Unfortunately it's not quite as simple as I made it out to be. More money will attract more good teachers, but it will also attract more *worse* teachers.
Paying more won't create a greater number of good teachers either.
Baloney it won't. I consider myself a pretty damn good teacher (college level; I'm a grad student). I really *like* teaching. I enjoy helping others, and all that warm mushy stuff. Really, it's incredibly rewarding.
But I like other things in life too. I'm not a selfless utilitarian: I'm not going to go teach high school math at 30K a year when I can pull down 6 figures instead. But, if I could make 6 figures teaching high school math, I'd definitely do it. And if I did, you can bet I'd do it with a lot of passion, even though I was "bought".
A surprisingly coherent and cogent discussion. I expected a flame war, but really, it's a pretty good discussion. I doubt Blizzard will do anything about it, but I'm still impressed.
What happens when we can artificially reconstruct an entire persons genome? All you'd have to do to frame a person is download that person's DNA, manufacture the chromosomes in copious quantities and leave it at the scene of the crime.
Granted that kind of tech is probably 10 or 20 years out but it still seems worrisome.
If this effect varies with distance to the sun, how much would it affect physics INSIDE the sun? If it can affect decay can it also affect fusion? If so what would that mean for our understanding of the life cycle of stars?
Those are all 'bad filters' as Bostrom would say. Some civilizations may opt to stay in their home system, but it only takes a single civilization to colonize the galaxy, and really, it only takes a single person from a single civilization.
I'll be the first to say, if we are all alone in the galaxy and mankind colonizes the solar system but is too lazy too go forward: screw you all, the galaxy is mine.
There are two issues only the first of which is whether enhancement is good.
The second is competition. It might be every scientist's right to decide to take a mind altering substance to improve performance, but once this catches on it could easily become necessary to do so in order to maintain an academic appointment against ever smarter competition. Throw into the mix undesirable side effects of the drugs and now you have yourself a moral quagmire.
Slashdot Mirror
Unfortunately it's not quite as simple as I made it out to be. More money will attract more good teachers, but it will also attract more *worse* teachers.
Paying more won't create a greater number of good teachers either.
Baloney it won't. I consider myself a pretty damn good teacher (college level; I'm a grad student). I really *like* teaching. I enjoy helping others, and all that warm mushy stuff. Really, it's incredibly rewarding.
But I like other things in life too. I'm not a selfless utilitarian: I'm not going to go teach high school math at 30K a year when I can pull down 6 figures instead. But, if I could make 6 figures teaching high school math, I'd definitely do it. And if I did, you can bet I'd do it with a lot of passion, even though I was "bought".
A surprisingly coherent and cogent discussion. I expected a flame war, but really, it's a pretty good discussion. I doubt Blizzard will do anything about it, but I'm still impressed.
Man, and I thought the main cause for concern with the upcoming revolution in genetic testing was losing my health insurance.
What happens when we can artificially reconstruct an entire persons genome? All you'd have to do to frame a person is download that person's DNA, manufacture the chromosomes in copious quantities and leave it at the scene of the crime. Granted that kind of tech is probably 10 or 20 years out but it still seems worrisome.
If this effect varies with distance to the sun, how much would it affect physics INSIDE the sun? If it can affect decay can it also affect fusion? If so what would that mean for our understanding of the life cycle of stars?
Except this has nothing to do with violating conservation of energy. Tell the sun you can't get a surplus of energy out of fusion.
The time it would take to cross the galaxy is chump change compared to evolutionary timescales.
Those are all 'bad filters' as Bostrom would say. Some civilizations may opt to stay in their home system, but it only takes a single civilization to colonize the galaxy, and really, it only takes a single person from a single civilization. I'll be the first to say, if we are all alone in the galaxy and mankind colonizes the solar system but is too lazy too go forward: screw you all, the galaxy is mine.
There are two issues only the first of which is whether enhancement is good. The second is competition. It might be every scientist's right to decide to take a mind altering substance to improve performance, but once this catches on it could easily become necessary to do so in order to maintain an academic appointment against ever smarter competition. Throw into the mix undesirable side effects of the drugs and now you have yourself a moral quagmire.