Nicely said. But it troubles me, If most of what makes me up was created in the heart of a star. Why does it feel like I'm burning up when it's 103' F outside? You'd think I'd be freezing my genitals off.

Thanks for the reply though. I think it's the best bit of truthful science we've heard in a while.

DS

Everyone complains that DRM is keeping them from having what they want. And Those producing what people want, would like to be paid for what they produce.
And companies find they can use some GPL code to keep from having to develop their own bit of code, while people decry that that company isn't giving the source of their product back like the GPL requires etc. etc.

In the end it really comes down to some very basic things that are weakening in the 'moral' spirit of humans. People don't really question any more if they can do something, should they do it?

I can convert any video I choose into a file I can play anywhere any time on a number of machines, but if a friend wants to see it, why shouldn't I offer it to them as well? Or am I a dick for saying. Sorry man, I'll send you the dvd if you like?

Companies try to heap more intrenched DRM into things because they don't see anything working. Media assholes spout nonsense numbers about how much money they are losing, when if you did the math there is no possible way they could have made that much. etc etc.

Politicians pile crap into bills for their own good and when it fall apart they blame someone else for it not going through.

In every case, it's people who think because they are in a position to do something that they want to do, that they can simply do it without there being any consequences.

And we have this idea that's given to us through Hollywood and oodles of books that just one person can make a difference. Almost always that's applied to improving things. Freeing the slaves, ending a war or slaying a Sith. In movies where one person does something really wrong that messes things up for everyone. like destroying the world or creating a new world order, they are considered evil and the bad guy. But it's really just an amplification of the result of when many people decide to do a small bad thing instead of the right thing.

The thing is if you look at say the analysis of the Stock market crash of a few years ago, you will see time and again, the magic plan that made so many so much money worked just fine, till everyone started doing the same thing. Every win requires a loss, it's the order of balance in the world.

I could run on this for days but that's not what posting to something like this is about. I do hope someday people will start to realize that everyone can't have everything, and just because you don't have something, doesn't mean you're not going to have a worth while life.

Cheers.

DS.

From the article:

"The Stanford scientists are currently working on modifications to get the battery ready for commercial production. For example, the silver electrode is very expensive, and they hope to develop a cheaper alternative."

I'm really at a loss on this. How expensive can a silver electrode be, if you're producing enough power to charge for it? Silver while pricey (currently ~ $39.00/oz) It's just a tad more expensive than Lithium (currently ~ $31.50/oz) and if this thing really worked. they'd pay for the silver they used in a very short order. 50Megawatt would be around $3000.00 / hr at just $0.06/kwh.

It's gotta be cheaper than building a power plant and running coal to it all day.

Just my 6 cents worth.

DS

That looks like it's some of the lectures. but not all of them. Sorry if the Silverlight is a problem but since the hardbound versions are about $130.00 new.

DS

Apparently, by visiting the website http://www.superprincipia.com/index.htm this would be the 3rd in his series. But I do find it hard to locate any independent review of his work.

I honestly would love to find a good source for information and illumination like this. But so far the best I've seen are the Feynman Lectures put on line by Microsoft.

http://research.microsoft.com/apps/tools/tuva/index.html

I do think I'll look into it further though.

DS

Perhaps I'm overly optimistic, but this could be the very best thing to happen for programmers and computer science, since the switch statement.

Software patents have hindered developers and companies for decades now. When SCO sued IBM it brought into public view the horrendous state of our patent system. But SCO is just a piddling little company that destroyed itself financially in one of the greatest self delusions of the last decade.

But now we have 2 industry titans going at it, that will I'm fairly sure bring to light, how asinine IP and it's patentability can be. The down side will be, if software patents and such are finally set free. It will burst the bubble with such force it will unsettle a great number of industries.

Just a thought.

DS

This is really a great idea, bravo to the students. Though they use
to make hand crank centrifuges I'm pretty certain. This wouldn't
require being clamped to the lab bench or screwed down.

On the other hoof, were it not for salads and Vegetarians we
wouldn't have such a cool something to hack.

(subnote: could be other reasons a salad spinner was created.)

Davonshire.