I guess you do think that physics can completely describe the universe. But on what grounds are you claiming that this universe is [solely] a physical one? (Note that to approach the question of whether or not the universe is physical from the point of view of physics instantly involves you in question-begging again...)
Physics is another word for "the study of the laws of nature." What exactly would you mean by a non-physical universe? Is it a universe that we can't describe with our current knowledge of the laws of nature, or is it a universe that doesn't obey the laws of nature? Obviously we don't know everything there is to know about univeral laws, and I don't believe that we ever will. But what kind of a universe would not obey it's own laws? If there are souls and magic and God(s) those all would be obeying some set of laws, and as far as I'm concerned these would be a part of the whole set of Universal laws (i.e. physics that we haven't discovered yet.)
For all we know, the things that are going on inside our heads, might just as well be described as "magic". We do not know how the brain works, we may suspect it works similarly to a computer, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time people are wrong about how the brain works. Earlier theories have involved everything from souls, to telephone switchboards, and as far as I know, the only thing that has definitely been proven, is that the brain does not work the same way as a telephone switchboard.
Ok, what exactly would this "magic" do? Decisions caused by determinism aren't free will because it's not something you can control. Decisions caused by randomness aren't free will because it's not something you can control. How do you control magic? With magic? And how would you control that magic? At what point does free will enter the picture?
The correct plan against a single rampaging gunman seems to be for everybody to rush him. An archer can shoot peons all day long if all they do is run and hide within the base, but he'll only be able to get a few if the entire workforce rushes him.
They use this same sort of argument with stars (although, it doesn't stand up as well since God would've had a reasonable motive for creating full-grown humans, the reason for creating other things with the appearance of age is not at all clear - unless God were trying to fool us). One of the *new* claims a few creationists have been making is that somehow relativity allows the rest of the universe to actually be 14 billion years old even though the universe was created 6,000 years ago. They claim that something like time-dilation allowed a single-day passed on earth while the rest of the universe aged 14 billion years.
Well we already knew that the mice created the Earth with all those dinosaur skeletons. Now it seems they also put it on a spaceship that flew at near light speed. What's so hard to believe?
Do you hold the copyright on it? If so, you could always issue a DMCA takedown letter.
I'm almost positive I'd signed something at some point making it the property of my university. I might still send the site an email asking them politely to take down the paper, especially since they put it into the wrong category.
I hope my future employers never do that. Someone decided to upload my undergraduate thesis to a public online repository, and to say I'm not proud of that thing would be an understatement.
Bingo! I actually have a name for this: the Deathbed Rule. When faced with a choice in life, choose the path that will lead to good deathbed memories and no regrets.
Don't know about you, but when I'm on my deathbed I'll be too busy attempting to ascend to think about the past.
IT isn't exactly a field that will make you a multi-millionaire unless you get lucky with a startup or become a CTO or something. I agree that $100k after 20 years is a bit low though.
I wonder if the affect of ceiling height is because of claustrophobia as well. Would ideas thought of in a very tall closed be any better than ideas in a large room with a low ceiling?
If you're menaced by a lout in a bar with a broken bottle, who do you want to come to your rescue? Do you want a nice, reasonable, New York Times reading diplomatic type, who'll ask everyone to sit down and discuss it?
No, you want a bigger lout with a bigger broken bottle.
Personally, I'd prefer an honest bouncer. You just can't trust where louts with broken bottles will look to get their kicks next.
In fact I suspect, under DMCA, you could (legitimately) sue lottery players for winnings even if you didn't play, but merely if you had a previous claim on the numbers.
So all you have to do is own every single possible lottery number, and you can sue any jackpot winner for all the money? Cool!
Re:Obligatory Planet of the Apes
on
The Human Mutation
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· Score: 3, Funny
What if we can reproduce with them? (shudder) Cause if we can, someone will.
People, people, please remember that when you have sex with an ape, you're also having sex with every ape that ape has ever had sex with!
Now if only it was that easy to tell the body "All right, I acknowledge your message that something's wrong. However there's nothing I can do about that, SO STOP YELLING."
Personally, if I start watching less TV, I start playing more computer games. The amount of free time actually decreases since these tend to be more addictive than shows.
Seriously: they have a waiting list to get in. How slick is that? You've got countries falling over themselves, remaking themselves in your image, in order to be part of your empire. Not too shabby.
So you just tapped your breaks to toggle the break lights on-off and they rear-ended you on purpose? They got what they deserved then.
I've heard of people who deliberately break hard (not just tap) so that innocent drivers rear-end them and these bastards can get the car all fixed up and paid for (to condition better than before accident.) Now those deserve to be run off road.
With the cocaine scenario, they'd had to prove that the guy thought he was smuggling cocaine. Then it would be the same as if he tried to buy cocaine from an undercover cop.
If a person you intend to stab cannot be stabbed....what is the charge, slashing the air in front of you?
You have heard of attempted murder, haven't you? Seems pretty similar to shooting at a guy in the chest when he turns out to be wearing a bulletproof vest under his coat. Or trying to blow up a restaurant with a faulty detonator.
Slashdot Mirror
I guess you do think that physics can completely describe the universe. But on what grounds are you claiming that this universe is [solely] a physical one? (Note that to approach the question of whether or not the universe is physical from the point of view of physics instantly involves you in question-begging again...)
Physics is another word for "the study of the laws of nature." What exactly would you mean by a non-physical universe? Is it a universe that we can't describe with our current knowledge of the laws of nature, or is it a universe that doesn't obey the laws of nature? Obviously we don't know everything there is to know about univeral laws, and I don't believe that we ever will. But what kind of a universe would not obey it's own laws? If there are souls and magic and God(s) those all would be obeying some set of laws, and as far as I'm concerned these would be a part of the whole set of Universal laws (i.e. physics that we haven't discovered yet.)
For all we know, the things that are going on inside our heads, might just as well be described as "magic". We do not know how the brain works, we may suspect it works similarly to a computer, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time people are wrong about how the brain works. Earlier theories have involved everything from souls, to telephone switchboards, and as far as I know, the only thing that has definitely been proven, is that the brain does not work the same way as a telephone switchboard.
Ok, what exactly would this "magic" do? Decisions caused by determinism aren't free will because it's not something you can control. Decisions caused by randomness aren't free will because it's not something you can control. How do you control magic? With magic? And how would you control that magic? At what point does free will enter the picture?
No need to inform him in "real time", there's at least a 7 minute buffer.
The simple answer is that the Republicans are far more competent than the Democrats when it comes to election fraud.
link to supporting evidence please.
The correct plan against a single rampaging gunman seems to be for everybody to rush him. An archer can shoot peons all day long if all they do is run and hide within the base, but he'll only be able to get a few if the entire workforce rushes him.
They use this same sort of argument with stars (although, it doesn't stand up as well since God would've had a reasonable motive for creating full-grown humans, the reason for creating other things with the appearance of age is not at all clear - unless God were trying to fool us). One of the *new* claims a few creationists have been making is that somehow relativity allows the rest of the universe to actually be 14 billion years old even though the universe was created 6,000 years ago. They claim that something like time-dilation allowed a single-day passed on earth while the rest of the universe aged 14 billion years.
Well we already knew that the mice created the Earth with all those dinosaur skeletons. Now it seems they also put it on a spaceship that flew at near light speed. What's so hard to believe?
Cable shows tend to get far less viewers than broadcast TV. Compare the top 15 cable vs. the top 20 broadcast shows for last week...
Do you hold the copyright on it? If so, you could always issue a DMCA takedown letter. I'm almost positive I'd signed something at some point making it the property of my university. I might still send the site an email asking them politely to take down the paper, especially since they put it into the wrong category.
I hope my future employers never do that. Someone decided to upload my undergraduate thesis to a public online repository, and to say I'm not proud of that thing would be an understatement.
That's right, people should pick something achievable, like becoming a professional poker player.
Bingo! I actually have a name for this: the Deathbed Rule. When faced with a choice in life, choose the path that will lead to good deathbed memories and no regrets.
Don't know about you, but when I'm on my deathbed I'll be too busy attempting to ascend to think about the past.
IT isn't exactly a field that will make you a multi-millionaire unless you get lucky with a startup or become a CTO or something. I agree that $100k after 20 years is a bit low though.
I wonder if the affect of ceiling height is because of claustrophobia as well. Would ideas thought of in a very tall closed be any better than ideas in a large room with a low ceiling?
If you're menaced by a lout in a bar with a broken bottle, who do you want to come to your rescue? Do you want a nice, reasonable, New York Times reading diplomatic type, who'll ask everyone to sit down and discuss it?
No, you want a bigger lout with a bigger broken bottle.
Personally, I'd prefer an honest bouncer. You just can't trust where louts with broken bottles will look to get their kicks next.
B: "Sir, if you don't put down the gun, we'll shoot you."
H: "I'm not holding a gun!"
B: "Sir, put down the gun now."
H: "I don't have any weapons!"
B: "PUT DOWN THE GUN, THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!!!!"
H: "For the last time, THERE IS NO GUN!"
*BAM BAM BAM*
B: "Well, we knew he didn't have a gun, but he never showed up in court for conceiled weapon's charges 10 years ago, so that's why we took him out."
(And yes, some of this was stolen from The Boondocks X-Box killer episode)
In fact I suspect, under DMCA, you could (legitimately) sue lottery players for winnings even if you didn't play, but merely if you had a previous claim on the numbers.
So all you have to do is own every single possible lottery number, and you can sue any jackpot winner for all the money? Cool!
What if we can reproduce with them? (shudder) Cause if we can, someone will.
People, people, please remember that when you have sex with an ape, you're also having sex with every ape that ape has ever had sex with!
-paraphrased from Night Stand
Now if only it was that easy to tell the body "All right, I acknowledge your message that something's wrong. However there's nothing I can do about that, SO STOP YELLING."
Personally, if I start watching less TV, I start playing more computer games. The amount of free time actually decreases since these tend to be more addictive than shows.
Seriously: they have a waiting list to get in. How slick is that? You've got countries falling over themselves, remaking themselves in your image, in order to be part of your empire. Not too shabby.
Tom Sawyer would be proud.
Plus surviving on a deserted island would be that much more challenging while blind.
So you just tapped your breaks to toggle the break lights on-off and they rear-ended you on purpose? They got what they deserved then.
I've heard of people who deliberately break hard (not just tap) so that innocent drivers rear-end them and these bastards can get the car all fixed up and paid for (to condition better than before accident.) Now those deserve to be run off road.
With the cocaine scenario, they'd had to prove that the guy thought he was smuggling cocaine. Then it would be the same as if he tried to buy cocaine from an undercover cop.
If a person you intend to stab cannot be stabbed....what is the charge, slashing the air in front of you?
You have heard of attempted murder, haven't you? Seems pretty similar to shooting at a guy in the chest when he turns out to be wearing a bulletproof vest under his coat. Or trying to blow up a restaurant with a faulty detonator.
Wait, are you saying that intent to have sex with a minor who you thought was real should not be a crime if that minor doesn't really exist?
So it's OK to hire an assassin to murder the wife of your boss if it turns out later that your boss is single?