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Dr. Bernadette Case

0 (0%)

Practicing medicine is fun and all

0 (0%)

Compared to LASERS? No Contest.

1 (2.3%)

This is my room!

0 (0%)

It's really, uh, minimal.

0 (0%)

Spend days adjusting bedsheets, curtains...

0 (0%)

And those were my FUNCTIONAL days.

0 (0%)

Wanna see pictures? I have a photo album!

1 (2.3%)

Dad? Dad? Hellooooo!

1 (2.3%)

Doctor John Ellicott-Chatham

7 (15.9%)

Not sure since the divorce.

1 (2.3%)

Can't rely on the AI for everything

1 (2.3%)

Lt. Potter's room

1 (2.3%)

"Friggin' A-hole AI..."

1 (2.3%)

AIM HIGH or ELSE

1 (2.3%)

I wanted to apologize...

0 (0%)

The doc's kid put you up to this.

0 (0%)

Some apology. Why don't you go fu-

0 (0%)

.76% of Ellicott-Chatham Technologies.

1 (2.3%)

Holdings worth US$4.6 million.

6 (13.6%)

Blink once/blink twice...

13 (29.5%)

Read it in an Alastair Reynolds novel.

0 (0%)

Ms. Farmer? Our head of security would like to have a word with you.

4 (9.1%)

Just come along quietly, Ms. Farmer.

3 (6.8%)

Wait, where'd Marigold go?

0 (0%)

Looking for the ladies' room.

2 (4.5%)

Total Members Voted: 41

[DSL]

Momo sent a resume to ECTech for a station job requiring security clearance. (You didn't think she wanted to work in the Smif library all her life, didja?) ... anyway, she listed Marigold as a reference ...

[jwhouk]

It has been established that APC "personalities" (which, I believe, is the Politcally Correct term for "AI's without a physical form or avatar") can be "uploaded" into a computer (or, theoretically, into a computer with an internet connection). The AI could simply "switch" via a cable or Wi-Fi connection from one robot body to the next; it might be that USB/Firewire connections are easier because of the huge amount of data required to transfer.

[celticgeek]

Series starting here:  Pintsize Virus discusses this. 

[RyanW1019]

I'll bet it's an updated TOS issue. 

Let's see - what could Marigold have inadvertently brought aboard SS EC-Tech that would be "against the rules"?

• Sharp Objects - Box cutters? Scissors? I don't see her carrying anything like this on her person or in her luggage. However, Hanners did say she thought Marigold had a katana...
• Sporting Goods - I doubt she has a cricket bat like Hannelore does.
• Guns & Firearms - Uh, no.
• Tools - This area I could see an issue. She is a computer techie, and she might have her emergency computer repair kit on hand at all times - like her screwdriver set or six-in-one tool. Such an item would probably not be larger than seven inches in length (which is the TSA requirement), so that might not be an issue. Maybe it's something else in her repair kit?
• Martial Arts & Self-Defense Items - Would she actually carry a can of mace, or a taser with her? or Nunchakus, Throwing Stars? Or could she have something on her that could be mistaken for such?
• Explosive & Flammable Materials - Practically anything in this category would be "very bad" to bring onto a space station, as the atmosphere inside is probably a lot closer to pure oxygen than the mixture we have on Earth. Maybe a can of Cheez-Whiz that she forgot was in her luggage? Maybe some sort of soldering gun or other type of torch/lighter?
• Chemicals and Other Dangerous Items - Some sort of heavy-duty tear gas, but then her luggage would have been a LOT larger than it appears.
• Other Items - The only thing I could think of would be her Netbook - with the attached webcam. Maybe Hannelore forgot to tell her that she couldn't bring that with to the station?

Having seen the next comic already, I can tell you it's Other. Although it does have to do with what she brought with her.

[Kugai]

"........ As is usual Miss Farmer, should you or any of your team be caught of killed, The Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions ....."

[Is it cold in here?]

Since we know AnthroPCs can be backed up and restored, I think the question on the table was about what happens when you restore twice and get two simultaneously operating copies of the AnthroPC personality. Imagine, for example, Pintsize being replicated through BitTorrent.

What if Marigirl brought with her something really awful, not a mere chemical or biohazard, but instead some of her fanfiction?

[Truec]

I'll bet it's an updated TOS issue. 

Let's see - what could Marigold have inadvertently brought aboard SS EC-Tech that would be "against the rules"?

• Sharp Objects - Box cutters? Scissors? I don't see her carrying anything like this on her person or in her luggage. However, Hanners did say she thought Marigold had a katana...
• Sporting Goods - I doubt she has a cricket bat like Hannelore does.
• Guns & Firearms - Uh, no.
• Tools - This area I could see an issue. She is a computer techie, and she might have her emergency computer repair kit on hand at all times - like her screwdriver set or six-in-one tool. Such an item would probably not be larger than seven inches in length (which is the TSA requirement), so that might not be an issue. Maybe it's something else in her repair kit?
• Martial Arts & Self-Defense Items - Would she actually carry a can of mace, or a taser with her? or Nunchakus, Throwing Stars? Or could she have something on her that could be mistaken for such?
• Explosive & Flammable Materials - Practically anything in this category would be "very bad" to bring onto a space station, as the atmosphere inside is probably a lot closer to pure oxygen than the mixture we have on Earth. Maybe a can of Cheez-Whiz that she forgot was in her luggage? Maybe some sort of soldering gun or other type of torch/lighter?
• Chemicals and Other Dangerous Items - Some sort of heavy-duty tear gas, but then her luggage would have been a LOT larger than it appears.
• Other Items - The only thing I could think of would be her Netbook - with the attached webcam. Maybe Hannelore forgot to tell her that she couldn't bring that with to the station?

If TSA was going to be involved (would they be for a private aircraft?), I'm sure they would have been before they reached the space station.  Once there, it would probably be rules based on what you can bring onto the premises of a military contractor, which I assume are looser.

[dreed]

Since we know AnthroPCs can be backed up and restored, I think the question on the table was about what happens when you restore twice and get two simultaneously operating copies of the AnthroPC personality. Imagine, for example, Pintsize being replicated through BitTorrent.

What if Marigirl brought with her something really awful, not a mere chemical or biohazard, but instead some of her fanfiction?

I presume personality of robots is not only based on software but hardware too.  so if you upload another Anthro into new hardware then that will be another person even tough they will have same memories.

Changing chassis is not an issue as it is just chassis not brain of AI but just a body.

[Diin]

Members disappearing one by one, Hanners being completely inconspicuous about it...

IN SPACE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU *DOOOOOOOOOOM*

[Arancaytar]

The government detected Raven's quantum teleportation espresso maker, and they've mistaken Mari for Faye and want her to give up the technology.[/li][/list]

They did call her "Ms. Farmer", not "Ms. Whitaker".

[jwhouk]

I utilized the TSA list out of convenience, not because it exactly fit the situation.

From what I've gathered from Jeph's newsposts, AI's without an APC body and/or a physical form (i.e., intelligent toaster, forklift, submarine, space station, etc.) reside in a central AI "mind" located at some undisclosed  central location. It's entirely possible that said location does get "backed up", but it's more likely that the AI's residing therein simply move elsewhere if there's a power issue or other problem.

There's a whole unexplored possibility for hacker/Anonymous terror issues with something like that. Imagine a cyber-terrorist who cuts the links to the outside world from an AI "holding tank" and then cuts the power to the tank... it'd have the same effect as blowing up a building or a suicide bomber. Could you imagine a whole AI/terrorist Cyberwar - and not a single human knows about it?

[Skewbrow]

May be not entirely unexplored. The Starways Congress tried to kill Jane in Ender's saga in a similar way in Xenocide. I have not read "Children of the Mind" yet, so no spoilers, please.

[Method of Madness]

Neither have I.  In fact, I could never finish Xenocide, it was such a disappointment compared to the first two.

[RyanW1019]

I personally found the Ender's Shadow series far more interesting than the Ender's game continuations, although that could have been because I read Children of the Mind/Xenocide/the others around age 13/14.

[Milesb]

Ian M Banks' book Excession deals with the very interesting idea of AI Minds (Caps intentional, it's the term the book uses) being backed up due to the destruction of the original, only for the original to survive. It's well worth a read if you like the idea of a Spaaace Opeeraaa with conspiracy themes.

 

[Method of Madness]

I personally found the Ender's Shadow series far more interesting than the Ender's game continuations, although that could have been because I read Children of the Mind/Xenocide/the others around age 13/14.

Oh, easily, I read all four Shadow book after giving up on Xenocide.  Good stuff.

[ecstaticjoy]

OMG What's going to happen to MARIGOLD???

[pwhodges]

(Looks around...)  Er, we don't know...

[Is it cold in here?]

If Hannelore finds out, she calls Beatrice, and in the worst case the people who renditioned Marigirl to Syria along with the entire Syrian government go into the shark tank.

[WAYF]

OMG What's going to happen to MARIGOLD???

That should totally be the poll question or the entire first post for the next WCDT.

[Carl-E]

The tricky part's gonna be coming up with answer options...

[jwhouk]

...and I didn't see what actually happened, since I didn't log on when it was "accidentally" posted.

So your guess is good as mine.

[jwhouk]

What was... THE MOMENT... OF... THE WEEK?

Compared to LASERS? No Contest.    - 1 (2.9%)
Wanna see pictures? I have a photo album!    - 1 (2.9%)
Doctor John Ellicott-Chatham    - 7 (20%)
Not sure since the divorce.    - 1 (2.9%)
Can't rely on the AI for everything    - 1 (2.9%)
Lt. Potter's room    - 1 (2.9%)
"Friggin' A-hole AI..."    - 1 (2.9%)
AIM HIGH or ELSE    - 1 (2.9%)
.76% of Ellicott-Chatham Technologies.    - 1 (2.9%)
Holdings worth US$4.6 million.    - 4 (11.4%)
Blink once/blink twice...    - 10 (28.6%)
Ms. Farmer? Our head of security would like to have a word with you.    - 3 (8.6%)
Just come along quietly, Ms. Farmer.    - 1 (2.9%)
Looking for the ladies' room.    - 2 (5.7%)

Total Voters: 35

[cesariojpn]

Let's see - what could Marigold have inadvertently brought aboard SS EC-Tech that would be "against the rules"?

Momo's old body....with Pintsize's "ghost" downloaded into it. Pintsize managed to download himself into Momo's old body, and snuck into Marigold's bag. 

[Throg]

The government detected Raven's quantum teleportation espresso maker, and they've mistaken Mari for Faye and want her to give up the technology.[/li][/list]

They did call her "Ms. Farmer", not "Ms. Whitaker".

Point. 

Imagine, for example, Pintsize being replicated through BitTorrent.

What if Marigirl brought with her something really awful, not a mere chemical or biohazard, but instead some of her fanfiction?

Ye gods, how terrifying! A generation of AI's, still in development, read Mari's fanfiction, thought the prose style was hilarious, and are now talking like the narrator in "Ginny and Hermione v. the Space Wizards" (or whatever it was called.)


 

[Kugai]

Let's see - what could Marigold have inadvertently brought aboard SS EC-Tech that would be "against the rules"?

Momo's old body....with Pintsize's "ghost" downloaded into it. Pintsize managed to download himself into Momo's old body, and snuck into Marigold's bag.  

Ahhh, that explains The Majors interest