Toadfish Monastery

I debated whether to put this in the Science forum, but in the end I feel that the interesting question is a moral one, so I have put this here.

Those who have read the books of science fiction author David Brin will be familiar with the term uplift, but for those who have not, it is a term David Brin uses in a number of his novel to describe a process whereby a sentient species (ie humans - well most of the time, anyway) raises a pre-sentient species to full sapience.  this might be done through direct genetic engineering and selective breeding or whatever.

Now I am not trying to debate the technical issues of how this may be done.  For the purpose of this discussion, I would like to suggest that let us take it for granted that at some time in the future we will be in a position to 'raise' another species to full sentience.  Obvious candidates would be chimpanzees and bonobos and perhaps dolphins and gorillas.  other species might also be possible.

Anyway, the interesting question for me is this - should we do it?  Do we in fact, if we have the capability, have an obligation to do it?  I wonder whether in some distant future time we might not be judged by just how much we could have done, but did not, for our fellow denizens of this lovely planet.

Sibling Bluenose

Dear Bustlin Brian,

Oi ad a visit from a Teknikel Inpeckter from the Piratical Hi Counsil Offiss o Licker Lisensin or sum such fing.  'E 'ad a rite proper gander at me still and 'e commented on the parts wot Oi resently purchased from ye.

'E telled me that the Very Expensive High Presha Pipe wot you sold me were really just a bit of ole curtain rod, and that the new Special Precision Controlled Burner fer the still were jest an ole hi-skool bunsen burner an' that the new fuel delivery system reely was a Cyclops kiddy-kar fire-engin, jess loike me cabin boy fowt it be.  Wen Oi aheared this Oi took th' liberty of havin a closer look at the items an indeed Oi espied the words "Handi-Hardware Curtain Rod, Size 2" on the pipe an the burner is clearly marked on the bottom wiv "Property of East Finchly Public School".

Now Oi got no problems wiv the performance o' the supplied items, the burner be werkin a treat and the pipe be holdin pressure much betta than me old wun (although Oi'm still a bit unsure abowt th' chewing gum seal) an me cabin boy Tommy be pretty 'appy wiv the fire engine.  Wot Oi be unappy abowt but is the price ye charged for wot in reality turned out ter be a bit o' old tat.  Oi will be expeckin a full refund less about 2 dubloons,which Oi ave been advised by a licensed second-hand dealer is about wot the items be werth.  Oi will be sendin a kupple o me crew around to collect the refund this afternoon.

Don't let me down or Oi'll be forced ter refer the matter ter "Burly Henchmen R Us" th' new debt collectors wot ave been advertisementin lately.

Cap'n Bluenose

humus

Play

Dear Snotty,

Ye been readin that nasty propaganda bein spread by those 'orrible "open sauce" zealots pushin' Buccanux ov'r at PC world, aint ye?

Scumsoft has ov'r 125% o' th' piratical cumpooter market, as resently calculated on the new Scumsoft LootCalc^TM handy hook mounted ransom calculator.  All those other pirates can't wrong, can they?

Scumsoft

Yaarrr,

That be foine, but Oi aint kissin DavL evun if 'e be wearing twenty dresses (loike that time down at the Hero o Waterloo...)

Cap'n Bluenose

 

Since I didn't say Last Post last time I posted, this time I'm going to say Last Post twice when I post last.

Last Post twice.

 

Quote from: beagle on November 30, 2006, 08:26:02 PM
Dear Santa,

Please may I have a remote controlled Dalek...

I just love those Daleks.

Way back when, a bunch of us Navy types figured that 'Dalek' must be a real word when it was used in the then current edition (circa 1980) of Jane's Fighting Ships* as a recognition feature of the Kurril class Soviet cruiser, the exact quote as I recall was taht this ship was easy to idenify because of the "two Dalek like structures amidships".  Indeed, it really did look like someone had plonked two Bl**dy great Daleks on top of the ship!

Dear Santa,

I want a remote controlled Dalek too...

sibling Bluenose

* Jane's, as it is usually known, is the bible for warhip recognition and every self-respecting Navy ship has a copy of the latest edition.  I remember our (Australian) admirals being a bit miffed in an exercise we had with the Malaysians once because the Malasians wanted us to fight the excercise "according to Jane's", rather than assuming that we had just fitted the latest US gadget that our ships were "fitter for but not with" at the time.

I still want a Dalek.  A full sized one.  Preferably the black one, with the gold bits.

I use a set of Victorinox wooden handled, full tang knives I was given as a wedding present about 7 years ago by a friend who runs a butchers' supply service.  They hold their edges very well and I am only now considering gettimg my oil-stones out.  However, I always use my steel every time I pick one of these knives up.  I simply cannot stand a knife that is not razor sharp, and I am quite happy to stop half way thorugh a job, give the knife a wipe and a quick touch up on the steel.  I am a firm believer that a steel cannot sharpen a blunt knife but it can keep a sharp one sharp.  This is certainly proving the case.

I often have a browse around the local knife shop and drool over all their lovely knives, but at the end of the day I am very happy with my Victorinox, so I don't see a need to change.

Sibling Bluenose

All I want for the Summer Soltice Festival is an extra slice of pudding, with hard sauce, brandy custard and cream!

...and a happy first day of Summer to all my chilled Northern hemisphere siblings!

Further, he cares less and considers egg-plant to be marginally less edible than cardboard, with a similar flavour.

The sibling below me wonders how come Sibling Bluenose knows what cardboard tastes like.

I assume you're talking degrees Fahrenheit.  In which case that sounds pretty chilly to me...

Sibling Bluenose

Well, this morning (7 am) its overcast, but the forcast is for a mainly sunny day with a top of around 27^oC.  Much more reasonable than yesterday, pity I have to go to work.  You blokes can keep your sub-zero temperatures!

It's a bit too early to be thinking too much about beer, but i just might be forced to have a little something later on. <grin>

Sibling Bluenose

About 34^oC today, mid 90s in Farenheit.

Could use some rain.  Actually, could use a lot of rain.

Hear that there's a good chance that the current El Nino is showing signs of breaking up before it has got fully developed.  If so, it can't happen soon enough.  The suggestion is that we may begin to get some decent rains in late summer/autumn.  We shall see.

Sibling Bluenose

"Cor, luxury!  We use to dream about living in the woods.  We used to live in a shoe-box.  We had to get up three hours before we went to bed, had a bowl of gravel for our breakfast and work down mine for eight hours before we walked to school in our bare feet through ten foot snow banks.

You're right about one thing, though, people to day are SOFT.  They don't know how good they've got it.  Why I remember...."

Sound of a heavy blunt object being brought down on something all squishy like.

The person below me likes blue M&Ms best