Search found 68 matches

by |read|
Tue May 05, 2009 8:46 am
Forum: Help Desk
Topic: Interesting Problem/Puzzle
Replies: 4
Views: 3270

Re: Interesting Problem/Puzzle

Gah! Out of nowhere, the genie of the IP packet. But is this the real Victor, or a v-zombie? I shall attempt a Turing test. How are you, man?
by |read|
Tue May 05, 2009 8:30 am
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is the best defintion of evil?
Replies: 37
Views: 11893

Re: What is the best defintion of evil?

Then how can one know it exists at all? Perhaps one knows one is experiencing something, but with no way to characterize it, how can one know what it is, or whether it is "enlightenment"?
by |read|
Mon May 04, 2009 1:43 pm
Forum: Help Desk
Topic: Interesting Problem/Puzzle
Replies: 4
Views: 3270

Re: Interesting Problem/Puzzle

It's mastermind! From the original board-and-pegs to the anthropomorphized flash version, this game remains a classic. http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/427859 (Just keep a mental list of all the possible configurations given what you do know, then cross them off as you learn more. It helps to f...
by |read|
Mon May 04, 2009 12:33 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is Love? Or did we do this before?
Replies: 141
Views: 88884

Re: What is Love? Or did we do this before?

I'm flattered, but you really should attribute quotes to their original authors, even if you're a spambot.

Edit: Feel free to delete this post if you delete his/her/its post.
by |read|
Mon May 04, 2009 12:07 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is the best defintion of evil?
Replies: 37
Views: 11893

Re: What is the best defintion of evil?

There might be other levels to this. Underlying all communication lies a vast array of symbolic and ritual, perhaps even "sacred" signs that have been used since the dawn of time and can reach pretty far into our nervous system. Indeed. I'm fascinated by the idea that some of the alogical...
by |read|
Mon May 04, 2009 10:29 am
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"
Replies: 206
Views: 152720

Re: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"

So let me get this straight, David. My answer on the previous page describing force cards was not what you had in mind when you asked Let's consider one of his easier tricks to work out - Stephen Fry. Tell me what you think is happening here. You actually thought Brown subconsciously planted the kin...
by |read|
Sun May 03, 2009 8:10 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"
Replies: 206
Views: 152720

Re: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"

It looks authentic to me. I'm finding your attitude rather puzzling, given that you are someone who, if I recall correctly, values science. I'm not sure if this is disingenuous, or if it represents a genuine lack of understanding of science. Science deals in observable evidence, not speculation. My...
by |read|
Sun May 03, 2009 7:20 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"
Replies: 206
Views: 152720

Re: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"

The card trick could be done using a deck with only 3 different cards, which Stephen Fry is shown only briefly, and which we cannot make out in the video. The deck could contain the 3 of hearts (which he is told not to pick), the king of diamonds (which Brown effectively guesses while illustrating h...
by |read|
Sun May 03, 2009 2:36 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"
Replies: 206
Views: 152720

Re: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"

There were several small details that made me suspicious of the zombie video, mostly logistical, but the dead giveaway was the little blinks of light that can supposedly induce a catatonic trance in 1/3 of the population. Sometimes, a little knowledge of worldly matters goes a long way.
by |read|
Sun May 03, 2009 2:31 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"
Replies: 206
Views: 152720

Re: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"

I'm pretty sure that one is blatant fakery. You found the shrink's heartfelt testimonial very convincing, did you? I think Kev made a good point in his video about the efficacy of lying big - it seems so impossible, so audacious, he can't have simply made it up! Also, I think Brown banks on people's...
by |read|
Sat May 02, 2009 5:19 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"
Replies: 206
Views: 152720

Re: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"

In this video (which is awesome), Brown's victim is pretty clearly in on it. Derren, meet Criss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrmFYGO-_T0
by |read|
Sat May 02, 2009 4:53 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"
Replies: 206
Views: 152720

Re: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"

As for Bush, I think he's just about as dumb as everyone says he is. I think Cheney (and others) conned us into thinking we were being conned by Bush. Entertainers make us feel smart when they expose the "secrets" of single-level cons, but the big, world-fooling cons are always many-leveled.
by |read|
Sat May 02, 2009 4:41 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"
Replies: 206
Views: 152720

Re: Announcing "TheAbsolute TV"

The bit with Derren Brown and the fake money is unbelievable. In fact, I'm not sure I believe it. How do you know his victims aren't accomplices? Perhaps Brown is a classier version of Criss Angel. Angel's MO is to appear in videos performing amazing magic in front of live spectators positioned so a...
by |read|
Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:16 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is the best defintion of evil?
Replies: 37
Views: 11893

Re: What is the best defintion of evil?

I was going to say "Please derive my aversion to pain from nothing but A = A", but that would be flippant. Please get a book, and read about propositional calculus, then first-order logic.
by |read|
Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:38 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is the best defintion of evil?
Replies: 37
Views: 11893

Re: What is the best defintion of evil?

What the senses provide as well as any conclusions drawn from them are completely provisional. It doesn't work fundamentally different from arriving at some normative behavior. The distinction you try to make is not really there. Like a construct is created from the flow of stimulants (edit: I mean...
by |read|
Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:56 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is the best defintion of evil?
Replies: 37
Views: 11893

Re: What is the best defintion of evil?

Thank you for your thoughtful and civil response, Diebert van Rhijn. It's not about arriving at normative truths or axioms or finding new goals of pursuits in life. If you got that impression you should read more carefully. It's all about removing any illusion about them. What remains has no inheren...
by |read|
Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:25 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: The Problem With Women Today
Replies: 873
Views: 161164

Re: The Problem With Women Today

How would you describe the mental illness which underpins love?
by |read|
Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:58 am
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is the best defintion of evil?
Replies: 37
Views: 11893

Re: What is the best defintion of evil?

My main point is that the scale of good vs evil is orthogonal to the scale of intelligence vs stupidity; these 2 variables are independent. You can be smart and evil, or smart and good, or dumb and evil, or dumb and good. If you conflate intelligence with goodness, and conflate stupidity with evil, ...
by |read|
Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:44 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is Love? Or did we do this before?
Replies: 141
Views: 88884

Re: What is Love? Or did we do this before?

Quite the opposite. In order to decide whether or not something is truly reasonable, we need to look at our own biases, and compensate for them. The easy thing may look completely reasonable at first, but perhaps not so after we acknowledge that it is indeed the easy thing. As you say, the converse ...
by |read|
Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:37 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is the best defintion of evil?
Replies: 37
Views: 11893

Re: What is the best defintion of evil?

Action(s) and or a delusional state of mind that is the result of ignorance of negative effects on oneself or others. IE: power, security and pleasure derived from attachments to form. It's comforting to think evil suffers from a delusion, to which one's own intellect is superior. This is a mistake...
by |read|
Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:16 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is Love? Or did we do this before?
Replies: 141
Views: 88884

Re: What is Love? Or did we do this before?

Being in love and making a relationship work are 2 different things. But maybe you have more background information than I do. I guess my generalized advice would be determine which option feels easier and more comfortable, and then look critically at your own motivations - are you choosing the easy...
by |read|
Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:47 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is Love? Or did we do this before?
Replies: 141
Views: 88884

Re: What is Love? Or did we do this before?

I think what is difficult and what is easy is very much a product of each of our individual characters and previous life experiences. For some love is a the easy, default option, and for others it is the most difficult challenge. The former have a tendency embrace relationships when they probably sh...
by |read|
Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:21 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is Love? Or did we do this before?
Replies: 141
Views: 88884

Re: What is Love? Or did we do this before?

Careful? Limb? It's going downhill, and you're fascinated? I'm a bit confused by your cryptic remarks. Anyway, I want to give brokenhead at least one vote of confidence. Caution is always prudent, but good things also frequently involve an element of risk. It takes guts to make a major move in life....
by |read|
Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:45 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: What is Love? Or did we do this before?
Replies: 141
Views: 88884

Re: What is Love? Or did we do this before?

Yes, this can be possible. I can't say much else without knowing any details of your specific situation, but you're probably wise not to post them here, as I'm sure you can see. Not that I'm an expert, but it seems entirely possible to me that 2 people can care about each other, and contribute to ea...
by |read|
Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:32 pm
Forum: GENIUS FORUM
Topic: Discussing Reality is just as pointless as it is overrated
Replies: 39
Views: 14272

Re: Discussing Reality is just as pointless as it is overrated

I think you've confused me with one-time philosophy-forum regular MKULTRA, and if so, I'm flattered - he's smart guy. How you doing?