So why not send some radio traffic which would obviously not be of natural origins. Surely 30ish years isn't that long to wait for a reply? (assuming the place has lifeforms which developed radio...)
Oh yeah, sure. a planet with 7.5 G's and 400 degrees celsius surface temperature, constantly hit by solar storms, ripping away any possible atmosphere and inundating it with harsh radiation. That place is more sterile than a grandmother's womb. Its only two frikkin million miles away from its sun! There's nothin but scorched pancakes there.
but if there is life there, especially intelligent life there, I suppose we'd better watch out...though I for one would welcome our new scorched pancake overlords.
Modern enviromentalists are against everything, unless it is something they want. I once listened to a speech by a guy who was railing against oversized minivans and SUVs. About half an hour later, I saw him in the parking lot cranking up his pimped out Subaru Outback that gets 20mpg.
Yes, heaven forbid we allow a few mis-informed protesters contribute to the deaths of millions of people by advocating the knee-jerk banning something that could have prevented it.
Yeah, and corporations are looking at everything but their bottom line. Protestors are just brainless idiots. Nanotech is perfectly safe. And you are always right.
One question I've seen was: which of the following do not belong: upon which were listed four authors, three British, and one American.
In any case, mathematical training in discrete math is going to help you do a lot of the number sequence problems and so on. You simply cannot separate intelligence from knowledge.
In any case the study at the center of this/. topic is complete bullsh*t. Not only is it based upon the weaknesses of IQ, but it also rests upon a multitude of assumptions about Jewish populations when no solid demographic data exist for them.
Both the terms "moon" and "planet" are very subjective and usually it falls to the whim of the particular astronomer that discovered the thing. There's no set of guidelines
So, everytime an astronomer makes the newspaper, she/he just announces the finding of a new moon around Saturn? Sounds pretty easy, lots of space rock around Saturn? Can I name some space dust? Please pretty please?
Actually, yes. The universe is fine tuned to many, many orders of magnitude greater than the best possible human engineering. If any physical constants were different by one part in ten to the umpteenth power, no life of any form could have existed at any time or place in the universe.
Without disputing your facts, this is nonetheless a fallacious argument. Your argument rests on the probability. You say that a universe as fine-tuned for life as ours is improbable to have occured without specific design. I'm not sure how you can guage its probability, but assume for the present that it is in fact highly improbable. Now your argument is really not much different that say, someone who wins a few million in the Lotto and says, "its too improbable that I should win (a 1 in a few million), therefore it is obvious that the Lotto was created and designed so that I would win. And its not so different than a puddle of water which says to itself, "I fit perfectly in this little indent in the earth, it must have been designed for me!"
I will give an example from anthropologically verifed beliefs in witch-craft. Imagine that in some community there is a water-tank supported on top of tall wooden posts, and that the wood is being eaten by termites. One day a young man in this community is laying in the shade of this water-tank when suddenly there is a strong gust of wind, and the water-tank tumbles to the ground, killing him.
His parents are naturally upset, but they also think that there was witch-craft involved. Someone must have had a grudge against the boy and cursed him.
Well...this seems unreasonable to us, right? Well, so we ask the parents and say, "You don't really believe that its witch-craft do you? You know that the tank fell because termites were eating the wooden posts". And the parents reply: We know that the water-tank fell because of the termites. But it obviously was witch-craft because the tank fell just when our son happened to be laying under the tank!"
Let me rephrase the fallacy again: what is the probability of a particular asteroid being in our solar-system rather than another solar-system 1000 light-years away?
No evidence. Assuming the geologic column is correct, the evidence we do have shows that we started off with a greater number of phyla than we have today -- meaning that the "evolutionary tree of life" is in fact inverted. We started out with greater diversity and then shrunk, not the other way around.
Well, now that is an interesting thought. I suppose then that if we had a cataclysmic event (think asteroid) here on earth that wiped most species off the earth this is evidence contrary to evolution? The fact is, there have been massive extinctions on this planet.
Really, the theory of evolution does not in any way require an increase in diversity over time. Evolutionary theory is as much about the elimination of diversity as it is the increase of diversity.
I am a strong advocate for evolutionary thought. It plays a significant role in my thought- I am an anthropologist. However, I do not have any real problem with Intelligent Design research, proper. After all, it is inappropriate to try to account for human artifacts without recourse to a theory of intelligent design. As such, Intelligent Design (of the cosmos)is a valid hypothesis, if it can be tested, and if evidence of design cannot be accounted for by mindless processes. I therefore have no problem with serious researchers investigating the possibility.
On the other hand, ID theory at present does not have (and quite possibly will never have) the scientific status of evolutionary theory. As such, it is inappropriate that ID be included in public education. The move to do so is obviously an attack on evolution by religious fundamentalists.
-Jacob
I'm actually worried that the move to selling MP3's will lead to the further centralization of the market. transfering mp3's over the net is a lot different that sending a disc in the mail. Why buy from jo blo when you can go direct, with their fast and reliable servers?
State Sen. Larry Mumper says:
"If someone buys and sells on eBay on a regular basis as a type of business, then there is a need for regulation."
Yes, well, and if a senator aint regulatin then he aint doin his job.
Politicians are amazing idiots, you know?
Bet 50 to 1 that this country would do hella lot better if all our representatives abstained from making any new law for the next 5 years.
And even if it was meant to apply to serious sellers, it is still a ridiculously heavy burden. An apprenticeship and a 50g bond? Jesus.
Would I have to do an apprenticeship before I opened up a candy store?
But the states are all grabbing for the money right now. I read in USA Today that a man has been sent a letter by his state tax agency demanding several thousand dollars in back taxes for his online cigarette purchases from out of state in the last few years. Jeez!
I have an undergraduate degree in anthropology. I am a MS-CS now. I was advised that getting a second bachelors degree would take me as long as getting a MS degree. The choice was pretty obvious. The hard part was finding a school which would accept someone into a master's program on a conditional basis, since I had not CS experience at all. I hope to transfer to a better program when i get all the pre-reqs out of the way.
Yes, and I'm not laughing. Cognitive Science is also another go, especially if you're into AI, or into human-computer interface, as the k96822 says.
Me, personally, I have a BA in Anthropology, and I'm working on a MS-CS. Hope employers dig me. I hope. Cause CS is no picnic, and I'm losing my hair (what's left of it, anyway).
yes, on the other hand, is saying negative things about your company legitimate grounds for being fired? Must they all hail the Caeser?
Sometimes saying these kinds of things (as long as they are true and not slander)is more beneficial to the company and stockholders and employees than not doing so. If only some employee had blogged about Enron sooner, no?
2.0 is great and all, but shucks, I just spent a whole night downloading and installing the current stable version.
couldn't wait, you know, to update from MS Office '97.
The airwaves are public domain. They are leased to companies on the condition that their broadcasts make some minium contribution to the public's welfare. This is reasonable, since radio spectrum is a seriously limited resource.
Wahhhh! The public is provided a service by its representatives, and someone loses money! Wahhh!
The government exists to protect the people, not companies' profits. A service like free Wi-Fi exists so that people who cannot afford broadband can get it. It might be hard for many/.'rs to think about, but noting having decent internet access, or access at all, sucks every bit as much as not having a phone. The world has changed.
Give the people INFORMATION! A library in EVERY home.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh yeah, sure. a planet with 7.5 G's and 400 degrees celsius surface temperature, constantly hit by solar storms, ripping away any possible atmosphere and inundating it with harsh radiation. That place is more sterile than a grandmother's womb. Its only two frikkin million miles away from its sun! There's nothin but scorched pancakes there.
but if there is life there, especially intelligent life there, I suppose we'd better watch out...though I for one would welcome our new scorched pancake overlords.
Modern enviromentalists are against everything, unless it is something they want. I once listened to a speech by a guy who was railing against oversized minivans and SUVs. About half an hour later, I saw him in the parking lot cranking up his pimped out Subaru Outback that gets 20mpg.
No you didn't.Yeah, and corporations are looking at everything but their bottom line. Protestors are just brainless idiots. Nanotech is perfectly safe. And you are always right.
In any case, mathematical training in discrete math is going to help you do a lot of the number sequence problems and so on. You simply cannot separate intelligence from knowledge.
In any case the study at the center of this /. topic is complete bullsh*t. Not only is it based upon the weaknesses of IQ, but it also rests upon a multitude of assumptions about Jewish populations when no solid demographic data exist for them.
obviously a moon base.
Tom I'm watching you!
So, everytime an astronomer makes the newspaper, she/he just announces the finding of a new moon around Saturn? Sounds pretty easy, lots of space rock around Saturn? Can I name some space dust? Please pretty please?
Hey, it's not April 1st!
And I've seen enough witch-craft in this world to in any way doubt it's real power. (Don't suppose that I am agnostic though, I am not).
Without disputing your facts, this is nonetheless a fallacious argument. Your argument rests on the probability. You say that a universe as fine-tuned for life as ours is improbable to have occured without specific design. I'm not sure how you can guage its probability, but assume for the present that it is in fact highly improbable. Now your argument is really not much different that say, someone who wins a few million in the Lotto and says, "its too improbable that I should win (a 1 in a few million), therefore it is obvious that the Lotto was created and designed so that I would win. And its not so different than a puddle of water which says to itself, "I fit perfectly in this little indent in the earth, it must have been designed for me!"
I will give an example from anthropologically verifed beliefs in witch-craft. Imagine that in some community there is a water-tank supported on top of tall wooden posts, and that the wood is being eaten by termites. One day a young man in this community is laying in the shade of this water-tank when suddenly there is a strong gust of wind, and the water-tank tumbles to the ground, killing him.
His parents are naturally upset, but they also think that there was witch-craft involved. Someone must have had a grudge against the boy and cursed him.
Well...this seems unreasonable to us, right? Well, so we ask the parents and say, "You don't really believe that its witch-craft do you? You know that the tank fell because termites were eating the wooden posts". And the parents reply: We know that the water-tank fell because of the termites. But it obviously was witch-craft because the tank fell just when our son happened to be laying under the tank!"
Let me rephrase the fallacy again: what is the probability of a particular asteroid being in our solar-system rather than another solar-system 1000 light-years away?
Jacob
Well, now that is an interesting thought. I suppose then that if we had a cataclysmic event (think asteroid) here on earth that wiped most species off the earth this is evidence contrary to evolution? The fact is, there have been massive extinctions on this planet.
Really, the theory of evolution does not in any way require an increase in diversity over time. Evolutionary theory is as much about the elimination of diversity as it is the increase of diversity.
On the other hand, ID theory at present does not have (and quite possibly will never have) the scientific status of evolutionary theory. As such, it is inappropriate that ID be included in public education. The move to do so is obviously an attack on evolution by religious fundamentalists. -Jacob
I'm actually worried that the move to selling MP3's will lead to the further centralization of the market. transfering mp3's over the net is a lot different that sending a disc in the mail. Why buy from jo blo when you can go direct, with their fast and reliable servers?
State Sen. Larry Mumper says: "If someone buys and sells on eBay on a regular basis as a type of business, then there is a need for regulation." Yes, well, and if a senator aint regulatin then he aint doin his job. Politicians are amazing idiots, you know? Bet 50 to 1 that this country would do hella lot better if all our representatives abstained from making any new law for the next 5 years.
Would I have to do an apprenticeship before I opened up a candy store?
But the states are all grabbing for the money right now. I read in USA Today that a man has been sent a letter by his state tax agency demanding several thousand dollars in back taxes for his online cigarette purchases from out of state in the last few years. Jeez!
I have an undergraduate degree in anthropology. I am a MS-CS now. I was advised that getting a second bachelors degree would take me as long as getting a MS degree. The choice was pretty obvious. The hard part was finding a school which would accept someone into a master's program on a conditional basis, since I had not CS experience at all. I hope to transfer to a better program when i get all the pre-reqs out of the way.
Actually, I was serious. I just did this. Troll is just a little too much.
Me, personally, I have a BA in Anthropology, and I'm working on a MS-CS. Hope employers dig me. I hope. Cause CS is no picnic, and I'm losing my hair (what's left of it, anyway).
Sometimes saying these kinds of things (as long as they are true and not slander)is more beneficial to the company and stockholders and employees than not doing so. If only some employee had blogged about Enron sooner, no?
2.0 is great and all, but shucks, I just spent a whole night downloading and installing the current stable version. couldn't wait, you know, to update from MS Office '97.
The airwaves are public domain. They are leased to companies on the condition that their broadcasts make some minium contribution to the public's welfare. This is reasonable, since radio spectrum is a seriously limited resource.
The government exists to protect the people, not companies' profits. A service like free Wi-Fi exists so that people who cannot afford broadband can get it. It might be hard for many /.'rs to think about, but noting having decent internet access, or access at all, sucks every bit as much as not having a phone. The world has changed.
Give the people INFORMATION! A library in EVERY home.
Yes, exactly. The government's business is the government's business. The government is the people.
Yes, and fire departments used to be private operations.
I'm sorry, I don't understand. Could you rephrase that in terms of Avagrado's number, please?