My Friday's night ask me a difficult question thread.

Be serious, and no asking about intentionally way-to-arcane things like "What is time like inside the event horizon of a black hole"

But anyway, any problems at all, no matter how difficult. Tortous life decision? Want to know why someone does/won't do something? Ask me anything!

Or we can just chat. It is fine by me. Also, you are allowed to ask mind-boggling questions, but be aware that the answer will then appear in next weeks thread.

****NO ASKING FOR MEDICAL ADVICE****

If you don't know what you want to ask, just tell me something you wish for. Simple.

And that's a good thing :)

offer complete strangers whatever help they need.

Other than that, I am fairly shy.

Is there one? Focus, if you would, on human and sapient life in particular.

}(

Or, if you don't feel like doing that one, tell me why I'm still awake after 52 hours without sleep.

order inherit in randomness. For example, natural selection. While individual things are unknown, the statistical effect is not entirely random.

For humans, we have a large enough brain, (built on that order) to have a mind, and a subjective reality. In that is purpose. It is wholly subjective, but it is still built on the same order. By free will you can never set the purpose of any person, but as a whole we have two conflicting attempts to impose order, the first is to create a society in which even the weak (because statistically, we ARE the weak, as in there is a lot more chance of bieng in the bottom 99% than the top 1%), and the second is to survive within that society.

Coupled with complex cognition, this creates such behaviours as (for the former) bieing nice, kind, giving out welfare, and (for the latter) stealing.

That was a synch. Throw me a harder one.

what compels us to search for answers to the nature of our subjective reality beyond ourselves? (I'm not referring to deities, but actually scientific answers to the nature of the universe a la string theory and modern theories of quantum mechanics, etc.). Are we always searching? If so, why? Or do you think it's possible to be satisfied with a limited amount of knowledge about the universe, however incomplete, simply because it satisfies ones worldview to an adequate degree? (Blatant fundie-baiting? Maybe...*whistles innocently*)

Sorry...up writing science fiction on a lack of sleep at 3:30 AM. :crazy:

attempt do bring good outcomes to youself.

A lot of long winded stuff goes here.

There are many who's attempt to understand the world led them to rewards. The further of these are the scientists, so much so that now without reward or punishment, for as long as I or they shall live, we will always want to ensure that our conclusions are valid. Many of us also want to bring good things into the world, for that's own sake (see drive one in answer above).

'we' doesn't even apply. Groups are arbitrary.

There are many things that influence how much info one is satisfied with. However: A common mistake is to believe that desire for information is a function of the total information already learned, which is a fallacy.

So the question could be rephrased, 'why are there those who have different triggers & abilities with regard to information processing, rates, satisfaction and conceptual vs. pragmatic understanding than others' whose answer is the same as why we have different heights - it's completely random. You need randomness to get the order in randomness, after all.

"the first is to create a society in which even the weak (because statistically, we ARE the weak, as in there is a lot more chance of bieng in the bottom 99% than the top 1%)...*there should be something here—a society where even the weak...what?*...


...and is it Friday night there already? :o

yes.

How are you? (Besides tired)

no, "tired" is about my only state of existence now...I shall attempt to hit the sack shortly. :)

corresponding co-efficient that describes it's probability.

In science. I won't stop thinking until I am dead.

Not poor, not rich. I am plenty smart, but if I get more than I need, I'll use it to make the world around me better.

I was able to predict the evolution of society fairly well, until just recently. America reached the limit of the assumption used in a lemma. I am no longer accurate. Take care over there.

I WANT A GIRLFRIEND! Sooner or later, I am patient.

you will find yourself a girl soon. As clever and as funny as you are it shouldn't be a problem.

What jobs can you get with your degree?

people who can operate pure physics. And I'm a damn fine chemist too.

I was just wondering what your job chances are. What can you do as physician or chemists (not sure the words are correct)

make stuff with tailored properties.

the area I'm most in to (Quantum Physics) is also the field that has pretty much endless potential. I can well go into that. Or quantum computing.

Any manner of strange things. Hydrogen fuel cells. The chemical nature of emotions. The origin of life.

The UFT is something I want to get a good look at though.....

lucky you.

I liked chemistry in school, Physics I decided to quit after 11th grade (we were able to do so in Germany).

Not that anyone ever does only english, but you get the point. Not even math is compulsory (though it is for pretty much all uni courses)

I had to take a final in math. It was my best grade ever. But then I grew up in a math family. Grandfather (motherside): math professor, grandfather (fatherside): math teacher, father: math teacher at the university (he even was fantastic at the International math olympics in the 60s), mother: studied math.
And what did I become: A librarian :rofl:

My family goes from crisis to crisis, but what am I? Somewhat well adjusted depending on the conditions and the relative velocity of the observers!

;)

you walked around a corner and found a still fresh pool of human excrement?

black elk, ever go to england? and if he did, what did he do there? and if he didn't, what was he doing in the states?

was an Oglala Sioux medicine man. His book, Black Elk Speaks was translated by John C. Neidhardt. If you don't know who Black Elk is, I will figure another question to ask...:)

did Val Kilmer play Elvis...?

Ask me a real question, or failing that, answer this one:

How are you?

I'm doing fine...here is a question, most Australians know...who plays the new superman, in superman returns...:) It was filmed in Australia...:)

And how are you?...:) an easier question.:)

I DON'T FARKEN CARE!

Shit me dead! Why would anyone give a shit?

Sheesh. This thread is supposed to be serious, not fricking trivia night!

No, I was asking how YOU were. I'm good FYI.

Tough? Tough? If so, then the bullshit had dried in the field.

It is well known that I hate all celebreties, all gossip, and I take no interest in famous people. If the Queen herself died, that would grab my attention sure, for a few minutes... is this ignorance or deliberate antagonism?

course i'm in Hawai'i!

Snicker

(Assuming you've studied this).

Kitty Genovese


Bystander Intervention and Social Responsibility

A Model of Bystander Intervention

|Psychology Research Lesson on Bystander Intervention

placed in the group 'personality flaws' and eradicated with all others in that group on (DD/MM/YY) 27/02/06.

An error in hindsight, but it means that it has an abnormally small effect on me.

However, as for society, are you wondering if this is the reason why people are not doing more to stop *? I don't think so but your question is ambigously worded.

More with our common interest in psychology.

It was one of the phenomenons that piqued my interest back in my college days. The paradox of larger groups leading to decreased response really amazed me. But then again I grew up in a tiny town so I never had experience with such things first hand.

Years ago I was riding through Baltimore (MD) with a friend at night and we were passing by a guy who was lying on a sidewalk in a rather seedy section of the city. My friend just kept driving and I, rather aghast, asked why he wasn't stopping so we could help the man. My friend explained that not only was the guy probably just drunk (he was splayed on his back with his arms spread out), but that if we got out to help we'd probably be risking our lives. I still wasn't happy about leaving the man out there like that but since I wasn't driving there wasn't much I could do about it.

originality of it. My only problem is that I assumed it was just me, so it certainly would have been a relief to find out! Anyway, it's academic now.

I can't remember the study - but the one with the two cars had me laughing for AGES. It was about... de-individuation I think, you know, two cars, both with the bonnet up, one in the big city, one on a quiet campus.

The end, with the proffesor + crew taking a sledgehamer to the car for modeling purposes, had me in stitches. The mental image of an old psych guy tipping over a car? Too funny.

Being more serious, Freud was thoroughly wierd, but fascinating. Most of personality psych thus far has been new.

Neuroscience - awesome as well. The difference between herion and morphine was the best bit.

He also did the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment (scroll down about 1/2 way), another exercise in deindividuation. That experiment had to be halted before it was half over it went so awry.

I've not studied much neuroscience myself though I find the ideas fascinating. I understand that they are looking into using PET scans and MRIs as possible means of diagnosing some forms of mental illness, and even electronic implants for treatment. These would be a great boon for the field of mental health.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1232483&mesg_id=1232483

That crap about calling * or whoever else disagrees with you mentally ill has started up again. I am not happy. :grr:

Apparently Chimpy has everything in the DSMIV except Gender Identity Disorder. :eyes:

Cool! That makes it very interesting.

You know, I'm getting nicer every day. I'm even nice to ***PNR*** in R/T now!

I've experienced that recently myself.


Being nice to PNR? That must be painful for you .

sure.

In the case that the person no longer can communicate their wishes, what they wanted is to be carried out.

Other than that, I have not as yet been able to work out what you should do for things like MND (or ALS as you know it)

...if a woodchuck could chuck wood?



BTW, "What is time like inside the event horizon of a black hole" isn't arcane. If you want to know, all you've got to do is slip one of a set of entangled protons inside the black hole's even horizon, then measure the twin. Then do it again with separate set sof photons and measurements, etc., until all potential measurements are known. See? Simple.


:7

800 board feet.

And you, of course, are correct: Everybody knows that time and distance do not apply to communication between entangled photons! I mean, come on.















800 board feet is your conclusion? Really? Did you not factor in the gender of the beast, the time of year and the type of wood? Or is that just a mean?

it's mean yes, but the standard deviation, remarkably, is only 21.4 board feet.

But I'll trust your math over mine.


By the way, I understand that your cat is both alive and dead. What's up with that?

looked so it has not happened yet!

an Australian thing, or just a typo?
(honest question...Americans would say "Friday night")

(oh wait, that wasn't a difficult one. I'm still curious though)

(at least) smartass who points out that it is still Thursday (when I post) or that it isn't night or whatever.

but I think most of them have been answered below.:-)


The questions below about Australia are from potential visitors. They were posted on an Australian Tourism Web site and the answers are actual responses by the Web site officials.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV; how do the plants grow? (UK).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles; take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Australia? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia?
(USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle-shaped continent south of Europe. Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does
not... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here
and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys Choir schedule? (USA)
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which
is ... oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia? ( UK)
A: You are a British politician, right?

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense
rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget
its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out
walking.

Q: Do you have perfume in Australia? (France)
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.

Q: I was in Australia in 1969 on R+R, and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in Kings Cross. Can you help? (USA)
A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.

:rofl::thumbsup:

My simultaneous hatred of and respect for people as a whole, not resulted in my head exploding a la that one scene in Scanners?

:shrug:

There's a hockey player, an Australian Footy and a guy from the NFL.

You've got one punch.

Who's it gonna be?

seriously...

what is beyond the edge of our universe?