General Science Discussion Thread!

[PeskyPlumbers64]

In all honesty, I'm actually somewhat looking forward to Robots. But that DOES mean there will be less jobs.

 

[Anton]

Only LTQ potentially backed you up with only "Because Trolls" as if shit edits aren't reverted.

Except that not everyone recognizes a "shit edit" at all. Not all admins are supposed to know about plutonium-atoms and if people put up that those will react heavily when colliding with Einsteinium, they won't immediately revert it. You tell me, do you know whether plutonium reacts with Einsteinium?

I don't think you know how Wikipedia actually functions. The admins don't do everything. There are groups of people, kinda like how Pipe Projects was I guess, but a lot better and more coordinated with people who actually know what they're talking about and are required to know that they're talking about to be a member of that group; plus what LGM said with individuals taking responsibility for fact-checking. In addition, pretty much everything must be supported with a credible source, which then goes to pretty much the bulk of my post that you quoted from:

Any potential problem within Wikipedia in terms of legitimacy can be resolved by the person consuming the information applying critical thinking to the situation. If someone blindly plagiarizes Wikipedia for their school assignment, the potential for problems is high, but Wikipedia is an excellent source to begin a research topic and provide an overview of the whole of information, and can greatly direct you towards primary resources. Rather than the teachers just screaming at students to not use Wikipedia, they should instead grasp the concept that it's not 1995 anymore and information is primarily located and sought for online. They should teach students how to locate and utilize the information properly and how to be able to ascertain if that information is credible. That works a hell of a lot better than just having the generic opinion of "never use it" or "it's always gr8".

So, in summary, yes sometimes shit edits are missed, but not as easily as you're implying they do, and a gr8 way to avoid mistakenly copying false information is to actually be an intelligent person and do a little of the work yourself instead of just copy/pasting the wiki. It's really not that hard. If Wikipedia was as easily corruptible and unreliable as you're insinuating, it would not be nearly as popular as it is.

 

[SpinyMaster347]

Only LTQ potentially backed you up with only "Because Trolls" as if shit edits aren't reverted.

Except that not everyone recognizes a "shit edit" at all. Not all admins are supposed to know about plutonium-atoms and if people put up that those will react heavily when colliding with Einsteinium, they won't immediately revert it. You tell me, do you know whether plutonium reacts with Einsteinium?

I don't think you know how Wikipedia actually functions. The admins don't do everything. There are groups of people, kinda like how Pipe Projects was I guess, but a lot better and more coordinated with people who actually know what they're talking about and are required to know that they're talking about to be a member of that group; plus what LGM said with individuals taking responsibility for fact-checking. In addition, pretty much everything must be supported with a credible source, which then goes to pretty much the bulk of my post that you quoted from:

Any potential problem within Wikipedia in terms of legitimacy can be resolved by the person consuming the information applying critical thinking to the situation. If someone blindly plagiarizes Wikipedia for their school assignment, the potential for problems is high, but Wikipedia is an excellent source to begin a research topic and provide an overview of the whole of information, and can greatly direct you towards primary resources. Rather than the teachers just screaming at students to not use Wikipedia, they should instead grasp the concept that it's not 1995 anymore and information is primarily located and sought for online. They should teach students how to locate and utilize the information properly and how to be able to ascertain if that information is credible. That works a hell of a lot better than just having the generic opinion of "never use it" or "it's always gr8".

So, in summary, yes sometimes shit edits are missed, but not as easily as you're implying they do, and a gr8 way to avoid mistakenly copying false information is to actually be an intelligent person and do a little of the work yourself instead of just copy/pasting the wiki. It's really not that hard. If Wikipedia was as easily corruptible and unreliable as you're insinuating, it would not be nearly as popular as it is.

thanks m8 thats what ive been trying to say. man enough of this wikipedia talk and insults being flung over it


would mutations like wings be possible? and if so, how long would it take and how would it work?

 

[Mario4Ever]

Not yet.

 

[Anton]

No don't thank me, it's not what you were trying to say. You're saying "don't use Wikipedia" and I'm saying "use Wikipedia but don't be a dumb about it". And there weren't really any insults.

Also no. If you mean in humans, it's pretty much not possible at all. Features tend to evolve once, unless it's just a nifty trick nature does when two species are faced with a similar problem and somehow evolve with the same solution.
But just entertaining the sci-fi possibility, it would take millions of years, give or take how complex the mutations must be to develop fully functional wings. For it to work, we'd need a driving force behind our need to evolve it. We'd need a reason for human wings to even be a thing and then for people with genes for them to continue screwing and having kids to pass down those genes. For those genes to pass down, the new genes must permit sexual reproduction physically and/or socially. Like really who'd want to fuck some weirdo with stubs growing out of their back, certainly not me! Just buy a plane ticket, our brains have evolved to permit ideas as such.

Or just read this post I guess

Not yet.

 

[ernesth100]

In all honesty, I'm actually somewhat looking forward to Robots. But that DOES mean there will be less jobs.

No, we need people to operate the robots.

 

[Amphituber]

And program them. And serve them once they achieve self-awareness.

 

[Dr. Javelin]

And program them. And serve them once they achieve self-awareness.

why would the robots want inferior organic beings once they have self-awareness?

 

[Amphituber]

Good point. They'd probably use us as biofuel.

 

[2257]

there's really no point in speculating about this kind of thing now, but the chances that the designer of the first robot of human-like intelligence will not cause it to have a very pro-organic mindset are approximately 0%

 

[Dr. Javelin]

well yeah, but being truly "self-aware" would mean being able to decide its own opinions

it might decide to be pro-organic, and it might not

 

[ernesth100]

That gives me an idea for a movie if people became half human and half robot and they eventually get overwhelmed by the robot side but some resist and revolt.

 

[DragonFreak]

So, a society full of cyborgs?

 

[ernesth100]

More or less might make that a novel of mine.

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

Hey, guys, an earthquake struck recently. It's 5.1 magnitude... you know how an earthquake like that feels? Well, I wasn't at the epicenter, but anyway, it feels like there are little cylinders underneath your house and they're rolling back and forth. You can hear the house creaking as it's swaying. It's a pretty scary experience, and if you consider how unpredictable earthquakes can be, they're even more scary.

I just hope the 5.1 is the only major quake I'll experience, that it isn't a foreshock. The odds are against its being a foreshock, but the chances are still there...

 

[Ray Trace]

I'm prepared for The Big One

 

[2257]

well yeah, but being truly "self-aware" would mean being able to decide its own opinions

it might decide to be pro-organic, and it might not

1. that's not what self-awareness is

2. you can't really decide your own opinions

 

[Tyrell Badd]

Hey, guys, an earthquake struck recently. It's 5.1 magnitude... you know how an earthquake like that feels? Well, I wasn't at the epicenter, but anyway, it feels like there are little cylinders underneath your house and they're rolling back and forth. You can hear the house creaking as it's swaying. It's a pretty scary experience, and if you consider how unpredictable earthquakes can be, they're even more scary.

I just hope the 5.1 is the only major quake I'll experience, that it isn't a foreshock. The odds are against its being a foreshock, but the chances are still there...

I'm prepared for The Big One

Apparently everyone but me felt the earthquake. I seriously didn't know it happened until I looked at the news and saw it. Not to mention there were like 5 aftershocks of 3.0+ right after as well. I did feel the 4.4 or whatever it was 2 weeks ago.

 

[ernesth100]

What about an earthquake of 10.8 magnitude?

 

[Lakituthequick]

What about an earthquake of 10.8 magnitude?

Magnitude	Description	Mercalli intensity	Average earthquake effects	Average frequency of occurrence (estimated)
9.0 and greater	Great	VIII or greater	Near or at total destruction - severe damage or collapse to all buildings. Heavy damage and shaking extends to distant locations. Permanent changes in ground topography. Death toll usually over 50,000.	One per 10 to 50 years

 

[ernesth100]

What about an earthquake of 201.6 magnitude!

 

[Lakituthequick]

What about an earthquake of 201.6 magnitude!

That's not funny. At all.

 

[ernesth100]

Wasnt tryin to be I just wanna know how powerful an earthquake can be

 

[Lakituthequick]

For every level on Richters scale, an earthquake becomes 10 times stronger, i.e. a level 4 earthquake is 10 times stronger than a level 3 one. So 201.6 would probably destroy the sun.

 

[ernesth100]

Okay I honestly hope we never go over level 1.