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Clinton describes AI emergence over burgers.

0 (0%)

S'not that incredible.

0 (0%)

We've been dreaming of that stuff for over 100 years!

0 (0%)

Whoa, I better STOP and CONSIDER the deep PHILOSOPHICAL IMPLICATIONS!

1 (1%)

"Innovation Fatigue"

1 (1%)

But that leads to COMPLACENCY!

0 (0%)

You can look at the stars and say "they sure are pretty"...

0 (0%)

...not if you want to GET to them someday.

2 (2%)

Years of therapy to not have a panic attack.

0 (0%)

Applied Robotics centerfold!

5 (4.9%)

Okay, you know what, I'm just gonna play this friends-style.

0 (0%)

Way to use the ol' willpower, Marten!

1 (1%)

C'mere. (WELP)

16 (15.7%)

SweetTits Cameo!

6 (5.9%)

I said, "You're Trouble."

0 (0%)

I'm in trouble.

14 (13.7%)

My grandma's doing okay... stick around a few weeks longer?

7 (6.9%)

GOLD MEDALIST!

1 (1%)

GRAMMY WINNER!

1 (1%)

FIRST MAN TO MARS!

5 (4.9%)

TIME MAN OF TEH YEAR!

9 (8.8%)

"Yeah, that'd be pretty cool."

33 (32.4%)

Total Members Voted: 92

[jwhouk]

About the comic: I have no clue what Padma thinks of Marten right now. But its nice to see Marten apparently doesnt know either. So at least I'm not the only guy who finds women confusing. It would be SO useful to be able to read a womans mind (just the one you're interested in and just what she thinks about / wants from you).
<snip>

I refer you to the second law of sexual dynamics.

[Mr_Rose]

fact isn't there a law in quantum mechanics that states that the mere act of observation will alter the outcome?

Tell me, what do you think qualifies as an observation in quantum physics? Because you appear to have fallen hook, line and sinker for the quantum woo bullshit that encourages people to believe homeopathy works.

[raoullefere]

So he has another plaid shirt - he did wear one just a few strips ago, you know: 2062

Thank you. I was worried that it was 2012 come early or something.

[Mr_Rose]

So he has another plaid shirt - he did wear one just a few strips ago, you know: 2062

Thank you. I was worried that it was 2012 come early or something.

Huh? 2012 Marten's colour is brown.

[JohnTheWysard]

laws of thermodynamics...  

First law: You can't win.
Second law: You can't even break even.
Third law: You can't get out of the game.

Sort of applies to sexual dynamics too, I guess.

[Loki]

But you can win the game!

[tobiasgies]

I wonder who chose the restaurant though? I mean, napkin dispensers and plastic ketchup and mustard squeeze-bottles on the table? Really classy!

If my memory serves right, We have seen that background before. They are sitting at the bar at The Horrible Revelation. Not a fancy restaurant, but I don't think this was planned by either as a dinner date.

[NotsoAverageJoe]

fact isn't there a law in quantum mechanics that states that the mere act of observation will alter the outcome?

Tell me, what do you think qualifies as an observation in quantum physics? Because you appear to have fallen hook, line and sinker for the quantum woo bullshit that encourages people to believe homeopathy works.

well, isn't that the heart of the matter?  ill admit i don't have an extensive knowledge of quantum mechanics... layman's knowledge lets say, my interests don't lie in the mathematical sciences.  but isn't that the point?  people make up their minds based on what they know, and if history has shown us anything, isn't it that nobody knows everything?

so when i see people preaching (yes, that word is appropriate) about how infallible science, in general, is... i can't help but sit back and go, "wait a minute..."  just how excited should someone get, and how much faith (again, an appropriate term based on the way some people react to this sort of debate) should they put, in something that they don't fully understand, and can't ever fully understand?

ya know that saying, "if god is on our side, who's on theirs?"  well lets twist that a little bit around, "if today's science is accurate and correct, what about tomorrow's?"

anyways, the topic has moved on, so ill just leave it here and enjoy the comic drama that we're being setup for.

[sitnspin]

do you really feel comfortable putting all your faith in something that can change on a whim due to some zealot talking out his ass one day?  .

The fact that science constantly improves upon itself and changes to account for new data is exactly WHY i would rather put my trust in its conclusions than any other system we have come up with to date. What is the alternative, bald assertion? I gladly will put my trust (not faith) in a system for assessing the world that necessitates testing and verification. Science is never satisfied with the answers it finds, it never declares victory. All truths arrived at through the scientific method are tentative, accepted only until they are disproven. That is how it should be. I will take that over declarative absolutes any day.

[Delator]

MOAR SWEET TITS!!!

Now that it is apparent that this is more than just a one time thing, I think Marten should ask Padma what this means to her, and, if he's afraid he'll get attached and be hurt when she leaves, say it shouldn't continue.

He should say something, and he should say something before things go too much further. Otherwise, any emotional damage that's results from this should be considered self-inflicted.

On the other hand, he may already have strong enough feelings that when she leaves he's going to crash no matter what happens until then. If that's the case, he should still talk about what their doing, but keep going and enjoy the time they have.

Of course all of that would require that they both be open and honest about their feelings, and that's just crazy!

Never have I been so epically Ninja'd.

*slow clap*

 

[pendrake]

For comic #2073...


1. Art-wise, I have been liking the fashion variations Jeph has been doing in recent.  From Dora's blue-green tank-top, to Hanners' light-blue zipper-top & shorts, and now to Marten's plaids.  Definitely a nice break from "TEH" shirt and such.

2. @Akima... Yes, the pair ("couple" still does not feel like the correct term...yet) are likely at The Horrible Revelation in panel #2.  That is likely Wil's arm and hair to the right of the panel.

3. Another Sweet-Tits cameo.  Is she stirring a drink, or dosing something?  Otherwise that cup is awfully small...

4. When a pretty girl puts her hands on your chest like that and says "C'mere," even a Green Lantern would have trouble maintaining Willpower at that point .

5. Ironically, or more likely Jeph's good writing, is that Marten is headed for similar heartbreak with Padma as Elliot had been, but on the far-opposite side of the emotional spectrum for this relationship/fling for not talking this out with Padma before it is too late.

6. This will end in flames (figuratively, internet-wise, & and possibly literally) if this story-angle ends with, "WELP, I'm headed back to California.  Take care Dora, Faye, Hanners."

7. "Many whelps! Handle it!"  (Old, old WoW joke.  Very NSFW language.)

8. And this is not Sparta...  THIS...IS...QC-WCDT!  *kicks Welu into a pit of feral "shippers" *

9. "The wise man believes he knows nothing.  The foolish man believes he knows everything."  [I have forgotten who said that .  Possibly Confucius, but more leaning towards Siddhartha-Buddha]

[Mad Cat]

Am I the only one who wants to shout at Marten, "Grab her ass! Grab her ass!"?

[Method of Madness]

At this rate by this time in January she'll be joining the cast, probably being outed as Pizza Girl(the blonde hair is just a wig).

So Sweet-Tits is also Penelope!  (Have we ever actually seen the two at the same time?)

[sitnspin]

My general rule of thumb when it comes to romance is to just enjoy the ride. It all ends one way or another, so rather than trying to define it or worry about where it is headed, just live and be in the moment. Accept the the experience for what it is in itself. If you end up getting hurt in the end, then even that is an experience to be had.


So my advice to Marten would be to stop worrying and just go with it, let the chips fall where they may.

[Skewbrow]

TL;DR; ALERT

fact isn't there a law in quantum mechanics that states that the mere act of observation will alter the outcome?

Tell me, what do you think qualifies as an observation in quantum physics? Because you appear to have fallen hook, line and sinker for the quantum woo bullshit that encourages people to believe homeopathy works.

well, isn't that the heart of the matter?  ill admit i don't have an extensive knowledge of quantum mechanics... layman's knowledge lets say, my interests don't lie in the mathematical sciences.  but isn't that the point?  people make up their minds based on what they know, and if history has shown us anything, isn't it that nobody knows everything?

So you're saying that because somebody who claimed to be a scientist at some point promoted eugenics, then all the physicists are wrong, and we may have faster than light space flight after all?

FYI. Whatever I grasped of quantum mechanics as an undergrad was that the act of observing (e.g. measuring) a quantum system
will not alter the outcome of that measurement. It will alter the quantum system though. A more accurate description might be that prior to the observation the quantity to be measured did not have a definite value at all.

so when i see people preaching (yes, that word is appropriate) about how infallible science, in general, is... i can't help but sit back and go, "wait a minute..."  just how excited should someone get, and how much faith (again, an appropriate term based on the way some people react to this sort of debate) should they put, in something that they don't fully understand, and can't ever fully understand?

ya know that saying, "if god is on our side, who's on theirs?"  well lets twist that a little bit around, "if today's science is accurate and correct, what about tomorrow's?"

So you're still lumping all of them together? At the when the shape of the Earth was in question, it simply had not been studied. Somebody talked the pope into saying something thru the papal hat about the shape of the solar system, and then they couldn't back out of it, when it became apparent that a more accurate explanation was available. No scientist worthy of her/his salt had simply studied the question before that time.

Having said all that it is true that reports of scientific findings often lack discussion the key figure of statistical signifigance. In math this is never a problem. In physics it may be a problem, if the researchers have to base their repor on scant data. Particle physicists usually can spend enough time on it, but astronomers don't have that kind of luxury. The universe will show them only so many exotic objects, and they have to work with that. Medical science is even worse, when they study relatively rare diseases within a fixed population, a single study may have only ten patients in two groups, and the luck factor cannot be eliminated: If the group of patients getting one survived with a higher percentage, may be they were just lucky, and the new treatment didn't really play a role. I worked in IT for a couple of years. When we are designing a new digital video broadcast standard, I had to compare different methods down to fault rates ten to minus eleven (with my laptop I only got down to ten to minus nine, so I had to extrapolate, but colleagues at BBC had more hardware at they did get down to ten to minus eleven). Computer simulations were a must, but we did get statistical rigor in the end. I mean, we had to make sure that the system will work as promised, before we can tell the public to buy with clear conscience to buy new receivers

Reporting of poll results without the 2SD confidence interval is a pet peeve of mine. IIRC the US media does a lot better in that respect as ours does over here. Of course, the fact that you have only two parties helps here.

[Loki]

 So Sweet-Tits is also Penelope!  (Have we ever actually seen the two at the same time?)

Kind of. May be a case of UnreliableNarrator.

[Method of Madness]

I meant Sweet-Tits and Penelope, since Penelope is Pizza Girl.  (1932 was her trying to trick Faye with a last ditch effort)

[Kugai]

And now Elliott will stumble upon them.

[Is it cold in here?]

Effect of measurement on quantum systems.

[AnAverageWriter]

all the physicists are wrong, and we may have faster than light space flight after all?

Well...

 

[FunkyTuba]

The webcomic where I first fully grasped the true meaning of "welp" was this guest comic that Jakface did for Wasted Talent

[Rusty]

I still want to see 'QC's california adventure'


pintize on an airplane, anyone?

[AnAverageWriter]

I still want to see 'QC's california adventure'
pintize on an airplane, anyone?

It would be a nice change of pace from the apartment-bar-coffeeshop settings that the comic has stuck itself into.

[DSL]

Wonder if the airlines require AnthroPCs to be turned off from pushback until cruise altitude, then again on approach and landing?
Then again, Pintsize is probably on a "no fly" list.

[Kugai]

Wonder if the airlines require AnthroPCs to be turned off from pushback until cruise altitude, then again on approach and landing?
Then again, Pintsize is probably on a "no fly" list.

Let's be honest here, Pintsize is probably on DOHS's Watch List

[DSL]

Agent Turing only THINKS he's seen his worst nightmare.

"United 783 heavy, why is your aircraft attempting to hump Southwest 3818?"

[Mr_Rose]

Nah, he'd never see it without binocs. Planes mate in the air, see?

[Carl-E]

Pintsize would talk his plane into it at the terminal. 

[jwhouk]

So what do you think when you look to the stars?

Ooh, they're pretty!    - 13 (16.7%)
WAY TOO MANY TO COUNT AUUGHGHGHGHGHLh    - 3 (3.8%)
I can never remember where Lyra is.    - 7 (9%)
Now, how many light years was it to Procyon again?    - 3 (3.8%)
Gee, it's dark out tonight.    - 3 (3.8%)
I see someone else.    - 3 (3.8%) <-- Switchfoot FTW.
Why did NASA have to cancel the Shuttle program?    - 18 (23.1%)
Hi, Dad!    - 3 (3.8%)
Waffles would taste good about now.    - 4 (5.1%)
Watson, you idiot, someone stole our tent!    - 21 (26.9%) <-- Greatest. Joke. Ever.

Total Voters: 78

[Cornan]

MrRose and Skewbrow, I love you both.

As for the comic: "Whelp!" is pretty much how my last GF and I got together after I had just left a long relationship and decided to be single for a while. 

[Rusty]

Agent Turing only THINKS he's seen his worst nightmare.

"United 783 heavy, why is your aircraft attempting to hump Southwest 3818?"

thank you for that image...

[Skewbrow]

all the physicists are wrong, and we may have faster than light space flight after all?

Well...

 

I attended a talk where a colleague from theoretical physics department described that experiment. Interesting, definitely, but not really against the theory of relativity (meaning that neutrinos would have imaginary mass, and that kind of particles can only travel faster than light as opposed to ordinary matter that is restricted to slower than light). Mind you, my world view was still broken Many people in the audience were somewhat skeptical about the calculation, because it involved estimating several delays in the chain creating the neutrinos at the CERN end of the experiment. Those guys would obviously be best placed to estimate the said delays, but even so. The even more surprising news to me was the measurement indicating that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Our future is dim, indeed.

[Near Lurker]

Yes, but... well, in the most absurd scenarios, couldn't you then send information back in time via neutrinos?

[Skewbrow]

Effect of measurement on quantum systems.

Thanks. The toughest course for me as an undergrad was the one on quantum field theory, where we had to try to do a bit of Feynman path integrals. I don't claim to understand them at anything but the most superficial of levels (and that was 25 years ago, when my mind still had some agility). A truly brilliant concept, but as you see in a paragraph towards the end of that article, not well-defined according to the exacting standards of mathematics. Doesn't stop it from predicting certain constants of nature to more than ten significant digits, though. Smart guy that Feynman

Yes, but... well, in the most absurd scenarios, couldn't you then send information back in time via neutrinos?

I don't think that causality was broken by that experiment, but I won't trust myself here. I would advice that you won't take my word on it either.

[Soulsynger]

fact isn't there a law in quantum mechanics that states that the mere act of observation will alter the outcome?

Tell me, what do you think qualifies as an observation in quantum physics? Because you appear to have fallen hook, line and sinker for the quantum woo bullshit that encourages people to believe homeopathy works.

@Joe:
Yes, there is.
See Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and Schroedinger's Cat for that.
Its not really "altering the outcome" as it is "destroying one or more possible outcomes". The simple act of doing that alters reality to a certain extend, at least in quantum physics.
But in any case... it is not yet fully clear how this "rule" has to be understood.

@Mr_Rose:
I use homeopathy. I have heard James Randi picking homeopathy apart and it still works. Don't use quantum physics to disprove strength of will.
An observation in quantum physics is an indirect one. I am going with Einstein instead of Bohr here just because its more interesting that way.

Yes, but... well, in the most absurd scenarios, couldn't you then send information back in time via neutrinos?

Well... not really. Neutrinos shouldn't be able to carry enough mass to transport any information back in time. Before we can attempt timetravel, we'll have to figure out what dark matter consists of anyway. Otherwise any attempt at anything might just evaporate when colliding with stuff that "is only there at unbelievable speed". xD


Hasn't it been established already that subatomic particles (photons) can behave both like waves and like particles at the same time?

[Carl-E]

Comics up.  Sad in a way, but it actually made me happy to see this, and to know Padma's not immune...

[snubnose]

Todays comic is awesome !

[Cornan]

So we found the upbeat female Marten?

[Carl-E]

Todays comic is awesome !

Yes, it is.  I think there are a lot of people who like to think "hey, it's just some fun".  But it's as intimate as you can get with another person, and we're hard-wired for it to trigger emotions.  I'm glad to see it going this way.  

[pwhodges]

"A problem shared is a problem halved."

It isn't, of course, but the load it creates on the mind may be made more manageable.

[Mojo]

fact isn't there a law in quantum mechanics that states that the mere act of observation will alter the outcome?

Tell me, what do you think qualifies as an observation in quantum physics? Because you appear to have fallen hook, line and sinker for the quantum woo bullshit that encourages people to believe homeopathy works.

Well, I'm not a physicist, but I think I understand this to some extent.  The Schrodinger's Cat "theory" (if I can call it that) suggests that a cat in a box exists in two states, both alive and dead.  It is the act of looking into the box that establishes which state it finally assumes.  Or something like that.

Which, incidentally, I think is bollocks.  The cat will be one or the other state, regardless of whether I look at it.  In any case, I think I understand the basic principle.

(Actually, I've been considering taking a physics degree...  I always did well in physics in high school, and it is interesting stuff...)

[akronnick]

...with a capital 'T' and that rhymes with 'P' and that stands for Padma!  

[Lubricus]

Todays comic is awesome !

Yes, it is.  I think there are a lot of people who like to think "hey, it's just some fun".  But it's as intimate as you can get with another person, and we're hard-wired for it to trigger emotions.  I'm glad to see it going this way.  

yeah, but it' still fun!  ¨

Personally, I've always found the bittersweet feeiling that come with relationship anxiety and breakups quite nice, actually.

[Carl-E]

"A problem shared is a problem halved."

It isn't, of course, but the load it creates on the mind may be made more manageable.

I hope they actually talk now.  May not be too likely if each thinks the other's just having fun. 


"Two [stupid] people, by dawn's early light,
and much too much in love to say 'goodnight'"

[Exar_Kun]

GODDAMMIT YOU GUYS. Stop being sad, I mean you just banged for chrissake.

[Soulsynger]

[ ... ] But it's as intimate as you can get with another person, and we're hard-wired for it to trigger emotions.  I'm glad to see it going this way.  

I think I used that argument in the discussion a few weeks ago. Where were you then?

@Comic:
... hm... this could mean anything and nothing.
Padma could have become suspicious of Marten's feelings and now sees the impending drama coming her way (the drama she tried to avoid with Elliot). Padma could be developing feelings of her own and now wonders whether Marten has them, too, or not (hence: trouble as in uncertainty).
Marten on the other hand might think he caught a glimpse of certain feelings on her part and now wonders of what nature they are. Then he could feel guilty because he may or may not have triggered them with his behavior.
And then both might have become aware of their feelings but slowly start to realize they don't have much more incommon right now than physicalities and might actually have to get to know each other now. (hence: trouble as in "work")

Also... mmmmmh... curves.

edit:
In my experience "you're trouble" usually means "this could be dangerous for me emotionally". ... did Padma just admit to having feelings?

[ ... ] Which, incidentally, I think is bollocks.  The cat will be one or the other state, regardless of whether I look at it.  In any case, I think I understand the basic principle. [ ... ]

Einstein. Bohr would slap you. xD

[DrPhibes]

last picture is, with other words totally rad to use. it has such an 'aawwwwwkward  ' look.

[Akima]

It's a spoon full of trouble. 

[Carl-E]

@soulsynger,

I think Padma's "you're trouble" pretty much sums it up.  She would only say this if she's starting to feel "that way" about him...

And I've been here all along, droog.  But finals are coming up...

[Soulsynger]

It's a spoon full of trouble. 

A spoon full of Marten makes the Padma go D'oh. *loosely babbled to the popular melody from Mary Poppins*

And I've been here all along, droog.  But finals are coming up...

... is that a crude euphemism/metaphor? oO