Once you learn a certain number of programing languages it becomes really easy to pick up new ones in the same style. Python, C, C++, Perl, Java, Ruby, etc. are all very similar and there's a point where you'll know enough that you'll just have to google the 'if' and loop syntax and you're good to go. After that you can learn different programming paradigms like functional programming or how assemblers work. And once you're there, you can pretty much pick up any programming language or API you need to use in a couple of days. It doesn't really matter where you start so long as you are committed to lifelong learning that's how you make the big bucks.

The fact that you and others here seem unable to fathom a future where a human's basic nutritional needs are easily met (at negligible or no economic cost) thanks to technological/biological innovation frustrates me immensely.

Are you paying for the oxygen you breath every second of your existence? What makes food any different?

Lots of details are in the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) study from last year. Not sure when NASA is going to release details about their version, but I bet it is pretty similar. http://www.kiss.caltech.edu/study/asteroid/asteroid_final_report.pdf

Magnetically shielded Hall Thrusters, infused with badass: http://gcd.larc.nasa.gov/2013/03/magnetic-shielding-of-walls-from-the-unmagnetized-ion-beam-in-a-hall-thruster/

It already exists: https://openhatch.org/

I registered a while back but haven't really bother to use it.

Just wanted to point out that the heading for that article ("Amsterdam wants to get rid of Airbnb website") seems misleading. Nothing in the (short) article indicates that the municipality has a problem with Airbnb itself. But then again, misleading headlines are business as usual for such a shoddy paper as the Volkskrant.

If you read the article you would have come across the paragraph that said "McDonald's began rolling out Wi-Fi in its U.S. restaurants years ago. In 2010, McDonald's made it free even for those not buying food.". The article does mention that folks will generally feel obligated buy something.

If it's not obvious, don't sign up.

Awesome. Great find!

I decided to buy this Windows/Steam bundle for $13.37 (about € 10,-) with the default split (THQ 8.69, charity 2.67, Humble tip 2.01) and was quite happy to see that on the download page you can still select your contribution to count as, for statistical purposes, for Linux. I'd be quite curious to see how many other folks did this.

Just wanted to add: the Dutch production VPRO produced a documentary a while back that deals with this subject matter. From what I recall they actually "tour" the area where all these facilities are located nowadays.

Backlight - Money and Speed: Inside The Black Box

Money & Speed: Inside the Black Box is a true thriller that takes us to the heart of our automated financial world. On the basis of interviews with people directly involved and data visualizations to the millisecond, a reconstruction of the fastest and deepest drop in U.S. stock markets ever.

I'm only superficially aware of the rules and procedures in Congress so perhaps I've been mistaken. It might be that 2005/2006 bill H.R. 22 was different from the later bill H.R. 6407 which passed under suspension of the rules and voice vote (under a voice vote the names or numbers of representatives voting on each side are not recorded).

Helpful article on the subject: http://www.salon.com/2012/03/14/congresss_war_on_the_post_office/singleton/