No, actually it was the Solid Rocket Boosters that were reused. After burnout, they were jettisoned at a (relatively) low altitude. The external tank, which stayed connected to the orbiter to a substantially higher altitude did not survive reentry.

So it doesn't anymore?

This. A billion times this! Absolutely! Where are my mod points when I need them?

No more worrying about click throughs or whatever. Imagine your computer or TV just being able to report back to ad central which ads the users are looking at. THAT is the only impetus that would ever push this technology forward into common use in the future. It would, of course, be marketed as a convenience for the user or viewer, but it all comes back to the advertisers wanting to know exactly what the user is focusing on. Don't think for a minute that that information wouldn't be a gold mine to the right people, privacy be further damned!

Negative cost for helium-filled balloons? Hey Tippi Turtle! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQfcbXUpIns

Fat people. Don't forget the fatties. You can slam us... er... them too all you want.

Hear, hear! Exactly spot on!

I think the whole premise is wrong. True "geeks" aren't doing the things they do because they're trying to be in a specific culture or a niche. I think that generally the type of people who are generally considered to be geeky (myself included) happen to have similar interests and views on life. I haven't ever tried to seek out a culture, per se. Rather, the things that I happen to enjoy (computers, trivia, meticulous detail to esoteric things) tend to lead me to things that are considered geeky. As long as people continue to have a drive to do or participate in those kinds of things, there will always be a culture (whether it be mainstream or a subculture) of geekdom. This, though, like any other culture can still have poseurs. And, just like anyone trying to fit into a given role without feeling truly a part of the heart of it, those are the people who will try to overanalyze the ebb and flow of the culture's status vs. the mainstream.

That's true. In fact, I believe the abbreviation CATV originally stood for Community Antenna Television, where large community antennas were put up in areas where reception was limited, and cables were run to the individual houses.

No, Don't panic!

15 years of public school? I can relate. By the time I was in 14th grade, I was pretty bummed out too.