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Comment Re:Today's lesson (Score 1) 247

"Neither the British or US government is an evil fascist state which brutally subjugates the populace."

Guess you've never been kettled and charged by horses for taking part in a (up until that point) peaceful protest against the ideology of the ruling government? I have. It's life threatening, and has proven fatal on more than one occasion. And undoubtedly terrifying. This is state oppression of the population by any definition I understand.

Or been detained indefinitely without charge and sleep deprived, partially drowned etc... No I haven't but its not hard to imagine how that could also be seen as oppressive and terrorising and is now admitted by the US and complicity admitted by the UK.

Comment Re:No objectionable material? (Score 1) 794

Not the same dude. One is a browser of arguments. I.e. rational discourse. The other may be seen as God bashing, but it purely uses the Bible's words to do so. That's like saying Principia Mathematica Abridged Notes is Physics bashing.

Niether, irrationally assumes a significant proportion of the population are in need of being 'cured' of their genetic condition (which is, of course, as best science can tell, currently, practically impossible - whether it's desirable or not).

"cure" is a medical term. Medicine is a scientific and beautifully empirical endeavor. Religion is not. Clouding the two is a kin to using pseudo science to sell anti aging cream, but with MUCH more significant ramifications for the victims of the deception. Rather than keeping a few wrinkles and loosing a few bucks, you get psychologically traumatized. Potentially for life, often by your own family.

I believe such deception should be legally prevented. I still think the trades description act should allow for prosecution of this kind of deception.

Comment Re:Probably not 4Chan Script Kiddies (at the root) (Score 1) 407

Emergent and adaptive patterns often 'grow' a head, well after the pattern/system has developed into a self sustaining entity. I wouldn't fixate on the 'top' too much, or you'll be complicit in another pattern. Such as the scapegoating happening with Wikileaks. Wikileaks have help unearth much more important issues than the fixated concerns people now have (and have had cultivated for them) regarding Esange.

Comment Re:More galaxies would sterilize planets (Score 1) 536

Good point. I aso think the author fails to understand complexity and emergent systems (e.g. life). Denser != more likely to contain life, necessarily. What if life could burn itself out. We often wonder why we haven't made contact with extraterrestrial beings. Its quite possible that if we did the encounter would be short lived...
However I like your consideration even more.

Comment Re:More anti-intellegence shlock (Score 2) 491

The fact is though, that if you're smart and play by the rules, you don't get to bring the benefits of your wisdom/insight to the company. Rules are dumb. They are there to keep the predictable mechanics of comerse predictable and measurable. Genius should never be measured (in either sense). It should be let loose. It should be allowed to fail. It should be childish and annoying and rebellious. And it should not be the norm. I know really smart people who just turn up and work, and do as they're told. They don't get paid so much, and they aren't worth that much more, just doing that. They'd be instantly worth 5 times as much by being a jerk and getting their opinions put into practice. But they like to play safe. Which isn't dumb either. Just less jerkish.

Comment Re:What class of SUV? (Score 2) 509

IMHO, this is more of a PR stunt against American culture .

What a load of self absorbed crap.

The qualification factors are CO2 emissions per mile. As they should be. Not car shape. You think US invented the SUV? No just the dumb and incongruent name (I presume).

Don't get me wrong the shape and size are both important factors in European annoyance at there rise in popularity in our narrow overcrowded streets.

They also get refered to as Chelsea Tractors. I've lived in Chelsea. You're right to ask who would want to ride a huge SUV there. Sadly the answer is Every dumb selfish twat. If its bigger my children will be safer (and the neighbours' less so, but I don't care), my ego will be better supported, my status further bolstered.... You have a concentration of rich, self-centered people in city centers. Which is why Chelsea has the highest concentration of 4x4 owners per capita in the UK, despight one of the lowest snow and flooding rating. And next to no mud.

This is not an attack on American culture, but on selfish individuals. The fact that you identify with these individuals in the way you do, is potentially illustrative of your own understanding or perception of your countries culture.

Comment Re:Little bit hyped. (Score 4, Interesting) 103

I think you're right that this will never produce the forces required for most 'muscle' purposes.
However if it holds its charge it could be very exciting in terms of capacitance!
I've been playing with synthetic muscles, and I believe magnatism id the only likely way forward. But that Nanotubes are the solution. Esspecially if submerged in ferro fluids, or paramagnetic liquids (e.g. liquid oxygen, though that would not be great re safety). I've already had a bash at simply using thin wire: see vid of lego coil maker and seen here for brief comments.

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