Posts by Chemist

Re: Basic skill of slide rule

The other advantage of slide-rules was that it was 'necessary' to approx. the order of magnitude answer - which was good brain training.

Re: Dear Sir Geoffrey,

"merely a proof that one was in numerous locations at the same time"

Or a cat

Re: Have a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster on me !

"Or 6 pints of beer... "

With two heads on - I assume

Re: ActiveX

"Has anyone found an IP camera that doesn't require an ActiveX plugin to configure, that also doesn't cost too much??"

Well I'd suggest an old Android phone with an app. Or better a Pi with camera running Motion. At client end VLC or in my case ffplay

Re: VNC

"And you have to create huge great holes in the firewall"

Solved by ssh tunneling

Re: "the absence of an MMU was a PITA..."

"I recall the Amiga had a multi tasking OS sans MMU."

It did but any serious glitch would crash the whole system (Guru Meditation)

Re: There's more than one way to skin an app...

"The real skill is in the removal."

Recurses !

Re: Why anyway ?

"I remember arriving in Calais by ferry in the early-1980s. It was lunchtime. French border control/customs were no where to be seen."

I passed through a border about the same time - I think it was Lux.-France. There was a border post but all that was visible was the bottom of a large pair of boots hanging out of the box ( officer attached )

Re: The New Hybrid

The flash point of methanol & octane (for example) is about the same (~12C)

Re: I Don't See The Problem

"At the quantum level, there is uncertainty as to position, or even the outcome. It seems these cards are modelling that behavior."

Point is they're not supposed to be doing that. Even if the algorithms generate deterministic chaotic outputs that wouldn't explain 2 cards being OK

Re: I don't really have a problem with it

"Electric resistive heaters, CPUs and GPUs are very inefficient ways to heat a building."

They are ~ 100 % efficient. Where else does the energy go ? . A desirable use of electricity - that's another matter

Re: Modular reactors are the only real answer.

"The only realistic option will be a new fleet of subsidised CCGTs, and they will then undermine the case for SMR unless SMR also get subsidies."

Agree entirely. Just a glance at the current load on the grid is quite scary. (OK it's very cold but luckily it's windy). The coal/nuclear contribution is ~40%

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

Re: Re:logged in as root and using KDE.....

"Back in the day, sUSe used to have a lovely screen background for anyone logged on as root into a KDE desktop.

Is it still around?"

Don't know - never log into the desktop as root ! No need !

"Quite the opposite. It's a tool that is more than good enough for both "proper" software engineering and quick and dirty analysis*. "

Agreed. I worked (~2003) for a while, on secondment, with our Computational Chemists and was suprised at the extensive use they made of Python. Mind we had an extensive set of in-house and commercial libraries, tools etc.

"We created computers roughly 30 years ago"

What, in 1988 ? I think I'd have remembered that !

( I was taught Physics to A-level ~ mid-sixties by someone who had worked on the Manchester 'Baby' 20 years before BTW)

Re: Michelson-Morley

"A bit like the current vogue for looking back at old medicines for new applications ....."

I'm not giving away any company secret but doing that was always in vogue. Difference these days is that lots of start-ups talk * about it.

* applies to other industries too

Re: What's the nature of a scorpion?

"Well, it's not like I have something to hide. And besides, who would be interested in pictures of my pet/my holiday?""

Well I've not got anything to hide ( except financial stuff naturally) but I do always use ssh to access my systems at home from outside - this is to ensure security so my systems don't become a playground for spammers etc. My system is as secure as I can make it.

Re: Answering a few points in the comments...

"The UK and many other counties have committed themselves to stop selling fossil fueled vehicles."

I thought they'd committed to 'only' allow hybrids to be sold

"Bugger me! I was blaming my phone as it always appeared "

Well for several months after an update my wife's Android phone clobbered the Netgear router (not the access point.) After much experimentation and searching it was banned. Other Android devices like a Nexus 7 did the same. Even walking up to the house was sufficient as other people had found. It suddenly stopped ( presumably after an update ).

Re: Will it be that hard to drink it?

"e. From what I remember the amount of gas trapped in ice is a factor of formation speed, temperature, pressure and doubtless a few other factors not least gravity."

Depends on when the ice formed. The atmospheric pressure on the Martian surface is very low now.(~0.06% Earth and mostly carbon dioxide)

"I don't think the 6800 (6809??) had anything like 6000 op codes."

6809

I was referring to the very extensive set of addressing-modes. which combined with the basic instructions generated ~~6000 op-codes. The data sheet mentions 1464 instructions.

Re: but they took a clear decision

"There's absolutely no point in having a referendum if you're going to ignore the result, so it was morally binding, if not legally so."

There is if a gov. is looking for an indication of strong/weak/marginal support for a proposal. In any case almost all ref. require a significant margin esp. for such a major change

Re: So, 2018 will be the year of the Linux desktop because of Gnome?

"Because, if the words "apt-get" or "go to the command line and type...""

If you don't want to use the command-line use a distro where you don't have to - there are plenty available. Ditto with updates

Re: Mars Orbit?

"The Tesla roadster is not being sent into orbit around Mars"

No, no. It's actually a black Tesla, with a black interior being driven into the sun.

(Cheers Douglas)

Re: About virtual empathy …

"My watch recently wished me a happy new year"

My watch knew when it was midnight !

Re: Huge Baby Huge

" Are the Linux patches similar?"

The OpenSUSE one was ~52MB download for kernel & just had a 2.6MB Intel u-code update. Don't know if there will be more.

Re: If you want Ubuntu laptops there is System 76.

"Nimbusoft seem to be all sold out, but I'm looking at Entroware."

Worth looking at PCSpecialists too. OS free so you'd need to install yourself - I've got a 4 year old i7 which installed OpenSUSE without a prob. ( I'm typing on it now). They don't support Linux officially but if you select 'No OS' they'll ask if you want Linux and point you to their Linux forum.

Re: Not used since 1980

"My MK14 from ~1980 still works. Never quite got round to fitting it with thrusters or it most certainly wouldnt."

Now that is an obsolete assembly language machine code. Well I hope it is obsolete. I used to write for it with a typewriter !

And, yes, I've also still got one

Re: How worse than Single User Mode?

"Can we login without password on any linux distro from login screen? It is the case here."

Good of you to join to ask that question. !

The answer ( for all the ones I use) is NO

"Sure it's security through obscurity, but obscurity worked for Linux for years."

MS should also try publishing the source (from year 1 ) then - see how that works out

"The sooner we get rid of the knobheads the better."

Whilst we can probably agree on that it's clear that with the statistic quoted about 1 fatality in 1e8 miles it's going to take (as mentioned) a lot of testing before a) people, b) insurance companies are persuaded and then people will be put-off by the likely extra cost and (presumably) the maintenance ( sensors/computers etc. will need checking, upgrading and certifying ) regularly.

"Camping with a projector to watch a movie while I poke the campfire ?"

Camping with a projector to watch a movie of a campfire do you mean ?

Re: So I'm liable for my Volkswagon exceeding CO2 emissions?

"The software change appears to ruin fuel economy if you see before/after tales from drivers that have had it done,"

Well I had my Touran 'fixed' in April. Traveling to Switzerland ( a 3 times a year 1700 mile trip) returns 54-55mpg exactly the same as the previous 12 trips.

Re: Forth

"That would make it a fine language to compile into".

Indeed it would but the benefit to me was I needed no other support other than an ability to lay-out & etch PCBs and a self-written serial terminal program. This was a long time ago (certainly pre-1985) when hardware was expensive and I was a relatively poor chemist. Still have the hardware somewhere ( in an enormous case).