Human beings are remarkably suggestible creatures.
Think about it, how would advertising be worth billions of dollars spent on it if your basic human being wasn't suggestible and gullible and easily influenced?
People are, by and large, with exceptions, highly amenable to suggestion.
Expose them to the right stimulus and you can condition them in all sorts of directions.
Some people are *highly* suggestible. This is normally not a problem since it also makes them good corporate citizens (think about it).
Its possible that an unintended effect of playing violent games could be to suggest violent behavior and that a *really* suggestible person would 'learn' to be more aggressive.
That doesn't mean theres something wrong with them; normally suggestibility is a 'good thing' (think about it).
"The training you went through was designed to not only desensitize you to the idea of killing another human being but also to instill a second-nature reaction so you could effectively defend yourself."
Civilians defend themselves.
Soldiers should always be on the offensive.
You are at war to fight and kill the enemy.
You may be ordered to *immediately* open fire on enemy soldiers who are not threatening you.
"the armed forces have known there is an innate reluctance to pulling the trigger on another human being (in most cases), and this resistance has to be overcome by training."
It would be extremely interesting if they kept records of soldiers who *didn't* require quite so much training to overcome that resistance; the ones who, quite naturally, will open fire on another human being without hesitation.
I always felt as if DOS had been designed by someone who had looked over the shoulder of someone else using CP/M and thought "hey that looks like a good idea".
For me, studying Vendanta after studying western mystery traditions, was much like studying biology after studying computer science; very humbling that this thing I had thought so sophisticated and cool was dwarfed by something far older and more sophisticated.
And software engineering is as much computer science as being a cook is the same as being a chef.
maybe the wrong metaphor. Computer science is something that is useful when programming, much as chemistry is something that is useful when cooking.
Though, notice that noone refers to 'chemical science' as if computing is something that needs to emphasise its 'scientific' nature because maybe people will think that its 'not very scientific'.
Is what programmers *do* an art or a science?
How applicable are scientific method and analytical techniques to what they actually do?
'And then you get things like "theoretical proof" of algorithms (which nobody uses in real life) as a subject. Thinking of computer science as applied mathematics? Christ, maybe in the 70ties. Computer science has grown up.'
No, actually 'computer science' has largely 'gone away'. What is taught now, passing for 'computer science' is just vocational training.
It would have been useful, only its impossible to work in a scientific manner in a commercial environment.
Too much rush and fluster no time to think; you have to get the project out of the door. No time for proving that it works. No time to analyse where to most effectively optimise it. Today is Tuesday and it has to be finished by close of business on Friday.
"But I'm guessing from that lil' reply of yours that you meant to imply that B5 is better than ST because they had better looking non-humanoid cameos?"
No, actually I really wanted a reference. Tholians are supposed to live at very high temperatures. I figured the episode would be interesting.
Well, between screwing up *several* nuclear power plant and arranging for (almost) every child in America to see the Goatse Guy (from behind), I'd pick the obscenity *any* day.
Slashdot Mirror
"USA is going to 'lower the population' a little"
Well they got their practice in very early with smallpox and the Native Americans... so I wouldn't put it past them.
"All technology has alternate uses - some good, some not"
like using this simulator to figure out what sort of person would be an ideal target to infect if you wanted to start a bioterrorism campaign...
The modern concept of a military is outdated.
I agree.
Maybe in autocracies, yes.
Human beings are remarkably suggestible creatures.
Think about it, how would advertising be worth billions of dollars spent on it if your basic human being wasn't suggestible and gullible and easily influenced?
People are, by and large, with exceptions, highly amenable to suggestion.
Expose them to the right stimulus and you can condition them in all sorts of directions.
Some people are *highly* suggestible. This is normally not a problem since it also makes them good corporate citizens (think about it).
Its possible that an unintended effect of playing violent games could be to suggest violent behavior and that a *really* suggestible person would 'learn' to be more aggressive.
That doesn't mean theres something wrong with them; normally suggestibility is a 'good thing' (think about it).
"The training you went through was designed to not only desensitize you to the idea of killing another human being but also to instill a second-nature reaction so you could effectively defend yourself."
Civilians defend themselves.
Soldiers should always be on the offensive.
You are at war to fight and kill the enemy.
You may be ordered to *immediately* open fire on enemy soldiers who are not threatening you.
"the armed forces have known there is an innate reluctance to pulling the trigger on another human being (in most cases), and this resistance has to be overcome by training."
It would be extremely interesting if they kept records of soldiers who *didn't* require quite so much training to overcome that resistance; the ones who, quite naturally, will open fire on another human being without hesitation.
And to see what becomes of them.
ahhh yes I will never forget upgrading to an 8086 with 8087 math co-pro and watching the fractals almost *fly* off the screen...
;)
I always felt as if DOS had been designed by someone who had looked over the shoulder of someone else using CP/M and thought "hey that looks like a good idea".
I havn't seen 'the hidden fortress' (yet) but Sanjuro does have one 'explosive' special effect... right at the end. And its quite cool too.
:)
Do as thou Will and all that...
Well thank you for your insight there, Fr. Perdurabo.
Wern't you supposed to be dead?
Love is the Law and all that...
Ok heres an on-topic question;
Is Master Shake hard to work with?
the *last* thing you want is a geek who will insist that all production systems should run the latest, most bleeding edge stuff.
Geeks are easily distracted by shiny things.
Better to have someone at the helm who is less shiny-thing-obsessed.
Oh thats right what would I know? My religion is only 10,000 years old...
For me, studying Vendanta after studying western mystery traditions, was much like studying biology after studying computer science; very humbling that this thing I had thought so sophisticated and cool was dwarfed by something far older and more sophisticated.
"Not all commercial software is crap."
Which is why I said 'most'.
And software engineering is as much computer science as being a cook is the same as being a chef.
maybe the wrong metaphor. Computer science is something that is useful when programming, much as chemistry is something that is useful when cooking.
Though, notice that noone refers to 'chemical science' as if computing is something that needs to emphasise its 'scientific' nature because maybe people will think that its 'not very scientific'.
Is what programmers *do* an art or a science?
How applicable are scientific method and analytical techniques to what they actually do?
I'm still not sure.
'And then you get things like "theoretical proof" of algorithms (which nobody uses in real life) as a subject. Thinking of computer science as applied mathematics? Christ, maybe in the 70ties. Computer science has grown up.'
No, actually 'computer science' has largely 'gone away'. What is taught now, passing for 'computer science' is just vocational training.
It would have been useful, only its impossible to work in a scientific manner in a commercial environment.
Too much rush and fluster no time to think; you have to get the project out of the door. No time for proving that it works. No time to analyse where to most effectively optimise it. Today is Tuesday and it has to be finished by close of business on Friday.
Which is why most commercial software is crap.
"I certainly learnt chemistry well in India, but I also didn't have the opportunities to broaden my mind."
So you didn't study vedanta? Or the doctrine of maya in its many and varied forms?
India certainly doesn't lack opportunities for broadening the mind...
"But I'm guessing from that lil' reply of yours that you meant to imply that B5 is better than ST because they had better looking non-humanoid cameos?"
No, actually I really wanted a reference. Tholians are supposed to live at very high temperatures. I figured the episode would be interesting.
I couldn't find any references online so I asked.
Remind me, in which episodes do we get to see tholians?
All about 'fun' eh?
Well, between screwing up *several* nuclear power plant and arranging for (almost) every child in America to see the Goatse Guy (from behind), I'd pick the obscenity *any* day.
It'd be far more... productive.
Fun?
Isn't that what that bit about "keep and bear arms" and "shall not be infringed" was for?
I mean, come *on* America. As an outsider I normally wouldn't have any right to tell you, but given the circumstances, you need another civil war.
"0. sell people what they want; don't sue them into wanting what you have"
What they have is lawyers. Tons and tons of lawyers.
Noone wants lawyers until they are sued.
Ok smart guy, then the question becomes;
"how do I quieten down all those cars and busses and trucks?"
We'd also need a diet of radioactive sea-cucumber