And yet again, Sir Terry Pratchett is making me speechless with his insights. Now, it's almost like something is taking its pleasure in making a real-life citations from his books.
I think said catastrophe would be completely internal - imagine a whole generation of people learning about the world around them, and the more they learn, the more they feel a dissonance between real experience and DNA-memory. And there will be dissonance - even in the disciplines of simplest weapons handling, tactics, first aid and so on there will be enough ideological crap and simple "mind-washing". Great recipe for the severe psychosis, not for the supersoldier army.
Being born in the said USSR I can tell you - the sense of threat from our own country ran much deeper and stronger in us, than in any "Westerner". If someone in the Party could use said technology to instill some "communist wisdom" in our generation, most of us would have to live with severe schizophrenia. So I think in reality this whole idea would lead to much more grim and unpleasant consequences than anything we can imagine right now.
Yes, it even looks like automail. But this is Slashdot, people here are not eager to admit their knowledge of these "ugly Japanese cartoons". Now, if only you had mentioned some obscure real-life technology, an instantly assembled group of 4-6 digit id geeks would appear here in comments. They would brag about "good old times", when they worked on most advanced personal computer of that time (Apple 2, of course), and how they built their first ham-radio module in kindergarten, and once had a dinner with Heinlein and Clark at the same time, and it was so awesome, that everybody else have to immediately get off their lawns.
Still, if you are walking in your home when your windows are open, I can see you with my own two eyes - just like any other man, be it a cop with a warrant or not. But if I want to track your cellphone, I have to either buy/steal this information from your operator (which is illegal), or use some complex equipment, that can be used only with this purpose (and I think that it is illegal too).
Even if I'm using some perfectly legal equipment, I have to tune it to your cellphone - so, instead of "looking through your window while walking nearby" it becomes "trying to watch at you and only you whenever you are", which is, IIRC, called stalking and, again, not so legal everywhere.
Oh and Peter Pan will likely never be in the public domain...
So he'll stay forever in his protected Copyrightland, fighting evil pirates and getting royalties to live for all eternity? Well, he surely wished for it hard enough.
Even better, space opera version:
Watchdog "Not Ready"! To probe! Cookie, complaints!
I can even picture some space marines storming important height, when their commander hears on the radio that other team codenamed "Watchdog" is not ready, so they have to retreat to some probe. "Cookie" is current team's engineer, who is commanded to deploy some "complaints" - proximity mines, maybe?
Actual hot iron would be much simpler and cost-effective. Plus you can always iron your shirt with it. Or, since this is Slashdot, use the soldering-copper for this purpose (not for the ironing, of course).
Interesting argument. If all that human being is only a deterministic machine, then why would it need consciousness? Everything else in nature is geared towards maximum efficiency - every law of physics, biology, even sociology seems to support this claim. And yet - consciousness? Absolutely inessential thing? In our perfectly running universe? Well, something's not summing up here.
Of course, your emotions and strong language not only prove your point, but also show us all that you're rational person, absolutely secure in what you believe in. Right? By making personal attacks you do not make your point more valid, in fact, you're doing quite the opposite. BTW, I do not believe in soul or other "magical unobservable things", but I also believe in that our observation methods are constantly improving, giving us more and more data on previously "impossible" things, so I do not shut myself completely from anything not consistent wit my current view of things.
Hmm... and you seem to be arguing that by creating your product and paying your taxes you're actively not supporting your government, with all of Guantanamo, TSA and Predator drones "little mistakes"? So if you are so strongly inclined against use of government's overwhelming force (military and other) against common people, why do you allow these things to happen? Using your analogy, you are not behind the controls of the tank, but you are on the passenger seat, drinking coke and paying for gas for the said tank on every stop. Which is, of course, much better.
And yes, I am, like you, paying for gas for government's oppressive machine in my country. But at least I'm not trying to pretend that I'm somehow better than everyone else.
Thank you, I more or less know the meaning of these words - it was just funny to see how every discussion here on/. contains all of them at some point. Problem with reason and logic is that it is only an instrument, a tool, which cannot be used without some basis in personal experience (which is often plays the role of axiom) and some preferred algorithm or route (which determines what is considered logical and what is not). I know about strict rules of logic, about common sense and logical fallacies, about false analogies and logical gaps - but in the end it always boils down to some simple fact - can you accept something as truth, or cannot. True skeptic is said to be able to accept any truth that is logical and verified by experiment - better with several experiments to achieve the status of "objective fact". In reality this works well only in academical sciences, and even there are so many conflicting, but highly logical hypothesises (sorry for spelling - even google is not so sure about this one), that in the end it boils down to really strong experimental data or simple consensus on what is considered true right now.
In the real life discussions logic is almost always more or less flawed (on both sides), there are always logical fallacies of some sort (otherwise there would be no discussion), and almost for every fact or statistic there can be found something contradicting it (not considering really wicked theories about UFO's and somesuch). So, I can't say that you are wrong - only that all such discussions and argumentations look pointless and that's what was funny for me. But of course you are free to have fun here - looking at number of your comments in this thread, you, like me, have some spare time and are willing to share your thoughts. Well, it's not as bad as watching TV or playing some Zynga games, I presume )
Slashdot Mirror
Desomorphine?
And yet again, Sir Terry Pratchett is making me speechless with his insights. Now, it's almost like something is taking its pleasure in making a real-life citations from his books.
I think said catastrophe would be completely internal - imagine a whole generation of people learning about the world around them, and the more they learn, the more they feel a dissonance between real experience and DNA-memory. And there will be dissonance - even in the disciplines of simplest weapons handling, tactics, first aid and so on there will be enough ideological crap and simple "mind-washing". Great recipe for the severe psychosis, not for the supersoldier army.
So that's what Abdul Alhazred saw in his visions! That explains much.
Being born in the said USSR I can tell you - the sense of threat from our own country ran much deeper and stronger in us, than in any "Westerner". If someone in the Party could use said technology to instill some "communist wisdom" in our generation, most of us would have to live with severe schizophrenia. So I think in reality this whole idea would lead to much more grim and unpleasant consequences than anything we can imagine right now.
He's dead, Jim.
Yes, it even looks like automail. But this is Slashdot, people here are not eager to admit their knowledge of these "ugly Japanese cartoons". Now, if only you had mentioned some obscure real-life technology, an instantly assembled group of 4-6 digit id geeks would appear here in comments. They would brag about "good old times", when they worked on most advanced personal computer of that time (Apple 2, of course), and how they built their first ham-radio module in kindergarten, and once had a dinner with Heinlein and Clark at the same time, and it was so awesome, that everybody else have to immediately get off their lawns.
For everything else there is TVTropes.
Tom, log in, please! Don't be a stranger here.
Still, if you are walking in your home when your windows are open, I can see you with my own two eyes - just like any other man, be it a cop with a warrant or not. But if I want to track your cellphone, I have to either buy/steal this information from your operator (which is illegal), or use some complex equipment, that can be used only with this purpose (and I think that it is illegal too).
Even if I'm using some perfectly legal equipment, I have to tune it to your cellphone - so, instead of "looking through your window while walking nearby" it becomes "trying to watch at you and only you whenever you are", which is, IIRC, called stalking and, again, not so legal everywhere.
Oh and Peter Pan will likely never be in the public domain...
So he'll stay forever in his protected Copyrightland, fighting evil pirates and getting royalties to live for all eternity? Well, he surely wished for it hard enough.
Ugh, don't smell it man, it's nasty! Use air freshener.
Sadly, it's not "Funny", it's "Informative".
Even better, space opera version:
Watchdog "Not Ready"! To probe! Cookie, complaints!
I can even picture some space marines storming important height, when their commander hears on the radio that other team codenamed "Watchdog" is not ready, so they have to retreat to some probe. "Cookie" is current team's engineer, who is commanded to deploy some "complaints" - proximity mines, maybe?
Hm, actually, I think I'd watch that movie...
1 hectoslashdotter cannot be wrong!
Do not forget zee Germans! Why do you always forget Germans? You still mad for zis stupid little war half-century ago?
Actual hot iron would be much simpler and cost-effective. Plus you can always iron your shirt with it. Or, since this is Slashdot, use the soldering-copper for this purpose (not for the ironing, of course).
"Fear and Loathing" is one of my favorite.
No, you didn't get it right - it's about some important Australian, who rules over the whole Facebook. I've always knew that MZ was only a cover-up!
What, you really consider implementing US-style public schools up there? Oh, minorities, not minors... my bad.
So emotional... are you afraid of something yourself?
Interesting argument. If all that human being is only a deterministic machine, then why would it need consciousness? Everything else in nature is geared towards maximum efficiency - every law of physics, biology, even sociology seems to support this claim. And yet - consciousness? Absolutely inessential thing? In our perfectly running universe? Well, something's not summing up here.
Of course, your emotions and strong language not only prove your point, but also show us all that you're rational person, absolutely secure in what you believe in. Right? By making personal attacks you do not make your point more valid, in fact, you're doing quite the opposite. BTW, I do not believe in soul or other "magical unobservable things", but I also believe in that our observation methods are constantly improving, giving us more and more data on previously "impossible" things, so I do not shut myself completely from anything not consistent wit my current view of things.
Hmm... and you seem to be arguing that by creating your product and paying your taxes you're actively not supporting your government, with all of Guantanamo, TSA and Predator drones "little mistakes"? So if you are so strongly inclined against use of government's overwhelming force (military and other) against common people, why do you allow these things to happen? Using your analogy, you are not behind the controls of the tank, but you are on the passenger seat, drinking coke and paying for gas for the said tank on every stop. Which is, of course, much better.
And yes, I am, like you, paying for gas for government's oppressive machine in my country. But at least I'm not trying to pretend that I'm somehow better than everyone else.
For some strange reason your sig is now playing in my head on the motive of "Uptown girl". Ah, slow work day...
Thank you, I more or less know the meaning of these words - it was just funny to see how every discussion here on /. contains all of them at some point. Problem with reason and logic is that it is only an instrument, a tool, which cannot be used without some basis in personal experience (which is often plays the role of axiom) and some preferred algorithm or route (which determines what is considered logical and what is not). I know about strict rules of logic, about common sense and logical fallacies, about false analogies and logical gaps - but in the end it always boils down to some simple fact - can you accept something as truth, or cannot. True skeptic is said to be able to accept any truth that is logical and verified by experiment - better with several experiments to achieve the status of "objective fact". In reality this works well only in academical sciences, and even there are so many conflicting, but highly logical hypothesises (sorry for spelling - even google is not so sure about this one), that in the end it boils down to really strong experimental data or simple consensus on what is considered true right now.
In the real life discussions logic is almost always more or less flawed (on both sides), there are always logical fallacies of some sort (otherwise there would be no discussion), and almost for every fact or statistic there can be found something contradicting it (not considering really wicked theories about UFO's and somesuch). So, I can't say that you are wrong - only that all such discussions and argumentations look pointless and that's what was funny for me. But of course you are free to have fun here - looking at number of your comments in this thread, you, like me, have some spare time and are willing to share your thoughts. Well, it's not as bad as watching TV or playing some Zynga games, I presume )