MHz MCU.

It's an error in the summary and/or article. Elon still claims that the Model 3 will sell for 30k before subsidies.

You must have been using a sub-par encoder then. A single layer DVD disc usually allows a significant step up in quality compared to what you would get with an LD disc.

That's called an immersed tube tunnel. The way it's done is they dig a trench at the bottom, lower concrete tunnel elements to form the tunnel and then cover the structure with rock and sand. This method has been used many times in the past and will be used in the future, for example here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...

Immersed tunnels aren't always cheaper than boring or blasting through rock. For one thing, it is cumbersome and expensive to dig a trench in deep waters.

I do think it is plausible that it could have been -44 in the middle of the night, but the daytime temperature on a day like that would be something like -20.

I don't know about that. Is there anything malicious that a person could do with centimeter positioning that they can't already do with meter positioning?

Hell, I doubt that that there has ever been an instance where someone has managed to commit a crime because their GPS was meter-accurate, as opposed to for example 10-meter accurate or 100-meter accurate.

If I'm not mistaken the accuracy restrictions are mainly there to prevent foreign forces from developing munitions such as these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M..., but those restrictions will be extremely difficult to keep up when Russia, China, EU and others (India, Brazil, etc) have fully operational satellite constellations. You will pretty much need to get everyone to not compete on accuracy while there will be massive demand from the market for things like more accurate autonomous vehicles.

It probably won't, but the fruits of it will be noticed. I think the general public will like ubiquitous cell and data coverage, even in remote areas, or centimeter-accurate positioning. All of this stuff will be worldwide by nature.

Those are just two things that would be possible if it was cheap to launch and maintain thousands of satellites.

Have you looked into disk cloning?

Do you mean TV the device and old-school broadcast service, or TV the content format.

I pretty much stopped watching TV the device in 2002 or so, but I kept watching series and live sports on various screens through various delivery mechanisms.

That stops being true when you have the power to print money and have people think your money is legitimate.

Yeah, tell yourself that.

The same person who hits 100 sequential bulls-eyes at the shooting range is rarely able to hit a barn wall from ten yards in a real life and death situation.

Also, the government tends to use body armor and automatic guns.

Sigh. This is how it works:

Big corporation A: Would you please share your most private information with us?
Average person: No way, creeps.
Big corporation B: Would you please share your most private information with everyone on the planet and us?
Average person: OMGOMGOMG!!!! Am I gonna be a famous person?! HeretakemyinfoshowittoeveryoneNOWNOWNOW!!!! I swear once everyone realizes how awesome I am I'm definitely going to be famous and I'll be friends with famous people and I'll... Have you taken my information yet???! Here, here's a picture of my new awesome outfit! I should be a fashion model.