Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within? Or are you talking about where all of the actors performances were done via motion capture? Avatar comes closer to the latter, but obviously isn't entirely done that way.

I've had the same question before. The best explanation that I can find is at http://www.theculture.org/rich/sharpblue/archives/000089.html

Basically, it has to do with the fact that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant, regardless of your own reference frame

Try reading it again. The pictures you quoted from are the compatible devices, not the incompatible ones.

"The iOS 4 Software Update works with the second- and third-generation iPod touch. Not all features are compatible with all devices."

Except it shouts "Marco", then expects to hear "Polo" back. If it gets the response, great. Otherwise, it can increase power and try again. It will repeat this until it gets a signal or hits its maximum strength, and gives up.

I know my phone drains much faster when I'm in a poor reception area than when I've got a good signal.

Yes, but if the average layperson consistently sees the legal system deliver what they consider to be unfair judgments, how long do you think the average person will continue to respect said legal system.

I suspect that more than a small bunch fell for the 'The real estate market has been doing nothing but going up. Worst case, you just refinance later!' shtick. And that's assuming they really understood the terms of their mortgage.

Simply having the credit card information does not make you an authorized user. Using the information without authorization counts as fraud.

I think the key is some sort of balance. Absolute dictators are bad, but if someone has to stand for election, then they can at least be voted out of their position. Or fired if they make bad decisions.

This is just an example of it swinging way to far to the process side.

... but somehow we keep creating.

The problem is that we don't want to trust people in authority to make decisions, so we come up with a process or committee or something to ensure that one person can't make the hard decisions. But time and time again, it's shown that if no one can make hard decisions, no one will.

And while it's probably going to beat the hell out of my karma for it, I recommend The Death of Common Sense, by Philip K. Howard. It basically goes into examples of how our unwavering belief that a legal processes can sort through the mess impartially causes all sorts of unexpected results.

As soon as the authority to make a decision is lost, how can bad behavior be punished?

An interesting article, and I hadn't heard of that.

Such a system (air->space or air->air) would probably be sufficient. But even the article mentions "... firing through the dense atmosphere would weaken the beam." Now, the example from the article is describing from flight altitude to a ground target, but the same problem would apply to a ground based laser system.

But, overall, an interesting read. But I suspect an adversary capable of such a laser system would also be capable of shooting it down with more conventional air force weaponry.