Messages

1

Off Topic / Re: Science is Drokking Fantastic Because...

« on: 06 July, 2022, 11:05:25 PM »

This is more pure maths than science, but in honour of the current Prime Minister of England, I thought I'd share 3Blue1Brown's latest video on How to Lie Using Visual Examples

2

Film & TV / Re: Stranger Things 4 *SPOILERS*

« on: 06 July, 2022, 07:01:21 PM »

Overall hugely engaging, but in the cold light of day there are a lot of issues: all the stuff in Russia, whilst fun, was pointless and really credebility-stretching.

Yeah definitely the weakest of the plot strands.

The problem with the Russian plot, was I never had any sense that Hopper was in real danger. He was always going to get back to 11, otherwise why not just leave him dead? The whole thing was kind of a pointless divergence.

This show had suffered from diminishing returns in seasons 2 and 3, but volume 1 of season 4 was a big improvement. There were echoes of Nightmare on Elm Street there, with the monster going after depressed kids instead of sleeping ones. They even went as far as getting Robert Englund in.

Volume 2, however was a bit of a mess with its pacing and editing. The teenagers were getting hentai'd for about an hour of the finale's run-time and the ending was a dragged out schizoid mess with too many false climaxes. Did Peter Jackson direct this?

Vecna/Henry Kreel/01's exposition did nothing but make him less scary. I would have preferred if 11 discovered his backstory in a wee vision quest or something. It would have given her something to do other than cry and have angry psychic tantrums.

The Master of Puppets bit was goofy but cool, or "metal" if you prefer. Hopper swording up the demogorgon was fun.

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Off Topic / Re: This is the News!

« on: 06 July, 2022, 12:42:11 AM »

Who will replace him?

I suppose that's up to Putin

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Off Topic / Re: This is the News!

« on: 02 July, 2022, 06:14:42 PM »

Of course the latest rumour around Johnson is that he has allegedly impregnated his hairdresser. 

I find it very hard to believe that Boris Johnson has a hairdresser.

That seems to be the general consensus in the Twittersphere.

Given his track record of hiring and surrounding himself with completely inept sycophants, his hair “style” is completely consistent with the quality of skills and diligence he values.

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Off Topic / Re: Squaxx Telling Jokes

« on: 30 June, 2022, 07:12:10 PM »

An errant cigarette caused the ammo shed on a military base to blow up. Fourteen Privates were killed instantly, seven lieutenants died of their injuries in hospital, while two generals and a colonel were severely wounded.

There were no major casualties.

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General / Re: Button Man movie has already been released

« on: 27 June, 2022, 02:34:20 PM »

If they were to release a movie called Button Man now, I would assume it would be about having dinner while on holiday.

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General / Re: Sideshow Vote II: Does it tally up?

« on: 27 June, 2022, 12:17:12 PM »

…length doesn't matter.

My wife is always telling me that

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Off Topic / Re: This is the News!

« on: 26 June, 2022, 12:14:28 AM »

I don't think those French fellas over at Libération magazine approve of recent developments

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General / Re: Side-side-vote - The golden goose-stepper

« on: 25 June, 2022, 12:58:43 PM »

Just keep going as is, but occasionally lampshade how implausibly old he is.

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Off Topic / Re: This is the News!

« on: 24 June, 2022, 11:51:52 PM »

Nationalist-Christians are taking over America.

It's easier if you shorten it to Nat-Cs

11

General / Re: Fake Britain Map

« on: 23 June, 2022, 08:53:07 PM »

I had always assumed Melchester was  much further north and the Rovers all sounded like they were out of Corrie

12

Off Topic / Re: This is the News!

« on: 23 June, 2022, 12:55:40 AM »

What's the difference between a children's hospital and a terrorist training camp?

Don't ask me, I just pilot the drones...

13

Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 20 June, 2022, 01:53:48 AM »

Derry Girls, Season Three. Wonderful, superb, excellent, cracker.

As someone who grew up in the Derry Girls EU, the phrase you're lookin' is "Pure belter hai"

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Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 18 June, 2022, 12:52:35 AM »

One of the things I enjoy most about The Boys is Homelander's fake smile. Technically every on screen smile is fake, but Anthony Starr really sells the fakeness. Proper rictus grin. And Karl Urban is his nemisis.

He'd make a great Judge Death.

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Off Topic / Re: The Philosophical Thread

« on: 17 June, 2022, 11:05:44 PM »

... It might be we're the late bloomer and all the other intelligent life managed the transition from simpler life forms in a fraction of the time. As far as I'm aware there's no real evidence either way on that one...

No evidence either way indeed. Could be we are currently* the most advanced lifeform in the universe.

Well, I haven't done the math - but these guys have, and they reach the conclusion that Earth was lucky to manage the evolution of intelligent life prior to becoming uninhabitable.

That's an interesting paper. It's always worth remembering that "all statistical models are wrong, but some are useful". This is well argued, but is limited in that our sample group of planets on which any life has evolved is currently limited to one.

Furthermore, in my limited experience, the science of exoplanets tends to be outdated before the ink on the textbooks dries. There's so much up in the air that that any assumptions of exo-biology need to be taken with a grain of salt.  However, this paper acknowledges this, and presents a model that can easily be modified if/when our understanding increases.

Lastly, the improbability of intelligent life here is subject to the Law of Large Numbers. Million to one shots will happen twice if you take two million shots.


*relativity notwithstanding