I don't have any real hard data on it, and I came off sounding more than I know. But infant mortality HAS been on the decrease and that IS going to affect the average. It seems that people just forget this alternate explanation and jusmp right to the conclusion that because the average age is rising therefore people must be getting older. Which is wrong, and leaves some extra work on the parent poster to prove his point
The average age is increasing because there are less infant deaths and there are generally more diseases people encounter through their life we can cure. People are not living longer, there is just more of them that manage to reach their maximal age.
That kind of reminds me of the old Ptolemeian model of the planets. Planets were assumed to move in perfect circles. If that didn't fit, they added little circles onto the larger circles that the planets moved by.
And if that doesn't explain the whole thing... "well, then there must be some circles that we don't know about yet. The rest of it still compares to reality."
Then Kepler came along and showed that they move in ellipses. Maybe we are just waiting for the next Kepler to solve this one.
Heh, that just sound like the dialogue for one of the worst product placements in history...
"That's right master yoda - the with the Facemaster 3000 I can easily spot what that evil Darth Vader and his gang of mischievous villains are up to - and I don't even have to use the remote!"
I think it's pretty useless idea, check out all the points comments above about holding up a picture. But I think its' one of those things that you can't but say: "still, ain't it cool that we can actually do that"?
You should watch this video on Youtube. Yes, if you are three years old! Seriously, I don't need anyone to tell me about these things with "bubbles". And I hate being talked down to.
Maintaining a steady stream of spite towards scientology isn't the worst thing, as long as it doesn't interfere with the topic at hand too much. It's just sometimes hard to get off your mind after hearing the most gruesome stories, so subtle (or not-so-subtle) references are going to creep in now and then.
Reading the comments, and especially this one, it looks like eveyone thinks this is an advantage. It is not. The guy had to train extra to be able to run normally, and has to rely completely on the upper parts of his leg.
I mean, come one. Are you REALLY thinking that artificial legs are as good as the real ones. And these aren't "robotic" legs that run on their own. These are the modern day equivalent of wooden legs!
Who us with me in creating the rumor that the Vatican is "hiding something"? You know, it's kind of closed off, don't you think? Alien life? They could be harboring those suckers right beneath the Sistine chapel for all I know.
And, of course, their public relations. Considering all the recent sex-scandals and the Pope's alleged Hitler Youth past, as well as some other stuff. They have to maintain an image, you know.
Yes indeed "fuck China". It seems they are just testing how far they can push. They already got google to censor some of it's content inside China (right?) and now they want more. In the end they won't be leaving many alternatives than for the rest of the world to tell them to suck it.
Are they looking for a reason for war or something?
Well, ok, no reason to get carried away. Still, this is too much to ask for.
I think it's when they start offering "Microsoft beer (TM)", that tastes suspiciously like Open Beer, although not quite the same. And it has a small dog on the label, and every fourth can explodes when you open it.
Not to mention that the newest beer only comes in ten-liter cans and you need to buy a larger fridge to store them.
Still.. we have hundred year old humans right? And some thousand year old trees. Trees are run by a somewhat simple generative algorithm, but still... as far as age goes, they still take the cake.
The only way to kill a bad idea is to give it attention and discuss why it's wrong. Which is why governments usually figure out how to use propaganda, eventually.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't have any real hard data on it, and I came off sounding more than I know. But infant mortality HAS been on the decrease and that IS going to affect the average. It seems that people just forget this alternate explanation and jusmp right to the conclusion that because the average age is rising therefore people must be getting older. Which is wrong, and leaves some extra work on the parent poster to prove his point
I could always throw in the wikipedia entry for it, though:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_mortality#Global_infant_mortality_trends
It's free in Denmark, where I'm currently living. There don't seem to be any serious problems with that.
Same goes for the educational system.
The average age is increasing because there are less infant deaths and there are generally more diseases people encounter through their life we can cure. People are not living longer, there is just more of them that manage to reach their maximal age.
That kind of reminds me of the old Ptolemeian model of the planets. Planets were assumed to move in perfect circles. If that didn't fit, they added little circles onto the larger circles that the planets moved by.
And if that doesn't explain the whole thing... "well, then there must be some circles that we don't know about yet. The rest of it still compares to reality."
Then Kepler came along and showed that they move in ellipses. Maybe we are just waiting for the next Kepler to solve this one.
Greatest. House-warming party. Ever.
Heh, that just sound like the dialogue for one of the worst product placements in history... "That's right master yoda - the with the Facemaster 3000 I can easily spot what that evil Darth Vader and his gang of mischievous villains are up to - and I don't even have to use the remote!"
I think it's pretty useless idea, check out all the points comments above about holding up a picture. But I think its' one of those things that you can't but say: "still, ain't it cool that we can actually do that"?
Touche! :)
Maintaining a steady stream of spite towards scientology isn't the worst thing, as long as it doesn't interfere with the topic at hand too much. It's just sometimes hard to get off your mind after hearing the most gruesome stories, so subtle (or not-so-subtle) references are going to creep in now and then.
I don't care. They can handle other cases differently, and to my knowledge, this is the only case like this.
But they are going to find out eventually? I mean, they could be reading slashdot at this very moment!
Reading the comments, and especially this one, it looks like eveyone thinks this is an advantage. It is not. The guy had to train extra to be able to run normally, and has to rely completely on the upper parts of his leg.
I mean, come one. Are you REALLY thinking that artificial legs are as good as the real ones. And these aren't "robotic" legs that run on their own. These are the modern day equivalent of wooden legs!
Who us with me in creating the rumor that the Vatican is "hiding something"? You know, it's kind of closed off, don't you think? Alien life? They could be harboring those suckers right beneath the Sistine chapel for all I know.
And, of course, their public relations. Considering all the recent sex-scandals and the Pope's alleged Hitler Youth past, as well as some other stuff. They have to maintain an image, you know.
Yes indeed "fuck China". It seems they are just testing how far they can push. They already got google to censor some of it's content inside China (right?) and now they want more. In the end they won't be leaving many alternatives than for the rest of the world to tell them to suck it.
Are they looking for a reason for war or something?
Well, ok, no reason to get carried away. Still, this is too much to ask for.
I think it's when they start offering "Microsoft beer (TM)", that tastes suspiciously like Open Beer, although not quite the same. And it has a small dog on the label, and every fourth can explodes when you open it.
Not to mention that the newest beer only comes in ten-liter cans and you need to buy a larger fridge to store them.
As far as I know, all the ingredients required to make amphetamine are legal. Mixing them is not, though.
In other new, I have a number of free (as in beer) speeches I'm willing to share with you guys.
Still.. we have hundred year old humans right? And some thousand year old trees. Trees are run by a somewhat simple generative algorithm, but still... as far as age goes, they still take the cake.
Well, humans have basically been running the same program for some million years... with some minor software upgrades of course.
http://xkcd.com/224/
No, or at least not MORE than any other group. But the answer depends on what you think about the general question, of course.
I would not consider anything said about the nazis of Germany you see in the history books to be an attack against the neo-nazis of today.
So let's say I enjoy a bottle of wine now and then. What should my punishment be? Death or jail?