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Comment: A.I. is still hard, Self-Awareness not on map (Score 2) 551

Given that China's recent supercomputer can't find enough work at the rates they have to charge to cover their electric bill, it seems to me that any such problem would be as simple as pulling the plug and waiting for the batteries to die down.

I'm also mystified as to how one gets a deterministic device to have volition and self-awareness --- Heinlein could handwave this by declaring that after a certain number of transistors a device ``woke up'' and became aware (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress), Marvin Minsky sidestepped it neatly (The Turing Option), and Victor Milán had to posit algorithms which produced random results and bolt on a radioactive cannister whose decay was used as a source of random input (The Cybernetic Samurai).

Comment: Re:Well that sucks! (Score 1) 484

by WillAdams (#47316111) Attached to: Supreme Court Rules Against Aereo Streaming Service

Building the right antenna helps a lot for OTA TV:


I had to build one when the local PBS affiliate reduced their power output when the other stations went digital --- also location, had to run a cable upstairs and put the antenna behind the sofa (have to move it to the window when the weather is bad --- my wife won't let me hang it on the wall).

Comment: Re:One Problem (Score 1) 619

by WillAdams (#47281139) Attached to: 2 US Senators Propose 12-Cent Gas Tax Increase

The bad thing is the per-axle nature of the vehicle taxes actually encourages the design of tractor-trailor designs which do even more damage --- change it to a tax based on GVW divided by the contact area of the tires (and do a tire tax based on the mass of the tire) and you'd encourage the design of vehicles which aren't so hard on the roads.

Comment: Re:FF Motorcycle Solved? (Score 1) 218

Agree, it's an interesting solution.

If the price point were more like to that of Elio Motors, $6,800: http://www.eliomotors.com/

it'd be a lot more interesting, and I'm certainly looking forward to seeing someone make an electric version of the Elio or something like it.

(who rode his daughter's bicycle in to work today)

Comment: Re:interesting (Score 1) 247

by WillAdams (#47203749) Attached to: Mayday Anti-PAC On Its Second Round of Funding


I think it'd be a reasonable start to limit political contributions to:

  - no amount larger than $100 (make this a multiple of the current minimum wage so that the law doesn't need to be up-dated)
  - must be done as a check or money order written out by hand
  - must arrive in an envelope w/ no other funds (though as many pages of letter as the sender deems fit).

And/or, let's repeal the 17th amendment and go back to having state legislatures electing Senators --- but put in some checks and balances that the voters' will needs to be followed.

Comment: Re:Why not ask for a Jet Engine on a Motorcycle? (Score 1) 321

by WillAdams (#47109523) Attached to: I Want a Kindle Killer

Jet engine on motorcycle --- MarineTurbine 2000: http://www.marineturbine.com/d...

Agree, the OP would be better served by a Surface or similar device --- my problem w/ the most recent crop of them (I need to replace my Fujitsu Stylistic ST-4121):

  - display not daylight viewable --- no one seems to use a transflective LCD aside from some ruggedized units intended for military/police use
  - moving away from Wacom stylus technology --- the Surface 3 uses an N-Trig digitizer, and I've had my fill of AAAA batteries and weird driver support issues
