Well, much of the leaking in traditional electronic transistors is due to quantum mechanical effects, which would still apply to photonic devices. (With differences arising from such things as spin.) Some people are using evanescent fields from thin fibre lines to actually couple the signals in the line to other devices.

And the summary gives an example where government had to step in because the market created a monster. Long ago, granted, but still looked on as a favourable move. Naturally, when the economics no longer make sense, "the market" brings about a change. Though, this isn't necessarily a better solution without governments protecting the entities; oil-rich nations and nationalized oil corporations will gobble up the smaller players if given the chance.

Roofs?

No, it's all there, as davecb stated. The Conservative platform is disturbingly vague (I'm sure details would dampen the spirit of many who currently support the ideas), but page 50 of it is what you are looking for. You need to expand the story on Geist's site to see the more detailed info about what is intended.

India is not an ally of China. There are huge land disputes, troops at the borders, etc. China has entered behind the scenes in the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan as well. (I believe part of it is building railroads in disputes areas.) China is also attempting to contain India in the Indian ocean too, with deals for ports to protect Chinese trade routes. Competition for resources can see these two at each other's throats in the future. (Large populations, proximity, clashing zones of influence.)

The BRIC alliance (South Africa is peanuts and just in there as the token African country) is much more pragmatic than Western media like to portray it. It's really these countries trying to wrest away some international power away from the West, and they know they can't do it individually.

The US is closer to being an ally to both India and China than the latter two are to each other.

Just when I installed my new 200' thick steel bunker doors on my ocean-side villain headquarters.

From what I've read, they're looking at monitoring mental and physical health of a crew simulating a mission to Mars. The fundamental psychology is different, as pointed out by others, as they can leave at any time. Confinement and isolation are not properly simulated at the fundamental level. The physical side of the test is also not simulated properly, as they are under the influence of Earth's gravity and this has effects on the health of the crew.
 
Perhaps a first step. A better test would be one at the ISS.

Whatever I want to keep, I archive on hard disks, as of now. (Used to also use DVDs, but they're a pain and slow as hell.) I have several disks, some the portable 2.5 inch variety, and one large 2 TB external for a complete archive. (Lots of unnecessary additions to it...)
 
The problem is managing the risk of disk failure. You must ensure you have copies because your disks will eventually die or the data may become corrupt. You also have to keep up with new media technology and standards and transfer your archive(s) over as changes occur. It's also not smart to store all these disks at the same location, in case of fire, theft, the zombie outbreak.
 
My photos are, obviously, a subsection of the archive proper. Care and tend to what it vital to you; be willing to part with that which is not.

I don't really like "centre of the world" talk with historical civilizations. While China had influence on Europe (and vice versa), and was rich, for a long while, they didn't call the shots on a international matters in anywhere near the role the US does in global affairs. They think of themselves as having been the centre of the world like someone who studied only European history would think Europe was the centre of the world since ancient Egypt.

Of course, now they would be to a degree, if they fill the US's shoes. Lots of money flowing in and out of China all over the globe, their citizens posted all over, influence with the actions and laws of countries on the other side of the globe, etc. In the end, the historical norm is not important, I just don't like when people claim there was a centre of the world before we could quickly travel and communicate from one end to the other.

(I don't think they will have as much influence over global affairs as the US did since WW2. South America, India, other places have climbed out of the poverty hole enough to be a bit more self-deterministic.)

There are more and more Chinese speakers in China coming online. Shocking. I think we should all fall in a bout of hysteria. Soon all my favourite websites will be all in Chinese, and I won't be able to read them.

Will we see the rise of non-American alternatives (global alternatives) to American credit cards? Visa and Mastercard being a tool of American foreign policy (they might have been in a soft manner before) gives incentive to just not use them.

I'm fine with no credit cards at all.

Yeah, the gap is so huge! I'm surprised at how much more advanced China is to the US. Flying cars and transporter technology! I hear they're also putting people into space! How can the US compete with that?! And, if we ignore the terrible fallacy of these facts, how did China ever deign to overcome the gap it had? This all just baffles the mind in several awe-inspiring ways.

Fines are typically exempt from bankruptcy in Canada. I don't know if there are reasonable limits to fines that could cut this down to something that can be paid back, but, if not, essentially the court just forced the guy to pay this for the rest of his life. This is incentive to create a new identity, perhaps get work under the table (maybe criminal, besides the tax evasion).

Indeed. There were times when the rest of Europe was much like the Russia that Russian described.