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User: mcgrew

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  1. Re:Hmm on First Experimental Evidence That Time Is an Emergent Quantum Phenomenon · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It was very early in the US and very late in Europe when the story broke.

    Yesterday there was a story posted at slashdot that asked if your thermostat had free will. I think this answeres the question -- no. Not ony does you thermostat not have free will, neither do you.

    The new problem was that time played no role in this equation. In effect, it says that nothing ever happens in the universe, a prediction that is clearly at odds with the observational evidence.
    <snip>
    But the results depend on how the observation is made. One way to do this is to compare the change in the entangled particles with an external clock that is entirely independent of the universe. This is equivalent to god-like observer outside the universe measuring the evolution of the particles using an external clock.

    In this case, Page and Wooters showed that the particles would appear entirely unchangingâ"that time would not exist in this scenario.

    Free will is an illusion.

  2. Re:iPad already beaten on Nokia Introduces Windows Tablet · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Dude, it's a Microsoft phone running the second most reviled OS (Second to Unity) there is, the OS with no market share at all. Windows 8 killed Nokia the company, Microsoft owns it now.

    If Nokia had gone with Android rather than Windows years earlier they may have stayed solvent.

    This phone won't dominate anything. The iPad is the one to beat? This won't beat the Android with the lowest sales, let alone the iPad.

  3. Re: iPad already beaten on Nokia Introduces Windows Tablet · · Score: 2

    That may be a troll at reddit, but this is slashdot. We laugh at ignorance. He'll be +5 in no time, and if I were moderating he'd get a + from me. I'd have posted the same comment if he hadn't.

    I did stumble when reading the OP. "Looser? Huh?" until I remembered how many aliterates spell "lose" with two Os. It's annoying. And no, that isn't a misspelling of "illiterate".

  4. Re:Hmm on Physicist Unveils a 'Turing Test' For Free Will · · Score: 1

    They don't believe anything. Old thermostats were simply switches made from two dissimilar metals that bent with temperature difference (most had a mercury switch on the metal rod), new ones use thermistors that kick in when a certain voltage kicks in. Simple physics.

    Seriously, are you guys trying to be funny?

  5. Re:Idiocracy on Scientists Induce New Hair Growth In Balding Men · · Score: 1

    "but sadly the greatest minds and resources where focused on conquering hair loss and prolonging erections."

    Snarky but untrue. The greatest minds are probably at the LHC and NASA and ESA, and the best biochemists are probably doing research on AIDS, cancer, and heart disease.

    In fact, you mentioned Viagra, that was invented as a remedy for high blood pressure, and it didn't work. The effects that did work were a surprise; Viagra didn't come from trying to prolong erections, it came from trying to prolong life. The erections were a happy accident.

  6. Re:Easy one... on Why Does Windows Have Terrible Battery Life? · · Score: 1

    And linux doesn't offer anywhere near the same user experience as either Windows or OS X.

    I don't know about OSX, but I run kubuntu and W7 and no, Windows is inferior. What takes fifteen clicks in Windows takes three in kubuntu. I have to reboot the Windows machine when Microsoft sends down patches, with Linux I just click "ok" and keep working. With every update, the Windows machine gets slower while with every update Linux gets faster. My ten year old kubuntu tower boots faster than the 3 year old W7 notebook, shuts down faster... it runs rings around the Windows machine, and there was a story posted to slashdot today about how Microsoft OSes run batteries down faster than other OSes.

    The only thing that's kept Windows in the notebook is laziness.

  7. Re:Yea, Been Pullin' my hair out over this... on Scientists Induce New Hair Growth In Balding Men · · Score: 1

    She laughed. "A bald guy? Are you kidding? No." ...and walked away.

    There's an evolutionary reason for that. They've recently discovered a link between male pattern baldness and heart disease, so most likely that's the reason why women shy away from bald men -- bad genes. Unfortunately for the bald guys, that's one that's apparent. There are probably a whole lot that aren't.

    I think we're more driven by instinct than most people think.

  8. Re:PM? Which country on PM Calls Facebook Irresponsible For Allowing Beheading Clips · · Score: 1

    How about that you read or watch news about world events once in a while?

    So I take it you've memorized the name of every leader of every country in the world? Do you know who's in charge of Brazil? Germany? South Korea (It's a given you know who runs the north). Canada? Look, if you're going to name a country's leader in an international forum it's just stupid to not name the country, even if the country is the US or Russia. And stupidity should not be tolerated at a nerd site.

    I should not have to google to find out who King Mswati III is.

  9. Re:Presence of self-awareness on Physicist Unveils a 'Turing Test' For Free Will · · Score: 1

    All devices need to be aware of themselves. Know exactly where their memory bytes are, how to use its processor, and output to the screen. Devices could not function without a highly detailed and absolute awareness of self.

    So, a light bulb is aware of which position the switch is? That's exactly what happens inside a computer or any digital device. It's not aware of anything; your phone is just a bunch of switches and lights and radio circuits. It has no idea what its logic gates are, let alone where they reside. It has no idea of anything at all. It's just switches.

  10. Re:Presence of self-awareness on Physicist Unveils a 'Turing Test' For Free Will · · Score: 1

    Logic Errors are the "unfortunate hallmark of being human".

    Other species don't make logic errors? I'd say creativity is the mark of being human. Yes, I've seen the paintings done by elephant trunks and mule's tails and chimps with paintbrushes. They're all garbage. Thinking up something new is a big hallmark of humanity, including invention, machining, fiction, music.

    I've always wondered why music exists. Logically, it shouldn't. What evolutionary advantage does it give us?

  11. Re:Presence of self-awareness on Physicist Unveils a 'Turing Test' For Free Will · · Score: 1

    The same way people can believe there is a god when no evidence exists.

    Most people who believe in God have experienced him in some way. A better example would be all the people who are certain that there is alien life on other planets, even sentient life, when no evidence exists. Do I think there is life elsewhere? I think "probably" but I simply don't know. If you have no proof of God's existence the only logical answer is "I don't think so but it's possible".

    Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

  12. Re:Hmm on Physicist Unveils a 'Turing Test' For Free Will · · Score: 1

    My thermostat believes it's Napoleon

    A pity many others don't and therefore don't measure in Celsius.

    Mine must have disassociative identity disorder, because you can choose which scale to use. Same with my car. Don't wish for a schizophrenic thermostat, wish for one with DID.

  13. Re:Elective Full Body Hair Renewal on Scientists Induce New Hair Growth In Balding Men · · Score: 1

    Dear FDA: Please get this to trial and continue disregarding cancer and HIV treatments.

    Are you trolling or just stupid? Or is it a lame attempt at a joke?

  14. Re:Yea, Been Pullin' my hair out over this... on Scientists Induce New Hair Growth In Balding Men · · Score: 1

    Well, thanks to choosing the right grandparents I have a full head of hair at age 61, and shaved heads seems to be the rule among those in their thirties. After my last haircut I swore to never let anybody under 40 cut my hair again, I asked for a light trim and almost got a crew cut.

    But it gets cold here so I'm glad I'm not bald, hair is a great insulator. I usually don't get mine cut between late November to early March. If I were bald I'd welcome this just to keep my head warm.

    Women will cheer this more than men. Women my age are usually not too attractive anyway, there are a few bald women where I work and I don't think viagra would help with them.

    Yes, kids, that's why grandpa has those blue pills; grandma isn't as hot as she used to be.

  15. Re:Office 365 on Forrester Research Shows Steep Decline in Free Office Suite Stats · · Score: 1

    First, it isn't that expensive.

    A hundred bucks for a bucket of bugs and an unusable interface is way too much. Hell, you can buy a computer for twice that. And you'll have to buy it again in a couple years to remain compatible. It's a ripoff.

    And for those who are price-sensitive, it is easily pirated

    Only a fool downloads pirated software, you're just begging to be pwned. It isn't like a song or a movie where you have no risk.

    Luckily for me, Oo writes PDFs and everyone takes those.

  16. Re:And no one at experian will ever be charged. on Experian Sold Social Security Numbers To ID Theft Service · · Score: 1

    From what I've read after posting, Experian bought a company that was selling SSNs to thieves and didn't do due diligence when buying it. So maybe a fine, but nobody from Experian will go to prison.

  17. Re:Why is SSN secret? on Experian Sold Social Security Numbers To ID Theft Service · · Score: 1

    I went through bankruptcy shortly after my divorce, and it looks to me like you have nothing to lose by it, talk to a good lawyer. As soon as your lawyer files the papers you are prohibited by law from paying bills until the court proceedings are finished, which takes a while. You don't pay rent, utilities, any debts at all and they can't shut off your utilities and your landlord can't evict you. Trying to collect from you is a felony.

    After the proceedings are finished, trying to collect any debt from before the bankruptcy from you is also a felony.

    Once your bankruptcy is done you will be inundated with credit card offers, because they know you can't file again for 7 years.

    See a lawyer, talking to one is free.

  18. Re:Why is SSN secret? on Experian Sold Social Security Numbers To ID Theft Service · · Score: 1

    I wonder when they started that, then?

  19. Re:Why is SSN secret? on Experian Sold Social Security Numbers To ID Theft Service · · Score: 0

    I got mine in 1968, and it said in large caps FOR TAX PURPOSES ONLY. It would be damned hard to write a book without a credit card now -- copyright, ISBN, web site, printer... pretty hard to do any commerce online without a card.

    I've spent over $300 on Nobots, all of it on the card. (OT but it might be available as early as next week, I'll let you guys know).

  20. Re:And no one at experian will ever be charged. on Experian Sold Social Security Numbers To ID Theft Service · · Score: 2

    and that presumably, there is a separate argument to be made for Experian having the right to ever sell the information at all.

    And what, pray tell, would that argument be? I can see nothing whatever society gains by letting Experian sell what they do not own.

  21. Re:And, who has the Obamacare ID validation contra on Experian Sold Social Security Numbers To ID Theft Service · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For fuck's sake, it has nothing to do with obamacare. Stay on topic and stop trolling.

    OK, so they put the ID theft guy in prison, how about having Experian's CEO in an adjoining cell? Why is it legal for Experian to sell my SS#??? I never gave them permission for that.

  22. Re:The whole Open/Libre Office thing hurt on Forrester Research Shows Steep Decline in Free Office Suite Stats · · Score: 1

    Equating "free" with "not good" is pretty damned stupid if you ask me. Air? Rain? How about the interstate vs a toll road? Home grown tomatoes vs the cardboard ones you buy at the grocery store?

    Of course, like anyone else, there are a lot of really stupid English speakers (but no dumber than folks speaking other languages).

  23. Re:Fertilizer? on Carbon-Negative Energy Machines Catching On · · Score: 1

    They were talking about this yesterday on the farming show that comes on early Sunday mornings. Farmers don't burn; you lose carbon and nutrients that way. What they do is after harvesting, they chop up what's left of the plants and let it rot in the fields, the microorganisms break it down.

  24. Re:Yes on Ask Slashdot: Do You Use Markdown and Pandoc? · · Score: 1

    I believed "Markdown and Pandoc" to be a work of 16th century French literature. By Alcofribas Nasier, is it not?

    I never heard of them, either. Markdown is certainly not a tool used by nerds; nerds write their own HTML in a text editor, any one is as good as another. Wikipedia has never heard of Pandoc, either. Pity, I might have use of that but if it's too obscure for Wikipedia, well...

  25. Re:NO !! on Are We Socially Ready For Wearable Computing? · · Score: 1

    Both you and the AC above are wrong. The AC is wrong because his definition disagrees with every dictionary out there. Yours is wrong because you're not looking deeply enough. You say "No, they're pathetic. There shouldn't be a single point of failure for anything in one's life." How about your food? Without tractors, combines, and other advancements in the last century there wouldn't be enough food for everyone.

    Write a letter? Do you know how to make paper?
    Ride a bike or take a bus? Those are both machines. As is a kerosine lamp, all technology. We all rely on machines.

    And it's certainly not pathetic to rely on an implanted CrystaLens when you were extremely nearsighted all your life and couldn't get by without those older technologies, contacts and glasses.