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1 year ago
in Which direction do you stir? on Justin Hartman
Nice - just the kind of random stats that I like to see.
What software did you use to draw those nice graphs?
What software did you use to draw those nice graphs?
1 year ago
in Demo of colorblind vision on alistair.pott
Yeah you really do miss out. But there is a type of colorblindness which apparently makes camouflage less effective. So people with that colorblindness would kick ass at the game reserves!
1 year ago
in 2007 Darwin Awards on alistair.pott
Lynda, I am really sorry that you lost your brother - especially in such a needless fashion.
However, from the reports that I have now read (including your interview) I think it quite clear that the reports are actually true - he was playing chicken with his friend and I now know he was also drunk. It seems that he was trying to get out of the way when he was hit - but that doesn't make the report (as related above) untrue.
I understand how you probably find it hard that people have passed this story around - I can't really imagine how it would feel. I hope that you are able to come to terms with your grief soon.
However, from the reports that I have now read (including your interview) I think it quite clear that the reports are actually true - he was playing chicken with his friend and I now know he was also drunk. It seems that he was trying to get out of the way when he was hit - but that doesn't make the report (as related above) untrue.
I understand how you probably find it hard that people have passed this story around - I can't really imagine how it would feel. I hope that you are able to come to terms with your grief soon.
1 year ago
in Is organic necessarily good? on alistair.pott
Humans are indeed bad for the environment (in general)! It all comes down to how you define what is good/bad for the environment.
I still believe that in general (using most broader definitions of good/bad) farming is detrimental to the environment.
Besides, this isn't the point of the blog article. Even if farming is not necessarily bad for the environment (I still say that in general it is), organic farming is not necessarily good, and in fact in the long run is probably bad (depends on definitions of good/bad).
I still believe that in general (using most broader definitions of good/bad) farming is detrimental to the environment.
Besides, this isn't the point of the blog article. Even if farming is not necessarily bad for the environment (I still say that in general it is), organic farming is not necessarily good, and in fact in the long run is probably bad (depends on definitions of good/bad).
1 year ago
in Is organic necessarily good? on alistair.pott
You could argue that by altering (in most cases significantly) the environment farming is bad for it.
There may be "certain farming practices, under specific conditions" where farming may aid some parts of the environment (still questionable), but in general farming chews up environmental resources (space, nutrients, etc).
Converting veld to farmland is bad for the environment.
There may be "certain farming practices, under specific conditions" where farming may aid some parts of the environment (still questionable), but in general farming chews up environmental resources (space, nutrients, etc).
Converting veld to farmland is bad for the environment.
1 year ago
in Cool tools - Launchy on alistair.pott
There are a few reasons why Launchy is a better solution:
- Google Desktop provides a lot of other functionality so it's a resource hog. If you don't like that functionality (I don't) then it's not worth it
- Because Launchy is developed specifically for this I feel that it does and easier and better job
- I suspect that Launchy runs faster that G Desktop
However, if you are using Google Desktop and if it works as you say it does, then you get the same functionality - which is awesome.
- Google Desktop provides a lot of other functionality so it's a resource hog. If you don't like that functionality (I don't) then it's not worth it
- Because Launchy is developed specifically for this I feel that it does and easier and better job
- I suspect that Launchy runs faster that G Desktop
However, if you are using Google Desktop and if it works as you say it does, then you get the same functionality - which is awesome.
1 year ago
in When being special means nothing - the Anthropic Principle on alistair.pott
You are assuming, without proof, that only our universe is relevant.
That seems a reasonable assumption except that it means that only universes populated by life are relevant.
That seems a reasonable assumption except that it means that only universes populated by life are relevant.
1 year ago
in Rock paper scissors championships on alistair.pott
Dave you need to get in touch with your feminine side
2 years ago
in Cat-cam is one of the coolest things I’ve seen on alistair.pott
I suppose that we are going down a road to saying that privacy has been violated unless consent is provided.
For instance, this cat's privacy has definitely been violated because he had no choice in the matter! Similarly people who pop up on Google Street Views also had no choice in the matter -> privacy violation.
The alternative extreme says that any information stored about you is a violation of privacy unless you provide consent.
That in turn would be messy and would hurt innovation. So what should we do?
For instance, this cat's privacy has definitely been violated because he had no choice in the matter! Similarly people who pop up on Google Street Views also had no choice in the matter -> privacy violation.
The alternative extreme says that any information stored about you is a violation of privacy unless you provide consent.
That in turn would be messy and would hurt innovation. So what should we do?
