From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,c6c96fe0302f04f X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-08-27 22:52:35 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!logbridge.uoregon.edu!nntp-server.caltech.edu!attla2!ip.att.net!attbi_feed3!attbi.com!sccrnsc02.POSTED!not-for-mail From: tmoran@acm.org Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: POLL: Would you use Ada more if... References: <5ee5b646.0208271741.45930506@posting.google.com> X-Newsreader: Tom's custom newsreader Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: 12.234.13.56 X-Complaints-To: abuse@attbi.com X-Trace: sccrnsc02 1030513954 12.234.13.56 (Wed, 28 Aug 2002 05:52:34 GMT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 05:52:34 GMT Organization: AT&T Broadband Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 05:52:34 GMT Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:28472 Date: 2002-08-28T05:52:34+00:00 List-Id: > where the mass of a 0 and 1 are identical. For example, consider a slider > with a weight sliding on it. If the weight is at one end it is a 0 and > if it is at the other, it is a 1. Clearly the mass is the same in both > cases, so I think the argument from entropy change is bogus :-) If the weight is at one end or the other, then let the slider rotate about its center to let the heavy end hang down. The drop in the weights can generate energy, which could be used in a cyclotron to smash medium weight nuclei together to form uranium, converting part of the energy to mass. Or consider the initial state of the sliding-mass-RAM in a rocket gliding through space, with weights randomly positioned. To move the weights requires a change in entropy, which requires an energy input. Take that energy from your nuclear reactor, which got it from converting mass into energy. If you have a sealed system and don't dump heat or anything into space, your rocket will continue on the same orbit. On landing the weight budget manager will weigh the fuel rods and ask where the mass went, especially since the orbit guys say you didn't lose any mass during your trip. You'll have to tell him the mass went into the loading the software into RAM.