The summary missed the most interesting part of this chip in that it contains a ARM core running trusted zones Trusted Execution Environment.

This makes them quite interesting for highly secure applications such as industrial embedded controllers

Sounds more like a loss of faith rather than a language problem. I have sympathy, but if you are not an expert in a domain, whenever a problem arises the 1st reaction is to go back to safe ground.

Unfortunately while all programmers know imperative languages, few are taught functional techniques when first programming. Until that happens it is unlikely that functional languages will ever be much more than a sideshow despite there obvious advantages because there are very few problem domains that can only be solved in functional languages.

Errr, it's just disappeared. What's the statistical chances of that happening after being highligted on /.?

I would recommend the particle at the end of the universe by Sean Carroll.
It covers a lot of the same material as the comic but in more detail and also puts it in historical context.

The only bad thing about it is that when you realise that what we call matter is nothing more than the manipulation of energy fields it do end up worrying about your personal concept of reality.

Send a fleet of C-130 Hercules filled with lawyers and drop them on Pyongyang at 10000 ft.

If that doesn't work send another fleet and drop more lawyers, but this time give them parachutes

There are well defined techniques for measuring the probability of events happening in industrial safety. Safety Integrity Levels or SIL are used to categorize the possibility of a life threatening event occurring.

The problem is how low a risk do you need and how much will it cost you to get there. Fukashima would probably not have happened if the sea wall had been higher, but the designers had to make the judgement that it was not worth the millions of cost required to build a bigger wall compared to risk of it being breached. Unfortunately decisions like that in hindsight always look flawed.,

At 30000 feet on a united 767 on the entertainment system. It had to be rebooted so i could tell it was red hat and a lot more info too

Sigh,

The point is that yes you can get the pin. But without the physical card it is useless because you need both to complete a transaction.

If your card was skimmed the more likely explanation was that the magnetic strip was skimmed and then used at a place that did not use chip and pin verification. Until we can remove the mag strip this will happen.

Places like the States resisting going to chip+pin means that the rest of use are paying

You cannot skim the chip on a chip and pin device. They maybe able to intercept the pin, but without the card that information is useless. More likely the magnetic strip was skimmed and that information used where chip+pin is not used such as the states.

One rule - YOU NEVER GIVE YOUR PIN OVER THE PHONE. or in fact any personal details. especially if they ring you.

Web and Phone verification is different. Web can be via CVS number at the back of the card plus previously defined password. Some companies provide a one time key system. Over the phone is more difficult. Again they ask you part of a password such as the 3 and 7th letter or ring/text back to your mobile phone

The important point in this is that the Pin itself is useless without the card. Unlike magnetic strips there has never been any example of a chip being skimmed and duplicated. Unfortunately cards still retain magnetic strips so that they will work in places like the states. This means cards can still be skimmed, copied and used. but if the card is skimmed in Europe and then used in the States it is is pretty easy to prove that it was not you.

Card security is like any other security. It is as strong as the weakest link. Unfortunately that is the USA at present

Not if you don't want to. You are able to change your Pins at a ATM

The pin is useless without the card and unlike magnetic strip cards the card cannot be easily duplicated

Not if credit and debitt cards have the same chip+pin system

It terms of security they will be equally secure

It won't. Chip and pin does not work online, so other security mechanism's have to be used such as quoting the 3 fig number on the back of the card or a extra verification step involving a password or a one time key.
This sounds like a bigger change than some people realize.

This is nothing new. When big business and science collide, big business know no bounds as to what they will do to protect there profit margin

Examples include

Industry attacks against Clair Patterson from the leaded fuel industry.
The tobacco lobby against health professionals
The CFC industry against climate scientists

They continue today with attacks against climate scientists from big oil and coal concerns.

The worry is that the public seem more minded to side with the vested interests against the scientific voice and the fact that many of the attacks come from scientists working within the industry showing a severe lack of morality by the people in those areas. All industry seem to have to do is raise the spectre of potential economic harm and the public go along with them.

Cost of 1 F-35 $300 million
Cost to keep Mars Rover operating 1 year $14 million

I know where my money would go...

Please do not give RyanAir any ideas. They are doing perfectly well in making flying the travel equivalent of water boarding themselves without any extra input