Prometheus

No, no. I can't give an explanation for that. I'm only saying that ISP likely accounts for a significant number of ghost stories and other-worldly experiences. Again, i'm not saying anything about whether aliens exist, only that a good number of alien abduction stories are very likely manifestations of ISP.

Well this is the crux of the matter. Why is it that adopting those Hadiths which prescribe the death penalty is the 'fullness' of Islam while those not prescribing any punishment is 'watered down' Islam. They are acknowledged as being the works of man, and therefore fallible (unlike the Quran). Following one Hadith rather than another is a matter of interpretation. I feel this is not a trivial point. Demonising all of Islam as evil slams the door shut on those mild Muslims who want to remain Muslim and see their religion co-exist peacefully with others: if all Islam is evil, it doesn't matter what Hadiths they follow, they are either evil or not true Muslims. This seems a sure way of further radicalising Islam and it has enough problems in that area already.

I don't know. But if Islam and only Islam was the sole determinant then we would expect to see all Muslim countries and populations adopt the death penalty for apostasy. We don't see that, therefore there are other factors involved. Which is not to say Islamic doctrine does or does not contribute, only that if it does contribute it is one factor among others.

It's not meant to be a consolation, it's meant to highlight that the religion by itself isn't enough to make a Muslim state or population adopt the death penalty for apostasy. It would appear something else is required. I don't see why this is a contentious issue.

Not quite true. The Quran, though certainly denouncing apostasy, makes no specific reference to punishments: you have to look to the Hadiths for that. Then you enter the whole which subset of Muslims follow which set of Hadiths tangle. A few Muslims even reject all the Hadiths. For sure some Muslims follow Hadiths which explicitly state the death penalty as punishment for apostasy, but far from all. Indonesia, the largest Muslim country by population, does not punish apostasy at all. Not to say you won't get pressure from friends and family, but their law ostensibly ensures freedom of religion. Things are getting worse out there though. So true. And they start so early. I never get decent sleep in Muslim countries.

I'm happy to agree to disagree. I knew nothing of space economics before this thread, and what little i have learnt hasn't quenched my desire to see us reach for the stars. I think what rankles is that you sound a bit like those embittered people who say not to dream big because reality bites - you know the ones who say you are stupid for wanting to be an astronaut and it's better to focus on working a regular job in insurance or something - when i guess all you are trying to say is to live within our means.

If you're looking for conclusive evidence probably best to avoid personal experience/testimony. Here's a recent meta-analysis on the subject - as conclusive evidence you will find in medicine assuming it was conducted well. Not checked it's quality myself but JAMA is considered one of the elite medical journals so should be OK. Let us know what you find.

No, hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations of a certain kind are a well documented feature of isolated sleep paralysis (ISP). It's not mushrooms, not music, not anything else, just sleep paralysis. I suspect that such hallucinations have gone some way in shaping humanity's perceptions of death, the spirit realm and such, given the hallucinations are often of a horrific/demonic nature and approximately 40% of the population will experience it at least once in their life. (Similar theories exist for the American phenomenon of alien abductions). Hard to convince someone demons don't exist when you have seen (and felt) them yourselves - especially back when the nature of hallucinations were not understood. Never heard of music causing hallucinations before. Do your hallucinations influence your ideas about life after death?

Would you consider working in a nuclear medicine department? I've no idea how close their work is to that of a nuclear engineer but there must be some overlap and i don't think security would be as much of an issue.

You'll have to forgive me but i know very little about the economic history of the railroads. Maybe i shouldn't have brought it up but now i'm interested. The railroads started making money immediately? I couldn't find any information on this with a quick search - can you share your sources? My meagre understanding was the US government sold loads of bonds (a form of debt) to fund the project. I still don't see any substance to your reluctance. This report estimates that in 2014 the total space economy was worth $330 billion with $250.8 coming from commercial space industries presumably leaving $79.2 billion coming from governments mostly via NASA. Still less than we spent on hair products as a species that year. Couldn't find a direct comparison for 2014 for global government budgets but for 2016 the top 5 nations alone had budgets exceeding 10.2 trillion. I make that 0.007% of the average taxpayer's money going to space development (assuming those countries get all their revenues from tax). I think we should be spending more not less. You must have seen some figures to make you so resolute against the attempt: what figures/reports have you seen that make you fear space tech investment? Where is the hype in all these figures? What figures have you seen that make you think investment elsewhere would be more profitable? Do you think profit really should be the number one consideration for the human species? You also seem to confuse corollary for mere: these technologies are now multi billion dollar industries in themselves. The smartphone industry alone is worth $330 billion a year. But not enough for you apparently.

That's why i said: Change or add anticipated for intentions. I'd never make a lawyer. The AI behaved in a way the coders expected, therefore they are accountable.

The original publication of the facebook study only mentioned: That suggests to me that the coders anticipated the AI could develop it's own language. In this case I would say the coders are accountable for the AIs actions because it was anticipated, even if not explicitly added. The implied question of whether a moral agent is necessarily alive is a slightly different one to when does AI become a moral agent. I can't imagine a moral agent not being alive but then the Ganges was briefly awarded the same legal rights as a human, so these things get too weird for me to wrap my mind around.

Oh, i see. This is the guidance for UK paramedics. Interestingly, length of time since arrest is not explicitly included in the guidance.

Very tricky. How about when an AI performs an action it has not been explicitly coded to do it is accountable for that action? Otherwise the coder is accountable. Though to interpret exactly what 'explicitly' means we may have to infer the intentions of the original humans (or AI) from their code.

No, i said a sleep disorder: ISP. You've lost me. I don't believe in an afterlife. I would change my belief with sufficient evidence. My belief either way does not change the reality.

Hallucinations. Or i've really chatted to severed heads and such things. Wasn't until i was in late teens that i came across a scientific explanation. It was far more consistent than the supernatural explanations.

I agree. Buddhism can be quite flexible in what its followers believe, but the concept of anatta, non-self, is integral. I have a sleep disorder which causes me to hallucinate all manner of things, including many ghosties and demons when i was younger.

I suspect you are very welcome. Communities like this grow stagnant without someone stirring the faecal matter. A religion is a way of life. I don't even believe in a self, so the concept of an afterlife makes no sense at all.

What is the scale of what is needed to become economically viable? Have you, or anyone, done a thorough study into this you could link to? Have you taken into account the numerous corollary technologies that result from space exploration and their contribution to the economy? I certainly haven't, but if billionaires are investing into it i suspect there is at least some feasibility. The first steam engine 1698, the American transcontinental railway was built 1863 - over 165 years later. Yet you think 70 years is enough time to say space technology has failed to overcome it's hurdles so let's give up? Each person gets to decide what risk is acceptable for themselves - i would rather take the risk of losing big than live dour life of penny pinching. But as a species we have to collectively decide, regardless of our own risk behaviour. I would suggest that man is a risk taking species - we explore the next hill, we dive under water, we fly above the clouds, we climb the highest mountain we can find. Going to Mars would in keeping with our nature. I fear if such an attitude as yours were prevalent in early humans we would still be living in caves. Not to say we don't need people like you with feet firmly on the ground, ensuring the dreamers live within their means. There is a middle ground, and i think we already occupy it - google tells me the proportional wealth spent on the largest space organisation, NASA, is only 0.5% of the US budget; $18.4 billion. We spend $88 billion on hair products alone as a species. I think we can afford to continue to invest in this. And as for private industries - they can do what they want can't they? Business is always a risk and if business women think the risk is worth it, more power to them: beats just buying another diamond encrusted yacht.

Yes, they're the ones.Haven't seen them for ages. Good find, thanks.

I'm Buddhist. Am i not welcome?

Instead of waiting until something is economically viable before making an attempt we could make the attempt and in so doing make it economically viable. Isn't that what happened with all major engineering projects such as the vast railway projects and aviation? It took investment before it became viable, not the other way around. And even if it's a vanity project - so what? The Great Pyramids, the Terracotta Army, the Colossus and many more were all uneconomical vanity projects but are still regarded as among the greatest feats of man. At least with this vanity project far more of mankind is involved - such is the magnitude of the task it couldn't be otherwise.

I'm sure both the original journal and authors would want to know. Don't journals use software like turnitin to detect plagiarism? It's scary how accurate that is.

Steven Pinker wrote an interesting piece on the over-zealous application of this (and other) rules. Usually a valid grammatical point for one context is frivolously extended to cover all uses.

I don't think it's harassment yet: insensitivity perhaps. But that doesn't matter - you feel harassed so it needs to stop. Let him know. Doesn't matter if you're being over-sensitive, if he really is a friend he shouldn't want to make you feel like this. Personally i would respond differently to receiving this message with no context depending on the sender's gender. If male my response would likely be; nice, by wtf are you sending it to me? If female i would likely think it's an advance. I think it's a nice picture. Most sexual images we see (including public ones like in music videos and page 3) are gratuitous and crass. I think the image captures the sensitive side of sex.