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Comment Re:Wormholes + a flat universe (Score 1) 358

The further you zoom out, the flatter everything appears in relation to everything else (globally flat). If you zoom way in, you can find numerous examples of arrangements across all three dimensions (locally non-flat).

Even if gravity is unlimited and radiates volumetricly, as you zoom out, there is no matter/energy for the gravity along the Z-axis to exert itself upon. And remember, you can still compare infinite sequences. One can state gravity is much stronger along the X-axis and Y-axis than the Z-axis, even though all three are infinite. This is because the gravity-emanators, mass, are globally arranged flat. Therefore, in a twist of the meaning "flat", gravity, and the mass-having universe it lives in, is globally flat, too.

Comment Nope (Score 1) 521

My XBox 360 had an autosave to cloud function. Only then that copy became corrupt. There were no other cloud copies. I had to start the game all over again after putting in many, many hours. I learned to periodically rotate between save multiple checkpoints to disk and periodically save to cloud.

Comment Re:Common sense (Score 2, Interesting) 293

Don't Feed the Trolls means don't engage them will novel comments you crafted yourself. The impersonal act of downvoting without comment doesn't fit in their diet.

The researchers are really bad at establishing causation. People who generate content awful enough that others actually bother to make the clicks to Downvote ... are more likely to make inferior content again in the future. It's because they suck at critical thinking and/or writing. No combination or up or down voting will magically bestow these skills upon them. The "shame" of being downvoted in a non-personal way is not enough behavioral impetus to motivate someone to acquire skills (to do better "next time.")

Comment It's The Lawyers, Stupid (Score 1) 800

"Whatever answer to an ethical dilemma the car industry might lean towards will not be satisfying to everyone."

Everyone being satisfied is inconsequential. What is satisfying to the lawyers is everything. Laws will need to be passed giving exemption to autonomous cars choosing to crash into what the law predetermined to be the right choice.

If The People later decide those predetermined choices to be unsatisfactory, they have to battle it out in Congress, not in the courtroom and not in pleas to auto manufacturers.

Comment Virtual Representatives (Score 1) 60

The entire House of Representatives can be completely replaced by virtual entities. Each entity unconditionally votes according to the majority of its voting constituents. It's like an electoral college where each constituency is reduced to a single vote, yet without any human electors who could vote contrary to the majority opinion.

All bills introduced by the House are drafted by volunteers. Any citizen can volunteer. When enough citizens upvote a proposal, the bill automatically goes up for vote.

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