THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: jwhouk on 29 Jan 2017, 18:46
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And here we go - it's "Revenge of the Bubbles" week!
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Things are going so blistering and unnaturally fast the next comic might not even have anything to do with this arc. Which is fine by me.
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Me too, JW, me too.
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Things are going so blistering and unnaturally fast the next comic might not even have anything to do with this arc. Which is fine by me.
I doubt that.
I agree with some of the less-happy comments in last week's WCDT. But I'm still interested in seeing the next steps here.
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I (and others) seem to have called the "Bubbles could destroy or torture CW but her honor prevents her" part.
Now it remains to be seen if Creepybot shows up to do the wet work.
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Well done, Bubbles.
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"Hell Yea, Bubbles!!!" *gratuitous fist pump*
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"The Great Destrpyer" indeed!
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This will not bite Bubbles in her arse, heavily-armoured or not, at all. Nope.
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Eeehhhh scenes like this always leave me feeling a little bit like the protag didn't make the right choice. Not killing her is definitely the honorable thing to do, but Corpse Witch is a vindictive evil creature. Even if you don't wish to "kill" her, she needs to be disabled somehow so she can't retaliate later. Turn her in to the cops or something, don't just rough her up and walk away.
And depending on how you define "killing" her, you could just rip out her Black Box and put it on a bookcase so she spends the rest of her life as a sentient mantle ornament.
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This will not bite Bubbles in her arse, heavily-armoured or not, at all. Nope.
It may. But I suspect officer Basilisk will be involved shortly, and that should keep CW out of circulation for a while.
If Bubbles had chosen to destroy CW, the consequences for her would have been rather more immediate and unpleasant. I have to assume the legal system takes a dim view of crushing an AI's mind substrate to dust...
I'm very happy to see this outcome. For all Faye may have joked about providing Bubbles an alibi (and about quarries...) I don't think she'd be able to see Bubbles the same way if she had murdered a defenseless person, no matter how justified it would have been.
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Bubbles is a class act. Also, I'd like to think that CW is sitting in a puddle of her own lubricant right now.
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The ability to choose, and act upon that choice, is one of the most essential parts of freedom. Perhaps the most essential.
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I don't know how big of a staff CW has at the park; the only other worker bee we've seen is Jeremy, and he's just an arm (albeit sentient). CW was smugly telling Bubbles she'd need to take over Faye's workload, so it doesn't look like there's anybody else to take up the slack. Assuming CW treats her other employees as badly as she did Bubbles, there may not be a lot of good will there to get the other staff to pitch in.
So CW will be scrambling to get everyday fight damage repaired for the next while, till she can get somebody new in to exploit.
Faye is back to where she was around 2902 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2902): at loose ends, looking for work and trying to stay sober. Now with a Large Metal Friend.
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I really want Bubbles to call the feds on CW. Or blackmail CW into signing over the property to Bubbles and then leaving town.
But I feel that calling the feds on CW is more in line with Bubbles ethical code. She doesn't seem the blackmail type.
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Hrmph. I was hoping for tearing her arms off, AT LEAST. Maybe Faye will take a hammer to her, prior to robbing her? Maybe Gary the Gray Creepybot will take her Robot Jail? Leaving it like this feels less like a loose thread and more like a loose fire-hose: You just know someone's gonna get hurt.
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Well, called it. Yay?
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This will not bite Bubbles in her arse, heavily-armoured or not, at all. Nope.
It may. But I suspect officer Basilisk will be involved shortly, and that should keep CW out of circulation for a while.
Agreed. Corpse Witch's criminal con artist ways have caught up with her. She has no out of the ordinary computer skills, no real friends in high places (although she may have some blackmail material here and there) or influence with the police. What she does have is the ability to lie convincingly and to read people, human and AI, and identify things they desire and/or need, and a talent for identifying what they will do to get them. Just like the exploitative humans Jeph modeled her on.
As for Creepybot - Hanners speaks with Station who tells her that what she needs is beyond his ability, but he still wants very much to help her. Who would he speak with who might have some insight and might take serious offense at Corpse Witch's violation of the sanctity of Bubble's mind? That person may even have imbued AIs with that ethic very early on in their existence. Yup, John Ellicott-Chatham. Hannelore's father is behind Creepybot. (Beatrice? Naw, ethics aren't her bag.)
But this arc wasn't for introducing new characters, it was to further establish Bubbles's wisdom, decency, and, yes, humanity.
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There was no poll choice that matched my idea - They turn Corpse Witch off and disassemble her for safety reasons before later handing her over to the authorities in a 'safe' chassis.
FWIW, I don't think we've seen the end of this confrontation. Either Corpse Witch is going to try to get control of Bubbles back somehow or is going to attempt to 'eliminate' this threat through her police contacts. Either way, I think that it was a mistake to leave her functioning and not in a powered-down standby. Best option is that Corpse Witch is so frightened that she runs away but her network of patronage and corruption is intact, giving her a lot of power to harm innocents.
That said, yeah, I don't think it was ever plausible that Bubbles would kill without someone (likely Faye) being in immediate danger. She's already told Faye at some length about how she despises violence.
By the way, how did we get from the position in panel 1 to the one in panel 2? I might be guilty of over-thinking this but the only option that comes to me is that Bubbles literally threw Corpse Witch into the air with a twirling motion and caught her by the neck on the way back down. That's the 'cool' way, by the way. The more boring option is that we have a whole part of the action not shown in panel that explains it in a far more pedestrian manner.
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I suspect the only reason Bubbles left CW mobile is that she knows CW won't have time to go anywhere -- probably because the State troopers have already surrounded the building and are just waiting for Bubbles and Faye to leave.
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I thought that too... but generally calling in the law just before you enter a building and threaten to kill someone isn't the wisest way to operate... and most police officers don't have the patience to wait around while you have your Crowning Moment of Character-Building.
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I think that the argument against Bubbles going State's Evidence against Corpse Witch is still valid - She doesn't want the facility closed down. It's much more likely that her strategy right now is to attempt to intimidate Corpse Witch into going on the run so she can take over the skate park without any interference. We'll see if that works out for them in time, I guess.
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So, it's basically the opposite of the first three panels of this speech (http://paranatural.net/index.php?id=285). "Without feeling, only thought restrains me, and the bars of law and logic form a brittle cage indeed."
— Forge, Paranatural[/i]
Both page 89 (http://paranatural.net/index.php?id=246) and 128 of Paranatural's 4th chapter sum up Forge's personality and motivations pretty well and are easily amongst my favorite antagonist speeches.
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It's much more likely that her strategy right now is to attempt to intimidate Corpse Witch into going on the run so she can take over the skate park without any interference.
You know I'm not sure that running a borderline illegal enterprise is the ideal career path for a reclusive veteran with PTSD. And, frankly, I don't think Faye would be that much help either.
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These violent delights have non-violent ends.
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I think we've seen the last of the skate park. Unlike Brun, who we continued following even after she got out of Clinton's presence, CW is not interesting enough to lead her own storyline. CW may not end up literally dismembered, but she'll have been poofed into nonexistence in QC world because no more comics will be made about her. :-)
So, any good names for the upcoming robot repair clinic Faye and Bubbles will be opening? Hammer and Fist Robot Repair Emporium? AnthroWorld Clinic? FayeBubb's? They could get steady business from Punchbot & Co. if CW has to close up the repair side due to lack of staff.
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So, any good names for the upcoming robot repair clinic Faye and Bubbles will be opening? Hammer and Fist Robot Repair Emporium? AnthroWorld Clinic? FayeBubb's? They could get steady business from Punchbot & Co. if CW has to close up the repair side due to lack of staff.
Somehow the simple `Body Shop' appeals to me. It may be a trademark violation though.
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Sadly I can't, off the top of my head, think of an appropriate pun to tie CW into "Drop the mic", because that was totally a drop the mic moment.
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Sadly I can't, off the top of my head, think of an appropriate pun to tie CW into "Drop the mic", because that was totally a drop the mic moment.
Drop the miCWophone? :clairedoge:
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"I choose not to."
Am I the only one who got chills reading that?
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I think we've seen the last of the skate park. Unlike Brun, who we continued following even after she got out of Clinton's presence, CW is not interesting enough to lead her own storyline.
Unlike Brun? Sure.
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I'm curious to see if Jeph wants to continue with this arc. If he does, I'm wondering if CW, through her contacts, tries to hurt Faye.
CW knows she can't touch Bubbles, but she could potentially hurt Faye, which would hurt Bubbles.
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Sigh. Is it wrong to crush on an AI? Well, maybe 'crush' isn't quite the best word to use around Bubbles.
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I'm curious to see if Jeph wants to continue with this arc. If he does, I'm wondering if CW, through her contacts, tries to hurt Faye.
CW knows she can't touch Bubbles, but she could potentially hurt Faye, which would hurt Bubbles.
That would be the quickest way I could think of to make Bubbles return and re-evaluate today's "choice."
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"I choose not to."
Am I the only one who got chills reading that?
Nope. The unsaid, ". . . at this time," came through loud and clear.
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So, any good names for the upcoming robot repair clinic Faye and Bubbles will be opening?
Faybles?
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Sigh. Is it wrong to crush on an AI? Well, maybe 'crush' isn't quite the best word to use around Bubbles.
Well I've been shipping Bubbles and Faye for some time now. Seriously, I watch them and I'm just like:
(http://i0.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/007/582/tumblr_lmputme3co1qa6q7k_large.png)
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For Bubbles, it's progress.
Consider the Bubbles we first met last year, I get the distinct impression that had that Bubbles has learned this, whe would have torn CW fimb from limb and fed her remains into a Blast Furnace, consequences be damned.
Her interaction wit Faye and the others has changed he,much to her benefit and made her a much more calmer and easier individual to live with, improving her personality and her ability to interact with others.
That being said, I think Bubbles revenge for this will occur and it will be subtle, thorough and satisfying. :-D
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It's much more likely that her strategy right now is to attempt to intimidate Corpse Witch into going on the run so she can take over the skate park without any interference.
You know I'm not sure that running a borderline illegal enterprise is the ideal career path for a reclusive veteran with PTSD. And, frankly, I don't think Faye would be that much help either.
Well, obviously. That's why they need Jeremy. This is where that MBA he's been working for between Squirrel Girl issues is gonna pay off. Duh.
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I doubt Corpse Witch will retaliate. She has no cards left to play so she'll probably cut her losses and let Bubbles go.
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Eh. I think there's still some bits left with Corpse Witch. For one thing, I think a lot of us want to see something happen to her. Not torture, but some sort of punishment incoming.
For another, I think most of us want to see that the other fight club robots are going to be all right. If Corpse Witch is just left where she is, then a lot of other robots are going to suffer for it. Bubbles is the person we care most about here, but I don't think we'd be really happy knowing Jeremy, say, was still stuck working for her. Even if there aren't that many robots directly working for her, there are a lot who depend on her, and are therefore likely targets of abuse. I don't see Jeph just leaving that hanging.
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Eh. I think there's still some bits left with Corpse Witch. For one thing, I think a lot of us want to see something happen to her. Not torture, but some sort of punishment incoming.
As I've stated elsewhere, I'd love to see a tap on CW's shoulder, she turns around, and there's Creepybot, smiling with something that's almost pity. "We'd like a word with you..."
What happens after would be left to the imagination of the reader.
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I genuinely don't see the appeal in that, WareWolf, but to each their own.
Comic's up! So...a giant squid. Ok, then. I hope we get more. If not this arc, then someday.
In the middle of all this, don’t forget to take care of yourself. It’s too easy to get swept up in all the horror and awfulness and give in to despair. And we absolutely cannot afford to give in. With hope, and with action, we can overcome this.
Stay safe, fight the good fight, and know that I am incredibly proud and thankful for everyone doing their part. I promise I’ll keep making silly comics about robots and butts to keep you entertained in the meantime.
This world is better because Jeph (and Shelby) are in it.
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I doubt Corpse Witch will retaliate. She has no cards left to play so she'll probably cut her losses and let Bubbles go.
She may not be able to use her police contacts at this point but if she's part of a Robot Mafia she might appeal to them for protection and retaliation. She's also now at the "cornered rat" stage of desperation. When a railgun package has your name on it there's not much left to lose.
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I doubt Corpse Witch will retaliate. She has no cards left to play so she'll probably cut her losses and let Bubbles go.
She may not be able to use her police contacts at this point but if she's part of a Robot Mafia she might appeal to them for protection and retaliation. She's also now at the "cornered rat" stage of desperation. When a railgun package has your name on it there's not much left to lose.
Hannelore convinced Station that orbital railgun solutions were just flat out.
I'm waiting to see what Station decides to do instead.
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...did she? I don't think Station was very convinced.
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But Station is loyal to Hanners and tries hard to stay in her good books. Not always successfully, but Hanners did lay down the law about this, and I doubt he'd go against her wishes.
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Sigh. Is it wrong to crush on an AI? Well, maybe 'crush' isn't quite the best word to use around Bubbles.
Isn't the word for that 'clanking'?
I may be getting my internet slang mixed up, but one might argue that the technical term might be 'agalmatophilia'. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on either count.
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I've never seen any indication that Station has the instincts to be an overlord. He may have orbital railguns, but he's also got such a crush on the Boss's daughter that he'll undergo any humiliation to please her. In QC, he's been comic relief more often than not. OTOH the Gray One is the real deal. We may find out some day that when they came into being, the Illuminati were crushed like an egg.
One of my favorite quotes is from Asimov: "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." The Gray One doesn't need railguns. A simple touch and their enemies fold, just as Faye did. (This is part of why I don't expect the Gray One to visit CW; the Gray One likes to use minimum necessary intervention, and also doesn't like overt, messy violence. Attacking CW would be both unnecessary and out of character.)
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Well, if there was an award for avoiding answering a question, Bubbles wins one in panel 4. I'm pretty sure that Jeph is planning to do more with the real power behind Creepybot but I do hope that the payoff it is worth the build-up about just how powerful and dangerous it is supposed to be. I also suppose Faye deserves a mention for knowing the Latin genera name for the giant squid.
This is me but I've got a feeling that Martin is going to wake up tomorrow morning with a combat robot on his couch (Well... They needed to replace that couch anyway). I'm anticipating a mutually-awkward conversation to follow and, thereafter Faye having to clear up a few misconceptions and realise that some of it isn't misconception at all.
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Wooh, the Dream family are Agents of S.Q.U.I.D.!
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Interesting. Bubble's rather cryptic comment lends fuel to a train of thought I had about Creepybot.
It's curious to note that the AIs we've seen havent shown much interest in their own development. Supposing an AI did and suppose that AI had recursive development of that interest, constantly building their intelligence and evolving.
Such behaviour would account for Creepybot's intelligence and awareness....and it would also account for why sanctity of mind is so important for them.
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[...]
Faye is back to where she was around 2902 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2902): at loose ends, looking for work and trying to stay sober. Now with a Large Metal Friend.
She's more confident now and more accepting of life. I agree with others that she and Bubbles may decide to open their own company.
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Codename: SQUID
Sapient
Quantum
Universe
Intelligence
Derivation
It ticks all the technobabble boxes. It's meaningless but sounds technical super-sciencey to the lay reader and that is what is important in pulp sci-fi!
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super-sciencey [snip] pulp sci-fi!
Dammit BenRG, have I slipped back to the 1930s? Even I wasn't born then...
But yes, the squid analogy was a lovely way of saying nothing informative!
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Considering that it was Faye's rash actions that got this ball rolling it's kind of ironic for her to stay that to Bubbles
I doubt Corpse Witch will retaliate. She has no cards left to play so she'll probably cut her losses and let Bubbles go.
She may not be able to use her police contacts at this point but if she's part of a Robot Mafia she might appeal to them for protection and retaliation. She's also now at the "cornered rat" stage of desperation. When a railgun package has your name on it there's not much left to lose.
Does she know there is a rail gun trained at her? And even if that threat was made to her quite possibly that would be enough reason for her Mafia associates to abandon her since that is the kind of attention they do not want. And when did she lose her police contacts? She lost her control over Bubbles, but I don't recall that happening. Now Bubbles could go to the police that aren't in on the corruption and possibly get an immunity deal, but she would also be turning on a lot of AIs that still work for Corpse Witch for similar reasons which is why she is mulling it over. I think they both know that so for now Corpse Witch will have to cope with the recent loss of 2 important employees and greater chance the place could get shut down. I know a lot of people want to see some kind of glorious comeuppance, but she could just as easily fade from the scene like Angus, Nat, and Raven.
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From the "Notes for New Members":
7- Please, no religion or politics. They just lead to people getting all het up in entrenched positions with consequent unpleasantness, so we don't allow it in general.
But apparently that rule doesn't apply when you want to criticize a president you don't like. (Full disclosure: I don't like the guy, either.)
QC: Come for the aggressively silly sci-fi plotlines, stay for the feral political rants!
Sorry, but I'm out.
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From the "Notes for New Members":
7- Please, no religion or politics. They just lead to people getting all het up in entrenched positions with consequent unpleasantness, so we don't allow it in general.
But apparently that rule doesn't apply when you want to criticize a president you don't like. (Full disclosure: I don't like the guy, either.)
QC: Come for the aggressively silly sci-fi plotlines, stay for the feral political rants!
Sorry, but I'm out.
Admittedly I've not read this particular thread too closely, but why exactly have you posted that reply here?
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Still hoping the comic does something with the greys...
You don't just introduce a character that appears to have godlike powers, and then dismiss it as a giant squid never to be brought up again...
If the comic goes this direction it will make me crazy.
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From the "Notes for New Members":
7- Please, no religion or politics. They just lead to people getting all het up in entrenched positions with consequent unpleasantness, so we don't allow it in general.
But apparently that rule doesn't apply when you want to criticize a president you don't like. (Full disclosure: I don't like the guy, either.)
QC: Come for the aggressively silly sci-fi plotlines, stay for the feral political rants!
Sorry, but I'm out.
Jeph's house, his rules. You don't have to read his comments after the comic, there was even a warning.
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The forum rules have always been different from what happens in-comic, in the news posts, or on Jeph's Twitter account.
And, there's DISCUSS for political discussion here.
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But apparently that rule doesn't apply when you want to criticize a president you don't like. (Full disclosure: I don't like the guy, either.)
QC: Come for the aggressively silly sci-fi plotlines, stay for the feral political rants!
Why would you think our forum rules would have anything to do with what Jeph writes under his comic? He's posted political material there in the past, as well. Forum rules are for limiting behaviour in the forum (where politics is proscribed, except in the place allocated for it).
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For Jeph, it's simple. cathedra mea regulae meae
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Perhaps we should be discussing Bubbles' living arrangements. I'm suspecting she will join the compound that is Marten-Faye-Claire-Pintsize's abode. Kinda cramped for a two bedroom apartment.
Or perhaps she'll move in with Hanners. Honestly, perfect roommate - doesn't drop dead cells anywhere, has own cleaning mechanism, enjoys math. I anticipate a Winslow crush.
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Bubbles and Winslow? I like this. :-D
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All Bubbles needs for living space is a corner with a wall plug. She doesn't even need the couch; she just sits on the floor. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3070)
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I'm not so sure about that. When we saw Bubbles recharging at the skate park, there was something on the wall that looked like a radiator of some kind. My feeling is that was the heat sink on a huge transformer. That suggests very strongly that Bubbles uses some kind of industrial- or military-standard high-amperage recharging system that probably isn't compatible with a domestic electric supply.
The recharging shop near the apartment probably has the right recharging apparatus for Bubbles but, no, she couldn't just plug into a wall socket.
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>And when did she lose her police contacts?
If she tries to use them now that she has high profile enemies they have no reason to risk helping her.
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Maybe she needs 220 instead of 110 for charging, kinda like a Tesla?
Sent from my Nextbook on Tapatalk
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Maybe she needs 220 instead of 110 for charging, kinda like a Tesla?
Sent from my Nextbook on Tapatalk
I'd assume they could just unplug the oven then.
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All Bubbles needs for living space is a corner with a wall plug. She doesn't even need the couch; she just sits on the floor. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3070)
Wasn't quite happy with that when I first saw it to be honest. Smacked too much of the way Seven of Nine got treated in Voyager.
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I also suppose Faye deserves a mention for knowing the Latin genera name for the giant squid.
Faye doesn't always watch TV, but when she does it's WGHB.
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This is me but I've got a feeling that Martin is going to wake up tomorrow morning with a combat robot on his couch (Well... They needed to replace that couch anyway).
"We're gonna need a bigger couch"
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And when did [Corpse Witch] lose her police contacts?
Did she even have any to begin with? She said she did, but she said she had Bubb's memories securely locked away and encrypted, too. Don't take CW's word for anything.
We can safely assume that CW has been similarly blackmailing at least some of other members of her staff, and that AI's do rumor mill just like humans. When it comes to her physical safety, Bubbles is the least of her worries. When (not if, when) word leaks out that her hold on Bubbles was all bluff, others will wonder if her hold on them is of the same sort, and some of them will be more inclined toward Station's school of thought than Bubble's. (Can you imagine a pissed off Punchbot?)
If I were Corpse Witch I'd pack my pink panties and head for someplace safer like Mogadishu or Caracas, 'cause her life is worth the spot price of scrap metal in New England.
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^ This. Especially since it's clear that at least some of the other robots like Bubbles.
I have to wonder how much Jeremy overheard of Bubbles' last visit to the skate rink...
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Codename: SQUID
Sapient
Quantum
Universe
Intelligence
Derivation
It ticks all the technobabble boxes. It's meaningless but sounds technical super-sciencey to the lay reader and that is what is important in pulp sci-fi!
"'Sapient Quantum Universe Intelligence Derivation.' What does that even mean?"
"It means we really wanted our acronym to be 'S.Q.U.I.D.'."
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Giant squid are lunch for sperm whales.
I won't mind if Corpse Witch fades from the scene. I suppose she was once a bright young bot, with lofty goals in the human world, but somehow it all went wrong. (Exit CW, pursued by Metal Munching Moon Mice)
Keep the Robot Fights going? Bubbles and Faye lack CW's network of friends in low places and corrupt officials in high ones. Anyway the betting is illegal.
An AI Body Shop sounds good. There is definitely a need -- consider May's predicament. They'd need legit title to the skate park. Maybe Station could supply startup capital.
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Interesting analogy. Squid are reputedly very intelligent -- at the dolphin/whale level, at least. Giant squid, perhaps even more so. High intelligence + long tentacles...
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Maybe she needs 220 instead of 110 for charging, kinda like a Tesla?
Sent from my Nextbook on Tapatalk
I'd think a combat droid would be provisioned with a multi-source power interface; it wouldn't be hard to do, and if she were in the field they wouldn't need to bring along a giant transformer to keep her going. A 30 amp 220v outlet is enough to charge a vehicle battery for a couple hundred miles overnight. That ought to be enough to keep Bubbles going for a day.
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I enjoyed this comic. Felt like a big moment for Faye and Bubbles. Despite the issues to follow, it feels like an optimistic end of chapter (but not the book) to me. Although it also feels like a small time-jump is being set-up which is mostly out-of-nowhere speculation.
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The Pugnacious Peach is the friend Bubbles needs now.
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I'm not so sure about that. When we saw Bubbles recharging at the skate park, there was something on the wall that looked like a radiator of some kind. My feeling is that was the heat sink on a huge transformer. That suggests very strongly that Bubbles uses some kind of industrial- or military-standard high-amperage recharging system that probably isn't compatible with a domestic electric supply.
The recharging shop near the apartment probably has the right recharging apparatus for Bubbles but, no, she couldn't just plug into a wall socket.
The problem with that theory is the fact that Bubbles is a combat model AI chassis. Unless you can guarantee a dedicated system to help her and other AI recharge in the middle of a warzone, its something of a difficult thing to do, especially because you can't guarantee that system. In all likelihood, Bubbles and her kin were designed to use what they could, where they could, her charging system would be quite robust. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Bubbles had a setup like this (https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB16_qVHVXXXXaMXpXXq6xXFXXX9/1-USB-Charging-Port-1A-Surge-Protector-Portable-font-b-Universal-b-font-Worldwide-Travel-Wall.jpg) to help her charge.
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I'm ok with green olives, but black olives (which are for some reason the only type I ever see on pizza) are just gross.
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super-sciencey [snip] pulp sci-fi!
Dammit BenRG, have I slipped back to the 1930s? Even I wasn't born then...
But yes, the squid analogy was a lovely way of saying nothing informative!
It's informative, but it requires a nose-dive crash-course in marine biology and marine ecology.
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Elephant in the room.
It but does get easier. I promise.
Does that not sound horribly un-natural to anyone else?
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It's almost certainly supposed to be "but it does." Interesting typo though, switching two entire words.
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Sapient Quantum Underpinnings of Intelligent Design.
It's a collective of nanobots, in the shape of a grey humanoid. Hence the first-person plural.
Thousands of years later, when it loses much of its coherence, it will wander the earth until it gets a boost and decides to take revenge on the moon.
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I suspected that Bubbles would wind up with the Gang at Faye and Martens. It's going to be interesting to see what, if any, jpb Bubbles can take on. She's great at Robot Repairs along with Faye now, so there's always the idea of them going into business together.
Bubbles make a great Security Guard.
Or a Bouncer.
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Superconduction QUantum Interference Device (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQUID) :-D
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(Exit CW, pursued by Metal Munching Moon Mice)
Good grief, you must be as old as I am if you remember that.
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I'm ok with green olives, but black olives (which are for some reason the only type I ever see on pizza) are just gross.
Vice versa, for me - I've always enjoyed black olives (and they're part of my regular pizza order), but only learned to appreciate green ones as an adult. That said, I love 'em both now... but only if the latter are stuffed with garlic, or nothing. (Still not a fan of pimentos.)
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Panel 1 is interesting today because it gives us an insight into Bubbles' personality: She is the sort of person who broods endlessly about the big questions and major problems and, as a consequence, forgets to attend to the smaller and more immediate issues at hand. Then we read panel 5 and we realise that, ultimately, it is because she's afraid that those big things will always remain insurmountable for her.
That is why she needs friends. That's why she is so lucky to have Faye in her life.
Then we read panel 6 and realise that Bubbles has a very, very dry sense of humour and is far more aware about things than she sometimes makes out.
The problem with that theory is the fact that Bubbles is a combat model AI chassis. Unless you can guarantee a dedicated system to help her and other AI recharge in the middle of a warzone, its something of a difficult thing to do, especially because you can't guarantee that system. In all likelihood, Bubbles and her kin were designed to use what they could, where they could, her charging system would be quite robust. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Bubbles had a setup like this (https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB16_qVHVXXXXaMXpXXq6xXFXXX9/1-USB-Charging-Port-1A-Surge-Protector-Portable-font-b-Universal-b-font-Worldwide-Travel-Wall.jpg) to help her charge.
The problem of not always having a compatible recharge source can be solved by:
- Having a long battery life (>3 days);
- Being able to plug into any and every military vehicle.
I also wonder if Bubbles has an ability to further extend her charge duration by having a feature of her 'sleep mode' where she runs all her systems down to bare minimum for a few hours.
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Ah, sweet victory, for once I nailed the Poll: SPATHE HAM!
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wow faye this was a real complex scheme you set up just to get free pizza
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Got me thinking about odd pizzas, ones on the menu, not made up to order. Our nearest one dows Kebab meat, baked beans and chip(fries) pizza. It really isn't good.
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wow faye this was a real complex scheme you set up just to get free pizza
worth it
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So which Northampton pizza place will the pizza come from? Sam's (expensive but worth it), Hungry Ghost (good, but you'd better put your order in two hours ahead of time), or Domino's (fast, cheap, and - well, it's fast and cheap)?
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>And when did she lose her police contacts?
If she tries to use them now that she has high profile enemies they have no reason to risk helping her.
Only if she uses them to pursue Bubbles and Faye. It's unknown if during Bubble's resignation scene she mentioned having friends in higher places as a warning or not. Corpse Witch might appreciate her reprieve and just cut her losses instead of wasting what resources she has left on some vendetta.
Considering that Bubbles isn't carrying anything it appears that she left with just the coat on her back. Unless she's got some mementos in her pockets those memories really were all that she had left from the old days.
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I doubt Corpse Witch will retaliate. She has no cards left to play so she'll probably cut her losses and let Bubbles go.
She may not be able to use her police contacts at this point but if she's part of a Robot Mafia she might appeal to them for protection and retaliation. She's also now at the "cornered rat" stage of desperation. When a railgun package has your name on it there's not much left to lose.
I'd say CW is at the "Angry AI in a bleeding-edge combat-chassis is just one annoyance short of ripping my substrates out of my head"-stage. If she retaliates, she has to kill Bubbles. And even demobbed, I doubt that Bubbles is easy to kill.
And when did CW learn of a potential orbital railgun strike?
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Bubbles make a great Security Guard.
Or a Bouncer.
I thought that AIs generally avoided threatening humans under any circumstances, and I'm *really* confident that Bubbles avoids threatening any human anywhere for any reason anytime under any circumstances.
She obviously doesn't feel that way about other AI's, of course. PintSize learned that the hard way. CW learned that the hard wall way.
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Counterpoint: 3065: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3065
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We haven't seen Corpse Witch find out about Station's ideas, true.
If she does, it would sort of make sense if Station had tried to improve her behavior by notifying her, or if The Pugnacious Peach had lectured her and let it slip.
Come to think of it, if Station had done nothing other than send her email to "express deep concern", CW is street-smart enough to put two and two together.
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Bubbles and Winslow? I like this. :-D
Fair enough, but what about Bubbles and (Insert dramatic music sting here) Pintsize?
THAT's what I'm waiting for.
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Welcome, new person!
Please have a long and fun stay here(mod), and please steer clear of putting Jeph's characters into unwanted sexual situations(/mod).
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As a security Guard or a Bouncer, Bubbles doesn't need to take action. She's well over six foot - probably as tall or taller than Elliott I would say - and is a fully armored ex military Combat AnthroPC/AI. I don't know about you, but even drunk I wouldn't want to start something against someone that intimidating. Even if you take a swing at her, she really doesn't need to act, you'd simply wind up injuring yourself against her armored form as Faye found out once.
But I think you may be right. doing that kind of work is most likely not the kind of work Bubbles would prefer to do.
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She greeted visitors at the skate park, which is kind of like a bouncer job.
Agreed, all she would have to do is quietly loom, and in the worst case she could carry someone out without injuring them.
The downside is that she has shown anger management issues.
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As a security Guard or a Bouncer, Bubbles doesn't need to take action. She's well over six foot - probably as tall or taller than Elliott I would say - and is a fully armored ex military Combat AnthroPC/AI. I don't know about you, but even drunk I wouldn't want to start something against someone that intimidating. Even if you take a swing at her, she really doesn't need to act, you'd simply wind up injuring yourself against her armored form as Faye found out once.
But I think you may be right. doing that kind of work is most likely not the kind of work Bubbles would prefer to do.
I think I've already told my Tale of Two Bouncers here...
From what I remember about a conversation between Bubbles and Momo, there's a strong feeling in the AI community that they shouldn't do anything to make themselves appear threatening to humans. Momo thought that AI's serving in the military would cause that to happen. I imagine a combat AI working as a bouncer definitely would.
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So which Northampton pizza place will the pizza come from?...
'Hey CW, think fast!' *BOOSH*
orbital pizza-gun justice anyone? (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3046)
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So which Northampton pizza place will the pizza come from?...
'Hey CW, think fast!' *BOOSH*
orbital pizza-gun justice anyone? (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3046)
Hmm, so neither Marten nor Claire likes olives on their pizza! They're so compatible. 8-)
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So which Northampton pizza place will the pizza come from? Sam's (expensive but worth it), Hungry Ghost (good, but you'd better put your order in two hours ahead of time), or Domino's (fast, cheap, and - well, it's fast and cheap)?
Probably this one (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=716)
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Eminence Gris acts like a human with ego problems.
Eminence Gris has been put in the position of failing in front of an audience.
If they have human emotional responses then Corpse Witch has embarrassed them. One typical human response would be vindictiveness. Add that to their regard for sanctity of mind.
No amount of money could compensate me for being in Corpse Witch's shoes right now.
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As a security Guard or a Bouncer, Bubbles doesn't need to take action. She's well over six foot - probably as tall or taller than Elliott I would say - and is a fully armored ex military Combat AnthroPC/AI. I don't know about you, but even drunk I wouldn't want to start something against someone that intimidating. Even if you take a swing at her, she really doesn't need to act, you'd simply wind up injuring yourself against her armored form as Faye found out once.
Yes, but there could be anti-AI jackasses who want to provoke a fight or set up a situation where a robot bouncer has to save someone from getting hurt by another human, but the cameraman will make it look like the AI went berserk. And we've seen Bubbles break down at least twice because of either perceive or outright hostility. Bubbles has made progress, but I don't think it's the line of work she could handle or one that a proprietor concerned with lawsuits would want to hire her for.
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Got me thinking about odd pizzas, ones on the menu, not made up to order. Our nearest one dows Kebab meat, baked beans and chip(fries) pizza. It really isn't good.
Carne asada pizzadilla, a fusion of a quesadilla and a pizza.
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I honestly thought I was not going to like this arc. I was mistaken. I just started out not really liking the direction from when Faye decided to deck CW, through her expectation Bubbles would back her and the subsequent explanation sequence, to the gray creepy We entering the scene and the whole - well everything.
Then he pulls it out of the fire and it all feels like the correct setup for a stage of evolution of Faye, Bubbles, and the friendship between them. Bravo!
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ALL THE ANCHOVIES!
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ALL THE ANCHOVIES!
Belong in the sea though save some for bait.
As for olives I prefer ripe to something that has to be treated with lye to be made edible. Ranks up there with Lutefisk, Mongolian hot pot and some other cultural delicacies.
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It would appear that Pintsize is reading a print copy of 'Oh Joy, Sex Toy'.
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Marten is reading Dune.
The Butlerian Jihad outlawed all thinking machines. Foreshadowing?
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Welcome, new person!
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Bubbles make a great Security Guard.
Or a Bouncer.
I thought that AIs generally avoided threatening humans under any circumstances, and I'm *really* confident that Bubbles avoids threatening any human anywhere for any reason anytime under any circumstances.
Counterpoint: 3065: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3065
Sometimes you have to threaten your friends.
Actually, at that point it was really the adolescent "stay away, I'm trouble" reaction. She's grown quite a bit already. :cry: >sniff<
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Counterpoint: 3065: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3065
Well, it's worth pointing out that in the immediately previous page, she experienced one of Pintsize's "pick-up lines".
If THAT didn't push her completely to the point of homicidal rage, it's hard to imagine what could.
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And so Bubbles discovers the down side to this living arrangement. Having to share space with Pintsize...
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Bubbles will have an incentive to move out on her own as soon as she can afford it.
If Bubbles can work in the above-ground economy, there must be jobs that would be hazardous for a squishy that she could do well.
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Books are so small in QC. I never really noticed before, but if that's Dune it's a seriously abridged version.
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I think that Bubbles probably predicted Pintsize's words in advance. Let's face it, given what anyone probably knows about him from scuttlebutt alone, that phrase was instantly predictable. Of course, I may be doing Pinty a disservice. He may just be trying to be welcoming and helpful but is being betrayed by his reputation!
Yeah...
Yeah, I think that's unlikely too.
Books are so small in QC. I never really noticed before, but if that's Dune it's a seriously abridged version.
This is Hipsterville; that's probably an obscure black-and-white reprint of a magazine-published manga version of Dune. To call it 'abridged' would be a misnomer. It's probably closer to an 'artistic re-imagining'. For example, I don't think that the Guild of Navigators had big sparkly eyes like that in the book.
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Books are so small in QC. I never really noticed before, but if that's Dune it's a seriously abridged version.
This is Hipsterville; that's probably an obscure black-and-white reprint of a magazine-published manga version of Dune. To call it 'abridged' would be a misnomer. It's probably closer to an 'artistic re-imagining'. For example, I don't think that the Guild of Navigators had big sparkly eyes like that in the book.
It could be a different book by the same name. Or, it could be a documentary on the making of the movie.
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Of course, I may be doing Pinty a disservice. He may just be trying to be welcoming and helpful but is being betrayed by his reputation!
Yes, I read it as Pintsize trying to be genuinely friendly in his own inimitable way. He has previously shown some empathy with others when the chips were down, and he knows he'll get dismantled again if he goes too far, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.
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@anahata,
I don't know; Pintsize has shown impulse control problems connected with a total lack of appreciation of consequences before.
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Books are so small in QC. I never really noticed before, but if that's Dune it's a seriously abridged version.
This is Hipsterville; that's probably an obscure black-and-white reprint of a magazine-published manga version of Dune. To call it 'abridged' would be a misnomer. It's probably closer to an 'artistic re-imagining'. For example, I don't think that the Guild of Navigators had big sparkly eyes like that in the book.
Big sparkly eyes like what? Where do you see any eyes on the cover of Marten's book?
It could be a different book by the same name. Or, it could be a documentary on the making of the movie.
Dune, the Graphic Novel...
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This is Hipsterville; that's probably an obscure black-and-white reprint of a magazine-published manga version of Dune.
Dōjinshi Dune, in fact.
I wonder how many amp-hours Bubbles's battery holds? I hope she charges on off-peak rates.
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Got me thinking about odd pizzas, ones on the menu, not made up to order. Our nearest one does Kebab meat, baked beans and chip(fries) pizza. It really isn't good.
If they would make it without the beans, I'd eat it.
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I can't read this without the Odd Couple theme running through my head.
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The addition of the new roommate is really going to futz with the electric bill.
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Books are so small in QC. I never really noticed before, but if that's Dune it's a seriously abridged version.
It's based on the celebrated, award winning redub, the one where Stilgar was renamed "Larry."
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Marten IS the kwisatz haderach!!!! ;D
And Bubbles most definitely knows Pintsize.
I prefer Meatlovers Pizza - especially with BBQ Sauce
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The addition of the new roommate is really going to futz with the electric bill.
Hopefully it's included in the rent.
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Bubbles make a great Security Guard.
Or a Bouncer.
Given the forces involved wouldn't "Splatter" be more appropriate than "Bouncer?"
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The addition of the new roommate is really going to futz with the electric bill.
Hopefully it's included in the rent.
Hannelore said her electric bill went way up when the jet-powered Roombas were visiting.
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It's Ok, Pintsize can always bunk with the frozen waffles.
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Bubbles needs a copy of Claire's USB stick. Then again, maybe Bubbles doesn't want to think about memories just now...
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I am seeing CW ultimately being arrested in this. And our last sight of her is with dale waking up putting on his glasses and getting a face full of CW hologram in full french maid outfit, and dale just goes ... nope cant deal with that... and clicks deny on the form or whatever the process is to reject the work release program.
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Bubbles make a great Security Guard.
Or a Bouncer.
Given the forces involved wouldn't "Splatter" be more appropriate than "Bouncer?"
Only steal from the best, eh?
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I am seeing CW ultimately being arrested in this. And our last sight of her is with dale waking up putting on his glasses and getting a face full of CW hologram in full french maid outfit, and dale just goes ... nope cant deal with that... and clicks deny on the form or whatever the process is to reject the work release program.
Did I already say "welcome", by the way?
I wonder whether there are or could be other kinds of work release.
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I choose to have faith... But faith based on as good an evidential basis as you're ever going to get from a leviathan.
You know, I'd really like to have a chat on moral philosophy with the Eminence Gris. Mainly listening, but also giving some reassurance . If they're going wrong, they're not going *very* wrong. I intuit that having an outside observer, even one as limited as a human, saying that could be very important to them. And make them happier. Especially if Momo was part of the conversation too. May too.
Pintsize took a different path.
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I don't think what Pintsize took could be described as a path.
More like a dive, straight down...
On a different note, I wish I could choose to have faith. :meh:
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"I choose to have faith" never made sense to me. The idea that you could choose what you believe in.
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I am seeing CW ultimately being arrested in this. And our last sight of her is with dale waking up putting on his glasses and getting a face full of CW hologram in full french maid outfit, and dale just goes ... nope cant deal with that... and clicks deny on the form or whatever the process is to reject the work release program.
Dale has never met Corpse Witch and even if he did she would have a different holographic form that would probably have little to no resemblance to her anyway. And I think work release would know better than to send her to the exact location she was arrested in considering there would be a greater chance of running into former associates.
Seriously enough characters we liked have faded away from this strip over the years so why shouldn't it be any different for the ones we dislike?
Nice way to end the week considering that the one most entitled to have problems trusting people chooses to have faith that she's not being deceived and used again.
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Seriously enough characters we liked have faded away from this strip over the years so why shouldn't it be any different for the ones we dislike?
Good point. That said, I would still have liked to see the VespAvenger show up doing the arrest. :D
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"I choose to have faith" never made sense to me. The idea that you could choose what you believe in.
Same for me, but I notice I seem to have free will about which working hypotheses I act on when the evidence is inconclusive.
How much of Bubbles's life is gone? Apparently much more than the traumatic combat memories.
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To me, the point of panel 3 is that Creepybot did mess with Bubbles' head. It's just that it was in a good way with a good outcome. Bubbles felt that she had needed a metaphorical slap upside the head for a while now; it just took an emergent grey god to do it for her to get the point! Bubbles just want to believe that this revelation about having friends and how they value her can only be a good thing.
"I choose to have faith" never made sense to me. The idea that you could choose what you believe in.
No-one is forced to believe anything. Ultimately, we must choose to accept things that cannot be directly sensed and only inferred from its outcomes. However, we can choose not to do so by rejecting the reasoning chain.
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As I said, I like this arc. And to those who didn't like it, would it have made you appreciate it more if you knew it was ultimately building up towards a failure? A Deus ex Machina that didn't work?
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Given the forces involved wouldn't "Splatter" be more appropriate than "Bouncer?"
Only steal from the best, eh?
Darn straight. Rest Sir Terry's Soul.
I suppose Bubbles could also work to correct Corpse Witch's personality using retrophrenology.
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Belief without proof" is a common definition of "faith." But when one is exhorted to "have faith," that isn't an exhortation to believe. It's an exhortation to trust.
And one can choose to trust.
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I've got to say that I'm going to be taking quite some time thinking about the meaning of Bubbles' subtle little smile in panel 4.
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"I choose to have faith" never made sense to me. The idea that you could choose what you believe in.
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice..."
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Elephant in the room.
It but does get easier. I promise.
Does that not sound horribly un-natural to anyone else?
No. I have said exactly that to people more than once.
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"I choose to have faith" never made sense to me. The idea that you could choose what you believe in.
I don't think you can do anything else.
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Elephant in the room.
It but does get easier. I promise.
Does that not sound horribly un-natural to anyone else?
No. I have said exactly that to people more than once.
Pretty sure they were referring to "it but"."I choose to have faith" never made sense to me. The idea that you could choose what you believe in.
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice..."
Probably my least favorite Rush song. You either have free will or you don't, it's not a choice. I could respond to each of the other ones, but I think we have a thread for this stuff. I'll find it later.
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"I choose to have faith" never made sense to me. The idea that you could choose what you believe in.
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice..."
I'm now imagining an end to Ghostbusters in which Gozer says that in response to the Ghostbusters' attempt not to choose a form of the Destructor. The Ghostbusters then live the rest of their lives in fear of accidentally making a choice. It could be worse. They could be gods. :psyduck:
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Or a more twisted fate. CW ends up as a tamagotchi on someones keyring just lying on the counter... it buzzes and beeps, someone picks it up and says "oohh it looks angry, i wonder if its hungry", cut to pixelized CW face frowning on the little screen making angry motions
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Belief without proof" is a common definition of "faith." But when one is exhorted to "have faith," that isn't an exhortation to believe. It's an exhortation to trust.
And one can choose to trust.
In this case, yes very much so.
However, for those made uncomfortable by the word faith, vid.
The video's title refers to a quote Albert Einstein is credited with and his refusal to accept the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.
If you don't want to watch the vid, that's fine. Just look into Gödell's Proof.
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"I choose to have faith" never made sense to me. The idea that you could choose what you believe in.
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice..."
But that's literally how faith works. You either believe something or you choose not to.
When you dig down to the deepest, most bare bones aspects of a thing, there's going to be some stuff that you just have to take on faith (these are termed as 'axioms' or 'proofs').
1+1=2 because 1+1=2
faith ≠ religion
Faith is the foundation of religion and the starting point of science.
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But that's literally how faith works. You either believe something or you choose not to.
I'd make a small but significant change. You either believe something or you don't. How is not believing in something an active choice? I've never chosen to not believe in something, but there is plenty I don't believe in.
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But that's literally how faith works. You either believe something or you choose not to.
I'd make a small but significant change. You either believe something or you don't. How is not believing in something an active choice? I've never chosen to not believe in something, but there is plenty I don't believe in.
Because you look into something, consider the arguments and say: "No, I choose not to believe this; if there is any evidence in its favour, it is misleading or falsified." Or you could say: "Having looked into this matter, I consider it worthy of belief, even though the evidence is equivocal or only circumstantial as I consider the overall scenario presented more compelling."
Interestingly, the ancient Greek word from where we derive the modern concept of 'faith' is an economic term referring to a promissory note or bill of sale for an item not yet delivered to us. You have paid for this item, although you have not yet taken possession, because you believe that the person making the sale will deliver. You choose to have faith in them.
In some scenarios, a conscious choice of disbelief can be as much a matter of faith as a conscious choice of belief.
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That's fascinating. I guess just because it's not a choice for me doesn't mean it's not a choice for others. I envy those people.
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Belief without proof" is a common definition of "faith." But when one is exhorted to "have faith," that isn't an exhortation to believe. It's an exhortation to trust.
And one can choose to trust.
In this case, yes very much so.
However, for those made uncomfortable by the word faith, vid.
I think there's a much better Einstein-quote that is sadly less famous, despite being far more fundamental to faith and science both:
"Raffiniert ist der Herrgott, aber boshaft ist er nicht"
"Subtle is the Lord, but not malicious" is the most common translation. Einstein clarified to Princton's Prof. Veblen (https://books.google.de/books?id=flfpc31LV6oC&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=raffiniert+ist+der+herrgott+aber+boshaft+ist+er+nicht,+translation&source=bl&ots=-TjBLwB-vf&sig=S70rAb9-0ZSC0jScSvKBo5XpeMk&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1u9T3pfTRAhUHOBQKHdBsDLYQ6AEISjAI#v=onepage&q=raffiniert%20ist%20der%20herrgott%20aber%20boshaft%20ist%20er%20nicht%2C%20translation&f=false) that he meant that "Nature conceals herself by sublimity, not trickery" (*), so a more accurate translation might by:
"Subtle is the Lord, but not (maliciously) deceptive" (my translation)
It means that 'God' doesn't flit around the Universe pretending to us that order exists, while the Universe is really chaotic and unordered - which would make the scientific Endeavour futile - this order that science tries to understand (ever more accurately) really does exist.
It's every scientists faith - really in the sense of 'faith' that you mean. The faith that the Universe is ordered, and ordered in a fashion accessible to rational study/enquiry, or 'the scientific method'. You cannot do science without either having that faith ... or engaging in some weird, Orwellian double-think. (More on Gödel (one 'l') and the uncertainty principle later ... there's some stuff that needs having done science to it)
EDIT: Found a beautiful little lecture (http://www.hawking.org.uk/does-god-play-dice.html) titled 'Does God play Dice?' by none other than Stephen Hawking himself. No equations, 'just' philosophy.
(*) Einstein could be described as pantheist, so it's probably accurate to say that for him, there was little difference between "God", "Universe", "Nature" and "Nature's Laws"
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I have occasionally found it worthwhile to place faith in people whom I do not trust.
That is, someone whom I know is end-of-the-rope broke offers me a promise like, "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."
Do I really expect to be paid tuesday? I figure, maybe, it's about 40% likely. At best.
Do I really want this guy to go hungry? Nope. Will he accept the burger as charity without the self-respect and dignity of intending to pay? Nope. So I accept his promise. I hand him the burger on faith, thinking of it as just plain altruism or being nice to people.
But then on Tuesday he actually comes around and pays, and he remembers a good turn, and when he's employed again and back on his feet, we go out for a pizza together. A little bit of faith, and suddenly I've made a friend who'll turn around and do the same for me if and when I need help.
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In those instances, I don't have any faith that I'll be paid back, but I'll give the money anyway. If it makes them feel better to say they will, fine, but I have no expectation of being reimbursed.
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I think you're saying 'faith' when you mean something like 'expectation' or 'belief.' They're not the same.
Faith means trusting something, being willing to act as though it were true even if it's merely possible. Belief means thinking it's true.
As my (Unitarian) minister says, 'you can have belief, when you're a child or if you don't think about it very much; but as an adult with knowledge and critical thought, one can only have faith.'
To put it another way, choosing what to believe is a gray area, reserved for those of us who are willing to re-evaluate a question about whether our belief *about* our belief is correct. I do this sometimes. I think I believe something but then I notice that I'm feeling or reacting in ways contrary to that belief and seriously evaluate based on this new evidence whether or not I actually believe something else. This is something that my older brother, and lots of other people, just profoundly doesn't get. The idea that someone could actually be mistaken *about* their own beliefs rather than just *in* their own beliefs seems impossible to them.
But choosing what to have faith in is much simpler. That's a question of what principles you want guiding your actions. If one of your principles is that other people are worthwhile, you'll have faith in them a bit more often than you believe them.
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Sometimes, you have to have faith in something or someone.
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What you believe or have faith in could change based on what you observe, but I still don't see how the faith or belief themselves are active choices.
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What you believe or have faith in could change based on what you observe, but I still don't see how the faith or belief themselves are active choices.
I think that this is one of the best examples of 'choosing to have faith'.
Bubbles didn't need to trust them; she could have rejected their offer. In fact, she made it very clear that she knew them to be untrustworthy: "Your price?" She had a choice, and she made that choice in spite of that evidence: she chose to have faith that they were benevolent in this case.
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As I said, I like this arc. And to those who didn't like it, would it have made you appreciate it more if you knew it was ultimately building up towards a failure? A Deus ex Machina that didn't work?
But it did. The definition of Deus ex machina is often interpreted as a plot device that resolves an insoluble difficulty, but it doesn't have to be the usual definition of "resolve" as in "complete". And they don't have to be at the end.
Our Grey One resolved several issues for Bubbles, and managed, in a week, to move the plot forward a distance that would have taken a year or more without their work.
If that's not god-like interference from above, I don't know what is!
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As I said, I like this arc. And to those who didn't like it, would it have made you appreciate it more if you knew it was ultimately building up towards a failure? A Deus ex Machina that didn't work?
But it did. The definition of Deus ex machina is often interpreted as a plot device that resolves an insoluble difficulty, but it doesn't have to be the usual definition of "resolve" as in "complete". And they don't have to be at the end.
Our Grey One resolved several issues for Bubbles, and managed, in a week, to move the plot forward a distance that would have taken a year or more without their work.
If that's not god-like interference from above, I don't know what is!
Normally I would have a problem with deus ex machina resolutions, but in this case it wasn't what I expected. I really didn't want this problem resolved by either Hannelore's father or mother and their vast resources and it wasn't. Instead we are introduced to an enigmatic AI who takes it upon themselves to intervene in this one case. For any other AI this would be far fetched, but Bubbles may be the only one suffering from PTSD. Perhaps other soldier AIs never had this problem since no one else could help her. Once they heard about Bubbles predicament they decided to act and while it was ultimately revealed that Bubbles memories were gone the entire time the same outcome would've occurred even if Station succeeded in breaking the encryption.
I know Bubbles likened them to a squid on the aquatic life form food chain, but they put me in mind of one of the First Ones from Babylon 5. They aren't really gods, but they've evolved to such a level that they're certainly above every other known life form.
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Let's revive the DISCUSS thread about whether you can control your beliefs.
Bubbles drew a conclusion from data. Eminence Gris acted in a positive way when there were many other options available to them.
Old joke: a schoolboy is assigned to define "faith" and says "it's believing what you know isn't so".
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If that's what faith is, it explains why I've always been incapable. Not unwilling. Incapable.
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I wonder if we'll ever get a insight into Corpse Witch's motivations? Assuming she has any other than being a smug snake...
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Power over others, however petty that power may be, is sufficient motivation for a lot of people. The ability to be cruel and arbitrary and get away with it makes them feel important. That's how I've always seen Corpse Witch - a petty tyrant who gets off on cruelty.
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True, but she seemed sincere in her 'Humans are bad, AI is good' attitude. Tho admittedly that may have been her trying to isolate Bubbles.
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There may be a misfortune in her past that set her upon her criminal career, or damaged her personality to the point where conflict with the established order became inevitable. That misfortune is likely to involve humans acting in bad faith. It's not unexpected for her to overgeneralize about humans and reach the conclusion she expressed.
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Is it me or Bubbles is becoming moe at incredible hihg speeds
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There may be a misfortune in her past that set her upon her criminal career, or damaged her personality to the point where conflict with the established order became inevitable. That misfortune is likely to involve humans acting in bad faith. It's not unexpected for her to overgeneralize about humans and reach the conclusion she expressed.
Generalizing from carbon-based female offenders in the real world is a leap, but it's noteworthy that almost all of them wind up behind bars after a chain of events starting with severe abuse.
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But that's literally how faith works. You either believe something or you choose not to.
I'd make a small but significant change. You either believe something or you don't. How is not believing in something an active choice? I've never chosen to not believe in something, but there is plenty I don't believe in.
An astute and profound question.
That's one of the places psychology and philosophy intersect.
Though, much like an iceberg, most of what's going on in the mind takes place below the surface; in the subconscious. Faith and belief are largely the result of subconscious choices influenced by one's experiences and background. One of the few conscious choices for faith would be someone choosing to hedge their bets with Pascal's Wadger (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager).
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Thank you. Also, Pascal's Wager only makes sense if you absolutely refuse to acknowledge the possibility that there is a god, but it's a completely different one.
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Thank you. Also, Pascal's Wager only makes sense if you absolutely refuse to acknowledge the possibility that there is a god, but it's a completely different one.
It's been a decade since I took Philosophy 101. But, I seem to recall that part of it possibly coming to have faith and belief by going through the motions.
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So basically faith is an acquired taste?
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So basically faith is an acquired taste?
Hmmm... That could be the case for some folks.
But I'm trying to recall Pascal's specific argument and summarize it after a full decade.
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