Messages

Pendennis, the Observer column?

Pies (mince)?

I suppose the real question what the atomic population of Mega-City One is.

All wrong! Throughout the history of atom-theory physics/philosophy, atoms have always been defined as 'that which there is no smaller thing than' or something more grammarry, but to the same effect.

So, when physicists split the atom and all that crap fell out, it should be perfectly clear that, what with there being all the smaller stuff, the bigger thing wasn't an atom at all. But no, physicists, being the lazy oafs that they are, just redefined the word.

Putting aside that clones are, by definition, identical to their source, we'll address the genetic problems going on here.

Sex is determined by the presence of two combinations of the X and Y alleles (or genes, to the layfellow) - XX for a female and XY for a male. Thus, the sex of any child is really determined only by which of the two genes the father donates in any given session of sweaty, sweaty coitus.

Hypothetically, then, it's possible for a 'clone' of Dredd to be made which has a second copy of his X allele in place of the Y. The problem with this is the same as the problem with inbreeding - the X and Y both carry all kinds of additional stuff tagged on to them, including vulnerabilities to horrible genetic disorders which are typically countered by the presence of the other (see, many such disorders and Bad Things are caused by recessive genes - which only kick in if you have two copies of them), so your Lady Dredd may not turn out so good.

In conclusion, then, a female Dredd clone is a)impossible and b) a Very Bad Thing even if you redefine the word 'clone'.

Next week: why there really isn't anything smaller than an atom and why physicists are arrogant gobshites for claiming there is.

If it's not true, I don't see why there couldn't be a female Dredd clone.

Because it wouldn't be a clone?

Uh bidibidibidibidibidibidibidibidibidibidi.

Well, gee, Buck, what about Futurama's Hedonism-bot?

You cant even browse the site without signing up.I dont like that aspect of it either.

You moan about the lack of privacy involved but also don't like that you can't look at other folk's profiles without signing up? You should meet the kettle, I think the two of you would get along famously.

This from the Grauniad:

The author has published a statement on a website calling the diagnosis "an embuggerance". Pratchett, who is 59, says that he is taking the news "fairly philosophically" and "possibly with mild optimism". He adds that the statement, posted yesterday on the website of his illustrator Paul Kidby, "should be interpreted as 'I am not dead'" and says that he expects to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments.

If he can do the mild optimism thing, so too, I guess, can the rest of us.

Link: http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2226306,00.html " target="_blank">Embuggerance, indeed.

Well, that's put something of a downer on my day. Much like others, I was a huge fan during my formative years, and even now find myself buying the hardback versions of the new books, mostly I think out of nostalgia and respect for the man who got me into the whole 'writing' buzz.

Here's hoping he's with us for a good while yet.

That, boys and girls, is what Progging is all about.

I was in the queue for the number 11 (or possibly 8) bus in Scarborough behind Richard Whitely once. Oddly, when the bus actually arrived, he left the queue and entered a nearby fish restaurant.

Also, as a wee child of six or so, I met the Chuckle Brothers outside my village post office.

[comics discussion messageboard]

Am I the only one who finds this a bit....sad. I admire the effort of course, but surely he needs to get out more? :-(

You do realise you're posting on a comics discussion messageboard, don't you? If that kind of thing's acceptable anywhere, surely it's acceptable here?

My question - if you flew over the international date line constantly at the exact speed the earth turned, would time stand still and then instantly jump to the same time tomorrow every 24 hours?

As far as my space-maths can work out, yes, though you would be living a life of eternal troglydyte darkness.

Space-maths, Funt. It's called space-maths.