Posts by whknott@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #ArQPiveXAmXSkVWbBI by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-23T23:14:42Z
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@futurebird Industrial fogger. So it was all over EVERTHING.
(DIR) Post #ArQTWfnQhWE3ue65Fw by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-23T23:57:22Z
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@futurebird This. I tell my son, when he wants to put poison on fruit flies, "You know they use fruit flies to test evolution, right?"@neckspike
(DIR) Post #ArSe7EQonDBDcBVnV2 by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-25T01:05:25Z
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@futurebird "Thresholds" perhaps, if you wish to keep it in computational terms. It does sound like an activation energy equation.
(DIR) Post #ArWdmdXx9qSE8xfyk4 by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-26T23:20:35Z
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@futurebird I was putting the coat and leash on my dog last night, and as is typical, I had to move him a bit to cventer him in the doorway so I didn't bang my hands on the doorframe as I was putting on his coat. Which, he's trained to come t0o the door, stand in the same place, dip his head for the coat, he does all this, every time, how come he won't center himself in the doorway?
(DIR) Post #ArWiWJvEqvxIPubfwO by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-26T23:20:44Z
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@futurebird Because, I realized, he may have an idea of self but not really of 'doorway' and certainly none of his relationship to it.
(DIR) Post #ArWiWKYEVx9CMqqoim by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-26T23:22:55Z
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@futurebird Do ants even have an idea of 'self'? And if they do, do you think they have a theory of mind for other ants? Other insects? People?
(DIR) Post #ArWiWPC5FjOulbWhOK by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-26T23:27:20Z
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@futurebird Even the simplest form of life on earth, coral polyps, have enough neural complexity that we can say they are all individuals, with unique neural arrangements to solve the same problems (of motion.) It follows that the more complex the organism, the greater the potential number of neural paths (more stuff to move around.) Super interesting to consider at what point that neural pathway generation becomes complex enough for anything other than 'move that leg', let alone behaviors.
(DIR) Post #ArWjEPO7tLxo6w8pu4 by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-27T00:21:37Z
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@futurebird THis is definitely a possibility. When I take the lead off (it has a strap that goes around his muzzle), he stands there on the stairs and stares at me until I itch it for him. THEN he goes up.
(DIR) Post #ArWjUYa7TjKlG0S34S by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-27T00:24:33Z
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@futurebird This. I think we not just anthropomorphize, but map behaviors to generalized activity we think we understand, which may have NOTHING to do with that activity AT ALL."Facts, schmacts, you can prove anything that's even remotely true with facts." -Homer Simpson
(DIR) Post #ArYQ8c5vjZqRoFmLeC by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-02-27T19:57:05Z
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@stux Hate to well actually you here bud, but actually #Russia invaded #Ukraine on the 6th of April, 2014https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_War
(DIR) Post #Arc66toZRD0OJ0TUJs by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-01T14:31:30Z
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@futurebird @brecht "But," the pedants protest, "the ants have no technology, they can't get to space! By any reasonable measure the ants are not an advanced lifeform!"Meanwhile the ants continue storing larva onboard the next SpaceX flight, slyly unaware of their technological 'failings'.
(DIR) Post #Arc78aCVQtz40W2LkO by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-01T14:43:03Z
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@futurebird @patrickworld That desk too apparently, my friend has that exact desk in his home office right now. It has not fared well, but it's the same one.
(DIR) Post #Arf4Bbc8uvTIs6eqmm by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-03T00:54:07Z
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@futurebird You gotta get past it, to the "white guy doesn't say shit cuz he knows he's still at fault even though he's done a lot of work on himself and made some efforts to volunteer and do art about issues and such" stage. 🤷♂️ (Sorry. Sorry, I know, I'm not funny)
(DIR) Post #ArkxP4upkjGSmZdYtk by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-05T21:06:17Z
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@futurebird do they mean a circle that fits the circumference of a spherical universe?
(DIR) Post #Armbu1p3UfhtUUCuH2 by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-05T22:22:33Z
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@Jaden3 @MJ If we had a more parliamentary system, yes, but in this two party system, 12% is not enough. The other problem is that most issues cross both color and party lines. They affect people by class, and in this society we dislike class discussions even more than race discussions. Bernie has, since 1983, been preaching the same message about the working class because he believes it transcends race and religion, and it has been a way for him to build a useful power coalition.
(DIR) Post #Armbu3v9gxm5zz4o3k by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-05T23:42:04Z
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@MJ @Jaden3 Here's a guy who literally votes to send Bernie back evry chance I get because he's the best option we have.
(DIR) Post #Armbu5ym2TrENmmiye by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-05T23:47:01Z
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@MJ @Jaden3 Go read a book and have a nice day, ass.
(DIR) Post #ArnAD6bnJuIGHJGyUy by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-06T22:39:18Z
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@futurebird This. Is. 100%. Why. I. Follow. You. I am totally here for the pigeon ant stories, plese do go on about Haidomyrmex. 💚
(DIR) Post #ArpKvOm2Wz8xDSkBxQ by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-07T23:46:38Z
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@MLE_online @futurebird Gotta figure out how to get ON one first
(DIR) Post #ArpL5PXIYHL4TZcghE by whknott@mastodon.social
2025-03-07T23:50:36Z
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@futurebird @MLE_online Of course you do. I bet one of your former students grew up to be a metaphysical engineer or something.