That way, all the politicos on both sides here on Slashdot will instantly know whether this was paid criminal flacks masquerading as journalism or corporate thugs trampling on our right to know the truth.
I'm not even sure that the incremental replacement method would "work".
Defining what we mean by "it worked" when it comes to something judged by subjective experience only is very squishy on whether it really worked, or you just think it worked.
Since we can't even define consciousness well yet, and good luck on The Hard Problem, I'd instead say it doesn't look hopeful, but the jury is still out.
I doubt Amazon would ban a book detailing how to do a real world harm, say: A detailed manual on how to loot a corporate pension fund and defer the retirement health insurance payments until bankruptcy can be declared. All without getting prosecuted for it. (And, I'd agree that odious though it was, a book about it shouldn't be prohibited.)
But, we can get all bent out of shape and restrict things, especially sex, that meets someone's definition of "icky" or "scary", regardless that it's fiction about things that do not exist outside of human imaginations.
I'm reminded of a person who, when looking for a roommate at college was visibly overstressed by worry that I had a copy of the DnD Players Guide. He assured me that the demons could use the pictures on the cover to come into our world.
I was glad he didn't want to be a roommate, as I was convinced he was mental.
How is this getting bent out of shape over something fictional much different?
"Alternatively, you can die a bit later than the rest of humanity"
Isn't that already the case on the day you are born?
Humanity shouldn't just give up. but hey, if you personally want to, that's your karma.
If you're in a city, you're largely screwed. If the initial attack doesn't get you, the collapse of the food production and transport systems will.
But, if you are rural and can get through the first few months, much of the fallout hazard decays away, what's left of society responds as best it can and you might make it. Not easily, but hey, being a hunter gatherer isn't all that easy (or even more so, a subsistence farmer without fossil fuel powered machinery).
Humans overestimate their ability to screw mother nature up. We can screw our modern society selves up quite thoroughly. We're a long ways down from our peak arsenals, and On The Beach notwithstanding, I've never been convinced you'd have made humanity extinct even then, let alone the apocalyptic predictions that you'd end life on earth.
The energy from even the worst possible exchange at the height of the arsenals is tiny compared to the flows of energy in nature. It just is delivered extremely quickly and in ways that are very good at killing people.
Even human caused global warming comes under that limitation. Nature's been through global warming that exceeded what we can do and though the species changed it kept on going. It will, however screw up humans in a big way.
Humans are puny. Just try to tear down a mountain range. Nature does it all the time, just slowly. The only reason nature would notice us is that we move so much faster than nature usually does.
In addition to now being the director of the Vatican Observatory, he's a scifi fan and a regular speaker at scifi cons on astronomy. Very enjoyable and very informative.
He's a serious scientist who also is a Jesuit Brother. That's not a conflict for him.
Nanotech has become a buzzword that can refer to excellent research or crackpottery depending on what's desired by the speaker. I hope you're restricting your rant to the crackpottery. but tossing baby with bathwater is practically an Olympic sport around Slashdot.
On the other hand, we've long used a lot of chemistry of all sorts that we really don't understand.
Just because we're not likely to get full up assemblers in the short term hardly means that nothing good will come of what's broadly termed nanotech.
Hey, any of you Slashdot geeks won the lottery lately and have lotsa money you don't know what to do with?
Just think, you could be the new hero riding in on your shining horse to save us all! (Until we all become disillusioned with you, and we'll flame you like we have everyone else.:) )
Take things with a grain of salt. Many of these "high tech meth lab" cases are someone using a couple of soda bottles and plastic straws to make meth with ingredients they bought at Walmart.
It may have been a random building worker doing this. If it were one of the scientists, I'd be surprised they'd be using drain cleaner as the sodium hydroxide rather than just getting some out of the lab. It's one of the most common lab chemicals.
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah, I was going to suggest it. Seems to be pretty effective, durable etc.
One possible downside is the stigma of Major Nidal Hasan shooting up Fort Hood with one.
"Where are the sky police?"
Sounds almost like a Frank Zappa song.
What? You mean UCF isn't University of California Fresno? :)
"I'm going to either assume you're paranoid euros who are afraid of firearms or don't know how to properly aim."
*snerk* Wrong on both counts.
And, obviously you've never been trained in combat marksmanship. You always aim center of mass.
"Trespassing is trespassing."
In the words of Sergeant Hulka: "Lighten up, Francis."
That way, all the politicos on both sides here on Slashdot will instantly know whether this was paid criminal flacks masquerading as journalism or corporate thugs trampling on our right to know the truth.
"Say, didn't Fred Flintstone's daughter live with a dinosaur?"
Sorry to have to break it to you, bub. Yes, there are fan fictions about Pebbles and Dino.
I mostly agree, but will mumble a bit.
I'm not even sure that the incremental replacement method would "work".
Defining what we mean by "it worked" when it comes to something judged by subjective experience only is very squishy on whether it really worked, or you just think it worked.
Since we can't even define consciousness well yet, and good luck on The Hard Problem, I'd instead say it doesn't look hopeful, but the jury is still out.
I doubt Amazon would ban a book detailing how to do a real world harm, say: A detailed manual on how to loot a corporate pension fund and defer the retirement health insurance payments until bankruptcy can be declared. All without getting prosecuted for it. (And, I'd agree that odious though it was, a book about it shouldn't be prohibited.)
But, we can get all bent out of shape and restrict things, especially sex, that meets someone's definition of "icky" or "scary", regardless that it's fiction about things that do not exist outside of human imaginations.
I'm reminded of a person who, when looking for a roommate at college was visibly overstressed by worry that I had a copy of the DnD Players Guide. He assured me that the demons could use the pictures on the cover to come into our world.
I was glad he didn't want to be a roommate, as I was convinced he was mental.
How is this getting bent out of shape over something fictional much different?
"Dont give a crap about stupid fictional characters created to control and brainwash the uneducated and ignorant."
Hey! Stop dissing Sexual Harassment Panda!
"Alternatively, you can die a bit later than the rest of humanity"
Isn't that already the case on the day you are born?
Humanity shouldn't just give up. but hey, if you personally want to, that's your karma.
If you're in a city, you're largely screwed. If the initial attack doesn't get you, the collapse of the food production and transport systems will.
But, if you are rural and can get through the first few months, much of the fallout hazard decays away, what's left of society responds as best it can and you might make it. Not easily, but hey, being a hunter gatherer isn't all that easy (or even more so, a subsistence farmer without fossil fuel powered machinery).
Humans overestimate their ability to screw mother nature up. We can screw our modern society selves up quite thoroughly. We're a long ways down from our peak arsenals, and On The Beach notwithstanding, I've never been convinced you'd have made humanity extinct even then, let alone the apocalyptic predictions that you'd end life on earth.
The energy from even the worst possible exchange at the height of the arsenals is tiny compared to the flows of energy in nature. It just is delivered extremely quickly and in ways that are very good at killing people.
Even human caused global warming comes under that limitation. Nature's been through global warming that exceeded what we can do and though the species changed it kept on going. It will, however screw up humans in a big way.
Humans are puny. Just try to tear down a mountain range. Nature does it all the time, just slowly. The only reason nature would notice us is that we move so much faster than nature usually does.
A guy in dark shades and a black suit shines a red LED light into your eyes. It flashes and your asshole stops working.
"No need to come with us. Just drop by our office when you're ready to tell us everything and we'll fix that right up."
Be careful what you wish for.
"Or you will live out your life in a pain amplifier!"
Or you can say something like: "When she worked for us, we greatly appreciated that she was frequently on time."
Would that I could mod you as informative, anon, but I've already commented on this. This screenshot is utter gold.
Now, now. Stop insulting the dogs like that.
In addition to now being the director of the Vatican Observatory, he's a scifi fan and a regular speaker at scifi cons on astronomy. Very enjoyable and very informative.
He's a serious scientist who also is a Jesuit Brother. That's not a conflict for him.
Here's more info at Wikipedia: Guy_Consolmagno
The Vatican Observatory also runs the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope on Mount Graham near Tuscon. Vatican_Advanced_Technology_Telescope
It's optimized for photometry so it's a good fit with Brother Guy's research on asteroids and other small objects in the solar system.
"Our government is in a dysfunctional state."
So, John's saying he wants to be president so he can put the fun back in dysfunctional?
Nanotech has become a buzzword that can refer to excellent research or crackpottery depending on what's desired by the speaker. I hope you're restricting your rant to the crackpottery. but tossing baby with bathwater is practically an Olympic sport around Slashdot.
On the other hand, we've long used a lot of chemistry of all sorts that we really don't understand.
Just because we're not likely to get full up assemblers in the short term hardly means that nothing good will come of what's broadly termed nanotech.
Or is it Caprica 6 or Head 6?
The problem isn't just that the tech industry lionizes youth, it's also that they're awfully eager to feed age and experience to the lions.
You can at least get the abstract for the paper here: http://www.nature.com/nmat/jou...
"I am not a blue duck"
Says you.
On the internet know one knows if you're a duck.
Hey, any of you Slashdot geeks won the lottery lately and have lotsa money you don't know what to do with?
Just think, you could be the new hero riding in on your shining horse to save us all! (Until we all become disillusioned with you, and we'll flame you like we have everyone else. :) )
Take things with a grain of salt. Many of these "high tech meth lab" cases are someone using a couple of soda bottles and plastic straws to make meth with ingredients they bought at Walmart.
It may have been a random building worker doing this. If it were one of the scientists, I'd be surprised they'd be using drain cleaner as the sodium hydroxide rather than just getting some out of the lab. It's one of the most common lab chemicals.