“Having re-open-sourced MS-DOS on GitHub in 2018, Microsoft has now released the source code for GW-BASIC, Microsoft’s 1983 BASIC interpreter,” reports ZDNet, adding that GW-BASIC “can trace its roots back to Bill Gates’ and Paul Allen’s implementation of Microsoft’s first product, the BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800 computer.” “Interested to look at thousands of lines of glorious 8088 assembly code…
Tag: math
What We Need Now is ‘Universal Basic Internet’
Yes, economist Tyler Cowen and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov (now the chairman of the nonprofit Renew Democracy Initiative) co-authored an opinion piece this week arguing that Covid-19 “is illustrating that some aspects of a Universal Basic Income may be more necessary and more workable than previously thought. But there is one big piece missing: The economic output required to…
Tesla’s Secret Batteries Aim To Rework the Math For Electric Cars and the Grid
Electric car maker Tesla plans to introduce a new low-cost, long-life battery in its Model 3 sedan in China later this year or early next that it expects will bring the cost of electric vehicles in line with gasoline models, and allow EV batteries to have second and third lives in the electric power grid. Reuters reports: For months, Tesla Chief…
Aggregate Data From Connected Scales Shows Minimal Weight Gains During Lockdowns
“Data from connected scale users suggests Americans, on average, are not gaining weight during lockdowns,” writes long-time Slashdot reader pfhlick. The Washington Post reports:
Withings, the maker of popular Internet-connected scales and other body-measurement devices, studied what happened to the weight of some 450,000 of its American users between March 22 — when New York ordered people home — and April 18….
Is Space-Time Quantized Or Analog?
“What are the implications if ‘space-time’ (as conceived of in the Einstein Theory of General Relativity) is quantized like all other aspects of matter and energy?” asks Slashdot reader sixoh1. Space.com reports of a new study that tried to find out: In order for the math of general relativity to work, this fabric of space-time has to be absolutely smooth at…
Explore the universe from home
Explore NASA’s online activities, e-books, podcasts and other content. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/nasa-podcasts-online-activities-ebooks-link…
20 amazing women in science and math
Some were hailed in their lifetime, others died unrecognized, but all were amazing. Source: https://www.livescience.com/amazing-women-in-math-and-science.html
What do the numbers behind the coronavirus really mean?
The numbers surrounding the coronavirus epidemic are preliminary, and a mathematician explains why. Source: https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-math.html
Want to be an astronaut? Apply now!
For the first time in more than 4 years, NASA is now accepting applications for future astronauts. Aspiring moon to Mars explorers have until March 31 to apply. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/nasa-astronaut-apply-march2020…
Oregon Engineer Proved Right About Traffic Lights
“Mats Järlström’s emotions were clearly visible Friday morning. After years of arguing red light traffic cameras are flawed, the official Journal of the Institute of Transportation Engineers said he was right,” reports a local news station in Portland, Oregon:
The ITE sets traffic policy recommendations for the United States — and they said cities should be using his formula. “It is a…