Mokele

Yes, but an unconscious enemy can be stripped naked, bound tightly about the wrists and ankles, and left in a cage full of hungry giant lizards so you can be entertained by every shriek as they're torn apart and eaten alive. Mokele

Ahh, found the phylogeny: Evidently, "monkeys", if it excludes apes, is a paraphyletic clade (much like "dinosaurs" is paraphyletic if it excludes birds). Roughly, there's a common ancestor for all monkeys and apes. That split into New-world monkeys and another line. The other line split again into old-world monkeys and another line. That line in turn split into gibbons and apes. So, just as humans are a group within the clade "apes", "apes" is a group within the clade "monkeys". I think this is just one of those situations where cladistics and the English language don't line up, thereby generating confusion. Mokele

Well, since, if I'm recalling the phylogenies correctly, apes evolved from monkeys, wouldn't it be accurate to state that humans evolved from monkeys, just as it would be to state that humans evolved from lobe-finned fish? Mokele

Quite possibly, but as you already noted, it would merely be a temporary relief, rather that a solution. Such reliefs, like the retroviral inhibitors we already have on the market, do help, but are hardly a cure or a preventative. It would also probably cost more than modern HIV drugs for the same effect, at least initially. Mokele

Reason #465 to own many large monitor lizards: A dozen or so 6 footers can strip a human body down to a skeleton within 24 hours, and even digest most of the smaller bones. A bit of work with a hammer and they'll even be able to eat and digest the larger bones completely. Only hair, nails, and fertilizer left. What intruder? Nobody ever broke in here. Why, yes, thanks for noticing, the marigolds *are* coming up nicely this year. It's a special, secret fertilizer blend. Mokele

The funny thing is, iirc, those words were an insult. At one point, Hooke and Newton got into it, Hooke claiming Newton had stolen his work. Newton said "If I have seen farther than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants" because Hooke was apparently quite short. So basically, their motto is a snide insult by Newton.

Wrong. IQ cannot be used in cross-species comparisons like that. IQ is a measure within a group of the deviation from an average. Thus, that a dog performs actions before a human child is meanginless, becuase the averages for the species are so different. By your logic, a baby lizard is more intelligent than any baby mammal, as it has an effective IQ of infinity: Mental age of an adult of the species / chronological age of 0 (fresh out of the egg). IQ doesn't even measure accurately across races of humans. Why would you think it would work across species? Mokele

They sound like a really cool species, and a few places in the US have actually begun breeding them (and other members of the genus) recently. Still, there something about the intelligence behind the eyes of most monitors that makes them enthralling.

You do realize that I have better things to focus my mind on than a petty arguement that's long since over, right? Simply assuming that my post *must* be motivated by strong feelings about you is a foolish assumption, without basis or logic. Sorry to break it to you, but you simply aren't that important. I have far more pressing concerns than a minor tiff on a messageboard with a random person. Mokele

Here's my question on a space elevator: How do you actually *build* it? You'd start with the satelite, but then you have to attach the nanotubule cord. Obviously it can't all be done at once. Do you lower it down? How do you do that without the friction of air on the cable slowing the spacecraft and dragging it down? For that matter, I doubt you can just bundle up that much cable to ship it up there. If you ship it in sections, that would make it easier, but doesn't the problem of the joints in the sections defeat the purpose of nanotubules (since the joints would be the weakest part)? I can easily envision the finished product. What I'm having trouble envisioning is the construction process needed to actually *create* that product, mostly the attachment/deployment of the cable. Mokele

And remember, it's in beta, so any problem you have or requests (like a way to search for full-text only) can be emailed to google.

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it" -Aristotle Whether you can come to an agreement is irrelevant. What determines an open or closed mind is if you are willing to genuinely listen to someone's arguements and consider their merits independent of your opinions. Now, that doesn't mean you have to accept them. You can listen and consider, and still find their arguement is a load of fecal matter with no supporting logic or data. But if you listened and considered it, rather than just dismissing it out of hand because you'd already made up your mind, then you're still open-minded, even if you reject their theory. That's pretty much all it is: listening without bias. And remember, skeptic does not equate to closed-minded. Mokele

Actually, no, they aren't scientists, even though they erroneously label themselves as such. They do not (and cannot, because of their belief's unscientific nature) follow the scientific method, and therefore are not scientists. Mokele, nit-picking

I'm suprised this hasn't actually been posted here yet. Google's new scholarly search engine I tried it out, and was delighted; I immediately found several papers I'd been after. It's still in beta, and doesn't give full-text access to all articles (but does for a fair few), but it's still awesome! Try it out! Mokele

Yes, but which species uses it's own tongue as toilet paper?

Just use kinetic and potential energy. Potential energy = mgh, kinetic = 0.5mv^2 (that's supposed to be "v squared") When on top of the wall, the man has all potential energy, and no kinetic. When at the bottom, he has all kinetic and no potential. Since we know the total energy must always be same, we know the initial potential energy must equal the final kinetic energy. So: mgh = 0.5mv^2 Then cancell out the mass, gh = 0.5v^2 Multiply by 2, and square root each side sqrt(2gh)=v So the sqaure root of 2 times the gravitation acceleration times the height equals the final velocity. Alternatively, you could be a smartass and say "0, he stops when he hits the ground." Mokele

Riiiiight. I suggest you abandon armchair psychiatry, if this is indicative of the shallowness of analysis your feeble intellect is limited to. Oh, and for your information, while I'm bi, I actually lean more towards the opposite sex in my preferences. You do realize that not all bi individuals are just in denial, right? My reply was an attempt to correct your ignorance. Evidently I underestimated the depth of that ignorance. So we should all just be satisfied with nature, eh? No curing genetic diseases, no protheses for those born without limbs? Yes, we are *affected* by reason (and spelling). Your post has failed to show either. Discontinuing this is probably a good idea, lest you embarrass yourself further. Mokele

How is it remotely "insulting to humanity" that a couple who's in love can utilize modern technology to have a baby? Or is in-vitro fertilization for infertile couples also "insulting to humanity"? You know what I find "insulting to humanity"? That individuals would denigrate and discriminate against others simply because of a quirk of nature that some are to ignorant or homophobic to come to terms with. Really? Hi, I'm a bisexual male. I'm also a black belt, with training in 2 other additonal martial arts styles in addition to my primary style, one of which focuses on weapons. I won't boast too much, but between my training, my raw strength, and my cunning, I'm hardly a pushover. I hate to break it to you, but not all gay or bi men fit into the stereotypes you see on TV. Most are just your average joe, and display a similar range of values in terms of every trait imaginable. While the artistic types may be more flaming about it, there are gay individuals from all walks of life, ranging from pro football players to scientists. I suggest you lay off the stereotypes and aquire some actual knowledge of the subject and individuals therein. Mokele

That's your back yard? Damn, I'm jealous!

Sounds like a plan, especially since over Xmas break I'll likely be scarce. Thanks very much, I'm glad my tendency to gibber incessantly about my favorite subjects isn't too off-putting. Mokele

It's not correct, though it would make an interesting debate. I suspect they had a diverse range of metabolic rates, though I also suspect that few were quite as high as some suspect. The large ones are unlikely to have had very high metabolisms, due to the low surface area to mass ratio, but the small ones may have had higher matabolisms. How high is debatable, though; after all, while we know dromaeosaurs were fast, how do we know they weren't near-ecothermic sprinters as opposed to endothermic marathon runners? Or maybe something in between? So, while my position isn't exactly as you thought, I'd still enjoy a good debate on the subject, if you would. Unless by sheer irony this is your position too. Even then, though, I could take the "all ectotherm" stance just for kicks and to play Ectotherm's advocate. Mokele

Do you count as having evolved if atomic tests in the south pacific turned you into a 165 foot monster with the urge to destroy Tokyo at every opportunity?

Borg nanoprobes. ::nods knowingly::

Thanks very much, both of you. I guess not having a life can pay off after all... Mokele

Wow. Just Wow. I mean, I like black humor and all, but even I feel a bit guilty for being happy about those results...