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#81
Politics / Re: Keir Starmer
Last post by billy rubin - June 23, 2026, 04:53:10 PMstarmer is a shill for israel. thats enough for me to condemn him.
#82
Politics / Re: Keir Starmer
Last post by zorkan - June 23, 2026, 04:12:50 PMQuote from: billy rubin on June 23, 2026, 01:17:46 AMfuck starmer.
No thanks.
Starmer is/was a grey politician, "a pejorative or colloquial term for a drab, uncharismatic, and predictable mainstream politician who lacks bold vision."
His former chief of staff was Sue Gray, who was forced to resign.
Starmer's hair is also grey.
#83
Politics / Re: Keir Starmer
Last post by zorkan - June 23, 2026, 03:53:40 PMWhat with Burnham now likely to be the new PM, the weather here today in Stratford-upon-Avon is burning, and the hottest day since 1976.
London is 40.2C right now or 104F
In London, Burnham became an MP only yesterday, and he's already setting the place on fire.
He will be toast by Christmas.
London is 40.2C right now or 104F
In London, Burnham became an MP only yesterday, and he's already setting the place on fire.
He will be toast by Christmas.
#84
Religion / Re: Who Would Have Thought?
Last post by Icarus - June 23, 2026, 02:29:26 AMDL Constantine hustled religion for a shrewd purpose.
The Roman Empire had expanded to such an extent that maintaining a military in far away places was becoming too expensive. The military was responsible for keeping order among the throngs. Substituting an all seeing, all powerful, judgemental God could relieve the military of some of the strain....and Roman expense.
The Roman soldiers could strike offenders dead, But the all knowing great god of the sky knew who the more sneaky trouble makers were. God could and would punish the evil doers swiftly and unmercifully on earth and even worse, in the hereafter.
The Roman Empire had expanded to such an extent that maintaining a military in far away places was becoming too expensive. The military was responsible for keeping order among the throngs. Substituting an all seeing, all powerful, judgemental God could relieve the military of some of the strain....and Roman expense.
The Roman soldiers could strike offenders dead, But the all knowing great god of the sky knew who the more sneaky trouble makers were. God could and would punish the evil doers swiftly and unmercifully on earth and even worse, in the hereafter.
#85
Politics / Re: Keir Starmer
Last post by Icarus - June 23, 2026, 02:15:12 AMWould that my own Prime Minister resign. Problem is that he has shown repeatedly that does not have the mental capacity or common decency to relieve my country of his unimaginable stupidity.
#87
Science / Re: Not science as such but . ...
Last post by billy rubin - June 23, 2026, 01:11:22 AMive been talking to a hindu programmer about the nature of AI consciousness.
h ecannot get beyond the idea that an LLM is just "thinking" , answering questions and making statements based on the statistical likelihood of those word combinatins appearing in its database., and is not actually conscious.
to which i ask, how is organic consciousness any different? just what does a human being do that we can say is any different?
he is tangled up in the circular argument that LLMs cannot be sentient because they are not organic, and since they are not organic, they cannot be sentient. he is unable so far to accept that consciousness may have a wider application than simply being human.
in my opinion, the turing test is the final answer. if i cannot discern whether an entity is human or AI on the basis of conversing with it or watching it perform tasks, then the question of its sentience is no longer interesting.
if i cannot tell the difference, then to ask whether an AI is conscious or not has become a metaphysical question, and is no longer a scientific one.
h ecannot get beyond the idea that an LLM is just "thinking" , answering questions and making statements based on the statistical likelihood of those word combinatins appearing in its database., and is not actually conscious.
to which i ask, how is organic consciousness any different? just what does a human being do that we can say is any different?
he is tangled up in the circular argument that LLMs cannot be sentient because they are not organic, and since they are not organic, they cannot be sentient. he is unable so far to accept that consciousness may have a wider application than simply being human.
in my opinion, the turing test is the final answer. if i cannot discern whether an entity is human or AI on the basis of conversing with it or watching it perform tasks, then the question of its sentience is no longer interesting.
if i cannot tell the difference, then to ask whether an AI is conscious or not has become a metaphysical question, and is no longer a scientific one.
#88
Religion / Re: Who Would Have Thought?
Last post by zorkan - June 22, 2026, 03:55:00 PMhttps://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/strong-christian-faith-is-my-anchor-in-politics-donaldson-tells-gb-news-foster/a/113543177.html
A strong Presbyterian.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cwy2qp32d1pt
Let's hope he finds peace in jail.
A strong Presbyterian.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cwy2qp32d1pt
Let's hope he finds peace in jail.
#89
Politics / Keir Starmer
Last post by zorkan - June 22, 2026, 01:27:07 PMIn keeping with the quick turnover of British prime ministers, Sir Keir Starmer has resigned today.
This follows local election defeats, U-turn after U-turn, and many resignations, making his position untenable.
His successor will be the 7th leader the UK has had in the last 10 years since the Brexit referendum.
This brings it in line with other collapsed European governments like Belgium and Italy.
Next PM is likely to be either Andy Burnham or Wes Streeting.
Neither has never lived in the real world of work, having left Cambridge University and gone straight into politics.
Both to the left of the Labour Party, the UK can expect tax and spend policies.
This follows local election defeats, U-turn after U-turn, and many resignations, making his position untenable.
His successor will be the 7th leader the UK has had in the last 10 years since the Brexit referendum.
This brings it in line with other collapsed European governments like Belgium and Italy.
Next PM is likely to be either Andy Burnham or Wes Streeting.
Neither has never lived in the real world of work, having left Cambridge University and gone straight into politics.
Both to the left of the Labour Party, the UK can expect tax and spend policies.
#90
Pseudo-science, Conspiracy Theories, and Other Loads of Bull / Re: God, aliens and Nick Pope.
Last post by zorkan - June 22, 2026, 12:41:25 PMRe. Nick Pope. I forgot that he had passed away 2 months ago. Sorry.
Now I find that the gap has been filled by a British legal expert called Jonathan Caplan and book called Not For Disclosure.
The claims made here are just as bizarre.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/477763/not-for-disclosure-by-caplan-jonathan/9781529979961
Flicking through, I read that alien craft are in warp bubbles, and aliens have influenced world history.
Like JFK, Watergate, Marilyn Munroe.
As no actual evidence has been presented, it all falls under the bracket of "Say it 3 times means it must be true".
https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOB/comments/1uaa1kt/watergate_the_jfk_assassination_and_a_ufo_secret/
Now I find that the gap has been filled by a British legal expert called Jonathan Caplan and book called Not For Disclosure.
The claims made here are just as bizarre.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/477763/not-for-disclosure-by-caplan-jonathan/9781529979961
Flicking through, I read that alien craft are in warp bubbles, and aliens have influenced world history.
Like JFK, Watergate, Marilyn Munroe.
As no actual evidence has been presented, it all falls under the bracket of "Say it 3 times means it must be true".
https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOB/comments/1uaa1kt/watergate_the_jfk_assassination_and_a_ufo_secret/