Comment Re:Precedents only matter when SCOTUS says they do (Score 1) 180
I would argue the coma started during the Wilson Administration.
Comment Re:Three different reasons this is bad (Score 1) 180
When you are right you are right. Like usual, if you read the Constitution you find out that these "Stand Alone" agencies likely aren't Constitutional! What you say? Well there are just 3 parts of the government defined - you won't find those agencies described or the mechanisms Congress created in the Constitution if you go look. So they have to exist SOMEWHEE within one of the three branches. If the President is the on that gets to nominate the "principal officers" that are the folks that run these agencies - then they should serve at the President's largess. He is allowed to fire any other principal officer - say the US attorneys - at a whim without any reason. Logically the members on these agency boards, etc. fall in the same bucket.
Comment Re:Microsoft vs. Customers (Score 1) 276
Microsoft does say when Windows 11 support ends. Under the same line you reference there are releases each of which has a defined support period of roughly 2 years. Should Windows 12 be announced, I'm sure the "In support" will itself get an end date which will be the same as the latest release as of that time.
Comment Re:That will fix it (Score 1) 128
https://www.facebook.com/share...
Hope you don't mind, I couldn't let that insightful comment get lost in the shuffle...
Comment How long until RFK Jr. tries to outlaw it? (Score 4, Funny) 104
A vaccine? That helps people? We must get rid of it! Have you tried taking Vitamin A instead?
Comment Re: An all-female crew in (Score 1) 132
Fully autonomous (sp?).
Comment Re:Good for California (Score 1) 56
I think he has you here. Google/Alphabet IS a California based company. Fact is that Non-compete clauses have been unenforceable in CA for decades! The only exception is if you are a principal in a company and sell the company. Knew a guy who sold out to Synopsys. He had a 3 year non-compete as part of the sale contract. That is the only exception I'm aware of.
Submission + - Another large Black hole in "our" Galaxy (arxiv.org)
RockDoctor writes: A recent paper on ArXiv reports a novel idea about the central regions of "our" galaxy.
Remember the hoopla a few years ago about radio-astronomical observations producing an "image" of our central black hole — or rather, an image of the accretion disc around the black hole — long designated by astronomers as "Sagittarius A*" (or SGR-A*)? If you remember the image published then, one thing should be striking — it's not very symmetrical. If you think about viewing a spinning object, then you'd expect to see something with a "mirror" symmetry plane where we would see the rotation axis (if someone had marked it). If anything, that published image has three bright spots on a fainter ring. And the spots are not even approximately the same brightness.
This paper suggests that the image we see is the result of the light (radio waves) from SGR-A* being "lensed" by another black hole, near (but not quite on) the line of sight between SGR-A* and us. By various modelling approaches, they then refine this idea to a "best-fit" of a black hole with mass around 1000 times the Sun, orbiting between the distance of the closest-observed star to SGR-A* ("S2" — most imaginative name, ever!), and around 10 times that distance. That's far enough to make a strong interaction with "S2" unlikely within the lifetime of S2 before it's accretion onto SGR-A*.)
The region around SGR-A* is crowded. Within 25 parsecs (~80 light years, the distance to Regulus [in the constellation Leo] or Merak [in the Great Bear]) there is around 4 times more mass in several millions of "normal" stars than in the SGR-A* black hole. Finding a large (not "super massive") black hole in such a concentration of matter shouldn't surprise anyone.
This proposed black hole is larger than anything which has been detected by gravitational waves (yet) ; but not immensely larger — only a factor of 15 or so. (The authors also anticipate the "what about these big black holes spiralling together?" question : quote "and the amplitude of gravitational waves generated by the binary black holes is negligible.")
Being so close to SGR-A*, the proposed black hole is likely to be moving rapidly across our line of sight. At the distance of "S2" it's orbital period would be around 26 years (but the "new" black hole is probably further out than than that). Which might be an explanation for some of the variability and "flickering" reported for SGR-A* ever since it's discovery.
As always, more observations are needed. Which, for SGR-A* are frequently being taken, so improving (or ruling out) this explanation should happen fairly quickly. But it's a very interesting, and fun, idea.
Remember the hoopla a few years ago about radio-astronomical observations producing an "image" of our central black hole — or rather, an image of the accretion disc around the black hole — long designated by astronomers as "Sagittarius A*" (or SGR-A*)? If you remember the image published then, one thing should be striking — it's not very symmetrical. If you think about viewing a spinning object, then you'd expect to see something with a "mirror" symmetry plane where we would see the rotation axis (if someone had marked it). If anything, that published image has three bright spots on a fainter ring. And the spots are not even approximately the same brightness.
This paper suggests that the image we see is the result of the light (radio waves) from SGR-A* being "lensed" by another black hole, near (but not quite on) the line of sight between SGR-A* and us. By various modelling approaches, they then refine this idea to a "best-fit" of a black hole with mass around 1000 times the Sun, orbiting between the distance of the closest-observed star to SGR-A* ("S2" — most imaginative name, ever!), and around 10 times that distance. That's far enough to make a strong interaction with "S2" unlikely within the lifetime of S2 before it's accretion onto SGR-A*.)
The region around SGR-A* is crowded. Within 25 parsecs (~80 light years, the distance to Regulus [in the constellation Leo] or Merak [in the Great Bear]) there is around 4 times more mass in several millions of "normal" stars than in the SGR-A* black hole. Finding a large (not "super massive") black hole in such a concentration of matter shouldn't surprise anyone.
This proposed black hole is larger than anything which has been detected by gravitational waves (yet) ; but not immensely larger — only a factor of 15 or so. (The authors also anticipate the "what about these big black holes spiralling together?" question : quote "and the amplitude of gravitational waves generated by the binary black holes is negligible.")
Being so close to SGR-A*, the proposed black hole is likely to be moving rapidly across our line of sight. At the distance of "S2" it's orbital period would be around 26 years (but the "new" black hole is probably further out than than that). Which might be an explanation for some of the variability and "flickering" reported for SGR-A* ever since it's discovery.
As always, more observations are needed. Which, for SGR-A* are frequently being taken, so improving (or ruling out) this explanation should happen fairly quickly. But it's a very interesting, and fun, idea.
Submission + - Surado, formerly Slashdot Japan, is closing at the end of the month. (srad.jp) 1
AmiMoJo writes: Slashdot Japan was launched on May 28, 2001. On 2025/03/31, it will finally close. Since starting the site separated from the main Slashdot one, and eventually rebranded as "Surado", which was it's Japanese nickname.
Last year the site stopped posting new stories, and was subsequently unable to find a buyer. In a final story announcing the end, many users expressed their sadness and gratitude for all the years of service.
Last year the site stopped posting new stories, and was subsequently unable to find a buyer. In a final story announcing the end, many users expressed their sadness and gratitude for all the years of service.
Comment Re:Sooo... (Score 5, Informative) 233
Being pedantic here, but the FCC licenses broadcast networks like NBC-Affiliates, ABC-Affiliates, etc. Most of the major networks don't broadcast over the air to local TVs - they broadcast via satellite to their affiliate network stations who then require an FCC license to re-broadcast that signal locally. Some major networks do own local TV stations that have to be licensed, but the "networks" themselves do not.
Comment Re:your really think so (Score 5, Funny) 138
I actually ran out of breath trying to read that...
Comment Re:Android Problems (Score 1) 12
You might want to re-read the prior sentence...
"The researchers also found Necro infecting a variety of Android apps available in alternative marketplaces."
"The researchers also found Necro infecting a variety of Android apps available in alternative marketplaces."
Comment Let's send two Boeing executives to bring it back (Score 1) 105
Boeing is all butt-hurt by complaints that their Starliner isn't safe for NASA to use to return the astronauts. So, since we're sending a Space-X flight up with two empty seats, let's put a couple of top level Boeing executives in those seats and they can ride their "safe" capsule back to Earth. Lets see them put their own lives on the line for a change.
Comment Re:Scam (Score 4, Insightful) 101
Yes, you can buy commercial dehumidifiers that collect more than 3 liters per day. But, in case you haven't noticed, those all have to be connected to mains power. These are SOLAR powered and so don't require access to electricity... That's the BIG difference.
Comment Re:App Focus was Always Shady (Score 2) 81
Obviously he has installed self-re-compiling malware in your head so he can read your thoughts...
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