abefortas

5 ms·

1.
by abefortas 16y ago
I don't know if Despommier suggests this, but mightn't his idea make more sense if the towers were used for growing things like mushrooms?
2.
by abefortas 17y ago
I agree he's full of shit, but to be fair, that was one of Pinker's relatively few factual examples. I think it was good form on Gladwell's part to address only facts and not Pinker's thesis.
3.
by abefortas 17y ago
I feel bad when I get downvoted because I respect the opinions of other people on HN and they tend to use their downvotes pretty responsibly. I don't think upvotes are quite as meaningful, though.
4.
by abefortas 17y ago
I suppose you're right. I shouldn't have said "anyone." But I don't think there's any example of a good monarchy.
5.
by abefortas 17y ago
I doubt there's an example of a monarchy anyone would seriously want to move to, but Medieval Iceland was a fine example of a funstioning anarchy: for longer than the United States has existed they had aterritorial, voluntary government by
6.
by abefortas 17y ago
But Milton, you forgot Milton. I'm reading Paradise Lost. Maybe it is one of those things you're supposed to read, but it's genuinely really good. Like, "to be weak is miserable doing or suffering: but of this be sure, to do aught good neve
7.
by abefortas 17y ago
In my case it means the latter.
8.
by abefortas 17y ago
I don't understand. Have you actually read it? Where does he say anything about sticking it to the man, touching and feeling, or being special? I assume you think progress is good and the world is right, but you haven't explained why. You'
9.
by abefortas 17y ago
I think his message was mostly about how he is more free to use his time as he chooses, which seems like a noble goal to me, although I have my doubts about how well "dropping out" as he has done accomplishes this. Also, calling the stateme
10.
by abefortas 17y ago
Wouldn't it make more sense to downvote either to eliminate spam/noise or to signal disagreement? I'm all for stoning spammers, but I think it's more constructive to write a response if you disagree with someone.
11.
by abefortas 17y ago
The teams thing might be an interesting idea. But doesn't "structure with incentives, accountability, clear lines of authority, and very tangible goals" pretty much describe a typical classroom, and doesn't a typical classroom suck?
12.
Automatic Insurrection(objectivechance.com)
1 points by abefortas 17y ago|0 comments
13.
by abefortas 17y ago
I agree. I get rid of that stuff, but only to conserve screen real estate.
14.
by abefortas 17y ago
You're right. That's what I meant by evolutionary suicide, and my argument (well, it's not really mine) relies on all six assumptions, more or less. Although: Colonizing space and colonizing space to the point where you don't need to worry
15.
by abefortas 17y ago
It's a good example if it's right.
16.
by abefortas 17y ago
I would have responded earlier if I had noticed this. You're right that it's not quite a necessity. It's concievable that population growth could continue, albeit at a very slow rate, until people are ready to colonize space. I don't doub
17.
by abefortas 17y ago
If it was per capita it would also be total.
18.
by abefortas 17y ago
Fine, but obviously the population is going to stop growing.
19.
by abefortas 17y ago
Some people are against having a growing economy. Obviously the economy cannot grow indefinitely.
20.
by abefortas 17y ago
It's not a perfect comparison, but it's very true that civil rights protesters were lucky not to face some of the "less lethal" weapons available now.
21.
by abefortas 17y ago
Why do you think the "worst eventualities" are so catastrophic, if not because of such planning?
22.
by abefortas 17y ago
Either birds are dinosaurs, or they aren't. My brother says there ain't no two ways about it-- as you say, they are dinosaurs the same way I'm a primate. Obviously they aren't Composognathus* the way I'm not a lemur, but that's not what I
23.
by abefortas 17y ago
But "lemur" is rather more specific than "dinosaur." Dinosaur is just a broad category defined by scientists. If they want "Dinosaur" to include modern animals, that's up to them. From the tone of your answer, you sound pretty confident t
24.
by abefortas 17y ago
This is interesting, and would be epsecially so if he could actually get to a making a dinosaur stage. Larsson says chickens are direct descendents of dinosaurs. He is a paleontologist. My brother says they are dinosaurs. He is merely
25.
by abefortas 17y ago
No. There are other kinds of value besides monetary value. An artwork is not a porsche. Even if I had anywhere near enough money to buy a Kiefer, there would be no room for it in my house, and it would not belong there anyway. I think it i
26.
by abefortas 17y ago
Depending on the meaning of value. I value lots of works of art very highly, but I've hardly ever considered buying art. I think art can have value without being particularly saleable. And with certain kinds of art, the fact that it's pop
27.
Jim Sanborn's "Terrestrial Physics"(washingtonpost.com)
2 points by abefortas 17y ago|0 comments
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by abefortas 17y ago
Maybe he was arguing against democracy, not government? His point-- and it's one I think I agree with-- is that majority decision making really only differs from tyranny only numerically. The alternative, I suppose, would be voluntary gover
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by abefortas 17y ago
I don't think I have any ethical responsibility to help make sites I go to profitable. I also don't like looking at ads. In the case of Gmail, Google can easily absorb the cost of my not seeing ads. If they don't want to do that, they sho
30.
by abefortas 17y ago
I'm not sure if there's any important distinction to be made between spying and "round the clock supervision." Either way, it's overbearing and paternalistic.

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