don't see this
latest comments:
i picture a young sassologist (edward) writing this: | tildabut what if you only get ONE FLIGHT????!!!! | tilda
thoughts | edward
notably | edward
i trust... | brad
Sub Seven Dollars | edward
feeling good about my potential results this week! | tilda
model s! especially if they offer it in the thunder gray (and with the dark gray perforated leather seats) that they have for the roadster.
nothing quite like a delay in one's travel plans to cause rumination on time travel, eh?...and yes, i know i may be aping for the first bit, but just wait
however, i had an uneasy feeling as i read the above, and despite the credential differences involved (physicist vs. failed physics major) at least felt that describing the queasiness might lead to its abatement.
the author proposes four "fundamental ground rules" of time travel, which are the following:
- Only one universe (no multi-verse)
- No travel before your machine was built
- Can't kill grandpa
- You really don't have free will
after even a brief skim, it becomes obvious that rules 2-4 are simply ways to avoid the paradoxes inherent in positing rule 1 plus time travel. and while i'm sympathetic to number 4 (especially if combined with a corollary that nothing is fated either - all is ultimately random), such sympathy adds little to a series of rules which essentially rule out time travel itself. after all, if one's appearance (using t-travel) is unable to change any future event merely by presence alone, then one is existing in a world with rules that totally contradict relativistic and quantum mechanical physics as we know it.
the author's "dogmatic" insistence on rule 1 seems to be the primary villain, as he notes that no one has disproved the notion of multiple universes, and he then brandishes einstein to banish these universes. naturally there is no mention that einstein himself was completely unwilling to accept quantum mechanics, which is now fully accepted by the physics community, proving that even genuises can become hide-bound and conservative.
the solution is more simple than these rules - multiple universes, with every action shifting one onto ever differing planes. sure, you can kill your own grandfather, but the universe you will then inhabit will not include a second you later in time, should you decide to wait and see. this does produce one irritation, as anyone living with a time traveler would not ever see them again, as they would shift onto a different universe with their very first trip. while bad for movie-romances, perhaps it would at least achieve the benefit of being paradox-free...
Wow. Who knew being an adult was so bad? Well, this guy does now:
The difference in writing skill between sixth and seventh graders (between eleven year olds and twelve year olds) is quite noticeable. Many of sixth graders could not get past the literal definition of the word adult, describing the qualities that make an adult purely in terms of biology: Age, height, strength, puberty, armpit hair. Many others focused on accomplishments or privileges that distinguish adults from children: Advanced education, having a job, knowing how to drive a car, and being able to stay up late without getting yelled at.
Remember, these are just the funny sentences/excerpts. Do not assume that all students write like this. The assignment is given under standardized test conditions: 90 minutes with nothing but pencil and paper, with one additional hour available upon request.
You have to see all the answers. The one about collage is great.
Wow. Ezra nails the idiocy promoted by IBD:
People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.
Sigh. You could write some long response to the rest of the lies and distortions in that IBD editorial, but the more appropriate reply is to just warn people against ever reading the editorial page in Investor's Business Daily. It's not just that they didn't know that Stephen Hawking was born in England. It's that the underlying point was wrong, as you'll note from the continued existence of Stephen Hawking.
Hilarious.
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