I want a flying car because the human occupant will not be flying it. The computer (SkyNet?) will be in control of the vehicle at all times. That will seriously rock.. I just hope I get to see it in my lifetime.
How could the ship weigh nothing if there was no raw physical material with which to generate the holograms? Basically aren't the holograms substantive, existing in real space, made of real matter?
I'd been wondering if someone would bring this up. Myself, I cannot think of the question of artificial self-awareness without thinking of this episode.
It would seem to me we equate "life" with "resembling human". We look at animals and attribute emotional states to them, because they at times resemble humans and human behavior. We cannot attribute these states to plants or insects or microscopic life because they bear absolutely no resemblance to us. The fact is, we know only ourselves--that each of us, individually, is alive, and self-aware--and by seeing (perceiving) traits that mimic our own, we assume identity. When we look at the character of Data on Star Trek (suspending disbelief) we could easily argue that he is alive in the most important aspects of the concept, whereas in the same breath argue that the Enterprise itself is not.
The problem I see is that we are edging very near to a sustained artificial intelligence, and I don't think we're going to be able to recognize it when it finally emerges.
> why should law abiding citizens worry about their cyber-driving as long as they obey the rules?
So, you clearly wouldn't mind mandatory GPS in your car tracking your every start, stop and turn, your every destination, and businesses paying money for such records in order to profile you.
On the road there is still a certain measure of privacy involved. Sure your car has a license plate--just like your computer has an IP address--but you do not have to have your car "authenticated" before you decide you want to take it somewhere like, say, a porn store, or a church, or a strip club, or anywhere someone else has to approve of before allowing you to go there.
That's the root of my problem with TCM. I don't feel the need to have every single action my computer takes vetted by Microsoft, Sony, the RIAA or my grandmother.. it's my computer, I should be the one who has the final say on what I do with my media and what Web sites my browser looks at (within the law, of course).
My 1997 Mac Perfoma still surfs the web quite capably.
I suppose there will always be a market for legacy hardware. Chances are functioning, pre-TCM hardware will become a highly prized buy for people who still value outmoded concepts like "privacy".
It is way cooler than their unfortunate little Web site makes it appear. These kids are freakin' amazing. A friend of mine was one of the engineer adults who helped get this program off the ground (so to speak) and he gave me a tour once of the whole facility, including a runthrough of the shuttle launch exercise, complete with a pilotable miniature shuttle (operated by joystick from within) that is carried and maneuvered with a very large arm. The space station itself is staggeringly cool, even more so when you realize that high school kids designed and built all of it, with gentle guidance from their instructors.
In other words, everything they "learned" about spaceflight from this little "voyage" they will have to unlearn because it's probably made-up hooey to perpetuate their ignorance. Assuming these kids are as dumb as they're playing on the show (which is debatable), what's happening to them is cruel, not funny.
I thought the "fake earth" was digital special effects projected (or something) on a big screen outside their window. How would something be "falling off" an image on a screen, unless it was specifically built into the image shown... unless of course she got a glimpse of that pesky moth in the studio.
Another thing.. "falling from the earth"? To where? Someone really needs to sit poor Keri down when this is all over and have a little chat with her about this thing we call gravity. (It's not just a good idea; it's the law.)
Of course I'm perfectly willing to accept that Keri is just acting the part of being stupid for the sake of the show.
> Err, no! Obviously not. Otherwise when you upgrade your player, your entire collection would be written off.
Obviously? And this is obviously bad for the movie industry why?
Check out how Napster works sometime and tell me why the movie industry wouldn't jump to operate on the same system if they could.
The fact that the movie industry supports Blu-Ray is reason enough for me to be sure never to use it. After Sony's shenanigans with XCP and MediaMax, I sure as hell am not going to trust them getting their fingers into my movies too.
ALAN: It's called Tron. It's a security program itself, actually. Monitors all the contacts between our system and other systems... If it finds anything going on that's not scheduled, it shuts it down. I sent you a memo on it.
DILLINGER: Mmm. Part of the Master Control Program?
ALAN: No, it'll run independently. It can watchdog the MCP as well.
Perhaps the "analog hole" applies to video as well.
If you're on a Mac, buy yourself the full version--as in the video-capture version--of Snapz Pro X. Open Quicktime and watch the show, while Snapz captures the video to MPEG. You'll be left with a very large file, but at least it should be DRM-less.
I have not tried this yet, so I'm not certain it will work, but it's worth a shot. Does anyone else who has a similar utility (Mac or Windows) want to try this and report as to its success/failure?
When you pay the USPS to deliver something Express Mail, it does not mean everything else being delivered First Class slows down. That's the difference.
If BellSouth wants to charge people for faster service, great.. they just better make damn sure the extra speed isn't at the expense of people who choose not to pay BellSouth.
You're only "addicted" if your wife suddenly kicks you out of your house because her Al-Anon friends all told her you have an addiction problem. Then you have an "addiction." (You'd think this might have happened to me..)
Distrust of and disgust with psychiatry and those who practice it is considered a treatable addiction--nay, epidemic that is sweeping our civilization. If you or a loved one suffers from this life-wrecking ailment, seek professional help immediately.
Yeah, and I hear there's a singleplayer way to play Halo. Is there really? Who'd have thought.. I've been quite happy wasting my hours and hours playing CTF.
Slashdot Mirror
I want a flying car because the human occupant will not be flying it. The computer (SkyNet?) will be in control of the vehicle at all times. That will seriously rock .. I just hope I get to see it in my lifetime.
That's PRICELESS ... loved it, laughed at it, saved it.
> Face-to-face, dead air is a sin, so you're pressured to blurt half-cooked thoughts before they're done baking.
What a great way to put it.
How could the ship weigh nothing if there was no raw physical material with which to generate the holograms? Basically aren't the holograms substantive, existing in real space, made of real matter?
Love the idea though. LOTS of potential there.
That is not as offtopic as the mods would have us believe. That was actually quite funny.
If fembots achieve self-awareness, they need to be immediately returned for reprogramming.
I'd been wondering if someone would bring this up. Myself, I cannot think of the question of artificial self-awareness without thinking of this episode.
It would seem to me we equate "life" with "resembling human". We look at animals and attribute emotional states to them, because they at times resemble humans and human behavior. We cannot attribute these states to plants or insects or microscopic life because they bear absolutely no resemblance to us. The fact is, we know only ourselves--that each of us, individually, is alive, and self-aware--and by seeing (perceiving) traits that mimic our own, we assume identity. When we look at the character of Data on Star Trek (suspending disbelief) we could easily argue that he is alive in the most important aspects of the concept, whereas in the same breath argue that the Enterprise itself is not.
The problem I see is that we are edging very near to a sustained artificial intelligence, and I don't think we're going to be able to recognize it when it finally emerges.
I think it can be safely said that Helen Keller was self aware.
> why should law abiding citizens worry about their cyber-driving as long as they obey the rules?
So, you clearly wouldn't mind mandatory GPS in your car tracking your every start, stop and turn, your every destination, and businesses paying money for such records in order to profile you.
On the road there is still a certain measure of privacy involved. Sure your car has a license plate--just like your computer has an IP address--but you do not have to have your car "authenticated" before you decide you want to take it somewhere like, say, a porn store, or a church, or a strip club, or anywhere someone else has to approve of before allowing you to go there.
That's the root of my problem with TCM. I don't feel the need to have every single action my computer takes vetted by Microsoft, Sony, the RIAA or my grandmother .. it's my computer, I should be the one who has the final say on what I do with my media and what Web sites my browser looks at (within the law, of course).
Hey, my name is Testy too. Would that makes us a pair of testes?
My 1997 Mac Perfoma still surfs the web quite capably.
I suppose there will always be a market for legacy hardware. Chances are functioning, pre-TCM hardware will become a highly prized buy for people who still value outmoded concepts like "privacy".
Ain't that the +1 Sad Truth.
It is way cooler than their unfortunate little Web site makes it appear. These kids are freakin' amazing. A friend of mine was one of the engineer adults who helped get this program off the ground (so to speak) and he gave me a tour once of the whole facility, including a runthrough of the shuttle launch exercise, complete with a pilotable miniature shuttle (operated by joystick from within) that is carried and maneuvered with a very large arm. The space station itself is staggeringly cool, even more so when you realize that high school kids designed and built all of it, with gentle guidance from their instructors.
In other words, everything they "learned" about spaceflight from this little "voyage" they will have to unlearn because it's probably made-up hooey to perpetuate their ignorance. Assuming these kids are as dumb as they're playing on the show (which is debatable), what's happening to them is cruel, not funny.
I thought the "fake earth" was digital special effects projected (or something) on a big screen outside their window. How would something be "falling off" an image on a screen, unless it was specifically built into the image shown ... unless of course she got a glimpse of that pesky moth in the studio.
Another thing .. "falling from the earth"? To where? Someone really needs to sit poor Keri down when this is all over and have a little chat with her about this thing we call gravity. (It's not just a good idea; it's the law.)
Of course I'm perfectly willing to accept that Keri is just acting the part of being stupid for the sake of the show.
A high school nearby me is doing this now.
> Err, no! Obviously not. Otherwise when you upgrade your player, your entire collection would be written off.
Obviously? And this is obviously bad for the movie industry why?
Check out how Napster works sometime and tell me why the movie industry wouldn't jump to operate on the same system if they could.
The fact that the movie industry supports Blu-Ray is reason enough for me to be sure never to use it. After Sony's shenanigans with XCP and MediaMax, I sure as hell am not going to trust them getting their fingers into my movies too.
ALAN: It's called Tron. It's a security program itself, actually. Monitors all the contacts between our system and other systems... If it finds anything going on that's not scheduled, it shuts it down. I sent you a memo on it.
DILLINGER: Mmm. Part of the Master Control Program?
ALAN: No, it'll run independently. It can watchdog the MCP as well.
--Tron (1982)
Perhaps the "analog hole" applies to video as well.
If you're on a Mac, buy yourself the full version--as in the video-capture version--of Snapz Pro X. Open Quicktime and watch the show, while Snapz captures the video to MPEG. You'll be left with a very large file, but at least it should be DRM-less.
I have not tried this yet, so I'm not certain it will work, but it's worth a shot. Does anyone else who has a similar utility (Mac or Windows) want to try this and report as to its success/failure?
pro bono means you are a U2 fan.
When you pay the USPS to deliver something Express Mail, it does not mean everything else being delivered First Class slows down. That's the difference.
If BellSouth wants to charge people for faster service, great .. they just better make damn sure the extra speed isn't at the expense of people who choose not to pay BellSouth.
You're only "addicted" if your wife suddenly kicks you out of your house because her Al-Anon friends all told her you have an addiction problem. Then you have an "addiction." (You'd think this might have happened to me ..)
If no one's upset by it, it's not an addition.
Distrust of and disgust with psychiatry and those who practice it is considered a treatable addiction--nay, epidemic that is sweeping our civilization. If you or a loved one suffers from this life-wrecking ailment, seek professional help immediately.
Outstanding, insightful post. If I had mod points, you'd be getting one. Thank you.
Yeah, and I hear there's a singleplayer way to play Halo. Is there really? Who'd have thought .. I've been quite happy wasting my hours and hours playing CTF.