[News] 2013 News (NO POLITICS)

[Giji Shinka]

New discovery simplifies quantum physics, bringing science one step closer to a "Theory of Everything" and revealing uncomfortable implications about the true nature of spacetime. Well, uncomfortable to them, at least.

I don't care if the "truth" is uncomfortable or depressing, I need answers!

[Trajan]

New discovery simplifies quantum physics, bringing science one step closer to a "Theory of Everything" and revealing uncomfortable implications about the true nature of spacetime. Well, uncomfortable to them, at least.

I'm sure they'll find something that changes the entire perception of physics again in a couple of years.

[MAGI_01]

[URL=http://defensetech.org/2013/10/30/first-zumwalt-class-destroyer-launched/?ESRC=deftech.sm]The U.S.S. Zumwalt (DDG 1000) has finally been launched.[/URL]

A beautiful ship in my opinion. Carries a few next-gen technologies... like the Advanced Gun System (range of 83 nautical miles) and is also electrically propelled.

[NemZ]

How the hell is that a destroyer? It looks HUGE.

[arkiel]

[URL=http://defensetech.org/2013/10/30/first-zumwalt-class-destroyer-launched/?ESRC=deftech.sm]The U.S.S. Zumwalt (DDG 1000) has finally been launched.[/URL]

A beautiful ship in my opinion. Carries a few next-gen technologies... like the Advanced Gun System (range of 83 nautical miles) and is also electrically propelled.

http://slashdot.org/story/13/10/18/1752246/uss-zumwalt-a-guided-missile-destroyer-running-on-linux
Linus must be hella proud.

[chee]

Well, I am just shocked I say, SHOCKED, at these revelations about what the NSA has been doing behind our backs. Who would have thought that an organization notorious for legal exemption and extreme secrecy would be doing things that are unethical!? Next you'll be telling me the Soviets had secret police.

[Tribblepoo]

How the hell is that a destroyer? It looks HUGE.

Actually, it looks about the right size to me.

[NemZ]

While technically classified as a destroyer, the type is only 10.3 feet (3.1 meters) shorter than the WWII-era Deutschland-class "pocket battleships", and actually displaces nearly 4000 more tons than a standard-loaded Deutschland. Zumwalt-class destroyers are also both longer and heavier than the Ticonderoga-class cruiser.

[UrsusArctos]

Distinctly 19th-century hull design, questionable maturity of technologies. The Zumwalt is probably going to be a Navy F-35 equivalent, but what the hell.

[MAGI_01]

http://slashdot.org/story/13/10/18/1752246/uss-zumwalt-a-guided-missile-destroyer-running-on-linux
Linus must be hella proud.

Yeah. I was pretty impressed that they went that route with it.

Distinctly 19th-century hull design, questionable maturity of technologies. The Zumwalt is probably going to be a Navy F-35 equivalent, but what the hell.

Yeah, it's spec's are pretty impressive, but specs are nothing if the technology does not perform like it was promised. Only time will tell once it's commissioned and see's some time out at sea as if that is going to be the case here or not.

[Stryker]

bye bye net neutrality?

Also, regarding the Destroyer:

Get ready for this: the skipper of the newest, most futuristic ship the U.S. Navy has ever built is none other than Capt. James Kirk.
Let that settle in for a second.

Almost a full 50 years from the birth of the fictional Capt. James T. Kirk in 1966, the real Capt. James A. Kirk (no relation) is taking the helm of the USS Zumwalt, reports Dylan Stableford of Yahoo News.

[Monk Ed]

Even if net neutrality goes away and companies like Comcast start blocking or limiting things, doesn't that just create an opportunity for someone else (Google?) to create their own ISP service and take their customer base right out from under them?

[Stryker]

I doubt Google would do that.

[Ornette]

I doubt Google would do that.

Uhh... have you been living under a rock for the last 10 years? https://fiber.google.com/about/

[Stryker]

Uhh... have you been living under a rock for the last 10 years? https://fiber.google.com/about/

More like three, considering that Google Fiber was announced in 2010. But, it is important to consider the following:

Time Magazine on September 14, 2012, said that rather than wanting to actually operate as an internet service provider, the company was just hoping to shame the major cable operators into improving their service so that Google searches could be done faster.[39]

With further reading, it suggests that, at most, only 8,000,000 american homes would have access to this, based on how Google has not hinted at changing it's business platform.

So yes, I have been living under a rock. But this rock I have knows a lot about google, as well as access to more information about it. And using these resources, I have come to a conclusion that it is sufficiently unlikely that Google will not attempt to compete with larger ISPs.

have atsu, Ornette.

[Ornette]

Rumor's been around for at least a decade before they officially announced, especially since they've publicly been buying the infrastructure up all over the place, and no, they won't plan on competing if they don't have to, obviously. But the estimates for the amount of "toll" that they'd need to pay, to every service provider, is so absurd that it's cheaper for them to compete. Just do a search for "google fiber net neutrality" for starters.

[Stryker]

Supposing that they do attempt to compete, they wouldn't be able to do it with in the next five years. So far, it is too small in order to be able to cover as many consumers as larger ISPs would.

To add, it is worthy of consideration of the complaints made against google fiber for banning the use of servers in the past. Yes, they have changed their TOS in order to reflect better of their stance on net neutrality, but them changing it would not be surprising in wake of the newly achieved dominance they may (or may not) have over the market. We have seen this before, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it again.

[nervshatter]

Portland, Maine, legalizes weed for recreational use.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/portland-maine-marijuana_n_4221919.html

[Ænimal]

Portland, Maine, legalizes weed for recreational use.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/portland-maine-marijuana_n_4221919.html

baby steps; hopefully this will lead to bigger change

[Dataprime]

FDA taking steps to ban trans fats from US foods

[url]http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/07/health/fda-trans-fats/index.html?hpt=hp_t2[/url]

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday took a step toward
potentially eliminating trans fats from the food supply with a preliminary determination they are no longer "generally recognized as safe."