EdgedThesis

Which is why I'd be interested in Xenobiology. Or is it Astrobiology? Hm.

Physics, though I'm probably better at Biology. The thing is, physics and it's laws are used in Biology and Chemistry, so it's all-inclusive and all-awesome.

Yeah, I bet it's probably a lot like sleeping. Being that sort of consciousness would be cool since I feel at peace when I sleep. Sleeping? Nah, man. You say you feel at peace? When you don't exist you can't feel. You can't think. You can't sleep. You're just not there. It's unfathomable. It's futile even to try, because when you're trying to imagine not existing, you're amplifying the fact that you do exist by thinking extremely hard. It wouldn't be bad, or good. It's just nothingness. You wouldn't experience it because you wouldn't sense, process, or postulate. I wouldn't like it just because I prefer life and activity over something that I can't even describe and where I will not progress. Though, it's probably the likeliest of fates after death. Like a candle's fire--the electricity and chemical processes surging through our body would just... wink out.

You should be happy if you consider yourself selfish for helping someone. It means you're programmed to better your society. It's a good thing. People really like sex, and so the population explodes. People enjoy seeing others smile, and so... Problems occur only with the existence of an alternate route that avoids being nice and lands you a better and more direct reward.

You'd prefer not existing to being bored? Oh come on. Having the inability to think is freaky. Sure, nonexistence wouldn't be too bad, primarily because you couldn't experience it, but I would rather be bored and still able to ponder my boredom.

Haven't gotten the chance to, besides the mundane 'nice things'. The most epic I've gotten is a couple of those 'get out from in front of that car!' shoves. Then again, that's more of an obligation than a 'nice thing'. Maybe a few times when I stopped some harassment from a gang of idiots. Sometimes I catch myself wishing for a terrible situation that I could resolve--after which I slap myself and get back to work.

Today... I believe Tip.It is the victim of a poorly organized 'raid'. Usernames 'NIGRO' and 'Anon' have been made recently. A 4chan thing? EDIT: Mods here do a pretty good job. Thumbs up.

Is that the Master Sword?

Ever read Prey? One of my faves. Can't believe I didn't mention Mr. Crichton. Prey was amazing, as was Disclosure (a book about office politics, interesting?! How the hell--). I was so sad when I learned that he died.

I think with the 'Pissing Gold' power you have the 'Locksmith' power pretty much covered. And, yes, this message was meant to invoke a hilarious mental image.

^Thanks for answering my questions. Dunno whether that was your intention--but meh, those links were useful. :thumbup: Whoops, was directed at Penguingeek.

I'm not a photographer or anything, but the very last picture is awesome. Despite the focus problems I've been reading about, it looks insane. The background is all ethereal and soft...and then the clear droplets kick you right in the eyeball. I enjoy the effect :P

Aaaargh for gods sake we are not a biological aberation, did you really not consider how insulting that would sound? There is no evidence at all that it is any form of abberation, there are no biological prices to pay for being gay with the possible exception of slightly greater increased risk of passing infection during sez, but that risk is present in hetero behaviour, thats just the nature of sex. There is far more evidence that it is an evolved trait to increase the number of care givers without dependants in a social group (Much like male frogs changing sex when there arent enough females in a group). Its a functional behaviour pattern. In the idea that the species is meant to spread, it's not meant to be like that. But if the species keeps growing so much, it'll end itself. EdgedThesis is saying that gays could be evolution's solution to this, to keep human virulence optimal. In other words, the same thing as you, I think. I was wrong in saying it was a 'problem', though. Sorry again. He brought up a good point that it may be an evolved trait to increase the amount of care-givers within any given society, but I have a question: How is this trait meant to spread throughout the population? Are you saying evolved evolved? As in, genetics? Or a just change in general human psyche because of such huge numbers? (Hey, or maybe there's a bio-trigger with each and every one of us, just waiting to be pulled?) If it's the former, how is this newer, more efficient gene group meant to spread and take effect in further generations?

Aaaargh for gods sake we are not a biological aberation, did you really not consider how insulting that would sound? There is no evidence at all that it is any form of abberation, there are no biological prices to pay for being gay with the possible exception of slightly greater increased risk of passing infection during sez, but that risk is present in hetero behaviour, thats just the nature of sex. There is far more evidence that it is an evolved trait to increase the number of care givers without dependants in a social group (Much like male frogs changing sex when there arent enough females in a group). Its a functional behaviour pattern. Sorry, that phrasing wasn't meant to insult. But surely you can't deny that homosexuality is not normal? It's not necessarily a bad thing. But it definitely isn't normal. If it was, than our population would have dwindled to nothing a long time ago.

It's a biological aberration. From that stand-point, it'd be seen as wrong. But seeing as how increasing human populations is stretching our resources taut, it may be very, very right. I say leave the gay people alone. If it is a genetic problem, then the malfunctioning code will be eliminated from the gene pool. Until further mutations occur elsewhere.

.....The sky was split in half with lightning. Jagged lines of bright, eye-searing blue struck the horizon in the distance, each with a thunderous crack! The display of light and fire was muffled and darkened only by the tattered gray clouds, the deafening howl of the wind, and the all-encompassing blanket of cold rain. .....In the chaos and darkness, there existed a small band of yellow and orange light. It was a city, forming what seemed like a bright barrier that would shield refugees from the storm. On either side of the city stood a humongous pillar of concrete and glass, reaching up towards the flowing gray of the sky above. They loomed above all other edifices like dark sentinelsthe watchers and protectors of all the tiny pin[puncture]s of light that lay beneath them. .....The eerie, high pitched shriek of the wind as it rushed through the corridors of the city picked up. Tear-shaped raindrops fell with a soft pitter-patter, creating a solemn, sorrowful beat that echoed throughout the city streets and played upon the rooftops. Curiously, the sound of two footsteps joined this collection of beatsthe only noises that dared to intrude upon natures discordant music. They came from the skyscrapers on the western and eastern sides of the city, almost simultaneously. .....One set consisted of the hard clacking of business shoes. The footfalls abruptly stopped, accompanied by the hollow flap of a black umbrella. The owner of both the shoes and the umbrella adjusted his glasses with a single gloved finger. It was The Scientist, enigmatic owner of the Western Skyscraper, dressed as impeccably as usual. The young man, sporting a five oclock shadow, then continued to the edge of his roof, taking in the vista of brilliant light that was his city. He then looked up, to the rooftops of his buildings eastern counterpart, as if expecting to see someone. .....His eyes met yet another pair of eyes, the two gazes blasting into each other like beams of pure animosity. The older, more wrinkled pair softened and looked away, becoming more focused on the water seeping into the white robes of its owner. The Clergyman, the bleached cloth of his dress flapping ceaselessly about in the wind, too walked to the edge of his roof to glance down upon his city. .....A frown framed his leathery face, enough to counter the angry scowl of The Scientist. Both of them had exit the safety of their homes for a reasonmen such as these do not simply walk into the freezing rain out of pleasure. The angry and depressed contortions of their faces were then justified: a single siren rang out over every rooftop, almost giving crescendo to the cacophony of the wind and rain. Then came the blackout. Every single light winked out with a metallic thump, all except a tiny glint upon the Eastern Skyscraper. It was an oil lantern, held aloft by The Clergyman. It was blown out after minutes, but the old man refused to let it die. It was once again burningonly to be extinguished once more. The Clergyman again revived it. .....The Scientist, now standing in darkness, saw this exercise in futility. Foolish old man, he thought. He closed his eyes, and though his glasses began to slip off of his rain-slicked nose, he did not push them up again. It fell with the characteristic tinkle of broken glass. The sirens grew louder now, the long notes now overwhelming the banshee-like screams of the wind. He simply thought. How do we get out of this problem? How can the city be saved? Millions of questions ran through his mind. None of them were answered. But still, he kept thinking. He would defeat this. The crisis would not overwhelm his mind. .....The Clergyman, shielding his lantern with his hands, kneeled down and began to whisper. The quiet wisps of voice that escaped his lips wafted over the city like ghosts. He prayed. .....The Scientist saw the kneeling white figure in the distance, and scoffed. He promptly returned to his meditation and search for answers. Sweat mingled with the rain as they both slid down his forehead. .....Suddenly, the lightning stopped. The thunder ceased its erratic drumbeat. The pitter-pattering of the rain was silenced. Yet, the siren still rang out in the midst of the dead quiet. Both eyes, wrinkled and young, looked towards the sky. A single black oval, trailing flame and smoke, burst through the clouds above the center of the city. .....The Scientists forehead was folded and distorted in frustration. His mind worked furiously. .....The Clergyman had an air of calm, his white robes gently rippling around his aging frame. His mouth bent into an acknowledging smile. .....The black oval whistled down towards the cityscape, riding the winds like a flaming horseman. The silencing quality of the dark comet was like that of Death himself. .....The mouth of The Scientist opened in an exhausted gasp while The Clergymen let out a knowing laugh. .....Crack! .....In a deafening wave of thunder no man had ever heard before, the missile hit the city. In a flash of lightning that had never before been seen, it released its inner fire. Every ear was deaf and every eye was blindno one could see the black mushroom cloud of the bomb leap forth from the ground to join the clouds. No one saw that, for a moment, all the concrete, glass, and steel of the city were like liquidthey rippled outwards from the explosion in successive waves of destruction. A wall of fire swept over every building. .....The faces of the men upon their sentinel-like skyscrapers were charred into permanence: .....A blackened charcoal smile lay amongst shreds of white cloth. Next to shattered glass and pieces of black umbrella, there was an expression of absolute fear. Kabir 'Tis a Parable. The message is obvious, but hey. Was fun to write. Did this for an AP English assignment.

Exactly. What is said on a forum would probably change if it were to happen in real life. I know my actions would just be based off my instincts and I wouldn't have enough time to weigh the pros and cons to make a logical decision. OR, if these exact same situations showed up in reality, people may turn to their choices on this forum reflexively. They'll hear the rhythmic thumping of the train's pistons as it hurtles towards the three workers, their hearts will be matching the beat--and their minds will be clouded with adrenaline and fear. And so they'll brace upon something they already went over before... this thread. They'll call upon a time where they could think clearly, remember their choice, and execute it. Edit: V--Good point.

The Dandy Warholes: 'Sleep'. Damn, what an easily loopable song. Next up? 'You Come in Burned'.

Books? Always. In a car or plane, I've always got on on hand. My desk is piled with them--my entire house is a mess. My libraries are double layered, the stacks resemble bricks. Loose paper sometimes litters the floor when I'm too busy to keep track of breezes. I was reading a load of science-fiction before, by Jack McDevitt. I tried to get some philosophy in there, too. Now I'm getting into some non-fiction, last few have been 'The Elegant Universe', 'A Brief History of Time', and now 'The Tao of Physics'.

Holy crap, all those old posters! They were hilarious. I used to lurk as a guest quite a bit before I actually decided to join.

You just blew my mind.

That observation wasn't dull. And I think you knew that. Was that interesting, paradoxical self-observation a last ditch effort to get someone to name you?

Congratulations, you have just become the Dazzler: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzler Well, the second part at least.

I think we had this conversation before. Telekinesis, definitely. But on such a huge magnitude, it becomes god-like. As in, I can stop the molecules in your body and freeze you to death. Or maybe speed them up and rip you apart in a flurry of heat and fire? I could fly, stop bullets, and rip holes in the fabric of space time. I can create an envelope of protective energy to passively defend my body, rip doors from hinges, make planets collide, etc. OR, a great substitute would just be mastery over the Force, if it existed. Jedi are the best. Either that, or Sylar's original power in Heroes. The ability to see how things... 'tick'. Of course, I would use these abilities for good. Though, once I obtain such ability, I may become so drunk with power that I forget my principles ;_;.

Um, this is nearly entirely wrong, everything is moving away from each other at the same speed but this doesnt tell us we are at the centre of the Universe So no matter where you are in the universe you always see things moving away from you, there no special place you can stand so that you can see. One good visualisation to do is imagine a barely inflated balloon, now draw little pictures of galaxies on its surface. Now blow the balloon up. As you are blowing the balloon up the little pictures of galaxies get further and further away from each other as the space in between expands. The interesting thing about this example is that it shows that the centre of the expansion is not actually on the balloons surface, flatlanders living on the surface of the balloon would have difficulty understanding where the centre of the expansion was, they'd see the pictures of the galaxies moving away from them no matter where on the balloons surface they were, but to them the centre of the expansion occurs in a dimension they are unfamiliar with. Which brings the idea that the centre of the universe might not actually be located within the Universe. What about objects within the balloon? It's not like there's just one curved plane where everything exists, right? Or maybe it is. I'm not sure. But if it isn't, then those objects wouldn't seem to be moving far away from us. Isn't Andromeda coming towards us? EDIT: Sorry, I didn't read an entire section of you post (the one equating us to flatlanders). Back to the balloon analogy-- the expansion of the Universe could be observed in three dimensions, right? As in, we are not flatlanders, but creatures aware that we are within a certain layer on a certain position in the Universe. Isn't the space within the balloon host to several more objects?