5821

Technology & Information / Re: Ask Rushy about Bitcoins.

« on: June 09, 2014, 10:13:17 AM »

This is when a thread should be locked

Incorrect.
Bitcoins have not crashed in value.

5822

Technology & Information / Re: Ask Rushy about Bitcoins.

« on: June 08, 2014, 08:46:39 PM »

So the merchant will get apples

How does he get apples? Does he just take them like a theif?

What Rushy said.
Or he trades them with something else.  Or someone owes him a debt.

5823

Technology & Information / Re: Ask Rushy about Bitcoins.

« on: June 08, 2014, 01:41:25 PM »

Honestly, I don't think most people did that kind of complex bartering.  Leave that to the merchants.

How can a merchant operate without some kind of abstract means of indicating value?

Being a merchant means you can estimate value.
Ex:
Merchant knows that Appleville has lots of apples but almost no pigs.
Merchant also knows that pig town (a few days trip) has lots of pigs.  He also knows that their apple pie festival is next week. 

So the merchant will get apples and trade them for pigs which he will then trade for more apples.  Or vice versa. 
As a merchant he knows the supply and demand of the area he peddles so he can anticipate who would buy what.
Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses.

5824

Science & Alternative Science / Re: Solar Roadways

« on: June 08, 2014, 12:12:10 PM »

Meanwhile, nuclear power plants (the resolution of all our problems, our energetic lord and saviour) are being slammed down by the very same people who consider moving away from coal a priority.

but what if we get chernobyl'd? Who will save us when all the nuclear plants meltup? WILL SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?

As we have proven in another thread: The kids ain't all right.

5825

Technology & Information / Re: Ask Rushy about Bitcoins.

« on: June 08, 2014, 12:06:43 PM »

Then why would I trade for pigs in the first place? What kind of logic runs in your head? It needs a firmware update.

Because the person selling fire wood wants shoes. And the person selling shoes wants candles. And the person selling candles wants horses. And the person selling horses wants pigs.

Honestly, I don't think most people did that kind of complex bartering.  Leave that to the merchants.

5826

Technology & Information / Re: C++

« on: June 04, 2014, 09:03:21 PM »

Further research tells me it's not exactly easy to do on windows. ugh

Basically, what I want to do is take the output from my code and format it on a png file. halp.

http://pngwriter.sourceforge.net/howto_msvc.php
This seems pretty simple.

5827

Science & Alternative Science / Re: Solar Roadways

« on: June 03, 2014, 05:26:24 PM »

They're right rooster.
When snow hits the ground but doesn't stick (ie it melts) the ground is giving up energy to the snowflake.  If enough snow flakes fall, the ground could get cold enough to not be able to melt the snow anymore and it begins to stick.


Anyway...

You guys are looking at the cost and comparing it to road construction.  And it's significantly cheaper.  Even with liberal estimates repaving all the roads in the US wouldn't cost even close to the national budget.  (which makes me wonder where all the transportation money goes...)

Anyway the problem is that this road has 4 functions, not just 1.
1. Road. (paint, cat eyes, etc...)
2. Utility channel.
3. Storm Drainage
4. Power generation.

Start adding all that together and it starts looking like the cost of the solar roadways.

But I realized something, the solar roadways could destroy our economy.

Consider:
Right now, you can sell back power to power companies.  So if the government (local, state, federal depending on road) were to have a bunch of solar panels, where does the power go?  Why to the local power company.  It's sold back.  This means money for the government.  But the power company just lost a ton of money.  How much money can they lose and still stay in business?

We can apply this to home solar.  How much money can the power companies lose by having to "buy back" energy before they have to close up shop?  How high would the per kwh have to be to make ends meet when everyone has solar panels?  So the government would have to either take over OR offer subsidies.  Energy excess is a very serious problem.

If the government had to offer subsides, the subsidies would definitely be larger than the actual cost and it would cost governments MORE to have the same service.

5828

Science & Alternative Science / Re: Solar Roadways

« on: June 03, 2014, 12:25:23 AM »

Are you guys all really arguing that the entire project would be too much all at once?

Really?
The idea that we'd do this all at once is just as silly as the idea that we'd build all of America's roads all at once.  Or America's rail way system.

5829

Science & Alternative Science / Re: Solar Roadways

« on: May 30, 2014, 09:58:25 AM »

Thank you for giving the one obvious example Dave.  Is that the standard?

Would you like a less obvious one?  I'm sure I can pull up Google maps and play around for a while.

5830

Science & Alternative Science / Re: Solar Roadways

« on: May 29, 2014, 11:05:06 PM »

The only slope issue I can see being a problem is windy mountain roads.

  Do you think that city streets are all straight and level?  Lots of cities are built on and around hills and other undulating terrains.

You can do better than that markjo.  Do these roads consist of sharp turns and steep inclines and declines?

5831

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Google Self Driving Car

« on: May 29, 2014, 10:59:45 PM »

Or you could just shoot it.

But if that thing can carry hundreds of pounds, what's to keep it from being built with very thick armor that's impenetrable to anything but anti-tank weapons?

5832

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Google Self Driving Car

« on: May 29, 2014, 10:56:14 PM »

These are skynet cars.

I was thinking the other day that Google is Skynet. Google Glass and now these cars. They'll be spying on us constantly.

Its way worse than that.
http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/16/technology/google-boston-dynamics-robots/index.html

Google is definitely Skynet.

When I first saw these, the first thing I thought was what would be the best way to destroy one. You can't tip them over, but the engine is exposed, so it would probably be taken out with a rifle round or two. The final versions will probably have some type of armor plating though. I hate to see how advanced they'll be in ten years.

I'd imagine a strong magnetic field above it would do the job.
Or just an EMP.

Yea, that's a smart idea. Then you fry your electronics too. Or you could just shoot it.

1. Assuming you have electronics on you when fighting this thing.


2.

 

5833

Science & Alternative Science / Re: Solar Roadways

« on: May 29, 2014, 10:53:23 PM »

I think you'd potentially be missing out on one of the major upsides of this technology if you did this, the defrosting.  Northern latitudes and mountains terrain are particularly susceptible to snow and ice accumulation and leads to list business during the winter.  This would help keep the roads clear of snow and ice and would probably keep businesses and across open 90% of the time.

The problem with this is energy usage. While it sounds great, the amount of energy necessary to heat the panels enough to melt snow is tremendous. In winter months the panels would burn more energy than they create.

How much is required?
It doesn't have to get to any great temperature, just enough to keep snow from collecting.

5834

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Google Self Driving Car

« on: May 29, 2014, 10:49:15 PM »

These are skynet cars.

I was thinking the other day that Google is Skynet. Google Glass and now these cars. They'll be spying on us constantly.

Its way worse than that.
http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/16/technology/google-boston-dynamics-robots/index.html

Google is definitely Skynet.

When I first saw these, the first thing I thought was what would be the best way to destroy one. You can't tip them over, but the engine is exposed, so it would probably be taken out with a rifle round or two. The final versions will probably have some type of armor plating though. I hate to see how advanced they'll be in ten years.

I'd imagine a strong magnetic field above it would do the job.
Or just an EMP. 

5835

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Google Self Driving Car

« on: May 29, 2014, 10:44:13 PM »

As I understand it, Google has been driving it's prototype cars (not this design but ones with actual controls just in case) for over 2 years.  It's only been in 2 accidents, neither of which was it's fault.

On roads with other cars? Post link please.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car

5836

Technology & Information / Re: Ask Rushy about Bitcoins.

« on: May 29, 2014, 09:49:25 PM »

If more and more large businesses and services start taking bitcoin as payment, will the currency stabilize?

5837

Technology & Information / Re: Avoiding Viruses with Linux as my web browser

« on: May 29, 2014, 08:33:32 PM »

Well it seems it's even easier than I thought...

http://gizmodo.com/how-the-icloud-hack-holds-ios-devices-hostage-for-ran-1583281606?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_facebook&utm_source=lifehacker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

I guess apple allows for the locker of a phone to send a message and that's how it appears. 

Take note friends:
If someone get's your apple ID info, they control your phone.
Unless you didn't sign your phone up for "find my phone" then it's safe.  Ironic, no?

5838

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Google Self Driving Car

« on: May 29, 2014, 03:00:18 AM »

Because they have to pay for the energy the robots use.
They have to pay for the labor in building the robots.
They have to pay for maintaining the robots.

They want money.

No, if robots do everything, there is no labour. There is nothing to pay for.

You said most, not all.

5839

Technology & Information / Re: Battle for Wesnoth...

« on: May 29, 2014, 02:58:43 AM »

Yes it is.

5840

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Google Self Driving Car

« on: May 29, 2014, 01:38:49 AM »

But the people who own the machines will demand money for the product. 
Therefore, the access to resources would not exist for those who do not work.

Why would they demand money if work doesn't exist?

Because they have to pay for the energy the robots use.
They have to pay for the labor in building the robots.
They have to pay for maintaining the robots.

They want money.