Doesn't matter, if people "didn't want to listen to it" then no one would pirate it. Obviously the music (regardless of your or my opinion of it) has value to some people, or they wouldn't be pirating it. They are taking something which they "value", but not contributing to the real costs of producing said content. Now you can debate what a fair price for the content is, or how it should be distributed, or how you should be free to device shift, or what fair use consists of, but content is not "free" even though digital distribution makes the costs of DISTRIBUTION nearly free, it doesn't make the costs of PRODUCTION free. Just because you disagree with the "morals and ethics" of Exxon, doesn't mean you can knock over a gas station.

The XE' engine tested in 1968-1969 was pretty much a flight ready engine (the turbo pumps, reactor, valves, nozzle were all flight designs). Now they still would have needed to integrate it into a rocket stage (The LH2 tank, skirts and control systems) but had the funding been available (300-400 million plus a Saturn V), it could have flown as early as 72-73. The real frustrating aspect is that the technology was developing so rapidly that there were already several significant improvements that would have been available relatively quickly (Carbide coatings and the "Afterburner" concept) if research continued. NERVA exceeded every design goal by a large margin, much faster than most had thought possible when ROVER was kicked off in 1959.

If no one wants to listen to the content then it wouldn't be pirated. The disconnect occurs when people want to listen to the content, but doesn't want to pay the for the real and actual costs of production

As a former networking product manager I wish you luck. The industry is completely different from what it was 10 years ago, especially on the home networking equipment side. There has been significant consolidation and margins have dropped. Home networking equipment is a pure commodity play these days, with most product managers in this segment almost purely MBA/marketing folks. Unless you've got a Rolodex to kill for, the only place I can see you having any luck, is where you can use your PhD as an asset. Cutting edge technologies like LTE-A, 802.11ac/ad, 100Gb optical, or terrabit switching are filled with EE and Physics PhDs. Product Managers in these areas need the technical background because the products are sold on a purely technical basis. However if you've been out of the networking game for so long, its going to be a heavy lift getting up to speed.

Actually there are 6 universities in Alberta, but seeing as we just got running water in our Igloo's last year, it's would be easy to make that kind of mistake.

More than the time to build, it is the years of international negotiations, agreements and funding arrangements that will need to be put in place before a single shovel is put in the ground. If they start talking now, we'll be lucky if its ready 20 years from now. Discussions on ITER began in 1985, almost 30 years ago

Looks at my CompSci degree from the University of Calgary on the wall. Wonder what non-existant university in Alberta I recived it from? I'll admit it's not a hotbed of particle physics research, but it is on track to becoming one of the top-5 research Universities in Canada in the next few years.

It works in Germany when you pair it with strict entrance requirements, time limits on completing your education, and performance expectation. If little Johnny doesn't get into the Gymnasium at age 12 he's not going to University, likewise he isn't going to be able to take 7 years to "find himself" while maintaning a "C" average. Germany balances free tuition with restricted availability. Personally I think this is a great model, but it would be widely unpopular in the US and a political non-starter, since University Education is percieved as a universal "right"

True, post secondary education in Germany (and several Northern European countries) is largely free, however, as I'm sure you're aware, it is balanced against strict entrance requirements and performance expectations. You just don't show up, enrol and spend 7 years working on your degree because "university education my right". Kids with academic aptitude are streamed into the Gymnasium system in their tweens, you have a specific amount of time in which to complete your studies, and if you fail to perform, you are out. No wonder there is no effect on the people's seriousness for their education, you self select serious people early on, and hold them accountable. Compare that to University of Pheonix where as long as you pay (and pay and pay), you can enrol, stay as long as you want and take the course as many times as you want

To clairfy the contracts that SpaceX and Orbital are operating under for station resupply are neither "cost-plus" nor "fixed price" contracts, they are "fee for service" contracts. NASA pays for certain miletones successfully achieved and cargo delivered to the station. NASA doesn't buy Falcon 9's or Dragons (the Dragon remains the property of SpaceX) they are buying the service (just as they buy FedEx and Airline tickets)

How can you spend time reading and posting on /. while millions starve? Why are we building computers and smartphones for the rich first worlders when children remain unvaccinated (like it or not, when you look at the world as a whole, all of us here are 1%ers)? Why do you not spend every penny you earn beyond what you need for minimum survival to feed the world? Why do you not spend every hour of your day beyond work and sleep addressing the ills of the world? I guess it's ok for you to live a life that the vast majority of the human race would consider wealthy beyond their dreams, but for those you consider wealthy, it is unacceptable What exactly is your suggestion? That we shut down all yacht companies (and throw their middle class employees onto the unemployment line?) What level of luxury is considered too extreme for you?

That's OK, the Soyuz capsules dock on the Russian side of ISS (which is also the side with most of the command and control capability) Think of ISS as the self contained Mir 2 with US, European and Japanese modules attached. The Russian side is fully capable of operating without the other components, the US side not so much (as congress cut several key US modules)

Guess the US should have thought about it as they wasted billions on multiple cancelled projects trying to develop a replacement for the shuttle, knowing full well that the Shuttle program as winding down. Right now Russia is in the drivers seat when it comes to ISS.

The first stage of the Saturn V was fuelled by RP-1 (kerosene). Only the second and third stages were hydrogen

I'm a full time IT consultant and run the legal department for our admittedly small firm. We've recently been sued for breech of contract and was wondering if you could suggest the best approach to defend ourselves. Hmm, maybe not don't you think? I probably don't need to tell you that records and files are a critical asset to the success of any legal firm. Your requirements for security, confidentiality, recoverability are core to your business and each of these need to understood before selecting the right solution for your firm, and to be honest that requires the someone with the appropriate knowledge and expertise to advise you. I'm sorry to say, that in my experience, doctors and lawyers are the worst offenders for not bringing in outside expertise to advise them on technology issues. It's frustrating because they, more than anyone, know the value of professional expertise. Spend some money to obtain professional IT advise (just like you expect people to spend money on legal advice). It's better than having to explain to the partners how someone hacked your "secure" FTP server and posted all your client records to Wikileaks.