Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#556

Post by ponchi101 »

Behind paywall.
But it is indeed one impressive instrument. I gather the Hubble will be slowly faded away, or used for closer objects.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#557

Post by Suliso »

SpaceX has launched their Falcon 9 rocket 61 times this year (all successful). That's most by a single rocket type since Soviet R-7 (61 out of 64) in 1980. Very likely there will be more launches next year. Existing infrastructure can support 80-90.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#558

Post by ponchi101 »

That's very impressive. Is that already at the stage in which it can also land? I belief it is recovered, right?
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#559

Post by Suliso »

ponchi101 wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 4:13 pm That's very impressive. Is that already at the stage in which it can also land? I belief it is recovered, right?
Yes, most first stages have landed successfully. A few were intentionally expended because customers needed extra performance. Last time the first stage failed to land properly was March 2020. Overall it has landed now 160 times. A routine operation really...
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#560

Post by ti-amie »

“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#561

Post by ponchi101 »

And...
I was right. That sort of AI is a very dangerous thing.
I wonder if that streak of members that appeared and disappeared from the forum (starting with Cuckoo) were precisely that. Prototypes.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#562

Post by Deuce »

ponchi101 wrote: Tue Jan 10, 2023 2:06 am And...
I was right. That sort of AI is a very dangerous thing.
I wonder if that streak of members that appeared and disappeared from the forum (starting with Cuckoo) were precisely that. Prototypes.
That would be interesting, wouldn't it be? And quite unfortunate.
And, yes - there were a few 'members' that popped up in the summer, engaged in dialogue and discussion in the forum, then suddenly disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared. Cuckoo was the one who lasted the longest and posted the most, but there were others who engaged with posts a few times, and suddenly disappeared a week or two later.

There was something about Cuckoo that had me rather constantly questioning whether it was truly a 16 year old, or whether it was an adult playing around. The frequency of posts was consistently very high, even for a 16 year old. And then 'she'(?) just suddenly disappeared without a word, which was quite odd, considering how much 'she'(?) had engaged and participated in discussions.
But the thought that it might be some sort of technological wizardry related to A.I. never crossed my mind.

Tragically, these 'advancements' in technology inherently mean that we will all be questioning more and more whether something - or even someONE - is real or artificial. And that's not a good thing at all, for many reasons.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#563

Post by ti-amie »



“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#564

Post by Deuce »

^ Yes... Once again, 'technological advances' are fed by EGO, and not by need.
Humans have this incessant desire to 'show off' what they can do, and completely dismiss negative consequences in the process.
Of course, if there's money to be made, negative consequences are dismissed even more.
This pure selfishness - disguised as 'advancement' or 'progress' - is disgusting.

On a positive note... at least one person stopped to help the people involved in the accident. But dozens did not.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#565

Post by Owendonovan »

Personally, I feel absolutely no need for auto piloting, none. Seems lazy and unpredictable, two qualities I look for in nothing.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#566

Post by ponchi101 »

Mainly, it is so you can text while driving.
I wonder if there will be a point at which, if this idea that we need to leave everything to automation, we will do anything. Driving, do our shopping, learn a skill, cook, read a frigging book (as opposed to AUDIBLES).
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#567

Post by Deuce »

A couple of years ago, a friend and I went to watch another friend play in a local tennis tournament.
I knew the way to get to the tournament - it was not difficult. I told my friend (he was driving) how to get there. But he insisted on following the GPS directions (because he's a gadget guy/'techhead'). As a result of following the GPS directions, we drove about 7 miles more than we would have using my directions. Basically, it was a long, semi-circular loop instead of a straight line.

But that wasn't the worst part of the day...

Returning to my friend's vehicle after watching part of the tournament, my friend put his wrist watch up to his mouth and said "Show me the way home".
I'm not kidding, sadly. To me, this was going beyond the ridiculous - to the realm of the insane. I put an immediate stop to the nonsense and told him that I will show him the way home - and I did, and we went my way, and made about 15 minutes better time than we had made going there following the GPS directions.

In the following days, I thought about my friend telling his wrist watch to 'show him the way home'... and I concluded that if this ridiculous and embarrassing trend of relying on 'technology' for things continues in the same direction and at the same speed as currently, then in about 25 years, human evolution will result in humans being born without a brain. Because people are not using their brains anymore.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#568

Post by Suliso »

GPS is a complete savior when you're driving in areas you've never been to before. Particularly if there is no one to ask and/or you don't understand the local language. It might not always get you there by the fastest route, but it will get you there.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#569

Post by Deuce »

No... I'd say that GPS is more of a lazy person's 'saviour'.
People somehow survived before GPS. And they reached their destinations. Rather than being dependent on a machine that other people are managing, they relied on their own intelligence, resourcefulness, communications skills, kindness, and other once inherent human qualities which are rapidly diminishing due to the dependence on 'technology'.

These things are not necessities - they are mere conveniences and toys to brag about. And they take people away from being self-reliant and using their brains.
It was once said that 'necessity is the mother of invention'... and perhaps that was true at one time. But today, ego and making money are definitely the mothers of invention, and not necessity.

People today have become so dependent on 'technology' to solve problems for them that I honestly believe that a significant degree of intelligence will vanish in the evolution of human beings over the next several decades.
Most adults today wouldn't know what to do if their GPS failed - they'd be lost - both literally and figuratively. Yet 30 or 40 years ago (and prior), a 12 year old child would be able to figure out what to do in a similar situation - because there was no 'technology' to solve problems for them, people had to figure things out on their own, and develop their intelligence while doing so.
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Re: Science/Techno Babble Random, Random

#570

Post by Suliso »

Yes, they did. Got lost and arrived sometimes hours later. :)

Washing machines and hot showers are not necessities either. People used to live without them.
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