Steven Hawking argued in his book The Grand Design that people have no more free will than machines. The problem is that people (and likewise, most life) are so complex that the ability to map their actions is just unavailable to us now.
He claims, the argument on whether or not people have free will is irrelevant. The term "Free Will" is analogous to Nondeterministic. Which is to say - keeping in mind that there is no true randomness in a computer - that there is no randomness in life either, we only lack the ability to map all the variables, and calculate the results (emotion, action, etc). Every experience we have had in the past, all come together to form the basis of your reactions today.
I like to take it a little further and claim - as our technological abilities as a species advance, the line we draw as to what has free will be moved. As of today, I don't think many people claim viruses has free will - but more might say that bacteria do... or plants, or ants, mice, birds, etc. These lines we draw might soon enough begin approaching people.
Likewise, computers are in the process of extending past our line to model them.
Last night I watched My Trip to Al Qaeda. Lawrence Wright has spent more time with hands on research than anyone I have seen. It seemed, to me, his main point was the fact that radicalism feeds entirely on humiliation and anger - including the humiliation of the Islamic faith by the West. What really is the point here on burning a pile of Korans on 9/11 than to humiliate and anger the moderate and extreme Muslims. It's very distasteful. Trying not to sound like I am just quoting the movie (yet whole hardily agreeing to the message that) we should stand up for what America believes in - and stop playing our role in the story Bin Laden narrates - one of a holy war against the Muslim faith.
Whatever your point of view on the subject - this documentary is definately a must see.
Oh please, rate this guy down because you disagree.
Leviticus 20:13 (New International Version)
13 " 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (New International Version)
"That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you."
1 Thessalonians 2:14-15 (New International Version)
14For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men
Psalm 79:6 (New International Version)
6 Pour out your wrath on the nations
that do not acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;
And the amount of evil it has combated. (ie, Nazis, Soviets, etc)
And in the Aid in which is gives
And the amount of technological achievements (Modern Assembly Line, Computers, Synthetic Life?)
Human bite wounds, though relatively rare, have a higher rate of infections than cat or dog bites.
That is because most human bite wounds are on the hands (Hmm, where's the first place I'm going to think of punching that loud mouth and teach him a lesson?). The hands are quite prone to infection due to all the dogs and cats you touch (and money, and gas pumps, etc:).
I hate that wildly mischaracterized statistic. I hear it a lot with the fact that a "dogs mouth is cleaner than a humans," or that dogs saliva is sterile.
On a side note: did you know ice cream sales in an area/time are directly related to drownings?
Couldn't have anything to do with a summer treat, and summer activity... ice cream is dangerous!
Now, I recognize I do not know the whole story - but this kind of pisses me off, to be honest. It looks to me, like this was either an experiment or just plain fun. I recognize that the cops would be called for such a loud noise, but an arrest is ridiculous; and, it seems most people here agree. Should we do something about it, or just mock it?
...we WILL use all the resources on this planet at one point. ALL of them. And then we die, just like the J-curve bacteria in the petri dish when they finally deplete their nutrients.
Haven't people been saying this for a long time now? We seem to always be on the cusp of running unsubstainability. I'd say.... Where there is demand, there will be a market. Where there is a market, innovation will eventually come. I truly believe technology in one form or another will keep up with if not outpace our population:
Everything we mine from the ground can have some form of a man-made substitute.
Food doesn't have to be a limiting factor (at least in a developed country)
Energy CAN be limitless.
Air can be cleaned.
Water can be restored.
Oceans can be inhabited.
Space can be conquored.
...
I feel like I'm running for some future political office.... except I actually believe it.
The labor union is one of the very few mechanisms we have to move wealth back into the real economy. Progressive taxation is another.
I agree completely that wealth disparity is the real problem. To me, however, these seem more like fixing the symptom of a problem than solving the actual problem itself - and fixing symptoms almost always has side effects. (Labor unions make it difficult for companies to compete, etc).
I'd say a focus on education (stop pandering to the LCD of our grade school students and make our schools challenging) would make a dramatic impact on bringing the more difficult, high paying work to the US. It could have an added benefit of fostering innovation, creating a solid base for our economy to stand on.
Slashdot Mirror
God I wish I had mod points. Beautiful solution. Thank you.
Steven Hawking argued in his book The Grand Design that people have no more free will than machines. The problem is that people (and likewise, most life) are so complex that the ability to map their actions is just unavailable to us now.
He claims, the argument on whether or not people have free will is irrelevant. The term "Free Will" is analogous to Nondeterministic. Which is to say - keeping in mind that there is no true randomness in a computer - that there is no randomness in life either, we only lack the ability to map all the variables, and calculate the results (emotion, action, etc). Every experience we have had in the past, all come together to form the basis of your reactions today.
I like to take it a little further and claim - as our technological abilities as a species advance, the line we draw as to what has free will be moved. As of today, I don't think many people claim viruses has free will - but more might say that bacteria do... or plants, or ants, mice, birds, etc. These lines we draw might soon enough begin approaching people.
Likewise, computers are in the process of extending past our line to model them.
Maybe they already are.
A Slashdot submission... linking to a forum... linking to a new site... linking to a.... Slashdot submission???
When I think SEO backlinking... I think this.
Last night I watched My Trip to Al Qaeda. Lawrence Wright has spent more time with hands on research than anyone I have seen. It seemed, to me, his main point was the fact that radicalism feeds entirely on humiliation and anger - including the humiliation of the Islamic faith by the West. What really is the point here on burning a pile of Korans on 9/11 than to humiliate and anger the moderate and extreme Muslims. It's very distasteful. Trying not to sound like I am just quoting the movie (yet whole hardily agreeing to the message that) we should stand up for what America believes in - and stop playing our role in the story Bin Laden narrates - one of a holy war against the Muslim faith.
Whatever your point of view on the subject - this documentary is definately a must see.
As does the Bible.
Oh please, rate this guy down because you disagree.
Leviticus 20:13 (New International Version) 13 " 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (New International Version) "That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you."
1 Thessalonians 2:14-15 (New International Version) 14For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men
Psalm 79:6 (New International Version) 6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;
or maybe its just people's interpretations of the books that are an issue...
For a second there, I thought that Will Smith Restored a Rainforest...
From the forum:
Satellite map images with missing or unclear data
It would be simply fucking glorious!
You're an idiot
And the amount of evil it has combated. (ie, Nazis, Soviets, etc)
And in the Aid in which is gives
And the amount of technological achievements (Modern Assembly Line, Computers, Synthetic Life?)
I mean really.... Give it a rest.
It appears the answer is "no" since it was specifically designed for Iraq.
Iran...It's NOT the same country you know...
Well I guess it didnt like the fact that you went straight from your wife's house to your girlfriend's, before going home... :)
Human bite wounds, though relatively rare, have a higher rate of infections than cat or dog bites.
That is because most human bite wounds are on the hands (Hmm, where's the first place I'm going to think of punching that loud mouth and teach him a lesson?). The hands are quite prone to infection due to all the dogs and cats you touch (and money, and gas pumps, etc :).
/rant
I hate that wildly mischaracterized statistic. I hear it a lot with the fact that a "dogs mouth is cleaner than a humans," or that dogs saliva is sterile.
On a side note: did you know ice cream sales in an area/time are directly related to drownings? Couldn't have anything to do with a summer treat, and summer activity... ice cream is dangerous!
Now, I recognize I do not know the whole story - but this kind of pisses me off, to be honest. It looks to me, like this was either an experiment or just plain fun. I recognize that the cops would be called for such a loud noise, but an arrest is ridiculous; and, it seems most people here agree. Should we do something about it, or just mock it?
Contact Juvenile Division
Contact Criminal Division
Curious to see how this relates to ocean flow, I superimposed the ocean currents ontop of this. This was too interesting for me not to post!
:)
Oceans Flow and Gravity Deviations
Note: Sorry that this is a poor edit, but I had to use MS Paint!
...we WILL use all the resources on this planet at one point. ALL of them. And then we die, just like the J-curve bacteria in the petri dish when they finally deplete their nutrients.
Haven't people been saying this for a long time now? We seem to always be on the cusp of running unsubstainability. I'd say.... Where there is demand, there will be a market. Where there is a market, innovation will eventually come. I truly believe technology in one form or another will keep up with if not outpace our population:
I feel like I'm running for some future political office.... except I actually believe it.
The labor union is one of the very few mechanisms we have to move wealth back into the real economy. Progressive taxation is another.
I agree completely that wealth disparity is the real problem. To me, however, these seem more like fixing the symptom of a problem than solving the actual problem itself - and fixing symptoms almost always has side effects. (Labor unions make it difficult for companies to compete, etc). I'd say a focus on education (stop pandering to the LCD of our grade school students and make our schools challenging) would make a dramatic impact on bringing the more difficult, high paying work to the US. It could have an added benefit of fostering innovation, creating a solid base for our economy to stand on.