- Joined
- Apr 18, 2013
- Messages
- 623
- Reaction score
- 89
You're welcome.
I tend to have more links than a suit of ringmail....
I'm not so sure 'broken' is a good analogy. In many of these cases, it's a base-line difference in neurological structure. The body is functioning perfectly well and according to its biochemical and neuro-architectural patterns. It's just that this structure results in things being processed in a different way.
I insist upon making the distinction because of the age-old idiom: "If more than half the people in the world are crazy, then I'm the crazy one."
From a biological standpoint, these people are not dysfunctional. Only in a sociological context. Arguably, many of them are far better suited to familial tribal structures of hunter-gatherers than we are. Which has led a number of evolutionary psychologists to suggest that the modern sociopath was the ancient genius.
There is some interesting research into autism, here:You must be registered for see links
Though a few days later - we have this article published about a different study:You must be registered for see links
Now, I remember, when a few of the other guys and I, were talking about autism and some other stuff - and they brought up a theory floating around about 'super intelligence' as a product of both the tight clustering of autistic minds without the sacrifice of long-distance connections. I have not been successful in tracking down this theory with a search engine. This is as close as I can get to any mention of high-IQ or just overall high-functioning minds having an architectural theory behind them:You must be registered for see links
The interviewer asks if there is - the respondant says there is no data, but that it is expected that when data does come in, it will support the assertion that those people will be neuroatypical as opposed to neurotypical.
Did I choose to be this way?
I applied reason to my position... but any being is applying reason to their actions (assuming they are conscious). I am, also, able to understand the reasoning of others and why my own conflicts with it. But that merely makes me more aware of what I am (and what I am capable of) rather than making me 'normal.'
The only difference between me and the sociopaths that get interviewed in jail is that I'm more risk-averse than they were and have a slightly different moral underpinning. I'd totally go around killing and plundering drug dealers if I were confident I could stay out of jail. Kill supply rings, take their money, destroy their stock, take anything else of value and pawn it off.
There may be reason behind that behavior... some may even argue a touch of nobility - but it is what it is. Particularly since that is -natural- to me. The predatory instincts necessary to 'stalk' these supply rings and identify targets (not to mention the mentality to see weaknesses that the average person usually misses) and the thrill of doing it... that's not 'normal.'
And I have to check myself - because that 'predator mentality' is how I naturally go about a lot of things. Even if my intent is benign and not to harm. Most people seem to miss that portion of my behavior (the same reason they don't see the vulnerabilities of those around them) - but it is there, and during a time in my life (following the death of my father and catastrophic relationship issues) - I lost a grip on myself and found that I can do some things that are way outside the realms of acceptable (even for myself).
Which... considering I'll talk to myself for half an hour about how I need to do the dishes, then get distracted by a two hour long self-discussion about the physics of soap bubbles, detergent enzymes, and the biochemistry of bread yeasts... to still not have the dishes done.... says a lot. That's 'normal' for me. So you can imagine what kind of mess I was like.
.... The point of me saying it is that I would.
I am of the opinion that the erradication of small pox did far more damage than good in the long run - an the virus plays a functional role in the human species as a whole.
There's another reason. We know the Soviets were working on a smallpox-based bioweapon even as the erradication was underway. Those samples are unaccounted for - and it was being cultured by the ton.
A group in New Zealand was doing research on mouse pox (the mouse equivalent of smallpox) and inserted the genes for an immune cytokine into the virus (cytokines are used to coordinate immune response within the host). This acted to, effectively, jam the mouse's immune system. The virus had a 100% fatality rate against unvaccinated mice and a 60-something% mortality rate against vaccinated mice.
While there is reason to believe that trying this same thing with humans would not work quite as well... it would still substantially improve the effectiveness of the virus. Worse - pox viruses are very easy to work with and this level of genetic engineering can be done in any high school biology lab.
Small Pox is endemic to humans. There is no other virus better suited to infecting us. While we may have erradicated it - to believe it is gone (even from nature) is the pinnacle of our hubris. When it returns, it will do so with a vengeance as we lack the vaccine resources to deal with it. The longer we go without it - the worse it's going to be, and the more dangerous those rogue samples of small pox become.
Groups like the one responsible for the Sarin gas attack in Japan were known to be seeking samples of Level IV viruses like Ebola (even sending members to affected regions in attempts to gain samples). Those are viruses with 90% mortality rates. While not nearly as communicable as Small Pox - the fact they are even looking for such highly lethal viruses suggests they would be willing to accept practically suicidal bioweapons (such as small pox designed to trigger cytokine storms).
I'm a little more partial to the type of music in these types of things:You must be registered for see links
That one has some impressive animation synched to it. I suspect the bad-ass elf dude is an Uzumaki - that was a pretty elaborate sealing technique, there (and that is totally how I want to die - "Well... shit... world's ending... *last-minute-time-machine-no-jutsu* you ****s fix this!" )
Though I'm a little more partial to:You must be registered for see links
I've decided that song is Hanabi's theme song (at least for my fan-fiction).
Floor Jansen's spin on "Ever Dream" would be Hinata's... though finding the best of her performances is difficult, particularly considering that the best one seems to be from their Argentina appearance and the crowd was hellbent on out-singing the band:You must be registered for see links
By the way - Floor is a goddess. While on deployment, Zune recommended to me that I check out this band called "After Forever." After listening to a few of their songs, I though: "Damn... I wonder what it would be like to have their vocalist guest sing with Nightwish. That could be pretty awesome." I get back state-side, and find out that very thing happened.
Now if only that worked with lottery tickets: "Hmm... I wonder what it would be like to win the lottery this drawing. ... Whoa! So this is what it'd be like!"
Mostly German, as far as I know. Both of my grandfathers were heavily German. My father's mother was mostly German. My mother's mother supposedly had some Cherokee in her (and I'd believe it) - though I'm not sure where a lot of her heritage lay. That side of the family is classic Ozark Hick (though in a good way... mostly...). My dad's side of the family is where I get a lot of my engineering savvy from - it's so much a part of their heritage that I wonder if it's genetic, by now.
There's actually a road in St. Ann, Missouri (a metropolitan region of St. Louis), near my great grandfather's hardware store/sheet metal shop, that bears my family name. It's not much - but that little historic landmark reminds me that there's a heritage to me and a responsibility that I must uphold. Not to my past - but to my future; what will I contribute to the meaning of the last name bestowed upon my children and grandchildren?
Though you didn't get much more German than my dad. One of his shirts read: "You can always tell a German, but you can't tell him much." ... Wish I still had him around to learn from. He was one of the few practitioners of the dark arts of diecast manufacturing. I'm sure he took some knowledge with him to the grave. ... Funny little story - when he and my mom were planning to build a house after I was born - they had a horrible time getting contractors to build the thing, because my dad used a lot of 'complex' and 'difficult' cuts and structures.
After my mom - we talked a lot about the possibility of his passing... so that helped ease some of the grief process... but there are a lot of times I set to work on something and go: "Man... I wish I could call him to make sure I was doing this right or see if he has any pointers."
But then, there are times when I tackle stuff with confidence that my room mates are hesitant and/or have no confidence in doing - and I realize how much I did learn from him.
But, at this point, I'm just rambling about my family.
lol - while I find it difficult to properly articulate my appreciation of music through any form of dance I've discovered (spare for flailing randomly while pretending to slam various anime techniques into invisible enemies) - I can certainly appreciate the effort and enjoyment others get out of it.
Oh, God, I don't know...
You've made me cry with this sentence:"Man... I wish I could call him to make sure I was doing this right or see if he has any pointers." My hands are shaking while I try to type this damn text.
I forgot everything and I only see this sentence.
!