The Lounge

I am an eighteen-year-old American who lives in New Jersey. I have been interested in linguistics for quite some time, and have studied various languages on my own, as well as plan to major in linguistics in college. Besides foreign languages, however, I have also been interested in accents for quite some time. What I found most intriguing was how learning to speak (one's native tongue) with an accent is of comparable difficulty of learning to speak an entirely new language. I figured this was because learning a new language is a completely new skill, while learning an accent is simultaneously "over-writing" a skill and learning a changed one. I thought of the analogy of …

So claims the always-correct Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae_fuel They cite a Washington Post story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303907.html Sounds doable...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6501472.html He was more god than man........like 6 Chuck Norrises and a Vin Diesel rolled into one.

In the classic dialogue between Achilles and the Tortoise by Lewis Carroll, it is shown that that logic works is a premise that cannot ever be demonstrated or proven because proofs require the use of logic; such proofs might be internally consistent, but would invariably be circular. Now, it's clear that logic is necessary to function sanely in the world. It is also so deeply ingrained that you're probably trying to think of a reason why logic is inescapable, but must stop yourself because you've already begun a process of logical deduction without even realising. So the best we can come up with is internal consistency in the form of: 1) In order to live sanel…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCYafqq9ljk I don't know if it looks good or not. The glimpse of the pigeons cheered me. Darwin's work with pigeons was an important part of how he formulated his model of selection, which is usually under-appreciated. I'll have to see it. Incidentally, do you English posters buy American actors doing English accents generally? Jennifer Connelly is the only American in the trailer, and she sounds ok, I think, but I can't really tell.

Hypothetical...and no talk about whether they exists (I personally don't, but pretend with me) Say an alien race did exist, and they came down from "where ever". They tell you (somehow) that you are choosen to rule the planet. They are sick of all the BS (yeah movie-esque) that goes on and they feel you have the ability to get the world on track for the best suitable advancement and best possible life for every single human being and animal. These crazy aliens, they have the firepower to back you up. I mean they can take out a continent within 3 seconds. 1) Do you accept the mission. 2) How do you plan to make the world as perfect as humanly possible? e…

[13:27] <mib_4q9dhe> so you yall believe in free will or not [13:27] <mib_4q9dhe> do you all* [13:28] <ydoaPs> that depends on what you mean by free will [13:28] <ydoaPs> [13:28] <mib_4q9dhe> so whats your answer [13:28] <ydoaPs> sure [13:28] <ydoaPs> how 'bout you? [13:28] <mib_4q9dhe> yeah [13:29] <mib_4q9dhe> but you only believe in one time dimension [13:29] <ydoaPs> o.O [13:29] <ydoaPs> explain? [13:30] <mib_4q9dhe> if you have free will you have a choice to choose between to possible outcomes [13:30] <mib_4q9dhe> but if time is a line then there will only be one p…

It's articles like these that remind of me of just why I love science so much. 7 Man-Made Substances that Laugh in the Face of Physics. Yay science!

So I was thinking last night; If some alien species were to discover earth but not realize that it was inhabited by "Life" what would they think. If they were to look at a human the same way we look at a lifeless rock. The current model for how lifeless particles move about could not be used to explain the apparent random movements of organic matter on earth from an aliens point of view. You need an extra set of variables or extra dimensions to explain consciousness. What is your take on this?

Two months ago the wife and I been to Isreal, Egypt and Ammon Jordan on a 23 day tour. The muslim world out there all Love our new President Barack Obama. I was told that he has the same color of skin like thiers. He is very popular in the Arab world and they told me that he is Gods Messanger and a solution to our world of finance and oil. I asked 30 teens in egypt if I can take a picture of them so they said sure go ahead. They asked where I'm from so I said the USA and then they all lined up to shake my hand. One Arab came up to shake my hand and said ( Welcome Mr. Obama ) and I'm a white guy. Can you figure why they love us all of a sudden ?? Money ?. …

This Forum is missing an off topic thread so ill be the first to start it! Here you can submit stupid pics and talk about anything you desires (within good reason, keep it clean folks!)

So, my mom has most of the floor covered waist deep in stuff she doesn't need or use. She won't throw stuff out, but would be slightly less dis-inclined if she could sell it. A large proportion of the clutter is clothes, though there is plenty of other stuff. She needs to get rid of it (it's not her house), and I was wondering if there is any place that will buy large quantities of used clothes and stuff. I was wondering if anyone knows of such a place. She lives in Dunkirk, NY.

http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/index.asp "Bitter and insane, she spends her days plotting revenge against the Land Kittens who live such happy lives in comfortable homes, free from the terror of being eaten." ROFL! Obviously some sort of children campaign, but I don't think The Onion could have written a funnier parody of PETA. Hilarious.

which type of dolphin do you like most? Hector's dolphin black dolphin Commerson's dolphin heaviside's dolphin bottlenose dolphin spotted dolphin striped dolphin spinner dolphin clymene dolphin white beak dolphin dusky dolphin hourglass dolphin peales dolphin frasers dolphin rissos dolphin tucuxi or orca?

Old news but, I just can't live without................. I have been programming computers since I was five. I started on a Commodore 64 and worked my way up from there. I was probably one of the first hundred thousand individuals to communicate through modem and chat on BBS and IRC(probably one of the first ten thousand pirates.) I played so many Sierra games that my sense of humor is permanently twisted. But alas I have never actually owned a computer; well one that actually worked anyway. I came close once when I was 14! I had a 386 SX 25 if I remember correctly. It had a hundred meg hard drive and 256k RAM. The hard drive had a broken pin on it so I had to…

Well, the title is pretty self explanitory, but we all know where parents tell you to eat your carrots because they'll help you see in the dark. Is it really true? To some of you this'll seem like a dumb question but I'm just wondering because of the health effects of carrots (positive) and wether the effects have any relation to seeing in the dark. Any ideas?

How do I delete my account? I want a different user name but the same e-mail. What should I do?

Endeavour is set to launch on its STS-127 mission at 5:40 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 17.

I'll be going underway for about a month starting Monday. We'll be doing flight deck certification and carrier quals. That means no SFN for me for the next month. Try not to miss me too much.

i was looking up the composition of urine on wikipedia and was scrolling down the wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine) when i saw that one of the pictures was of urine in a toilet, and it was labelled 'Urine in a toilet at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art.' wtf? is this some wierdo work of art? if anyone can please explain wtf this is all about i would very much like to hear it because that is just odd. :confused:

What is the primary profile of a clinical research analyst? How promising is this sector of science?

well i'm eager to known who overpowers whom?

In case the SFN general population does pay attention to our blog section, I'm hosting the 12th edition of the blogging classic science carnival "The Giants Shoulders". See my announcement here. I'm fronting $15 prize money for the best blog post. It would be really great if we kept that prize in the "family." So come on SFN bloggers, lets show the blogosphere what we're made of!

I would like to hear from anyone who has suffered similarly of human rights abuses and government sponsered conspiracy . I have now been trying to recieve justice from u.k. government but instead have been subject to a thin wall of silence which i intend to break through and recieve justice . This for the gretaer good attitude simply will not do all it does is protect incompetence and people fearfull of being exposed as such , Whilst employed under a M.O.D. contract i had my civil and human rights abused along with others , but trying to process complaints by government bodies has been fraught with danger now my elderly pensioner prents are being targeted by outside…

Anarchic Iceland http://www.eurekatube.net/index.php/articles/48-anarchic-iceland Anarchic Ireland http://www.eurekatube.net/index.php/articles/49-anarchic-ireland There are some more recent smaller anarchic communities that have existed within a government dictated borders. It is usually in far off rural areas that a government may not have bothered to enforce with any local stationed regulators. Found a video on anarchy vs statism (government) Part 2 Part 3