The Science Thread

[qldfrog]

Yeah. Confidence and TRUST. Two big factors me thinks.

but you drive everyday with morons crossing your way in 2tons truck/cars and zipping by within 30 cm at 90km/h
would you not trust a computer more than the statictics of
% of ice addict driver,
"i got my licence (if any) by paying a cousin in Bangalore",
"I had no money to repair the brakes etc"
once dead , who cares if you have someone to blame...
I like driving for whatever pleasure is left when the game is to nab you to increase state revenues, but taxi wise, i would go for a robot any day

 

[SirRumpole]

Great post VC....Very informative.

Er no sorry, that type of video is one of my pet hates. Too much hype and trying to get ignorant/stupid people to understand wastes too much time. I'm sure it could be done a lot more efficiently.

 

[noco]

Er no sorry, that type of video is one of my pet hates. Too much hype and trying to get ignorant/stupid people to understand wastes too much time. I'm sure it could be done a lot more efficiently.

Rumpy, please note...Joe has asked you to keep things civil...If you cannot follow his request then you should delete this thread.

 

[SirRumpole]

Rumpy, please note...Joe has asked you to keep things civil...If you cannot follow his request then you should delete this thread.

I was talking about people on the video, not anyone here.

 

[SirRumpole]

but you drive everyday with morons crossing your way in 2tons truck/cars and zipping by within 30 cm at 90km/h
would you not trust a computer more than the statictics of
% of ice addict driver,
"i got my licence (if any) by paying a cousin in Bangalore",
"I had no money to repair the brakes etc"
once dead , who cares if you have someone to blame...
I like driving for whatever pleasure is left when the game is to nab you to increase state revenues, but taxi wise, i would go for a robot any day

Yes, but if a human hits you you can sue them for your broken leg, try suing a computer chip.

 

[Craton]

but you drive everyday with morons crossing your way in 2tons truck/cars and zipping by within 30 cm at 90km/h
would you not trust a computer more than the statictics of
% of ice addict driver,
"i got my licence (if any) by paying a cousin in Bangalore",
"I had no money to repair the brakes etc"
once dead , who cares if you have someone to blame...
I like driving for whatever pleasure is left when the game is to nab you to increase state revenues, but taxi wise, i would go for a robot any day

Yes, we share the road with other road users, doesn't mean we trust them per se.

That's not the type of trust I was referring to. Currently, I doubt a computer driven car can stop a roo, emu, bush pig, deer, moose or a tyre blow out and the like.

I was thinking along the lines of trusting that no nefarious use of the technology would ensue. You know, like hacking, privacy issues and the like.

My bad for not making that clear from the onset.

 

[cynic]

Yes, we share the road with other road users, doesn't mean we trust them per se.

That's not the type of trust I was referring to. Currently, I doubt a computer driven car can stop a roo, emu, bush pig, deer, moose or a tyre blow out and the like.

I was thinking along the lines of trusting that no nefarious use of the technology would ensue. You know, like hacking, privacy issues and the like.

My bad for not making that clear from the onset.

A further issue is the way in which humans become enamoured with technology. I have lost count of the number of times I have had fruitless arguments with customer service staff whom are quite simply unable to entertain the possibility of computer error.

 

[noco]

I was talking about people on the video, not anyone here.

You could have fooled me old mate.

 

[Craton]

A further issue is the way in which humans become enamoured with technology. I have lost count of the number of times I have had fruitless arguments with customer service staff whom are quite simply unable to entertain the possibility of computer error.

That'll be funny. I can just see it now, the occupant in the driverless car going ballistic because the battery went flat after the low battery warning LED/Meter failed.

You do raise a point though. Computing for the masses is still a relatively new phenomenon, one which the world has embraced all too eagerly but we are still coming to terms with it and assimilating it into our ways of life.

Obviously those support staff don't know that most things created by man will eventually wear or/and fail. To err is human, to really stuff up takes a computer.

 

[SirRumpole]

Obviously those support staff don't know that most things created by man will eventually wear or/and fail. To err is human, to really stuff up takes a computer.

Or their programmers.

How many glitches with Windows have there been over the years, and still are ?

 

[Smurf1976]

How many glitches with Windows have there been over the years, and still are ?

There's a very good reason why "new" software is used with caution (or not at all) when it comes to things that really matter such as controlling industrial facilities and the like.

In some cases it's simply a matter of using something very generic (and that does include Windows) but deliberately being behind the times. Let them release it and sort out all the bugs which generally takes until the next version is released. Then look at the old one as something that's now extensively tested and a candidate for critical application use.

 

[SirRumpole]

There's a very good reason why "new" software is used with caution (or not at all) when it comes to things that really matter such as controlling industrial facilities and the like.

In some cases it's simply a matter of using something very generic (and that does include Windows) but deliberately being behind the times. Let them release it and sort out all the bugs which generally takes until the next version is released. Then look at the old one as something that's now extensively tested and a candidate for critical application use.

Yes, very wise.

I tried to use the same philosophy by keeping windows XP, but then then b.gg.rs pulled support for it.

 

[noco]

Yes, very wise.

I tried to use the same philosophy by keeping windows XP, but then then b.gg.rs pulled support for it.

i switched to 7 and then to 10 and back to Windows 7.....I did not like the 10 set up.

 

[Smurf1976]

I tried to use the same philosophy by keeping windows XP, but then then b.gg.rs pulled support for it.

XP is definitely still in use for some industrial etc applications since it's now old enough to be tested very thoroughly. As a bonus, in that situation there's zero need for support - install it and run it unchanged until something else eventually replaces it. No issue with viruses when you're not connected to anything external anyway.

 

[luutzu]

Or their programmers.

How many glitches with Windows have there been over the years, and still are ?

There's so Alt Shift Delete to restart once they glitched.

Auto-pilot could change a few industry, but not sure how much acceptance they'll get from the public.

Train, Trams could be control remotely for some time now... but the public still want a driver there. So don't think we'd want to see trucks or taxis zipping around our roads without a driver there either.

Freight train, mine sites... sure. On public roads, can't see it for another few generations. But then they have auto-reverse parking, reverse with camera on a sedan so maybe it's just me.

 

[Craton]

Have any of you city folks seen this in operation yet?

 

[Smurf1976]

Auto-pilot could change a few industry, but not sure how much acceptance they'll get from the public.

Train, Trams could be control remotely for some time now... but the public still want a driver there. So don't think we'd want to see trucks or taxis zipping around our roads without a driver there either.

We've been running major hydro power stations in Tas (elsewhere does it too) by remote control for decades. So we can and do start, run and stop major power stations with literally nobody there.

But once you put people on any sort of vehicle, well then things change and I agree that people like to know that there's a human there ready to take control even if they're not actually needed as such.

Some things are automated that many wouldn't realise. Many years ago techs at a radio station explained to me how they'd gone about automation. All the announcing was pre-recorded and it didn't take long to record the entire shift, the announcer just recorded one announcement after another without needing to wait for the music to play. That was all just files on a computer, as was the music (this was back in the days when the idea of playing music using a computer was still quite new) and same for the advertising. So it was all just a case of the computer playing the files one after another to do an overnight broadcast. The only technical complexity was the weather, but they had all possible temperature announcements pre-recorded and a simple thermometer linked into the system determined which one was played when weather updates were given, the announcing being such as to avoid mention of whether or not it was raining or windy and just give the temperature - that was deemed sufficient information to make the broadcast appear "live" for those listening and that was the intent.

 

[luutzu]

We've been running major hydro power stations in Tas (elsewhere does it too) by remote control for decades. So we can and do start, run and stop major power stations with literally nobody there.

But once you put people on any sort of vehicle, well then things change and I agree that people like to know that there's a human there ready to take control even if they're not actually needed as such.

Some things are automated that many wouldn't realise. Many years ago techs at a radio station explained to me how they'd gone about automation. All the announcing was pre-recorded and it didn't take long to record the entire shift, the announcer just recorded one announcement after another without needing to wait for the music to play. That was all just files on a computer, as was the music (this was back in the days when the idea of playing music using a computer was still quite new) and same for the advertising. So it was all just a case of the computer playing the files one after another to do an overnight broadcast. The only technical complexity was the weather, but they had all possible temperature announcements pre-recorded and a simple thermometer linked into the system determined which one was played when weather updates were given, the announcing being such as to avoid mention of whether or not it was raining or windy and just give the temperature - that was deemed sufficient information to make the broadcast appear "live" for those listening and that was the intent.

You guys don't have, and not planning to have, any nuclear power station down there right?

It, now, makes a lot of sense to operate a radio station like you said. Learning something new everyday.

Man, with all these automation and the gutting of higher education and technical training, what the heck will the economy be like in the future?

We better get on with educating the population before the mines and oil fields run out. Curently it's mining/resources and finance... definitely can't just add day trading to the mix.

 

[luutzu]

Derek makes some awesome videos on you tube, where he takes a topic most people take for granted, and see's how the average person explains it, he then tries and teach the actual science behind it.

Here is his video on how the sun works.

That's too much gimmick for me.

Here's a better one.

 

[pixel]

IMHO, Windoze is not Science; it is an operating system that fools consumers into believing they can match it with everybody, when in reality all they do is chat with their mates, watch movies, or share family photos.

A very small minority of High School kids may "get it" and think in terms of logical concepts, process classes, and interactions. They may go on and build systems like this:
http://www.itnews.com.au/news/woods...dium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter

or this: http://guppy.mpe.nus.edu.sg/srg/

That aside, Computer Science is only a small subset of the broad field of Science. What makes it special is the fact that its creations can be employed to answer questions in nearly every other field of scientific value, be it Biochemistry, Meteorology, or Engineering. And for every one of those Science disciplines, we have ASX-listed companies that apply themselves to solve problems and create saleable products. Examples include APY, BNR, DYE, NEU, PIQ, SOR and hundreds more.