Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's
"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
(How about we exempt Super-Powered Vigilantes)
On 9 Sep 2024 03:49:05 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's
"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
(How about we exempt Super-Powered Vigilantes)
For "Prime Directive," did you have in mind "With Folded Hands"
by Jack Williamson?
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's
"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
(How about we exempt Super-Powered Vigilantes)
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's
"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
I read a review of NBC's Search (1972 to 1973) in which the reviewer
was greatly distracted by the agents' scanners. These were communication
and information gathering devices compact enough to fit into a tie-
clip or a ring jewel. They seemed to have infinite range and nothing
appeared to block the signal. The reviewer speculated that perhaps
they used phased neutrinos.
Huh. Only 23 episodes. It felt like it ran longer than a year.
In article <[email protected]>,
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's
"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
When I watched SF as a kid, everybody had some sort of pocket communicating >device. Kirk had a communicator, Napoleon Solo had a fountain pen, and
even Maxwell Smart had a shoephone.
But not ONCE did any of them ever get a call about their car warranty.
In article <pan$52436$3d388213$3fe8568a$[email protected]>,
Charles Packer <[email protected]> wrote:
For "Prime Directive," did you have in mind "With Folded Hands"
by Jack Williamson?
As for "With Folded Hands", I don't recall the story
presenting the Humanoids' bubble-wrapping as a good idea.
I remember a novel titled L5. I thought the author was Mack Reynolds,
but apparently not; the author may have had a somewhat similar sounding
name.
The L5 colonies had a rule; no one could go there whose IQ was below a >certain limit, set at an above-average level. *And anyone born there who
was below that level would be sent to Earth.*
The central plot development was that another group was planning to
start up their own L5 colonies; it was a group of black people, with the >intent of providing L5 space for blacks. The question was: should the >existing L5 colonies co-operate with this project or not. It was
resolved in favor of cooperating when it was found the other group would
also follow the same high-IQ policy.
Why is it a bad idea?
Well, we know that when geniuses marry, their children experience what
is known as "regression o the mean". Essentially, there are numerous >different alleles which can cause genius-level intelligence, and so if
the members of a couple are geniuses from different genetic causes,
their higher intelligence won't breed true.
And it costs an awful lot of money to launch people into space.
So this space colony would basically have to import all its people from >Earth, having almost no ability to maintain its own population by
natural increase.
Not a great plan from a bunch of geniuses.
In article <[email protected]>,
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's
"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
(How about we exempt Super-Powered Vigilantes)
The protagonists of Ben Bova's The Return solves women's insatiable
desire to have infinite children by secretly using alien super-
science to install fertility limiters on all women. Each woman can
have two kids and then they are sterile.
Some issues:
It's an egregious violation of personal autonomy.
Women do not in fact want infinite babies.
Some women won't have babies at all and some children will die
before reproducing. Therefore, the population will decline until
humans go extinct.
The last will be a real issue for the interstellar colonies that
head out at the end of the book, none of whom know their population
can only decline.
On Mon, 9 Sep 2024 14:42:10 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (James
Nicoll) wrote:
In article <[email protected]>,
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's >>>"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
(How about we exempt Super-Powered Vigilantes)
The protagonists of Ben Bova's The Return solves women's insatiable
desire to have infinite children by secretly using alien super-
science to install fertility limiters on all women. Each woman can
have two kids and then they are sterile.
Some issues:
It's an egregious violation of personal autonomy.
Women do not in fact want infinite babies.
Some women won't have babies at all and some children will die
before reproducing. Therefore, the population will decline until
humans go extinct.
The last will be a real issue for the interstellar colonies that
head out at the end of the book, none of whom know their population
can only decline.
I think you reviewed something where each couple was limited to 1 kid
and the population seemed stable?
In article <vbnesl$r81$[email protected]>,
Scott Dorsey <[email protected]> wrote:
In article <[email protected]>,
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's >>>"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
When I watched SF as a kid, everybody had some sort of pocket communicating >>device. Kirk had a communicator, Napoleon Solo had a fountain pen, and >>even Maxwell Smart had a shoephone.
But not ONCE did any of them ever get a call about their car warranty.
I read a review of NBC's Search (1972 to 1973) in which the reviewer
was greatly distracted by the agents' scanners. These were communication
and information gathering devices compact enough to fit into a tie-
clip or a ring jewel. They seemed to have infinite range and nothing
appeared to block the signal. The reviewer speculated that perhaps
they used phased neutrinos.
Huh. Only 23 episodes. It felt like it ran longer than a year.
On Mon, 9 Sep 2024 19:40:49 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (James
Nicoll) wrote:
In article <vbnesl$r81$[email protected]>,
Scott Dorsey <[email protected]> wrote:
In article <[email protected]>,
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's >>>>"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
When I watched SF as a kid, everybody had some sort of pocket communicating >>>device. Kirk had a communicator, Napoleon Solo had a fountain pen, and >>>even Maxwell Smart had a shoephone.
But not ONCE did any of them ever get a call about their car warranty.
I read a review of NBC's Search (1972 to 1973) in which the reviewer
was greatly distracted by the agents' scanners. These were communication >>and information gathering devices compact enough to fit into a tie-
clip or a ring jewel. They seemed to have infinite range and nothing >>appeared to block the signal. The reviewer speculated that perhaps
they used phased neutrinos.
Huh. Only 23 episodes. It felt like it ran longer than a year.
That's not, generally, a good sign.
In article <[email protected]>,
Paul S Person <[email protected]d> wrote:
On Mon, 9 Sep 2024 19:40:49 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (James
Nicoll) wrote:
I read a review of NBC's Search (1972 to 1973) in which the reviewer
was greatly distracted by the agents' scanners. These were communication >>>and information gathering devices compact enough to fit into a tie-
clip or a ring jewel. They seemed to have infinite range and nothing >>>appeared to block the signal. The reviewer speculated that perhaps
they used phased neutrinos.
Huh. Only 23 episodes. It felt like it ran longer than a year.
That's not, generally, a good sign.
I have fond memories that I am sure would not be bitterly betrayed if
I found an episode or two to watch. After all, Columbo is standing
up. OK, there is the issue I've able to spot the killer in every
episode so far.
In article <[email protected]>,
Paul S Person <[email protected]d> wrote:
On Mon, 9 Sep 2024 19:40:49 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (James
Nicoll) wrote:
In article <vbnesl$r81$[email protected]>,
Scott Dorsey <[email protected]> wrote:
In article <[email protected]>,
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's >>>>>"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
When I watched SF as a kid, everybody had some sort of pocket communicating
device. Kirk had a communicator, Napoleon Solo had a fountain pen, and >>>>even Maxwell Smart had a shoephone.
But not ONCE did any of them ever get a call about their car warranty.
I read a review of NBC's Search (1972 to 1973) in which the reviewer
was greatly distracted by the agents' scanners. These were communication >>>and information gathering devices compact enough to fit into a tie-
clip or a ring jewel. They seemed to have infinite range and nothing >>>appeared to block the signal. The reviewer speculated that perhaps
they used phased neutrinos.
Huh. Only 23 episodes. It felt like it ran longer than a year.
That's not, generally, a good sign.
I have fond memories that I am sure would not be bitterly betrayed if
I found an episode or two to watch. After all, Columbo is standing
up. OK, there is the issue I've able to spot the killer in every
episode so far.
On Tue, 10 Sep 2024 17:34:14 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (James
Nicoll) wrote:
In article <[email protected]>,
Paul S Person <[email protected]d> wrote:
On Mon, 9 Sep 2024 19:40:49 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (James >>>Nicoll) wrote:
In article <vbnesl$r81$[email protected]>,
Scott Dorsey <[email protected]> wrote:
In article <[email protected]>,I read a review of NBC's Search (1972 to 1973) in which the reviewer >>>>was greatly distracted by the agents' scanners. These were communication >>>>and information gathering devices compact enough to fit into a tie- >>>>clip or a ring jewel. They seemed to have infinite range and nothing >>>>appeared to block the signal. The reviewer speculated that perhaps
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's >>>>>>"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
When I watched SF as a kid, everybody had some sort of pocket communicating
device. Kirk had a communicator, Napoleon Solo had a fountain pen, and >>>>>even Maxwell Smart had a shoephone.
But not ONCE did any of them ever get a call about their car warranty. >>>>
they used phased neutrinos.
Huh. Only 23 episodes. It felt like it ran longer than a year.
That's not, generally, a good sign.
I have fond memories that I am sure would not be bitterly betrayed if
I found an episode or two to watch. After all, Columbo is standing
up. OK, there is the issue I've able to spot the killer in every
episode so far.
It's been a long time, but my memory suggests that some/most/all
episodes were more about how Columbo figured it out.
IOW, the idea was that we would watch Columbo solve a problem that we
already knew the solution to (ie, whodunit). This is not the same as a >classic mystery, where the audience is given the same clues as the >investigator and so may be able to solve the case on its own.
In article <[email protected]>,
Paul S Person <[email protected]d> wrote:
On Tue, 10 Sep 2024 17:34:14 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (James
Nicoll) wrote:
In article <[email protected]>,
Paul S Person <[email protected]d> wrote:
On Mon, 9 Sep 2024 19:40:49 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (James >>>>Nicoll) wrote:
In article <vbnesl$r81$[email protected]>,
Scott Dorsey <[email protected]> wrote:
In article <[email protected]>,I read a review of NBC's Search (1972 to 1973) in which the reviewer >>>>>was greatly distracted by the agents' scanners. These were communication >>>>>and information gathering devices compact enough to fit into a tie- >>>>>clip or a ring jewel. They seemed to have infinite range and nothing >>>>>appeared to block the signal. The reviewer speculated that perhaps >>>>>they used phased neutrinos.
Ted Nolan <tednolan> <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's >>>>>>>"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
When I watched SF as a kid, everybody had some sort of pocket communicating
device. Kirk had a communicator, Napoleon Solo had a fountain pen, and >>>>>>even Maxwell Smart had a shoephone.
But not ONCE did any of them ever get a call about their car warranty. >>>>>
Huh. Only 23 episodes. It felt like it ran longer than a year.
That's not, generally, a good sign.
I have fond memories that I am sure would not be bitterly betrayed if
I found an episode or two to watch. After all, Columbo is standing
up. OK, there is the issue I've able to spot the killer in every
episode so far.
It's been a long time, but my memory suggests that some/most/all
episodes were more about how Columbo figured it out.
IOW, the idea was that we would watch Columbo solve a problem that we >>already knew the solution to (ie, whodunit). This is not the same as a >>classic mystery, where the audience is given the same clues as the >>investigator and so may be able to solve the case on its own.
Whoosh!
Seems like about time for a Columbo reboot -- Falk has been gone long
enough to make it a respectful interval...
On 9/8/24 11:49 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
Lucky Starr's "Council Of Science", the Venus Belt, the Federation's
"Prime Directive". Things like that.
Examples?
(How about we exempt Super-Powered Vigilantes)
This reminds me of an example I have mentioned here before, 1-2 years
ago, but it's a rather large spoiler for the work in question (The Stars >Asunder by Doyle & MacDonald).
Spoiler for The Stars Asunder below,
Tony
Spoiler for the stupidest first-contact strategy I�ve ever seen,
courtesy of Doyle & MacDonald in The Stars Asunder�
here there be spoilers...
last spoiler space for 50 miles...
A ship belonging to Civilization �A�, which I charitably won�t refer
to as The Civilization Of Tunnel-Visioned Militaristic Idiots, has
occasion to make first contact with a ship from Civilization �B�.
They sincerely believe � as in, it is played straight in the book that
these people think this will be a successful way to establish relations
to the mutual benefit of both civilizations � it will go best if they >grapple/tether the other ship, make a hole in their hull, and send an
armed boarding party through.
I think you're misunderstanding 'regression to the mean'.
Yes, if two 150 IQ people have kids, its more likely that they're >intelligence will be below 150 than above.
But its still likely to be above 100, which is the whole population
mean. The term should really be 'regression *toward* the mean'.
After all, if good traits can't accumulate, natural selection
couldn't produce more intelligent creatures (like us) from less
intelligent ones (homo habilis, for example).
Sending the dumber kids back to Earth is simply a replacement for
natural selection culling the stupid before they breed.
Intellectual development any given person is absolutely a combination
of Nature and Nurture - and the differences we see around us are, I
suspect, due more the latter than the former.
However, intelligence absolutely has a genetic factor, else it could
not have evolved. You don't have twice the brain matter of Lucy because
of how you were brought up.
| Sysop: | Keyop |
|---|---|
| Location: | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK |
| Users: | 715 |
| Nodes: | 16 (2 / 14) |
| Uptime: | 31:06:13 |
| Calls: | 12,108 |
| Calls today: | 8 |
| Files: | 15,006 |
| Messages: | 6,518,267 |