It doesn't strike me as particularly effective either--more symbolic than anything else. I can appreciate the gesture, though. And isn't that what this largely is? Part of the idea is that hopefully, somewhere out there is life. This is sort of a way to reach out to them. It's very human to me--reaching out towards the unknown, hoping for someone to be there.

I'd like to think there are two ways to think about life--either everything's futile or some things are meaningful. I don't think there's a decisive way to prove one or the other wrong.

On the scale of planets and galaxies, I existed for a short time--hardly any time at all. But I experienced it. These things did not. And even though I'll fade, and they'll stay for another couple billions years, I'd rather have known than not known at all. But each to his own.

Ohh, I don't care for the contraption. It doesn't strike me as particularly effective--more symbolic than anything else. I can appreciate the gesture, though. And isn't that what this largely is? Part of the idea is that hopefully, somewhere out there is life. This is sort of a way to reach out to them. It's very human to me--reaching out towards the unknown, hoping for someone to be there.

I'm trying to fill in the gaps here, but I'm having some trouble understanding. How would my argument no longer be valid? Let me try from one perspective, and let me know if I got it wrong.

Let's say we all die. Does that make our existence any less meaningful? Possibly.

I guess some people would say yes, and others would say no. I don't think there's a decisive way to prove one or the other wrong. I'd like to think there are two ways to think about life--either everything's futile or some things are meaningful.

On the scale of planets and galaxies, I existed for a short time--hardly any time at all. But I experienced it. These things did not. And even though I'll fade, and they'll stay for another couple billions years, I'd rather have known than not known at all. But each to his own.

Whaaaa? Why do you say that? We are the Universe--we're the conscious part, a beautiful self-aware organism. We didn't create ourselves, but we are the product of a vastly complex series of interactions taking place over the course of billions of years.

We're as about as meaningful as anything the Universe has brought into existence, if not more.

I agree it's still a problem and we have to implement better measures against it. But as a whole, I'd say our society is well-versed in the problem. We know it's there. I believe it's being taken seriously. We just haven't found an effective solution against it. Does that make sense? I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm saying it's a complex problem--difficult to solve. I don't think it's due to a lack of awareness about it.

Ever since the 1960s, child abuse has been touted as the worst thing an individual could do to another individual--it's pretty high up there in America. I was under the impression it was being taken seriously.

Clearly you've never played League of Legends.

You know, League of Legends revolves around that concept. Play a game, and lore-wise, you solve a political dispute.

Don't forget the word "trade."

I don't understand what's so important about a drunk man dialing 911.

I wonder how that would compare to the combined computational power of every smartphone, laptop, and desktop computer around the world.

I think it's a humbling experience to not know-- it's nothing to be embarrassed about.

Timeline.com is just making chronological lists of historical events, which anyone can do with a piece of paper and pen. That idea is probably older than Jesus. How is this a trade-mark infringement? It's like trying to sue someone for making a Venn diagram.

You can explain how worlds are created in Minecraft, or if that turns out to be too complex to simplify, show that software like Minecraft is capable of creating fun and interesting things, and that it's much more than a black box that pumps out endorphins.