the SheevaPlug at least did have a serial port interface via the included USB cable.

I have a SheevaPlug ( dead, oddly enough not a PSU issue ) and it comes both with the wall-wart plug and an interchangeable extended cord. If only it were reliable I'd buy another, more's the pity.

Oh I realize that, but this is an insurance scheme for people who are frozen. The only way it'll lose money is if cryonics actually works some time in the distant future. I'm willing to take my money out long before *that*.

On the other hand, people in their 20s often pick up and go somewhere they know nobody, where the culture is very different and they have to pick up a whole new set of assumptions. It's called "college".

I think people in general are far more resilient than you give credit for, especially with the benefit of what would likely be advanced counselling methods.

Perhaps it's not to your liking, that's fine. Some people are more embedded in their world than others. I think I would manage fine, a whole new world to learn would be fascinating! Besides, you could likely still make the decision at that time that you didn't want to continue, no need to make it *now*!

On the other hand, it appears that investing my cash in these companies in the business of bilking the terminally optimistic of their earnings *could* be a fine way to ensure my comfortable retirement. Thank you stupid wealthy people!

I didn't say there was no iron at the core of the sun, only that there wasn't a great deal of it, at least in comparison.

And to quote the article linked, ''If secular variation is caused by the ocean flow, the entire concept of the dynamo operating in the Earth's core is called into question: there exists no other evidence of hydrodynamic flow in the core.''

So the only evidence of flowing iron at the earth's core causing the earth's magnetic field is ... the existence of the earth's magnetic field itself. That's a bit circular, isn't it?

The sun doesn't appear to have much in the way of flowing iron at its core either. Does that mean that it can't have a magnetic field?

Essentially the theory stands at : flows of conductive fluid ( salt water, iron, plasma ) can generate magnetic fields. We have no evidence that there is flowing iron in the earth's core, but we have rather a lot of flowing salt water. Hmmm...

was full of the sort of stuff that's fascinating to inquiring minds. I read one of his collections many moons ago and was enthralled! Not common to find a math book that could be called a "page turner"

Link is to a CD-ROM of all his books
http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Gardners-Mathematical-Games-Gardner/dp/0883855453