At my prior client, I burned 2 USB-controllers while typing. I discarted it as being just an issue with the age of the hardware.

Until now, where I've been given a top of the line workstation at my new job. 1 month in the job closing in on a deadline, another USB-controller burned out while typing.

Mind you, to make the deadline I typed slower in fear to burn my last USB-ports.

World War 2 lead to NASA, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing that could have lead to NASA.

That might be true, but there seems to be very direct co-relations and I believe very strongly in causality.

If there weren't any V2 rockets, space-travel would've seemed very far away, the "moon race" would not have occured in such a short time, science fiction would not have exploded and an entire generation would not have dreamed about applying themselves in the way they have to technologically advance and "make the future today". It would not have pushed fe. IC-optimalisation, the need to have a "alway on"-network in case of "nuclear" attack (by long-range missles) resulting in the internet (by which the popularity and potential has driven commercially to come to technical innovation).

Take the psychology of the people thinking and coming up with a V2 rocket, their motivations and the context in order to come to this and push the limits of technology (because Hitler allowed massive budgets on engineering which otherwise would've seemed excessive, but with their "luftwaffe" and blitzkrieg-tactics he wanted to keep on pushing the status-quo in warfare.)

I don't dispute we could've arrived differently, but I don't think with this speed of development.

In a world in peace, there is usually pacifism, innovation isn't as pressing. (other as commercially pression, but it doesn't need to be actually useful, just attractive)
Communication or global unity wasn't that important as during the war, radar wasn't as important as during the war; people pushed themselves exceptionally to come to quick results without incentives other then to "outsmart" the enemy and save lifes very directly (not a clincal clean button push in the distance.)

But I do agree it's easier to see the corelation and events leading up to new events, when you look back. Which makes it hard to imagine it "how it could've come into being otherwise".

I wouldn't want to _kill_ him

I wouldn't know if I would want to alter the course of history.

Without hitler:

• There would be no nuclear power
• There wouldn't have been NASA, nor spaceflight
• They made the first sonic airplanes
• Their engineers had great freedom to work on their projects
• The cold war would not have been (with the resulting "Game theory" and all the mathematics that came forth from it)
• Germany wouldn't have remodelled their economical system
• The EU and offspin treathies after the war would not have been, with their impact (or absence of impact)
• Mass producing and logistics on that scale would not have been perfected
• The "real world example" application of psychology (propaganda, indoctrination, ...) and resulting conclusions and studies would not be
• We would not have radar
• We would not have submarines
• We would not have torpedo's
• ...

To all evil there are also good tendencies. I believe WW has spurred up alot of good initiatives, had a dramatic "reset" in culture and spurred alot of technological advancing. (I'm Belgian, we've been the German doormat for 2 world wars, so I'm not "too detached"; my grandparents were right in the middle of it)

so all of us can help contribute to their accuracy and make sure they kill the right people...

Exactly, guiding the drones those who pushed the button for button destruction (and potentially the operator).

(If, however, it is only used to catch someone who overstays their meter by a few minutes then it is not so useful.)

I believe this would be more the case. In Belgium parking-ticket revenue is per city in the millions. Even sometimes where it's unclear where you have to pay or not: cities invest alot in placing meters and have people check it (they are now run by private organisations instead of police.)

Seeing that parking for a day in a city like Brussels would cost you 15 euro (or 20usd) this is a nice cashcow and it gets milked.

Imagine you work in Brussels, you pay your gas and your 15 euro / day. If you go by train you pay in the town you park your car between 5-10 euro a day to park, about 100 euro a month for a train-subscription.

No wonder people play the "cat and mouse game" with metermaids; if parking without ticket results in a fine of 20 euros up to 50 euros, and the frequency of checks are randomized alot of people take the bet and cities cry because they projected some extra millions in revenue.

and then I got at angry at the human who arbitrarily turned the other robot off [...] SkyNet is born.

Alot of people who have angry emotions are put in a box.

The advantage of machines feeling is that they are all locked in a metal box and don't really have an awareness or ability to process certain sensory input: You can unplug the webcam and they cannot reprogram themselves to learn or experience a video-stream, it's like us upgrading our DNA in order to experience something we haven't got a concept for. Let alone the idea of program to "feel the need to create an algorithm to extend itself" with the possibility to take itself out; just imagine the debugging process...

The disadvantage is that other people are looking and believing what the box shows on a screen, and take orders from it as they're conditioned to. (and assume the box doesn't think itself.)

So, only in the case they are sential, they're unpluggable, have an unlimited batterysupply (not humans) have unpluggable sensors and can reprogram themselves (and extrapolate the advantage of a certain reprogramming) I think we're screwed.

I think the Greeks had a story about something like this.

wiki:Tantalus

Tantalus's punishment for his act, now a proverbial term for temptation without satisfaction (the source of the English word "tantalise" - US "tantalize"),[13]) was to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches. Whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches raised his intended meal from his grasp. Whenever he bent down to get a drink, the water receded before he could get any. Over his head towers a threatening stone, like that of Sisyphus.[14]

There is no such thing as an absolute liberty that allows you to do anything you wish without consequences.

I believe that's liberty in itself: you have the choice to take the consequences. You're educated about the consequences of your actions, and the influence you exert. Some actions have consequences, you have the liberty to make that decision or take such a particular action any time.

It's the same principle as certain people complaining endlessly, yet do not see the causality or their own responsability in the result. For example, you have overweight people who pitty themselves and complain about their physique while they take no effort in changing. Otoh, you have people who feel pride or really do not care/prioritize certain pleasures and happily take the result of that with it.

your reaction was visceral

Oh, yes. It was. Otherwise I wasn't as elaborate or I wouldn't have exactly cared as much about it :)

As I have contemplated what makes some people with above average intelligence different and how they can either tone it down or otherwise adjust comfortably into society

I'm sorry, but you come off as very elitist; "I don't fit into society, but I'm way above average and everybody else is too stupid (to understand me). That's reasoning in order to maintain a certain position you clearly dislike, but giving purpose to it by telling yourself you're "above average".

"Intellingence" is a very wide subject and is sensitive to interpretation: A bushman wouldn't be able to "do the intelligent things you consider intelligent", but you wouldn't survive long in his world. It's relative, but you victimize yourself and place yourself on top of other in a egocentrical "I must be better".

Perhaps I am simply too contemplative, but that is something I simply cannot turn off except when I am sleeping. (and even then... is it really off?)

Oh, woo me, the intelligent creature who suffers and is "always on". All those other stupid fucks sleep well and go about their meaningless lifes...

By the age of 10, my contemplative nature led me to conclude there can be no God in the form it is currently being pushed on us

I'm sorry, but that doesn't take "above average intelligence". And by all means, by the age of 10 you do not have a "need for a god" in a western midclass world where you're shielded from life, certain life events later who will make you cry you wished there was something or someone who is godlike. At 10, you lack certain insight and experience. I'm not telling you I believe in a god, but at that age you lack experience.

(well, exposure to PBS and the clear existence of "childhood myths" such as santa claus and the easter bunny also helped in the process to be sure.)

TV isn't life, get out, live a bit.

But where does it all come from and why aren't other people like this?

They're not around because they don't like hanging out by an isolated guy who feels superiour in his self-explaining of his isolation.

And like many homosexual people, I wouldn't care to change it even if I could

Don't mix intelligence, a sense of superiority with your sexual preferences and religion. You're not discussing on topic, you're just being an egocentric shortminded selfentitling dumbfuck.

I'm sure you feel you have all figured out already as well :)

Restrictions while using device... Duh...

Say this thing is widely integrated and alot of people use it, because (as shown in the clip) going up stairs is such an incomfortable task that might make you sweat and give up going upstairs. While you sit down, feeling like a failure because you were defeated by a stairway.

I do realize, this is thought for less mobile people or perhaps revalidation, but with a "cool"-factor like the segway, just imagine people not using their bodies anymore, no muscle-development turning into these meek puny defensless creatures sans-devices.

I'll keep on walking myself as long I can, thanksverymuch.

most software can't benefit from quantum logic...

Are you a professional programmer?

Predicting randomness would've save me alot of time in my projects ;)

We soon need to certify in quantum-mechanical logic to write software?
Any good resources?

But seriously though, most fans are utter crap, installed a so called 'slot cooler' and it is making rattling noises after just 1 week in service (Koenig)

Get a ThermalTake. They might sound as boeing-engines, but they don't rattle.

Or a passive cooling solution...

"Together, HP and ArcSight will be well-positioned to secure even the most demanding environments." What exactly does that mean?

It means more "Security by marketing".