Out of the Blue

Happy new year to all who are celebrating, as Rosh Hashanah is underway, and the festivities apparently run through sundown tomorrow. So as of sundown last night it is officially 5776, though I fear I'll still be writing 5775 on my checks for some time.

Annual Links: Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play: The Last Samurai.
Vortex Point 6.
Links: The earliest use of the F-word discovered.
Stories: The Martian’s cast and crew talk to Ars about that beautiful monster, Mars.
Your airplane seat is going to keep shrinking. Thanks HARDOCP.
Science: Humans 'may accidentally send aliens a computer virus'. The Goldblum Paradox. Thanks HARDOCP.
The future of food: from jellyfish salad to lab-grown meat.
What Americans know and don't know about science. Thanks HARDOCP.
Media: HARDCORE Official TIFF trailer. FPS-inspired film. Thanks GameSpot.
True Detective Intro in GTA V. Thanks PC Gamer.
MAR Robotic Landing Gear Demonstration. Thanks HARDOCP.
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51 Replies. 3 pages. Viewing page 1.
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51.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 16, 2015, 04:03
51.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 16, 2015, 04:03
Sep 16, 2015, 04:03
 
eRe4s3r wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 14:22:
InBlack wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 02:18:
Here is a thought. Aliens will be....alien! Schocking right?

Humans like to anthropomorphize. They give their pets human attributes, their plants, wild animals, cute panda bears and even inanimate objects are not exempt. You see our brains are limited by our own, human experience in what they can imagine. The truth will be far fucking weirder and different than anything we can imagine.

And we will anthropomorphize the Aliens too

Touche!
I have a nifty blue line!
Avatar 46994
50.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 19:47
50.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 19:47
Sep 15, 2015, 19:47
 
jdreyer wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 17:35:
It's funny, the premise of this movie was so ridiculous that I thought I would hate it. But somehow they made it work, and I ended up really enjoying it. If you're a sci fi fan, it's required viewing.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that -- Snowpiercer was every bit as bad as I thought it would be. I suggest a pass.

This comment was edited on Sep 15, 2015, 21:25.
“Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.” -- Carl Sagan
49.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 18:56
49.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 18:56
Sep 15, 2015, 18:56
 
eRe4s3r wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 14:19:
Sepharo wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 02:43:
jdreyer wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 19:43:
Sepharo wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 14:38:
The future of food is actually insects.

Have you seen Snowpiercer?

Haha yep. In addition to that there have been quite a few articles lately talking about insects as a very efficient way of creating and delivering protein and calories.

It was kind of weird how much the writing in Snowpiercer called for outrage with the insect thing. Yeah in comparison to what the upper class was eating it was bad, but at least it wasn't spoiled, or recycled human/waste or something. Food is food.

I still don't get how anyone on that train didn't die from scurvy.. where were the fruits?

Well for the insect bars they probably just sprayed them with some vitamin C in the pulverizer.
Avatar 17249
48.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 17:35
48.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 17:35
Sep 15, 2015, 17:35
 
Tipsy McStagger wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 15:50:
eRe4s3r wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 14:19:

I still don't get how anyone on that train didn't die from scurvy.. where were the fruits?

they didn't show every rail car and they just alluded that every rail car has a purpose. The whole point of the movie was balance in order to survive. Taking the children away to keep the engine running was a great example of this.. It seems incredibly evil but fundamentally it's not.

It's funny, the premise of this movie was so ridiculous that I thought I would hate it. But somehow they made it work, and I ended up really enjoying it. If you're a sci fi fan, it's required viewing.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
47.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 15:50
47.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 15:50
Sep 15, 2015, 15:50
 
eRe4s3r wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 14:19:

I still don't get how anyone on that train didn't die from scurvy.. where were the fruits?

they didn't show every rail car and they just alluded that every rail car has a purpose. The whole point of the movie was balance in order to survive. Taking the children away to keep the engine running was a great example of this.. It seems incredibly evil but fundamentally it's not.
Avatar 57660
46.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 14:45
46.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 14:45
Sep 15, 2015, 14:45
 
InBlack wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 04:17:
You make a point jdreyer, but I can't agree that we are moving in the right direction. We are not locking up violent criminals, on the contrary we are locking up nonviolent criminals in increasing numbers. Psychopathy or Sociopathy are not being eliminated from the gene pool, on the contrary. Just look across the border at Mexico. Look at the Middle East, look at who runs our governments and corporations and what traits are desired in our leaders and our CEOs. We are definitely NOT a spacefaring race. We are in fact turning away from manned space flight and increasingly looking inward. Id say the future is not looking that rosy for humanity, although maybe somewhere else someone made it out of their gravity well....

Well, yes and no. The worldwide murder rate has been trending down for centuries, and is at the lowest point at any time in human history. This despite reporting on violent crime having increased drastically.

That being said, I think humanity faces a near existential crisis in global warming. Vast swaths of cropland will be lost to desertification (already is in CA and other places). Seas will rise, flooding our most important and productive cities, disease will spread, etc. Humanity will most likely survive, but in a much diminished capacity. This will set things back quite a bit.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
45.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 14:22
45.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 14:22
Sep 15, 2015, 14:22
 
InBlack wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 02:18:
Here is a thought. Aliens will be....alien! Schocking right?

Humans like to anthropomorphize. They give their pets human attributes, their plants, wild animals, cute panda bears and even inanimate objects are not exempt. You see our brains are limited by our own, human experience in what they can imagine. The truth will be far fucking weirder and different than anything we can imagine.

And we will anthropomorphize the Aliens too
Avatar 54727
44.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 14:19
44.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 14:19
Sep 15, 2015, 14:19
 
Sepharo wrote on Sep 15, 2015, 02:43:
jdreyer wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 19:43:
Sepharo wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 14:38:
The future of food is actually insects.

Have you seen Snowpiercer?

Haha yep. In addition to that there have been quite a few articles lately talking about insects as a very efficient way of creating and delivering protein and calories.

It was kind of weird how much the writing in Snowpiercer called for outrage with the insect thing. Yeah in comparison to what the upper class was eating it was bad, but at least it wasn't spoiled, or recycled human/waste or something. Food is food.

I still don't get how anyone on that train didn't die from scurvy.. where were the fruits?
Avatar 54727
43.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 04:17
43.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 04:17
Sep 15, 2015, 04:17
 
You make a point jdreyer, but I can't agree that we are moving in the right direction. We are not locking up violent criminals, on the contrary we are locking up nonviolent criminals in increasing numbers. Psychopathy or Sociopathy are not being eliminated from the gene pool, on the contrary. Just look across the border at Mexico. Look at the Middle East, look at who runs our governments and corporations and what traits are desired in our leaders and our CEOs. We are definitely NOT a spacefaring race. We are in fact turning away from manned space flight and increasingly looking inward. Id say the future is not looking that rosy for humanity, although maybe somewhere else someone made it out of their gravity well....
I have a nifty blue line!
Avatar 46994
42.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 03:44
42.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 03:44
Sep 15, 2015, 03:44
 
Mr. Tact wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 22:20:
jdreyer wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 19:48:
2. Any race that's achieved some type of FTL drive, will have long removed destructive genetic traits, and unlike humanity's discovery of new worlds, wouldn't immediately conquer and exploit them (video games and movies notwithstanding).
Your thoughts on this matter have as much basis in fact as the people writing those games and movies. The truth is we have no idea. However, if they aren't politically correct galactic citizens -- there won't be much we can do about it. Therefore it seems to me a unwarranted risk to attempt to draw attention while we are still "galactic infants".

In our experience, the more educated and enlightened a culture becomes, the less exploitative and more conservation minded it becomes. And we are already removing violent and psychopathic traits from our gene pool by locking up so many violent criminals. It's only a generation or two before we start modifying our gene pool directly to increase intelligence and remove undesirable traits. For spacefaring races, removing such traits would be critical to traveling the stars.

Is it guaranteed? No, but it is logical and based on multiple examples in our shared experience on this planet. To be a successful starfaring race, you need a high degree and civilization, all of which point toward altruism and cooperation, not destruction. And so far as we can tell, intelligent life seems to be pretty rare given that we haven't found any yet, and theories like the Great Filter (based on Earth extinctions) suggest it's unlikely to arise on any given planet.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
41.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 02:43
41.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 02:43
Sep 15, 2015, 02:43
 
jdreyer wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 19:43:
Sepharo wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 14:38:
The future of food is actually insects.

Have you seen Snowpiercer?

Haha yep. In addition to that there have been quite a few articles lately talking about insects as a very efficient way of creating and delivering protein and calories.

It was kind of weird how much the writing in Snowpiercer called for outrage with the insect thing. Yeah in comparison to what the upper class was eating it was bad, but at least it wasn't spoiled, or recycled human/waste or something. Food is food.
Avatar 17249
40.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 15, 2015, 02:18
40.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 15, 2015, 02:18
Sep 15, 2015, 02:18
 
Here is a thought. Aliens will be....alien! Schocking right?

Humans like to anthropomorphize. They give their pets human attributes, their plants, wild animals, cute panda bears and even inanimate objects are not exempt. You see our brains are limited by our own, human experience in what they can imagine. The truth will be far fucking weirder and different than anything we can imagine.

This comment was edited on Sep 15, 2015, 02:42.
I have a nifty blue line!
Avatar 46994
39.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 14, 2015, 22:30
39.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 14, 2015, 22:30
Sep 14, 2015, 22:30
 
And frankly if I had to guess whether visiting aliens were going to be Star Trek like Federation goody two-shoes or Battlefield Earth like genocide drone launching aliens -- I'm thinking we can't get that lucky... But hey, I always have been a pessimist...
“Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.” -- Carl Sagan
38.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 14, 2015, 22:20
38.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 14, 2015, 22:20
Sep 14, 2015, 22:20
 
jdreyer wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 19:48:
2. Any race that's achieved some type of FTL drive, will have long removed destructive genetic traits, and unlike humanity's discovery of new worlds, wouldn't immediately conquer and exploit them (video games and movies notwithstanding).
Your thoughts on this matter have as much basis in fact as the people writing those games and movies. The truth is we have no idea. However, if they aren't politically correct galactic citizens -- there won't be much we can do about it. Therefore it seems to me a unwarranted risk to attempt to draw attention while we are still "galactic infants".
“Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.” -- Carl Sagan
37.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 14, 2015, 20:34
37.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 14, 2015, 20:34
Sep 14, 2015, 20:34
 
jdreyer wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 19:42:
Cutter wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 11:19:
The future of food is vegetarianism.

And in that future you will have imitation hamburger meat that is made from plant proteins... Go nuts!

Er, had those for a few decades now.

I'm not talking about your granddad's cardboard veggie patties: http://i.imgur.com/LcbCImi.jpg
36.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 14, 2015, 19:48
36.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 14, 2015, 19:48
Sep 14, 2015, 19:48
 
Mr. Tact wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 14:47:
Contacting aliens always seemed like a bad idea to me. At least prior to us becoming an interstellar race -- assuming that's possible. An intelligence capable of overcoming the problems/issues with interstellar travel is likely comparatively more advanced compared to us, than we are to our close relatives the chimpanzees.

1. They'll see us long before we see them.

2. Any race that's achieved some type of FTL drive, will have long removed destructive genetic traits, and unlike humanity's discovery of new worlds, wouldn't immediately conquer and exploit them (video games and movies notwithstanding).
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
35.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 14, 2015, 19:46
Kxmode
 
35.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 14, 2015, 19:46
Sep 14, 2015, 19:46
 Kxmode
 
jdreyer wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 19:43:
Sepharo wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 14:38:
The future of food is actually insects.
Have you seen Snowpiercer?

Yellow snow?
"...and in stonks, Fizzy Squeezy Stocklebocks leaped over Droopy Whoopy Bondfluffs, hitting 300-gigglebits to their 150-snorebucks. Meanwhile, in Whimsyland's market, the pancakes reached parity with pogo sticks."
Avatar 18786
34.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 14, 2015, 19:43
34.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 14, 2015, 19:43
Sep 14, 2015, 19:43
 
Sepharo wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 14:38:
The future of food is actually insects.

Have you seen Snowpiercer?
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
33.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 14, 2015, 19:42
33.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 14, 2015, 19:42
Sep 14, 2015, 19:42
 
jacobvandy wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 14:13:
I wonder, would vegans have some excuse about not wanting to eat lab-grown meat, either, or could that be a whole new market? I think they could make a profit off of that £15 per kilo ($10.51 per lb.) concoction right now if they properly marketed it as cruelty-free, guilt-free, whatever-free meat.

That's an interesting question. Vegetarians often lose the ability to easily digest meat after a few years so some would certainly continue to abstain. Also you lose the taste for it. I know a woman who married a vegetarian. She used to eat meat, poultry, fish all the time. But she became a defacto veg, only eating it out, never at home. As a result, she can basically only stand to eat chicken. The other animal flesh nauseates her, she says.

Cutter wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 11:19:
The future of food is vegetarianism.

And in that future you will have imitation hamburger meat that is made from plant proteins... Go nuts!
Er, had those for a few decades now.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
32.
 
Re: Out of the Blue
Sep 14, 2015, 19:05
32.
Re: Out of the Blue Sep 14, 2015, 19:05
Sep 14, 2015, 19:05
 
Kxmode wrote on Sep 14, 2015, 17:29:
Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace Donald Trump as Celebrity Apprentice host

Ironic that Donald Trump lost his job to an immigrant.

Not really... Trump is against illegal immigration, as any rational American should be. Ahnold is one of the ~80% of foreign-born residents that have gone through the proper channels to become a documented, naturalized citizen.
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