...we are all continually being bombarded by fantastic claims and 'psuedo-truths', and this is not limited to just the media. For the best part of human history the best explanation for just about anything has been because of the intervention/whim of some omnipotent god(s).
The best and really only defense we have against falsehoods is by applying the scientific principal to all claims. This may not be entirely practical in reality, but a healthy skepticism can go along way to help pick out the truth from the 'avalanche' of ideas we are continually exposed to.
I try to form the analogy of a firewall or filter for the brain. some people might run 'Faith' on an open port but I prefer to route everthing through the Skeptic sub-routine, unless I am conciously aware that something is supposed to be fictional.
Although I can see dangers in introducing designed lifeforms into the environment. I would still bet that life that has evolved naturally over the past 4 billion years would make short work of anything we could produce.
Basically we live in biosphere that is constantly producing and re-designing living organisms to be as successful as possible, although in a rather haphazard and random way.
I'm sure this already available as motorcycle armour. I remember a colleague of mine having some very expensive motorcycle gear with gel filled pads over knees and elbows, the problem he said was that the gel was only good for a couple of decent impacts and then had to be replaced.
I would have imagined that it more similar to the experiment using cornflower and water. When mixed to the right consistency it is possible to dip your hand in it, slowly insert a knife etc. But when greater force is used then it spontaneously hardens. It is possible to literally crack this liquid when hitting it with a hammer.
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category?
on
The Lyrids Are Coming!
·
· Score: 3, Funny
Southern hemisphere won't see anything, apart from the usual bunyips, wobbegongs and taniwhas
In my experience when Labour is in demand you are more likely to be able to negotiate better pay/conditions without being a member of a Union. This has traditionally been the case with most types of IT work. Conversely when there is a Labour glut (include international outsourcing) then being a member of a Union can afford greater protection. From what I know about the IT labour market in the US at the moment, this may be the case.
In General it sounds like there is quite a targeted effort on the part of the Bush administration to erode working conditions and pay rates in the IT industry. I'd be calling the Union
As I was saying ...On earth many more extinctions have been caused by global catastrophes (impact events, drought, disease, climate change etc). In comparison to these events, man has had only a minor, if at all, noticeable effect on the extinction/survival of other species.
Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction, about 65 million years ago. The extinction killed 16 percent of marine families, 47 percent of marine genera and 18 percent of land vertebrate families, including the dinosaurs.
End Triassic extinction, roughly 199 million to 214 million years ago, 22 percent of marine families, 52 percent of marine genera. Vertebrate deaths are unclear.
Permian-Triassic extinction, about 251 million years ago. killing 95 percent of all species, 53 percent of marine families, 84 percent of marine genera and an estimated 70 percent of land species such as plants, insects and vertebrate animals.
Late Devonian extinction, about 364 million years ago, cause unknown. It killed 22 percent of marine families and 57 percent of marine genera.
Ordovician-Silurian extinction, about 439 million years ago, caused by a drop in sea levels as glaciers formed, then by rising sea levels as glaciers melted. The toll: 25 percent of marine families and 60 percent of marine genera.
On earth many more extinctions have been caused by global catastrophes (impact events, drought, disease, climate change etc). In comparison to these events, man has had only a minor, if at all, noticeable effect on the extinction/survival of other species.
We are not the designated caretaker of other species, neither here nor on Mars, argument to the contrary seems to me to be anthropomorphic and egocentric if not downright arrogant.
We need to take any steps necessary to ensure our survival (our programming demands this), which should include ensuring the survival of any other organisms which we depend upon for our well-being (almost everthing else).
I think you will find that this is probably a more honest basis for our movements towards protecting the environment on Earth rather than any altruistic motives.
Agreed!! All life on Earth is too vulnerable to either natural or man-made catastrophe, terraforming Mars would effectively double the survival chances of any species we export there.
I'm sure any terraforming project is going to take a long time to show any effects, but we should keep in mind the exponential effect of even small changes made early on in such a project. I for one am willing to donate my tinfoil hat to the great Martian terraforming mirror.
I know, my friend was up till the wee hours working on the stuff articles last night. I guess she was repayed by being able to see the preview release last week. All I managed to get out of her was that it was really good, and better than T2T's. (sigh)
....The third key difference is eligibility. Only adult male citizens need apply for the privileges...and duties of democratic government, and a birth criterion of double descent - from an Athenian mother as well as father - was strictly insisted upon. Women, even Athenian women, were totally excluded: this was a men's club. Foreigners - and especially unfree slave foreigners - were excluded formally and rigorously. The citizen body was a closed political elite...
Guess you're right this does sound alot like America.
The knowledge of Richard Pearse's flight was never lost, nor is it seriously disputed. Are you suggesting that history should be written by those that "crow the loudest" or have the largest marketing department?
The first controlled flight was made several months earlier. In New Zealand by Richard Pearse.
Here
"By the end of July 1903, Pearse had achieved flights of around one kilometre in length, and perhaps even more amazingly, some of them included turns ! An absolutely fantastic achievement for the time. Pearce also built the engine, which was estimated at about 15 - 22hp, but hampered by a much cruder propeller than the Wright's machine.
He didn't realise the historic importance of the event, and so didn't bother to have any photographs taken of his machine flying, though [as mentioned above], there is extensive evidence from witnesses describing his flights.
>wright brothers still win hands down in my book.
How can you say this when their is good evidence of Richard Pearse making a 150m flight including controlled turns several months before-hand?
Slashdot Mirror
...we are all continually being bombarded by fantastic claims and 'psuedo-truths', and this is not limited to just the media. For the best part of human history the best explanation for just about anything has been because of the intervention/whim of some omnipotent god(s).
The best and really only defense we have against falsehoods is by applying the scientific principal to all claims. This may not be entirely practical in reality, but a healthy skepticism can go along way to help pick out the truth from the 'avalanche' of ideas we are continually exposed to.
I try to form the analogy of a firewall or filter for the brain. some people might run 'Faith' on an open port but I prefer to route everthing through the Skeptic sub-routine, unless I am conciously aware that something is supposed to be fictional.
I think you will already find that a virus has already been duplicated in the lab. The polio virus was recently recreated artificially
Artificial Virus
Although I can see dangers in introducing designed lifeforms into the environment. I would still bet that life that has evolved naturally over the past 4 billion years would make short work of anything we could produce.
Basically we live in biosphere that is constantly producing and re-designing living organisms to be as successful as possible, although in a rather haphazard and random way.
I'd like to place an order for several million biobricks designed to repair damage to my telomeres
I'm sure this already available as motorcycle armour. I remember a colleague of mine having some very expensive motorcycle gear with gel filled pads over knees and elbows, the problem he said was that the gel was only good for a couple of decent impacts and then had to be replaced.
I think you'll find that the cornstarch solution will harden when an electric current is applied also...
I would have imagined that it more similar to the experiment using cornflower and water. When mixed to the right consistency it is possible to dip your hand in it, slowly insert a knife etc. But when greater force is used then it spontaneously hardens. It is possible to literally crack this liquid when hitting it with a hammer.
Southern hemisphere won't see anything, apart from the usual bunyips, wobbegongs and taniwhas
I vote for VURT and Pollen by Jeff Noon.
In my experience when Labour is in demand you are more likely to be able to negotiate better pay/conditions without being a member of a Union. This has traditionally been the case with most types of IT work. Conversely when there is a Labour glut (include international outsourcing) then being a member of a Union can afford greater protection. From what I know about the IT labour market in the US at the moment, this may be the case.
In General it sounds like there is quite a targeted effort on the part of the Bush administration to erode working conditions and pay rates in the IT industry. I'd be calling the Union
As I was saying
...On earth many more extinctions have been caused by global catastrophes (impact events, drought, disease, climate change etc). In comparison to these events, man has had only a minor, if at all, noticeable effect on the extinction/survival of other species.
Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction, about 65 million years ago. The extinction killed 16 percent of marine families, 47 percent of marine genera and 18 percent of land vertebrate families, including the dinosaurs.
End Triassic extinction, roughly 199 million to 214 million years ago, 22 percent of marine families, 52 percent of marine genera. Vertebrate deaths are unclear.
Permian-Triassic extinction, about 251 million years ago. killing 95 percent of all species, 53 percent of marine families, 84 percent of marine genera and an estimated 70 percent of land species such as plants, insects and vertebrate animals.
Late Devonian extinction, about 364 million years ago, cause unknown. It killed 22 percent of marine families and 57 percent of marine genera.
Ordovician-Silurian extinction, about 439 million years ago, caused by a drop in sea levels as glaciers formed, then by rising sea levels as glaciers melted. The toll: 25 percent of marine families and 60 percent of marine genera.
Let me know when we reach 30 percent...
Xy.
On earth many more extinctions have been caused by global catastrophes (impact events, drought, disease, climate change etc). In comparison to these events, man has had only a minor, if at all, noticeable effect on the extinction/survival of other species.
We are not the designated caretaker of other species, neither here nor on Mars, argument to the contrary seems to me to be anthropomorphic and egocentric if not downright arrogant.
We need to take any steps necessary to ensure our survival (our programming demands this), which should include ensuring the survival of any other organisms which we depend upon for our well-being (almost everthing else).
I think you will find that this is probably a more honest basis for our movements towards protecting the environment on Earth rather than any altruistic motives.
Agreed!! All life on Earth is too vulnerable to either natural or man-made catastrophe, terraforming Mars would effectively double the survival chances of any species we export there.
I'm sure any terraforming project is going to take a long time to show any effects, but we should keep in mind the exponential effect of even small changes made early on in such a project. I for one am willing to donate my tinfoil hat to the great Martian terraforming mirror.
I know, my friend was up till the wee hours working on the stuff articles last night. I guess she was repayed by being able to see the preview release last week. All I managed to get out of her was that it was really good, and better than T2T's. (sigh)
Manchester is not in New Zealand where Rutherford was from.
pardon?
....The third key difference is eligibility. Only adult male citizens need apply for the privileges ...and duties of democratic government, and a birth criterion of double descent - from an Athenian mother as well as father - was strictly insisted upon. Women, even Athenian women, were totally excluded: this was a men's club. Foreigners - and especially unfree slave foreigners - were excluded formally and rigorously. The citizen body was a closed political elite...
Guess you're right this does sound alot like America.
The knowledge of Richard Pearse's flight was never lost, nor is it seriously disputed. Are you suggesting that history should be written by those that "crow the loudest" or have the largest marketing department?
...next you'll be trying to convince me America was the worlds first democracy....
You forgot that they were also Americans and so, by very nature, were full of themselves with chips on their shoulders.
The first controlled flight was made several months earlier. In New Zealand by Richard Pearse.
Here
"By the end of July 1903, Pearse had achieved flights of around one kilometre in length, and perhaps even more amazingly, some of them included turns ! An absolutely fantastic achievement for the time. Pearce also built the engine, which was estimated at about 15 - 22hp, but hampered by a much cruder propeller than the Wright's machine.
He didn't realise the historic importance of the event, and so didn't bother to have any photographs taken of his machine flying, though [as mentioned above], there is extensive evidence from witnesses describing his flights.
What does impact have to do with anything, This thread is discussing the issue of who made the first powered flight.
>wright brothers still win hands down in my book.
How can you say this when their is good evidence of Richard Pearse making a 150m flight including controlled turns several months before-hand?
Man's First Powered Flight Richard Pearse, Waitohi, New Zealand, March 31, 1902.
HERE