Is it too late to join the “We are all giant nuclear fireball” Party? ‘Cuz I’m getting a little worried what with all the show trials of the radicals. Pretty soon they’re going to start banishing people to gulags in icy wastelands like Western Minnesota…oh, say. That’s all right then. I guess they can’t do anything too horrible to me, then.
Other than the Dakotas, that is.
‘v bn rrstd 7 tms fr cvl dsbdnc. Pnhd stv wnts y t lt m pst lnks:
Rndmnss s t-dtd bt n n s srprzd tht PZ nd hs clt-fllwrs rn’t p n th ltst scnc:
Cpyrght 2004 Rd Bsnss nfrmtn S, dvsn f Rd lsvr nc.
ll Rghts Rsrvd
Nw Scntst
Sptmbr 25, 2004
SCTN: Ftrs; Pg. 28
LNGTH: 3347 wrds
HDLN: n th lp f th gds;
Whthr y flp cn r rll th dc, th tcm s ttrly nprdctbl. r s w lk t thnk. W rly n rndmnss fr cryptgrphy, ngnrng, physcs — nd t xpln th wrkngs f sm csystms. Bt s t qt wht t sms? n ths 10-pg nvstgtn, w tk clsr lk t rndm vnts nd th prt thy ply n r wrld, frm qntm thry t cncdnc. n Stwrt kcks thngs ff wth prvctv qstn: s rndmnss nythng mr thn n nvntn f r sprstts mnds?
BYLN: n Stwrt; n Stwrt s prfssr f mthmtcs t th nvrsty f Wrwck, K
BDY:
TH hmn brn s wndrfl t spttng pttrns. t’s n blty tht s n f th fndtn stns f scnc. Whn w ntc pttrn, w try t pn t dwn mthmtclly, nd thn s th mths t hlp s ndrstnd th wrld rnd s. nd f w cn’t spt pttrn, w dn’t pt ts bsnc dwn t gnrnc. nstd w fll bck n r fvrt ltrntv. W cll t rndmnss.
W s n pttrns n th tssng f cn, th rllng f dc, th spn f rltt whl, s w cll thm rndm. ntl rcntly w sw n pttrns n th wthr, th nst f pdmcs r th trblnt flw f fld, nd w clld thm rndm t. t trns t tht “rndm” dscrbs svrl dffrnt thngs: t my b nhrnt, r t my smply rflct hmn gnrnc.
Lttl mr thn cntry g, t ll smd strghtfrwrd. Sm ntrl phnmn wr rld by physcl lws: th rbts f th plnts, th rs nd fll f th tds. thrs wr nt: th pttrn f hlstns n pth, fr xmpl. Th frst brch n th wll btwn rdr nd chs ws th dscvry by dlph Qtlt rnd 1870 tht thr r sttstcl pttrns n rndm vnts. Th mr rcnt dscvry f chs — pprntly rndm bhvr n systms rld by rgd lws — dmlshd prts f th wll cmpltly. Whtvr th ltmt rsltn f rdr nd chs my b, thy cnnt b smpl ppsts.
Yt w stll cn’t sm t rsst th tmpttn f dscssng rl-wrld prcsss s f thy r thr rdrd r rndm. s th wthr trly rndm r ds t hv spcts f pttrn? D dc rlly prdc rndm nmbrs r r thy n fct dtrmnstc? Physcsts hv md rndmnss th bslt bss f qntm mchncs, th scnc f th vry smll: n n, thy sy, cn prdct whn rdctv tm wll dcy. Bt f tht s tr, wht trggrs th vnt? Hw ds n tm “knw” whn t dcy? T nswr ths qstns, w mst srt t wht knd f rndmnss w r tlkng bt. s t gnn ftr f rlty r n rtfct f hw w mdl rlty?
Lt’s strt wth th smplst ds. systm cn b sd t b rndm f wht t ds nxt ds nt dpnd pn wht t hs dn n th pst. f tss “fr” cn nd gt sx hds n rw, th svnth tss cn qlly wll b hds r tls. Cnvrsly, systm s rdrd f ts pst hstry ffcts ts ftr n prdctbl wy. W cn prdct th nxt snrs t wthn frctns f scnd, nd vry mrnng w r rght. S cn s rndm bt snrs s nt.
Th pttrn f snrs stms frm th rglr gmtry f th rth’s rbt. Th sttstcl pttrn f rndm cn s mr pzzlng. xprmnts shw tht n th lng rn, hds nd tls trn p qlly ftn, prvdd th cn s fr. f w thnk f th prbblty f n vnt s th prprtn f tms tht t hppns n lng srs f trls, thn bth hds nd tls hv prbblty 1/2 . Tht’s nt ctlly hw prbblty s dfnd, bt t s smpl cnsqnc f th tchncl dfntn, clld th lw f lrg nmbrs.
Th wy cn tsss vn t n th lng rn s prly sttstcl ftr f lrg nmbrs f tsss . dpr qstn, wth fr mr pzzlng nswr, s: hw ds th cn “knw” tht t shld b qlly lkly t cm dwn hds s tls? Th nswr, whn y lk mr clsly, s tht cn s nt rndm systm t ll.
W cn mdl th cn s thn, crclr dsc. f th dsc s lnchd vrtclly wth knwn spd nd knwn rt f rttn w cn wrk t xctly hw mny hlf-trns t wll mk bfr t hts th flr nd cms t rst. f t bncs, th clcltn s hrdr bt n prncpl t cn b dn. tssd cn s clsscl mchncl systm. t bys th sm lws f mtn nd grvty tht mk th rbts f plnts prdctbl. S why sn’t th cn prdctbl?
Wll, t s — n prncpl. n prctc, hwvr, y dn’t knw th pwrd spd r th rt f spn, nd t s hppns tht th tcm s vry snstv t bth. Frm th mmnt y tss cn — gnrng wnd, pssng ct nd thr xtrns ftrs — ts ft s dtrmnd. Bt bcs y dn’t knw th spd r th rt f spn, y hv n d wht tht nvtbl ft s, vn f y r ncrdbly qck t dng th sms.
dc s th sm. Y cn mdl t s bncng cb whs bhvr s mchncl nd s gvrnd by dtrmnstc qtns. f y cld mntr th ntl mtn ccrtly ngh nd d th sms fst ngh y cld prdct th xct rslt. Smthng lng ths lns hs bn dn fr rltt. Th prdctn s lss prcs — whch hlf f th whl th bll wll nd p n — bt tht’s gd ngh t wn, nd th rslts dn’t hv t b prfct t tk th csn t th clnrs.
Whn lbrt nstn qstnd th rndmnss f qntm mchncs, rfsng t blv tht Gd thrws dc, h chs ntrly th wrng mtphr. H shld hv blvd tht Gd ds ply dc. Thn h cld hv skd hw th dc bhv, whr thy r lctd, nd wht th rl src f qntm “rndmnss” s.
Thr s, hwvr, scnd lyr t th prblm. Th dffclty n prdctng th rll f dc s nt jst csd by gnrnc f th ntl cndtns. t s md wrs by th crs ntr f th prcss: t s chtc. Chs s nt rndm, bt th lmttns n th ccrcy f ny msrmnt w cn mk mns t s nprdctbl. n rndm systm, th pst hs n ffct n th ftr. n chtc systm, th pst ds hv n ffct n th ftr bt th sms tht ght t lt s wrk t wht th ffct wll b r xtrmly snstv t tny bsrvtnl rrrs. ny ntl rrr, hwvr smll, grws s rpdly tht t rns th prdctn.
tssd cn s bt lk tht: lrg ngh rrr n msrng th ntl spd nd spn rt wll stp s knwng th tcm. Bt cn s nt trly chtc, bcs tht rrr grws rltvly slwly s th cn trns n th r. n gnnly chtc systm, th rrr grws xpnntlly fst. Th shrp crnrs f dc, whch cm nt ply whn th prfct mthmtcl cb bncs ff th flt tbl tp, ntrdc ths knd f xpnntl dvrgnc. S dc sm rndm fr tw rsns: hmn gnrnc f ntl cndtns s wth th cn, nd chtc (thgh dtrmnstc) dynmcs.
Mdl bhvr
vrythng hv dscrbd s fr hs dpndd n th mthmtcl mdl tht ws chsn t dscrb t. S ds th rndmnss, r nt, f gvn physcl systm dpnd n th mdl y s?
T nswr tht, lt’s tk lk t th frst grt sccss f rndm mdls n physcs: sttstcl mchncs. Ths thry ndrpns thrmdynmcs — th physcs f gss — whch ws t sm xtnt mtvtd by th nd t mk mr ffcnt stm ngns. Hw ffcnt cn stm ngn gt? Thrmdynmcs mpss vry spcfc lmts.
n th rly dys f thrmdynmcs, ttntn ws drctd t lrg-scl vrbls lk vlm, prssr, tmprtr nd qntts f ht. Th s-clld “gs lws” cnnct ths vrbls. Fr nstnc, Byl’s lw sys tht th prssr f smpl f gs mltpld by ts vlm s cnstnt t ny gvn tmprtr. Ths s n ntrly dtrmnstc lw: gvn th vlm y cn clclt th prssr, r vc vrs.
Hwvr, t sn bcm pprnt tht th tmc-scl physcs f gss, whch ndrls th gs lws, s ffctvly rndm: mlcls f gs bnc rrtclly ff ch thr. Ldwg Bltzmnn ws th frst t xplr hw bncng mlcls, mdlld s tny hrd sphrs, rlt t th gs lws (nd mch ls). n hs thry, th clsscl vrbls — prssr, vlm nd tmprtr — pprd s sttstcl vrgs tht ssmd n nhrnt rndmnss. Ws ths ssmptn jstfd?
Jst s cns nd dc r t rt dtrmnstc, s s systm cmpsd f vst nmbrs f tny hrd sphrs. t s csmc snkr, nd ch bll bys th lws f mchncs. f y knw th ntl pstn nd vlcty f vry sphr, th sbsqnt mtn s cmpltly dtrmnd. Bt nstd f tryng t fllw th prcs pth f vry sphr, Bltzmnn ssmd tht th pstns nd spds f th sphrs hv sttstcl pttrn tht s nt skwd n fvr f ny prtclr drctn. Prssr, fr xmpl, s msr f th vrg frc xrtd whn th sphrs bnc ff th nnr wlls f thr cntnr, ssmng tht th sphrs r qlly lkly t b trvllng n ny drctn.
Sttstcl mchncs cchs th dtrmnstc mtn f lrg nmbr f sphrs n trms f sttstcl msrs, sch s n vrg. n thr wrds, t ss rndm mdl n th mcrscpc lvl t jstfy dtrmnstc mdl n th mcrscpc lvl. s tht fr?
Ys t s, thgh Bltzmnn ddn’t knw t t th tm. H ffctvly md tw ssrtns: tht th mtn f th sphrs s chtc, nd tht th chs s f spcl knd tht gvs wll-dfnd vrg stt. whl brnch f mthmtcs, rgdc thry, grw frm ths ds, nd th mthmtcs hs dvncd t th stg whr Bltzmnn’s hypthss s nw thrm.
Th chng f vwpnt hr s fscntng. n ntlly dtrmnstc mdl (th gs lws) ws rfnd t rndm n (tny sphrs), nd th rndmnss ws thn jstfd mthmtclly s cnsqnc f dtrmnstc dynmcs.
S r gss rlly rndm r nt? t ll dpnds n yr pnt f vw. Sm spcts r bst mdlld sttstclly, thrs r bst mdlld dtrmnstclly. Thr s n n nswr, t dpnds n th cntxt. Ths sttn s nt t ll nsl. Fr sm prpss — clcltng th rflw vr th spc shttl, fr xmpl — fld cn b cnsdrd s cntnm, byng dtrmnstc lws. Fr thr prpss, sch s Brwnn mtn — th rrtc mvmnt f sspndd prtcls csd by tms bncng nt thm — th tmc ntr f th fld mst b tkn nt ccnt nd Bltzmnn-lk mdl s pprprt.
S w hv tw dffrnt mdls wth mthmtcl lnk btwn thm. Nthr s rlty, bt bth dscrb t wll. nd t dsn’t sm t mk ny sns t sy tht th rlty s r s nt rndm: rndmnss s mthmtcl ftr f hw w thnk bt th systm, nt ftr f th systm tslf.
Qntm rts
S s nthng trly rndm? ntl w ndrstnd th rts f th qntm wrld, w cn’t sy fr sr. n ts sl ntrprttns, qntm mchncs ssrts tht dp dwn, n th sbtmc lvl, th nvrs s gnnly nd rrdcbly rndm. t s nt lk th hrd-sphrs mdl f thrmdynmc rndmnss, whch trcs th sttstcl ftrs t r (nvdbl) gnrnc f th prcs stt f ll th sphrs. Thr s n nlgs smll-scl mdl wth fw prmtrs tht, f w cld nly s thm, wld nlck th mystry. Th “hddn vrbls”, whs dtrmnstc bt chtc bhvr gvrns th thrw f th qntm dc, smply dn’t xst. Qntm stff s rndm, prd. r s t?
Thr s crtnly mthmtcl rgmnt t jstfy sch n ssrtn. n 1964 Jhn Bll cm p wth wy f tstng whthr qntm mchncs s rndm r gvrnd by hddn vrbls — ssntlly, qntm prprts tht w hv nt yt lrnd hw t bsrv. Bll’s wrk ws cntrd n th d f tw qntm prtcls, sch s lctrns, tht ntrct nd r thn sprtd vr vst dstncs. Prfrm prtclr st f msrmnts n ths wdly sprtd prtcls nd y shld b bl t dtrmn whthr thr prprts r ndrpnnd by rndmnss r n thrll t hddn vrbls. Th nswr s mprtnt: t dctts whthr qntm systms tht hv ntrctd n th pst r sbsqntly bl t nflnc ch thr’s prprts — vn f thy r t ppst nds f th nvrs.
s fr s mst physcsts r cncrnd, xprmnts bsd n Bll’s wrk hv cnfrmd tht, n qntm systms, rndmnss — nd th bzrr “ctn t dstnc” — rls. ndd, s kn r thy t pt vr th fndmntl rl f rndmnss n qntm thry tht thy tnd t dsmss ny ttmpt t qstn t frthr. Ths s pty, bcs Bll’s wrk, thgh brllnt, s nt s cnclsv s thy mgn.
Th sss r cmplx, bt th bsc pnt s tht mthmtcl thrms nvlv ssmptns. Bll mks hs mn ssmptns xplct, bt th prf f hs thrm nvlvs sm mplct ssmptns t, smthng tht s nt wdly rcgnsd. Tm Plmr, mtrlgst t th rpn Cntr fr Mdm-Rng Wthr Frcsts n Rdng n th K wh trnd s physcst, hs pblshd ppr n whch h xplns ths mplct ssmptns (Phlsphcl Trnsctns f th Ryl Scty , vl 451, p 585). Hs ppr ls shws tht th bsrvd prprts f th qntm wrld r cnsstnt wth dtrmnstc hddn-vrbl thrs tht llw nly “lcl” nflnc, rthr thn n blty t nflnc systms frm th thr sd f th nvrs.
Th lphls r tchncl. Fr xmpl, n s th mplct ssmptn tht crtn crrltns btwn th spn stts f dstnct prtcls, cmptd s ntgrls, ctlly r cmptbl, whn n fct thy my nt b. nthr s th prcs rl f th hddn vrbls, whch nd nt b wht Bll ssms. thrd s tht Bll’s prf nvlvs “cntrfctls”, dscssns f wht wld hv hppnd f n xprmnt hd bn prfrmd ndr dffrnt crcmstncs. Thr s n wy t tst cntrfctl, whch cnvntnlly shld rndr t “nscntfc”.
S, dspt th vst wght f pnn, th dr s stll pn fr dtrmnstc xplntn f qntm ndtrmncy. Th dvl, s lwys, s n th dtl. t my b dffclt, r vn mpssbl t tst sch thry, bt w cn’t knw tht ntl smn wrts t dwn. t my nt chng qntm mchncs mch, ny mr thn hrd sphrs chngd thrmdynmcs. Bt t wld gv s n ntrly nw nsght nt mny pzzlng qstns. nd t wld pt qntm thry bck mng ll th thr sttstcl thrs f scnc: rndm frm sm pnts f vw, dtrmnstc frm thrs.
S qntm stff prt, w cn stt wth ssrnc tht thr rlly s n sch thng s rndmnss. Vrtlly ll pprntly rndm ffcts rs nt bcs ntr s gnnly nprdctbl bt bcs f hmn gnrnc r thr lmttns n pssbl knwldg f th wrld. Ths nsght s nt nw. lxndr Pp, n hs ssy n Mn, wrt: “ll ntr s bt rt, nknwn t th/ ll chnc, drctn whch th cnst nt s/ ll dscrd, hrmny nt ndrstd/ ll prtl vl, nvrsl gd.” prt frm th bt bt gd nd vl, mthmtcns nw ndrstnd prcsly why h ws rght.
Th lw f vrgs
n Stwrt
f y tss “fr” cn, thn n th lng rn hds nd tls shld vn t. Cllqlly, ths fct s knwn s th “lw f vrgs” nd t s ftn msppld, whch s why sttstcns cknwldg n lw by tht nm. Hwvr, th lw f lrg nmbrs prvds sns n whch t s tr.
cn hs n mmry: ftr tsss hppn wtht ny npt frm pst ns. Hw, thn, ds th cn “knw” tht th nmbrs shld vn t? Mny ppl thnk tht f cn hs cm p hds lt mr tms thn tls, thn tls bcms mr lkly. (Th wrldly ws thnk th ppst: th cn s prbbly bsd twrds hds.) Bt fr cns cn prfctly sly prdc rn f hds. nc thrw 17 cnsctv hds wth nrml cn, n vnt wth prbblty 1 n 131,072.
S y’v gt fr cn bt y hv jst thrwn 17 hds. Hw ds th nmbr f tls ctch p t mk th prprtns ql? Srly tls mst nw bcm mr lkly? Nt s. Th nxt tss s jst s lkly t prdc nthr hd s tl, nd th sm gs fr ll sbsqnt tsss. n th lng rn, sbsqnt tsss shld b vry cls t hlf hds, hlf tls. S, n 2 mlln ddtnl tsss, w xpct, n vrg, mlln hds nd mlln tls.
lthgh 17 s vry dffrnt frm 0, 1,000,017 s prprtntly mch clsr t mlln: thr rt s 1.000017, vry cls t 1. nstd f tls ctchng p wth hds, th ftr tsss swmp th frst fw, nd th lngr y kp tssng th lss mprtnt tht ntl dffrnc bcms.
Nwspprs pblsh lsts f hw frqntly nmbrs ppr n th K’s Ltt drws. t n stg 13 ws rltvly nfrqnt, rnfrcng th vw tht 13 s nlcky. Sm ppl thrfr xpct 13 t cm p mr ftn n ftr. thrs thnk tht ts nlcknss wll prsst. Th mthmtcs f prbblty, spprtd by nnmrbl xprmnts, sys bth cmps r wrng.
n ftr, ll nmbrs hv th sm chnc f bng pckd. Th lttry mchn trts ll blls lk, nd t dsn’t “knw” wht nmbr s wrttn n thm.
Prdxclly, tht ds nt mn vry nmbr wll trn p qlly ftn. xct qlty s hghly nlkly. nstd, w xpct t s flcttns bt th vrg vl, wth sm wnnrs nd sm lsrs. Th mthmtcs vn prdcts th sz nd lklhd f ths flcttns. Wht th mths cn’t d s prdct whch nmbrs wll b wnnrs nd whch lsrs. n dvnc, t cld qlly wll b ny f thm.
gnr th nwsppr tbls: thy blng t dd pst nd tll y nthng bt wht wll hppn n nxt wk’s drw.
Th psd f rndmnss
n Stwrt
Rndmnss s slly lkd n s bng prblm. Thnk f th ffrt md t rmv ns frm h-f systms, fr nstnc. Bt thr r crcmstncs n whch rndmnss cn mprv prfrmnc. n 1999 Dvd Rssll, Ln Wlkns nd Frnk Mss f th nvrsty f Mssr t St Ls dscvrd tht n ffct f rndmnss clld stchstc rsnnc cn mk lvng crtrs wrk bttr. Ths ffct ws prpsd n th rly 1980s s mchnsm fr rgltng th ccrrnc f c gs, bt n 1991 t ws rlsd tht smlr ffcts cld ccr n nrv clls.
Rssll nd c-wrkrs stdd th fdng bhvr f pddlfsh, whch hnt plnktn by dtctng th lctrc flds th plnktn mt. Th rsrchrs fnd tht th prsnc f rndm ns n th fsh’s snsry nrv clls mprvd ts blty t dtct plnktn. Wht hppns s tht th ns cn psh th plnktn’s wk lctrcl sgnls vr th thrshld t whch th pddlfsh cn dtct thm. n ffct, th ns ntrcts wth th sgnl nd mplfs t.
n 2002, tm frm Bstn nvrsty, ncldng Jms Cllns nd Wn L, fnd mdcl pplctn f th sm ffct. Thy shwd tht ldrly ppl’s sns f tch cn b mprvd by pplyng smll rndm vbrtns. t mght sm tht ths wld jst cnfs th tctl clls, bt th ppst s tr.
Thr r mny thr wys t s rndmnss t dvntg . Mny prblms n ngnrng nd lswhr rqr th ptmstn f sm qntty: mthmtclly, ths s lk fndng th lwst pnt n lndscp. Th bvs pprch — tkng th stpst dwnhll pth — cn gt y stck n vllys tht r nt th lwst pnt. Rndm ns cn shk y t f ths vllys nd nbl y t xplr frthr prts f th lndscp. Ths “smltd nnlng” s vry pwrfl tl.
Gntc lgrthms r nthr xmpl. Hr, pssbl rls fr slvng gvn prblm r rndmly crss-brd nd th bst prfrmrs r slctd, mmckng Drwnn vltn. Mny prctcl prblms, sch s th trvllng slsmn prblm — fndng th shrtst rt tht vsts spcfc lst f cts, r plcs n n lctrnc crct r mcrchp — cn b slvd vry ffctvly sng gntc lgrthms.
LD-DT: Sptmbr 27, 2004
Ouch. Sad but true. :)
Although I think a little civil disobedience is a good thing…
I’ve been arrested 7 times for civil disobedience.
Probably means you have too much free time on your hands.
While we’re at it, can WAAGNFNP also find a new home for our friendly troll, Mr. Lewder Hemp? I think the-land-of-2400-baud-dialup-internet-access will suffice as a gulag-substitute in his case.
Is it too late to join the “We are all giant nuclear fireball” Party?
It is the WAAGNFNP – We Are All Giant Nuclear Fireball NOW Party. I’m afraid that this must be reported to the proper ministry.
Please pick a Dakota. If you’re talking wastelands, North Dakota will suffice.
As someone who is stuck on a modem (Not 2400 baud, thank the FSM), just posting something that long should qualify for punishment.
I didn’t bother reading it all, the first paragraph or so was enough to set off my ‘Kook!’ alarms. ;)
There’s a difference in the Dakotas? I thought they just split it to give it twice the Senate seats and let Dakotians have the thrill of crossing a border into another Dakota?
thr f bv rtcl ndrmnng “rndm”-bsd vltn, Prfssr n Stwrt s, by ggl, n f th bst knwn mthmtcns: n 1995 Stwrt rcvd th Mchl Frdy Mdl nd n 1997 h gv th Ryl nstttn Chrstms Lctrs. H ws lctd t th Ryl Scty n 2001.
P Z Myers wrote:
… land of the handy woodchippers…
Civil disobedience? So that’s what hempel does when he’s not jacking off in mommy’s basement.
S fr PZ s t scrd t tk n n Stwrt. Lks lk bng n w f DWkns s vr.
Ok, I read it.
The entire thing seems to be that future outcomes are not effected by previous outcomes, and that many random things aren’t really random.
My answer:
NO SHIT!
We all knew that already.
It doesn’t do anything to debunk evolution, sorry. If you had bothered to read it, you might see that.
This is where I checked out:
“Until recently we saw no patterns in the weather, the onset of epidemics or the turbulent flow of a fluid, and we called them random too.”
If by “recently” he means, “Within the past ten thousand years,” he might have a point. But since most ancient civilizations had mastered weather patterns — you can’t have agriculture without figuring out, say, seasons and rainfall — his assertion is totally meaningless.
And humans have known about “the turbulent flow” of the oceans since, oh, the Phoenicians.
I do wish that people who know things about one scientific/mathematical field would stop pretending that knowledge gives them any insight at all into completely unrelated fields.
goddamnit DWOO! learn how to post friggin links.
do it one more time, and I think there will be a rising chorus recommending you be banished for no other reason than you can’t post links.
nobody gives a shit what you have to say after being forced to wade through an entire article you could have just posted a link for.
Re: Comment by Drew Hempel
What’s sad about people like Drew is that their cut-‘n’-paste odysseys, irrelevant comments and rambling cluelessness simply confirm prejudices about the alternative news media as a load of drop-outs and kooks. Fact-checking is often poor on sites like IndyMedia and GNN (to which Drew contributes, and generally links his comments here), yet they remain a useful information exchange for grass-roots activists and volunteer workers uncovering and tackling social or environmental injustice. Drew’s behaviour simply undermines the good work they do and encourages us to see only the nutters.
Yes, it’s time to say goodbye to the persistently obnoxious Dwoo. He’ll be deleted on sight from now on.
*breathes a sigh of relief*
now to be clear, Dwoo wasn’t ousted because of his “views”, but rather the mere fact he can’t literally be bothered to control his stream of consciousness cut and paste jobs.
However, I’m sure the very first thing Dwoo will do is post about his victimization somewhere else.
I’m sure it will be amusing.
Thankfully. How do you killfile someone on this blog, anyway? I know people have mentioned doing it, but I don’t see any such function.
PZ, I was wondering how long it would be until you disemvoweled dwoo h.
If there was ever any doubt in anyone’s mind as to what kind of crank he is, just take a look at his blog (it was so considerate of him to post the link in his sig).
‘Nuff snarking at the dead for now……….
Wow. Can you imagine what posts like this — what show trials like this — must do to someone like Dembski? I can imagine they have meetings in Seattle with conference call hookups just to discuss how to respond.
Another waste of bandwidth.
Erm, explain, please?
Why would Berube want to try Clarke?
And what is all this about WAAGNFN, please?
There’s a lot of information missing around here somewhere …..
@Kesh:
You need the Pharyngula killfile (Greasemonkey) script, available from all good stockists.
Hmm. I need to be more careful.
It would be another waste of bandwidth on the part of the Discovery Institute and Dembski.
What happens, by the way, should the accused be acquitted?
Why would Berube want to try Clarke?
Amanda Marcotte has compiled an impressive and comprehensive list of charges for the curious among you. But is there a lot of information missing here? Of course there is! It’s a show trial, people!
Why would Berube want to try Clarke?
Amanda Marcotte has compiled an impressive and comprehensive list of charges for the curious among you. But is there a lot of information missing here? Of course there is! It’s a show trial, people!
And because it is a show trial, there’s no way Clarke can be acquitted.
I STILL don’t get it – will someone please explain?
And what is it with we are all a giant (etc) anyway … ?
It’s an in joke, a little self-mockery of leftists and their predilection to pomposity when they get a little power.
The Show Trial is also a sendup of certain recent Blogspats That Shall Not Be Named (because their mere mention is enough to re-ignite them, months after the fact), just as the We Are All Giant Nuclear Fireball Now Party is a sendup of lefter-than-thou “We Are All Hezbollah Now”isms of this past summer. Except that we are more nihilist than thou. And we have the advantage (on which PZ has picked up) of being blissfully unconcerned, if not downright complacent, about the resurgence of fundamentalism and the prevalence of batshit insane wingnuttery in the US and abroad.
Join us today. We welcome the GNF; and we do not worry about schisms, for we are always already splitting and always already fused.
The Show Trial is also a sendup of certain recent Blogspats That Shall Not Be Named (because their mere mention is enough to re-ignite them, months after the fact), just as the We Are All Giant Nuclear Fireball Now Party is a sendup of lefter-than-thou “We Are All Hezbollah Now”isms of this past summer. Except that we are more nihilist than thou. And we have the advantage (on which PZ has picked up) of being blissfully unconcerned, if not downright complacent, about the resurgence of fundamentalism and the prevalence of batshit insane wingnuttery in the US and abroad.
Join us today. We welcome the GNF; and we do not worry about schisms, for we are always already splitting and always already fused.
Hey PZ, this North Dakotan resents your remarks! I’m giving Phil Plait another vote!
Hey, leave the poor Dakotas alone. We have plenty of troubles without becoming known as the Siberia of the United States. We’re last in almost everything, but anti-choice fanatics and video lottery machines.
Join us today. We welcome the GNF; and we do not worry about schisms, for we are always already splitting and always already fused.
bloody splitters!
Better a splitter than a lumper any day! Unless, of course, you drank of the almond Kool-Aid…
a little self-mockery of leftists and their predilection to pomposity when they get a little power
I should have thought belittling their little wee-wees was enough. Especially Hillary’s.
As for Chris, a victim of childhood abuse, unloved, sold into indentured servitude, betrayed by the only woman he ever stalked, his ideas stolen by faceless bureaucrats in the Corporate Machine, suffering from herpes, forced to sell his children to pay for his Best of Yanni CD, exposed to environmental carcinogens that caused the growth of a third eye, the poor bloke never got an even break.
Can we execute him now, or must we endure some pathetic appeals process?