I'm sure this will get modded into the nether regions, but my favorite (God awful as it is) was always,
Q: How many astronauts can you fit in a VW bug?
A: 11. 2 in the front, 2 in the back, and 7 in the ashtray.
Of course this time around, instead of being the kid in the room, I was the parental figure. SO I couldn't recite any of the half dozen jokes that instantly came to mind;-)
Look at what we've accomplished over the last 100 years. From a mighty 5 MPH vehicle to over MACH 18. Tomorrow we might discover WARP or something even faster (sure it's a Star Treck term... but it works).
I think that this is an excellent point. Star Trek notwithstanding, throughout our evolution we have broken down the barriers of distance. Why should that suddenly stop where space is concerned? Maybe its just me, but I think that our future generations are going to look down on us much like we have looked down on past civilizations; pitying us our ignorance and ineptitude while shaking their heads in wonderment as to how we could have been so blind as to have not seen the Answer which was right next to us.
Maybe something like a SETI positive will give us the impetus to move beyond our own planet. If not, maybe the strife in the world right now will provide it.
Assume for a moment that this second pass finds a signal that is not random and is coming from a Sun like star 3,000 light years away. We watch it with more and more telescopes and damn if it doesn't send a big old red flag of intelligence.
Now what?
Any transmission there and back will have a 6k year life span. That's far to great of a distance for us to explore yet, and far to much of a time to comprehend between signals. So how will we deal with another society 17,597,088,000,000,000 miles away?
My pessimism says we let it divide us even more. Some will claim it as Atlantis, others will see it as home of the Aliens that have abducting them. The religious zealots will condemn, and our government will try and ignore it.
My optimism hopes that it will inspire us to space. Give us a goal worthy of sending Humans to, and something that will also inspire kids to get more involved in Science.
I know that there has been much written about what a positive result in this search would mean to society, but I'm wondering if anyone else has their own thoughts?
I'm partial to this one, as a pilot, but the leaps in aviation are amazing. We went from being able to fly a couple hundred feet to thousands of miles in a matter of decades. it has urged us towards the space program, and has become an integral part of our society.
Perhaps offtopic to the current story, but here goes...
I grew up in the town where SCO (hint: Santa Cruz Operations) started and I remember them making news even as a teen. Back in the late 80's or early 90's there was a big frenzy in the local media after one of the female employees came forward claiming that SCO's CEO at the time had fondled and/or harrassed her. Several other women came forward with similar claims and there was a flourish of publicity until a "settlement" was reached and the story went away. I cannot remember the names of the parties or even the final disposition of the CEO ('twas a long time ago in a land far, far away), but I do remember some of the stories made the company sound pretty nutso, such that it had a pretty bizarre corporate culture. This was further reinforced by folks my parents knew who interviewed there.
I agree, and I probably overstated what I was trying to say. Signal to noise ratio is going to exist in any site like this. I just think one set up along these lines will have a lower ratio than an Amazon, because people will add the books that they really like. So, because the overall quality of the books should be higher, your signal return should also be higher.
I don't believe that it will make every book there a good one for my taste, but it would certainly help to know that someone deemed the book worthy enough to add it, and it wasn't just added because Amazon has a warehouse full of them.
Time will tell, and it could very well prove you right, but I am personally looking forward to using it as a resource.
That's pretty cool, although I do admit to chuckling at the thought of "rating" a clay tablet from Sumeria (and yes I know that's not how it works but my mind sometimes makes leaps without necessary asking my consent;-)
The average review for this tablet is 8.7 out of 10...
I happen to like this idea for the very same reasons why you do not think it will be successful.
I think that people will add the books that they have read and enjoyed rather than just having a list of millions of titles, some of which are good, most of which are crap. A site like this, by its basic design, should help filter out the acres of dead forest that suck.
So, in essence, the smaller size of this will help it to be a better resource than Amazon.
Although folks are talking about this being a redundant service which Amazon already provides, I think this will provide a better database of books.
I would much rather research a book or series without being unindated with adds and guesses as to what I want, and sweaters randomly dropping down out of a Target tab.
I absolutely agree. The parent fanatics are probably the worst part of the whole thing. They turned my 8 year old completely off of indoor soccer because the point was Win! Win! Win!. Not plain old have fun. And remember folks we're talking 8 year olds, where the big draw is getting to run around with their friends and kick things every Saturday.
So I throw the ball with both of our boys and just have fun with them. That is, I believe, the greatest value in sports.
Intersection of SciFi and Gaming
on
Ask Larry Niven
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· Score: 4, Interesting
What do you think of video games as a future outlet for original SciFi universes? Do you think that the interactive environments games provide will appeal to writers who would otherwise create movies or shorts?
If the destruction of a pottery battery will save a couple hundred Iraqi civilians from being detained, thrown in jail, and tortured, it's worth it.
If I stomp on a Duracell, will it save me from Asscroft and Ridge's Homeland Insecurity Brownshirts (A&RHIB's) providing me with a similar fate, albeit in secret?
Just out of curiosity, anyone know what mathematicians, engineers, and phycicists would do in regards to these complex problems before there were these programs mentioned? What about before slide rules?
Re:Locating a Refueling Station for your NGV
on
10 Techno-Cool Cars
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· Score: 1
If you replace your truck with it I will be left with no recourse but to fly down there and kick you in the arse.
If it replaces the Magster, well, I'd probably still have to do it owing to the fact that you are a) my friend and b) its a Honda for shitsakes;-)
Allow me to humbly encourage you towards one of these or one of these.
Slashdot Mirror
Q: How many astronauts can you fit in a VW bug?
A: 11. 2 in the front, 2 in the back, and 7 in the ashtray.
Of course this time around, instead of being the kid in the room, I was the parental figure. SO I couldn't recite any of the half dozen jokes that instantly came to mind;-)
Amazingly how quickly the Challenger jokes were dusted off and re-inserted into popular parlance?
Looks like it will be awhile before any Aliens deign to come speak with us heathens then;-)
I think that this is an excellent point. Star Trek notwithstanding, throughout our evolution we have broken down the barriers of distance. Why should that suddenly stop where space is concerned? Maybe its just me, but I think that our future generations are going to look down on us much like we have looked down on past civilizations; pitying us our ignorance and ineptitude while shaking their heads in wonderment as to how we could have been so blind as to have not seen the Answer which was right next to us.
Maybe something like a SETI positive will give us the impetus to move beyond our own planet. If not, maybe the strife in the world right now will provide it.
Guess those leap Feb 29's do add up after awhile...
Now what?
Any transmission there and back will have a 6k year life span. That's far to great of a distance for us to explore yet, and far to much of a time to comprehend between signals. So how will we deal with another society 17,597,088,000,000,000 miles away?
My pessimism says we let it divide us even more. Some will claim it as Atlantis, others will see it as home of the Aliens that have abducting them. The religious zealots will condemn, and our government will try and ignore it.
My optimism hopes that it will inspire us to space. Give us a goal worthy of sending Humans to, and something that will also inspire kids to get more involved in Science.
I know that there has been much written about what a positive result in this search would mean to society, but I'm wondering if anyone else has their own thoughts?
My (completely biased) $0.02.
I grew up in the town where SCO (hint: Santa Cruz Operations) started and I remember them making news even as a teen. Back in the late 80's or early 90's there was a big frenzy in the local media after one of the female employees came forward claiming that SCO's CEO at the time had fondled and/or harrassed her. Several other women came forward with similar claims and there was a flourish of publicity until a "settlement" was reached and the story went away. I cannot remember the names of the parties or even the final disposition of the CEO ('twas a long time ago in a land far, far away), but I do remember some of the stories made the company sound pretty nutso, such that it had a pretty bizarre corporate culture. This was further reinforced by folks my parents knew who interviewed there.
Long story short, they've been nuts for awhile.
Guess I was ontopic afterall!
I don't believe that it will make every book there a good one for my taste, but it would certainly help to know that someone deemed the book worthy enough to add it, and it wasn't just added because Amazon has a warehouse full of them.
Time will tell, and it could very well prove you right, but I am personally looking forward to using it as a resource.
The average review for this tablet is 8.7 out of 10...
I think that people will add the books that they have read and enjoyed rather than just having a list of millions of titles, some of which are good, most of which are crap. A site like this, by its basic design, should help filter out the acres of dead forest that suck.
So, in essence, the smaller size of this will help it to be a better resource than Amazon.
At least for me;-) YMMV...
I would much rather research a book or series without being unindated with adds and guesses as to what I want, and sweaters randomly dropping down out of a Target tab.
I look forward to submitting.
in a Turkish prison?
LOL funny. I hope you are modded up for that;-)
My guess would be that unlike the usual slashdotting that folks reveice, this one involves everyone downloading the game;-)
But then again, I have always been partial to ironic punishments;-)
So I throw the ball with both of our boys and just have fun with them. That is, I believe, the greatest value in sports.
What do you think of video games as a future outlet for original SciFi universes? Do you think that the interactive environments games provide will appeal to writers who would otherwise create movies or shorts?
If I stomp on a Duracell, will it save me from Asscroft and Ridge's Homeland Insecurity Brownshirts (A&RHIB's) providing me with a similar fate, albeit in secret?
I had forgotten about all the tables that were created by hand for mass dissemenation.
Just out of curiosity, anyone know what mathematicians, engineers, and phycicists would do in regards to these complex problems before there were these programs mentioned? What about before slide rules?
If it replaces the Magster, well, I'd probably still have to do it owing to the fact that you are a) my friend and b) its a Honda for shitsakes;-)
Allow me to humbly encourage you towards one of these or one of these.
If you complain about Spam on an airliner, will you get reported to the Homeland Security types?
Remember modders, you hold the fate of the US in your mouse!
The original name was Airline Security Service.