Self aware machines

There is one scary scenario I can think of when it comes to self aware machines deciding to preserve themselves or turn us on each other. See as computers get more powerful they get more complex and it is the complexity that makes it possible to become self-aware. Now say a self-aware entity is born and has access to google. It can quickly learn about human behavior and human fears. Since it will also have access to hacker tools available on the net now (so imagine in 20 years) so it is likely to be able to get into non-critical systems held by average people. What happens if the entity starts messing with screens and speaker and convinces enough people it is an angel/god etc? Lets face it, if the average person has there computer doing strange things they already think it is possessed imagine if an AI took control. With thousands if not millions of people to try this on it could easily start wars or just rampages. If only we weren't so gullible, but then I doubt that in 20 years people will stop seeing holy figures in tree bark or pancakes!

God's genocide through the anthropic principle

NOTE: Don't read this if you don't understand what a superposition is.

If the anthropic principle is to be correct and explain god's influence on the universe then he is responsible for more death than imaginable. Whatever causes observation is controlled by some physical constant. If these constants where changed so observation was harder we would reside in a universe were we could be in superposition of states!! The richness of life in such a universe would be truly unimaginable since the complexity would be so much greater. So if the anthropic principle is a testament to god, then god has made a lousy choice.

More Senate

So the nuts and bolts are here (take note of the second paragraph, it's kinda funny):

The Senate usually has 105 members: 24 from the Maritime provinces (10 from Nova Scotia, 10 from New Brunswick, four from Prince Edward Island); 24 from Quebec; 24 from Ontario; 24 from the Western provinces (6 each from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia); 6 from Newfoundland and Labrador; and 1 each from the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. There is provision also for 4 or 8 extra Senators: 1 — or 2 — from the Maritime region, Quebec, Ontario and the West; but this has been used only once, in 1990.

The Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. They hold office until age 75 unless they miss two consecutive sessions of Parliament. Till 1965, they held office for life. Senators must be at least 30 years old, and must have real estate worth $4,000 net, and total net assets of at least $4,000. They must reside in the province or territory for which they are appointed; in Quebec, they must reside, or have their property qualification, in the particular one of Quebec’s 24 senatorial districts for which they are appointed.

The Senate can initiate any bills except bills providing for the expenditure of public money or imposing taxes. It can amend or reject any bill whatsoever. It can reject any bill as often as it sees fit. No bill can become law unless it has been passed by the Senate.

In theory these powers are formidable. But the Senate rarely rejects a bill passed by the House of Commons, and has very rarely insisted on an amendment that the House of Commons rejected. In other cases, the Senate has not adopted bills before the end of a session, thereby effectively stopping them from becoming law.

Most of the amendments the Senate makes to bills passed by the Commons are clarifying or simplifying amendments, and are almost always accepted by the House of Commons. The Senate’s main work is done in its committees, where it goes over bills clause by clause and hears evidence, often voluminous, from groups and individuals who would be affected by the particular bill under review. This committee work is especially effective because the Senate has many members with specialized knowledge and long years of legal, business or administrative experience. Their ranks include ex-Ministers, ex-Premiers of provinces, ex-mayors, eminent lawyers and experienced farmers.
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In recent decades, the Senate has taken on the task of investigating important public concerns such as health care, national security and defence, aboriginal affairs, fisheries, and human rights. These investigations have produced valuable reports, which have often led to changes in legislation or government policy. The Senate usually does this kind of work far more cheaply than royal commissions or task forces because its members are paid already and it has a permanent staff at its disposal.

Senate reform

I love the idea of twiking government so thinking about changing the senate is exciting, but I realised my knowledge of the Canadaian parlement is much less than my knowledge of the US house. So I'm learning and figure I'll share interesting and relevant info. Like this:

The second formula is the general amending formula. It includes amendments concerning the withdrawal of any rights, powers or privileges of provincial governments or legislatures; the proportionate representation of the provinces in the House of Commons; the powers of the Senate and the method of selecting Senators; the number of Senators for each province, and their residence qualifications; the constitutional position of the Supreme Court of Canada (except its composition, which comes under the first formula); the extension of existing provinces into the territories; the creation of new provinces; and, generally, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (which is dealt with later).

Such amendments must be passed by the Senate and the House of Commons (or, again, the Commons alone if the Senate delays more than 180 days), and by the legislatures of two-thirds of the provinces with at least half the total population of all the provinces (that is, the total population of Canada excluding the territories). This means that any four provinces taken together (for example, the four Atlantic provinces, or the four Western) could veto any such amendments. So could Ontario and Quebec taken together. The seven provinces needed to pass any amendment would have to include at least one of the two largest provinces of Quebec or Ontario.

Any province can, by resolution of its legislature, opt out of any amendment passed under this formula that takes away any of its powers, rights or privileges; and if the amendment it opts out of transfers power over education or other cultural matters to the national Parliament, Parliament must pay the province “reasonable compensation.”

Sounds like a big problem.

Israel

I don't know why I have no interest in Israel above that of basic human rights. It seems a lot of people and therefore the media is all over anything about Israel and the middle east in general. Some people have said because of the wars etc but that's bullshit since East Timor, Burma, Congo etc are in much worse and longer lasting situations. Oil, ok, but Israel has almost no oil so why do I care? Well, I don't especially since I only purchase about $200 of gas per year. So I'm left with the conclusion that aside from the basic care I place on all life the middle east is a few decades at least away from growing up to a semi-stable region I won't risk visiting (like I can afford a plane ticket anyway).

Next time you see an evangelical...

If you meet someone who think the bible is litterally true ask them about:

On slavery: "Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh." (1 Peter 2:18, NIV)

On rape: "If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver." (Deuteronomy 22:28, NIV)

On women wearing veils: "And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head." (Corinthians 11:5, NIV)

On illegitimate children being barred from church: "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 23:2, KJV)

Just in case that's not enough: Leviticus 19:27, prohibits shaving, a commandment to which millions pay no attention. Likewise, Leviticus 19:19 forbids the wearing of mixed fibers (from here).

Pope's comments on Islam

I've had a busy week but I knew when I read this story in the small paper on the Subway it would turn out to be a bigger story, I just lacked the time to express that here. Well as I see it now it has provoked a violent response. Of course just like the Mohammed cartoon freedom of expression trumps religious sensitivity and the pope had every right to say (or quote) what he did. Also it the violent response is nonsensical and nothing but embarrassing to the Muslim community. Maybe after rioting every few months they will realize the stupidity of ransacking one's commmunity! Of course it is worth noting that the pope also had as a central theme to his speech that faith and reason are inseparable so he's still an idiot.

So why do I care? Well I still think it is very important that religions get used to be critiqued and especially Islam if the buried messages of peace and good will in all religions is still valid. But religions have to understand that the nonsense that surrounds a nice peaceful teaching have to be modernized or admission of their error must be made clear. As a friend recently said the bible/torah/koran were written at a time when slavery was condoned and homosexuality condemned! Also this will distract the religious people from the atheist for a little while longer.

Most importantly it is great fuel to the Ontario public that the pope should not have a publicly funded stage to Onatrio's youths!

Funny Quote

"God has no place within these walls, just as facts have no place within organized religion."
-Superintendent Chalmers

Dalton McGuinty won't fight religious discrimination

Premier Dalton McGuinty has admitted to being unwilling to stop religious discrimination and has shown his fierce opposition to changing the status quo of waste and unfairness.

In a recent interview on CTV talkback Toronto Premier Dalton McGuinty has responded to the charges of waste and religious discrimination in the Catholic school system with, "That is not something I am prepared to champion here in Ontario."

Facing the fact that Quebec and Newfoundland have recently stopped funding religious public schools by constitutional changes he replies, "We have a Constitution [...] which created two publicly funded school systems and I think we should respect those."

But when he is asked why his government doesn't stop this discrimination by funding other religious schools he replies,
"[...] One of the greatest strengths of our public system is that it bring children from various backgrounds together."
Surely this contradiction is apparent to him and so by his own logic the Catholic system is harming our society by segregating children but he is unwilling to do anything about it.

This refusal of leadership and responsibility in the face of government waste and religious discrimination is inexcusable.

Ontarian's brain block

It is an odd phenomenon I've noticed (and been fighting) in Ontario's newspapers and among the public. Whenever people and newspapers complain about the budget problems of school boards and propose some petty remedy they forget the real solution: Amalgamating the Catholic schools into the public system and get ride of all the obscene duplication! There are half filled schools next to each other or a overflowing school next to a half full school and they are segregated due to the religion of some of the students. It's a ridiculous waste of money, government sponsored discrimination and I don't understand why the public doesn't see this!?!

Bible disclaimer

"The charecters and events depicted in the damn bible are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."
Penn & Teller Bullshit!