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Comment Re:Deception (Score -1) 529

Philosophers do not perform "experiments," in any way that can be meaningfully analogized to experimental physics or any science. A philosopher's "experiment" if it can be called that, involves the "experimental" nature of saying anything at all. One might say something that is appropriate or inappropriate, correct or incorrect, etc.; sophistry is having the grace to make what is incorrect pass for correct, not what is false for truth. The point here is that philosophy is about the experimental nature of "transaction," not the content of the transaction. The laws of logic shape what we can say about the laws of nature, and the philosopher helps us understand this; in doing so the philosopher uses analogy, thought experiment, demonstration, to explain why the shape of one follows from the shape of the other. The philosopher explains why "morality is up" or "logic is flat"; statements which {appear} metaphysical but are only so in appearance (all those statements that actually hold up against Logical Positivism, and do not immediately suggest a metaphysical realm or a Meinongian jungle. The philosopher clarifies where things are confused. In order to clarify, a philosophy may have to engage in "experimental" activity, where "changing variables" looks like changing compounds or adjusting measuring devices, but these descriptions of scientific activity are themselves metaphorical, as the "adjustment" to a measuring device only makes sense with respect to the features of the thing to be observed, and thus leads to a measurement. I mean, one can quite clearly see that "experiment" in your second sentence hardly fits the shape of "experiment" in the first if one turns one's head in the direct of paraconsistent logic or free logic, where the laws aren't so clear. What's more, it goes without saying "hey, I don't need to describe what an experiment looks like" but to someone uninitiated. one may think that scientist dabble in conclusion when more often than not they dabble in conjecture and adaptable future-science. Philosopher's tend to future-proof meaning, while scientists stretch meaning. I believe this more actually grasps the distinction.

Comment Re:Responsibility? (Score 1) 321

In cases like this, it seems like the Sorite's Paradox, or the problem of the heap. Does the law possess a flexible enough structure to tolerate indeterminacy? Is it a matter of the {kinds} of TCP traffic which may serve an "empirical criterion" function, like hair follicle or fingerprint, for determining identity? An IP address alone says nothing, indeed, and what's more, one doesn't simply have an IP address but a wealth metadata (hypermedia application data) that shapes, or frames, how one should interpret what that IP means. Investigators will define an IP, it seems, using a scope of relevant TCP traffic.
Earth

Submission + - Is Our Infrastructure Ready for Global Warming? 1

Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Megan Garber writes that last weekend, a US Airways flight taxiing for takeoff from Washington's Reagan National Airport got stuck on the tarmac for three hours because the tarmac had softened from the heat, and the plane had created — and then sunk into — a groove from which it couldn't, at first, be removed. So what makes an asphalt tarmac, the foundation of our mighty air network, turn to sponge? The answer is that our most common airport surface might not be fully suited to its new, excessively heated environment. One of asphalt's main selling points is precisely the fact that, because of its pitchy components, it's not quite solid: It's "viscoelastic," which makes it an ideal surface for the airport environment. As a solid, asphalt is sturdy; as a substance that can be made from — and transitioned back to — liquid, it's relatively easy to work with. And, crucially, it makes for runway repair work that is relatively efficient. But those selling points can also be asphalt's Achilles heel. Viscoelasticity means that the asphalt is always capable of liquifying. The problem, for National Airport's tarmac and the passengers who were stuck on it, was that this weekend's 100+-degree temperatures were a little less room temperature-like than they'd normally be, making the asphalt a little less solid that it would normally be. "As ironic and as funny as the imgur seen round the world is, it may also be a hint at what's in store for us in a future of weirding weather. An aircraft sinking augurs the new challenges we'll face as temperatures keep rising.""
Security

Submission + - Web exploit found that targets Windows, Mac, and Linux (arstechnica.com)

phaedrus5001 writes: From the article: "Security researchers have found a live Web exploit that detects if the target is running Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux and drops a different trojan for each platform. The attack was spotted by researchers from antivirus provider F-Secure on a Columbian transport website, presumably after third-party attackers compromised it. The unidentified site then displayed a signed Java applet that checked if the user's computer is running Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. Based on the outcome, the attack then downloads the appropriate files for each platform."
You can find the F-Secure teams original blog post here.

Government

Submission + - FTC to revisit robocall menace (networkworld.com)

coondoggie writes: "While there are legal measures in place to stop most robocalls, the use of the annoying automated calling process seems to be on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission, which defined the rules that outlawed most robocalls in 2009 has taken notice and this October 18th will convene a robocall summit to examine the issues surrounding what even it called the growing robocall problem."
The Military

Submission + - How a 1960s discovery in neuroscience spawned a military project (chronicle.com)

__aaqpaq9254 writes: This is pretty fascinating: The Chronicle of Higher Ed has an article about a DARPA project that allows researchers to scan satellite photos, video, etc., and have a computer pick up differences in brain activity to tell whether an image has been seen...images that might flash by before conscious recognition.
Science

Submission + - Scientists capture shadow cast by 1 atom (griffith.edu.au)

slew writes: Scientist at Griffith University have shown the first absorption image of a single atom isolated in a vacuum. A single atomic ion was confined in an RF Paul trap and the absorption imaged at near wavelength resolution with a phase Fresnel lens.

They predict this absorbption imaging technique should prove useful in quantum information processing and using the minimum amount of illumination for bio-imaging of light-sensitive samples.

Here's a pointer to the paper...

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