What will the next decade bring?

[Jetfire]

Drink, Sex, Cigarettes
Ford Cortina household pets
Bombs? War? Famine? Death?
An apathetic public couldn t care less...

 

[TheLonelySquire]

Hopefully, a never-ending supply of Hookers and Blow.

Tiger, is that you?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But there was no decade numbering from 0 AD to 10 AD, there was only 1 AD to 10 AD; nine years does not a decade make.

So years 1 through 9 weren't called anything at all. I'm okay with that.

Just say it a few times in your head. It makes no sense to say that, for example, 1930 is part of the "1920's". When you say the year 1930, have you said any form of 1920? No? Then by definition, 1930 is not part of the 1920's.

I am well aware that a decade is ten years, but a decade (in and of itself) can be ANY ten years. It's only when you start applying labels, like "1980's" or "1990's", that you must qualify it. Those have very specific meanings - any year that has that number in it - that cannot be ignored.

To put it another way, I agree that the 21st century did not start until 2001. But that's different, because saying the phrase "21st century" does not contain within it (i.e. within the actual phrase itself) a specific numbered year or years.

 

[Lindley]

I hope they never invent flying cars. That'd be just too dangerous. Imagine the thought that any minute, a car could come hurtling out of the sky and land on your house - or worse, on you.

well there is this: http://www.moller.com/

but that thing's been "in development" for soooooooooo long

That's not really a flying car, just a small plane.

There's no real difference between a small plane with VTOL capability, and a flying car.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

There's no real difference between a small plane with VTOL capability, and a flying car.

Most people think "flying car" and envision The Fifth Element, or at the very least, a car that looks like the ones on the roads right now, but can also fly. This may not be realistic, but I look at something like the Mellor and I always think plane first, then maybe car. I sure wouldn't want to be seen driving around with something like that...

 

[Lindley]

That's the point. You wouldn't be driving.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

That's the point. You wouldn't be driving.

Well, then, why would it be considered a flying CAR if it wouldn't be driven (at least at some point)? Something that's only flown is, well, a plane.

 

[Lindley]

The difference in drive and control mechanisms between air travel and ground travel are such that a "flying car" in the equally-capable-in-air-and-on-ground sense would be an engineering nightmare. You'd essentially have to build in two totally different drive systems and two totally different steering linkages.

It's far more practical to make small planes more accessible to the general public than to ever expect something car-looking to fly.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Maybe drive-by-wire systems would help. Taken to their ultimate extreme, you could have a car (flying or otherwise) with literally any kind of control mechanism you would want. Joysticks, push buttons, wheels, voice commands, anything.

 

[Lindley]

More sophistication means more chances for things to go wrong. If I'm several thousand feet up and suddenly find myself flying a very heavy glider, I'd like some physical connections to the control surfaces, please.....

 

[John Picard]

Maybe drive-by-wire systems would help. Taken to their ultimate extreme, you could have a car (flying or otherwise) with literally any kind of control mechanism you would want. Joysticks, push buttons, wheels, voice commands, anything.

Umm, NO.

Safety advocates want Toyota to do more on pedal issue

LOS ANGELES — Auto safety advocates say Toyota's recall plan to fix 3.8 million cars and trucks doesn't go far enough to address complaints about a potential for runaway acceleration in its vehicles.

Toyota says it will immediately tell owners of seven Toyota and Lexus vehicles over several model years to bring them to dealers to have part of the accelerator pedal cut off. The work is intended to be a stopgap fix to keep slipping floor mats from jamming them wide open. A redesigned permanent replacement pedal is expected to be available to install next spring.

On some – but not all – of the recalled models, Toyota also is promising changes to their computers to create what the industry calls "smart pedals." The system shuts off an engine if a driver stomps on the gas and brake pedals at the same time, as could happen in a panic situation such as a runaway car.

DRIVE ON: Does Toyota floor-mat recall solution go far enough?

The recall follows the death of a California Highway Patrol officer and three family members in a runaway Lexus ES 350 last August. A passenger calling police from the speeding car before the crash reported that it couldn't be stopped.

Primary blame went to an improperly secured floor mat jamming the accelerator. But a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report also found that in such a situation, this Lexus' brake pedal would require 150 pounds of pressure to stop, that there was no warning that the engine start-stop button must be held for three seconds for shut off, and that neutral was hard to find on the shifter. "It was the perfect storm" of snafus, says Jake Fisher of Consumer Reports.

(More information in the above link)

I've read articles where a lot of pilots are complaining of fly-by-wire systems as well. They either want old-school cables or even hydraulics -- and even hydraulics present issues of their own.

Suffice to say, 90% of the idiots can't even drive on solid ground and you want them to be airborne

 

[Squiggy]

It better bring me my God damned hoverboard.

 

[AnyStar]

Maybe drive-by-wire systems would help. Taken to their ultimate extreme, you could have a car (flying or otherwise) with literally any kind of control mechanism you would want. Joysticks, push buttons, wheels, voice commands, anything.

Umm, NO.

Safety advocates want Toyota to do more on pedal issue

LOS ANGELES — Auto safety advocates say Toyota's recall plan to fix 3.8 million cars and trucks doesn't go far enough to address complaints about a potential for runaway acceleration in its vehicles.

Toyota says it will immediately tell owners of seven Toyota and Lexus vehicles over several model years to bring them to dealers to have part of the accelerator pedal cut off. The work is intended to be a stopgap fix to keep slipping floor mats from jamming them wide open. A redesigned permanent replacement pedal is expected to be available to install next spring.

On some – but not all – of the recalled models, Toyota also is promising changes to their computers to create what the industry calls "smart pedals." The system shuts off an engine if a driver stomps on the gas and brake pedals at the same time, as could happen in a panic situation such as a runaway car.

DRIVE ON: Does Toyota floor-mat recall solution go far enough?

The recall follows the death of a California Highway Patrol officer and three family members in a runaway Lexus ES 350 last August. A passenger calling police from the speeding car before the crash reported that it couldn't be stopped.

Primary blame went to an improperly secured floor mat jamming the accelerator. But a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report also found that in such a situation, this Lexus' brake pedal would require 150 pounds of pressure to stop, that there was no warning that the engine start-stop button must be held for three seconds for shut off, and that neutral was hard to find on the shifter. "It was the perfect storm" of snafus, says Jake Fisher of Consumer Reports.

(More information in the above link)

I've read articles where a lot of pilots are complaining of fly-by-wire systems as well. They either want old-school cables or even hydraulics -- and even hydraulics present issues of their own.

Suffice to say, 90% of the idiots can't even drive on solid ground and you want them to be airborne

not to mention the potential for electronic hi-jacking......

It better bring me my God damned hoverboard.

HELL YEA!!!

of course these days if i even think of stepping back on a skateboard or bike my knee's start screaming...

 

[sojourner]

But there was no decade numbering from 0 AD to 10 AD, there was only 1 AD to 10 AD; nine years does not a decade make.

So years 1 through 9 weren't called anything at all. I'm okay with that.

Just say it a few times in your head. It makes no sense to say that, for example, 1930 is part of the "1920's". When you say the year 1930, have you said any form of 1920? No? Then by definition, 1930 is not part of the 1920's.

I am well aware that a decade is ten years, but a decade (in and of itself) can be ANY ten years. It's only when you start applying labels, like "1980's" or "1990's", that you must qualify it. Those have very specific meanings - any year that has that number in it - that cannot be ignored.

To put it another way, I agree that the 21st century did not start until 2001. But that's different, because saying the phrase "21st century" does not contain within it (i.e. within the actual phrase itself) a specific numbered year or years.

Doesn't matter if it sounds right. it's still technically wrong.

People used to think the earth being flat sounded right.

 

[Jadzia]

The calendar we use today was introduced much later than 1AD, so in that sense there was no decade around the year 1AD.

But any period of 10 years would still be a decade, just as it was in BC times. It was from the Romans who started that wasn't it? Counting years in tens?

 

[Skywalker]

The calendar we use today was introduced much later than 1AD, so in that sense there was no decade around the year 1AD.

But any period of 10 years would still be a decade, just as it was in BC times. It was from the Romans who started that wasn't it? Counting years in tens?

I'd wager it came from any civilization whose numerical system was based on their number of fingers.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

The calendar we use today was introduced much later than 1AD, so in that sense there was no decade around the year 1AD.

But any period of 10 years would still be a decade, just as it was in BC times. It was from the Romans who started that wasn't it? Counting years in tens?

I'd wager it came from any civilization whose numerical system was based on their number of fingers.

Long live the octal system.

 

[AnyStar]

The calendar we use today was introduced much later than 1AD, so in that sense there was no decade around the year 1AD.

But any period of 10 years would still be a decade, just as it was in BC times. It was from the Romans who started that wasn't it? Counting years in tens?

I'd wager it came from any civilization whose numerical system was based on their number of fingers.

The calendar we use today was introduced much later than 1AD, so in that sense there was no decade around the year 1AD.

But any period of 10 years would still be a decade, just as it was in BC times. It was from the Romans who started that wasn't it? Counting years in tens?

I'd wager it came from any civilization whose numerical system was based on their number of fingers.

Long live the octal system.

^beat me to it

 

[John Picard]

The calendar we use today was introduced much later than 1AD, so in that sense there was no decade around the year 1AD.

But any period of 10 years would still be a decade, just as it was in BC times. It was from the Romans who started that wasn't it? Counting years in tens?

I'd wager it came from any civilization whose numerical system was based on their number of fingers.

I'd wager it came from any civilization whose numerical system was based on their number of fingers.

Long live the octal system.

^beat me to it

Also note that there are 10 kinds of people who understand binary -- Those who do and those who don't.

 

[Lord Garth]

As long as the 2010s are not The Great Depression II followed by World War III, I'll be happy.