hasn't quite figure how to implement these features into their software. Otherwise, you can be certain that they would be just as intrusive as they say Chrome is... or worse.

On the other hand, pharma R&D will make its money solely from creating new drugs and licensing fees.

A new drug costs $$$ to bring to market, between all the testing required. For every drug successfully marketed, there are 10 or 100 that never make it. The successful drugs have to bear the cost of the unsuccessful ones, to the tune of Billion$ of dollars per drug. Those costs have to be recaptured somewhere. Currently by selling at a high price. If it is strictly by licensing fees, that those fees will be very high, and the marketing/production companies will have to pay them, and thus have to recapture their costs. Nothing changes.

Is there waste and abuse in the pharma industry? Undoubtedly. Better ask what percentage it is before you throw the baby out with the bathwater.

There's been plenty of research done regarding collection of solar via orbiting power stations, and relaying it back to Earth via microwaves. Yes, there probably are some downsides regarding the energy balance of the planet (if you do enough of it), and after a while you'll cover the Earth in receivers or push the power of the microwaves to a level to cook us all, but by that point we'll all be dead anyway from other causes.

With the recent burse of companies pushing into space, this is no longer a fantasy.

I don't even need to RTFA. I've been following this concept for 30 years before these companies finally decided to talk about it. The Trillions of dollars of materials are not worth Trillions of dollars on Earth... this is their value in orbit based on present day LEO launch values, which run upwards of $1K/lb.

While it is possible that there may someday be a market on the Earth from some space produced material... I'll lay odds that it will be in the form of some manufactured good/material produced in Zero G, and impossible to make on Earth. It will not be raw materials.

I still wonder about those graphs that show CO2 lagging temperature by 800 years during past global warming events. Not saying that there isn't a relationship, but I still think that there is something that isn't really understood.

That's an awful lot of sea snails needed to even construct a compact car...

How about publication of information publicly available on computer servers... say a list of registered hand gun owners in a certain region? Or do the laws only work when its convenient for the people with power?

"This is insidious! Alongside a high-capacity magazine ban, we should also ban 3D printing! Clearly it's a technology that will only be used by TERRORISTS!"

Not likely. 3D printing is at about the same stage as personal computers were back in the early 80's. Already used in a lot of businesses that do customized work, and the price point for entry level 3D printers is low enough that anyone could buy one. Of course, as some of the earlier posts mentioned, the quality of these low end systems is still not quite there. Give them time.

The way I see it, it couldn't damage their brains. It would also have the advantage of getting them off Earth.

OK, let's presuppose the argument that this is necessary to national security is valid. Great. I stipulate that nothing discovered in such a search should be admissible for any crime that does not fall under National Security purview.

Of course, I don't find this is a valid argument, since you could then argue anything was a National Security matter. Still, I don't suppose it is realistic to expect politicians to see it that way.

What I'd really like to see are some Draconian punishments for agency personnel who abuse this access.

Ok right so now we have both Free Speech and The Right to Bear Arms in this thread! Awaits prohibition :)

I'll drink to that!

I'd say that locating outside of the hurricane's path was the better choice

If it isn't a hurricane, it's an Earthquake. If not that, then a nasty Blizzard. Or a Tornado. You can't avoid them all, and its best to prepare as best you can for the events possible at the location that you choose. No one can prevent all disasters, but you can mitigate the risk.

More than two! Latest estimates that I've heard are that there are 600,000+ Hams in the US.

The northwest is overdue for a big earthquake... 8.5 or greater.