The Adrenaline Vault | The Developers Corner This little blurb made me think of my sister’s job, teaching kids about what it means to be a refugee basicallyh by inflicting on them a slightly padded experience of being a refugee. It’s her comments about that which make me wonder about how effective electronic simulations can be for many many types of learning. After all, in games one can learn to shoot people to pieces, but I am not sure it’s so easy in real life. The visceral part is missing, and sometimes (often?) that is the most cruciual thing. Still, …
Category: WTF
Rule of Law? Rule of Law? Oh, the Irony!
The Rise of the Russian Criminal State by David Satter Updated Link: The Rise of the Russian Criminal State by David Satter David Satter writes about the rule of law and its necessity in order for democracy and capitalism to succeed, something which, as the world knows, has not happened in Russia. He’s right, of course, Russia has become a horrible criminal state. But I couldn’t help reading the beginning of the article with a slowly mounting sense of irony. Consider this excerpt, from the middle section on “Kleptocracy in the Guide of Reform”: Perhaps more important than these economic features, …
Externalities, Intanglibles, and Democracy
Samizdata.net – Who should pay for the smell of lasagne? Interesting discussion of externalities, the commons, and payment systems. I made a comment and it’s worth seeing….
Shooting Fish in the Political Barrel
USS Clueless – The reaction Over at the USS Clueless, the Captain is busy bringing up the most idiotic examples of leftist criticism and smashing them down. Does anyone know the word “strawman”? It doesn’t just mean “imaginary idiotic argument”, it can quite easily mean “real idiotic argument not espoused by anyone who matters.” I know these ignorant rhetoric-spouting leftist whingers, believe me, and despite my sympathies (I dislike most of what they dislike, to be honest), they embarass me. But it doesn’t make Bush acceptable, or the situation in America or Iraq acceptable, either. However, shooting fish in the …
A Foolish Discussion of Why Science Hasn’t Delivered What It Never Promised
kuro5hin.org || Sci-Fi Tech Coming to a Reality Near You Here’s an article that, in sad form, bitches and whines that science has not delivered what sci-fi (not to be confused with SF) has promised. Why science should deliver such things as flying cars and cold fusion is beyond me, since scientists themselves never suggested that such devices were necessary, or feasible. The flying car, for goodness sakes, is a film trope that first appeared in Fritz Lang’s 1926 sf film Metropolis. It was a damned visual effect that was simply meant to create a startling image of a futuristic …