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Comment: Re:This is worse than mythology. (Score 1) 390

but people are fixated on the idea of AI being a warlike species

if you are a life form that evolved in competition to other life forms, what's the safest thing to do when you encounter another life form? the course of action that's going to give you the highest chance of success is to exterminate any and all competition.

Comment: Re:Well, duh (Score 1) 390

Our sun will probably burn out before we get a message from another galaxy.

that strikes me as incredibly naive considering what the human race has accomplished in around 5000k years of organized civilization, and what we've accomplished in the last 50 years of our technological revolution.

Comment: Re:Move to a gated community (Score 1) 604

by farble1670 (#48604405) Attached to: Waze Causing Anger Among LA Residents

i suggest you try out that methodology then get back to me.

"office, i didn't notice i was going 85mph in a 45mph. i realize now i was, sorry."
"officer, i don't know anything about this meth in my backpack. i'll throw it out as soon as i get home. i promise."
"officer, i thought this was my house and my laptop, i realize now i'm in the wrong house."

if the cop was dumb enough to fall for that once, how many more times do you think it'd work on them?

Comment: Re:Easy solution... (Score 1) 604

by farble1670 (#48604335) Attached to: Waze Causing Anger Among LA Residents

The easy solution is to make highrise apartment and office buildings illegal through zoning. Grand father existing structures of course... but when new construction happens, make it clear that it cannot exceed a certain height. Do that and the density is capped. And if you keep the density capped then you won't need to build subway systems etc to handle over development.

that's absolutely the WRONG thing to do. transit only works in densely packed cities / communities because that's when it's cost effective. if you cap density you get urban sprawl which makes everything more expensive ... utilities, law enforcement, fire, garbage, and so on. not to mention, all of those people that are forced to live in the boondocks because of the capped density still need to commute into the city for their job.

Comment: Re:No (Score 1) 416

by farble1670 (#48584185) Attached to: MIT Removes Online Physics Lectures and Courses By Walter Lewin

Lawyers do not make the law or even make a company follow the law. Lawyers determine whether the risk is worth the action.

i agree and never said differently.

You are simply deluded and believe everything people tell you, as long as they are a person of authority. Works fine until you are hit with a sexual harassment charge and have your life ruined.

all i ever said was that in at-will states, an employer can terminate their relationship with an employee at any time, without any reason. that's so obvious my only conclusion is that you are 12 years old and have never been employed and don't speak with your parents much.

i realize that the imaginary conversation you are having with me is much more complex, but you'll also have to imagine my responses from now on since i'm only able to converse with you in the realm of reality.

Comment: Re:No (Score 1) 416

by farble1670 (#48582953) Attached to: MIT Removes Online Physics Lectures and Courses By Walter Lewin

Oh, like the fact that you have no idea if he even had a contract?

in the face of a lack of information, the right thing to do is go on what you do know and fill in the rest with common sense ... not speculate on every silly possibility in the universe. you want to know how i know he didn't have a contract? i know that because MIT has many, many lawyers at it's disposal. do you really think this matter wasn't discussed with their legal counsel?

How about the fact that he could not be "fired" because he was not employed as a professor so this removal seems to be purely vindictive?

the fact that he wasn't employed makes it much simpler. do you really think that a private organization isn't allowed legally to terminate it's relationship with an individual that it doesn't even employ?!?

Comment: Re:No (Score 1) 416

by farble1670 (#48578541) Attached to: MIT Removes Online Physics Lectures and Courses By Walter Lewin

At will employment laws vary from State to State

yes well we're talking about Massachusetts, so no need to speculate on what might be the case in other states eh?

The professor may or not have a contract that negates this theory.

also, he may or may not have magical powers that allow him to set his enemies on fire. how about focusing on the facts we know?

Further, even with the "right to work" laws Companies can not stomp on a persons rights under the Law of the Land (US Constitution) without repercussion.

terminating an employee doesn't equate to "stomping on their rights". see below.

Can an employee be fired for no reason? , Archived from Boston Globe, 2005
"Although it seems almost impossible to believe, employers in Massachusetts, or in any other employee-at-will state, can fire any employee at any time for any reason — or even for no reason at all. An employer can terminate any employee, with or without notice."

now are we done?

Comment: Re:Even more important questions exist! (Score 2) 416

by farble1670 (#48576505) Attached to: MIT Removes Online Physics Lectures and Courses By Walter Lewin

A company can not take legal action against an employee or person based solely on accusation or allegation

MIT didn't take legal action. they just disassociated themselves from him and his work.

The purpose of the Government is to protect people's Constitutional rights. In this case, with no facts or trial MIT acted against the professors rights and should face full prosecution for their actions.

the govt isn't involved (unless they decide to prosecute criminally). it's a relationship between an employer and an employee. and as i stated, nothing needs to be proven. you might not like it, but that's how it is (in the US).

and putting all that aside, you can trust in this: MIT knows exactly what they can and cannot do. they've been here before 1000x. they have staff lawyers. trust me they are doing exactly what they have the right to do.

Comment: Re:P.C. hurts society and this is just an example (Score 2) 416

by farble1670 (#48576393) Attached to: MIT Removes Online Physics Lectures and Courses By Walter Lewin

I don't care if he was a rapist or serial killer! Where is the philosophy department when you need it?? (The only practical thing they are good for is defending freedom; aside from teaching.) Lets throw out everything NASA ever did under Wernher von Braun because he was a Nazi!

dude, he lectures are still online, it's just that MIT doesn't want an association with him or his lectures. it's their right not associate with him. it's your right to think they stink for doing so (or whatever your point is).

Comment: Re:Even more important questions exist! (Score 1) 416

by farble1670 (#48576273) Attached to: MIT Removes Online Physics Lectures and Courses By Walter Lewin

What ever happened to being innocent until proven guilty?

you are thinking about certain legal systems, not employer-employee relationships.

an employer doesn't have to prove anything to terminate an employee. almost all employment (in the US) it at-will meaning either party can terminate the relationship at any time for most any reason (excluding sexual and racial discrimination, and probably a few other things i'm not smart enough to think of right now).
