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Comment Re:this article doesn't have enough posts yet... (Score 1) 230

How do you know it's nutty pseudoscience before you perform the experiments?

At what point during the ~3.5 Billion year evolution from single cell organisms to modern humans could psychic abilities have suddenly sprung into being? What mechanism would allow animal cells to suddenly become magic? Studies are not necessary, because a basic understanding of biology and physics makes it immediately obvious that the very idea of psychic powers is absurd. Self replicating chemicals don't suddenly gain powers over the rest of nature by being self replicating.

You are suggesting that we can't dismiss anything, no matter how absurd, without first coming up with some sort of test to demonstrate that the absurd idea is absurd, and that is not only extremely resource intensive, but completely unnecessary and ridiculous. I would suggest that you need a better understanding of the natural world.

Comment Re:Oh, what's your definition of "matches"? (Score 1) 102

Not sure you realize this, but your laptop is about 5% slower than an Atom D2700. You are using a netbook, dude, it's just a really big heavy expensive netbook.

This laptop is about 3 times faster than what you are using, just in CPU. Graphics would blow it away as well. Surely you aren't going to claim that less than an inch of size makes it "another class" are you? They are both "thin and light"

Comment Re:NTFS (Score 1) 347

You mean like how all of your old dos drivers worked so well in windows 95? All of them?
Or how all of the old 95 drivers worked so well in ME, after they made the API changes in 98SE?
Or how you could just use your old 98SE drivers with XP?
Or how nobody lost any hardware when Vista came out because they stopped supporting the old NT drivers?
Oh, that's right, none of those things happened. Windows developers break driver compatibility all the time you tool. You can't say "5 year old drivers for XP still work in XP! Hurp hurp" because it's STILL XP. If you keep the same version of a linux distro, everything will still work. It's when you upgrade to a newer operating system, the same way you might from XP to 7, that you lose support, just like you do with windows!
idiot.

If you have any random 15 year old piece of kit, you are more likely to get it running in Linux or FreeBSD than you are in windows 8.

Comment Re:Whats the alternative? (Score 1) 863

Try downloading ClassicShell. Windows 8 says "This program isn't used very often!" and then refuses to let you install it (yeah, you can click advanced, then force it, but most people won't do that). They are actively stopping people from using the start menu. I have not found any other program, anywhere, including known malware, which throws up this "not very many people use this, so we won't let you" message.

Comment Re:Dear God (Score 1) 278

and when they do have a reasonable answer, stick your fingers in your ears and shout "LA LA LA LA LA! My fairy book is the same as your hundreds of years of combined, improved upon knowledge. We're the same, because I don't understand the way science works!"

I don't know if you've ever stopped to consider this, but your whole worldview is flawed. You believe there are only two options, either a) science is correct in every minute detail, or b) Magic. Any time you say "Science is just like faith" everyone who knows anything will immediately assume you are a moron because you stated "I think a 2000+ year old stone age book is on equal footing with hundreds of years of research, put under extreme scrutiny all the time."

We have exactly ZERO reason to believe that things were dramatically different billions of years ago. Nothing that we have ever seen suggests that it would be the case, which makes your "it might have been different" nothing but special pleading to allow yourself an excuse to believe in fantasy. Anyone can make crap up. "We don't know that all particles weren't made of bunnies 3 billion years ago. We have FAITH that they weren't. Anyone who says the universe isn't made of tiny bunnies is doing so for religious reasons." See how stupid that sounds? And is? Faith in a god is not the same as belief that the chair you sit in won't magically disappear, and you are a liar and charlatan if you suggest otherwise.

Comment Re:Just wait for the news media to pick this up. (Score 1) 254

you are a moron. given that you are the same species as all other "races," it follows that there is no inequality. No "race" is more evolved than the others, all people are the same species. One branch has different colored skin or eyes. Do you believe Tabby cats are superior to calicoes? No? You say they are all just cats? Yeah, same thing for people you racist sack of shit.

Comment Re:Good for Google (Score 1) 165

I frequently set people up with Linux Mint when they bring a computer into my shop with no windows sticker, an illegal copy of windows, and a bad enough infection that it requires re-installation. I won't remove an illegal copy of windows just cause it's illegal(only tell them that it's illegal and ask them if they wish to purchase a license), but I will not reinstall an illegal copy if it comes to that.

Sure, some of them have the money to get a new windows license with their repair, but in this area a lot of people just don't have that sort of money, and they jump at getting their PC up and running for $100 less. Once I put the install CD in, it takes about 30 minutes to run through, reboots, and everything works. Immediately. There is zero configuration required. The people I give it back to, who are not terribly tech savy, have all said they have really enjoyed it, found it easy to get around in and do what they need. They have no trouble figuring out the software manager, connecting to the internet, or setting up their e-mail. I have had one person who could not use his printer anymore, but chose to buy a $35 used printer rather than a $100 operating system license.

The only configuration I have to do on these systems is making sure that LibreOffice saves its documents in MS 2003 format by default, so they don't have to fight with compatibility when they send e-mails. Hardly "A day or longer"

Comment Re:This is not new (Score 1) 158

We aren't really genetically identical to prehistoric humans though. As a quick example: I can digest lactose as an adult. This amazing feat arose in our species during the neolithic. It has occurred due to one of two completely unrelated mutations, in separate parts of the world. For 95% of our history, we as a species could not do this, and today a little over 50% of you still cannot.

Overall gene distribution patterns have changed radically, new mutations have popped up and become widespread. We may have been the same species 150,000 years ago, but we, taken as a whole, were not genetically identical.

Comment Re:This is not new (Score 1) 158

The average person ranges from 60-100 bpm resting, so lets call it 80. That drops us to 35.

You know what the historical average life expectancy for our species is? Take a guess, just throw something out there. Go on.

25-30. This life expectancy, as a species, of roughly 30 years held until a century ago. The only reason we don't fall on this scale today has been the improvements in our medical care. You can't be skeptical of a theory just because you don't know very much about history.
Idle

Steampunk Con Mixes In More Maker Fun 50

California has once again been blessed with another steampunk convention, this time to be held in Emeryville, CA on March 12-14 as the "Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition." This year's event promises to mix in much more of the DIY/maker flavor for a greater hands-on feel. Steampunk has been gaining much broader appeal in recent months with the continued growth of maker communities, and the many delightful varieties of music and literature. The con will feature, among other things, a 2 day track of 2-hour how-to, hands-on, and interactive workshops gear towards makers, DIY-ers, mad scientists, and evil geniuses. Of course, if you are an evil genius you probably don't need a workshop except as a gathering for potential test subjects.

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