Comments on: TOM THE DANCING BUG: The Outer Reaches of Plot Twists - Brain in a Beaker! http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 18 May 2013 21:33:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: cub http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1378823 cub Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1378823 hahahahaha-- i don't get it. hahahahaha– i don’t get it.

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1378159 Paul Renault Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:07:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1378159  Maybe the fact that they don't IS the programming flaw.  Maybe the fact that they don’t IS the programming flaw.

]]> By: Idran http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1378123 Idran Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1378123  I like SMBC too :P  I like SMBC too :P

]]> By: Peter Austin http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376782 Peter Austin Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376782 Charles Krauthammer - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/item_4liVlMvo3s1jxt8lql75fK Al Franken - http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/cspanjunkie/we-are-not-entitled-our-own-facts-sena Charles Krauthammer – http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/item_4liVlMvo3s1jxt8lql75fK
Al Franken – http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/cspanjunkie/we-are-not-entitled-our-own-facts-sena

]]> By: irksome http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376590 irksome Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376590 "Perception is reality." --Karl Rove; oddly enough, on Fox... “Perception is reality.” –Karl Rove; oddly enough, on Fox…

]]> By: Stuart Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376458 Stuart Smith Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376458 Surely the real giveaway of being a brain in a jar would be reflected in the computational limitations of such - for example, there would be minimum possible units of things like mass and distance, rather than true continua. Also, you would expect to see imprecise figures when dealing with events that are common but not obvious to the sense, such as an inability to determine accurately both the location and velocity of subatomic particles. Surely the real giveaway of being a brain in a jar would be reflected in the computational limitations of such – for example, there would be minimum possible units of things like mass and distance, rather than true continua. Also, you would expect to see imprecise figures when dealing with events that are common but not obvious to the sense, such as an inability to determine accurately both the location and velocity of subatomic particles.

]]> By: Cowicide http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376442 Cowicide Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376442 Somebody pass the bong.... Somebody pass the bong….

]]> By: Maneki Nico http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376334 Maneki Nico Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376334 I think you can hack one together from a Thunderbolt cable, clear vinyl tubing, and some sugru. I think you can hack one together from a Thunderbolt cable, clear vinyl tubing, and some sugru.

]]> By: Mister44 http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376240 Mister44 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376240  They probably do in Mr. Bollings reality.  They probably do in Mr. Bollings reality.

]]> By: MattAtDoyle http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376188 MattAtDoyle Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376188 The Brain-In-A-Beaker appears to be connected to the iMac's power cable, which would mean... it's powering the very same computer that's supplying it's simulation. Plot twist? The Brain-In-A-Beaker appears to be connected to the iMac’s power cable, which would mean… it’s powering the very same computer that’s supplying it’s simulation. Plot twist?

]]> By: spejic http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376162 spejic Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376162 The pronouncements of Matrix: Reloaded have created an inexorable systemic consequence: the use of elaborate verbiage when describing alternate realities. Ergo the use of "resulting anomaly" in this comic. The pronouncements of Matrix: Reloaded have created an inexorable systemic consequence: the use of elaborate verbiage when describing alternate realities.

Ergo the use of “resulting anomaly” in this comic.

]]> By: MrEricSir http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376111 MrEricSir Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376111 We call that "refactoring." We call that “refactoring.”

]]> By: Jer_00 http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376092 Jer_00 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376092 You've never heard of programmers takings short-cuts?  Cut-and-paste is the lazy programmer's friend. You’ve never heard of programmers takings short-cuts?  Cut-and-paste is the lazy programmer’s friend.

]]> By: millie fink http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376086 millie fink Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376086 Krauthammer said that?! Krauthammer said that?!

]]> By: Saltine http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376050 Saltine Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376050 They have them at the Monster Cable website. They have them at the Monster Cable website.

]]> By: libelle http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1376026 libelle Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1376026 Where does one get the Brain-in-a-Vat-to-iMac connector cable, though? I couldn't find one at the Apple Store. Does that prove that I'm in the simulation rather than in the outer reality? Where does one get the Brain-in-a-Vat-to-iMac connector cable, though? I couldn’t find one at the Apple Store. Does that prove that I’m in the simulation rather than in the outer reality?

]]> By: Mitchell Glaser http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375966 Mitchell Glaser Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375966 For some people reality is what they see on TV, and so Fox News does paint their world view. Me? I read the Internets. For some people reality is what they see on TV, and so Fox News does paint their world view. Me? I read the Internets.

]]> By: chris jimson http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375950 chris jimson Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375950  "What Fox [News] did is not just create a venue for alternative opinion. It created an alternate reality."  -- Charles Krauthammer “We are entitled to our own opinions; we are not entitled to our own facts,” -- Al Franken  ”What Fox [News] did is not just create a venue for alternative opinion. It created an alternate reality.”  — Charles Krauthammer

“We are entitled to our own opinions; we are not entitled to our own facts,” — Al Franken

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375940 Brainspore Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375940 Better to be a brain in a beaker than a dick in a box. Better to be a brain in a beaker than a dick in a box.

]]> By: bardfinn http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375942 bardfinn Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375942 "some resulting anomaly in the reality" like Goedel's Incompleteness Theorem? “some resulting anomaly in the reality”

like Goedel’s Incompleteness Theorem?

]]> By: Philalethes http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375926 Philalethes Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375926 He looks like a grown-up Louis. Hmmm. He looks like a grown-up Louis. Hmmm.

]]> By: Svenn Diagram http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375920 Svenn Diagram Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375920 We are all aware that the senses can be deceived, the eyes fooled. But how can we be sure our senses are not being deceived at any particular time, or even all the time? Might I just be a brain in a tank somewhere, tricked all my life into believing in the events of this world by some insane computer? And does my life gain or lose meaning based on my reaction to such solipsism? Project PYRRHO, Specimen 46, Vat 7 Activity Recorded M.Y. 2302.22467 TERMINATION OF SPECIMEN ADVISED(from Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri) We are all aware that the senses can be deceived, the eyes fooled. But how can we be sure our senses are not being deceived at any particular time, or even all the time? Might I just be a brain in a tank somewhere, tricked all my life into believing in the events of this world by some insane computer? And does my life gain or lose meaning based on my
reaction to such solipsism?
Project PYRRHO, Specimen 46, Vat 7
Activity Recorded M.Y. 2302.22467
TERMINATION OF SPECIMEN ADVISED(from Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri)

]]> By: Paul Weimer http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375917 Paul Weimer Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375917 Also, see Ken Macleod's The Restoration Game Also, see Ken Macleod’s The Restoration Game

]]> By: Christopher http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375906 Christopher Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375906 At least I can be assured that no one would intentionally program a life as boring as mine.  At least I can be assured that no one would intentionally program a life as boring as mine. 

]]> By: peggy_Boston http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375894 peggy_Boston Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375894 The President's middle and last names don't the least bit resemble "George Walker Bush" or "Richard Bruce Cheney". The President’s middle and last names don’t the least bit resemble “George Walker Bush” or “Richard Bruce Cheney”.

]]> By: Andy Simmons http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/tom-the-dancing-bug-the-oute.html#comment-1375876 Andy Simmons Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150382#comment-1375876 Yes, Mr. Bolling, I saw _The 13th Floor_ too. Yes, Mr. Bolling, I saw _The 13th Floor_ too.

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