RAM chips, and also their packaging, are rather small. The idea that we lack the natural resources to manufacture RAM at even thousands of times the present rate is hilarious. Do some research before making preposterous posts.

Crude language is not an adequate replacement for rational argument.

we give them limitless power

That statement has no relation to how human society works.

Don't forget that the teachers' union gets a share of the scam.

I live in B.C. and applaud losing the time change, but think the choice of time zones going forward wasn't the best.

I'm expecting major buyer's remorse this winter when people realize that the sun sets at 5 in December and January, and doesn't rise until 9.

...laura

The entire idea of taxes is to take the money from all - including the wealthy - and use it for the common good.

Taxes in a just society are properly restricted to doing things only governments should do, keeping in mind that government has a legal monopoly on the use of force in most situations. Allowing the government more money is an invitation to corruption.

It's too easy to see that food is a common need, and conclude that therefor the government should provide everyone with food. Results from that include food shortages when the incentive to grow food vanishes, and people opposed to those in power finding it especially hard to get food. Look at the famine in the USSR 1930-1933.

To a large extent, longevity improvement is going to involve fixing each of the many, many things that can go wrong. Better mitochondria is one piece of the puzzle.

Harris is stupid and a drunkard. Walz is just plain nuts. That the Democratic Party couldn't find better candidates is pitiful.

The period known as the dark ages was largely due to Christianity not being interested in science or progress. When the highest calling is writing poems praising god instead of improving the condition of human living, civilization collapses. See the works of Richard Carrier.

I've heard some pretty sad excuses for AI slop (Shunned at a Funeral) but some very clever uses for it too (Amelia). "The best thing the government did...was invent me!"

As long as they're honest about it being AI I'll decide what I want to listen to. It's hard for it to show any creativity, but creativity is sorely lacking in all current music.

...laura

The name of the country is United States of America. It is not the People's Republic of America. Representatives of the States elect the President, because that's the Constitutional structure of the government, and those representatives are called the Electoral College.

Popular election of the President, as implied by a "people's republic", is an invitation to fraud.

How do you shut down an organization like the CIA? The mere hint of a serious attempt to tear it down would result in assassinations and the hiding of some data (critical of CIA personnel) and the backup of other data (in preparation for blackmail, etc.).

Perhaps a replacement agency could be set up, then the CIA slowly defunded with most current employees prohibited from future government employment.

Are ads the problem? My impression is that the danger of social media is the presence of people promoting violence, whether those people are loonies, nihilists, or agents of enemy governments.

Children need to be taught critical thinking, and also taught to recognize hucksters and hate-mongers.This should be a continuing part of education and does not need special funding.

Cars have become ludicrously expensive so that fewer and fewer kids actually have access to them.

Irrelevant. Most of grade school education occurs before students can legally drive.

In 1970, the bottom-of-the-line American Motors car was $2,000 (A VW Beetle $1,839.) Now, a Kia K4 LX is $23,535. In 1970, the median income was $8,900, now it's $84.000. Relatively speaking, a new car is now 25% more expensive than in 1970. That's a shame, but it's a better car and it's not "ludicrously expensive."

Troy, N.Y. is a city, not a town, both by the official standards of New York State and the common understanding of what population constitutes a city. What population is needed to qualify as a small town is fuzzy, but the upper limit might be 1,000 or 2,000.