In an ideal world, a Muslim should be able to walk into a mall in Tel Aviv with a giant box marked "Allah Akbar!!! Death to Israel!" with a giant countdown timer on it and shop in peace, unmolested. But here in the real world, when a Muslim kid shows up in a crowded place carrying a box with some sort of timer on it--yes people get nervous. You can't just bury your head in the sand and pretend that we live in an ideal world, nice as it would be if we did.
You make a judgement call, and the teachers here erred on the side of caution. Imagine if this kid was a terrorist and it actually was a bomb, and they had done nothing. I bet you would be the first first person screaming "A muslim kid who no one knows shows up to school carrying a box with a timer on it and NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING??"
I'm sorry for this kid. I know he didn't ask to be born into a religion known in its modern incarnation for bombings and terrorism. Sucks for him, no doubt. But that's just the way it is.
These are school teachers, not bomb experts. All they know is that it was a box with some sort of digital timer on it. You think they were going to perform a full forensic analysis of it before they called the cops?
Last time I look, an actual bomb needed more than just a circuit board. I dare say that those other components (e.g. the actual explosive) might be a bit more important.
I'm pretty sure the teachers didn't take the time to disassemble it before they called the cops.
In the school's defense, imagine if this were the headline:
"Muslim student detonates bomb in school--school officials said they knew he was carrying a device that looked like a bomb, but didn't say anything because he told them it was a clock."
The distinction is meaningless because we can only view science through our flawed human perception and understanding. Even if there is an objective reality, we're never going to be able to perceive it outside of our subjective experience.
Agreed. What good is enhancing a law that was never enforced, has already been completely ignored by the NSA and two Presidents since 9/11, and has no real penalty even if someone was interested in enforcing it?
Skylar and me, we prefer the warm, rich sound that you can only get from a pre-1930's phone. But I guess the rest of you are used to settling for your lame digital phones.
[takes hit off bong]
And did I mention that we were into that band before they went mainstream and poseurs like you jumped on the bandwagon?
Science has zip to do with politics. Scientists, science lab, science funding, these can be political
Well, being as we can only view "science" through our flawed human lenses right now, the distinction is pedantic. It's sort of like asserting that there is a true, objective "history," as if "history" can somehow be separated out from "human interpretation of history."
Yes, there are certain physical laws which we believe are universal. But discovering those laws, agreeing on them, the debate over just how universal they are, modifying/rejecting them as new models emerge, etc.--those are all still going to be political processes.
TO READ THIS CITATION PLEASE JOIN THE ELSEVIER PREMIUM PLUS PROGRAM BY CLICKING HERE
And that's about all I have to say about that.
Elsevier, the science publisher notorious for maintaining high-priced research journals in a time when web technology can accomplish the same tasks for a fraction of the price, has donated free ScienceDirect accounts to a select group of "top Wikipedia editors" as an incentive for citations referencing its paywalled journals. This arrangement is being criticized for its effect on Wikipedia's accessibility and openness. Ars reports: "...Michael Eisen, one of the founders of the open access movement, which seeks to make research publications freely available online, tweeted that he was 'shocked to see @wikipedia working hand-in-hand with Elsevier to populate encylopedia w/links people cannot access,' and dubbed it 'WikiGate.' Over the last few days, a row has broken out between Eisen and other academics over whether a free and open service such as Wikipedia should be partnering with a closed, non-free company such as Elsevier."
I grew up in the South, and I don't think I ever heard "evolution" or "natural selection" ever even mentioned in school by a teacher. The closest thing I remember to it was another student asking my middle school biology teacher about evolution once. She basically told us she wouldn't talk about it because she didn't want to lose her job. And that was that. I had no idea how these process even worked until I read about them later and started to understand their importance and implications.
"I hereby promise to manage forever as if it were still the late 80's and early 90's, stubbornly refusing to adopt any new innovations or technologies. I also promise to stay at least a generation or two behind every other console maker and to rely exclusively on our own Nintendo IP to float the company forever. I will valiantly dedicate myself to the pathetic-90's-kids-who-refuse-to-grow-up and weird-japanese-men-who-buy-used-panties-from-vending-machines who are our most dedicated customers."
....says the CIA every time one of their agents is caught plotting an assassination, government overthrow, or arranging to help the rebels sell drugs for guns.
We will all mourn the loss of very funny remarks about Tom STUD-MAN and his car-racing friend Fearless McHairychest, and their adventures battling stop-motion dragons.
I would say expect another 2-week long series from Wired on what a grave injustice this is and how incredibly brave and heroic Ellen Pao is, but she resigned from their sister company.
I have a Masters in history and also a programming degree. So if you have any openings for breaking-the-paradigm-new-perspectives-shaking-things-up managers, I'm your man!
Slashdot Mirror
In an ideal world, a Muslim should be able to walk into a mall in Tel Aviv with a giant box marked "Allah Akbar!!! Death to Israel!" with a giant countdown timer on it and shop in peace, unmolested. But here in the real world, when a Muslim kid shows up in a crowded place carrying a box with some sort of timer on it--yes people get nervous. You can't just bury your head in the sand and pretend that we live in an ideal world, nice as it would be if we did.
You make a judgement call, and the teachers here erred on the side of caution. Imagine if this kid was a terrorist and it actually was a bomb, and they had done nothing. I bet you would be the first first person screaming "A muslim kid who no one knows shows up to school carrying a box with a timer on it and NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING??"
I'm sorry for this kid. I know he didn't ask to be born into a religion known in its modern incarnation for bombings and terrorism. Sucks for him, no doubt. But that's just the way it is.
Does the device tell time?
Does the device contain explosives?
These are school teachers, not bomb experts. All they know is that it was a box with some sort of digital timer on it. You think they were going to perform a full forensic analysis of it before they called the cops?
Last time I look, an actual bomb needed more than just a circuit board. I dare say that those other components (e.g. the actual explosive) might be a bit more important.
I'm pretty sure the teachers didn't take the time to disassemble it before they called the cops.
In the school's defense, imagine if this were the headline:
"Muslim student detonates bomb in school--school officials said they knew he was carrying a device that looked like a bomb, but didn't say anything because he told them it was a clock."
I bet you would call them stupid then too.
Presumably he made this for a class, and if so, why didn't that teacher stand up for him and tell them it was for his class?
And if it wasn't for a class or club or something, that does admittedly seem a bit suspicious.
The distinction is meaningless because we can only view science through our flawed human perception and understanding. Even if there is an objective reality, we're never going to be able to perceive it outside of our subjective experience.
So you'll give me a free vacation and all I have to do is sell my district on buying a shitload of your iPads?
I'm a believer!
Agreed. What good is enhancing a law that was never enforced, has already been completely ignored by the NSA and two Presidents since 9/11, and has no real penalty even if someone was interested in enforcing it?
Skylar and me, we prefer the warm, rich sound that you can only get from a pre-1930's phone. But I guess the rest of you are used to settling for your lame digital phones.
[takes hit off bong]
And did I mention that we were into that band before they went mainstream and poseurs like you jumped on the bandwagon?
Do you know what burning copper smells like? DO YOU? Well, I do!
Science has zip to do with politics. Scientists, science lab, science funding, these can be political
Well, being as we can only view "science" through our flawed human lenses right now, the distinction is pedantic. It's sort of like asserting that there is a true, objective "history," as if "history" can somehow be separated out from "human interpretation of history."
Yes, there are certain physical laws which we believe are universal. But discovering those laws, agreeing on them, the debate over just how universal they are, modifying/rejecting them as new models emerge, etc.--those are all still going to be political processes.
In Soviet Russia market dominate YOU
citation?
It's like Socrates once said:
TO READ THIS CITATION PLEASE JOIN THE ELSEVIER PREMIUM PLUS PROGRAM BY CLICKING HERE
And that's about all I have to say about that.
Elsevier, the science publisher notorious for maintaining high-priced research journals in a time when web technology can accomplish the same tasks for a fraction of the price, has donated free ScienceDirect accounts to a select group of "top Wikipedia editors" as an incentive for citations referencing its paywalled journals. This arrangement is being criticized for its effect on Wikipedia's accessibility and openness. Ars reports: "...Michael Eisen, one of the founders of the open access movement, which seeks to make research publications freely available online, tweeted that he was 'shocked to see @wikipedia working hand-in-hand with Elsevier to populate encylopedia w/links people cannot access,' and dubbed it 'WikiGate.' Over the last few days, a row has broken out between Eisen and other academics over whether a free and open service such as Wikipedia should be partnering with a closed, non-free company such as Elsevier."
I grew up in the South, and I don't think I ever heard "evolution" or "natural selection" ever even mentioned in school by a teacher. The closest thing I remember to it was another student asking my middle school biology teacher about evolution once. She basically told us she wouldn't talk about it because she didn't want to lose her job. And that was that. I had no idea how these process even worked until I read about them later and started to understand their importance and implications.
Don't celebrate too much. The lessons will be titled "How Jebus used evolution to make humankind smart enough to vote Republican."
"I hereby promise to manage forever as if it were still the late 80's and early 90's, stubbornly refusing to adopt any new innovations or technologies. I also promise to stay at least a generation or two behind every other console maker and to rely exclusively on our own Nintendo IP to float the company forever. I will valiantly dedicate myself to the pathetic-90's-kids-who-refuse-to-grow-up and weird-japanese-men-who-buy-used-panties-from-vending-machines who are our most dedicated customers."
....says the CIA every time one of their agents is caught plotting an assassination, government overthrow, or arranging to help the rebels sell drugs for guns.
Regardless of the design, showing that you can afford a $30,000 watch will make it quite an effective chick magnet.
Yeah, but some tacky/nerdy Dubai prince can't show off his BMW 1 at next years ComicCon.
We will all mourn the loss of very funny remarks about Tom STUD-MAN and his car-racing friend Fearless McHairychest, and their adventures battling stop-motion dragons.
Loser pays??? That's un-'merican!!!
I would say expect another 2-week long series from Wired on what a grave injustice this is and how incredibly brave and heroic Ellen Pao is, but she resigned from their sister company.
What the heck is Plex again?
If I were you, I would be less concerned about not knowing what Plex is and more concerned that I didn't know how to do a quick Google search.
I have a Masters in history and also a programming degree. So if you have any openings for breaking-the-paradigm-new-perspectives-shaking-things-up managers, I'm your man!