ParanoiA

I think we all know what Jack Nicholson looks like by now....

I don't agree with punishing others for lending their car to someone who gets caught drinking and driving. That's passing the buck unfairly. It's unrealistic and downright wrong and backwards thinking to expect someone to know of someone else's history of convictions or drinking problems. You're asking the common public to play part of the role of law enforcement. If they fail, then they are punished. For a job they never asked for and are paying someone else to do. This reminds me heavily of the all-impacting approach that corporations and governments use on everything nowadays. For example, 2% of the company's employees have a tardy problem, so the company introduces a new rule that everyone must sign in at the front desk each morning - creating lines and more delays. They impact everyone to resolve the actions of a few. That kind of problem solving is so rampant that I doubt anyone here actually recognizes that as an insulting practice. To me, this is just as insulting as manufacturer's websites with FAQ's and support pages where YOU do the work in solving the problem with your software or hardware - they've eliminated the need to pay someone to fix their stuff - you are doing it for them. This is so common and accepted today. But you wouldn't stand for that if you took your new car into the dealer to get something fixed under the warranty, only to be directed to a self-service shop with "help pages" to dig through so you can fix it. So, keep the problem between law enforcement and the offender and don't offend the rest of us by making it our responsibility to pick up where they can't. It's not our fault.

I disagree. I think it is necessary to make that argument. Only because that's the issue surrounding reparations for slavery. I understand saying that if it wasn't for slavery they wouldn't be here today is like saying they should be grateful - but that's the whole point of history and life on earth. All of us, our status, our culture are the result of history - both good and bad. I don't expect anyone to thank white folk for enslaving their ancestors, just like I don't expect anyone to persecute white folk for enlsaving their ancestors. It happened, and whether you like it or not, this is the result. This is not the only example of an enslaved people being arguably better off downstream in history. I hope though, that no one concludes that I believe slavery was ok or the least bit acceptable. If I could go back in time and magically change all of this so that not a single african was enslaved by us, I would. The question I have is, are there any black folk that would want that changed? And I do mean that in an inquisitive, thoughtful manner.

Ok, you need to go back and re-read what got us here. I don't know where in the world you got the idea that I know a damn thing about string theory. I said I'm about to start the section on it. And referred to Greene. You seem to know the guy and the book so I'm not sure where that came from. Also, I'm 35 with a full time job and part time investment business, a musician and a writer - I'm not learning about physics for a career either dude, just for the shear beauty of it. I wish I had the time to take some college courses on it and actually learn it - rather than extremely watered down layman literature. But I don't. So, I'm trying to learn the qualitative summary through Greene, at the moment anyway. So, I get where you're coming from. I was just trying to get you to realize, that being jerk and getting pissed at people for not knowing something that you know, is short sighted and obvious - rather embrace that you know something others don't, and have fun and enjoy the reward of teaching and correcting. I don't agree with Snail about molly coddling and so forth. This is just an excuse to carry on the shallow ego infested tradition of scientists brutalizing one another intellectually. This is ridiculous. It serves no useful purpose, and actually holds people back because they get gun shy and run around with incorrect or unclear knowledge just because scientists feel the need to act an ass to each other. Anyway, digs at your age are because while you have the knowledge of an adult, your disposition was childish. You're pissed today. Well good for you. When has that been an excuse to take it out on anyone else? We were all taught that in grade school. I cannot believe a single person in this thread hasn't seen that.

Damn, physicists are confusing. It's one thing to try to understand point particles as opposed to simply particles, but when the physicists are arguing about it, it really makes it difficult to grasp. Farsight - you say photons are not points, so are you saying they are not point particles? Or are you guys just splitting hairs on deeper meaning? I'm asking because, I've just started the section on string theory and I believe Greene refers to them as point particles - as well as electrons and quarks. Which is weird, because I thought a point particle wasn't supposed to have mass or volume.

Are you all considering the 21 grams of mass lost by people who die? That is unrecoverable mass. Perhaps you should calculate the number of dead in the world and subtract that from your growth rate.

I would absolutely love that. But yeah, I'm not sure about enforcing it. I wonder if they could do it like the seatbelt laws in Oklahoma, where they can ticket you for not wearing the seatbelt, but they can't pull you over for it - something about abuse, I don't remember. So, if the police come to your house, for any reason, they can check your weapons possession and storage. I don't know...doesn't sound like it would catch very many idiots...there are lots of them

I found a couple of pro-gun sites that were as bad as the anti-gun ones. They played with the numbers and used them for ignorant little conclusions to make a case that self-defense uses are higher than homicide uses. I know that's BS. But, I do believe that self-defense is way under reported. I'm not sure why. This latest school shooting, I don't remember where that was, but the associated press reported that the students attacked and subdued the shooter. There were only a couple of news outlets that actually mentioned a teacher went to his car and retrieved his gun and had the shooter starring down the barrel of it when the students took him down. That's a huge part of the story left out. That changes everything really. Seems like you'd want kids to know this so they'll at least consider the fact that if they try this shit, they just might get a gun pointed back at them. I'm one of those wacky people that thinks teachers, principals, janitors and etc.. should be allowed to carry guns - with a conceal and carry license of course. Hell I think everybody who can afford a gun, should go buy one. Learn how to use it, teach their kids how to use it and respect it ( this isn't difficult, you should see the look on a kid's face when he feels and hears the power of a pistol - they realize very quickly this isn't like the movies ). Buy a gun locker or safe, and regularly go shooting and have them help you clean it when you get home. They see the gun as the tool that it is when you present the whole picture to them on how a gun is used and cared for and shooting is alot of fun. Women are usually better shots than men, so they get a kick out of that.

Didn't allow the insurgent groups to participate? You have anything to support that? I'm not aware of anyone not able to participate unless, of course, it isn't their country to be participating in...like Iranian soldiers and recruitment forces. Other than that, many groups kept themselves from participating. Excellent point and noted. Of course, I'm of the mind that most of the insurgency is provided and funded by Syria, Lebanon, Iran..etc. I will certainly agree that we cannot win an occupation. What I worry about is that once the Iraqis can patrol and invoke order themselves, that they will not be able to win. I'm afraid it will be like vietnam in that once we leave, Iran will take the gloves off and continue the insurgency and run over that country. Without our resolve, I'm not sure the Iraqi people have it in them to fight for their own country.

1) Yes, it DOES matter that they are not their own country - countries usually pay compensation after being beaten in war. That compensation begins immediately, just after the crimes and injustices were commited - not decades and decades after the fact 2) Again...every person in the entire world can claim some kind of victim status by their people at some point in world history and trace that to the present, proving they have been disadvantaged and are in a lesser position today because of it - to dwell on that puts you with the likes of Palenstinians and Israelis. How well is that working for them??

Well since I don't own the woods, then it would depend on who was there first wouldn't it? It's their responsibility to be sure no one is in the direction they're shooting and they are liable if they hurt someone. If they've checked the area to be sure it's clear, but then I walk up in the line of fire - perhaps downstream from where they're shooting - then that's not really their fault. If I'm there first, then they should see whether or not I'm in the direction of their can shooting and move or adjust appropriately or else they're at fault. Either way, I don't get your point. You seem to think that if I take a bullet from someone behaving stupidly that I will somehow change my mind and wish for a gunless, freedomless society. I will not. Most gunowners operate guns responsibly, including the rednecks that hollywood as fooled you into believing are idiots.

Of course not. But they are criminals. Criminals already can't have guns. Now, if they've never been convicted of anything, then they can have guns and yes I would rather potential criminals walk around with guns in a free state than no guns and held prisoner by the state - like China. Freedom isn't free. The cost of freedom has always been associated with war and liberation - but there's an eternal maintanence fee as well. There are plenty of cons to freedom and gun misuse is one of them. But, the pros trump the cons.

No it wouldn't. I'm not talking about self-defense. I'm referring to those 11,789 homocides. That pales in comparison to the number of accidental shootings, let alone deaths. With everyone doing so much murder on purpose, I don't see the magnitude of relevancy for accidents. I do find those numbers highly suspicious. I found some Illinoise website that posted those same stats, using the same comments and bullets as your post, so I suspect you got those stats from them. Of course, being an anti-gun site, I don't see why anyone should trust them. How about some bias free stats? I tried looking myself, but all I found was anti-gun websites. Everyone knows you don't trust liberals with numbers. I've heard some crazy figures from those democrats and they always go unchallenged. Weird...but I'll keep looking. Maybe a competency for Ak-47's, but that's it. My country's free state status is more important than gun competency.

You have to prove the fallacy first - prove there is a problem. That's why I like the idea. Affirmative action has polarized racism, helped keep it active and part of our psyche. Great job. We spent decades telling everyone how equal we all are, to not see in color, then we keep the color barrier by institutionalizing it with affirmative action. Aliens would be confused, just like our children. And white guilt compensation is even stupider. So, because our white ancestors enslaved and held back our black ancestors, that has created an unfair advantage for the white race as a whole, and therefore the white race must atone for their white ancestors behavior? Have I got that right? So, if my dad kills your dad then I have to financially fix things for you so that you enjoy the advantage you would have had if my dad hadn't killed yours? Well then why stop there? I'll bet if we dig around our family histories we can trace billions and billions of dollars worth of unfair advantages to specific people and their families and have them fork over their estates and riches to make it fair. We can all look back in 20/20 and pick apart everyone's history and debate about what should have, could have, would have happened if such and such and so and so but how is that our problem now? I didn't enslave anybody and I didn't enherit a plantation to live off of. In fact, none of those people are even alive today. I've had to bust my ass to get a job and keep a job - no handouts for being white. I supported my wife and two kids on 8 bucks an hour and lived in some nasty places just to make it - no special accomodations for being white. And that's how it should be. No one alive today has ever been a slave in America. This is the sons and daughters of the victims demanding retribution from the sons and daughters of the perpetrators. That's ridiculous. Every race in the world can justifiably claim to have been victimized at some point in history and prove their current status is effected by it - and they would be correct and accurate. Their perpetrators offspring are alive and kicking today. And that's just the last 15,000 years of human history. There is no way to level the playing field for every victimized class of people in the world. The rules of morality and ethics has changed for the better in recent centuries, so we should appreciate the awesome ground we've covered and give credit to all of the races in the world that have tried to coexist, for overcoming the competitive programming we've been saturated with and cooperating in peace. Or, we can keep perpetuating racism and instill it in our children like we have been. Just look at how well it's working for the Palestinians and Israelis...

From what I've read, you haven't bothered talking to Sequence at all - unless you call berating a self confessed layman, talking. I'm sorry but I have to completely agree with Sequence that you seem to expect an unrealistic level of knowledge by non-physics folk. What if we all had that knowledge? Then you wouldn't be so special and no one would pay any attention to you at all. If everyone's an expert, then no one's an expert. It's good that you understand something that the masses don't. This gives you a living - a career. Learn to embrace the ignorance of others and enjoy the capacity of enlightening them. It's a far more noble and grown up attitude.

Thought this was an interesting story. I've always thought that discrimination was discrimination, no matter who's the majority or what the intentions may be. This is long overdue. BU - White Scholarship to protest race-based scholarships

Oh, so now we're going to talk with them. Of course. That's what the insurgents want - to talk...right? So, Iraq forming their own government with multicultural representation isn't a political solution? The elections they just had wasn't a political solution? It was a political solution alright, but the insurgents don't want a solution of any kind other than 'America go home'. We've invaded their land. Of course they want us to leave. They can't control their countrymen and bring any kind of resemblance to order. All they know about life is death and holy war, so what do you expect from them? It's the same Clinton mentality all over again - which is what brought us Osama Bin Laden. All you need is love. Just talk and work with the illegitimate. Bribe their behavior with money. Whatever you have to do to put off the inevitable for somebody else to have to deal with later, when they're stronger, more organized, more ingrained, more trusted...

"honest straight talking politician"?? I'm going to ignore the obvious oxymoronic phrase in that statement. This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say we get the government we deserve. Everyone likes Obama because of his ability to talk. Honesty and "straight talking" are attributes assigned by the listener, with no proof or lack of proof to determine either way - but he sounds cool. Vision for the future? Who cares? They all have some kind of vision, or have one written for them come speech time. What if he gets a slap in the face with a national tragedy like GWB got with 9/11? I don't care what kind of vision you have, you need to be able to change and adapt to the environment - which may not have squat to do with your vision or put it on the back burner of priorities. What does this dude stand for? Does he have a back bone? Does he actually work for his pay? How often does he show up to vote? How much money has he taken to get his job? What special interest groups have invested in him? There's a dozen more questions with answers that are far more important and revealing that how well he "talks" and how good he is at making people believe he is honest and straight talking.

Well, let's get a few things straight first. You are not allowed to go running around in your car with a loaded weapon, even to the shooting range. So, people are only allowed to have a loaded weapon in their hand at home or in rural shooting areas, maybe an inside shooting range. It's these rural shooting areas and so forth that the learning takes place. So, I would expect to see some funny things in that process. Shooting accidents don't generally happen on the range or during hunting - they happen at home because people didn't keep their gun in a locker or safe and some kid finds it and starts playing with it. You're more likely to die on the way to the shooting range in your car - and that's with a trained and certified driving public. Conceal and carry laws and training is what covers what we're worried about - people running around with loaded weapons. In Missouri and Oklahoma, you must have a conceal and carry license, which requires a juicy fee and a training day/weekend. So, they already have to prove they're worthy to carry a loaded firearm out in public. I can't stress enough the importance of keeping the right to bare arms as unrestricted as possible. I'm not even sure I agree with denying access to automatics and etc, but currently they are banned for public ownership. With all of the home invasion, murder and rape going on, far more people are being killed and injured by others on purpose than those killed and injured by accident.

The risks turned me off. I can't imagine suffering irreversible brain damage, laid up like a cucumber for life and my wife having to tell my kids the story of why daddy went into surgery.

Doesn't the word "particle" imply mass? And aren't photons massless? This has been an issue for me dealing with photons, gluons and gravitons. They are particles, yet have no mass, yet behave like waves..with uncertainty

Well now we're back to comparing how much countrys spend without looking at the quality and quantity we get in return. Remember, there are a number of things NOT done in the UK that are done here in the states regularly. Like some testing procedures, treatments, and I would think lawsuits and malpractice will play a role in excessive testing and care. America also attracts expensive talent - doctors that are running away from socialized systems. And, how much of that total cost reportedly spent by our respective nations is actually costs associated with R&D? I'm just saying, without looking deep and picking at things a bit, you can't just look at the total money spent by each nation and assume the country that spent the least is the most efficient, better system.

I don't know. On the one hand, I could see them invading following our withdrawal since they have nukes and could threaten to level Israel or something if we come to Iraq's aid. And America would love the excuse to physically deal with Iran, although I'm not sure how we'd deal with a nuclear hostage situation. On the other hand, I don't see them invading because even if there was no military action to stop them, they would at least have the whole world against them. Well, most of the world anyway. That could cripple them and cause long term decay. Good question...

I would assume the conclusion that we need to leave Iraq ASAP is because Americans have lost interest and resolve. Just watch a little TV and notice how ridiculously sporadic and jumpy the programming and commercials are presented - we have a very very short attention span. We wanted to invade, disarm, order and leave Iraq in a couple of months, no matter how fruity and naive it is to think that's possible. Even though the american people were told from the very beginning this would be a long, drawn out conflict - they just can't accept it in reality. However, the volunteers are still pouring in, because many believe it's a worthwhile war. Many are in it for the war on terror as Iraq is a point of focus for terrorism. The lack of necessity for the draft proves that america supports this effort. We've been at war for years now, with no real end in sight - in fact, with more possible military conflict in other countries on the horizon and we're still getting volunteers to fight.

I think you all are just pissed because he's being poetic about logical science. This doesn't read all that different than some text books I've read. Sometimes I could read a paragraph 10 times before I realized it wasn't really saying that much. Sounds to me like he's saying in any evolutionary leap or mutation, there's an inherent high improbability it will succeed. This makes the higher order kind of leap even more improbable. At least, that's what I got out of it. I didn't see any obscure words in his post. Broad vocabulary is a good thing and he's writing romantically about scientific concepts. Scientists hate that.