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new ideas.
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Sun, 30 Mar 2014 23:33:20 -0400
parents 34dca21f8a05
children 7fee358e5b70 70c493a87a7e
comparison
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90:34dca21f8a05 91:6ac0a38cf131
28 28
29 #+begin_quote 29 #+begin_quote
30 There's no end to what a man can accomplish if he doesn't care about 30 There's no end to what a man can accomplish if he doesn't care about
31 getting credit. 31 getting credit.
32 #+end_quote 32 #+end_quote
33
34 - cryonics middle ages :: some people say that cryonics is an
35 experiment and that it is foolish to wait until we have revived a
36 human. There is a middle ground where the procedure has a dismal
37 success rate on humans, say 1 in 20, so that you'd be a fool to
38 try revival. Nonetheless, this very risky procedure could be the
39 legal proof of concept needed to create a new class of life
40 between "living" and "dead": "stasis".
41
42 - philosophy of the mirror :: neat thought experiment -- if you take a
43 mirror of someone by actually reversing a person's chirality
44 moleculue by molucule, then will the only be able to read mirror
45 writing? The answer is yes, by analogy to a purely mechanical
46 scantron device. This is one of the only interesting transforms I
47 know that can take a human brain and change it in subtle,
48 non-destructive ways. It's also an argument against dualism.
49
50 - biosphere in a bottle :: There are around 15 million species. 15
51 million stem cells will fill only a tiny size, far less than a cubic
52 inch. Preserve a single cell from every species on earth in this
53 small space, and you will have a record of our current biosphere
54 that can be protected. "Hold the genetic data of all species in
55 your hand."
33 56
34 - chaos lock :: The "arrow of time" points in the direction of 57 - chaos lock :: The "arrow of time" points in the direction of
35 increasing entropy. The time evolution of chaotic 58 increasing entropy. The time evolution of chaotic
36 systems depend exquisitely on their initial state. If 59 systems depend exquisitely on their initial state. If
37 you take a measurement of a chaotic system at any 60 you take a measurement of a chaotic system at any
282 305
283 - Intestinal flora maintenance :: why not inoculate babies at birth 306 - Intestinal flora maintenance :: why not inoculate babies at birth
284 with "ideal" gut flora instead of whatever bullshit they 307 with "ideal" gut flora instead of whatever bullshit they
285 naturally get, thus giving them optimal digestive/nutrient 308 naturally get, thus giving them optimal digestive/nutrient
286 extraction capabilities. Might also be able to make their farts 309 extraction capabilities. Might also be able to make their farts
287 not stink for life, too. 310 not stink for life, too. MORE IMPORTANTALY, might help to
311 preventatively stop some forms of /colic/, which affects 1 in 5
312 babies and causees constant screaming and pain for about 5 weeks.
288 313
289 - server culture : mirrors :: make a distributed system where people 314 - server culture : mirrors :: make a distributed system where people
290 can mirror the websites of people they like -- essentially cover 315 can mirror the websites of people they like -- essentially cover
291 the server costs of favored websites. This could make popular 316 the server costs of favored websites. This could make popular
292 websites run at no cost. The system would require that the 317 websites run at no cost. The system would require that the