That is breeding - and a rather simple and limited form of it.
If we are to call that evolving, then we may just as well start talking how Australians have evolved to be more resilient to heat and hardship than their British ancestors. After all, weaker ones have all died out. Right?
Or how about our resistance to common diseases like flu? "Regular" flu still takes around 500.000 lives each year globally - that is quite a bit for such a common disease.
Untreated, even a common cold can still kill us. That is why we have invented medicine. And I am not talking penicillin here - I mean the stuff that has been around since we lived in caves. Herbs, teas, ointments and such. And we didn't become immune to plague or tuberculosis - we came up with a treatment.
Also, we as a species are able to migrate A LOT better than other animals. That is why a death of half a million annually from flu goes by unnoticed and has little to no effect on improving our immunity as species. Those 500.000 live all around the globe. We are not limited to a single location, way of life or a food source - as a species.
That is why there is no such thing as a "pure" human. Or a pure German, American, French, Chinese, negro, Caucasian, Asian...
Vikings. You know.. those blue-eyed, fair-skinned, fair-haired sissies that have found time to discover America during their break of looting and pillaging across Europe.
Anecdotal evidence such as that might point us to a crazy idea that human beings are not foxes. That they don't eat like foxes, breed like foxes, live as long as foxes, socialize like foxes or THINK like foxes.
And therein lies the proverbial pudding* - we didn't really evolve that much since we got ourselves these big brainy things that we use for thinking. You know... that central junction box that does most of our nerve-signal routing, which can control the production and use of hormones in our bodies, besides being used for learning skills and thinking shit up. In other words - we are a hell of a lot more complex animals then foxes. We have much greater control (and tolerance) over our hormones AND our life circumstances. Also, we stopped fiddling with evolving our pigmentation back when we discovered clothing. Gave it up completely once we came up with makeup and hair-coloring.
*I know how the phrase goes. I've misused it intentionally to piss off grammar-Nazis and culture-trolls.
He can't get a Nobel Prize since he is imaginary. As in... Doesn't really exist, it is just some random guy in a red suit wearing a fake beard.
On the other hand - he is quite qualified to get some people a country based around the fact that they believe in him, along with various tax deductions because of his (imaginary) charitable work.
Personally, I rather chose to believe in Superman. At least he doesn't need a god damn sled to move around. And while he is from time to time a corporate bitch - at least he doesn't stoop so low to sell soda each winter.
Slashdot is one of those "Mac Internet forums" described therein. Or do you think that it is a coincidence that Slashdot's sections are:
* Main
* Apple
* AskSlashdot
* Book Reviews
* Developers
* Games
* Hardware
* IT
* Idle
* Index
* Interviews
* Linux
* Mobile
* Politics
* Science
* Technology
* YRO
Linux? HA! Linux is a topic here only to attract more M$ haters. When was the last time we had a story about Linus or RMS sneezing? See what I mean? Exactly!
Turn on your TV during the "infomercials". Half of those are for some kind of device or chemical that will let you burn "all that fat" in days with minimal effort.
These devices siphon the energy from your body in order to work. And you get that energy from food. See where I'm going with this?
How many heat-harvesting headband do you need to burn out a single twinkie? Who cares! I've seen them sell patches made out of "green tea extract" that should "burn calories" when you wear them. 10 to 1 that you get to burn more calories from a simple cup of green tea. And that is just the things that actually have a measurable effect.
Golden heat-harvesting headbands that burn fat? Those things would sell like hotcakes.
It talks about space battles the way someone from 16th century (or earlier) might imagine late 20th century naval battles.
All those limitations author gets stuck at (gravity, trajectories, armor, weapons, energy limitations, shields... even dropping space-marines on a planet FFS) are basically what WE would face TODAY. Not some civilization that considers an actual possibility of battles in space. Heck... you could take out today's spacecraft with a slingshot - once in space.
With all those limitations, which ARE correct, there would be NO space battles. Worst case scenario - there would be some orbital bombardment platforms with limited shuttles and most probably completely robotic crews. Why drop humans when you can drop terminators or screamers. Or just chuck an asteroid at the rebellious colonists.
On the other hand, if you have the capability to launch (or have permanently stationed) several fighter squadrons into space - you are way beyond most of those limitations. Energy, fuel, efficient and maneuverable non-rocket engines are certainly not your problem at that stage.
...David Sapaeth, a product specialist at Sony VAIO Europe, sent me the following prepared statement:
"VAIO does use lithium-ion batteries in the majority of its laptops, but they differ from those used in power tools in a number of ways.
"Power tools typically require a high power output, but for very short periods of time only (long enough to drill a hole, tighten a screw, saw a board and so on). Then they pause again at zero output until the next task. Notebooks require a stable output for hours in a row.
"If we look at the batteries of a power drill for example, they're ten times heavier than a notebook battery. Notebook batteries are extremely condensed in terms of cells. If we were to use the same cells as power tools in a notebook with the continuous power demand, the cells would likely melt!"
Also, author of TFA is apparently purposefully trying to be an idiot. Which can happen when you start your rant based on a faulty premise.
First he acknowledges the problems NiCd and NiMH batteries have, then he ignores it - because that would prove his rant is simply a product of uninformed reasoning. In other words - he has no fucking idea what's he talking about.
I'm grateful for David's response, and he raises some interesting points, but I'm not sure I accept all of them. David claims power tool batteries don't need to deliver continuous power, but that's exactly what the batteries in my Bosch mower do (and my Ryobi strimmer and hedge cutter).
And these power tool batteries deliver such continuous power at much higher currents - the mower runs flat in about 40 minutes while the similar capacity VAIO battery has six to eight hours, and I've used my mower and strimmer without ever seeing their batteries melt down.
No, Paul baby, it is not that your lawn mower's battery delivers continuous power at higher currents - it is the fact that your laptop uses far less power at much lower currents. And you don't see your battery melt down BECAUSE... well... what parent post said.
Also, he apparently thinks that when you buy a battery you buy electricity. Ummm... No. You are buying PORTABILITY. Not watt-hours but grams, cubic centimeters AND watt-hours.
That is why it would cost a fortune to replace a car battery with a pile of iPod batteries.
When thousands of people lose their jobs, are they going to continue to spend money on expensive purchases like game consoles and the accessories and games that go with them?
Of course not. It is the government that provides the entertainment for the masses in such a case. Worked for the Roman Empire... No, wait...
But do feel free to fritter your time away on "cheaper" PC's (that you buy twice as often) so that you can afford to buy a lower ID than mine and "win"!
Win what? There is a contest here? I thought we were making stupid "Yo mama.." jokes. Only with references to OS(s)/hardware/UIDs instead of mothers.
Usually people go for those 3-digit UIDs but not everyone has the money for that. Generally, if you have money to buy Apple products, you have a habit of solving your problems by shopping and you have money to spare.
...that the name Enterprise is translation from its native Ferengi name.
SpaceShipTwo will be unveiled after darkness has fallen over the Mojave Desert to the sound of a space-themed anthem from Britain's biggest DJs, Above & Beyond. Fittingly titled "Buzz" the track will sample Buzz Aldrin's original moon landing dialogue. Following the naming by Governors Richardson and Schwarzenegger, the DJs will also perform an exclusive set at the celebration cocktail party which will follow and feature the first ever IceBar in the desert hosted by Absolut and the world famous Swedish IceHotel. All the guests will be protected from the desert cold by designer space jackets supplied by PUMA. Finally, to close off the celebrations, all the guests will have the opportunity to view the stunning night skies using specialist telescopes supplied by Ron Dantowitz of the Clay Observatory whose unique tracking cameras followed SS1 into space during the epic flights of 2004.
And there is more than one way to "skin a patient". Plenty of diseases and injuries heal by themselves and leave only very slight marks on the body. Save on "free" medication and nurses. Broken leg - don't waste a cast, give him a bandage. It can be reused later. Syringes and needles too. Just boil them a little.
And in most cases, it pays to gamble. Out of 1000 patients with a cold, only 1 or 2 may actually die from it - and there is always a chance that they wont sue. Just rush them through the system as fast as possible, and if they do happen to sue - hospitals can afford better lawyers.
"Lives were at risk due to the lack of efficiency"? What part of "money" did you not understand?
See... the good Doctor Himmelstein would like to run a hospital (whose job is to save lives and provide the unquantifiable product such as health) as a slaughterhouse. Bodies come in - work is done on them - bodies come out and you get money. Simple and straightforward.
Aaah... but hospitals can't be run as a profit-based business - cause they are not. Hospitals provide "service" needed to run the society. You know... just like other public service "businesses" like police, fire department, army, public education...
So, your idea of efficiency having to do with providing the said service, and idea of efficiency Doctor Himmelstein has (I can't help imagining thunder and lightning in the background every time I say that name) - are two VERY different things. His efficiency calculation only has to do with money spent per body coming in and money gained per body coming out.
Now... if you could somehow CHARGE the patients for every time a computer is used... Hmmm...
Same reason they can't just make their own Coca-Cola or McDonald's AND call it that way - IP rights. And you don't have to sell them the actually meat - just sell them the technology and the production process. But... In order to do that, first you have to have both those things in actual and working condition. I.e. there actually should be new-meat burgers out there being bought and eaten by thousands and millions.
Why and how come US? Well... for one, GP started talking about the US. And because it is a great business opportunity - someone will sell it to the world if it can be sold. And the US already has one of the biggest meat dispensing chains in the world.
And anyone else who believes in things like karma, reincarnation etc. tend not to eat any meat at all - because it comes from what could potentially be his/her relative or friend. Not just cows or pigs.
Slashdot Mirror
Engineering Ability = 1/Fanaticism
Apple products are not THAT bad. Most are actually quite usable.
That is breeding - and a rather simple and limited form of it.
If we are to call that evolving, then we may just as well start talking how Australians have evolved to be more resilient to heat and hardship than their British ancestors.
After all, weaker ones have all died out. Right?
Or how about our resistance to common diseases like flu?
"Regular" flu still takes around 500.000 lives each year globally - that is quite a bit for such a common disease.
Untreated, even a common cold can still kill us. That is why we have invented medicine.
And I am not talking penicillin here - I mean the stuff that has been around since we lived in caves. Herbs, teas, ointments and such.
And we didn't become immune to plague or tuberculosis - we came up with a treatment.
Also, we as a species are able to migrate A LOT better than other animals.
That is why a death of half a million annually from flu goes by unnoticed and has little to no effect on improving our immunity as species.
Those 500.000 live all around the globe.
We are not limited to a single location, way of life or a food source - as a species.
That is why there is no such thing as a "pure" human. Or a pure German, American, French, Chinese, negro, Caucasian, Asian...
What better way to weed out possible terrorist than strip searching everyone who does not prominently display a $0.10 pewter cross.
BRILLIANT!
I don't suppose you actually work for the TSA? Sounds like you were born for that career.
Vikings.
You know.. those blue-eyed, fair-skinned, fair-haired sissies that have found time to discover America during their break of looting and pillaging across Europe.
Anecdotal evidence such as that might point us to a crazy idea that human beings are not foxes.
That they don't eat like foxes, breed like foxes, live as long as foxes, socialize like foxes or THINK like foxes.
And therein lies the proverbial pudding* - we didn't really evolve that much since we got ourselves these big brainy things that we use for thinking.
You know... that central junction box that does most of our nerve-signal routing, which can control the production and use of hormones in our bodies, besides being used for learning skills and thinking shit up.
In other words - we are a hell of a lot more complex animals then foxes. We have much greater control (and tolerance) over our hormones AND our life circumstances.
Also, we stopped fiddling with evolving our pigmentation back when we discovered clothing. Gave it up completely once we came up with makeup and hair-coloring.
*I know how the phrase goes. I've misused it intentionally to piss off grammar-Nazis and culture-trolls.
He can't get a Nobel Prize since he is imaginary.
As in... Doesn't really exist, it is just some random guy in a red suit wearing a fake beard.
On the other hand - he is quite qualified to get some people a country based around the fact that they believe in him, along with various tax deductions because of his (imaginary) charitable work.
Personally, I rather chose to believe in Superman. At least he doesn't need a god damn sled to move around.
And while he is from time to time a corporate bitch - at least he doesn't stoop so low to sell soda each winter.
Apple beats Linux, Linux beats Google, "M$ i5 3v111111|_!!!11eleven" stories beat all.
Or, in the order of preference:
1 - "M$ i5 3v111111|_!!!11eleven"
2 - "Apple news and rumors including daily Steve-tracker"
3 - "Linux and why we love it"
4 - "Google - not really evil. Honest."
5 - "Other tech news"
Part of The Apple Product Cycle.
Slashdot is one of those "Mac Internet forums" described therein. Or do you think that it is a coincidence that Slashdot's sections are:
* Main
* Apple
* AskSlashdot
* Book Reviews
* Developers
* Games
* Hardware
* IT
* Idle
* Index
* Interviews
* Linux
* Mobile
* Politics
* Science
* Technology
* YRO
Linux? HA!
Linux is a topic here only to attract more M$ haters.
When was the last time we had a story about Linus or RMS sneezing? See what I mean? Exactly!
Turn on your TV during the "infomercials".
Half of those are for some kind of device or chemical that will let you burn "all that fat" in days with minimal effort.
These devices siphon the energy from your body in order to work.
And you get that energy from food.
See where I'm going with this?
How many heat-harvesting headband do you need to burn out a single twinkie?
Who cares! I've seen them sell patches made out of "green tea extract" that should "burn calories" when you wear them.
10 to 1 that you get to burn more calories from a simple cup of green tea.
And that is just the things that actually have a measurable effect.
Golden heat-harvesting headbands that burn fat? Those things would sell like hotcakes.
It talks about space battles the way someone from 16th century (or earlier) might imagine late 20th century naval battles.
All those limitations author gets stuck at (gravity, trajectories, armor, weapons, energy limitations, shields... even dropping space-marines on a planet FFS) are basically what WE would face TODAY.
Not some civilization that considers an actual possibility of battles in space. Heck... you could take out today's spacecraft with a slingshot - once in space.
With all those limitations, which ARE correct, there would be NO space battles.
Worst case scenario - there would be some orbital bombardment platforms with limited shuttles and most probably completely robotic crews.
Why drop humans when you can drop terminators or screamers. Or just chuck an asteroid at the rebellious colonists.
On the other hand, if you have the capability to launch (or have permanently stationed) several fighter squadrons into space - you are way beyond most of those limitations.
Energy, fuel, efficient and maneuverable non-rocket engines are certainly not your problem at that stage.
From TFA:
...David Sapaeth, a product specialist at Sony VAIO Europe, sent me the following prepared statement:
"VAIO does use lithium-ion batteries in the majority of its laptops, but they differ from those used in power tools in a number of ways.
"Power tools typically require a high power output, but for very short periods of time only (long enough to drill a hole, tighten a screw, saw a board and so on). Then they pause again at zero output until the next task. Notebooks require a stable output for hours in a row.
"If we look at the batteries of a power drill for example, they're ten times heavier than a notebook battery. Notebook batteries are extremely condensed in terms of cells. If we were to use the same cells as power tools in a notebook with the continuous power demand, the cells would likely melt!"
Also, author of TFA is apparently purposefully trying to be an idiot. Which can happen when you start your rant based on a faulty premise.
First he acknowledges the problems NiCd and NiMH batteries have, then he ignores it - because that would prove his rant is simply a product of uninformed reasoning.
In other words - he has no fucking idea what's he talking about.
I'm grateful for David's response, and he raises some interesting points, but I'm not sure I accept all of them. David claims power tool batteries don't need to deliver continuous power, but that's exactly what the batteries in my Bosch mower do (and my Ryobi strimmer and hedge cutter).
And these power tool batteries deliver such continuous power at much higher currents - the mower runs flat in about 40 minutes while the similar capacity VAIO battery has six to eight hours, and I've used my mower and strimmer without ever seeing their batteries melt down.
No, Paul baby, it is not that your lawn mower's battery delivers continuous power at higher currents - it is the fact that your laptop uses far less power at much lower currents.
And you don't see your battery melt down BECAUSE... well... what parent post said.
Also, he apparently thinks that when you buy a battery you buy electricity.
Ummm... No. You are buying PORTABILITY. Not watt-hours but grams, cubic centimeters AND watt-hours.
That is why it would cost a fortune to replace a car battery with a pile of iPod batteries.
And if so, why don't we see any evidence of these great astronaut bacteria today?
Because that bacteria killed off all of the dinosaurs who then fell down on them crushing the bacteria.
Bacteria are really tiny, you know, and dinosaurs were really big.
When thousands of people lose their jobs, are they going to continue to spend money on expensive purchases like game consoles and the accessories and games that go with them?
Of course not.
It is the government that provides the entertainment for the masses in such a case.
Worked for the Roman Empire... No, wait...
But do feel free to fritter your time away on "cheaper" PC's (that you buy twice as often) so that you can afford to buy a lower ID than mine and "win"!
Win what? There is a contest here? I thought we were making stupid "Yo mama.." jokes.
Only with references to OS(s)/hardware/UIDs instead of mothers.
you can afford to buy a lower ID
Why would I do that? My UID is beautiful.
You can buy UIDs too.
Usually people go for those 3-digit UIDs but not everyone has the money for that.
Generally, if you have money to buy Apple products, you have a habit of solving your problems by shopping and you have money to spare.
It is a translation of an ancient Ferengi concept, meaning "a business organization".
...that the name Enterprise is translation from its native Ferengi name.
SpaceShipTwo will be unveiled after darkness has fallen over the Mojave Desert to the sound of a space-themed anthem from Britain's biggest DJs, Above & Beyond. Fittingly titled "Buzz" the track will sample Buzz Aldrin's original moon landing dialogue. Following the naming by Governors Richardson and Schwarzenegger, the DJs will also perform an exclusive set at the celebration cocktail party which will follow and feature the first ever IceBar in the desert hosted by Absolut and the world famous Swedish IceHotel. All the guests will be protected from the desert cold by designer space jackets supplied by PUMA. Finally, to close off the celebrations, all the guests will have the opportunity to view the stunning night skies using specialist telescopes supplied by Ron Dantowitz of the Clay Observatory whose unique tracking cameras followed SS1 into space during the epic flights of 2004.
Now, I do assume that extra hands will not be available for quite some time but why a single boob?
Wasn't Voynich Manuscript already solved by Randall Munroe?
Not if the patient is just mostly dead.
And there is more than one way to "skin a patient".
Plenty of diseases and injuries heal by themselves and leave only very slight marks on the body. Save on "free" medication and nurses.
Broken leg - don't waste a cast, give him a bandage. It can be reused later. Syringes and needles too. Just boil them a little.
And in most cases, it pays to gamble. Out of 1000 patients with a cold, only 1 or 2 may actually die from it - and there is always a chance that they wont sue.
Just rush them through the system as fast as possible, and if they do happen to sue - hospitals can afford better lawyers.
"Lives were at risk due to the lack of efficiency"?
What part of "money" did you not understand?
See... the good Doctor Himmelstein would like to run a hospital (whose job is to save lives and provide the unquantifiable product such as health) as a slaughterhouse.
Bodies come in - work is done on them - bodies come out and you get money. Simple and straightforward.
Aaah... but hospitals can't be run as a profit-based business - cause they are not. Hospitals provide "service" needed to run the society.
You know... just like other public service "businesses" like police, fire department, army, public education...
So, your idea of efficiency having to do with providing the said service, and idea of efficiency Doctor Himmelstein has (I can't help imagining thunder and lightning in the background every time I say that name) - are two VERY different things.
His efficiency calculation only has to do with money spent per body coming in and money gained per body coming out.
Now... if you could somehow CHARGE the patients for every time a computer is used... Hmmm...
Good? For whom? Patients? Screw them!
We are talking bottom line here sunny.
And that bottom line better be in black and with plenty of big numbers.
Now get out of my way, I have to practice my for the annual Doctor's Golf TournamentTM. It is for some charity or some other bullshit excuse.
Same reason they can't just make their own Coca-Cola or McDonald's AND call it that way - IP rights.
And you don't have to sell them the actually meat - just sell them the technology and the production process.
But... In order to do that, first you have to have both those things in actual and working condition.
I.e. there actually should be new-meat burgers out there being bought and eaten by thousands and millions.
Why and how come US? Well... for one, GP started talking about the US.
And because it is a great business opportunity - someone will sell it to the world if it can be sold.
And the US already has one of the biggest meat dispensing chains in the world.
And anyone else who believes in things like karma, reincarnation etc. tend not to eat any meat at all - because it comes from what could potentially be his/her relative or friend.
Not just cows or pigs.
You: Computers have made my life much easier.
Harvard study: Computers don't save hospitals money.
Note the slight difference there?
Baby seal eyes are the real delicacies.
Although, Long Pork does have the best toys.