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2019-11-15, 11:31 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2015
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Sometimes you don't care what the upper limit of stress for an object is, you just want to know that it will react in a defined way to a particular stress. So for instance, say a railing is required to hold 200 lbs and designed to hold 300. You don't -really- care if the particular railing that's installed fails at 275 or 305 lbs, you just care that when you apply 200 lbs to it, it -doesn't- fail, because that's the specification. And you don't necessarily want to go around destroying every railing installation to see how breakable it is.
...We kind of snuck past the "your mom" joke when Beeps asked if May wanted to be the wall.
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2019-11-19, 12:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2007
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Well that's a nice way of looking at the universe. We are a beautiful soap bubble, destined to pop suddenly and without warning. I think this is what they are talking about. If I understood the article we're only probably a beautiful soap bubble. There is still a chance the Universe ends in Eternal Darkness.
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2019-11-19, 03:27 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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2019-11-19, 03:29 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2015
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
From a position outside of spacetime, duration and expansion are meaningless terms. If there was a bubble of true vacuum, it might not experience time in the usual sense; it might logically be unable to expand because duration is a property of matter-energy.
If we're talking about local and global minima in the fabric of spacetime, it might experience time more slowly and thus experience a passive pressure to collapse on its borders because time would be operating more quickly in the denser soup.
I mean, if you want to worry about cosmic events, entropy would be a better one to worry about, I would think. Or supernovae and small, wandering black holes.Last edited by diremage; 2019-11-19 at 03:39 AM.
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2019-11-20, 06:17 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
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- Somewhere...
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Destroyed? No, made better! By SCIENCE!!!
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2019-11-22, 04:39 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2007
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- England
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Well, Jeph is done transcribing that wikipedia article he read; we now return to your regularly scheduled butts!
Also, I find "human standard" to be far more problematic than "anatomically correct". An anatomy is an actual, defined thing, but there's absolutely nothing 'standard' about humans.~ CAUTION: May Contain Weasels ~
RPG Characters What I Done Played As (Explained Badly)
17 Things I Learned About 40k By Playing Dark Heresy
Tales of a Role-Play Gamer - Horrible Optimisation
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2019-11-22, 04:47 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2007
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Adrie, half elven bard. Drawing by Vulion, avatar by CheesePirate. Colored version by Callos_DeTerran. Thanks a lot, you guys.This place is not a place of honor…no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here… nothing valued is here."There will come a day so dark you will pray for death. On that day your prayers will be answered."Book of shadows, book of night, wake the beast and banish light.
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2019-11-22, 05:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2007
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- England
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
When you run the gamut between Peter Dinklage and Shaq O'Neill, "standard" is stretching it a bit.
Similarly, having 2 eyes is technically an above-average number of eyes, so... go figure.~ CAUTION: May Contain Weasels ~
RPG Characters What I Done Played As (Explained Badly)
17 Things I Learned About 40k By Playing Dark Heresy
Tales of a Role-Play Gamer - Horrible Optimisation
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2019-11-22, 10:35 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2004
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
"Anatomically correct" doesn't work because there was nothing incorrect about Winslow's original anatomy; it was (provably) the way his designer planned it. It just didn't include a penis.
Similarly, I think there are very few people who wouldn't understand "human standard" to mean "are you okay with your daughter working a few inches away from robot vulva" in this context, and while genitals aren't universal among humans, they are standard.Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
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2019-11-22, 11:05 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2013
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
As far as im aware, "anatomically correct" has always been used to refer to something intentionally designed to look like a human or other living creature, but is not actually that thing, such as a doll. As you point out, there is no such thing as being anatomically (in)correct for anything that is not specifically modeled after an already-existing creature. Calling it "human standard" though could plausibly be interpreted to just mean humanoid, without every little fiddly detail. Alternatively, it could mean things like "equipped to be able to grow a beard/chest hair/armpit hair/etc... or simply "is based on the average human body statistics at time of manufacture" without any other implications. There are simply too many ways to read it without it already having entered in the public consciousness, at which point any given literal reading doesn't actually matter anyway.
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”
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2019-11-22, 11:06 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2014
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Though there is considerable variation within humans [citation needed], there's a fairly standardized body plan, especially when compared to the broad gamut of body plans available to AI. Humans have two eyes, or two eye sockets, at least; exceptions to this rule die quickly after or before birth. We similarly have four (jointed, endoskeletal) limbs or limb sites, with a strong anterior/posterior specialization between the limb pairs. None of these limbs may take the form of a wheel or propeller. None of those things can be assumed for a robotic chassis. Some of those traits are useful to even a robot (such as having two visual sensors for depth perception so as to obviate a laser rangefinder), while others would never cross the drawing board if they weren't attempting to imitate humans for aesthetic purposes. I'd say "human standard" is a pretty useful term here.
This line of thinking actually got me to wondering about May's chassis. It's very anthropomorphic and has a lot of features (such as her articulated and expressive eyes) that don't seem necessary for a cheap, utilitarian body.
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2019-11-22, 11:17 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2013
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”
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2019-11-22, 11:30 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2015
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
May's body, as opposed to, say, Punchbot's body, seems likely to have been designed for interaction with humans. Detailed facial expression and dexterous hands make communication easier. But, I guess, not the level of interaction that calls for "anatomical correctness". Suitable for a parolee because it was cast off by its original occupant, and wasn't physically strong enough to do much damage.
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2019-11-22, 01:27 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2004
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
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2019-11-22, 03:03 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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2019-11-23, 11:56 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2009
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
I would have thought, that they would have taken measurements when planning the butt implants and stuff like that, and the point of "anatomically correct" may have come up at some point...
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2019-11-23, 01:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Maybe they simply did measurements without Sam being around. Or even more likely they just asked for the client's chassis model and looked up relevant parameters in product specifications. The butt implants might as well have a list of compatible body models (if they are dedicated for robotic bodies, which I assume).
In a war it doesn't matter who's right, only who's left.
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2019-11-26, 05:00 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2004
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- Chicago!
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
perhaps human standard is to differentiate between AI in human bodies vs. spider or doggy bodies
If you find yourself watching Power Rangers and wonder how some characters got their powers and zords back for an anniversary episode, just assume they were restored off screen. They have 20+ seasons of team geniuses to call on.
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2019-11-26, 05:28 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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2019-11-26, 06:55 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2009
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2019-11-26, 10:40 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2015
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
I strongly suspect that May's body, and in fact most likely her entire product line, was surplused to the government when the company that produced them went under. Recall that the entire idea of embodied AIs is supposed to be a new thing, they were not commercially available until well after the comic began and the comic simply hasn't run for all that long, less than five years at the most (Momo says she is 2.7 years old when she gets her new body, and is later referred to as being 4 something like 1500 strips later, suggesting a 1000 strips per year rough approximation). May's body has many features, such as a proprietary non-standard charging cable, that are common among early iterations of a new technology as it emerges into the consumer space, and also of a product rushed out by a designer dependent upon limited venture capital rather than a well-capitalized corporate entity. For instance, it appears that pretty much all of the 'stock' components of May's chassis were made from distinctly inferior parts, to the point the repairs installed by Faye and Bubbles (and possibly others, earlier) are stronger than the original pieces.
So the general story behind May's body is probably that some company rushed out an early full-body chassis, only it was distinctively inferior to others available on the market and didn't sell, the company filed for bankruptcy, and then the extant models were liquidated at an extremely low cost. Government procurement rules more or less obligate entities to take the lowest bid on a contract, which means they end up with a lot of junk, which then gets passed onto those in need of their services.
Which actually means that the most realistic offer from the Parole Board or whatever agency actually controls May's status would probably be to replace her current body with any unused version of the exact same chassis, as they may be legally prohibited from even buying any other models until the current stock is used up. To note the chassis:cars analogy again, government agencies are obligated to put a certain amount of miles on their vehicles before they can be replaced, which leads to junky vehicles that everyone hates sitting in agency parking lots for an eternity.
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2019-11-26, 10:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2013
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
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2019-11-27, 01:41 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
When yo know, who you are talking about, then it will be understood, but without any context it could mean any kind of realistic body. Granted, it is a bit of an extrapolation, since in our world the meaning is clear, but the situation is pretty different in the comics.
In a war it doesn't matter who's right, only who's left.
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2019-11-27, 03:38 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2015
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- On the tip of my tongue
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Two points:
(1) The language may well need shifting when there really are realistic robots of many forms.
(2) The language may well need shifting when there really are sapient robots who would prefer not to center their notions of correct forms on the human body, thanks all the same.
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2019-11-27, 05:56 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2007
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- England
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
This one is actually a really good point. The only times I have used the phrase "anatomically correct" is in reference to things like action figures/toys, medical diagrams and equipment, or exotic sex toys.
You know... things which resemble humans but explicitly *are not human*. There are parallels that could be drawn between referring to AI's as anatomically correct, and to words used by segregationists.
There has been very little of that sort of thing shown in the comic - apart from the idiots who insulted Bubbles in her coat - but I can easily understand how out could be implied by other close-minded people in the wider QC universe. "Anatomically correct" being an intentionally back-handed compliment, because there's very definitely lots of ways in which they are "incorrect", sort of bigotry.Last edited by Wraith; 2019-11-27 at 05:57 AM.
~ CAUTION: May Contain Weasels ~
RPG Characters What I Done Played As (Explained Badly)
17 Things I Learned About 40k By Playing Dark Heresy
Tales of a Role-Play Gamer - Horrible Optimisation
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2019-11-27, 06:19 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2009
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Ok, yes, and the "human standard" might come in then, to say "its a humanoid robot". But that can just mean, torso, two arms, two legs, one head. Not necessarily *scrubbed*.
While Faye asking Jim if Sam can work on an anatomically correct robot, they all perfectly well understood what it meant.Last edited by flat_footed; 2019-11-27 at 08:26 PM.
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2019-11-27, 07:42 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2007
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Gordon is anatomically correct - he just happens to be anatomically correct for a spider.
Sam's dad presuming that Faye meant an anatomically correct *human* is EXACTLY the sort of privileged, close-minded assumption that the International Anti-Defamation of Robots League of America was formed to fight against!Last edited by Wraith; 2019-11-27 at 07:43 AM.
~ CAUTION: May Contain Weasels ~
RPG Characters What I Done Played As (Explained Badly)
17 Things I Learned About 40k By Playing Dark Heresy
Tales of a Role-Play Gamer - Horrible Optimisation
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2019-11-27, 01:23 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2015
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- On the tip of my tongue
Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
Any shorthand phrase could conceivably mean something other than its actual meaning. Also, there's already the term 'humanoid' to describe robots matching the rough human body plan wrt limbs and such. The comic is telling us that this is what 'human standard' means in the QC setting, and that it has replaced 'anatomically correct' for social reasons. Not to put too fine a point on it, there are lots of words that we choose not to use for social reasons even though everyone still knows what they mean.
Last edited by flat_footed; 2019-11-27 at 08:27 PM.
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2019-11-27, 02:29 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2015
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2019-11-28, 10:49 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2010
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Re: Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird
"Tell me which D-word Faye called me, and I promise to teach you at least three others that she apparently did not call me."