Aren't we being a little conceited in believing that it's so easy to set off an apocalypse? In working with a few hundred genes, would we create something that brings about the end of organic life as we know it on this planet?
I believe that some would argue that we have created quite a possible apocalypse with just one atom....
"To use an analogy, guns are designed to kill. That is their sole function. They'd make lousy can openers. As such, I feel that the makers have a measure of responsibility if people use guns in that manner."
I agree totally that the gun debate is a close analogy to this question. Guns are designed shoot things. Which is exactly why the gun owners shouldn't be responsible in any way because they function properly. To do so would require the logical extension that car makers should be liable because the car functioned properly for a drunk driver that killed a bunch of people. Or that the manufacturer of the chain that dragged the black man to death in Jasper should be held responsible because the chain did not break or refuse to be tied to the unfortunate victim.
The entire fault for an evil or bad act lies exclusively with the person who directed the implement.
The whole idea of product liablity is, IMHO, propigated by the trial lawyers who stand to make large amounts of money from deep pockets.
Unfortunately, Mr Maurer, the President of the National Federation of the Blind, does not have his email listed on the NFB site, but the general email for them is: epc@roudley.com.
IMHO people filing stupid lawsuits like this one should have as much public feedback as possible.
It seems that there are two seperate issues in this post. The first is in regards to the need for money on the campaign trail and the second addresses the topic of colleges bidding for students.
For the first, it has been put forth that addressing the need for money is the first cut in the political races; basically that if there was indeed enough support for a particular candidate to make a viable run for office, there would be enough contributors to make this possible. If they can't raise the money, they are not either exciting the correct people with their ideas, or not marketing themselves correctly.
As for the second, my read on this is that it should drop prices, especially for the most desirable students. The concept of "his family's wallet wasn't being siphoned for all it's worth." is called price descrimination, which is a fancy way to say that I can buy a plane ticket to NY for a weekend about $800 less than a business traveler would be able to because of the relative demand differences between our trips. He has to go on the trip, and the potential gain of the trip is deemed to be worth more than the cost, otherwise he wouldn't go. My pleasure trip is not worth $1,000 to me, but it is worth it to go at $200. The airlines got some revenue for a seat they otherwise wouldn't have had to, and I got a trip to NY. Price discrimination allows for more efficent economic systems.
The name of the book escapes me, something like "Icefire".
It had an interesting twist on the tactics for actually creating the wave. It involves setting off two or three nukes to shear off a section of the ice shelf around the McMurdo station in antartica, then detonating an airburst nuke to drive the broken piece into the seabed. This would create the concussive force necessary to drive the wave. It was a neat theory, going beyond the usual technotrash research.
I have no idea about the physics behind it, but it did sound fairly logical.
The underlying problem of all these type issues is that everyone seems to be a "hyphenated American" rather than defining themselves by their own individual characteristics.
Individual responsibility and drive is the only way to accomplish anything or better your situation in life. This is not a new condition; it is an eternal one. As long there have been humans, there have been some who will succeed regardless of the circumstances from which they start. No amount of political programs or hand wringing will change that.
It's interesting to think that a community could be criticized because of its composition, especially because there are no guidelines for admission. Who cares that the Linux/CS community is predominately white and male? It matters about as much as the fact that Turing was gay.
It seems that the current thought of diversity equating to morality has had the reverse effect of what one would think was the goal of the movement, namely that one's accomplishments could be discussed and appreciated without referencing their race, orientation, etc.
Amen... you hit it on the head. In the current frenzy for politicians to seem like they are "doing something" freedom is going right out the window. Amazing how little sense of history (or outrage) the body politic currently possesses.
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yes, another gratuitous stevenson reference
Aren't we being a little conceited in believing that it's so easy to set off an apocalypse? In working with a few hundred genes, would we create something that brings about the end of organic life as we know it on this planet?
I believe that some would argue that we have created quite a possible apocalypse with just one atom....
"To use an analogy, guns are designed to kill. That is their sole function. They'd make lousy can openers. As such, I feel that the makers have a measure of responsibility if people use guns in that manner."
I agree totally that the gun debate is a close analogy to this question. Guns are designed shoot things. Which is exactly why the gun owners shouldn't be responsible in any way because they function properly. To do so would require the logical extension that car makers should be liable because the car functioned properly for a drunk driver that killed a bunch of people. Or that the manufacturer of the chain that dragged the black man to death in Jasper should be held responsible because the chain did not break or refuse to be tied to the unfortunate victim.
The entire fault for an evil or bad act lies exclusively with the person who directed the implement.
The whole idea of product liablity is, IMHO, propigated by the trial lawyers who stand to make large amounts of money from deep pockets.
Unfortunately, Mr Maurer, the President of the National Federation of the Blind, does not have his email listed on the NFB site, but the general email for them is: epc@roudley.com.
IMHO people filing stupid lawsuits like this one should have as much public feedback as possible.
It seems that there are two seperate issues in this post. The first is in regards to the need for money on the campaign trail and the second addresses the topic of colleges bidding for students.
For the first, it has been put forth that addressing the need for money is the first cut in the political races; basically that if there was indeed enough support for a particular candidate to make a viable run for office, there would be enough contributors to make this possible. If they can't raise the money, they are not either exciting the correct people with their ideas, or not marketing themselves correctly.
As for the second, my read on this is that it should drop prices, especially for the most desirable students. The concept of "his family's wallet wasn't being siphoned for all it's worth." is called price descrimination, which is a fancy way to say that I can buy a plane ticket to NY for a weekend about $800 less than a business traveler would be able to because of the relative demand differences between our trips. He has to go on the trip, and the potential gain of the trip is deemed to be worth more than the cost, otherwise he wouldn't go. My pleasure trip is not worth $1,000 to me, but it is worth it to go at $200. The airlines got some revenue for a seat they otherwise wouldn't have had to, and I got a trip to NY. Price discrimination allows for more efficent economic systems.
The name of the book escapes me, something like "Icefire".
It had an interesting twist on the tactics for actually creating the wave. It involves setting off two or three nukes to shear off a section of the ice shelf around the McMurdo station in antartica, then detonating an airburst nuke to drive the broken piece into the seabed. This would create the concussive force necessary to drive the wave. It was a neat theory, going beyond the usual technotrash research.
I have no idea about the physics behind it, but it did sound fairly logical.
The underlying problem of all these type issues is that everyone seems to be a "hyphenated American" rather than defining themselves by their own individual characteristics.
Individual responsibility and drive is the only way to accomplish anything or better your situation in life. This is not a new condition; it is an eternal one. As long there have been humans, there have been some who will succeed regardless of the circumstances from which they start. No amount of political programs or hand wringing will change that.
It's interesting to think that a community could be criticized because of its composition, especially because there are no guidelines for admission. Who cares that the Linux/CS community is predominately white and male? It matters about as much as the fact that Turing was gay.
It seems that the current thought of diversity equating to morality has had the reverse effect of what one would think was the goal of the movement, namely that one's accomplishments could be discussed and appreciated without referencing their race, orientation, etc.
Amen... you hit it on the head. In the current frenzy for politicians to seem like they are "doing something" freedom is going right out the window. Amazing how little sense of history (or outrage) the body politic currently possesses.