True there are many examples of convergent evolution, but mmany of divergent evolution just on this planet.
Eyes: Spiders generally have eight, insects are multifaceted and some creatures have none at all. Nothing to preclude any of these in intelligent life. I can imagine a cyclops with bat like sonar: range finding without the need for stereo vision. And then there's the frequency of vision, which on Earth ranges generally from UV to infrared, in some cases with different 'eyes' for different wavelengths.
Ears: Many animals hear directly via contact as well as by ears (even we can do it) and some use that combined with subsonics for long range communications. And once again total lack of the sense for layout. But there's the large frequency variation from sonar down to subsonics.
General layout: Some kind of symmetry is generally common, although not always, from purely bilateral to rotational. Relative position and number of limbs, breathing apparatus and eating apparatus varies enormously. It does seem likely, although possibly not essential, that any species capable of communication will have some method of tool manipulation.
Having disagreed with you so far, I do tend to agree that in many ways similarities of thought may be more common than we think, not forgetting just how divergent even human thought is. But one thing our brains can do is simulate and I expect the same of other technological species as they will almost be necessity I think need to be able to have the same ability. As a result I think both sides should to some extent be able to have some insight into the viewpoint of others.
About the first really sane comment I've read here. Speaking personally I have a life outside work. I contracted to do so many hours in return for my salary and that's what I do for the most part. What is the point of working (even for extra money) if you don't get any life outside except for sleeping? The only possible excuse is if you are lucky enough that your work is something that really and honestly interests you as well, something you are truely passionate about so you'd be doing it anyway.
I work for a company that has development in the UK and US (I'm in the UK obviously). Our US colleagues have a clause in the contract which compels them to do 20% overtime without any extra reward. That's an extra day a week on the say so of some manager at some level who can't be bothered to do his job properly. Those conditions over here would cause a general revolt, but then over here it is illegal to compel someone to work more than 48 hours per week (IIRC). Bottom line is that my health is more important than my job for me, and working insane ours is just not healthy for yourself or family.
And beyond that we can also tell by the quality of code whether the US people are working long hours: it always suffers. It's not just a question of more mistakes and slower output, it's the time needed to correct those mistakes. It quickly goes negative in my experience if the long hours last more than a few days.
The political spectrum isn't a line, it's a circle: go far enough to the right and you'll wind up appearing on the left. In countries with a full political spectrum, rather than the narrow band that the US displays, you'll find that often the two extremes agree with each other more than they do with other moderates of their supposed leanings. Some of the rhetoric may differ, but the end result is the same. As someone mentioned Stalin, compare with Hitler. One as far left as could be, the other far right in traditional terms. End result? Two brutal authoritarian dictatorships, both engaged in mass murder for the good of the state.
King James I of England was King James VI of Scotland. Elizabeth's death and his accession was the union was seeded. Scotland would have lost its monarch too.
As those of us with digital hearing aids know all too well. You know when the call/text is coming, when you switch from one cellular zone to another, etc. Personally I never use a mobile: you can't hear it anyway by the time it's wiping static across the audio spectrum. Bloody things are a menace.
"And, uh, what did Bush lie about in the State of the Union? Are you telling me the British did not have information that Iraq was attempting to buy uranium from Africa? I'd think the British would be very interested to hear that."
It's pretty well accepted here in the UK that Blair seriously exaggerated (at best) most of his evidence to get us into the war. The uranium claim has been pretty much killed off already by everyone except the government who are still saying pretty much, "Well it might be true: you can't disprove it." Everyone else is telling them it's up to them to prove it.
And then there's the massive inquiry over here triggered by the apparent suicide of one of top nuclear experts who accused the government of selecting evidence for its dossiers at best which was unsubstantiated just because it supported their actions more than the supported evidence (such as the ability to launch bio weapons within 45 minutes). Incidentally our Defence Minister was challenged on this a while back on one of our programmes where politicians actually get seriously challenged about their actions (it never ceases to amaze me how the US lets its politicians get away without serious questions). He couldn't explain the inconsistency between the simultaneous claims that a) these weapons could all be launched in 45 minutes and b) that they didn't know where the weapons were and hadn't found any (and now some weeks on, still haven't) This paricular Minister (Hoon) will probably be forced to resign over the Kelly Affair to save Blair.
"More bullshit. The Taliban, an illegitimate government to everyone but Pakistan, was joined at the hip to Al Qaida, much like the IRA is joined at the hip to Sinn Fein. The Taliban was the ruling force at home. Al Qaida was the activist force abroad. Same people, same goals, different focus."
True. Remind me, what was the USA's general reaction to the IRA? None, that's what, including turning a blind eye to open fund raising within the USA.
And let's not forget that the USA were the ones who encouraged and financed Al Qaida and other terrorist/freedom fighter (insert your preferred synonym here) groups for decades. Let's be honest, it isn;t terrorism that really updsets the US government: it's the fact that someone has finally turned on the technique on them.
I have no problem with that: it's perfectly natural, no one likes being the target of such despicable tactics. What annoys me is the USA's attempts to paint itself as whiter than white, as a nation totally innocent (let's be clear in distinguishing between the nation/government and the individuals who were actually killed in events like 9/11 who were innocents) and blameless, seemingly without any irony whatsoever asking "Why could anyone hate us so much?"
Take a look at your recent history. The USA is far from blameless, supporting the cause of 'Freedom, Justice, etc., etc.' (which incidentally for the rest of the planet does not automatically include 'The American Way') by backing some of the most violent, repressive and tyranical regimes the planet has ever seen (as to be fair did the Soviets in the Cold War, but then they weren't pretending to be democrats). It is hardly surprising that some people out there are not happy with the USA.
The basic problem, from an outside perspective, is that the US people have been so isolated from the world, and what their representatives have been doing in it in their name, that the events of the last two or three years have come out of the blue for them.
Slashdot Mirror
True there are many examples of convergent evolution, but mmany of divergent evolution just on this planet.
Eyes: Spiders generally have eight, insects are multifaceted and some creatures have none at all. Nothing to preclude any of these in intelligent life. I can imagine a cyclops with bat like sonar: range finding without the need for stereo vision. And then there's the frequency of vision, which on Earth ranges generally from UV to infrared, in some cases with different 'eyes' for different wavelengths.
Ears: Many animals hear directly via contact as well as by ears (even we can do it) and some use that combined with subsonics for long range communications. And once again total lack of the sense for layout. But there's the large frequency variation from sonar down to subsonics.
General layout: Some kind of symmetry is generally common, although not always, from purely bilateral to rotational. Relative position and number of limbs, breathing apparatus and eating apparatus varies enormously. It does seem likely, although possibly not essential, that any species capable of communication will have some method of tool manipulation.
Having disagreed with you so far, I do tend to agree that in many ways similarities of thought may be more common than we think, not forgetting just how divergent even human thought is. But one thing our brains can do is simulate and I expect the same of other technological species as they will almost be necessity I think need to be able to have the same ability. As a result I think both sides should to some extent be able to have some insight into the viewpoint of others.
NickA
About the first really sane comment I've read here. Speaking personally I have a life outside work. I contracted to do so many hours in return for my salary and that's what I do for the most part. What is the point of working (even for extra money) if you don't get any life outside except for sleeping? The only possible excuse is if you are lucky enough that your work is something that really and honestly interests you as well, something you are truely passionate about so you'd be doing it anyway.
I work for a company that has development in the UK and US (I'm in the UK obviously). Our US colleagues have a clause in the contract which compels them to do 20% overtime without any extra reward. That's an extra day a week on the say so of some manager at some level who can't be bothered to do his job properly. Those conditions over here would cause a general revolt, but then over here it is illegal to compel someone to work more than 48 hours per week (IIRC). Bottom line is that my health is more important than my job for me, and working insane ours is just not healthy for yourself or family.
And beyond that we can also tell by the quality of code whether the US people are working long hours: it always suffers. It's not just a question of more mistakes and slower output, it's the time needed to correct those mistakes. It quickly goes negative in my experience if the long hours last more than a few days.
The political spectrum isn't a line, it's a circle: go far enough to the right and you'll wind up appearing on the left. In countries with a full political spectrum, rather than the narrow band that the US displays, you'll find that often the two extremes agree with each other more than they do with other moderates of their supposed leanings. Some of the rhetoric may differ, but the end result is the same. As someone mentioned Stalin, compare with Hitler. One as far left as could be, the other far right in traditional terms. End result? Two brutal authoritarian dictatorships, both engaged in mass murder for the good of the state.
It's not even that. It's just poking the ship out of harbour and then turning tail back to port.
But it is a start.
King James I of England was King James VI of Scotland. Elizabeth's death and his accession was the union was seeded. Scotland would have lost its monarch too.
The problem with that is that you have to sign the card to use it, and have hence signed your agreement to whatever TaCs exist for that card.
Not sure what the status would be if you didn;t sign it but used it for automatic transactions, such as online or auto pay machines.
As those of us with digital hearing aids know all too well. You know when the call/text is coming, when you switch from one cellular zone to another, etc. Personally I never use a mobile: you can't hear it anyway by the time it's wiping static across the audio spectrum. Bloody things are a menace.
"And, uh, what did Bush lie about in the State of the Union? Are you telling me the British did not have information that Iraq was attempting to buy uranium from Africa? I'd think the British would be very interested to hear that."
It's pretty well accepted here in the UK that Blair seriously exaggerated (at best) most of his evidence to get us into the war. The uranium claim has been pretty much killed off already by everyone except the government who are still saying pretty much, "Well it might be true: you can't disprove it." Everyone else is telling them it's up to them to prove it.
And then there's the massive inquiry over here triggered by the apparent suicide of one of top nuclear experts who accused the government of selecting evidence for its dossiers at best which was unsubstantiated just because it supported their actions more than the supported evidence (such as the ability to launch bio weapons within 45 minutes). Incidentally our Defence Minister was challenged on this a while back on one of our programmes where politicians actually get seriously challenged about their actions (it never ceases to amaze me how the US lets its politicians get away without serious questions). He couldn't explain the inconsistency between the simultaneous claims that a) these weapons could all be launched in 45 minutes and b) that they didn't know where the weapons were and hadn't found any (and now some weeks on, still haven't) This paricular Minister (Hoon) will probably be forced to resign over the Kelly Affair to save Blair.
"More bullshit. The Taliban, an illegitimate government to everyone but Pakistan, was joined at the hip to Al Qaida, much like the IRA is joined at the hip to Sinn Fein. The Taliban was the ruling force at home. Al Qaida was the activist force abroad. Same people, same goals, different focus."
True. Remind me, what was the USA's general reaction to the IRA? None, that's what, including turning a blind eye to open fund raising within the USA.
And let's not forget that the USA were the ones who encouraged and financed Al Qaida and other terrorist/freedom fighter (insert your preferred synonym here) groups for decades. Let's be honest, it isn;t terrorism that really updsets the US government: it's the fact that someone has finally turned on the technique on them.
I have no problem with that: it's perfectly natural, no one likes being the target of such despicable tactics. What annoys me is the USA's attempts to paint itself as whiter than white, as a nation totally innocent (let's be clear in distinguishing between the nation/government and the individuals who were actually killed in events like 9/11 who were innocents) and blameless, seemingly without any irony whatsoever asking "Why could anyone hate us so much?"
Take a look at your recent history. The USA is far from blameless, supporting the cause of 'Freedom, Justice, etc., etc.' (which incidentally for the rest of the planet does not automatically include 'The American Way') by backing some of the most violent, repressive and tyranical regimes the planet has ever seen (as to be fair did the Soviets in the Cold War, but then they weren't pretending to be democrats). It is hardly surprising that some people out there are not happy with the USA.
The basic problem, from an outside perspective, is that the US people have been so isolated from the world, and what their representatives have been doing in it in their name, that the events of the last two or three years have come out of the blue for them.
NickA
> How come countries don't have nuclear bomb testing anymore?
They do. India and Pakistan spring to mind. And IIRC the USA under Bush is also looking to restart real live testing again.
NickA