Spike: Taking up smoking, are you? Harmony: I am a villain, Spike. Hello!

Spike/Harm ,'Help'


Natter 58: Let's call Venezuela!  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


tommyrot - May 21, 2008 6:12:53 am PDT #8127 of 10001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

Whoa. Dude.

Researchers say we can all see into the future

Those geniuses at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have figured out something profound. If you think about it, this makes sense: It takes a tenth of a second for visual information to get from your eyes to your brain, so everyone has the ability to predict what’s going to happen a tenth of a second into the future. That’s what you’re actually seeing, is that prediction. If you weren’t, everything would look like it was recorded a tenth of a second ago.

So this makes all of us somewhat clairvoyant, just so we can experience our world in real time. This also explains how lots of magic tricks are done. In his research paper, clear-thinking scientist Mark Changizi mentioned 50 types of visual illusions that work because your brain is attempting to predict what will happen 1/10th of a second into the future. This is weird, and changes everything in a small one-tenth-of-a-second way.


Jessica - May 21, 2008 6:17:29 am PDT #8128 of 10001
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

That’s what you’re actually seeing, is that prediction. If you weren’t, everything would look like it was recorded a tenth of a second ago.

Isn't it more reasonable to assume that we're all living 1/10th of a second in the past?


Jesse - May 21, 2008 6:21:35 am PDT #8129 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

So now I had to check, and I'm glad to see the Mayo clinic thinks it's OK for me to just cut the mold off of cheese, at least: [link]


msbelle - May 21, 2008 6:21:49 am PDT #8130 of 10001
I remember the crazy days. 500 posts an hour. Nubmer! Natgbsb

Sue, give her my standard response for an old job asking me for anything. For a consulting rate of $100/hr, I would be happy to assist you.

Shrift - I am starting on my "hit by a bus" binder for daily tasks I do and I feel much the same way you do - it will be a tome.

mac would LOVE the CTFL.


tommyrot - May 21, 2008 6:23:07 am PDT #8131 of 10001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

Isn't it more reasonable to assume that we're all living 1/10th of a second in the past?

Yeah, that makes sense.

OK, this is weird - it takes about 1/2 second (after the initial stimulus) for us to become conscious of something. But then our brain sorta' "backdates" our impression of when we became conscious of something, creating the illusion that our consciousness occurs in real time....


CaBil - May 21, 2008 6:23:48 am PDT #8132 of 10001
Remember, remember/the fifth of November/the Gunpowder Treason and Plot/I see no reason/Why Gunpowder Treason/Should ever be forgot.

Jessica, probably not, because otherwise in certain high speed sports, such as baseball and luge, people would get hurt a lot more often. How much visual time do you have to hit fastball? Or to adjust a luge run so you don't go flying? In those scenarios, 1/10 of second counts...


shrift - May 21, 2008 6:28:53 am PDT #8133 of 10001
"You can't put a price on the joy of not giving a shit." -Zenkitty

I am starting on my "hit by a bus" binder for daily tasks I do and I feel much the same way you do - it will be a tome.

It's definitely making me feeling vindictive and contrary.

American Airlines will start charging $15 for the first checked bag, cut domestic flights and lay off workers as it grapples with record-high fuel prices. >[link]

They can't possibly think that's a good idea. I mean, dude, that would put me off ever flying American again.


Sparky1 - May 21, 2008 6:33:12 am PDT #8134 of 10001
Librarian Warlord

They can't possibly think that's a good idea. I mean, dude, that would put me off ever flying American again.

I suspect the other carriers will do the same soon enough.

I just hate the thought of all those additional people who will try to avoid checking a bag and have some oversized, overstuffed bag they want to shove into the overhead compartments. (I have issues with this because, as a short person, I've been whacked on the head so many times I can't even count them by people who could not wrangle their own bags.)


sarameg - May 21, 2008 6:35:18 am PDT #8135 of 10001

It's not good when you describe the efforts your team is putting forth as "not a design plan, this is damage control."

Uhg. I probably should have not said that (attitude!) but it is true. And not our fault.


CaBil - May 21, 2008 6:35:41 am PDT #8136 of 10001
Remember, remember/the fifth of November/the Gunpowder Treason and Plot/I see no reason/Why Gunpowder Treason/Should ever be forgot.

Hah! Another way to raise the price without raising the price. Fuel surcharges don't show up on the price comparison software until the very end, when they assume you will just suck it up, and now luggage fees that probably don't get assessed until you get to the airport.

They probably are hoping that everyone else decides to do the same thing. After all, virtually all the airlines went with the fuel surcharges rather than including it into the ticket prices...