Comment Teachers who fail kids look bad (Score 1) 158
So they let them pass. This results in the present chaos.
Comment True but not the point I'm making (Score 1) 186
I'm saying that the claim that electronic gizmos will NEVER be conscious is unjustified. To suggest that it will never happen is a statement of faith. The fact that the present generation of LLMs happily ace the Turing Test makes this clear; a previous generation would have regarded them as 'thinking machines'.
Comment AI is cutting edge so we must be be doing it (Score 2) 60
If you don't use AI - or at least make the appearance of doing so - 'questions will be asked' about why you are refusing to use the latest technology. Add in the need to be seen to be backing the massive bets that your lords and masters of the real elite have made on AI and it's inevitable that AI is being dragged into everything. Will it last or will there be a massive bubble burst? That's the many billion question...
Comment Isn't this a faith statement? (Score 5, Insightful) 186
'I don't believe that anything except biological beings can have consciousness.'
Given that we struggle to know what consciousness is, it seems foolish to assert this.
Submission + - IT removes inconvenient emails from elected councillors' inboxes (manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
Bruce66423 writes: 'Salford council has announced an investigation into how a misconduct complaint against deputy mayor Jack Youd was removed from the email inboxes of councillors without their knowledge.
'On October 10, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) and Manchester Evening News (M.E.N) revealed that an anonymous email was sent to several councillors in January making a complaint against the deputy mayor.
'A message from a senior official at the council, seen by the LDRS and M.E.N, explained that the sender’s anonymous email address and the wording of the email ‘raised immediate concerns’ over IT security when it arrived, with the term ‘anonymous’ being associated with an ‘active hacking group’. The official’s message said the emails were removed from councillors’ inboxes in light of the security fears.'
The email alleged that the deputy mayor had had an affair with a council employee — not allowed — whilst his wife was another elected councillor...
'On October 10, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) and Manchester Evening News (M.E.N) revealed that an anonymous email was sent to several councillors in January making a complaint against the deputy mayor.
'A message from a senior official at the council, seen by the LDRS and M.E.N, explained that the sender’s anonymous email address and the wording of the email ‘raised immediate concerns’ over IT security when it arrived, with the term ‘anonymous’ being associated with an ‘active hacking group’. The official’s message said the emails were removed from councillors’ inboxes in light of the security fears.'
The email alleged that the deputy mayor had had an affair with a council employee — not allowed — whilst his wife was another elected councillor...
Submission + - LADWP says it will shift its largest gas power plant to hydrogen (latimes.com)
Bruce66423 writes: 'The board of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on Tuesday approved a controversial plan to convert part of the city’s largest natural gas-fired power plant into one that also can burn hydrogen.
'The hydrogen burned at Scattergood is supposed to be green, meaning it is produced by splitting water molecules through... electrolysis. Hydrogen does not emit planet-warming carbon dioxide when it is burned, unlike natural gas.
'Although burning hydrogen does not produce CO2, the high-temperature combustion process can emit nitrogen oxides, or NOx, a key component of smog.
'the approved plan contains no specifics about where the hydrogen will come from or how it will get to the site. “The green hydrogen that would supply the proposed project has not yet been identified,” the environmental report says. 'Industry experts and officials said the project will help drive the necessary hydrogen production.'
Burning hydrogen produced by 'excess' solar or wind power is a means of energy storage. The hard question is whether it's the best solution to the storage problem given that other solutions appear to be emerging that would require less infrastructure investment (think pipes to move the hydrogen to the plant and tanks to store it for later use).
'The hydrogen burned at Scattergood is supposed to be green, meaning it is produced by splitting water molecules through... electrolysis. Hydrogen does not emit planet-warming carbon dioxide when it is burned, unlike natural gas.
'Although burning hydrogen does not produce CO2, the high-temperature combustion process can emit nitrogen oxides, or NOx, a key component of smog.
'the approved plan contains no specifics about where the hydrogen will come from or how it will get to the site. “The green hydrogen that would supply the proposed project has not yet been identified,” the environmental report says. 'Industry experts and officials said the project will help drive the necessary hydrogen production.'
Burning hydrogen produced by 'excess' solar or wind power is a means of energy storage. The hard question is whether it's the best solution to the storage problem given that other solutions appear to be emerging that would require less infrastructure investment (think pipes to move the hydrogen to the plant and tanks to store it for later use).
Submission + - UK university halted human rights research after pressure from China (theguardian.com)
Bruce66423 writes: 'Leading professor at Sheffield Hallam was told to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in China after demands from authorities
'The decision to halt Murphy’s research appeared to come from a number of factors. Officially, the university gave two reasons: concern about the safety of staff in China, and the fact that, after being sued by a Chinese company named in one of the HKC’s reports, the university’s insurance provider said it would no longer cover work produced by the HKC for defamation risk. That lawsuit is ongoing.
'For years, the university has faced a backlash in China, and falling student numbers. In the summer of 2022, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called the HKC – whose namesake, Lady Kennedy, has herself been hit with sanctions by Beijing because of her criticisms of China’s human rights record – a “vanguard for anti-China forces”. Around the same time, Sheffield Hallam’s websites were blocked in China. “This undoubtedly had a negative impact on recruitment in 23/24,” a university employee wrote in July 2024.'
Note the use of the GDPR law to extract the information from the university that revealed the scandal.
'The decision to halt Murphy’s research appeared to come from a number of factors. Officially, the university gave two reasons: concern about the safety of staff in China, and the fact that, after being sued by a Chinese company named in one of the HKC’s reports, the university’s insurance provider said it would no longer cover work produced by the HKC for defamation risk. That lawsuit is ongoing.
'For years, the university has faced a backlash in China, and falling student numbers. In the summer of 2022, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called the HKC – whose namesake, Lady Kennedy, has herself been hit with sanctions by Beijing because of her criticisms of China’s human rights record – a “vanguard for anti-China forces”. Around the same time, Sheffield Hallam’s websites were blocked in China. “This undoubtedly had a negative impact on recruitment in 23/24,” a university employee wrote in July 2024.'
Note the use of the GDPR law to extract the information from the university that revealed the scandal.
Comment And another:non-champagne sparkling wine producer! (Score 1) 57
The article refers to the harassment of a sparkling wine producer. The champagne producers are twitchy that adverts say: '“Cheat on champagne” and: “Warning: This is not champagne”'. The strange thing is that on their own logic: '“Any use of the internationally renowned name ‘champagne’ other than in reference to the sparkling wines entitled to this appellation constitutes an unfair exploitation of its reputation', the insurgent has done nothing wrong; the references are indeed to the 'sparkling wines entitled to this appellation'.
Comment Another victim of the Streisand effect (Score 5, Informative) 57
It appears it's not well enough known in corporate circles. Proven Industries should not be selling any locks ever more...
Comment Let's separate out two different issues (Score 1) 227
The first is the widespread belief in the wider community that 'only stupid people are Christians'. That's a claim that won't stand up to examination, though is often offered by those unwilling to engage with Christianity's claims
The second is the truth or otherwise of resurrection of Jesus. Lee Strobel was an investigative journalist. He investigated the claims about the event with that background, and ended up convinced that it did happen. His book - 'The case for Christ' - shows what led him to that belief. Given that he was working in his own area of expertise - evidence gathering - the fact that he ended up changing his belief is significant.
Your third point about other religions is well made. There are a lot of crazy beliefs out there. The quality of much that is offered as apologetics for Christianity is very poor. Yet the long term impact of Christianity is amazing, as agnostic Tom Holland found when he researched it for his book 'Dominion'; a comparison of our civilisation's morals with those of Rome and Greece is instructive.
May I suggest your participation on an 'Alpha' course - or the equivalent. On a good day they provide generous hospitality and a chance for intellectual conversation on religion with real people. Think of it as a challenge - to convince the leaders that they've made a serious error! https://www.alpha.org/what-is-... (Some churches offer something similar but with a different theological bent...)
Comment The Mongols impact (Score 1) 227
Some impressive figures - some 40-60 million in the 13th and 14th century.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Seldom remembered these days.
Comment Re:Look at the evidence! (Score 0) 227
Here's a 'supersummary'
https://www.supersummary.com/t...
The existence of one scholar who comes to one conclusion - and your implicit reminder that there are a few who deny Jesus existed - doesn't make their position coherent.
The central challenge to those who want to deny what Jesus did is to explain how the church emerged and won over the Roman Empire if it wasn't as it was recorded in the New Testament.
Comment Here's a professional summary (Score 1) 227
Hope it helps
https://www.supersummary.com/t...
Part 1 focuses on why the sources are reliable
Part 2 looks at what Jesus claimed and demonstrated about himself
Part 3 looks at the Resurrection: the medical evidence, the missing body, the evidence of the appearances, supporting facts that point to the resurrection
Conclusion: pulling it all together
Comment Define 'unverifiable' (Score 1, Funny) 227
The fact that an investigative journalist was convinced to change his opinion on Christianity by the evidence that he discovered should be significant to you. Is it realistic to merely assume that he stopped applying his journalistic skills? Or is it more realistic to accept that he found something that was solid evidence that he couldn't argue with?
Comment Look at the evidence! (Score 3, Insightful) 227
Given the vast number of highly intelligent Christians down the ages, your belief that we are all stupid is not justified by the facts; people far more intelligent than me or you have chosen to become Christians . A modern example is Lee Strobel who, as an investigative journalist with the Chicago Tribune looked at the evidence for Jesus' resurrection and ended up convinced. The resultant book, 'The Case for Christ' based on interviews with the leading scholars in the various fields, offers a solid argument.
Enjoy!
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