• Post removed.
    The stakes of the question? I just wanted to see if "super intelligence" is a fathomable thing. I have no idea what it is other than a term used by some in AI. Perhaps when referring to aliens the term could be used too. But I don't know what limitations to our human ability the term refers to besides processing power.
  • Anyone in the forum get an appendectomy?


    I think my digestive system physically can't comfortably handle fatty meats like it could before. The taste in my mouth is the same, but causes a nausea instead of affinity towards those flavors.
  • Anyone in the forum get an appendectomy?
    Hmm. I heard of one other person that had long term changes in tastes.
  • Conservatives buy lower quality products (when not status symbols)?


    Maybe it was an incomplete study. But I imagine it is easier to ask a person their political stances than asking how much money they have.
  • Conservatives buy lower quality products (when not status symbols)?


    I'm not saying the produce that lacks good symmetry is bad or that those that does isn't breeded for appearance primarily. But assuming people aren't growing it themselves this is the choice.
  • Masculinity


    I would just keep it simple. A man has masculine physical characteristics and functions physically. Their style of communication can be anything. Their interests can be anything. I would try to extract sex from common societal roles which are more subject to change.
  • Best weather to buy pizza?
    I personally am not a fan of melty foods when I myself am being melted.
  • Best weather to buy pizza?


    Pizza is popular during football season which are generally colder months.
  • Juneteenth as national holiday.


    I wouldn't have the Emancipation Proclamation as a holiday because it only freed slaves in states that opposed the union. Many northern states continued having slaves until the 13th amendment.
  • Juneteenth as national holiday.


    I know a few black people who had never heard of the holiday until it became national. Largely celebrated in Texas.
  • Should there be a cure available for autism?
    How is the cause of autism described? I think depression can be linked to hippocampus size and communications with other brain parts. Perhaps drugs or brain stimulation can improve brain function in major depression which is a disease. If there are brain scan hallmarks for autism maybe a therapy could help address it as well if brain manipulations like that become a possible therapy. If the condition burdens a person than I see no reason not to call it a disease. Maybe not high priority as Parkinson's or cancer but still should be studied to find treatment.
  • What is everyone's favorite Spring/Summer weather?


    Definitely hate heat waves. Stay inside to conserve energy. Only after it passes can I be productive again. In the winter it is largely overcast. They say the clouds keep heat in, but honestly would rather see sun even if it were colder. In the summer definitely prefer medium temps. Lots of more mediterranean people seem to want their skin to start on fire. I honestly wonder if they have fewer nerves at the surface. Lol.
  • Does the future affect the past?


    Surprised so few have approached this experiment like Sabina. So basically the data is interpreted wrong? Sensors 3 and 4 are wrongly not considered together for comparison?

    I think Sabina actually did do a video suggesting that reverse time travel at least for information might be possible without causing paradox.
  • Micromanaging god versus initial conditions?


    I didn't mean to put this in lounge.
  • Micromanaging god versus initial conditions?
    This is a post about religion in an analytical sense. Why wouldn't it belong in this section? It is related to infinite power. It is no small topic.
  • Right-sized Government


    My focus is more on electric companies and things that literally are ridiculous to have redundancy. Basically a government regulating monopoly. As far as intelligence there should be less redundancy, but I fear one big intell agency without any groups that can investigate them as a safe guard.
  • Right-sized Government


    I worry concern over size is driven by paranoia over being watched like China watches its citizens, or at least AI does. If the government programs get things done more efficiently than individuals can than all the better.
  • Right-sized Government


    Politicians that talk about oversized government definitely don't talk about what size they'd be comfortable with. I suppose if there could be a politically unbiased group of business people that try to increase efficiency in places that are designed to make money versus to help people survive which is a main purpose of governance. I suppose it is hard know the exact benefit of certain government investments in the shorter term.
  • Life is more than who we are?
    So a person's identity is all that matters? Life isn't about more?
  • Life is more than who we are?
    Is it really obviously true though?
  • Karma. Anyone understand it?
    And what decides the value of what we give? Many do things that to many might seem bad and get back what many consider good. If you ask Conan the Barbarian how to behave he would say to be bold and war like because his god favors that behavior even though it doesn't benefit many.
  • Life is more than who we are?
    I assume it means maybe we invent stuff to be important when maybe our identity is actually all that really matters? But society forces us to work within the confines of priorities that may actually be hollow?
  • Karma. Anyone understand it?


    Where is good versus bad determined without a conscious being to decide?
  • If there was a God what characteristics would they have?
    What about the concept of humans being made in the image of a god, but far short in abilities? And if a god were in fact all powerful would the term "scale" even mean anything? They couldn't then work with the very large, very small, and everything in-between at the same time without compromise to the choosen ends?
  • If there was a God what characteristics would they have?


    So you agree that a single god with unlimited knowledge must be sadistic, or indifferent in terms of morality?
  • If there was a God what characteristics would they have?


    Well I assume any such god would need to be different than that of any religion in the sense of having very serious limitations that many may not find reassuring.
  • If there was a God what characteristics would they have?


    Oh I don't care about street cred. No diety gets worship from me, and thus far none have made their desire to be worshipped let alone presents known. So that isn't a requirement for me. I guess I would start with immortal, and able to set very large or very small scale things into motion.



    I can't speak to original sin or if that's a real thing. But biology is just how energy changes forms. If a deity is limited you can't really be sure what options they have. I'm not even going to assume this god created us or started anything from scratch.
  • If there was a God what characteristics would they have?


    What are the prerequisites of being a god? Humans create stuff that we set into motion that reach scales we cannot manage anymore. Gods need not be grand. Just have superior means than us, which isn't a tall order.
  • If there was a God what characteristics would they have?


    Perhaps, but assume they exist and aren't sadistic. Can we assume they aren't omnipotent?
  • Better but not superior?


    How do you mean? If I could have an apple and an orange or just an apple it couldn't make sense to chose the latter?
  • Do we deserve to exist and be alive?
    You're both right. It was a dumb question. I guess it can't be determined. But I guess I wanted to see what value could be given to this human existence that makes it inherently superior to being a rock.
  • Do any religions deny other Gods?
    I've been watching Hercules TLJs and Xena TWP lately. In many ways they explore multiple religions and allow them to coexist without conflict. I think they had Archangel Michael talk about reincarnation, they said hell was worse than Tartus, and mentioned karma. They did make Michael who is just an angel more powerful than Hercules though who is a demigod, and Callisto who was a full god at that point and made her into a demon under Satan, so they seemed to favor Abrahamic religions over the Greek religions, but in general they seemed to merge the religions of the world well.
  • Do any religions deny other Gods?
    "Frauds" but still conceivably as real?
  • "Don't wish for an easy life. Wish for the strength to handle a hard life."
    Well maybe the issue is wanting or expecting extremes. Surely one can hope for a life that is pretty far from the bottom rung of society? Living out of ones 20s? Not being abused by an authority? Not suffering horrible illness ones whole life that can't be overcome?
  • Nihilism. What does it mean exactly?


    Well maybe meaning can never be truly objective as everything object oriented will always be filtered through our mind, but it really would be nice to have a purpose so I don't leave this world not knowing if I fell short. I am not satisfied living for dopamine.
  • Nihilism. What does it mean exactly?
    https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2023/02/06/meaning-of-life/

    This was an interesting summary of the meaning of life in general. I still worry that only after we exit life can we know what its meaning was assuming we still exist to observe and analyze what happened in life.
  • Nihilism. What does it mean exactly?


    So all meaning must be derived from ones own mind, and one can still seek pleasure as a nihilist even if pleasure, pain, numbness, oblivion, are all basically the same to them beyond biological preferences?