Apparantly this doctor wants everybody to think that he knows a lot more than anyone else in the world about cloning. And given his alreay *very* doubtful reputation, this statement must be considered a little besides the truth.
I agree with you in that technology isn't inherently bad, but there are certain technologies that shouldn't be tested *too* soon. Lot's of peopleare afraid of genetic engineering, but mankind has been doing that since who knows how long. Only then it is called breeding (animals) and ??? (plants and crops). But cloning is a bit different in my opinion; not because they now do it on humans, but more because they still don't have a clue about *how* DNA works. I mean we know a few things, but there's a whole lot more than we don't know. SO it's far too early to start messing around!
I think that there is a little more to it than that. As an other poster already pointed out, the close receives the same DNA as the parent. But DNA changes during the course of your life, due to copying errors (amongst others). One of the current theories is that ageing has got something to do with the 'wear and tear' of certain parts within the DNA (repeating 'nonsense' groups). So your clone will have all this at the moment of birth, and AFAIK that's not a good start.
And why would you be indistinguishable from a clone. Random DNA mutations *do* occur, and the longer you are alive, the more 'copy errors' start showing up in your DNA. So if you look in close enough detail, there will always be differences.
You're right, we're not civilized over here. But we are getting there slowly. Some of us even have computors, although it's still difficult for us to type, because our knuckles hurt so much (we still walk on all fours over here). And btw, we don't sell AK-47's, because most countries in Europe are still in the bronze age. Mind you, some of them still use weapons made out of bones and antlers.
I hope that there also will be a way to let this watch create a logfile of the GPS info. Then I could really use this watch myself for finding out where I was and what I was doing the previous night when I had too much to drink (again). No more 'O my God, where have I been'. Great!
Does Hurd bring other advantages to it that Darwin doesn't already have?
Well, yes! The big difference is that Hurd is named by a pair of mutually recursive acronyms. Darwin isn't. So there you go!
So you've either got an obfuscated sourcetree to maintain & bug fix, or you've got two sourcetrees, the internal one and the external one. In either case it's slowing development down, and the change of errors creeping in is increasing. All in all, not a good idea.
All the metaphores are about helping the user to perform the actions of storing and retrieving. WOuldn't it be an idea to let the OS handle those things. Wouldn't it be conceiveable to integrate an AI or neural network in the OS that decides how and where to store stuff, and how to retrieve it? The AI would decide on how to store and index the document using keywords and one or more names. Maybe not quite concieveable at the moment, but I think it could work...
You're right! But this quote: 'Ban on Retaliation--Microsoft will be prohibited from retaliating against computer manufacturers or software developers for supporting or developing certain competing software'
says that manufacturers will be free
All along it's history, Microsoft has shown us that they are *very* creative in killing the competition. No doubt they will find a way to do whatever they please. (They could always have a go in the book publishing business - a suggested title could be: Creative assassination in the corperate world')
According to the text, this should stop the very restrictive OEM-contracts that PC-manufacturers have with MS. Now they are not allowed to deliver a dual-boot system, their contracts specifically forbids them to install anything but MS Operating Systems.
Hmmm, if you owned radiostation 95.3, all it would take is to buy some advertising time on other radiostations, and just say 'tune 95.3'. Could have some serious fun with that..
I can picture myself working behind my computer, eating cookies (or whatever), and giving the computer a whistled command, and getting up to get of box of tissues to wipe the wet crumbs of my screen. I really don't think it will work...
And that would be hotter or colder? That must be one hell of a clever shower to decide on one and the same yell if you mean "too hot" or "too cold". Knowing the state of most household technololgy, when you yell "YIEEEE" (too hot), your shower will undoubtedly give you hotter water, after which you can peel your skin right of you're back.
I don't believe in the necessity of a voice operated computer. At the risk of reopening a very old discussion, a good command line will do better in most cases. It takes far less time (for a skilled person) to use a command than to explain the desired action in 'normal' language to a computer. I mean 'rm -r/*' is typed in a lot faster than saying: "Go to the root directory and delete every file, including all subdirectories".
Maybe one of these days we're going to find out that our planet, including ourselves, is on someones (or somethings') CD. Talk about freaking people out in a big way:0
Everything has a good and a bad side...
on
Blaming Encryption
·
· Score: 2
Everyday, all over the world crimes are being commited with the use of everyday tools and technologies. He isn't probably alive anymore, but do you see the inventor of the cigarette lighter crying because every day his invention is being used to ligth millions of cigarettes, causing illness and death for thousands of people? Bottom line is that almost every tool can be used for good and for evil. All in all I don't think that it isn't any good feeling bad about what few people think about this technology. I think PGP has done an a lot of good as well. So it is really the balance between the good and the evil use that counts.
Great post! I think that we don't need a Leader, but more of a humongous to-do list, and try to convince the developers to be a bit more focussed on what needs to be done, instead of what *can* be done. IMHO it's, just like you say, a complete waste of energy to develope yet another tool (editor, IDE, debugger, MP3 player, CD-player, shell, etc). Choice is good, too much choice is spilled energy!
Slashdot Mirror
Apparantly this doctor wants everybody to think that he knows a lot more than anyone else in the world about cloning. And given his alreay *very* doubtful reputation, this statement must be considered a little besides the truth.
Ethics is such a slippery slope. You could also be looking at ten years of immense suffering. Wat is it worth then?
I agree with you in that technology isn't inherently bad, but there are certain technologies that shouldn't be tested *too* soon. Lot's of peopleare afraid of genetic engineering, but mankind has been doing that since who knows how long. Only then it is called breeding (animals) and ??? (plants and crops). But cloning is a bit different in my opinion; not because they now do it on humans, but more because they still don't have a clue about *how* DNA works. I mean we know a few things, but there's a whole lot more than we don't know. SO it's far too early to start messing around!
I think that there is a little more to it than that. As an other poster already pointed out, the close receives the same DNA as the parent. But DNA changes during the course of your life, due to copying errors (amongst others). One of the current theories is that ageing has got something to do with the 'wear and tear' of certain parts within the DNA (repeating 'nonsense' groups). So your clone will have all this at the moment of birth, and AFAIK that's not a good start.
And why would you be indistinguishable from a clone. Random DNA mutations *do* occur, and the longer you are alive, the more 'copy errors' start showing up in your DNA. So if you look in close enough detail, there will always be differences.
You're right, we're not civilized over here. But we are getting there slowly. Some of us even have computors, although it's still difficult for us to type, because our knuckles hurt so much (we still walk on all fours over here). And btw, we don't sell AK-47's, because most countries in Europe are still in the bronze age. Mind you, some of them still use weapons made out of bones and antlers.
I hope that there also will be a way to let this watch create a logfile of the GPS info. Then I could really use this watch myself for finding out where I was and what I was doing the previous night when I had too much to drink (again). No more 'O my God, where have I been'. Great!
Well, I was at this museum some years ago, and it lies on the meridian (the line runs through the museum). So longitude == 0.
Does Hurd bring other advantages to it that Darwin doesn't already have? Well, yes! The big difference is that Hurd is named by a pair of mutually recursive acronyms. Darwin isn't. So there you go!
LOL. I tried to read that book years ago, and I'm still running around dazed & confused.
So you've either got an obfuscated sourcetree to maintain & bug fix, or you've got two sourcetrees, the internal one and the external one. In either case it's slowing development down, and the change of errors creeping in is increasing. All in all, not a good idea.
All the metaphores are about helping the user to perform the actions of storing and retrieving. WOuldn't it be an idea to let the OS handle those things. Wouldn't it be conceiveable to integrate an AI or neural network in the OS that decides how and where to store stuff, and how to retrieve it? The AI would decide on how to store and index the document using keywords and one or more names. Maybe not quite concieveable at the moment, but I think it could work...
If I wanted to spend $200 so that I could get hot and sweaty in front of my computer I'm sure I could find more enjoyable methods...
What, like actually paying for pr0n????
You're right! But this quote: 'Ban on Retaliation--Microsoft will be prohibited from retaliating against computer manufacturers or software developers for supporting or developing certain competing software'
says that manufacturers will be free
I must say this looks VERY promising ...
All along it's history, Microsoft has shown us that they are *very* creative in killing the competition. No doubt they will find a way to do whatever they please. (They could always have a go in the book publishing business - a suggested title could be: Creative assassination in the corperate world')
Ban on Exclusive Agreements
According to the text, this should stop the very restrictive OEM-contracts that PC-manufacturers have with MS. Now they are not allowed to deliver a dual-boot system, their contracts specifically forbids them to install anything but MS Operating Systems.
Hmmm, if you owned radiostation 95.3, all it would take is to buy some advertising time on other radiostations, and just say 'tune 95.3'. Could have some serious fun with that..
I can picture myself working behind my computer, eating cookies (or whatever), and giving the computer a whistled command, and getting up to get of box of tissues to wipe the wet crumbs of my screen. I really don't think it will work...
And that would be hotter or colder? That must be one hell of a clever shower to decide on one and the same yell if you mean "too hot" or "too cold". Knowing the state of most household technololgy, when you yell "YIEEEE" (too hot), your shower will undoubtedly give you hotter water, after which you can peel your skin right of you're back.
I don't believe in the necessity of a voice operated computer. At the risk of reopening a very old discussion, a good command line will do better in most cases. It takes far less time (for a skilled person) to use a command than to explain the desired action in 'normal' language to a computer. I mean 'rm -r /*' is typed in a lot faster than saying: "Go to the root directory and delete every file, including all subdirectories".
In the sciencemuseum in Londen they built Difference engine no.2. See Babbage at the science museum
Maybe one of these days we're going to find out that our planet, including ourselves, is on someones (or somethings') CD. Talk about freaking people out in a big way :0
Everyday, all over the world crimes are being commited with the use of everyday tools and technologies. He isn't probably alive anymore, but do you see the inventor of the cigarette lighter crying because every day his invention is being used to ligth millions of cigarettes, causing illness and death for thousands of people? Bottom line is that almost every tool can be used for good and for evil. All in all I don't think that it isn't any good feeling bad about what few people think about this technology. I think PGP has done an a lot of good as well. So it is really the balance between the good and the evil use that counts.
Great post!
I think that we don't need a Leader, but more of a humongous to-do list, and try to convince the developers to be a bit more focussed on what needs to be done, instead of what *can* be done. IMHO it's, just like you say, a complete waste of energy to develope yet another tool (editor, IDE, debugger, MP3 player, CD-player, shell, etc). Choice is good, too much choice is spilled energy!
NYT News: Web worm misses target
Second worm discovered behind grassy knoll - film at eleven!