Non-IT News Thread
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Jahn–Teller Effect: Scientists Discover New State of Matter Derived From Nonlinear Process, Reports Say
The study, led by professor Kosmas Prassides of Tohoku University, claims to have found the matter inside crystal. The Jahn-Teller effect describes geometrical distortion of molecules and ions.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Nepal: At Least 32 Killed as 7.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Mount Everest
At least 1,000 people were injured in the quake Tuesday, officials said. The region is still in recovery from a 7.8-magnitude quake that struck on April 25, killing more than 8,000 people.
Oh nos! That is very sad. They have really been having a tough time of it.
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Pluto: New Horizons Probe Snaps Image of Dwarf Planet's Moons
The spacecraft, which is still 90 million km from reaching the dwarf planet, shared images of Kerberos and Styx, the smallest of Pluto’s five known moons.
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B.B. King: Blues Musician and Songwriter Dies at Age 89 in Las Vegas
King won 15 Grammy Awards during his career as a blues guitarist, songwriter and singer. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and the R&B Music Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Indiana Jones: Walt Disney World in Orlando to Open Bar Modeled With Theme From Film Series
The bar will be named Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar and is set to open in the park's Disney Springs district this fall. It is named after Indiana Jones' pilot and Disney says it will be aviation-themed.
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FAO Schwarz: Toy Store in Midtown Manhattan to Close in July Because of Rising Rent
The store's closure will leave FAO Schwarz without a retail location. A new store might open by the end of 2016, an unnamed source told Bloomberg. It has been at its current spot for nearly 30 years.
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US Airways: Man Reportedly Strips Naked at North Carolina Airport Due to Overbooked Flight
The man took his clothes off at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Wednesday morning, witnesses told WBTV. Police said the man was suffering from a “medical issue” and would not be charged.
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@scottalanmiller said:
US Airways: Man Reportedly Strips Naked at North Carolina Airport Due to Overbooked Flight
The man took his clothes off at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Wednesday morning, witnesses told WBTV. Police said the man was suffering from a “medical issue” and would not be charged.
and everyone could see he was nuts.
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Levittown, Pennsylvania: Family Claims Feces Rained Down From Sky Onto Sweet 16 Birthday Party
Joe Cambray said feces began to rain down onto his back yard where his stepdaughter, Jacinda, was celebrating her birthday. The FAA is investigating whether the waste could have come from an airplane.
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Bronze Age: Scientists Analyze Remains of Girl Who Lived During Historic Era
The 3,400-year-old remains were found in Egtved, Denmark, in 1921. Researchers say new tests show the girl was likely from Germany and traveled back and forth over hundreds of miles.
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Westboro Baptist Church: Group Protests Ireland Using Signs Depicting Flag of Ivory Coast
The group was protesting Ireland's legalization of same-sex marriage using signs with a flag of orange, white and green, which is the Ivory Coast's flag. Ireland's flag is green, white and orange.
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The problem with being an illiterate bigot is that you can't always figure out who to complain about.
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@scottalanmiller said:
The problem with being an illiterate bigot is that you can't always figure out who to complain about.
I'm very happy that no one has murdered them until they died from it, no matter how obnoxious and nasty they are. Having groups like this is an excellent test of the rules and how they are followed in a society. The canary in the coal mines of social freedoms.
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They also prompt a lot of discussion around if social freedoms are a good thing. In Germany, for example, this would be illegal. Specifically because of what groups like this have managed to accomplish in the past.
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@scottalanmiller I strongly disagree with that. I'd rather have them out in the open where they can be observed. Denying them the ability to spout their horse hockey just forces them underground and makes their echo chamber even more isolated and less prone to criticism.
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@MattSpeller said:
@scottalanmiller I strongly disagree with that. I'd rather have them out in the open where they can be observed. Denying them the ability to spout their horse hockey just forces them underground and makes their echo chamber even more isolated and less prone to criticism.
That's probably true, but I'm not sure that history supports that. That would make an interesting study for sure. Germany also does not allow things like home schooling for the same reason - they want to ensure that children can't be easily isolated and taught that this behaviour is okay.
It's a weird question of tolerance. Is being tolerant of intolerance more or less tolerant?
It's the same question about democracy.... what happens when a democracy votes for a dictator or a king?
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@scottalanmiller said:
It's the same question about democracy.... what happens when a democracy votes for a dictator or a king?
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)
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@MattSpeller said:
@scottalanmiller said:
It's the same question about democracy.... what happens when a democracy votes for a dictator or a king?
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)
It's a tough one. How do you guarantee freedom when people choose to not have freedom. Do you give people the choice of not being free? If you do, are they really free or not? If you don't, are they?
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Given enough time and enough votes (enough times voting, I mean) eventually every democracy will, at some point, vote itself out of a democracy. Right? Just mathematically makes sense.
