Leaderboard
Popular Content
Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/11/20 in all areas
-
Nice post +1, I'll just add, in my work with differently abled humans, a good way to think of the differences; if a bus runs into a group of people, one extreme is, OMG how many people were hurt, while the other is, what colour is the bus. The OMG's will never really understand the what colour's, and vice versa; all we can really hope is, we understand that there's a difference in all of us...2 points
-
If you get really good at setting expectations, you'll find it helps with everybody on the spectrum (which I suspect is broader than we think and may include a lot more of us). It may simply work on everyone. It's the equivalent of someone like Elizabeth Warren always having a plan. It allows people to make their own plans based on yours, and it's very comforting and satisfying, and makes folks feel great about following your lead. I recommend watching Hannah Gadsby's new Netflix comedy special Douglas if you can. She's been diagnosed with high-functioning autism, and she has this brilliant convention where she tells you EXACTLY how her standup show is going to unfold before she starts, in order to set your expectations as an audience member (I hope she continues this format in future shows). Then she does the show, and it's amazing how much funnier it is because you know what's coming. She also touches on several spectrum-related behaviors you should be aware of (beware the Puffer Fish). Thank you for taking the extra time, and also for recognizing that the way these beautiful minds work is just different, not abnormal. Your student appreciates it more than they're probably telling you.2 points
-
With the exceptions of occasional crackpots, the selfish, the unkind, and the uncouth; and on rare occasions, the sheer lunatics that come and go, most of the members of this community are giving me an enormously valuable environment to exchange ideas. Teaching has been a great pleasure for me for many years. Now, for the first time, I'm tutoring a boy that suffers from Asperger's syndrome. After a month now, I must say that it's been one of the most gratifying teaching experiences I've had so far. Things are going pretty well, good results keep coming, and everyone involved seems to be happy. We've started with maths. Every time he shouts “now I understand it!” is priceless. But he's emotionally vulnerable, and also gets quite anxious when he misunderstands something and gets embroiled in the wrong calculation. The verbal feedback is somewhat wanting, because he stumbles over words and speaks too quickly for me. So sometimes it takes me a while to realise what he really means. Any experience that any of you may have to share with me, any tips and directions, will be greatly appreciated. Especially heads-up when it comes to physics, which I'm kind of dreading.1 point
-
This article is interesting for the very different tactic of protecting mosquitos from malaria in order to protect people.1 point
-
It isn't actually 'bounded', though, is it ? The area outside the circle is not technically 'bounded', although it has a ( interior ) boundary. ( confusing choice of words ? ) For example, is the set of natural numbers excluding 1 to 10, 'bounded' ? It still goes off to infinity. Is there some other mathematical term that implies a boundary, but is still 'unbounded' ? Or am I simply misapplying the term 'unbounded' ?1 point
-
Very interesting joigus, welcome aboard. We don't know anything about interstellar travel. Maybe it is far more difficult than we imagine. Maybe intelligence is much scarcer than we can imagine. Suppose there was an ET that was so advanced that they could travel here. They would more likely send robotic probes. Why would they want us to know about them? With their advanced technology, they could easily conceal themselves from us. Why would any ET civilization advertise their position in space or allow themselves to be seen?1 point
-
What about if you draw a circle on a plane, and consider the exterior region outside that circle? Isn't that an example of an infinite area bounded by a finite boundary? Granted, the boundary here doesn't 'enclose' the area...1 point
-
I’m an Aspie myself as well. I have no teaching experience, so I can’t give much advice in that regard, other than to say that us people on the spectrum often think in ways that are very different from how a neurotypical person would think about the same problem (which is why autistics often come up with unusual, outside-the-box solutions). For me personally, I often found that the way things are explained in standard textbooks and teaching methods just don’t work for me - so I need to go away and do my own research before understanding arises. This means that sometimes I have to consult a variety of different sources, and assemble the information in my own ways. Conversely, it sometimes also happens that I grasp very abstract concepts easily and immediately, whereas neurotypical people might struggle a lot with them. I should also point out that the social dimension of human experience can be very difficult for us Aspies, so expressing ourselves to others is always hard. Something might be very clear to us in our own heads, but we simply don’t know how to put it into words for other people.1 point
-
@MigL is right. More to the point. Almost infinite is nonsense. If someone gives you an "almost infinite" number, multiply it by 10^10^10...^10 and it's "almost nothing" no matter how big it looked.1 point
-
As I replied earlier, we need to take things on a case by case basis. We also need to recognize that each of us may have differing viewpoints in each of those cases. For me, it makes sense to remove confederate stuff and perhaps the Colton stuff. Enough people are bothered by it that we should just stop. Sure, display in your house or on your truck or have it tattooed on your arm... whatever, I don’t care. I’ll consider you a dumbass, but that’s you’re right and I’ll defend it despite disagreeing... but don’t use my tax dollars to put these symbols of hatred and oppression front and center in the middle of town. That’s borderline terrorism against our black loved ones. Hitler is easy, too. Screw that guy and all he stands for and all those he still inspires to this day. You want a statue? Build one yourself. Don’t have a ribbon cutting with the mayor, and if the ribbons already been cut then he’ll yeah we’re tearing that piece of garbage down. I read that a Columbus statue was also brought down recently, I think yesterday and maybe in DC. I have a tougher time with that one and am not as supportive if it’s removal m as I am with the confederate or nazi stuff. But you know what? That’s okay. Let’s talk about it. I want to understand your views. Why was that so painful for you to see? IMO that’s what matters here. The talking, not tearing down. Empathy and understanding... and respecting that we should just stop needlessly inflicting hurt on others with the things we celebrate in our town squares... things that evolve as culture evolves. Acceptable one day, heinous the next... But let’s leave books out of it. Those aren’t monuments paid for with tax dollars and erected for attention in our public squares. They’re not symbols we choose to represent our values and fundamental natures... maybe as individuals we do, but not as a community. Also, I like Mark Twain... and it’s really Fahrenheit-451 you’re talking about there anyway. That’s all. End ramble. https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/06/10/874417376/homage-to-hate-pelosi-calls-for-confederate-statues-removed-from-u-s-capitol1 point
-
More specific to the OP "Does it make sense to say that something is almost infinite? If yes, then why?" Limits approach a value, but never actually get there. And are a very useful mathematical tool.1 point
-
Post coronavirus investment decisions could involve significant divestment from coal but I think that is more a continuation of pre-pandemic changes. Renewable energy can be a beneficiary of governments providing short term economic stimulus - projects tend to have relatively short planning and build times and that will make them appealing, whilst avoiding the opposition that new coal or gas investments will attract. A big element of gesture politics; I remain doubtful it will be deep political commitment to the transition to low emissions driving such choices. The growth of RE hasn't been built on deep mainstream political commitment; imo it looked more like a combination of "give em enough rope" and gesture politics, both of which tended to reinforce the popular (and politically expedient) perception that the issue was driven by fringe politics, and especially by unreasonable and unreasoning Environmentalists. Very few pundits expected wind and solar to deliver useful electricity, let alone do it at costs competitive with fossil fuels but once that line got crossed all presumptions that electricity producers would not willingly take it up went out the window. Certainly no cost comparisons (and predictions) based on historic data - even more than a few years old - remains valid in the face of that. Myself, I think Environmentalists have done what Environmentalists should when science confirmed we have a serious problem with modern humanity's biggest waste stream - CO2 waste; ie made a huge fuss about it. It is mainstream politics that has been unreasonable and unreasoning and has failed to live up to minimum expectations for trust, responsibility and accountability.1 point
-
! Moderator Note Time is not measured in cubic metres. A video in Russian is not an explanation. Referencing another crackpot paper is not support. You have still not explained what this thread is about. Do not bring this topic up again.1 point
-
You're both welcome. A couple of things more. First, I just wanted to add that Fermi was no idiot, of course. But the assumptions he made date back to 1950. We know much more about planets now. Something we know now, for example, is that the Earth-Moon system is far from typical. The Moon is an unusually large satellite and has a rather bigger than normal stabilizing effect on the Earth's tilt. To the point that astronomers are starting to look upon the Earth-Moon system as a binary planetary system, rather than a standard planet and its small satellite or group of satellites. The huge tidal effect that the Moon has on the Earth is believed to have played a major part in the origin of life at least during the first billion years, stirring the chemicals dissolved in water and thus triggering volume reactions (much quicker and efficient) rather than surface effects. https://www.space.com/12464-earth-moon-unique-solar-system-universe.html Another factor is the presence of outer giants like Jupiter and Saturn, for billions of years playing the role of shuttles for asteroids from the Kuiper belt, etc. Water and amino acids in the asteroids are also thought to have been very important. In case any of these factors were found to be essential to the appearance of life, it could be a basis to estimate the number of solar systems in the Milky Way that satisfy similar conditions. Would other different sets of conditions be just as good, or maybe even better? I don't know. I don't know if anybody knows. Drake's equation came later than Fermi's argument (in 1961). Actually, I think Drake's equation is a more promising ground for estimating the chance of there being intelligent life forms, among other things, precisely because, although ambitious, it's a much less assuming parametrization of the probability, rather than an equation or a "closed" calculation. There is room for re-estimating the factors as we learn more about the phenomenology of galactic (or extra-galactic) solar systems. Plus the last factor is, if I'm not mistaken, the probability that a civilization will be able to send signals, rather than travel to Earth, which significantly increases the odds. Fermi was concerned with interstellar travel, AFAIK. The detection of signals with a message in them will probably be the first evidence, if there ever is one, of some form of intelligent life besides us in the universe, rather than the flight of UFOs. But here's the bad news, IMO: Take a look at this table with time gaps separating the appearance of new levels of organization: First prokaryotes (from Earth's formation): 1 billion years First eukaryotes (from prokaryotes): 800 million years First multicellular eukaryotic organisms (from single-celled eukaryotes): 2 billion years First intelligent life (from multicellular eukaryotes): 700 million years Average for the appearance of a new level of organization: 1.125 billion years Now suppose there's a planet out there with something like eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). You're going to have to sit there waiting for 1.1 billion years for you to see anything interesting to happen if the above table is anything to go by. That's the problem.1 point
-
Harmonization comes mind for me when reading the thread topic / subject. Some sounds harmonize with what’s going on inside of us. Our heartbeat. Our breathing. Our brain patterns. Our emotion. Our belly gurgles... they all have rhythms and consistent wavelengths. Sometimes music harmonizes with all of that and we feel a sense of belonging and oneness with the pressure waves hitting our ears1 point
-
You beat me to it. I was going to post this under the title "Good things can come in small packages". The annual death toll from malaria runs just under half a million. Great to see a potential solution. Some more information on malaria in general here. (It's from the WHO, so Trump supporters should look away now.)1 point
-
@ Raider5678 & Outrider, you both seem to be making this about slavery. You both seem to be implying that calls for removal of these monuments are becasue some Confederates owned slave. You're even discussing amongst yourselfs what percentage of them owned slaves. The issue is that they were traitors that fought to destory the United States of America. Had the Confederacy won the United States would not exist. The fact that in addition to killing their own countrymen many were slave onwers and bigots it just icing on the cake. The Confederacies efforts is not something that helped establish a more perfect union. They sought to end us. What percentage owned slaves and how each Confederate soldierfelt about slavery in general isn't important. Here is 2017 a lot more people talk about and support policy base on Coal mining jobs than actually work in coal mines. I doubt many of the torch carrying protesters chanting "Jews will not replace us" have had many, if any at all, interactions with Jewish communities. It is normal for concepts and ideas which aren't active in peoples daily lives to be rallying cries for movements. How many confederates owned slaves don't change the fact that they killed their own countrymen. The National Parks Service has a whole department devoted to the preservation of history. Historical buildings and lands get bulldozed all the time to make way for pipelines, new buildings, and etc. It is normal for politicians to attack The National Parks Service history preservation guidlines as too strict and bad for business. They are part of the proverbial red tape we hear so muchh about. Rather than those who love history so much hyper focusing on monuments erected decades if not a hundred years after the end of the Civil War perhaps they should champion increasing The National Parks Service's budget and strengthening their guidelines. Lots of history is lost all the time.1 point
-
Aside from the fact that a lot of these Civil War monuments were erected after the fact, for political/ideological reasons ( and so should and can be removed ), why stop at slave owners, or people who fought to preserve slavery ? What about oppression/extermination of Native Americans ? Do J Monroe and A Jackson get a pass for being Presidents during the Indian Wars ? Or don't Aboriginal people count ? How many Japanese were interned by F D Roosevelt during WW2, and how many were killed By H Truman's decision to use atomic weapons ? And for you Brits, how many German civilians lost their lives when W Churchill ordered the fire bombing of Dresden, just to inflict the most pain on the German population and force a surrender ? And how it was J F Kennedy that got the US embroiled in the Vietnam war ( Bay of Pigs, Cuban missile crisis, etc., a regular war-monger), but R Nixon ( a discredited President )who got our boys out ? I could, of course, go on and on, but the point is, we would have no monuments left, no pictures on our money, no names for schools/federal buildings nor ships/carriers. Education is the best way to fight intolerance, and redefine who we are. Not by tearing down who we were.1 point
-
The difficulty with this stance is that given the constant change in mores, people in the future may find that everyone who lived prior to the 22nd Century committed crimes against humanity by eating meat, using hand sanitizer, and driving cars. It is somewhat unreasonable to condemn those who act in good faith, even if those actions are later to be considered objectionable.1 point