metadigital

Great articles. I particularly liked the cold fusion one (not just because I remember vividly the controversy of the last cold fusion claim ), because I liked this quote: ... For the time being, don't expect fusion to become a readily available energy option. The current cold fusion apparatus still takes much more energy to start up than you get back out, and it may never end up breaking even. In the mean time, the crystal-fusion device might be used as a compact source of neutrons and X-rays, something that could turn out to be useful making small scanning machines. But it really may not be long until we have the first nuclear fusion-powered devices in common use. ... (my emphasis). I am wearied by the constant dictum that science should be pragmatic, that any "blue sky" research-for the-sake-of-it is contra-indicated; sure the most capital is generated by the practical applications of new technology; but if we don't keep investing in "dream science" -- what is the SF of today -- then we are only lessening our mutual scientific inheritence in ways we cannot even imagine.

What a great site. I hadn't seen this before: Adams' GPP

There's a bunch of captured asteroids that are all vying to be a tenth planet after Pluto in the Kuiper Belt (mentioned in the article) and the Oort Cloud. The fact that its orbit is so irregularly eliptical means it is difficult to include it as a planet: It is currently 90 times the Earth-Sun distance away (149 million km or 93 million miles), but its orbit can take it 10 times further away still. (Yes, I know that Pluto has an eliptical orbit that, during the last twenty years of the last century, meant that Neptune was the furtherest planet from the Sun.) I guess it would come down to the plane that the planetoid rotates in (as all our Solar System planets orbit in the same plane). Another good (older) Sci-Am article about it

It's not for the PC I like the tradegian ... ... Still the four main characters all sound like extras from an aryan slumber party ...

What's his number?

Of course he will. (I just had to play it again, it is so funny.) Re: your raping friends; there is nothing else for it, you just have to buy a top-of-the-range computer and monitor and joystick and practice eight-to-ten hours a day until you can rape them.

Yep, Civ 2 was a better game, imo (I haven't played Alpha Centauri, so perhaps that is better than Civ2: certainly it sounds better than Civ3). I heard that Civ4 won't let spies let off tactical nukes in enemy cities. Your point about genocide and bad lessons is interesting, but if you look at war throughout history (apart from a few romantic battles in the middle ages) war was about genocide. The Romans were past masters at this: they would raze a rebellious settlement as an example to their neighbours. In the long run, this "cruel to be kind" (tongue firmly in cheek) tactic actually did prevent more bloodshed (the end justified the means?), as the Roman Republic and Empire yielded Pax Romana. Of course the genocides of previous millennia are nothing compared to the percentage of civilian casualties seen in the last century, rising from in the order of 10% to 90% ...

I was to stop playin ''Warcraft III the reign of chaoos'' for a few days cos of the hardness of killing 100 people in one city before crypt lord does in one chapter (I think it was chap5). I think this was one of the hedest chap in the reign of chaous. After finishing this, I've bought the frozen throne. I don't remember a chap too hard to finish, but I can say that the final chap was alittle hard. The key was chosin strategically correct obelisk to invade first, so try again I think u can make it through the final chap. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You misunderstand me; I did not stop playing Frozen Throne because it was difficult, I stopped because I didn't want to play the wood elves and the scenario held no interest for me: it was tedious, not difficult.

I like it. Then again, I like gambling; I used to be a blackjack croupier, so I am into card games. There is some skill involved, so it is not entirely a one-armed bandit. Sounds like you need to research some tactics, and get a better side-deck. For example, there are at least two different tactics: fill your side deck with negative cards and keep drawing cards in the game to reach twenty, or lots of positive cards to convert a small total into twenty. The

Yes, because there are plenty of tough street gangs just waiting for a computer nerd to walk down to them, asking if he can join. Actually, if he does that, he doesn't even have to join to get shot at! :D <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Actually, gangs offer many employment opportunities to nerds. Let's just say they aren't so good at figuring out weights and get ripped off in their drug deals rather often. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That is blatant gangism. I will not stand for such bigotry; sweeping generalisations about the numeracy (or lack thereof) of gang members is a canker on our society. (And go to Church.)

If you want some disestablishmentarian SF then I recommend some Robert Heinlein (doesn't really matter which, they are all pretty much the same); personally I really rather enjoyed Job (as in a modern parable of the biblical figure quoted in Ezekiel and the Epistle of James). Most of Heinlein's plots were just rehashes of Starship Trooper-type Earth near-future societies (which he wrote, e.g. Stranger in a Strange Land).

Have you changed the expression on your avatar, Silver? You look more contemplative. Or is that incredulity? Scathing pity? Flatulence?

1. There is no evidentiary support for your supposition that the Force is not controlling the universe and creating a pre-destiny for all the (relevant/significant/all) members. It is just another opinion; another interpretation of the historical events. Part of the problem is that the films are pretty shallow when it comes to philosophical exegesis, too. 2. He wasn't destined to be a killer Sith. He was "the chosen one" (Aside: ) who was predestined to "balance the force". Well, after he finishes all his work, the only Force sensitives left alive are Luke and Leia: that pretty much razes the LS/DS equation to zero. (Endless arguments can also be made as to the exact alignment of Luke and Leia: certainly Luke used some feelings of hate to defeat Vader, and he "felt" the "good" (LS) in his father.) 3. Why is the Force wanting to kill itself silly? Are you immortal? Do you know what it's like to live forever? The motivations, aspirations of an essence or even a godling? Perhaps it is just the time for the Force to renew itself in another cycle, and that requires a termination to this cycle (whatever a cycle is, and whatever "terminating" and "renewal" mean to the Force and the universe, of course ... ) 4. Actually, this is about the tenth thread like this, and I haven't voted. :D

Life is too short for such misadventure, Silver

What did you have in mind? A Gaussian triangular number? A pythagorian triad? The definition of an hypotenuse? Similar triangle proofs? Logarithms? Please leave your example after the beep. >beep<

You may lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. Just provide all the information and let people make an informed decision. End of thread. (")

QXGA

Success! The website exists and is reachable. I say again Houston we have green on the browser, over.

The League of Nations is about half a century away, Baley, so there is no-one to hear your protest. Baley protests.

... And that's an awesome Nooooooooo! I've never seen that one before. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ditto.

Be thankful of that. It's the only reason single-player games still exist <{POST_SNAPBACK}> OTOH there is some serious prize money for online conbatants, now. South Korea leads, IIRC, but there are a couple of tournaments and it is relatively easy to make a modest income (considering it as work, training like a professional athlete): can you imagine the tax return, "Occupation: virtual athlete". :D

It's not like you would get anything else with the retail version... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Certainly not on Steam ...! Unless they mailed a thankyou souvenir widget, post facto. More likely they would just include a months free subscription to an adult website.

sixteen hex-a-decimal. six-and-ten. sixteen. (Irony may bring this thread crashing down around our fingers ...)

I must have better luck with travelling: I picked up Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now and didn't get stomache problems on my journey through Indonesia ... Great book, I highly recommend it, especially if you think the modern entrepreneurs and their disingenuous and Machiavellian tactics are new to the twentieth century ...

Same problem when entering http://www.drakeshangout.com/albums/userpics/10001/244.jpg into a browser address window. must need a cookie on your system, or some other secret.