Perhaps not for those of us actually working in IT. I know I routinely do things that are simple for me and I amaze those on my sales team and the management with my "technowizardry". For instance, being able to set up a mobile hotspot using my cell phone and netbook out in the middle of nowhere. Things like that seem like magic to the uninitiated.
I guess I don't really help out with stopping the stereotype though. I often answer with "FM Principal" (F*cking Magic) when I fix something and don't know what exactly the fix was (or if the person asking will not understand the explanation). I've been using the phrase FM principal for about 15 years and I have yet to be questioned on what it actually means.
As for the portrayal of hackers in general in movies.... Get over it, it's fiction. Try and suspend your disbelief for just a few moments and you might actually enjoy that movie.
You sir win. Let them worry about monopoles instead!
I personally love the Doomsayers... They keep me quite entertained with their lack of scientific understanding. I can't wait until they start running up their credit cards in advance of Dec 2012.
We've got one of the best particle accelerators around (the Sun/Sol) and it hasn't managed to snuff us out yet and it's had BILLIONS of years. The LHC doesn't even come close in power levels comparatively speaking.
GRBs to the best of my knowledge release (at least) two separate bursts at different energy levels at separate intervals... One (at least) high energy, the other lower. I'm guessing that's where the delay figures in. I believe the lower energy burst is referred to as an "afterglow".
That's from memory, so I may be off.
I may be wrong, I haven't looked into this in years... But isn't THIS cycle the cycle that by their calendar the sun (Sol) is set to start dying? Even by their records, this supposedly gives us another 50,000 years before it's over.
As mentioned, it's been years since I read up on this... I don't think much of prophecy, especially when it's misinterpreted.
For all those who believe this is real... Start running up your credit card debt NOW!
