Comment: Non-fiction (Score 1) 278
http://www.amazon.com/Fermats-Enigma-Greatest-Mathematical-Problem/dp/0385493622
Morris Kline' s book "Mathematics, the Loss of Certainty" on how the discovery of geometries where perpendicular lines intersect in more than one point (ellipsoidal and hyperbolic) led to the efforts to determine whether Mathematics as we know it is consistent. Leads up to Goedel's Incompleteness Theorem.
http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Loss-Certainty-Galaxy-Books/dp/0195030850/
Comment: While this phrase may date to 1880 or so... (Score 1) 223
The argument is "Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc" as described in Latin. The similar phrase "Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc" or "after this therefore because of this" dates back to 1704, according to Merriam Webster. I would assume "Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc" is of similar age and origin.
Comment: Re:Citation? (Score 1) 230
Given all the environmental problems with the Savannah River Site, and the fight to prevent it being used as a storage facility for nuclear waste, how can you possibly expect the area to have a favorable response to a new nuclear power plant?
Comment: Re:Copyright Infringement (Score 1) 259
The agency in question is Harry Fox Agency. They represent the majority of music publishers, and were responsible for bringing down the Online Guitar Archive (OLGA) back in the 90's for publishing infringement for posting tablature.
Comment: Re:New corporate slogan (Score 1) 731
Adobe: We Bitch and Moan until we Get Our Way(TM)
Since when has Adobe stopped at bitching and moaning?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_v._ElcomSoft_Sklyarov
Comment: Re:have you tried going outside? (Score 1) 190
it's free (as in beer AND speech)
Except for all those pesky "No Trespassing!" signs.
Comment: Open Geospatial Consortium (Score 5, Insightful) 190
Google Earth is essentially a Web Map Server (WMS) The OGC http://www.opengeospatial.org/ has all the specifications for Web Map Severs and Clients. As others have mentioned, NASA WorldWind is a good example.
A blog to follow would be http://freegeographytools.com/
Comment: Frist ps0t (Score 1, Redundant) 378
Comment: Re:News for nerds. Stuff that matters (Score 1) 2044
Funny, I don't remember any slashdot mod that caused giant mechanical arms to reach out of your keyboard and compel you to read every article.
Comment: Re:This bill has nothing to do with health care. (Score 2, Interesting) 2044
What CBO analysis? They said they have not had time to review the new revised bill, so there is NO analysis.
And Kucinich is a politician, yes, but he also has to explain himself to the people who voted for him as a Socialist. He's already on record as saying he will never vote for a bill that does not include a Governement-run Option, and now he's flipped. That won't please the people back home.
Comment: Re:Uh...Avast? (Score 1) 896
Comment: Re:It is bad, wrong way to go about it (Score 1) 2044
The military?
The question was regarding US government institutions run efficiently.
Comment: Re:It is bad, wrong way to go about it (Score 1) 2044
Comment: Re:News For Nerds (Score 1) 2044
"After controlling for enabling and need characteristics in logistic regression models, Veterans Administration (VA)-only users were 2 to 8 times more satisfied with their outpatient care than were VA nonusers on 5 out of 10 satisfaction measures.". Oh, and I have a source. You appear to have a mysterious "Someone in Congress".
Also, the proposed health care bill doesn't set up anything even slightly like the VA. VA -> single provider of health care, like the NHS in Britain. The proposed public option would have been a step toward having a single payer, but still with multiple independent providers. The proposed bill doesn't introduce either.