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Comment Marshall Savage's "The Millennial Project" (Score 1) 309

by zanel (#34189966) Attached to: Engineers Propose Lily Pad-Like Floating Cities
This concept was explored in much greater detail in Marshall Savage's book "The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in 8 Easy Steps" (look it up on Wikipedia...) Honestly, I like Savage's methodology better- use OTEC (power generation through ocean temperature differentials)power to accrete/ grow your building materials from seawater. But then again, all this sort of thing is blue-water blue-skying....
Games

An Early Look At DC Universe Online 60

Posted by Soulskill from the with-x-ray-vision dept.
Joystiq got the opportunity to spend some time playing an early version of Sony's DC Universe Online . Though the MMO won't be released for perhaps a year, the developers seem to have created a solid foundation for an entertaining and innovative game. GameDaily is running an interview with Marv Wolfman, a comic veteran who recently joined the DCUO team. From Joystiq: "DCUO is very much an action MMO, with few game mechanics decided by the roll of the algorithmic dice. The game controls much like most third-person action titles, with standard light and heavy (charge-sensitive) attacks, a jump action and an interact button (notably, used to pick up cars). Super moves are mapped to the same four face buttons (when using the PS3 gamepad; a keyboard and mouse will be compatible with the console version, too) and are activated using L2 and R2 toggles. In total, up to eight super moves are easily accessible at any given time. Our character could fire ice balls and freezing rays at opponents, melee them with blocks of ice, or conveniently freeze them inside larger blocks, for example. A simple targeting mode (accessed by holding R1) locks the game camera onto an opponent for focused attacks. ... DC Universe Online isn't trying to strictly clone today's success models. SOE is making genuine efforts to build what could be the best superhero game ever conceived, and we're excited to watch it grow."
Space

Submission + - New Theory Explains Periodic Mass Extinctions

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: The theory that the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid impact, the K-T extinction, is well known and supported by fossil and geological evidence. Asteroid impact theory does not apply to the other fluctuations in biodiversity, however, which follow an approximate 62 million-year cycle. As reported in Science news, a new theory seems to explain periodic mass extinctions. The new theory found that oscillations in the Sun relative to the plane of the Milky Way correlate with changes in biodiversity on Earth. The researchers suggest that an increase in the exposure of Earth to extragalatic cosmic rays causes mass extinctions. Here is the original paper describing the finding.
OS X

Using Safari Slows Your System? 242

Posted by kdawson from the need-for-speed dept.
sandoz writes "Macenstein has up an interesting article with some evidence that running Safari seems to slow down unrelated programs. While the speed with which a browser renders a Web page is an important measure, the difference between browsers is usually a matter of a few seconds at most. To my mind, a more important measure of speed is how a browser affects the overall speed of your system." Some responses to the article suggest that memory handling in WebKit may be the culprit. The Safari developers have already responded to this article on the webkit.org blog. They explain why the slowdown might be occurring and how it's (probably) already been fixed in the nightly build. And they request more minimal test cases.
PlayStation (Games)

Journal Journal: Will the Wii's Success help Playstation 3? 2

Journal by fistfullast33l

The Wii currently is the hottest item on the block. You can't find it in stores at all and it's all the rage on the internets. Early fanboy reports imply that the Wii is the king of the next generation, and that the 360 and the PS3 will just be afterthoughts. Obviously, it's way to early to tell this. However, a more important fact is pointed out by the success of the Wii. Third party developers will be listening and acting on this. The Wii will begin to gain momentum, and business sens

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