Author Topic: Random Thoughts Thread  (Read 159535 times)

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Offline Sigmaleph

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #540 on: April 05, 2016, 07:38:31 pm »
Σא

Offline Zygarde

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #541 on: April 06, 2016, 12:22:09 am »
Guess what bitches, the wolfs returned!

Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #542 on: April 06, 2016, 12:29:32 am »
Awwwwwwwww shit!
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Offline Askold

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #543 on: April 06, 2016, 12:34:37 am »
Evolution isn't as efficient as people think it is. Particularly it doesn't prune off things that don't give advantage as long as it's not too harmful.

Then again, evolution is all about who gets to have kids that survive. Sometimes all you need for that is luck and sometimes a particularly useful genetic trait will disappear simply because the ones with the gene end up dead due to random tragedies.

Seeing as seeing as many colours humans can is already more than what most animals can it might be that the average colour blindness isn't so bad that it would really cause trouble to people.
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Offline rookie

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #544 on: April 06, 2016, 12:50:37 am »
Askold, I'm not sure if this is relevant or not, but it seems like the past couple thousand years or so we as a species have been able to live with a lot more mutations than we have in the past. Someone who is colorblind has had someone being them the right mushrooms in exchange for somd other good or service. If you're a blacksmith, seeing the color isn't as important than seeing the intensity of the glowing metal. A hunter looks for patterns and uses as hearing as anything. To put it another way, these mutations aren't the detriments they once were. And the colorblind blacksmith and hunter are able to successfully breed based on other qualities attractive to women. Anyways, society sends to be fighting evolution. But then I could be way off with this.
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Offline Katsuro

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #545 on: April 06, 2016, 02:31:08 am »

Offline Katsuro

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #546 on: April 06, 2016, 02:38:42 am »
Evolution isn't as efficient as people think it is. Particularly it doesn't prune off things that don't give advantage as long as it's not too harmful.

Yes true, but surely for a trait to become the norm found the the majority of a population rather than the exception, even a very common exception, it must provide some advantage (or become sexually desirable)?  Otherwise why would it find its way into into the majority of that population rather just in a few or half the population?  How would it become the normal/standard or whatever the actual word I'm looking for is if having it or not having it made no difference to your chances of having offspring or to how many offspring you could have who shared the trait and would then be more likely to survive/breed and pass it on and so-on?  Or at least be caused by spandrel from a mutation that is advantageous if it isn't advantageous itself.

Offline davedan

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #547 on: April 06, 2016, 02:42:05 am »
Well there are vestigial traits which no longer provide a benefit, I think the prime example is usually the appendix.

Offline Katsuro

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #548 on: April 06, 2016, 03:40:21 am »
Well there are vestigial traits which no longer provide a benefit, I think the prime example is usually the appendix.

Fair point.  But still raises the question what was the benefit before the trait became no longer beneficial, but not detrimental enough to get selected out, and why did it cease to be benificial?

The colour vision thing also raises the totally definitely serious question of why aren't there more female snooker players?
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 03:42:16 am by Katsuro »

Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #549 on: April 06, 2016, 08:16:50 am »
I was under the impression that the appendix was actually much more useful than people claim.  If memory serves, its main role is a sort of reinforcement garrison for intestinal bacteria, mostly on standby unless something upsets the balance by either killing a number of them or they're ejected when you get a bout of the runs.  You can live without it easily enough, it just makes things more efficient, like our 2nd kidney and lung.
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Offline Askold

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #550 on: April 06, 2016, 08:38:14 am »
The colour vision thing also raises the totally definitely serious question of why aren't there more female snooker players?

The "obvious" answers would be that it has been considered a MANLY sport and women either haven't felt like they would want to try it due to the reputations and/or the few women trying it haven't been welcomed into the sport and have given up due to the bullying or purely since they get ignored.

And now comes the point where I use the Google to see if this has been investigated.

...

http://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/27253279

One possible reason given is that few women can afford to play professionally (as single women generally make less money and apparently the idea of a husband/wife supporting his/her wife's hobby was not worth considering to the writer) and the top female Snooker player thinks that the main reason is that men have a single track mind that helps them concentrate on the game while women get distracted.
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #551 on: April 06, 2016, 11:57:01 am »
Its odd to me that, for all the extensive reflection features .Net has available to it, it has no method in the Type class to determine if you can create an instance of said type.  I had to actually create a method for that myself.  Not particularly annoying, since I know the rules regarding whether or not something is insantiable (must be public, non-abstract, and not an interface), just an...oddity.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #552 on: April 06, 2016, 12:05:45 pm »
Self-hate level: strong enough to actually consider upgrading to Windows 10.

Skype hasn't worked for a week because of some bullshit about folder permissions (and when I tried to follow the instructions on the Skype forum, the motherhumper STILL won't let me log in), and I miss Skype.

Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #553 on: April 06, 2016, 12:09:59 pm »
Did you install it to Program Files?  In Win 7 and above, do NOT install things like games and Skype to Program Files, as the folder is protected by default.  Mayhaps reinstall it to a separate folder outside Program Files and see if it stops bitching, then?
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread
« Reply #554 on: April 06, 2016, 12:18:11 pm »
It just started ragging on about folder permissions out of the blue after months of working perfectly. I'll try your thing, though.

EDIT: Nope. Reinstalled it, moved Skype away from Program Files, still doesn't work. The net says I should remove Read Only from Appdata folders or some shit. I tried that, but when I checked, they'd been returned to Read Only and I had to do that shit again. FUCK.

DOUBLE EDIT: Turns out I just had the wrong password all along. WHY THE DICKSHITTING CHRIST DID IT SAY THERE WAS A FOLDER PERMISSION ERROR! GAAAH! SHIT GOT ME HEATED!
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 12:43:17 pm by Even Then »