Re: Here comes the science.

1

On the veldt, people who believed in evolutionary psychology had more confidence about the future, and were more likely to say "Oh, that's just his way" instead of criticizing each other, thus making them more successful in finding mates.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 6:38 PM
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2

Whereas those who didn't believe in evolutionary psychology were always doubting the existence of the veldt at all, making them seem unreliable and untrustworthy. On the veldt, it was rational to believe that living on the veldt explained our behavior -- so even nowadays, we persist in believing in the importance of the veldt.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 6:41 PM
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3

Some would argue with that, Ned. But they would be discriminating against you based on a genetic condition.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 6:44 PM
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4

this was good:

"The locus taedius, discovered accidentally last year by a graduate student working with David Gelernter"

that guy is like, the anti-krugman. a disgrace to academics, to the tribe, to the enlightenment, to education, to everything.


Posted by: kid bitzer | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 6:51 PM
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5

Back on the veldt, they started every sentence with "back in the caves...."


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 6:55 PM
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6

If Russia entered Turkey from the rear would Greece help?


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 7:01 PM
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7

That's an old Model UN joke. Although it should be "If Gabon invaded Djibouti..."


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 7:06 PM
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8

Believers in evolutionary psychology are strong, and wise, and wary; but, strong and wise and wary as they are, they cannot undo the miracles of language, Which ripens in the hearts of young people the seeds sown by the young people of a former generation. And the seeds sown by the young people of '68 and '99 are coming to their miraculous ripening today. Rulers and Defenders of the Realm had need to be wary if they would guard against such processes. Life springs from death; and from the graves of rebel men and women spring living autonomies. The Defenders of this Realm have worked well in secret and in the open. They think that they have pacified us. They think that they have purchased half of us and intimidated the other half. They think that they have forseen everything, think that they have provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, THE FOOLS! -- They have left us our living puppets, and while we hold these simulacra, we, unfree, SHALL NEVER BE AT PEACE!


Posted by: minneapolitan | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 7:18 PM
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9

Christ, I thought I head left that graveside payegyric behind in secondary school. I used to know it chunks of it by heart.


Posted by: Gonerill | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 7:33 PM
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10

Well, it was the first play I saw that caused a riot in Dublin, so it retains a special place in my heart.


Posted by: minneapolitan | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 7:36 PM
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11

What's this post-title a quote from? Google doesn't seem to know.


Posted by: washerdreyer | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 7:39 PM
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12

European ben affleck commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkpzEXAjcs


Posted by: joeo | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 7:55 PM
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13

Gonerill:
"...first with a string of tiny farms, then suddenly hundreds, crowds of city people. As if to break the stony soil by sheer weight of numbers. These people were organised, and they used they used their machinery, in fact everything they had in common.... The Free had come, with their carts and tents, their buses and lorries and their children everywhere. A strange twist. In the little fields the reeds and weeds were once again giving way to the potato, potatoes to feed the city, potatoes and beet to fuel the lorries and earth movers. As the State become powerless and bankrupt, th Free did prosper."
[...]
"I had looked down again, then up, as a line of heavy black jets appeared and disappeared into the low clouds. I had really wanted to die. My body swayed.
'Come quick Max we can escape!"
But I was already crashing down onto the floor and sprawling towards the gun.
'Okay let's go then' I said."

Better you had memorized this. Maybe in our next iteration?


Posted by: minneapolitan | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 8:00 PM
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14

potatoes and beet to fuel the lorries and earth movers

No way can those crops produce enough viable biofuels to justify devoting acreage to a scheme like that.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 8:13 PM
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15

They could if we only used them for really necessary purposes.

No, I have to be honest with myself, New England-method trained, oxen-powered animal traction is the only practicable solution.


Posted by: minneapolitan | Link to this comment | 10-19-07 8:15 PM
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16

2 is incredibly fucking funny.


Posted by: Walt Someguy | Link to this comment | 10-20-07 2:43 PM
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