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Comment Re:Results of ITU control... (Score 0) 326

by RCC42 (#40360563) Attached to: The U.N.'s Push for Power Over the Internet

My guess is that if the ITU is given power over the Internet, at least some of the following things will ultimately happen:

  1. Partitioning of Internet-connected computers into "clients" and "servers," with special registration required for "servers." Note that right now, any computer connected to the Internet can act as either a client or a server, regardless of how it is typically used; I suspect that the ITU would ultimately change that.
  2. Requirements that computers have unique identification, or at least that computers acting as servers be uniquely identified. Anonymous servers (e.g. Tor hidden services) would be rendered illegal. Procedures for shared hosts that allow multiple services to be run on a single system would likely be developed, with each service having a unique identification that is related to the identification of the host.
  3. A requirement that computers acting as servers refuse to communicate with computers in countries whose governments object to such communication. This is already a requirement of amateur radio i.e. a ham cannot communicate with someone in a country whose government objects to such communication, as per ITU rules.
  4. Key disclosure requirements for communications sent over the Internet i.e. international law enforcement agencies would be able to demand that anyone reveal secret keys. Hushmail-style backdoors would likely be mandatory in services that provide end-to-end encryption for users.

There needs to be a +1 Terrifying.

Comment Re:Wonder if this could lead to new medications... (Score 1) 254

by RCC42 (#39710167) Attached to: Researchers Try To Identify the Intelligence Gene

Imagine a pill you swallow in the morning with your breakfast, that stimulates a few genes and gives you a 10 - 20 Pt IQ-boost for the rest of the day, so you are extra sharp in your work, in meetings & presentations, in an examination, and so on... Or, if you were born IQ challenged (quite a number of people are in every society), a long-term medical treatment that, over the years, boosts your IQ to average level, or perhaps to even above-average level... A medical cure for being under-powered in the brain department, in other words. That could really change some people's changes in life. Being of below-average intelligence is a handicap that lasts a lifetime and often results in low personal-income, and being sidelined/rejected/excluded by the smart people.

The obvious problem is when you take that same principle and apply it to 'sub normal', normal and advanced people equally. If they all have 80, 100, and 120 IQ respectively prior to treatment then afterwards they would have 100, 120, 140 IQ respectively. Yes they would all be improved but the difference remains. Of course I want to point out that IQ scores are a relative thing anyway, and there is no 'objective' IQ value. The average IQ will always be 100, it's just measured based on the rest of the population.

The real issue however arises if you develop a treatment that has a multiplier effect. If you develop a drug that has an effect of 50% increase in intelligence (let's simplifier to IQ for now) then the person with 80 IQ is left with 120, the person with 100 is now left with 150, and the 120 IQ individual now has a score of 180. Prior to treatment there was only a 20 and 40 point difference for the lowest IQ individual compared to the normal and advanced individuals. After treatment the distance has grown to 30 and 60, *increasing* the relative differences in intelligence.

This is of course a massive oversimplification and relies on theoretical assumptions of what can be done to the brain and mind through pharmaceutical or other treatment. I have no idea what the truth would be like, but I think it is important that we look at what it *could* be like.

Comment Discrimination Issues (Score 4, Informative) 186

by RCC42 (#39227207) Attached to: Is It Time For Hacker Scouts?

I just wanted to mention that the Boys and Girls scouts of America do not allow homosexuals into leadership positions, youth or adult.

Moreover they completely bar atheists and agnostics from membership of any kind.

Support them if you so desire but do so with full awareness of what you are supporting.
Mars

Submission + - Water Found on Mars (wired.com)

Submitted by RCC42
RCC42 writes: The opportunity rover has found evidence of liquid water once flowing on mars through the discovery of gypsum, a mineral that can only be formed in the presence of water.

Though other evidence in the past has suggested at highly acidic water on Mars, this is the first evidence for water with a pH suitable for life as we know it.

Comment Re:A very clever plan. (Score 1) 561

by RCC42 (#38274600) Attached to: Greenpeace Breaks Into French Nuclear Plant

That involved being on the other side of this airtight hatch.

How long would it take to actually penetrate the containment building?

From Wikipedia:

The containment building itself is typically an airtight steel structure enclosing the reactor normally sealed off from the outside atmosphere. The steel is either free-standing or attached to the concrete missile shield. In the United States, the design and thickness of the containment and the missile shield are governed by federal regulations (10 CFR 50.55a), and must be strong enough to withstand the impact of a fully loaded passenger airliner without rupture.

The containment vessel has to be rated to withstand a 'fully loaded passenger airliner'? What kind of measurement is that? How many libraries of congress is that? Inquiring minds want to know.

Comment Price is? (Score 1) 62

by RCC42 (#37992324) Attached to: New, More Autonomous Asimo Robot Unveiled By Honda

Seriously, I looked on the website but couldn't find out how much an Asimo would cost... I mean, if there's just the one then that makes sense, but Honda is [i]Honda[/i]. It's not like they don't have any experience mass producing advanced machinery and electronics on some kind of assembly line.

So how can I buy one? Not for personal use of course, it would be a corporate expense... which we would use.. somehow for something.

Comment Re:A lesson to be learned from train braking (Score 1) 266

by RCC42 (#37938164) Attached to: Spontaneous Fission In Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2

One of the best inventions for a train was its braking system.
You have to apply energy to *prevent* a train car from braking.
This prevents run-away cars.

A successful nuclear reactor would have something similar
where you have to apply energy to keep the coolant at bay.

i.e. The core is at the bottom of the ocean and energy
is spent by the reactor to keep ocean water from rushing in.

First thing: When you abruptly end your paragraphs like that it looks like you're writing poetry

Second thing: Ocean water is FULL of stuff that would absorb radiation from the core if you flooded it like that. That ocean water is going to be a mess and that area of ocean won't be a very good area after that.

Comment Re:Black people happier? (Score 1) 129

by RCC42 (#37751110) Attached to: The Genetics of Happiness

Due to anecdotal reasons I have to agree with the parent.

SSRIs make 'bad' situations seem 'fine' so there's no drive to get out of them. Whether that be a bad relationship, bad living arrangements, bad job, etc. Sadness and dissatisfaction can be powerful motivators to improve your life. Of course they can also become crippling when people are unable or unwilling to make changes and end up stuck in that unhappy place for too long. SSRIs make that unhappy place a normal place... so why change?

Kind of sad. But SSRIs are very useful for helping people out of depression... though proper support from friends and family would probably do the same thing if done properly.

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