Random Rants 80: Computer Says No

[hobbsyoyo]

There was an earthquake. I judge earthquakes these days according to whether or not they were worth putting on pants for. At 4.0, this one was not.

Though I'm a bit worried it's just a fore shock for something bigger to follow as happened over in Ridgecrest a couple months back.

 

[Synobun]

There was an earthquake. I judge earthquakes these days according to whether or not they were worth putting on pants for. At 4.0, this one was not.

Though I'm a bit worried it's just a fore shock for something bigger to follow as happened over in Ridgecrest a couple months back.

Sorry, I tripped and fell.

 

[Farm Boy]

Flies always take off up from the surface they are on and a little backwards. If you don't mind fly on your hands, clap above it and behind it(relative to fly). The motion will startle it, and with some practice, it will take off and get skished, but not smeared on your screen.

 

[Kyriakos]

There was an earthquake. I judge earthquakes these days according to whether or not they were worth putting on pants for. At 4.0, this one was not.

Though I'm a bit worried it's just a fore shock for something bigger to follow as happened over in Ridgecrest a couple months back.

Did Trump tweet advise?

 

[Synobun]

Did Trump tweet advise?

Alabama never saw it coming.

 

[Takhisis]

Well, Wikipedia cites the Ionian spelling as Ἀθήνη, but notes that the -ene ending suggests that she was named after the city, rather than the reverse (see Wiktionary here for other spellings). Wikipedia also notes that Sparta is spelt Σπάρτα in Doric and Σπάρτη in Attic, so it doesn't seem all that consistent.

It could also be that the English form ‘Athene’ is inherited through French, which changes feminine nominative singular forms ending in -a to -e (Roma → Rome, Diana → Dianne, Maria → Marie, Francia → France).

 

[Mouthwash]

Recently, I was told something astoundingly horrible by a subscriber to total utilitarianism. I'm not going to repeat it here, but I've been upset for days.

Let's just say it was not entirely theoretical, and after hearing it I'm not just angry at utilitarians but wonder if there is grounds for imprisoning or censoring them. This wasn't some Peter Singer silliness. Even considering such a thing feels so sick, so lunatic, that Hitler himself looks normal and reasonable by comparison - and yet it does seem like a rational extension of utilitarian premises. (I doubt anyone here has even heard of the issue in question, much less this 'unique' recommendation for it, and you don't want to. You won't guess it, either. I assure you it isn't a variation of 'kill a billion people to save a billion and one'.)

This wasn't just some random person, though. It was one of the most active thought leaders of a certain online community, some members of which have made big names for themselves outside it. I think there's only two degrees of separation between him and the New York Times, not to mention certain famous corporate 'innovators'.

EDIT: It's way worse than the Repugnant Conclusion, which is considered a serious problem for utilitarianism. So I can hope that most of those purported ethicists would take it as such, were they to think of it.

 

[Zkribbler]

So there's some terrible, horrible something you won't tell us about? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with this.

 

[Mouthwash]

This is the rants thread. I really wanted to tell someone, but it involves some dangerous lines of thinking, even for non-utilitarians.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

It's way worse than the Repugnant Conclusion, which is considered a serious problem for utilitarianism.

I read that. I can't even figure out what it's about.

 

[Mouthwash]

Wikipedia's entry is clearer.

 

[sophie]

So there's some terrible, horrible something you won't tell us about? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with this.

I mean, he's railing against utilitarianism. It isn't hard to imagine what that might entail. Give a read of Hard Times if you're lacking for imagination.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Philosophy is confusing. I mean, for the trolley problem, couldn't you just pull the lever halfway and make it go off the tracks? (I hope nobody is aboard.) And why am I the only one who can do anything about it? Shouldn't there be people chasing down a runaway trolley?

 

[Ajidica]

Philosophy is confusing. I mean, for the trolley problem, couldn't you just pull the lever halfway and make it go off the tracks? (I hope nobody is aboard.) And why am I the only one who can do anything about it? Shouldn't there be people chasing down a runaway trolley?

 

[Lohrenswald]

Had a good year at university after 2 and a half of failure but now I think I'm back to failure again

 

[Takhisis]

^That (edit: Ajidica's post)'s basically the same as the prisoner's dilemma but with the added morbidity of one inflicting the direct consequences of one's actions on others instead of on oneself.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Now my head hurts.

 

[Mouthwash]

I mean, he's railing against utilitarianism. It isn't hard to imagine what that might entail. Give a read of Hard Times if you're lacking for imagination.

No, not this. Advocating working a few million people to death in concentration camps pales by comparison.

 

[cardgame]

Unless it somehow breaks forum rules to mention it, I don't know why you won't tell us more specifics.

 

[Ajidica]

Unless it somehow breaks forum rules to mention it, I don't know why you won't tell us more specifics.

Presumably because it was Mouthwash's own idea and he horrified himself. Remember back in the day he would get into arguments with someone outside of CFC and then copy their posts here to CFC and present them as his own to steal the response of the CFCers who responded to him?