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Believers in âoeconsensusâ and âoepeer reviewâ are priests:

http://dresdencodak.com/2011/0...

Ol' Ogg still got what was coming to him.

Quick, hook up a generator to him! Free energy!

Dresden Codak's Dark Science webcomic for the win!

You go too far! No control Nature!

Caveman Science Fiction

For some reason, your comment (and many others) reminded me of Caveman Science Fiction. It's strange how many Luddites there are on Slashdot...

What's strange is how many so called "nerds" leave their critical thinking at the door as soon as "cool new technology!" gets published.
Or do you own a Segway too?

For some reason, your comment (and many others) reminded me of Caveman Science Fiction. It's strange how many Luddites there are on Slashdot...

Obligatory reference.

I like what J.J Abrams and Zack Snyder (who directed "Man of Steel") have done to the franchises. They start with the established plotlines and take the stories in new directions. It's an artistic license that gives us fresh, new interpretations of the characters such as superman killing someone (General Zod) or Spock having an emotional outburst (over Kirk's death).

I anxiously await the Michael Bay version of "Hamlet" or the Justin Lin version of "Macbeth". This site has a good overview of directors taking artistic license, including an unannounced (but upcoming) superman movie.

For reference, here's Kevin Smith talking about how movies get made.

Sounds like Caveman Science Fiction. It's a good point though, all these people saying they don't want people messing with their food, when we already have. Corn, wheat, seedless bananas, strawberries, cauliflower, all of those are man made, and there are several different methods used for the genetic improvement . When you point this out, usually to people totally ignorant of the history and science of crop improvement, instead of admitting they were completely and utterly clueless and had their foot in their mouth, and that maybe changing the genetics of crops isn't an intrinsically bad thing, they move the goalpost and say they meant this type of genetic change, then maybe throw in a appeal to ignorance for good measure. Can't win.

Obligatory.

http://dresdencodak.com/2009/0...

Been done.

Indeed, but what information would you choose to store?

Uh, is this oblig or not?

Grok: I am make science. I am put glowy rock in water.
Oog: You go too far! No control nature!
Grok: No! Am cook food!
[Everything starts mutating.]
Grok: Me go too far!

I agree with a lot of other people on these, but I'm going to try to put a word out for my favorite comics that don't usually get the light of day.

Best overall:
I've been reading Supernormal Step since it was about a week old, and it quickly turned into my favorite comic. The art started out a bit amateurish, but has matured rather nicely. The characters are unique and likeable, the plot is constantly moving and twisting, and I'm quite happy with the small number of grammatical errors compared to a lot of the other comics I read.

Funniest:
Already mentioned, but go check out Gunshow (frequently NSFW). I love this one because the situations are so absurd. Both the serial comics and the one-offs are completely unpredictable (Wolves, Friday the 13th, Rabbits, Skulls). Honorable mention to The Non-Adventures of Wonderella.

Best art:
Also already mentioned, but for good reason: Dresden Codak is beautiful. I would have voted for Copper, but Kazu seems to have taken a hiatus from it and this IS supposed to be a list from 2012.

Most relevant to me:
This is a tough one, I don't really read comics for relevance. I'll put this out there though: Octopus Pie has some of the most REAL characters I've ever seen in a comic or webcomic.

While it lasted, Rusty and Co. (TVTropes) was consistently funny and had good art. The lawyers took it offline because of too many D&D references, particularly the author selling a plush doll of his Rusty character. I'm giving it extra credit for the YRO issue.

My runners-up for best overall comic would include Unsounded (first mentioned here -- mod up that comment if you agree), Gunnerkrigg Court (mentioned here), Magellan, Widdershins, and KiLA iLO.

And if nobody's mentioned it yet, TopWebComics is a site listing what webcomics are popular. Anybody can vote through a really simple captcha; you don't need to log in or anything.

For *funniest* web comic, Rusty and Co. made me laugh more than anything else. Runners-up are DMFA, Moron County, EGS, and Sluggy.

For *best art*, I would say it's A Redtail's Dream with Unsounded and Dresden Codak competing for second place, and a dark horse candidacy by Cucumber Quest for its uniquely cute art.

For the web comic *most relevant to me* as a reluctant hero space alien mad scientist vampire elf magical-sex-change victim, it's really hard to find a web comic that speaks to me, you know?

1) Best overall web comic series of 2012. (Any web comic that produced content in 2012): Gunnerkrigg Court is a brilliant webcomic that has a compelling plot, interesting characters and art that has developed superbly since the comic's beginnings.

2) Funniest web comic of 2012. (This one represents the single funniest comic of any web comic series.): Evil Inc. got the most laughs out of me this year, even if a lot of the humour was a bit Dad-joke-ish. Runners up would include: Penny Arcade , XKCD , Scandinavia and the World and Overcompensating .

3) Best art in a web comic of 2012. (Web comic from 2012 with the most amazing art ever): Dresden Codak is, without any doubt, the repository of some of the most geekiest and beautiful artwork the web has ever seen. Runners up would include: Namesake , Lackadaisy Cats , Sore Thumbs and Avengelyne

4) Web comic that was most relevant to you in 2012: Real Life , because his adventures with Harper are roughly mirroring my adventures with my daughter Hailey.

Honorable Mentions (because they'd likely win categories if there were a couple more here): Bad Machinery (Best Story), Eerie Cuties (Best Black & White), Three Panel Soul (Best Drama) and Wapsi Square (Best Main Character), and Sinfest (Lifetime Achievement) among others.

Who cares? Let's just post big lists of web comics so we can all click and read and woohooooo!

Beyond the obvious (XKCD, Penny Arcade, Dilbert, The Oatmeal) there are at least these:

http://amultiverse.com/
http://www.virtualshackles.com/
http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/critical-miss.latest
http://chainsawsuit.com/
http://dresdencodak.com/archives/
http://www.happletea.com/
http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2347

Given how Martin "Lord" Rees has been flirting with the god botherers of the Templeton Foundation, it's no surprise that he has jumped on the ME AM PLAY GODS bandwagon.

The primary existential risk is from space, which is why unrestricted technological progress on all fronts is necessary.

Faster than instant, is arriving before you leave! Which is what travelling faster than c is predicted to do.

... Which can also wreak havoc on a host's carefully arranged seating plans:

"Simply be sure to inform the host that you are not an additional guest but a herald from the future, and thus have already eaten."

Obligatory Dresden Codak link: http://dresdencodak.com/2009/07/12/fabulous-prizes/

Caveman0: I am draw story on cave wall!

Caveman1: No! Memorize oral tradition make brains strong! Picture story make brains weak!

[panel of cave-children staring vacantly at cave paintings, slack-jawed, drooling]

Caveman0: Me go too far! Me am play gods!

In case you don't know the meme, original source: http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/

steveha

Or a magical palace on the moon.

With blackjack and hookers, of course.

Oblig comic

Dresden Codak explores the implications of this very subject.
http://dresdencodak.com/2009/07/12/fabulous-prizes/

I think I have seen this plot before...

People like Dresden Codak are following his footsteps so not all is lost.

But from easily-frightened handwringing "ethicists", who had they been around in the time of the caveman would have taken away Ugh's flint for fear he'd burn down the forest were he to succeed in starting a fire.

Yes, and they explored the ramifications of that and other technology in Caveman Science Fiction!

Proper breeding technology requires no trans species genes at all.

The phrase "trans species genes" is a modern boogyman; it's a fictional distinction used primarily to scare little kids and the ignorant. It's intended to evoke an emotional reaction through the visualization of mutated monstrosities and similar regressive nonsense. It appeals to the same instinct which has retarded innovation since the dawn of man.

If you looked at the beeding process of a seed company that deals in GMOs, a very large percentage of the process is still the same tried and true mechanisms that have been followed forever, just with more expensive methods of determining the best seeds.

If you look at the space shuttle, a very large percentage of the construction process is still the same tried and true mechanisms that have been followed when building toaster-ovens. Just more expensive.

Heh.... funny, heard of the expression "Curiosity killed the cat?".

Yeah - ignorant little people have long been telling stories to discourage their betters from trying new things.

Well this news is very depressing, it shows that when the singularity comes (the ability to REALLY control matter at the atomic level)* the potential for abuse may overwhelm the benefits.

Yeah. Not the first time

So what you're saying is that it's better to play genetic roulette than it is to intervene or direct? Do we dare to disturb the universe in its natural state? That argument could be used against any endeavour. If humanity's hubris is so risky and/or counterproductive, then shouldn't we abandon the discipline of engineering and medicine as well? (Cf. Caveman Science Fiction)

Perhaps he's afraid of the taxes http://dresdencodak.com/2006/10/07/summer-dream-job/

If your product is based on ostensibly presenting a version of the truth, at some point you must be held accountable for it.

Wikipedia's editors do not care about presenting the truth. They view truth as something that people agree upon rather than something that can be shown to be. They care about the rule of majority opinion, with the result looking like this Dresden Codak comic. They care about citations, with the editor's partisan political rag a "Reliable Source" while your partisan political rag is not. Any further citations that support an alternative opinion are "not Reliable Sources". All evidence and critical thinking is "Original Research".

The human genome contains all kinds of junk that isn't expressed, including code for various viruses.

Obligatory Dresden Codak

http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/

Relevant Dresden Codak: http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/

Reminds me of this comic
http://dresdencodak.com/2011/04/19/dark-science-09/

http://dresdencodak.com/

The first computer-program that actual can really play chess still has to be invented.

Without even considering the validity of your premise: Sure. There are programs without databases. Those "know" chess. They are just much better, if you give them databases too. Just like humans.

Regarding your problem of chessiness of computers playing chess, I would also like to suggest you read this for a helpful metaphor: http://dresdencodak.com/2010/02/16/artificial-flight-and-other-myths-a-reasoned-examination-of-af-by-top-birds/

obligatory.

You am play gods!

Relevant to your argument: http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/

Hah! Algernon's Curse. That is a really good name for it. I don't know which is worse - the more literal versions, where someone physically suffers for their enhancement, or the old cyberpunk-y style metaphysical ones where people become less "human". In either case, it sounds like the twin brother of Caveman Science Fiction.

Obligatory non-xkcd reference: http://dresdencodak.com/2010/06/03/dark-science-01/

Maybe you would be amused by this Dresden Codak comic. http://dresdencodak.com/2005/11/29/secular-heaven/

Right at the end of the book her program finds a pattern (A circle drawn in 1s and 0s in an 11 by 11 matrix).

Wait, so the message from God is a circle? I find this one a little more convincing:

http://dresdencodak.com/2009/07/12/fabulous-prizes/

It was clear in the book that there were many messages embedded in the structure of the universe in subtle ways. This was, apparently, the first and easiest to find, just to let you know they existed. The others presumably contained more useful information.

And to the first poster, sorry, but the book was waaaaaay better than the movie.

Right at the end of the book her program finds a pattern (A circle drawn in 1s and 0s in an 11 by 11 matrix).

Wait, so the message from God is a circle? I find this one a little more convincing:

http://dresdencodak.com/2009/07/12/fabulous-prizes/

That's epic loot from Dungeons and Discourse.