Search found 263 matches

by Modax
2012-08-09 06:04am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Alcubierre Drive Question
Replies: 6
Views: 2614

Re: Alcubierre Drive Question

While we're waiting for Kuroneko to get here, here is something I found on the physics stack exchange which sort of answers your question: The interior of the bubble is causally disconnected. It's not possible for the bubble to be turned off or steered from the inside. But there is no reason it cann...
by Modax
2012-08-09 04:57am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Physics study on feasibility of Armageddon scenario
Replies: 9
Views: 3099

Re: Physics study on feasibility of Armageddon scenario

And of course Doomsday 2012 scenarios have abounded in the news for a long time. NASA has spent some time shooting these theories down - including one of a world ending asteroid. "The Earth has always been subject to impacts by comets and asteroids, although big hits are very rare. The last bi...
by Modax
2012-06-20 02:25pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Survival of consciousness (reincarnation)
Replies: 35
Views: 7474

Re: Survival of consciousness (reincarnation)

I would happily refer the people in this thread to Greg Egans unflinching take on the purely materialistic base of our mind in Permutation City. http://www.amazon.com/Permutation-City-Greg-Egan/dp/006105481X No, the OP is an example of a 'purely materialistic' view of the mind. I second your recomm...
by Modax
2012-06-20 08:37am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Survival of consciousness (reincarnation)
Replies: 35
Views: 7474

Re: Survival of consciousness (reincarnation)

A lot of people seem to think that consciousness must be inseparably tied to specific atoms. I think this may come from a naive, literal view of monism, the idea that the universe only contains of matter and energy. In fact the universe additionally contains information . Information is represented ...
by Modax
2012-06-14 08:12am
Forum: Artwork, Music and Photos
Topic: recommend me music i wouldn't know except by recommendation
Replies: 60
Views: 25279

Re: recommend me music i wouldn't know except by recommendat

Poster: Modax

I guess Limpopo are pretty obscure since they have no wikipedia article. This is the best I could find on Youtube but they are on itunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ehbhboJzfY

and for something completely different, I give you Skiltron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1hnAZmZx68
by Modax
2012-02-08 02:14pm
Forum: Gaming, Electronics and Computers
Topic: Temporarily lost connection to web but somehow not to skype
Replies: 8
Views: 1815

Re: Temporarily lost connection to web but somehow not to sk

Thanks - I will try your "tracert www.google.com' command if this happens again.
by Modax
2012-02-08 01:53pm
Forum: Gaming, Electronics and Computers
Topic: Temporarily lost connection to web but somehow not to skype
Replies: 8
Views: 1815

Re: Temporarily lost connection to web but somehow not to sk

Thanks for the reply - so the web and email use DNS but Skype uses something else? Since today is the first time I've noticed this issue, I'm not going to do anything to my router (and I haven't so much as touched it today so I'm pretty didn't do anything to cause the problem). What would be an exam...
by Modax
2012-02-08 01:05pm
Forum: Gaming, Electronics and Computers
Topic: Temporarily lost connection to web but somehow not to skype
Replies: 8
Views: 1815

Temporarily lost connection to web but somehow not to skype

Can anyone explain this? For around 15 minutes this morning my laptop couldn't connect to any website, (I tried about a dozen sites and everything came up as 'page cannot be displayed, DNS not found') but somehow at the same time skype was working normally and i was talking to my friend. I don't und...
by Modax
2011-12-27 07:35am
Forum: Gaming, Electronics and Computers
Topic: PC upgrade question
Replies: 21
Views: 2897

Re: PC upgrade question

Thanks for all the replies!

So I will try upgrading to a larger case, a new PSU, and a Radeon 6870. How many watts do I need? Can someone reccomend a PSU as well? How does this 750watt one look? http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX34711

And what vendor should I look for for the graphics card?
by Modax
2011-12-26 12:07pm
Forum: Gaming, Electronics and Computers
Topic: PC upgrade question
Replies: 21
Views: 2897

Re: PC upgrade question

I bought the system back in 2006, and it has Windows Vista 32-bit installed. I also forgot to mention that it has a 500-watt power supply, which really should be MORE than enough for what I'm running but I suppose that is another possible problem area. And my monitor is a 1680x1050 resolution, so i ...
by Modax
2011-12-26 07:35am
Forum: Gaming, Electronics and Computers
Topic: PC upgrade question
Replies: 21
Views: 2897

PC upgrade question

I have a PC with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, 3gb ddr2 ram, and an Nvidia 512MB 8800 GT graphics card. Its in a small case which can't fit anything much bigger than the 8800 GT. If I play any game which seriously stresses the graphics card for more than 30-40 minutes the game crashes. Sometimes...
by Modax
2011-12-08 05:10pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Philosophy students: Moral judgment is worse than murder.
Replies: 41
Views: 8354

Re: Philosophy students: Moral judgment is worse than murder

I was teaching my senior Philosophy class. We had just finished a unit on Metaphysics and were about to get into Ethics, the philosophy of how we make moral judgments (...) The students could not go from their vague discomfort to a rational ethical conclusion because they have never learned traditi...
by Modax
2011-09-16 03:56pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: First planet orbiting binary stars discovered
Replies: 9
Views: 2876

Re: First planet orbiting binary stars discovered

So once again we have to shift our estimate of the number of planets in the galaxy up. If planets form anywhere, even in binary star systems there must be trillions of them. To think that 20 years ago we had no evidence of the existence of exoplanets. Unbelievable.
by Modax
2011-08-17 03:24am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Xeeleeverse Humanity (Exultant era) vs. Galactic Empire
Replies: 6
Views: 3415

Re: Xeeleeverse Humanity (Exultant era) vs. Galactic Empire

Yeah, I didn't realize that. I still think, though, that the SW ships would win in tactical battles if not badly outnumbered.
by Modax
2011-08-17 03:15am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Xeeleeverse Humanity (Exultant era) vs. Galactic Empire
Replies: 6
Views: 3415

Re: Xeeleeverse Humanity (Exultant era) vs. Galactic Empire

^that should probably have been in a spoiler tag. The OP's scenario was based on Humanity's capabilities in the first part of Exultant.
by Modax
2011-08-17 02:48am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Xeeleeverse Humanity (Exultant era) vs. Galactic Empire
Replies: 6
Views: 3415

Re: Xeeleeverse Humanity (Exultant era) vs. Galactic Empire

To clarify, in a tactical battle between ships, the empire is going to win. But in any sort of large scale campaign the xeeleverse humans cannot lose. They could send ships into the SW galaxy's past and prevent the empire from forming. Overthrowing the empire without destroying its history would be ...
by Modax
2011-08-17 02:29am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Xeeleeverse Humanity (Exultant era) vs. Galactic Empire
Replies: 6
Views: 3415

Re: Xeeleeverse Humanity (Exultant era) vs. Galactic Empire

The xeeleverse humans use time travel as a fundamental part of their military strategy. They were able to hold their own against the near omnipotent Xeelee. I don't think the empire are really in the same league. Even if humanity's weapons would initially be ineffective against SW ships, they would ...
by Modax
2011-08-13 07:34am
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: I am about to embark upon a great journey...
Replies: 1
Views: 829

Re: I am about to embark upon a great journey...

Good luck, man! That does sound like an epic journey. Take lots of photos if you can.
by Modax
2011-08-07 04:47pm
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: Herr Thanas goes to Australia (STRAYA)
Replies: 41
Views: 4833

Re: Herr Thanas goes to Australia (STRAYA)

There's also the harbour bridge, and the zoo. And outside of Sydney is the Blue Mountains region, which is really beautiful.

(I visited Sydney with my dad in 2002)
by Modax
2011-08-07 03:35pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Reaction to extraterrestrial contact?
Replies: 14
Views: 3611

Re: Reaction to extraterrestrial contact?

Are there even any stars at 20 light years out? Only star I can think of which is that close is the Alpha Centauri system. (I say "system" because it's actually three stars orbiting each other.) Yeah, there's at least 18. http://www.solstation.com/stars.htm If they are at the same level o...
by Modax
2011-08-07 02:46pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Reaction to extraterrestrial contact?
Replies: 14
Views: 3611

Re: Reaction to extraterrestrial contact?

I would be shocked. To detect an intelligent civilization only 20 lightyears away seems mindbogglingly unlikely. The implications would be staggering. Are they confined to their star system like us or are they a remote outpost of some pan-galactic civilization? If they are at the same level of devel...
by Modax
2011-07-15 04:20pm
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Saw Inception, did not enjoy it (spoilers)
Replies: 25
Views: 4478

Re: Saw Inception, did not enjoy it (spoilers)

You missed the part right after where it is learned that if you fuck around like that the entire dream turns on you and tries to kill you? I remember that now. But for example when they are in the alpine base and the dream is already trying to kill them...why they can't dream up an airstrike or do ...
by Modax
2011-07-15 03:08pm
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Saw Inception, did not enjoy it (spoilers)
Replies: 25
Views: 4478

Saw Inception, did not enjoy it (spoilers)

I have heard all the praise this movie has received and I really wanted to love this movie, so I rented it the other day. But from the beginning it was difficult for me to suspend disbelief in the premise. For one example the idea that you can just somehow 'import' an architectural design that you m...
by Modax
2011-07-05 12:12pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Quantum Loop Gravity falsified?
Replies: 3
Views: 2181

Re: Quantum Loop Gravity falsified?

I have never been able to wrap my head around the concept of space itself being grainy. Is that related to the "shorted possible distance" issue, or something else? ...Sorta. I'm no physicist but I'm going to do my best. It's like this. Two completely separate branchs of mathematics are C...