Comment Re: The story is mis-worded. You did it again edit (Score 1) 125
If you think it's unbelievable, that's completely natural. No one would suspect the existance of NP complete problems from the start.
Hmm, theoretically impossible? I guess, *in principle*, any user could always just reformat and install Windows XP, but granting that at least *some* system components can be trusted, there is the notion of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof-carrying_code/ which, although not commonly implemented due to the technology not being there yet for widespread adoption, could conceivably be implemented as a system wide policy.
The idea is that each piece of code contains within it a proof of its compliance with some formally specified security policy defined by the system, which the system verifies before the code is allowed to execute. The result is, as long as you can trust the security policy and things like the program loader, you can trust everything that executes, regardless of origin.
While writing this, it occurs to me that maybe the issue with even this system is no security policy could simultaneously allow all nonmalicious software features while excluding all malicious features, even in principle. A proof of this isnt so obvious to me though
Well the lowest risk investment you can make these days is in a US Treasury Bond, essentially investing in US debt. One could argue that if the government is trying to create jobs by spending money, giving the government money will lead to job creation. Of course, this depends both on the government being successful at job creation by spending money, and that rich people would actually invest in treasury bonds. The interest rate on treasury bonds is so low right now its actually risky to buy because if the interest rate then increases, the price of the bond you own drops signifigantly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_rate_risk).
Much more likely for large investments is diversified stocks, possibly managed inside a mutual fund. Diversification mitigates risk of temporal losses of investment value, but the stock market has a much higher historical (average) rate of return than bonds. Stocks give money to companies to spend on their business, which more directly contribute to job creation.
Even if you let your money collect dust in a low-risk savings account in a bank somewhere, the bank's business is to reinvest your money in the above. There are also other investment opportunities, but they all involve your money ultimately getting to companies or the government (but to be fair only mostly US companies and governments).
It's a naive, domestic operating system without any breeding, but I think you'll be amused by its presumption.