I really find this attitude disappointing, especially since its here on Slashdot. Although everything you say is technically correct, I'm not sure I understand what is the point of dissing an experimental project -- because it is experimental.
This is not a commercial product. Clippy is. And here is the big difference.
An experimental project like this is all about moving to the next step. The step where it becomes a reality. If you're dissing this project now, because a CS faculty is conducting a research project (which CS Faculties are supposed to do), which is actually interesting, and has potentially really great possibilities, then I'd hate to see how you expect progress to be made in computers at all.
Oh maybe you're just upset that it's not a Linux project.
Either way, I think this is really cool, and I love the evolutionairy aspect of it.
But another way to look at Mars Express (even minus the Beagle) is as a successful cooperation between many different nations -- A skill the US sometimes does not appear to be able to foster amongst itself and it's so called "partners". And I think is loosing out because of it.
While the US may be happy that it's "won" the race (for what, we're not sure. Everyone loses when only half of the planned scientific packages show up to do some previously undone exploring), I look at the internation space station, and the shuttle program, and think: gee, it's sure great that Russia still has those Proton boosters and Soyouzs blasting off from Siberia there. Otherwise what would happen to those poor Americans up there? We can't all do it alone, and even if we could, it's always easier if there are others around to help us. Especially when it comes to space exploration.
It's clear that this is so *subjective*. While Rush and the BNL have talent, I disagree with you on celin. It's clear you lack the ability to discern quality -- you must have been an American in your previous life. Or maybe you are one, posing as a Canadian. If you want to send money south of the border, nothing is stopping you. Better yet, if you like the US better, please move there. Canada is really just for people that like Canada. They're called Canadians. The US are for people that like the US. They're called Americans. And France is for people that like....you see where this is going don't you?
I think that the 40% content laws are fine, and help provide exposure for some of the many great bands that exist in Canada. I don't like all of them, and neither will you. But that's my point. So let's take a good look. Some of them have gone clearly south (such as Neil Young), and others just look like they have (Shania Twain -- lives mostly in Europe now, but seen wearing ball cap with Canadian flag during TV interview for US station), and some just haven't (such as Sarah McLauchlan and Alanis Morriset). They are in no particular order:
Blue Rodeo, Bran Van 3000 The Tea Party, Leonard Cohen Max Webster / Kim Mitchel, Joni Mitchell, Cowboy Junkies, Delerium, Front Line Assembly, Econoline Crush, Rick Emmett, Stephen Fearing, David Gogo, Mathew Good Band, Grapes of Wrath, Moist, Alanis Morrisette Moxy Fruvous Our Lady Peace Pursuit of Happiness The Rankin Family The Rheostatics VOIVOD Roch Voisine Jean La Lou Lili Fatal Neil Young Skinny puppy Sloan Spirit of the West Kinnie Starr Shania Twain Alan Parsons (aka Alan Parsons Project) Michelle Wright
Hookers of Fire (I've never heard them, but I put them in because I love the name:)
KD Lang Bryan Adams Loreena McKennit Sarah McLauchlan 54-50 Crash Test Dummies Tragically Hip (dude, these guys are Canada's hosue band) BTO Bootsauce Gowan The Guess Who Ronnie Hawkins Jeff Healy Helix Honeymoon Suite Colin James Paul Janz Killer Dwarves Gordon Lightfoot Loverboy Bob and Doug Mackenzie (oh wait!) Men WiThe Northern Pikes Platinum Blonde Prism Robbie Robertson Red Rider / Tom Cochran Rush Buffie St Marie Steppen Wolf Triumph Trooper Gino Vanelli
Re:Improve upon our faults. OCing the Human Brain?
on
The Rights of GM Humans
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Well, there's two ways to look at this issue. In the first case, the Human genetic code is sacred, and those that believe so will continue to run a pure line in the human race. They will come up with the people who look at it in the second case, where it's ok to modify, and have been modified.
Now to talk about genetically superior people, begs the question of exactly what superior means. Because the reaction of the first, unmodified group when it has to deal with the second, modified group will depend largely on this.
If the second, modified group consists of people with large sexual organs that have responses on demand, and turn out to be the envy of every member of the opposite sex, and with no obvious negative side effect, group number one, might actually start thinking that group number two isn't so bad. The same could happen in the case of some modification that effectively prevents some kind of disease from happening (or corrects a defect found in the womb). If we continue along these lines, we could eventually get a sort of homogenous population of typical genetic modifications, that are all sort of modified in one form or another. The stigma having been removed.
However if the second group, comes along (like the AC that submitted the post), and, maybe because he/she is unable to get a date due to their absolute lack of desire or ability to develop social skills or intimacy with another human being, or because they have delusions of being a Hussain, decide that they CAN be superior, and this is what they will push...then naturally things won't go over well with the unmodified humans.
In this case we'll have a new kind of racism, where unmodified humans, fearing a threat from the Moddies, will take progressively stronger and stronger measures against them (ala X-Men, maybe), and then who knows where it will end.
IMHO: Alot transhumanists all take a very bad line with this regard, aggressively pushing some kind of new humanity on everyone. The new humanity being superior, or more evolved, or whatever. I've noticed that most of the (few)transhumanists I've met, all have qualities that prevent them from forming social relationships they would like (and lets face it -- with girls), and somehow think that tweaking their bods are going to solve their problem. But it wont. Nothing can replace relating with another human being. Eric Erickson -- Intimacy vs Isolation. And it's sad, because there's alot of work these people can do on themself to correct this, without having to go to the extreem of some imaginary fantastic gene mod. But if they don't want to see it...
Anyways, for me personally, I'm just going to wait it out, so that I can place my order for a genetically engineer, custom build sex slave to have around the house. This will absolve all the annoying tedium of having to "relate" to my girlfriend. Now that's what I call progress:)
Slashdot Mirror
In canada this is actually a *sign* of credibilty. :)
I really find this attitude disappointing, especially since its here on Slashdot. Although everything you say is technically correct, I'm not sure I understand what is the point of dissing an experimental project -- because it is experimental.
This is not a commercial product. Clippy is. And here is the big difference.
An experimental project like this is all about moving to the next step. The step where it becomes a reality. If you're dissing this project now, because a CS faculty is conducting a research project (which CS Faculties are supposed to do), which is actually interesting, and has potentially really great possibilities, then I'd hate to see how you expect progress to be made in computers at all.
Oh maybe you're just upset that it's not a Linux project.
Either way, I think this is really cool, and I love the evolutionairy aspect of it.
This is one project, I'll be keeping track of.
> Linuz something. Ah yes Linuz Torousveld
No, no. I think his name was Tortelvis.
(http://www.dreadzeppelin.com/)
But another way to look at Mars Express (even minus the Beagle) is as a successful cooperation between many different nations -- A skill the US sometimes does not appear to be able to foster amongst itself and it's so called "partners". And I think is loosing out because of it.
While the US may be happy that it's "won" the race (for what, we're not sure. Everyone loses when only half of the planned scientific packages show up to do some previously undone exploring), I look at the internation space station, and the shuttle program, and think: gee, it's sure great that Russia still has those Proton boosters and Soyouzs blasting off from Siberia there. Otherwise what would happen to those poor Americans up there? We can't all do it alone, and even if we could, it's always easier if there are others around to help us. Especially when it comes to space exploration.
I for one would be greatful of /. readers would update their algorithms for humor detection. .o.
It's clear that this is so *subjective*. While Rush and the BNL have talent, I disagree with you on celin. It's clear you lack the ability to discern quality -- you must have been an American in your previous life. Or maybe you are one, posing as a Canadian. If you want to send money south of the border, nothing is stopping you. Better yet, if you like the US better, please move there. Canada is really just for people that like Canada. They're called Canadians. The US are for people that like the US. They're called Americans. And France is for people that like....you see where this is going don't you?
:)
I think that the 40% content laws are fine, and help provide exposure for some of the many great bands that exist in Canada. I don't like all of them, and neither will you. But that's my point. So let's take a good look. Some of them have gone clearly south (such as Neil Young), and others just look like they have (Shania Twain -- lives mostly in Europe now, but seen wearing ball cap with Canadian flag during TV interview for US station), and some just haven't (such as Sarah McLauchlan and Alanis Morriset). They are in no particular order:
Blue Rodeo, Bran Van 3000
The Tea Party, Leonard Cohen
Max Webster / Kim Mitchel, Joni Mitchell, Cowboy Junkies, Delerium, Front Line Assembly, Econoline Crush, Rick Emmett, Stephen Fearing, David Gogo, Mathew Good Band, Grapes of Wrath, Moist, Alanis Morrisette
Moxy Fruvous
Our Lady Peace
Pursuit of Happiness
The Rankin Family
The Rheostatics
VOIVOD
Roch Voisine
Jean La Lou
Lili Fatal
Neil Young
Skinny puppy
Sloan
Spirit of the West
Kinnie Starr
Shania Twain
Alan Parsons (aka Alan Parsons Project)
Michelle Wright
Hookers of Fire (I've never heard them, but I put them in because I love the name
KD Lang
Bryan Adams
Loreena McKennit
Sarah McLauchlan
54-50
Crash Test Dummies
Tragically Hip (dude, these guys are Canada's hosue band)
BTO
Bootsauce
Gowan
The Guess Who
Ronnie Hawkins
Jeff Healy
Helix
Honeymoon Suite
Colin James
Paul Janz
Killer Dwarves
Gordon Lightfoot
Loverboy
Bob and Doug Mackenzie (oh wait!)
Men WiThe Northern Pikes
Platinum Blonde
Prism
Robbie Robertson
Red Rider / Tom Cochran
Rush
Buffie St Marie
Steppen Wolf
Triumph
Trooper
Gino Vanelli
Well, there's two ways to look at this issue. In the first case, the Human genetic code is sacred, and those that believe so will continue to run a pure line in the human race. They will come up with the people who look at it in the second case, where it's ok to modify, and have been modified.
:)
Now to talk about genetically superior people, begs the question of exactly what superior means. Because the reaction of the first, unmodified group when it has to deal with the second, modified group will depend largely on this.
If the second, modified group consists of people with large sexual organs that have responses on demand, and turn out to be the envy of every member of the opposite sex, and with no obvious negative side effect, group number one, might actually start thinking that group number two isn't so bad. The same could happen in the case of some modification that effectively prevents some kind of disease from happening (or corrects a defect found in the womb). If we continue along these lines, we could eventually get a sort of homogenous population of typical genetic modifications, that are all sort of modified in one form or another. The stigma having been removed.
However if the second group, comes along (like the AC that submitted the post), and, maybe because he/she is unable to get a date due to their absolute lack of desire or ability to develop social skills or intimacy with another human being, or because they have delusions of being a Hussain, decide that they CAN be superior, and this is what they will push...then naturally things won't go over well with the unmodified humans.
In this case we'll have a new kind of racism, where unmodified humans, fearing a threat from the Moddies, will take progressively stronger and stronger measures against them (ala X-Men, maybe), and then who knows where it will end.
IMHO: Alot transhumanists all take a very bad line with this regard, aggressively pushing some kind of new humanity on everyone. The new humanity being superior, or more evolved, or whatever. I've noticed that most of the (few)transhumanists I've met, all have qualities that prevent them from forming social relationships they would like (and lets face it -- with girls), and somehow think that tweaking their bods are going to solve their problem. But it wont. Nothing can replace relating with another human being. Eric Erickson -- Intimacy vs Isolation. And it's sad, because there's alot of work these people can do on themself to correct this, without having to go to the extreem of some imaginary fantastic gene mod. But if they don't want to see it...
Anyways, for me personally, I'm just going to wait it out, so that I can place my order for a genetically engineer, custom build sex slave to have around the house. This will absolve all the annoying tedium of having to "relate" to my girlfriend. Now that's what I call progress