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Dannyboy-the-Dane

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Posts posted by Dannyboy-the-Dane

    Awesome stuff thread

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    This is what I was referring to specifically:

     

    Scientific evidence that you probably don't have free will

     

    As the early results of scientific brain experiments are showing, our minds appear to be making decisions before we're actually aware of them — and at times by a significant degree. It's a disturbing observation that has led some neuroscientists to conclude that we're less in control of our choices than we think — at least as far as some basic movements and tasks are concerned.

     

    [...]

     

    For example, a study by John-Dylan Haynes in 2008 showed a similar effect to the one revealed by Libet. After putting participants into an fMRI scanner, he told them to press a button with either their right or left index fingers at their leisure, but that they had to remember the letter that was showing on the screen at the precise moment they were committed to their movement.

     

    The results were shocking. Haynes's data showed that the BP occurred one entire second prior to conscious awareness — and at other times as much as ten seconds. Following the publication of his paper, he told Nature News:

     

    "The first thought we had was 'we have to check if this is real.' We came up with more sanity checks than I've ever seen in any other study before."

     

    The cognitive delay, he argued, was likely due to the operation of a network of high-level control areas that were preparing for an upcoming decision long before it entered into conscious awareness. Basically, the brain starts to unconsciously churn in preparation of a decision, and once a set of conditions are met, awareness kicks in, and the movement is made.

     

    [...]

     

    Indeed, Sam Harris has made a compelling case that we don't have [free will], but that it's not a problem. Moreover, he argues that the ongoing belief in free will needs to come to an end:

     

    "A person's conscious thoughts, intentions, and efforts at every moment are preceded by causes of which he is unaware. What is more, they are preceded by deep causes — genes, childhood experience, etc. — for which no one, however evil, can be held responsible. Our ignorance of both sets of facts gives rise to moral illusions. And yet many people worry that it is necessary to believe in free will, especially in the process of raising children."

     

    Harris doesn't believe that the illusoriness of free will is an "ugly truth," nor something that will forever be relegated to philosophical abstractions. This is science, he says, and it's something we need to come to grips with. "Recognizing that my conscious mind is always downstream from the underlying causes of my thoughts, intentions, and actions does not change the fact that thoughts, intentions, and actions of all kinds are necessary for living a happy life — or an unhappy one, for that matter," he writes.

    good stuff thread.

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    I've been enjoying the summer holidays so much the past week; the first couple of days were mostly focused around all-night gaming sessions, and the past few days have been all about binge eating at home with the parents. :heh:

    Awesome stuff thread

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    I bet that's what is going on with us as well. This whole "Earth"-thing is just a random game of Civ 200 running in some nerd's computer. He's not even playing, but just spectating what happens when every human and living creature have their own AI.

     

    Well, some neuroscientific findings suggest we do not have free will, but may simply be very advanced AI's in a huge system of causality.

    Do you judge?

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    We all make assumptions (of varying degrees of qualifiedness) all the time; that's absolutely necessary to be able to navigate the world. What is essential, though, is whether we're willing to verify and, if proven wrong, reject those assumptions.

     

    As for judging people, I try not to; I prefer to judge actions.

    Gentlemen's Mafia III - The Court of Miracles

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    I've given a full reveal and you still find me suspicious because of one post I made with a question for ReZ? This is ridiculous. I was even the second person to vote for him!

     

    I've somehow been branded as a suspicious person for no damn reason and it's getting to me now. I've been roleblocked the last four nights (last night I was attacked by some kind of animal beast) and I've seriously lost the will to play now. If anyone cares I'd suggest hunting down the last person to roleblock me (assuming it's Animal?) as this has come after I've fully revealed myself and have proven to be an info gatherer.

     

    Don't expect anything else from me this phase.

     

    The beast you were roleblocked by is most likely heroicjanitor's hound, considering it's capable of roleblocking whereas Animal's a reverse tracker.

     

    You do seem to be reacting more emotionally than you are wont to do, which arouses some level of suspicion, but on the other hand you've made some distinctly non-mafia (or at least very risky) moves. You're a great mafia player, hence people are generally cautious about you. :heh:

     

    I am not mafia.

     

    that's for mr cynical up there :p

     

    As I mentioned last day phase I do not investigate single posts, but the remaining posts of a specific player from when I use my power till the day ends. This is why I suggested we pick a specific player to make a clear post at the end of the day phase for me to investigate so as to use my power optimally; unfortunately the previous day phase ended before that could be arranged.

     

    At this point I especially want to hear from @Jon Dedede, @Magnus Peterson and @Sprout, as they have stayed somewhat in the background.

     

    Anyway how come you didn't protect Danny?

     

    He doesn't protect against kills.

    bad stuff thread.

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    So I finally discovered why I need to pay £1000 in electricity. Its basically e-ons fault, which I had no doubt for a second.

     

    Our bills since September when we got back from New York have always been pretty cheap, the gas is always about £100 and the electric has never been above £40 for every quarter.

     

    Originally we questioned this, but given the company had our meter readings and they weren't estimated bills, we thought nothing of it and assumed that due to us both being out 99% of the time and very rarely using anything but two computers and some lamps, that was just how it was.

     

    Wrong! We even had eon take a meter reading in March to ensure we were paying what we should be and not under the odds and be whacked with a huge bill.

     

    Step forward to June, whacked with a £1000 bill, they have messed up around for over a week telling us to take meter readings, when they must have known what was happening at this point.

     

    Apparently someone missed that we were under paying for 9 months and hadn't raised it, instead they just added the total of what we owed and placed it in one bill, meaning that whilst we need to pay off this £1000 we also need to pay anything we owe between now and when we leave them.

     

    Because let's face it, I'm not sticking with a company thats been so unbelievable stupid for nearly a damn year. Thankfully we've got the payments to £70 each a month and only owe £500 each, so we can get this sorted soon. But yeah...fuck. They also want the first payment Monday, lovely folk.

     

    Thanks eon.

     

    That's utterly ridiculous. I know you have to pay, but can't you at least file a complaint or something? They need to fix that approach.

     

     

    So....you staying in a job that you hate is you winning?

     

    I believe he means that if he simply does leave, the company wins and can keep doing what they're doing.

    The Android Thread

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    Doesn't bother me. It's nice for something to not be made in China. Not to mention that it's a US advert.

     

    Oh, yeah, no, I have no problems with it being a US product. It was just the whole tone of "Freedom! Fireworks! Burgers!" - you expect a fucking eagle to come soaring in! :heh:

    Cycle commuting?

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    I could probably very well cycle to uni from where I live, but being from the countryside, the one time I tried cycling in this city I was terrified. I felt so unsafe, even on the cycling roads. I've never been a particularly good cyclist; I only learned to cycle when I was about 12.

     

    Also, I'm lazy, and most of the road is one large hill. :heh:

    Drunken thread ftw!!!!!!!!!!!!

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    Does 'sobering up' before sleep really alter the hangover? I've never really done the science. I tend to just go to sleep and hate myself in the morning. Sometimes I do this when I've been drinking, too.

     

    Well, I figure the less drunk I am when I go to bed, the less horrible I'll feel the next day; though I really don't know much about the chemistry behind it. I have no idea if it works, but I've never gone to sleep extremely drunk, and I've never had a bad hangover to speak of. Then again I don't get truly drunk all that often (the other day was one of the few times), so I'm not really any sort of measure.

    Gentlemen's Mafia III - The Court of Miracles

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    Depending on when the day will end, I should clarify something about my power so that we may use it to its full potential from now on: I have to pick a target in advance during the day phase, and I then analyse all posts my target makes from I sent my PM till the day phase ends. Yesterday I was lucky enough that ReZourceman only made one post, hence it was easy to pinpoint what he was lying about. While it may be difficult to pull off, in order to attempt to maximise my effectiveness I suggest we pick someone near of each day phase to post something for me to analyse. I believe that approach is most likely to give us beneficial results.

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