So, if I changed "2011" to "1970", and came to the exact opposite conclusion, then you would agree that I had completely debunked global warming?

I'm hardly a denier, but I hate when random correlations are used to "prove" anything in science, let alone something that requires a massive amount of extrapolation from the data that we have. This is an important topic, and junk science/stats is just handing a tool to the deniers to beat us over the head.

Well dang, I wrote the above but forgot to log in.

One problem is that voters are, by and large, uninformed people who cannot be trusted to make appropriate decisions. See California tax policy for a good study in the disaster that is direct democracy. We need representatives to shield our legislation from the will of the public.

I find the number one factor using in sentence is your level of success.

Failed attempt to kill somebody --> attempted murder

Successful attempt to kill somebody --> first degree murder

Slashdot is of course on the "pro-nuclear" side

Slashdot has educated people, with backgrounds in science, who understand the issues involved in nuclear processes.

Your implication is that there are two reasonable sides to the argument: pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear. This is akin to saying that there are two sides to the flat earth debate. The only difference is that everyone knows the flat earth people are wrong, but it takes a substantial amount of education to recognize how badly wrong the anti-nuclear crowd generally is.

As for the topic of this thread, the idea of asking for a geiger counter to measure some pool that is probably barely above background (if at all) would be like somebody asking if he needs to buy a set of 11 super-powered turbo fans for his home computer that he uses for email that has been running a little slow lately.. He can buy the fans, and there might be some marginal use to them, but the money would be better spent dealing with real problems.

Yes, I have a background in nuclear physics. No, I don't think it makes me biased, I think it makes me informed.

The problem is that once you know what the error is, you don't know where the error is.

I mean, once you know where the error is, you don't know what the error is.

I mean, err... I'm not sure.

Instead of getting rid of the pilot manual, why not just get rid of the pilot?

Computers can now fly better than any human. Yes, the Hudson landing was well done, but that does not mean that a computer would not have been able to pull off the same stunt. If I had a choice, I would definitely take the computer-controlled airplane over the one manned by a pilot who may be tired, drunk, a terrorist, etc.

The rocket fire only goes one way. "Between" implies that the Palestinians fire rockets at civilians, and that Israel responds by blindly launching rockets back at the Palestinians.

Anyhow, back on topic. Currently, the rocket fire is inadequate. It is not beyond imagining that google street view could enhance the accuracy and lethality of Palestinian rocket fire, which would make a restriction make perfect sense. I assume that it has been determined by Israel that, despite what I just said in the previous sentence, google streetview will not actually help make the rocket fire more accurate, so they are now allowing it.

Canada also has substantially more landmass. Much of that landmass is also unoccupied. It is easier to produce power when there are no pesky people in the way.

Good to know that the noble natives are still the stalwart guardians of nature and the environment. Mining companies come and go, but a windmill will stain the land forever.

Frankly, I am shocked, shocked I tellz ya, that Al-Jazeera has found that Israel is not being reasonable in the negotiations. I mean, if Al-Jazeera says that Israel is wrong, it is certainly the gosh-darned Truth. Captial T Truth!

I was not saying that google was a paragon of virtue, but duplicating the information and/or giving the only copies over to the government will certainly not enhance privacy.

Yes, the government is certainly a safe place to store sensitive data, what is google thinking?

You cannot shout "Fire" at a theatre because it is dangerous and can cause injury to other people. yelling obscenities at a funeral is not similar in any meaningful way. I would not shed any tears if the entire WBC clan got hit by a wayward airplane, but until then, I support their right to be assholes.

Anyone who claims that ethnic cleansing is taking place in Palestine has no idea of what true ethnic cleansing is all about, or what it looks like.