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Comment Indeed I would (Score 5, Insightful) 956

The school system had the kid arrested. They suspended him for three days and forced him to sign a statement under duress. They allowed the police to interrogate him, on school property, without legal representation or the presence of an adult guardian. You know what they never did?

Evacuate the school

Comment This is just one piece of the puzzle (Score 2) 63

Here's how I envision the gradual expansion of these technologies.

On the one hand we will have the open network; the public roads. Over the next two decades we'll see more and more automation integrated into our cars. Within 10 years we'll have the first vehicle-to-vehicle traffic negotiation devices show up. These will initially negotiate with the road signs, traffic signals and other vehicles. Within 20 years these devices will replace the signs and signals. The red light will be on our dashboard. The speed limit that currently shows on our GPS will have the force of law. At first the driver will be assisted by the automation technology. The computer will only take over when the driver is about to crash or run someone over.

Gradually the computer will take more and more of the driving role. It will park itself. It will brake at intersections. It will let off the brake when the light turns green (but the driver will press the gas to move forward). It will control the speed of the vehicle so the car can't go too fast. If an emergency vehicle approaches the car might pull off the road to let it pass.

In the meantime automation technologies will be integrated into private road and off-road networks. Golf carts will almost certainly be used in such a network. Standardization will allow industry to designate closed roads for moving goods between buildings and then within industrial parks. Then someone will want to connect the industrial park with the airport or seaport. Maybe they take a low use rail line and convert it to a closed road. Cities will probably close off downtown areas to non-automated traffic. People will hail a "cab" to get around downtown and use mass transit to travel outside the city.

As the technology advances the closed and open road systems will start to interact. You might drive to the airport but have your car drop you at the gate and then find a place to park itself. You go shopping and your car pulls up so you can load the groceries. In perhaps 30 years time the industrial system and the public system will be mature. Eventually we reach a tipping point where we just switch everything over to automated transportation.


I expect we'll do away with speed limits altogether. They will probably be replaced with an acceptable speed range. For example, where the speed limit is currently 55 the acceptable speed might be 50-60 mph. Once you integrate vehicle-to-vehicle communications this speed can change with conditions. The speed range on an icy interstate might be 40-50. That same section of highway might go to 70-80 when it's sunny and dry.

Comment Re:Programmed behaviour is programmed behaviour. (Score 1) 451

The solution to this is already being discussed. It seems likely that in the future all cars will be equipt with vehicle-to-vehicle traffic control devices which will negotiate the right of way at intersections. The traffic signal will be on our dashboard.

Comment Re:The Homer! (FP?) (Score 1) 417

It's called the "Emergency Stop Signal" and it's activated by ABS systems. It's required in some European countries. In the US automakers have to apply for special permission to use blinking flashers. Apparently the feature exists in many vehicles already but is disabled by software (and it's illegal to enable the feature in those vehicles). The NHTSA is still studying the issue and will probably have to modify their regulations. My guess is that it will eventually be required for all new vehicles.

Comment Maybe not so funny (Score 1) 213

North Carolina bill S634 goes into effect on December 1 of this year making it illegal to drive in the left lane at any speed under the speed limit unless passing another vehicle or making a left turn. If you're in the left lane and slow down to just below the speed limit that will be all the cause they need to pull you over.

The intent is to get passive-aggressive drivers out of the left lane. In practice this is just going to give one more reason for cops to pull over anyone, any time, for any reason.

Comment Re:I call bullshit (Score 1) 676

information is either classified or it's not, and that's based on the data at it's origination.

Incorrect. Under US law information is not classified until it is assigned a classification. You may think Hillary Clinton is slimy but don't make the mistake of thinking she's stupid. Clinton is a lawyer and she knows exactly how far the law reaches.

To be properly classified, a classification authority (an individual charged by the U.S. government with the right and responsibility to properly determine the level of classification and the reason for classification) must determine the appropriate classification level, as well as the reason information is to be classified. A determination must be made as to how and when the document will be declassified, and the document marked accordingly.

Comment Re:What a clusterfuck (Score 3, Informative) 676


Because state department servers are not secure. The Clinton family learned from experience that their political opponents have free access to dig through anything that's stored on official servers.

Comment Re:I call bullshit (Score 4, Insightful) 676

Do you think a case officer's notes of a meeting with an agent aren't classified just because the case officer doesn't carry around a big red "CLASSIFIED" stamp?

Actually yes. The case officer is responsible for classifying and labelling any document they write before it's distributed.
