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James Halperin's 1997 book, The Truth Machine is the most relevant SF book on this subject.

From Publishers Weekly
What would the world be like if scientists developed the perfect lie detector? How would it change our criminal justice system? Psychiatric practice? International diplomacy? In his first novel, Halperin argues that such an invention could lead humanity into an era of unequaled prosperity, one in which crime is virtually unknown and true democracy is possible. A professional numismatist and a member of the World Future Society, Halperin is a relatively unskilled novelist. His prose is at best workmanlike, and his plotting and character development tend toward the simplistic. Nearly all of his major characters, from millionaire-genius protagonist Pete Armstrong on down, seem to be either the smartest, the richest, the most respected or the most influential people in the world. The traditional qualities of fiction are apparently of only secondary interest to the author, however. As a futurist, Halperin seems primarily concerned with suggesting innovations and then working out their implications over half a century. Heavily didactic, but supporting positions across the political spectrum, the book argues in favor of mandatory capital punishment for certain crimes, the privatization of schools, strict limits on insurance settlements, the elimination of the FAA, the legalization of assisted suicide, parental licensing and the establishment of a world government. Although crude from a literary point of view, Halperin's novel is not without strengths. His speculations about the next 50 years are fascinating, and the consequences of the truth machine are well worked out. In the final analysis, it's hard to believe that Halperin's near-utopian future could be so easily attained, but it would be nice to live there.

The science just isn't there. There oceans aren't rising. It's all just a bunch of pseudo-science.
The people doing these studies (on both sides) only continue to get funding as long as the "prove" the point the people funding want them to prove.
Try reading "The Skeptical Environmentals." http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521010683/sr=1-1 /qid=1138630037/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-0985358-9739217?_ encoding=UTF8

The most reasonable comment about global warming I've heard: "...cutting emissions and other human sources of greenhouse gasses will definatly not hurt."

Thanks.

I hate to say it, because I know a lot of people who haven't read it will slam me for mentioning it, but "State of Fear" is really good... I know it's fiction, but Crichton footnotes all his sources. Find it used or borrow from a library if you don't want to support a "puppet of the oil industry".

This reminds me of a book named The Fourth K (Mario Puzo). Francis Xavier Kennedy is the president, and at one point, they administer advanced lie detection tests to find out whether or not anybody in the White House knew about a terrorist bombing. The test in the book sounds just like this does, but I can't recall whether it was specifically mentioned as an MRI or not (I know it was a brain scan, but I vaguely remember the use of tracers in the procedure)

There's a novel I read a while ago that explores the implications of this - The Truth Machine by James Halperin. What if there was a perfect lie detector? Then any criminal trial could be conducted in 10 minutes. Ask the guy if he did it. If he says no and the lie detector says yes, guilty. Execution is scheduled for tommorrow. Actually kinda scary.

I read This Book a few years ago. The premise was: what if a 100% accurate lie detector was invented? Maybe we're getting closer...

I'd suggest anyone concerned or curious about the effect our food and our food choices are having on our lives read Not on the label by Felicty Lawrence.

Maybe this book will interest you. It argues that every story shares essentially the elements that you just listed out, but the retelling of these stories is what's important. It's a good read.

Just look at this. We're not afraid of all girls just the real life ones.

According to the book The Black Box, the last words were "Uh oh".

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688158927/sr=1-6 /qid=1138500617/ref=pd_bbs_6/102-7018650-9828142?_ encoding=UTF8

This is typical of the Bush administration.

Check out Chris Mooney's book The Republican War on Science

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465046754/qid=11 38494131/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-3755481-66817 00?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Yes, they do. But this is not something unique to Christianity or unique to religion. The opposite tendency, called immanence, can be equally dangerous, since it can claim that there is no real value to human life. Tribal religions that practice human sacrifice and cannibalism may fall into this category. Since we aren't really dealing with that extreme today, its easy to imagine that there are no problems with it and paint the other side as an unalloyed evil.

I don't think anybody tries to say God is the reason why the internet was invented.

You should try talking to some conservatives. From this article: "The success of the West, including the rise of science, rested entirely on religious foundations, and the people who brought it about were devout Christians." From the author of The Victory of Reason : How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success. This is not a fringe view, this is very commonly discussed by conservatives to justify invading Iraq.

In Randall Kennedy's book "nigger", he describes the story of David Howard. David Howard, a white director of a municipal agency in Washington D.C. was having a meeting with his staff and said that they had to be "niggardly" with the money at their disposal. Obviously, the word has no racial connotations but the public outcry that resulted caused Mr. Howard to resign his position. Mr. Howard, who was an open homosexual, would no doubt have been offended if people had made comments about going to the smoking area to "smoke a fag", even though in this context there is no intent to be offensive.

The previous poster was right, the words Niggardly and Niggling have fallen out of common use because of their similarity to "The N word".

LK

Indeed, Richard Swinburne, Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of Religion at Oxford, has dedicated the last thirty years to showing that theism in general and Christianity in particular is provable. For instance, in The Resurrection of God Incarnate (Oxford University Press, 2003), he uses a number of sources plus the Bayesian theorem to show that the traditional Christian teaching of Christ's return from death is overwhelmingly probable. Anyone with the slightest education in philosophy can enjoy his argument.

Responsiblity and Atonement (Oxford University Press, 1989), his first book on specifically Christian themes, is a bit more obscure for the layman but rewards attention.

Indeed, Richard Swinburne, Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of Religion at Oxford, has dedicated the last thirty years to showing that theism in general and Christianity in particular is provable. For instance, in The Resurrection of God Incarnate (Oxford University Press, 2003), he uses a number of sources plus the Bayesian theorem to show that the traditional Christian teaching of Christ's return from death is overwhelmingly probable. Anyone with the slightest education in philosophy can enjoy his argument.

Responsiblity and Atonement (Oxford University Press, 1989), his first book on specifically Christian themes, is a bit more obscure for the layman but rewards attention.

I think the video is available from amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JKU0/qid=11 38460103/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5711150-6430266?n =507846&s=dvd&v=glance

no wait, that was a squid...

Yep, good old Manifold Destiny.

Did anyone else see the headline and thing the link was going to teach us how to look dinner on the engine block?

Well, I did. I used to have a job that meant I'd regularly be driving from between minesites in the north of Western Australia. I'd always use the heat from the exhaust manifold of whatever car I was driving to heat up pies and other food.

The turbo shroud on a Holden Rodeo (not sure what the US equivalent is - probably an Isuzu) was just the right size to hold a pie or foil-wrapped meal. Landcruisers were good for the heat, but had no secure area for the food - I lost a couple of meals until I worked out how to wire it them place properly.

It wasn't an original idea of mine either - Manifold Destiny has been around for years. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375751408/qid=90 4512153/sr=1-1/002-8127825-7704826?n=283155

For some great recipies, check out Manifold Destiny for some delicious and low-tech ways (aluminum foil, meat, vegetables, and possibly some fish to grill) to prepare some great meals. The best part is that your final destination does not have to be home. If planned properly, a picnic at a rest stop and no dishes to cleanup when done will have you be the envy of your fellow passengers.

Yeah, I'd feel real good knowing there might be dozens of potentially untrained gun-crazy yahoos...

You might want to work on that hoplophobia of yours.

Funny, I don't remember Iran being a democracy.

In the early 1950s the democratically elected president Mossadegh was toppled by the British government with CIA support and the Shah was then installed. The Shah was a bloodthirsty ruler and Iran's civil rights record during his rule plummeted, leading to the 1979 revolution. This truly popular revolution--before it was co-opted by the Ayatollah, was supposed to be about restoring the democracy the West screwed up in 1953.

A good overview of this tragedy is Kinzer's All the Shah's Men : An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror .

Save yourself some money by buying the book here: Massively Multiplayer Games For Dummies. And if you use the "secret" A9.com discount, you can save an extra 1.57%!

Save yourself some money by buying the book here: Massively Multiplayer Games For Dummies. And if you use the "secret" A9.com discount, you can save an extra 1.57%!

Indeed, not to mention that if you do a little research, you'll find that Mother Theresa was to a large extent a fraud.

Yes, but I'm betting there are more than a single one of these posts. With proper time management, if the article submitter is truly serious, 30 minute chunks can be invested into the beginnings of real jobhunt. And don't forget that you can take a day off to interview. Otherwise, you're just not serious about finding a new job.

Your problem is you never learned to say "no, I'm sorry, I don't have the bandwidth for that." Now that you know, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to make the same mistake of not applying limits at the next job? If not, why not start at your current work place. Take a peek at Time Management for System Administrators for tips on what you can do to make your job more comfortable and relieve stress. Looking for a new job is just one way of saving yourself.

Do you know you can shorten amazon links? To just the first part:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471752738

(that way it will fit on web pages, and no one will be suspicious of you embedding links, and also your private amazon browsing history won't be embedded in the url.)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471752738/qid=11 36023806/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-1472913-3813725?n =507846&s=books&v=glance Not sure of the political hoofrah surrounding this, but hey, it's my book, so I want you to buy it and stuff. (Thanks for the review, Zonk)

Debugging your kids is easy with the right reference and tools.

Debugging your kids is easy with the right reference and tools.

Hold on, I can help!

Save Mega$$$ by using Amazon for your purchase instead of... err... nothing! Just think of the... umm... wait. You're spending more money WITh a link than without, aren't you? Soooo... umm... just think! This book could Pay For Itself(TM)! (Yeah, right.) :-P

Linked, no refer

At least link to the book!

Hmm, what's this....?

Afterglow Live
Bloom

Oh dear, I don't think Nettwerk is able to protect you now. How did SunComm and XCP get there?

I really wanted Bloom, but there's no way I'm willingly going to accept that crap. Nettwerk is going to have to try a little harder than simply saying "oh, suing people is bad."

Hmm, what's this....?

Afterglow Live
Bloom

Oh dear, I don't think Nettwerk is able to protect you now. How did SunComm and XCP get there?

I really wanted Bloom, but there's no way I'm willingly going to accept that crap. Nettwerk is going to have to try a little harder than simply saying "oh, suing people is bad."

If anyone's interested there's a really good book discussing the Challenger Disaster and the events leading up to the launch decision: The Challenger Launch Decision : Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA by Diane Vaughan http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226851761/sr=1-1 /qid=1138365479/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5178379-4555812?_ encoding=UTF8

I'm glad some other /.ers know about Feynman's crucial role in the Challenger investigation. Feynman also goes into great depth about his feelings writing the report, and other insights about the whole process in his book, "What do you care what other people think? More adventures of a curious character" - highly recommended. Feynman was substiantially more critical of NASA than the other people writing the report, and almost decided to have his name removed until he was allowed to put his conclusions, unedited, into an addendum to the offical report.

You know that famous line of his, "Nature cannot be fooled?" - it's from the coda to that report.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393320928/sr=1-7 /qid=1138363884/ref=sr_1_7/103-7798844-8308625?_en coding=UTF8

Get this What Color Is Your Parachute book, which is quite good and goes into much detail on all things you've talked about here.

Works for me!

Well, it is like darwinian evolution. The survival of the fittest and evolving. If a life form (read OS) finds a good design to deal with some problem or event, why would it change a good design for an unproven new design? If BSD or any other unix is working very good, there is no need to throw it to the can and write something new. It is better to keep the good things and change what is bad or what is needed to solve new problems.

If you want to see the complete (I hope so) heritage of the unix OS take a look here: http://www.levenez.com/unix/
If you look for the MacOSX, you will find it is there, and its roots are there since 1986.
Good OSes are like good wine, they get better with time. Bad ones don's live too long.

About the command line, I recommend you to read: Neal Stephenson's "In the beginning... was the command line" Here is a link to the book.
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380815931/qid=11 38338378/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7077303-6245742?n =507846&s=books&v=glance

You may like enjoy critiqing N.T. Wright:
"What Saint Paul Really Said: Was Paul of Tarsus the Real Founder of Christianity?"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802844456/103-85 02175-9059832

http://www.ntwrightpage.com/

http://www.ctinquiry.org/publications/reflections_ volume_2/wright.htm

Well, I will do the research to give you Journal references (it appears I'm the only one who has been willing to do so anyway) but in the meantime you could look at the book Evolution: A Theory In Crisis written by Michael Denton (coincidentally, he's agnostic) you know, if you're willing to get off of your butt and actually look something up. That would probably mean turning off Everquest for a few minutes, though..... LOL Here is the link. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/091756152X/sr=1-1 /qid=1138316352/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-5748893-3903240?_ encoding=UTF8

Oooooo....a $100 laptop!!! Big deal. Here is everything you need to put together a perfectly capable $100 laptop today.

Battary Powered Monitor (Item# E21591) = $33.12
6v Battary powerd Computer that has a HUGE library of educational/business/entertainment software = $24.99
Hand crank generator for charging the battaries = $39.95
Total = $98.06

Now if I can find all of the components to put together a $100 laptop in 15 minutes, I'm sure someone smarter than me could do it better. This is $100 with a huge amount of waste. Extra light, built in radio, siren, and compass. Not to mention the cost that was added for retail profit, and the cost of putting together three seperate packages.

Some may whine that 'It's only an 8-bit computer' or 'It's already outdated'. Well, the $100 laptops that are being proposed are propriotary machines that are also very outdated today. With a C-64 based laptop, at least the end users would have access to actual software. I think these people would be perfectly happy having the standard of living we had in the 80's, and that is what the C-64 would bring.

What this tells me is that there are some people out there that are going to try to make a lot of money by asking for dontation that are way out of line for what they are providing.

One could claim that doing business in China in the way Google decided to do it was not a smart business move, but that is an entirely different story.

In other words, 39% chose creationism, as there is no discernable difference between creationism and ID.

Actually, there is. I think most of the people in the survey and in Canada & America (I'm Canadian) think of Intelligent Design = Evolution + God's Tweaks (the Miraculous Beast of Darwin). And the Special Creationists (6 days, 4000 years, etc.) are using that chink to push their own views in.

I'm in the Evolution is God's Way camp, but I don't support the teaching of Intelligent Design because the main purpose seems to be to completely undermine evolution (which I accept & believe in) and replace it with theocratic bullshit. I don't mind Intelligent Design in Evolution as a philosophical talking point along with Dawkin's Blind Watchmaker. But to push it as science seems questionable, at best.

Do you behave as if humans have freedom, dignity, equality? These concepts are impossible to justify under a naturalistic framework.

Totalitarian governments like the Chinese government are evil. A government is considered evil when it completely strips away your freedoms. How dare a country restrict its citizens from reading certain books or websites just because it might get a few too many people angry about the current conditions that they live in? In China, much of what I read is (or is probably) banned in China, as well as books of any political philosophy that is considered one step more free than communism (even socialist literature is banned, because of the ideas of democratic socialism and social democracy). Why? These books don't preach of that communism stuff that China claims that they follow (but doesn't practice; they have actually read the last book and adopted free market policies, the only good thing that they done over the past few years), and it promotes freedom of not only the market, but also freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of association, and other individual freedoms. It is in the best interest of the Chinese government to keep its citizens oppressed and suppressed. That is pure evil.

Now, I'm not saying that our (American) way is the right way, just because we are Americans. Our country isn't a bastion of freedom, either. However, I still feel that I am much more free in this country than any other country in the world, both politically and economically. Freedom is very important for a society to survive. Take away all levels of freedom, and you end up with a society of slaves. China has created a society of slaves who have been indoctrinated into their totalitarian philosophy, and has sealed off any access to literature and people who have any ideas of freedom. China knows that once people see the light, then there will be a huge revolution, just like the incident in 1989.

Yes, there are other countries with completely different values than ours. Many EU nations are big on social democracy, for instance, which is very different than our emphasis on free markets and individualism. However, even though they have different values, they have just as much respect for human rights as we do. However, when those values start restricting the rights of humans to the point that they must answer to the State for everything, then those values are evil. Totalitarianism is evil, simply put.

Totalitarian governments like the Chinese government are evil. A government is considered evil when it completely strips away your freedoms. How dare a country restrict its citizens from reading certain books or websites just because it might get a few too many people angry about the current conditions that they live in? In China, much of what I read is (or is probably) banned in China, as well as books of any political philosophy that is considered one step more free than communism (even socialist literature is banned, because of the ideas of democratic socialism and social democracy). Why? These books don't preach of that communism stuff that China claims that they follow (but doesn't practice; they have actually read the last book and adopted free market policies, the only good thing that they done over the past few years), and it promotes freedom of not only the market, but also freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of association, and other individual freedoms. It is in the best interest of the Chinese government to keep its citizens oppressed and suppressed. That is pure evil.

Now, I'm not saying that our (American) way is the right way, just because we are Americans. Our country isn't a bastion of freedom, either. However, I still feel that I am much more free in this country than any other country in the world, both politically and economically. Freedom is very important for a society to survive. Take away all levels of freedom, and you end up with a society of slaves. China has created a society of slaves who have been indoctrinated into their totalitarian philosophy, and has sealed off any access to literature and people who have any ideas of freedom. China knows that once people see the light, then there will be a huge revolution, just like the incident in 1989.

Yes, there are other countries with completely different values than ours. Many EU nations are big on social democracy, for instance, which is very different than our emphasis on free markets and individualism. However, even though they have different values, they have just as much respect for human rights as we do. However, when those values start restricting the rights of humans to the point that they must answer to the State for everything, then those values are evil. Totalitarianism is evil, simply put.

They admit that God exists, and continue to live lives as though God does not exist.

They admit that God exists, and continue to live lives as though God does not exist.

They admit that God exists, and continue to live lives as though God does not exist.

None of my close friends give any credit to creationism or ID, but we're all well educated athiests so I guess that's to be expected. Maybe I've been blind to the views of the majority in this proudly secular country?

Why does this have to be divided along these lines? There are plenty of scientists across all disciplines who are both religious and intelligent, who give science its due and keep religion out of the results of experimentation. I believe in God (and happen to also be well-educated), but that in no way precludes my belief that evolution is, in fact, the way things happened (and continue to happen). My father-in-law is a respected geologist in the field of igneous petrology, a wonderful human being, and a devout Christian. His Christianity doesn't undermine his science or vice versa. My undergrad institution is a Christian liberal arts school, but the science classes exhibit scientific excellence, not dogmatic allegiance to a forgone conclusion.

Shrill, self-styled "iconoclast" Creationists/ID-ers by no means comprise the majority of Christianity. Most Christian denominations, in fact, teach that the book of Genesis is intended to teach about the character of God and God's relation to humanity, not science. For heaven's (and earth's!) sake, can we break out of this outdated generalization??