dimreepr

We all should, bigots have many faces. Which is why I included the word 'approaches'.

It's no coincidence, that the most productive/humanitarian moments in most countries histories is when the pendulum approaches zero degrees. "shoulder to shoulder" IIRC was a clarion call for the unions, as well.

And that is why the pendulum returns, whatever the direction of travel.

It's almost like they did it for a bet, much like "Trading Places" and we all know how that ended. The only question is, how far does the pendulum swing before its return?

Not quite what I meant, but interesting for this "It’s not about protecting them. It’s about protecting us.". Indeed, but this will be the deciding factor, not because either is sentient, but due to the emotional responses of people to memory, so not a test of sentience unless a photo is sentient.

Yet no-one is rushing to the courthouse to demand it has rights, so the Turing test isn't a test of sentience, so even if a human brain can be fully digitized how do we distinguish it from an AI?

It wasn't a claim, it was an attempt.

Every simplification is wrong, but sometimes it educates children to understand the next rung on the ladder of understanding.

I was attempting to simplify, the explanations of the other members, to the point that you may understand (since everything else has gone over your head) using a simple visual aid.

At the size of a photon, there is space between the atoms and the majority of photons that get to the other side of the leaf is reflected light hence green.

It seems our definition of a shop is somewhat different.

And that's the reason for: http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/separation-of-powers.aspx

There's an explicit contract between a shop owner and his/her customers, 'this is what I sell, you are welcome to buy it'. That's a strawman argument; if a baker sells wedding cakes with a lovey-dovey message, the content of that message is not his/hers to decide, if it's lovey-dovey.

I wouldn't know how, but the major variable is the distance to the planet.

They're relatively small, with a lot of space between, a long way from us and moving.

The laws of physics are the same for them as they are for us, their technology may be more advanced/refined than ours but essentially the same (in terms of detection), so I very much doubt they'd be using radar for interstellar distances (besides all they'd detect is a planet, not us), therefore the above is just as valid for the aliens as it is for GRB.

It's always someone's fault.

It's not about the crackpot idea, we all have them from time to time (my first post on this forum was a crackpot idea), it's about the willingness to accept one might be wrong. If one can't do that, there's little point in staying, unless one is always right and can prove it.

You'll just ignore any and all explanations, that you don't agree with, and there's plenty of evidence of that, so what's the point?

Whereas I find "The Importance of Being Ernest" far more revealing, but sometimes I just want to, not think.

In this context, surely "better" equals excitement/enjoyment?

It doesn't seem a fair comparison, 1 to 2 hours with a single narrative verse's several hours with many different narratives. Perhaps a better question is Dr. Who v Star Trek. Edit, Cross-posted with swansont. TBH I enjoy most of both and for the same reason, I didn't really think, I enjoyed.

That is rather more philosophical than I think Prometheus intended for this thread since it's in the lounge. Start a new thread and I'd be more than happy to have a debate. I voted for Star Wars because when I was ten it made more sense than Kirk shagging a green alien.

No one doubts you have a reason to want to feel superior, we just have no reason to believe your excuses.

Poverty. I can wait...