Forum
A place to discuss topics/games with other webDiplomacy players.
Page 507 of 1419
FirstPreviousNextLast
wamalik23 (100 D)
21 Feb 10 UTC
live game in 15
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22161
1 reply
Open
wamalik23 (100 D)
21 Feb 10 UTC
live game in 10
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22160
1 reply
Open
KaptinKool (408 D)
21 Feb 10 UTC
Why don't some profile's points line up?
When I consider joining a game I usually like to scan the user's I will be competing with, however some users points don't seem to make sense. For instance there is a user who has -50 D (Parallelopiped) in play, and a user (akilies) who has 303 D available and 99 D in play, but for some reason has a total of 646 D. Why do these errors occur?
14 replies
Open
Dreadnought (561 D)
14 Feb 10 UTC
Who are we and where did we come from?
Eh?
Page 2 of 12
FirstPreviousNextLast
 
orathaic (1009 D(B))
15 Feb 10 UTC
We are not evolving toward any specific target. The standard 'natural selection' merely re-enforces evolution toward survival (to child rearing age) and this influence affects us on a social as well as genetic level - we are 'evolving' on a social level as well - without genes passing on information it is easier to change the info faster - but too much mutation tends to result in ideas failing and becoming tainted with their failure (like certain economic systems)

It is not biological evolution, but we are mutating on a genetic level, affected by viruses which add themselves to our dna, many social pressures which alter of gen pool... not toward anything - because we have mosstly made survival very easy y altering our enviroment - but increasing our own genetic diversity (which is better than is happening in the genes of show dogs - breeding programmes which have encouraged specific traits to be encouraged beyond the point where they are healthy for the animals...

but it is still going through the mechanisms of evolution - we may soon be able to predict the effects of a genetic illness waay before birth and thus abort potentially unhealthy foetuses. We are currently able to show partners whether they have dissimilar HLA genes (which have a large effect in the immune system - HLA dissimilar couples tend to have better sex lives, cheat less often and produce offspring with more robust immune systems - that said Women have been show to be able to pick HLA dissimilar men based on smell - so that effect is probably already effecting choice of partner)
orathaic (1009 D(B))
15 Feb 10 UTC
wait, Crazy Anglican, where do my remarks categorise?
Oh wait I forgot to add 1

Snide tally sheet from whiney Christian with head cold 1
Hi orathaic

I kind of saw it as refutation (probably more of a counter assertion) based on evolution, but as SS Reichguy's Scriptural reference didn't really have much to do with evolution's validity, I was at a loss.
KaptinKool (408 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
@Crazy Anglican - It is true, one of the best examples is Dr. Francis Collins, M.D. Ph.D, he was the lead scientist on the Human Genome Project and is a committed christian (who is also a committed evolutionist).

Christians can do good science too :-)!

P.S. where did my post(s) fit in?
I saw yours as one correction of Scriptural reference & a realistic view about where the thread was heading. There was also a reasonable evolution remark that I didn't catch the first time so we can up that tally to 2. :-)
Interesting that you mentioned Collins. I've got "The Language of God" right beside my keyboard. I haven't had a chance to finish it yet, but it is quite interesting. D'Souza's "What's so Great about Christianity" is a good read as well. I've actually got about five books going right now, I should really settle on one at the time.
KaptinKool (408 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
Hey cool I just read that book last month. Dr. Collins showed some great insight on traditional thought and how evolution could be ratified from a theological standpoint. Never read any D'Souza before, guess I should check him out.
warsprite (152 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
Clockwork Universe 5.0?
checkmate (0 DX)
15 Feb 10 UTC
we'r a quantic erything-nothing who came from a singular nothing-everything
checkmate (0 DX)
15 Feb 10 UTC
by the way, i'd recommend the book "zero to infinite, the foundations of physics" by peter rowlands
Thucydides (864 D(B))
15 Feb 10 UTC
lol care to elaborate a bit check mate sounds interesting.

oh by the way the answer to your question, OP, is this, no arguing necessary:

we don't know, and we may never know. now get on with your life lol
NoSho (237 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
In its simplest form, evolution can be described as a shift of allele frequency in a population. Based on that definition, the human species is certainly evolving, as the very simple act of sexually reproducing causes a shift in the allele frequency in a population. There are several other mechanisms that contribute to the shift in allele frequency and I would certainly argue that our species is still subject to most of these mechanisms, natural selection included. As much as we like to think we have conquered nature and so live outside of the natural world around is, the fact is that we are very much a part of the natural world. We are in fact the product of the natural processes of our planet and are therefore subject to its laws.

Also, god(s) is(are) dead. And that Asmov short story is awesome. And if I had to answer the orignal poster's question, I'd say I'm a person and I came from Colorado, though I don't live there anymore.
SSReichsFuhrer (145 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
hey now my scripture reference agrees with science. our bodies are stardust. i have no problem with atheist who say our bodies are stars or monkeys. i personally dont think their monkey but definitly stars. but when they say we i dont agree. i am not my body. but atheist/scientist doesnt believe in a soul so were all happy and can agree on this ya?
SSReichsFuhrer (145 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
by the way nosho how can a god die? the definition of god is infinite and eternal life so how can he be dead? you can say he never existed but does that explain how this all came about? sure were star dust but where did the godamned stars come from? until scientists tell me where the beginning happened im gonna go to church on sunday. i did today
SSReichsFuhrer (145 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
hey now my scripture reference agrees with science. our bodies are stardust. i have no problem with atheist who say our bodies are stars or monkeys. i personally dont think their monkey but definitly stars. but when they say we i dont agree. i am not my body. but atheist/scientist doesnt believe in a soul so were all happy and can agree on this ya?
KaptinKool (408 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
@NoSho - I actually don't remember why I brought up sexual selection, however I never said it wasn't evolution. Also the height shift we see in developing countries hasn't altered anybodies genes.

Also a general note, God can't be proven; but conversely he can't be disproven and I don't think anyone is going to change their mind based off of a forum discussion/
checkmate (0 DX)
15 Feb 10 UTC
@ thucydides, i've got some elaborated rough drafts about the subject, but this are in spanish, and as they have certain philosophy flavour, i might spend some time trying to 1. complete them in an acceptable way and 2.translate them in an accurate english.
we need, for instance, make conventions about the meanings of "being" and "existing" (and in spanish "being" might mean two different things, while "existing" might mean another different thing)...

anyway, i've been a little inspired by that book of peter rowlands, though i don't fully agree with his radical nihilism, and checking it might be a good start.
KaptinKool (408 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
My point with the height thing was that it is not an evolutionary change, human genes haven't been altered, it is just the result of proper nutrition.
Obligatory Nietzsche quotes 2 (same quote apparently missed by the second poster)

Book plugs (that will most likely never be read by someone who doesn't already agree with you) 4 - I think I'm guilty of half of those.
As far as I can tell we all agree (with the exception of Sun Xi and possibly SS Reichsguy) that humans are still evolving. The height change is most likely a change in diet as evolutionary changes tend to be slow and gradual and this change isn't. It would probably also be reversed in general by a change in diet in the other direction. Giantism and dwarfism are still evolutionary liabilities as they shorten the lifespan significantly of those afflicted. It's not as if for some reason giants were better able to reproduce than dwarfs and were systematically replacing them.

To put it in other terms we don't say that Americans are genetically predisposed to heart disease while Japanese are not. "If a Japanese person moves to the USA and conforms to the dietary habits of Americans then in about ten years he'll share all of the health risks of that lifestyle." (Dr. Kenneth Boss- 6/09)
Thucydides (864 D(B))
15 Feb 10 UTC
Any argument about the development of the species and humanity that is not evolution has about as much evidence backing it up as does the 9-11 conspiracy theory. That's just an empirical view. Whatever it suggests is not my concern, I just know that it is getting harder and harder to deny what's been thoroughly vetted.
orathaic (1009 D(B))
15 Feb 10 UTC
those the dietary habits of a nation count as a natural influence which will help select how likely you are to survive?
Certainly but not how likely you are to reproduce.
Heart disease brought on by dietary choices usually being a progressive illness that usually doesn't kill you until after you're sexually mature. Congenital heart defects would be more of an issue for evolution.
NoSho (237 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
Still, heart disease brought on by diet could be a selective pressures due to the social nature of our species. Individuals whose parents die at 45 or 50 of heart disease would not receive the benefit of having those parents around to help out, so individuals whose parents and grandparents DON'T die of heart disease at 45 or 50 may be more "successful," though I don't know if that would always translate into biological success. It may instead lead to social success, which is related but not necessarily the same thing as biological success.

Tangentially, it's interesting to note that the more educated and affluent an individual is in western society, the fewer offspring they have and therefore the less they impact the overal genetic pool of the species. Current social pressures appear to be steering the species towards a less intelligent future. Idiocracy anyone?
That seems to ascribe social pressures (or the notion that one set of genes is superior and therefore desireable) to evolution. I'd posit that most people do not select a mate based on medical history. It seems that your argument is more a reflection of Social Darwinism than evolution, unless I'm missing your point.

Also (yes dexter I'm making a 100% turnaround from my facetious statement in the Uganda thread) the current trend is toward higher birth rates in the Western countries. SO that trend seems to be reversing. I'd also dispute that intelligence and level of education are technically the same. So, we're not really moveing toward a less intelligent future. (although I assume your statement was facetious as well)
@ thucydes

Veiled assertion that there is still somehow a war between science and religion (can you think of another argument against evolution?) 1


There is actually none for the most part. A few people on both sides assert differently, but this war between science and religion can basically be traced back to two 19th Century books. They were "The History of the Warfare between Religion and Science" by John William Draper and "History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom" by Andrew Dickson White. Both books were so misleading that they've been largely discredited as historical sources and few people actually read them or have even heard about them anymore.

Here is an interesting article that refutes the "War between Religion and Science" and makes the argument with citations that it is more rightly a war between Naturalism and Reigion, with Science being used as the weapon on both sides. Yes evolution has lead to a reinterpreting of the Creation story but when a Jesuit preist came up with the "Big Bang Theory" is was naturalists that tried to discredit it as a universe with a beginning didn't fit with their model. Science forces both sides to reinterpret what we know about the material world.

http://www.bede.org.uk/conflict.htm
@ nosho

I think I may have misread you. Okay so a person's parent dies at 45-55 from heart disease. Odds are, his/her offspring are still at sexual maturity by then. As an evolutionary pressure the parents (both of them?) dying from heart disease would have to result in the child never reaching sexual maturity or significantly hurt their chances of reproducing.

The converse may be more likely. If the death results in financial hardship for the family then the children will be forced to "grow up faster" and probably begin families of their own at a younger age. So the pressure that you suggest may have the opposite effect. I'd say the effect would be negligible in either direction though.
SSReichsFuhrer (145 D)
15 Feb 10 UTC
I agree we are adapting but when u say evolving i wouldnt say if we needed to we could grow more arms just because we needed to. i would say we reform our brains or the roughness of our skin or things like that. i mean if all that kept happening wed look different in 40,000 years sure but wed still look human

Page 2 of 12
FirstPreviousNextLast
 

338 replies
Conservative Man (100 D)
21 Feb 10 UTC
Anon game please join!
2 minutes left
gameID=22153
0 replies
Open
jman777 (407 D)
21 Feb 10 UTC
Live Game: 5 pt buy in, 5 minute phases. come join!!!
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22089
2 replies
Open
tmg996 (147 D)
21 Feb 10 UTC
JOIN SATURDAY NIGHT FAST GAME!
5pts 5 mins 3 more people
0 replies
Open
Conservative Man (100 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
I would like an expert analysis of this ongoing game.
gameID=22117
How well did I play tactically, stategically, and diplomatically?
11 replies
Open
PatDragon (103 D)
21 Feb 10 UTC
Live game, anyone?
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22149
0 replies
Open
azzaron (1765 D)
21 Feb 10 UTC
New Live Game
http://webdiplomacy.net/gamecreate.php
1 reply
Open
The_Master_Warrior (10 D)
18 Feb 10 UTC
Favorite Quotes
Any source is fair game. Ready, set, go!
68 replies
Open
jwalters93 (288 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
yet *another* gunboat. (again...)
well, the first one didn't work, so we'll try again...

http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22134
4 replies
Open
azzaron (1765 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
"Gunboat"
What does "Gunboat" mean? I see it in the title of a lot of games....
10 replies
Open
jwalters93 (288 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
yet *another* gunboat.
i know, it's *another* gunboat, but it's only the second one i've tried playing. come one, come all.

http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22132
4 replies
Open
DingleberryJones (4469 D(B))
19 Feb 10 UTC
Assassination in Dubai
.
39 replies
Open
superplayer (100 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Nerd Olympics World Game
2 days to join. Game Name is Nerd Olympics. ID # 22083. 12 hour deadlines, and the pot is only 5 D! A great game for anyone who is an interim newbie-expert who wants to try this variant. A very rewarding experience for all! The title speaks for itself!
2 replies
Open
Bugger (3639 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Petition to Kestas: Server Downtime - More time NEEDS to be added to games
When the server goes down, it would be best to add a full phase of the game or at least 12 hours. Reasoning inside...

Side Note: Ghostmaker, I've PMed you about League games related to this, please get back to me about that.
13 replies
Open
Barn3tt (41969 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
30 point, wta, live game- please join
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22122
0 replies
Open
Conservative Man (100 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Saturday Quickie 2
gameID=22117 Please Join!
6 replies
Open
chad! (157 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
live gun boat
4 more people ten more minutes
gameID=22118
1 reply
Open
uclabb (589 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Reminder to People Who Joined goondip chaos game
Actually play! Don't miss your turn!

http://goondip.com/board.php?gameID=346
0 replies
Open
dr_lovehammer (170 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Saturday Quickie II Live game
We had 6 players sign in to Saturday Quickie.
Please join this game
Went to 10 minutes (slightly more manageable)
0 replies
Open
airborne (154 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Gunboat: SMS Dresden
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22116
50 buy-in, 1 day and 1 hour phases, one week to join
0 replies
Open
curtis (8870 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Need one more for a live game
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22113
0 replies
Open
curtis (8870 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
gunboat live in 15 minutes
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22112
3 replies
Open
Lando Calrissian (100 D(S))
20 Feb 10 UTC
two more for a game
http://www.webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22109
0 replies
Open
DingleberryJones (4469 D(B))
20 Feb 10 UTC
Question for Hockey Fans
Something I've always wondered. Why is hockey huge in Sweden and Finland, but not Norway and Denmark? Why is it huge in Czech Republic and Slovokia, but not Hungary, Poland, Austria or Germany (the 4 surrounding countries on the map)?
4 replies
Open
GlueDuck (129 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Live Game
Got a live game coming up in about an hour. 10 point bet PPSC

gameID=22100
1 reply
Open
azzaron (1765 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Live Game Starting Up!
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=22098
0 replies
Open
Noob179 (645 D)
20 Feb 10 UTC
Blackberry users - able to access via mobile?
hi. I was travelling yesterday and attempted (for the first time) to log in using my Blackberry. I could see the map fine...but the chat text was superimposed over everything and nearly impossible to read. Has anyone else had this problem - and if so, is there a way to fix it?

Thanks in advance.
1 reply
Open
Page 507 of 1419
FirstPreviousNextLast
Back to top