Will the internet survive energy contraction?

[excaza]

Well he wasn't looking at the Hubbert curve then.

Neither are you.

 

[TFian]

Continuing your series of baseless assertions, or are you going to substantiate something this time?

You're rude sir!

 

[excaza]

You're rude sir!

That's not an answer.

 

[TFian]

That's not an answer.

Oh hush.

 

[PixyMisa]

How could you direct it to do this?

Pipelines and pumping stations.

Well he wasn't looking at the Hubbert curve then.

Errr... The Hubbert curve dates to 1956, so he almost certainly was.

 

[TFian]

Pipelines and pumping stations.

Sounds risky.

Errr... The Hubbert curve dates to 1956, so he almost certainly was.

Well, he wasn't looking at the predictions then.

 

[excaza]

Sounds risky.

Why? The Romans did it with rocks.

Any references to support your assertion that the world is less adaptable now than in 1979, or is it going to remain another one of your numerous baseless assertions?

 

[TFian]

Why? The Romans did it with rocks.

I'm generally weary of any sort of geo engineering.

Any references to support your assertion that the world is less adaptable now than in 1979, or is it going to remain another one of your numerous baseless assertions?

There's a difference between geopolitical restraints and physical restraints.

 

[excaza]

So the answer to my question would be "no" and "yes" respectively.

ok

 

[TFian]

So the answer to my question would be "no" and "yes" respectively.

ok

You're funny.

 

[excaza]

You're funny.

Yes, asking for you to support your baseless assertions is a great method of getting my jollies.

 

[TFian]

Yes, asking for you to support your baseless assertions is a great method of getting my jollies.

I don't know about jollies, but it made me giggle.

 

[Myriad]

Regarding the intelligence of chimps, dolphins, and elephants: I've never seen one that can perform anywhere near the same cognitive tasks that people with Down Syndrome can.

You know... retards. Those useless and burdensome people who have no place in your dismal future.

Guess that's bad news for the chimps, dolphins, and elephants.

Respectfully,
Myriad

 

[TFian]

Regarding the intelligence of chimps, dolphins, and elephants: I've never seen one that can perform anywhere near the same cognitive tasks that people with Down Syndrome can.

I don't know about that. Have we been able to test them in a way that can be scaled in ways like "well they place around the same as humans with Down Syndrome"? Also, aren't there people with Downs that aren't full on retarded?

You know... retards. Those useless and burdensome people who have no place in your dismal future.

What use do they have? If we have to go agrarian, they may have to go...

 

[drkitten]

I don't know about that. Have we been able to test them in a way that can be scaled in ways like "well they place around the same as humans with Down Syndrome"?

No, we haven't been able to ... and that's one way that we know that animals aren't as smart as people.

For example, chimps don't have anywhere near the working memory that Down's syndrome adults do. They don't have anywhere near the working memory that Down's syndrome children do, as long as you're dealing with children old enough to be meaningfully tested for working memory. Chimps don't have anywhere near the vocabulary size that Down's syndrome adults do.

And, of course, most of the traits that define Down's syndrome (such as narrative comprehension deficits) are traits for which animals tend to have no measurable level of ability whatsoever.

So the short answer is : no.

 

[TFian]

No, we haven't been able to ... and that's one way that we know that animals aren't as smart as people.

For example, chimps don't have anywhere near the working memory that Down's syndrome adults do. They don't have anywhere near the working memory that Down's syndrome children do, as long as you're dealing with children old enough to be meaningfully tested for working memory. Chimps don't have anywhere near the vocabulary size that Down's syndrome adults do.

And, of course, most of the traits that define Down's syndrome (such as narrative comprehension deficits) are traits for which animals tend to have no measurable level of ability whatsoever.

So the short answer is : no.

Possibly, but are downies always fully retarded? I'm not sure, but I think there's varying intelligence within their demograph (albeit always on the lower end of the human spectrum).

Still, they're intelligent enough to be considered people.

 

[drkitten]

Possibly, but are downies always fully retarded? I'm not sure, but I think there's varying intelligence within their demograph (albeit always on the lower end of the human spectrum).

No. Actually, Downies are usually in the "moderately to mildly" retarded group. I'm not sure the phrase "fully retarded" is meaningful, but there are certainty other types of retardation (PKU comes to mind) that produce, on average, worse cognitive impairments.

Still, they're intelligent enough to be considered people.

"People" isn't defined on the basis of intelligence; look at the Terry Schiavo case.

Given that we know there are "people" who display literally no cognitive function whatsoever, it seems a little silly to claim that there are animals that are just as unresponsive as the totally pathologically unresponsive humans, and therefore that they're displaying "human-like" characteristics.

I mean, if you consider that Shakespeare is human, and also dead,... well, there's a squirrel out in the road by my house that's also dead. I guess this means that squirrels are just like humans in that they're both dead, huh?

 

[TFian]

"People" isn't defined on the basis of intelligence; look at the Terry Schiavo case.

I wouldn't consider Schiavo a person, after brain death at least.

Given that we know there are "people" who display literally no cognitive function whatsoever, it seems a little silly to claim that there are animals that are just as unresponsive as the totally pathologically unresponsive humans, and therefore that they're displaying "human-like" characteristics.

But they're not just as "unresponsive" http://current.com/news/91825903_sc...ld-be-treated-as-non-human-persons.htm?ref=nf

I mean, if you consider that Shakespeare is human, and also dead,... well, there's a squirrel out in the road by my house that's also dead. I guess this means that squirrels are just like humans in that they're both dead, huh?

That's just silly.

 

[drkitten]

I wouldn't consider Schiavo a person, after brain death at least.

Well, the law disagrees; if, for example, you had gone into her hospital room and stabbed her with a knife, you would have been prosecuted for murder.

But they're not just as "unresponsive" http://current.com/news/91825903_sc...ld-be-treated-as-non-human-persons.htm?ref=nf

So, wait a minute. You're saying that dolphins are as intelligent as humans, because they're more responsive than a flatworm that is more responsive than Ms. Schiavo?

 

[TFian]

Well, the law disagrees; if, for example, you had gone into her hospital room and stabbed her with a knife, you would have been prosecuted for murder.

But she was eventually "killed". And rightfully so. Stabbing her would have probably been quicker than say starving her to death, but whatever works.

So, wait a minute. You're saying that dolphins are as intelligent as humans, because they're more responsive than a flatworm that is more responsive than Ms. Schiavo?

Nope, what the hell are you talking about?

Studies into dolphin behaviour have highlighted how similar their communications are to those of humans and that they are brighter than chimpanzees. These have been backed up by anatomical research showing that dolphin brains have many key features associated with high intelligence.

The researchers argue that their work shows it is morally unacceptable to keep such intelligent animals in amusement parks or to kill them for food or by accident when fishing. Some 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die in this way each year.