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Comment: Re:90 day budget (Score 2) 184

by k6mfw (#46475351) Attached to: Mars Rover Opportunity Faces New Threat: Budget Ax
Now I want to know what components and parts were selected to make it last so long. Especially in terms of robotics having to deal with virtual vacuum (cannot use typical lubricants), dust and dirt didn't stop its gears (was it lunar dust that caused Chinese lunar rover to fail early in mission?). I think this needs continual funding with requirement of "alrighty how many more years will it last until it really bites the dust?"

Comment: Scott McNealy: Dump PP to increase productivity (Score 1) 181

by k6mfw (#46428343) Attached to: Physics Forum At Fermilab Bans Powerpoint

Some years ago an article mentioned Scott McNealy noticed amount of data being sent back and forth, and also amount of time people spending on preparing PPT. So he banned Powerpoint and there was noticeable increase in productivity, people actually doing stuff instead of futzing with PPT slides (though I also heard there was zero MS products on desktop computers at Sun so not sure how PPT was originally in place). For me when I do PPT, I typically do it in MS Word with pages in landscape orientation, then save it as PDF. When I gotta do PPT, I try to keep minimal cutesy graphics.

But maybe the whole concept of PPT type slides including old school viewgraphs and charts leads to people making bullet lists that contain contradictions. Like what Feynman pointed out of a slide NASA used for describing Shuttle ops and priorities and he marked two sentences that contradict each other, which was a contributing factor of leading to dangerous situations. I can't remember the details but it was one of those "yeow, we actually made that mistake?!?" moments.

Comment: Re:Microsoft should have... (Score 1) 248

by k6mfw (#46413601) Attached to: Steve Ballmer Blew Up At the Microsoft Board Before Retiring

Many people don't upgrade because they don't know how, or don't want to have to start from scratch.

yes, I never upgrade unless I'm forced to do so. But instead of upgrading I get a new computer. For me upgrades is same as tons-of-time-spent-on-computer-doing-crippy-crappy-time-wasting-chores-and-in-the-end-it-ain't-gonna-work-anyways.

Comment: Why Do We Study Math in School? (Score 1) 231

by k6mfw (#46401363) Attached to: Teaching Calculus To 5-Year-Olds

from a elementary school teacher in 1990s:

Because it's hard and we have to learn hard things at school. We learn easy stuff at home like manners.
Corrine, Grade K

Because it always comes after reading.
Roger, Grade 1

Because all the calculators might run out of batteries or something.
Thomas, Grade 1

Because it's important. It's a law from President Clinton and it says so in the Bible on the first page.
Jolene, Grade 2

Because you can drown if you don't.
Amy Beth, Grade K

Because what would you do with your check from work when you grow up?
Brad, Grade 1

Because you have to count if you want to be an astronaut. Like 3... 2... 1... blast off!
Michael, Grade 1

Because you could never find the right page.
Maryanne, Grade 1

Because when you grow up, you couldn't tell if you are rich or not.
Raji, Grade 2

Because my teacher could get sued if we don't. That's what she said. Any subject we don't know--wham! She gets sued. And she's already poor.
Corky, Grade 3

Comment: Drill and Kill (Score 1) 231

by k6mfw (#46401301) Attached to: Teaching Calculus To 5-Year-Olds
that's what teachers call "timed tests." Very popular because easy to prepare, conduct, and grade. But getting into stuff like the number line, proportions, ratios, rates of change, etc. it becomes abstract. However, I wish I was given the number line and also do graphs in elementary school instead of waiting for college. I mean a number line that shows negative numbers. No need to get into complex graphs but can do stuff like plot quantities of stuff compared to other things.

Comment: paper maps? (Score 1) 142

by k6mfw (#46368401) Attached to: Using Handheld Phone GPS While Driving Is Legal In California

They are still around but soon they will be no more. You will have to subscribe to a cellphone service and have a connection (lots of luck in rural areas). There is nav systems built into cars that contains maps in memory (but have to pay I heard a few hundreds every year to upgrade). Call me a luddite but I liked the Thomas Guides (map page and grid). Unlike large foldout maps, these are like a book. With paper maps I can quickly look at general spot of my destination, then do an overview on how to get there, then zoom in with my eyes to see specifics and cross streets. But the Thomas Guides are now out of print, I heard new versions are all screwed up.

These days you address by GPS coordinates (great for flying a helicopter or firing a cruise missile) but give me an address. These car nav systems are kind of dumb if you ask me. Ok so you key in the address and it will speak specific directions. But geez I don't want it to say, "turn on El Camino, drive 1.73 miles, turn right to enter hwy 85. turn left to 280, turn. " I know how to get on freeway to SF, it is the specific address in the big city I am interested in seeking.

I don't like using maps such as http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ on smartphones, screen too small to see detail unless I zoom in but then lose the overview.

Comment: Re:Can someone please explain (Score 1) 69

by k6mfw (#46339271) Attached to: Astronomers Catch Asteroid Striking Moon On Video

...Why this impact apparently emitted so much light?

I get that the asteroid probably had a LOT of kinetic energy,

yes, an asteroid in motion has a lot of kinetic energy. I ask same question considering the rock was not equipped with pyrotechnics and no O2 on the moon. And yet FLASH! it must be physics when a multi-ton rock comes to a screeching halt, energy has to go someplace. Besides light, think of the heat generated. There's probably slabs of cooled molten soil all around. Let's see, maybe I'll look into my Resnick and Halliday and do some calculations.

Comment: Good reasons for regulation (Score 1) 742

by k6mfw (#46317933) Attached to: "Microsoft Killed My Pappy"

Going somewhat OT, it's not that Microsoft is evil, they are a corporation. A corporation is a machine, it has no conscious, no feelings, no empathy towards humans. This is why you can have lots of people with good intentions but they are in a machine that proceeds along its way. Of course there are those at the helm that can steer direction but I wonder if some of these corporations have become so big (i.e. those with one name but several different kinds of enterprises) that direction is dictated by stock markets and whatnot. Way back when these "machines" became so powerful it was necessary for The People through elected officials to create regulatory agencies such as FDA, SEC and the Fed. (though in reality their creations were not as simple as what I just wrote). Many of these govt agencies exist but fallen to regulatory capture, SEC and Fed are excellent examples of failing to prevent stock market abuses that have bankrupted US (both country and us commoners).

Communism was envisioned as a way to regulate corporations by creating a government where private businesses can exist, get rid of business that gets rid of problems big businesses create. This seems a good idea but only applicable for two-tier societies of very rich and very poor but difficult to implement when you have a middle class or trying put everyone on equal scales. And then there's the old joke of Capitalism is where man exploits man, Communism it's the other way around.

Comment: Re:Farmers wasting large amounts of water (Score 1) 362

by k6mfw (#46290807) Attached to: California Fights Drought With Data and Psychology, Yielding 5% Usage Reduction

I kid you not, said to the interviewer, "Why do farmers need all that water anyway? Why can't they buy their food at a grocery store like everyone else?" Just. Wow.

Yep, and along those lines the bumper sticker says, "Food comes from farms, not supermarkets." In central Calif along highway 5 there are lots of signs of "Feinstein/Boxer/Pelosi created the water crisis." And it's these areas which only Republicans hold seats. Though large part of central Calif population are immigrants so they can't vote, but that's another story. Overall, vast majority of voting population of California are in cities so farm policies/plans don't seem to get much attention in the legislature. I wonder if better use of water can be done. I've not spent time but I'd like to see some numbers of water users. i.e. industries, farms, residence, etc. Where is most effective use? It seems most have not a clue. Getting back to farms, they want "their" water but much of it comes from other areas. Fortunately it is one big state. I wonder if it were two states or smaller states if there could be a war started between the two battling over water. I don't have the answers but it has to be a balanced approach. Farms need water or we'll all starve. Cities need water because that's where the people are. Water should not be drained completely from wildlife regions, huge break in ecosystem can have huge ramifications on everything. i.e. what happens if several critters go extinct when food chain broken. i.e. honey bees all disappear and many plants fail to get pollinated.
