The question of why aliens might 'want to come here' is probably fundamentally flawed because we are forming that question from our current (tiny) viewpoint. The word 'want' might not apply at all to someone 1000 times smarter than us.
Who cut the cheese? This can so easily be turned on it's head. It would be just as easy to posit that said aliens, because of their intelligence and enlightened nature, have made it their life's purpose to seek out primitive cultures and assist in their evolution.
Or seek out life forms and destroy their plants. Sort of the galactic equivalent of driving down the highway and shooting road signs. Highly populated, spherical road signs, with significant mass (and gravity).
If a society lost 90% of their men in a war, there would be ahem an upswing in older men visiting doctors to treat erections lasting more than 4 hours.
American History X, the flashback scene around the dinner table when a young Derek Vinyard is talking to his dad about the Affirmative Action policy at the firestation. Would you want someone of lower capability than an other applicant working on your team just because some bureaucrat thinks a quota of $gender/race is the correct way to bring diversity to the workplace? It is even the correct kind of diversity? Diversity of experience, opinion, skillset, or interest is surely something better to strive towards.
You seem to ignore the fact that discrimination and bigotry exist. What if you had an applicant who was a woman or minority who was qualified for the position, but was deliberately passed over? Yeah, that never happens, does it?
Furthermore, you seem to imply that all women or minorities are unqualified for the positions they are applying for.
Affirmative Action is intended to address people's moral/educational/ethical failings when it comes to racism and bigotry. It does a bad job at it in the same way that democracy is the best worst form of government. If you can find some way to keep people honest, let us know your ideas.
On the other hand, we have the Catch 22 of women not working in $Career, so girls don't take an interest in $Career at an early age, meaning women don't apply for jobs in $Career. Is it the fault of society for not making careers in, say, engineering more glamorous? Should we push hard for intellect being more attractive than physical appearance? Should we stop seeing a chosen occupation as inherently masculine or feminine? Is it upbringing or genetic predisposition?
Genetic predisposition only gets you so far in explaining behavior. It doesn't rule, it is a predisposition, and even that fails when you look at individuals. That's why they call them individuals. It addresses/explains some behavior. Then it stops -- not unlike the model for Newtonian physics works, then begins to break down under certain conditions.
If I were to follow my genetic predisposition, I would have been a football player. In this week alone, I've had two people jokingly ask me if I play football. I did as kid.
But it isn't my profession or even an interest. My profession is Linux admin. I am learning/loving Perl. I like comic books, RPGs, fantasy and speculative sci-fi. I get weird looks for those side interests because, based on my appearance, I'm supposed to behave another way. Oh yeah, and I'm "bi-racial", whatever the hell that means. Another incredibly stupid social construct, race.
When you take away ethnicity and all it implies, skin color is just that -- skin color. Larry Niven was making subtle comment on this when had his character Beowulf Schaefer take melanin pills to defensively darken his skin against the intense radiation of a sun.
It's not even news, really. It's just observation. Like walking outside during a thunderstorm, then printing: "New Discovery: Rain Soaks Your Clothes." Or "Ninjas Love Pork Rinds."
"Traveling through Federal airspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a blimp parade or bounce too close to a cell tower, and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"
being a demanding, capricious, selfish jerk is a sign of intelligence? If you say so.
Is a cat going to share a beer with you while you watch a game? No. But they'll be sure to put their rear in your face and use your crotch as a spring board while you're trying to watch.
Will a cat drag you out of the water or a dig you out of a snow drift? Nope. Too busy buying useless crap on the Internet.
Is your cat currently planning to assassinate you in your sleep? Don't be surprised when you wake up with one of those red LEDs painted on your forehead. Your last thought will be "shoulda been a do--" and then red mist. Good going.
A dog will nose its way into 50lbs of Kevlar and hump a 50lb rucksack, and if he (or she) isn't right beside you, he'll be right behind you. Cats? They authorized the damn war in the first place.
Do they do anything to compensate for the extra resistance when moving about? Since training with resistance and then implementing without resistance tends to make a big difference.
My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She is working though the last leg chemotherapy now. She had recently visited the local American Cancer Society, liked it, and thought about getting a job there.
Last week she visited the job section of their site, and found a job that seemed interesting to her. I said 'what does the job description say? "Must love cancer?"'. She thought that was hilarious.
In the ruins of WWIII, this will be the perfect appliance for taking the charred rubble from a radioactive landscape, and using it to besiege the last, stubborn remnants of humanity in a bid for total, and complete annihilation of the "enemy" (little did we know the enemy was within(!!!)). OR it could be used to help kind old ladies across the street. Really, I'm guessing the latter.
Did you like the Mission Impossible movies? tv series? Was it COOL how US spies manipulate the politics and economies of foreign countries? Did you know that Panama was created SOLELY because US wanted to build the Panama canal?
What goest aroud comes around - in the real world. Smart Charlie Wilson sent arms to help the Afghans fight those Soviet Commies - Oops. They became the Taliban...
It doesn't make the hacking right - even if everyone is doing it. The question is what can we do about the open nature of our internet and what COST there is to close up the security caverns...
OK... well, firstly, these are private corporations. There is a difference between them and the U.S. Government. So even if this were somehow fair play, the target of China's aggression wouldn't be the right one by your logic. It's sloppy reasoning, and what I am (rightly) responding to is reflexive, unreasoning anti-US rhetoric.
Secondly, if I understand the history, the reason the Taliban because imminent in regional politics is that after we rescinded military and intelligence aid from Afghanistan, we didn't help them rebuild. In the aftermath of Soviet aggression, the Taliban filled the vacuum that a, for all intents, benevolent U.S. could have occupied. You're wrong.
Read everything you said, and I have to tell you that being reincarnated as Burt Reynolds was probably the best one. It was hot grits and Natalie Portman 24/7, buddy!
The U.S. has used its military and economic clout for a hundred years to overwhelm and push countries all over the world around. What is happening now is that the chickens are coming home to roost. The U.S. "intellectual property" (an oxymoron at best) regime is being looted - as it should be.
So nothing is going to change for at least the next decade, maybe two decades.
So as my meme says: Deal.
What does any of that mean?
Does anyone explain why this was modded up? Because it is bashing the US? How is industrial and corporate espionage in any way, shape, or form acceptable? Reduced to its essential message, what I am hearing is "being a thief and d*ck is cool." Whatever.
Slashdot Mirror
The question of why aliens might 'want to come here' is probably fundamentally flawed because we are forming that question from our current (tiny) viewpoint. The word 'want' might not apply at all to someone 1000 times smarter than us.
Who cut the cheese? This can so easily be turned on it's head. It would be just as easy to posit that said aliens, because of their intelligence and enlightened nature, have made it their life's purpose to seek out primitive cultures and assist in their evolution.
Or seek out life forms and destroy their plants. Sort of the galactic equivalent of driving down the highway and shooting road signs. Highly populated, spherical road signs, with significant mass (and gravity).
this phrase was used by geologist wearing beer goggles...
That's
1) my dad
2) his dad
3) a random homeless person
4) all of the above
you insensitive clod!
If a society lost 90% of their men in a war, there would be ahem an upswing in older men visiting doctors to treat erections lasting more than 4 hours.
ideals fall pray to expediency and the necessity of doing whatever it takes to remain in, or to get into, office.
American History X, the flashback scene around the dinner table when a young Derek Vinyard is talking to his dad about the Affirmative Action policy at the firestation. Would you want someone of lower capability than an other applicant working on your team just because some bureaucrat thinks a quota of $gender/race is the correct way to bring diversity to the workplace? It is even the correct kind of diversity? Diversity of experience, opinion, skillset, or interest is surely something better to strive towards.
You seem to ignore the fact that discrimination and bigotry exist. What if you had an applicant who was a woman or minority who was qualified for the position, but was deliberately passed over? Yeah, that never happens, does it?
Furthermore, you seem to imply that all women or minorities are unqualified for the positions they are applying for.
Affirmative Action is intended to address people's moral/educational/ethical failings when it comes to racism and bigotry. It does a bad job at it in the same way that democracy is the best worst form of government. If you can find some way to keep people honest, let us know your ideas.
On the other hand, we have the Catch 22 of women not working in $Career, so girls don't take an interest in $Career at an early age, meaning women don't apply for jobs in $Career. Is it the fault of society for not making careers in, say, engineering more glamorous? Should we push hard for intellect being more attractive than physical appearance? Should we stop seeing a chosen occupation as inherently masculine or feminine? Is it upbringing or genetic predisposition?
Genetic predisposition only gets you so far in explaining behavior. It doesn't rule, it is a predisposition, and even that fails when you look at individuals. That's why they call them individuals. It addresses/explains some behavior. Then it stops -- not unlike the model for Newtonian physics works, then begins to break down under certain conditions.
If I were to follow my genetic predisposition, I would have been a football player. In this week alone, I've had two people jokingly ask me if I play football. I did as kid.
But it isn't my profession or even an interest. My profession is Linux admin. I am learning/loving Perl. I like comic books, RPGs, fantasy and speculative sci-fi. I get weird looks for those side interests because, based on my appearance, I'm supposed to behave another way. Oh yeah, and I'm "bi-racial", whatever the hell that means. Another incredibly stupid social construct, race.
When you take away ethnicity and all it implies, skin color is just that -- skin color. Larry Niven was making subtle comment on this when had his character Beowulf Schaefer take melanin pills to defensively darken his skin against the intense radiation of a sun.
Thanks for the lazy news.
It's not even news, really. It's just observation. Like walking outside during a thunderstorm, then printing: "New Discovery: Rain Soaks Your Clothes." Or "Ninjas Love Pork Rinds."
were this radioactive rat: Pizza!!
"Traveling through Federal airspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a blimp parade or bounce too close to a cell tower, and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"
pimp you super computer?
to bamboo.
Abstract
Sorry, I'm not following that. Is that some kind of acronym? What does it stand for?
They could make a policy to let in only women due to their extreme views on birth control and an acceptable gender for their babies.
being a demanding, capricious, selfish jerk is a sign of intelligence? If you say so.
Is a cat going to share a beer with you while you watch a game? No. But they'll be sure to put their rear in your face and use your crotch as a spring board while you're trying to watch.
Will a cat drag you out of the water or a dig you out of a snow drift? Nope. Too busy buying useless crap on the Internet.
Is your cat currently planning to assassinate you in your sleep? Don't be surprised when you wake up with one of those red LEDs painted on your forehead. Your last thought will be "shoulda been a do--" and then red mist. Good going.
A dog will nose its way into 50lbs of Kevlar and hump a 50lb rucksack, and if he (or she) isn't right beside you, he'll be right behind you. Cats? They authorized the damn war in the first place.
You can keep your cats, pal.
Is it aladeen... or is it aladeen?
Do they do anything to compensate for the extra resistance when moving about? Since training with resistance and then implementing without resistance tends to make a big difference.
I hear they are doing lots of pilates.
My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She is working though the last leg chemotherapy now. She had recently visited the local American Cancer Society, liked it, and thought about getting a job there.
Last week she visited the job section of their site, and found a job that seemed interesting to her. I said 'what does the job description say? "Must love cancer?"'. She thought that was hilarious.
In the ruins of WWIII, this will be the perfect appliance for taking the charred rubble from a radioactive landscape, and using it to besiege the last, stubborn remnants of humanity in a bid for total, and complete annihilation of the "enemy" (little did we know the enemy was within(!!!)). OR it could be used to help kind old ladies across the street. Really, I'm guessing the latter.
Seriously. What the hell?
It's DNS envy :)
Sweet! If I have mod points, I'd give them to you just for the Thulsa Doom reference (, by Crom!)
Did you like the Mission Impossible movies? tv series?
Was it COOL how US spies manipulate the politics and economies of foreign countries?
Did you know that Panama was created SOLELY because US wanted to build the Panama canal?
What goest aroud comes around - in the real world.
Smart Charlie Wilson sent arms to help the Afghans fight those Soviet Commies - Oops. They became the Taliban...
It doesn't make the hacking right - even if everyone is doing it.
The question is what can we do about the open nature of our internet and what COST there is to close up the security caverns...
OK... well, firstly, these are private corporations. There is a difference between them and the U.S. Government. So even if this were somehow fair play, the target of China's aggression wouldn't be the right one by your logic. It's sloppy reasoning, and what I am (rightly) responding to is reflexive, unreasoning anti-US rhetoric.
Secondly, if I understand the history, the reason the Taliban because imminent in regional politics is that after we rescinded military and intelligence aid from Afghanistan, we didn't help them rebuild. In the aftermath of Soviet aggression, the Taliban filled the vacuum that a, for all intents, benevolent U.S. could have occupied. You're wrong.
Read everything you said, and I have to tell you that being reincarnated as Burt Reynolds was probably the best one. It was hot grits and Natalie Portman 24/7, buddy!
The U.S. has used its military and economic clout for a hundred years to overwhelm and push countries all over the world around. What is happening now is that the chickens are coming home to roost. The U.S. "intellectual property" (an oxymoron at best) regime is being looted - as it should be.
So nothing is going to change for at least the next decade, maybe two decades.
So as my meme says: Deal.
What does any of that mean?
Does anyone explain why this was modded up? Because it is bashing the US? How is industrial and corporate espionage in any way, shape, or form acceptable? Reduced to its essential message, what I am hearing is "being a thief and d*ck is cool." Whatever.
you didn't accidentally enroll in a high school?
Just out of curiosity, if you were to stand up and walk to a mirror, would you say you look like this man here?
"Brain Could Switch Off Airport Radar and Release 5G Spectrum".
I was like **** yeah! I bow to our New Mutant overlords.