It turns out that making thumbnails of an artist's work is not illegal, though offering "full-sized" versions is.

Continue Reading "Thumbnails" on Robertdot …

Both Bush and Blair are being accused of misleading people about Iraq.

Continue Reading "Misled" on Robertdot …

Wired has an article on John Carmack, creator of many game engines (notably Quake III Arena's), but most importantly at this point, the Doom III engine.

Continue Reading "Carmack" on Robertdot …

Wired has an article on the Gumball 3000, a road "race" from San Francisco to Miami.

Continue Reading "Gumball 3000" on Robertdot …

Monday greets the world with two nations poised on the brink of war. The time for judging right and wrong is over. Either there will be a war, or the US will get what it wants.

Continue Reading "Two Nations Poised" on Robertdot …

New Scientist is running a story about an attempt to replace the hippocampus with a computer chip. Assuming it works, there are some metaphysical questions that must be asked, as well as some other stuff.

Continue Reading "Steps to the Posthuman" on Robertdot …

A NYTimes article asks what should we do when secular leader's claims contradict those of religious leaders. Or more forthright, should Catholics back the Pope (pacifist) or Bush (warmonger)*? Is the envoy-of-God's word more important than the conservative-Christian-leader-of-your-nation's? I realize there are more theists on this discussion board than atheists, so I pose this question under related assumptions. I suggest skimming the article before posting...

Continue Reading "Secular vs Religious" on Robertdot …

Because I thought it was pretty crazy, I wanted to say that Mike Tyson knocked out Clifford Etienne in 49 seconds... and that is apparently not the quickest match he's ever had. Check out the article on si.com (even if you don't care, because I don't but I looked anyway).

Continue Reading "OMG, I Posted on SPORTS!" on Robertdot …

We are getting closer to cloaking... How cool is this?

Continue Reading "Invisible" on Robertdot …

The NYTimes is running an article that asks the question: If a computer creates something beautiful, is it art? The article centers on playing chess, and whether it is an art or a math problem. Obviously, computers process chess differently than humans (and not just chess, but everything). That's the difference between a neural network that runs pattern recognition and a number cruncher that runs probabilities.

Continue Reading "Is it Art?" on Robertdot …

Wired wonders whether the chick is a Windows user or a Linux user since she graces both the Linux Expo site and the M$ .Net site...

Continue Reading "A conundrum" on Robertdot …

AP has word that RIAA and Silicon Valley are making negotiations that, somehow, don't seem to benefit much of anything. SV will lobby for the right of RIAA to use hacker (aka DoS) tactics on users pirating music (so long as it doesn't hurt stored data, the network, or invade privacy) and lobby for explicit definition of "fair use", while the RIAA will quit pushing for required DRM (thus, shafting Palladium... ouch).

Continue Reading "Not Quite Quickies, but..." on Robertdot …

While attempting to clean off my LINKS in sH, I checked techTV to see if there was any reason to keep it, and I came across this case mod.

Continue Reading "Case Mods..." on Robertdot …

more bob x predictions

Continue Reading "More Bob" on Robertdot …

Bob X. has made a prediction that Intel will be bowing to AMD in the 64/32 bit chip compatibility market. Worth the read.

Continue Reading "AMD / Intel" on Robertdot …

A story at CTV brings up some older topics from sH (Human Clones!).

Continue Reading "Human Clone May Be Born" on Robertdot …

Few may know about the Mormon doctrine of proxy baptizing. The gist is that a living Mormon can stand in for a dead person, presumably a Mormon's dead relative, and be baptized so that the dead can become Mormon. Kind of like Jesus going to Hell during the three days to tell all the newly damned souls about himself so they may be saved... except totally different.

Continue Reading "Mormon Proxy Baptizing Jews" on Robertdot …

"Physicist Fotini Markopoulou Kalamara has developed a way to connect relativity with quantum theory--while making sure that cause still precedes effect." The theory combines the two theories, AND allows for some concept of non-static time. At least from what I can tell...

Continue Reading "LQG" on Robertdot …

Is it right to hold mentally ill people responsible for their actions? More specifically, is it right to put a mentally ill person to death for murder?

Continue Reading "Kill The Crazies" on Robertdot …

I guess this is an alternative to big bang (free reg. required). It basically covers theory of a multiverse and relates it to bubbles within bubbles. It partially debates how much of our universe is "chance" and how much is "planned"...

Continue Reading "Multiverse" on Robertdot …

GM's search for the H Fuel Cell powered car is really starting to flesh out. I've read several articles, this being the latest. The gist is: everything is drive by wire and all the components are stored on a 11 inch thick chassis that everyone is calling a "skateboard." Perhaps they think they are being clever, but I've read the analogy several times and I don't like it.

Continue Reading "GM Auto-nomy" on Robertdot …

The Vice President of Iraq, Tahn Yassin Ramadan, challenged U.S. leaders to duel with Iraqi leaders. The White House declined the duel.

Continue Reading "Duel" on Robertdot …

It seems that the Baptists can't stop picking on Muhammad. Falwell says he thinks Muhammad was a terrorist. This is added to the Southern Baptist Convention's accusation that he was also a pedophile.

Continue Reading "Now, Jerry Falwell" on Robertdot …

A lawyer mistakenly gives his client, Zacarias Moussaoui (you know, the guy on trial for terrorism), 48 classified FBI documents. Oops.

Continue Reading "Silly Lawyer" on Robertdot …

Representative Howard Berman, a Democrat from Cali. who is backed financially by groups like the RIAA and the MPAA, has introduced a bill that would allow copy-right owners to take preventative measures against individuals sharing their work on peer-to-peer networks without permission from authorities and without fear of repercussion. Such attacks can't harm the user's computer, but we all know what happens when normal people DoS for kicks.

Continue Reading "Convoluted Logic Behind Berman" on Robertdot …

0ur f3w7ur3 !z g0!ng 70 h311.

Continue Reading "1337" on Robertdot …

This article from Wired puts the episode of The Simpsons where Bart released a frog in Australia into perspective.

Continue Reading "Australia's Animal Complex" on Robertdot …

I used to hate Verizon for their ant-criticism tactics (i.e. registering every domain with the combination of "verizon" and "sucks"). Now I don't mind them so much because they are fighting against the RIAA's overwhelmingly greedy desire to bit the hand that fees them. Other ISPs are joining in on the fight.

Continue Reading "Verizon, et. al." on Robertdot …

I wasn't going to say anything about it; the media has overloaded us with enough pointless facts, rehashed testimonies, and violent images to last 4 or 5 life times. However, I was in a position to actually consider the consequences of the events that occurred September 11, 2001.

Continue Reading "One More Down" on Robertdot …

Just so you know, cloned animals are safe to eat.

Continue Reading "Just So You Know..." on Robertdot …