The really interesting science, that is, there is no guarantee of a return accountants would recognize as such. (Scientists consider no result a result.)

In space science, this is worsened by rockets failing, the harsh conditions of space wrecking probes, the hazards of space junk, the very long-term nature of the work, the fact that all costs are up-front and the commercial rewards beyond satellite relays are never tangibly linked to space research by the public, creating the illusion that space has done nothing.

Just cut back on projects. Starting with those involving spending money in districts whose politicians work to cripple NASA. Remember, we're coming up to yet another election year and there's no news like bad news to shape the outcomes.

Never considered it, but could be a big problem there. Is not just that is descentralized, but that half of the network must acknowledge that a transaction happened before it is considered valid, even if the transaction was for 0.00000001 bitcoins, even if was for a candy or a single SMS sent. There is enough value in bitcoins to replace all the existing money (it should raise its value to ~ US$20k to have the same "value" of all the dollars around), the amount of wallets is more than enough for all mankind for centuries, but the volume of global transactions that is happening today with normal money is probably too high for the network (as it is today) to handle it.

Start reading Accelerando (printed/kindle version if you prefer it), then you can check more of his work. Maybe is not an authority about how the near future will develop, but at least wrote a lot about that.

Or in the wrong country. And, maybe, in the wrong culture too.

If you want science fiction quotes, try picking from Charless Stross ones. If things goes fast enough, any kind of money could be irrelevant in few years.

Try adding all the assesinations and drugs and child pornography that is financed by bitcoins, and compare that with the number (even done by governments) that is financed by the competing fiat currency , is like a drop of water compared with the ocean. I suppose that being descentralized instead of being printed by the Federal Reserve plays against it.

If well deserves some kind of punishment, i wonder how much punishment gets people that do real damage and actual consequences, like drunk drivers (that may have killed several people), rapists, or even people that beat others leaving them maybe permanently injured (and lets not touch the consequences of lying to the congress or stealing trillons). What used to be a practical joke it seem to worth more than things with real life consequences in the actual society.

What's actually going on here is that Chinese researchers have carried out this research using the most easily available data they have - Chinese data. There's no reason to believe that US wastewater treatment plants don't also release this material, because AFAIK, no one has checked.

If well olpc has released tablets already for learning mayor be not the best option, they are mainly content comsumption devices, not so much for creation as school children need (at least, not all kinds, specially if involves writting).

Also, better that they can work for 4+ hours on battery, cheap tablets are not great in that area.

Datawind is always late to the party. They make big annoucements about incredibly inexpensive items years in the future to generate interest. Then by the time they're actually selling something, everyone else has passed them by. Even now, you can pickup a tablet with similar specs from walmart for $50. By the time we see any DW tablets on the shelves, several companies will be selling $40 tablets, or better.

FTFY

If the manufacturer was Samsung it was pretty trivial to be exploited, even running windows or by accident.

That remembers me of something. If the malware can brick the PC is probably BIOS/manufacturer fault, as it was in that case. And could be something intended by the NSA... when you force manufacturers to put your backdoors in their systems you can be the one responsible for bricking, either because you did it or because you opened the door.

Look at the approval for their programs. Is not what they think, is what they know about how stupid and easily manipulable the average american is. I bet in next "elections" will win one of the 2 parties that bring the current situation on, if you want a further proof of average IQ.