Posts by David

US team create carbon nanotube ultra-memory

Re: SuperTim

Yes, lots of things, like the space elevator for a start.

I'm frankly embarrassed that physicists working on these kind of projects are so poorly trained that they don't understand some of the most fundamental concepts of materials engineering (which almost any physics student in this country will tell you is nothing more than physics with all the hard maths taken out).

Fundamental concepts like... the equilibrium concentration of thermal defects, fracture mechanics, sp2/sp3 hybridization and all those other 'little' problems affecting the scaling of the achievable mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. When it's 2nm long it's all fine and good at 1/3 of the theoretical strength, but when the strongest carbon structure past 2mm is weaker than the majority of low-grade steels and still hellishly difficult to make... well, draw your own conclusions.

Have a quick read of the 'Gigatubes' section of this, if you want a much better scientists' explanation;

http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans/2005/MST7118.pdf

I don't dispute that materials on the sub micro-scale have behaviours that are exciting and unusual, but the very nature of the beast means that they don't scale very well. You can have one end or the other. Not both.

Tesla recalls Roadsters

Unsurprising....

So, business as usual for Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious, then...?

Sims 3 pirated 180,000 times in three days

Hard habit to break...

...And by that, I don't mean breaching copyright, I mean despising EA and their putrid, over-milked franchises so much that you'd do anything to stop the slime from makign another cent on their games...

Just another viewpoint. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of crooks.

Bush Obama sides with RIAA in P2P fight

Shut your face, you moron

I think you'll find AC @ 05:20, that what concerns those still interested in the ephemeral nature of justice, not the spiteful revenge and petty schadenfreude the noble concept has been twisted into between your ears, is that the punishment should fit the crime, and when a private organisation - anyone see the parallels with an august British institute? - is entitled to demand sums of money the defendant couldn't make in their LIFETIME as restitution for a crime that is more misdemeanour, then everyone still left with an ounce of moral fibre should resist with every such ounce.

F***ing jackass troll.

Nanotech researchers create the world's smallest writing

Does *anyone* know their scales?

Smaller than an atom?

0.3 nanometers?

When atoms are classically measured in fractions of an Angstrom?

So, not only full of bull and shamelessly milking the nanowagon for dollar, but innumerate, too? That's the kind of researchers we want :-)

Western Digital uncages ferocious VelociRaptor data hunting drive

Western Digital Reliability

Adding fuel to that fire....

Of the major four, I've never lost a WD drive, in twelve years of building and configuring. Only recently purchased my first Seagates, so I'll see how they last, but mother of God, there's no way in hell I'm buying another Maaxtor or IBM piece again.

Aussie gov to treat laser pointers like knives and guns

Obligatory reference...

"Charles, get the laser-pointers, we're being f***ed."

Bush orders NSA to snoop on US agencies

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over.

What, spy on our own spies as they spy on their spies?

Brown knew data loss was disaster waiting to happen

@ George Jenkins

I hope she is.... ;-)

Falanx

'Heavy' handset challenges all comers to prove its mettle

Overlooking...

You can design all the hard-nut cases in the world, but what'll kill it's how brittle lead-free solders are....

Thank you RoHS. Another one'll bite the dust.