HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: speed of light and age of the universe
Date: 21 Jul 92 17:21:28 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.010343.8909@seanews.akita.com>, God@seanews.akita.com (Alpha and Omega) writes:
> 
> In article <DENS.92Jul20072305@flammulated.rice.edu> dens@flammulated.rice.edu (dens) writes:
> >@In article <4744@unixhub.SLAC.Stanford.EDU> joann@ariadne.SLAC.Stanford.EDU (Jo Ann Malina) writes:
> >
> >   How about the obvious -- any book that says that the world was created in
> >   six days by a supernatural being is WRONG.
> >
> >Absolutely. I created the universe in a picosecond. I just put 6 days
> >in the book because those nomads couldn't conceive of picoseconds.
> 
> We may yet lose our patience with you.
> 
> Do not pretend to be us or to know our mind.  We have humans for this
> role -- namely such television evangelists as Oral Roberts.  Do not
> join them in their fate.
> 
> We are not amused.
> 
> God

Well, now we know that God isn't One.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 07:23:55 -0400 
From: "Stephen P. Marting" <sm6h+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Joining

Excerpts from rec.org.mensa: 20-Jul-92 Joining by "Dave
Aronson"@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org 
> BTW, I see you're a 'Mutian too.  Mebbe you could drag Mr. Prock along
to your
>  
> next Open House?

Well, if he didn't go to the University of Minnesota, I'd consider it. 
As it is, I think it's rude to drag someone that far...

>nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello) writes:
> 
> NCDM> Organization: University of Pittsburgh
> 
>And another one in Mr. Prock's neighborhood, tho admittedly a few blocks down
>Forbes.  Maybe you can give him and Mr. Marting a lift.

Actually, we're having an event in the middle of Oakland this month. 
I'll be dragging Nick (the heretic lapsed! :) to it, no lifts necessary.

If there's anyone else in the Pittsburgh area, feel free to call me at
268-5454 or email (see .sig) for info about upcoming events.

--
Spam is:               | This statement needs no qualifiers.
Steve Marting          | Most people never call me this.
spam+@cmu.edu          | A cute address that wastes computing resources.
sm6h+@andrew.cmu.edu   | Above and below are forwarded here.
R746SM6H@CMCCVB.bitnet | Extra storage space.
"Is 'Spam' a word?" - Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: eab@msc.edu (Edward Bertsch)
Subject: Re:  GREENs only
Organization: Minnesota Supercomputer Center, Minneapolis, MN
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 18:53:49 GMT

In article <1992Jul25.183304.19054@ugle.unit.no>, mortenaa@Lise.Unit.NO (Morten Aagaard) writes:
|> The various answers to my simple question about GREENSleaves was curious
|> reading (mostly), and a nice demonstration of the Internet.
|> The ironic postings about mammal-lips were not so amusing as I had expected from 
|> this group, but I asume the majority of contributors are not *real* mensians 
|> anyway. 
|> 
|> 
|> 
|> 
|> 
|> 

or Mensans even!

--

Edward A. Bertsch (eab@msc.edu)   Minnesota Supercomputer Center, Inc.
Operations/User Services          1200 Washington Avenue South
(612) 626-1888 work               Minneapolis, Minnesota  55415
(612) 645-0168 voice mail         [DISCLAIMER: MY OPINIONS; NOT MSCI'S]

"Read _MY_ lips: No vote this time, George"      vote Libertarian in '92

% echo "potatoe potato" | spell
potatoe
%
From: SSR48327@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU (Syed Shibli)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Why GREENSleaves?
Date: 29 Jul 92 07:49:20 GMT
X-Received: by usenet.pa.dec.com; id AA24703; Wed, 29 Jul 92 00:49:25 -0700
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mcbeanb@brandonu.ca writes:

>In article <920725183852.2080b106@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU>, SSR48327@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU (Syed Shibli) writes:
>> 
>> mcbeanb@brandonu.ca writes:
>> 
>>>In article <1992Jul23.134510.4261@ugle.unit.no>, mortenaa@Lise.Unit.NO (Morten Aagaard) writes:
>>>> Why is most vegetation green? Is this a result of random evolution or
>>>> is there any particular reason for not growing blue?
>>>
>>>Cuz the chlorophyll pigments make them green...  without chlorophyll you
>>>get a real dull plant that's no fun at parties.
>> 
>>   I remember extracting some cholorophyll from a few leaves as part of
>>   Biology lab. Pure cholorophyll is actually more bluish than green.
>>   I think the green hue comes from the mixture of sugar and the
>>   cholorophyll itself. 
>
>actually there is more to it than chlorophyll... like there's chlorophyll
>a and b, and there's a whole bunch of other neat stuff which I memorized
>for biochem in February, but have since (gratefully) forgotten them.

  Who would have guessed? And I thought only we humans had a blood type!

-- 
Syed Shibli                           | Tel: +1 918 631 3257
505 South Gary, #14, Tulsa, OK 74104. | ssr48327@vax1.utulsa.edu
From: jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Mensa in Roanoke, VA
Date: 23 Jul 92 13:08:14 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia

Fairly good.  Roanoke is in Thomas Jefferson Mensa (my 
local group).  We're having a picnic in Martinsville on
Aug. 1.  Will you be there?
--
Jean L. Cooper    (BITNET: JLC5F@virginia.edu   CIS: 70253,1114)
"The true University of these days is a Collection of Books." 
                                           --Carlyle                        
From: Dave.Aronson@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: T=Constructive Criticism
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 21:10:00 -0500

Scott Tai writes, as quoted by mike_steiner@qm.claris.com:

 ST> my interest in this newsgroup
 ST> has been completely put off by your close-mindedness
 ST> and need to force others to listen to your arguments.

This from the person who changes his ID because people put his old one in their
kill files?  How are the rest of us, who are not hiding behind false addresses
like cowards, *forcing* anyone to read our arguments?

 ST> You are unrelenting in your arguments and don't even
 ST> change or allow for
 ST> contradictory evidence in your replies.  This
 ST> discussion with you is hopeless
 ST> and was from the start.  NOBODY can change your mind.

This from the person who posts the same tired arguments after they have been
thoroughly shredded from all sides?

 ST> Thanks for ruining my enjoyment of this group. I truly appreciate it.

Does this mean you're leaving (he says hopefully)?

Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: seb@draper.com (Steve Bacher Batchman)
Subject: Genius sperm bank
Organization: Draper Laboratory
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 15:03:00 GMT

After all that talk about how idiotic it was for Nobel prize winners to
offer their sperm, now we seem to have evidence that, contrary to the
pooh-poohers and maysayers, Genius Sperm Kids really DO have higher
intelligence (however you define it)!

If so, then this opens up once again the "master race" wormcans.

Now, there is a difference between attaining a master race by murdering
all those who don't fit the bill and only breeding those who will, so
maybe we're not talking Hitler here just yet.  Still, I have some
serious problems with this whole setup.  What happens now?  Will 
women refuse to procreate with just anybody, but gravitate toward
Grade A Select Spermatozoa?  Will not-so-smart-but-good-hearted people
be breeded out?  Will there be a preponderance of myopics in the
general population, raising the cost of eye care to society and
causing a run on sausage-colored horm-rim raw materials?

Let's think this one over cautiously.

Steve Bacher (Batchman)
Draper Laboratory

Disclaimer:  (the usual)
Organization: Masters student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 01:16:10 -0400 
From: David O Hunt <dh4j+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Pgh area college Mensans?

Anyone around here?

David
dh4j@cmu.edu
From: ehp@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU ("Didi Pancake")
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: More on the AG
Date: 22 Jul 92 15:34:29 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia

In article <1992Jul22.140052.26772@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil) writes:
>In article <1992Jul21.171514.2755@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>,
>jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper) writes:
>
>>The average minutes of an AMC meeting are between 20
>>to 25 pages printed pages long.  (That's about 40,000
>>to 45,000 bytes.)  I have to listen to tape(s) of the
>>meeting, and transcribe and edit them to a manageable
>>size.  It takes up to four weeks sometimes.  The 
>>previous secretary often spent 70-80 hours on 
>>each set of minutes.
>
>How much of the 80 hours is spent transcribing and how much on editing? 
>Editing ought to take less than transcribing (certainly minutes should
>not be edited much), but let's allow 40 hours for editing.  That leaves
>40 hours for transcribing.  45,000 bytes in 40 hours is 3.75 words per
>minute.
>
>Mensa's national office never ceases to amaze me.
>

Hey, until you yourself have tried to transcribe a tape of a meeting of
around 14 Mensans where everyone is usually talking at once about three
different topics and they don't identify themselves before speaking and
the taping equipment is pretty rudimentary to begin with, lay off the
wise cracks about the Mensa national office, please. 

If Mensa were a rational group, the secretary could just take "action"
minutes where only the formal motions and their votes are reported, but
NOOOOOO!  Mensans being so enormously predisposed to wrangle about the
stupidest stuff, we have to take full discussion minutes where everything
everyone said is reported. It's a horrid job to work from these tapes and
try to sort everything out properly.

In further fact, it is Jean herself who must do this, not the national
office, and she's a _volunteer_ officer in this association and happens
to own a pretty full life outside of it including a house and two jobs as
well as being active in her local group of Mensa, the local Recording for
the Blind office, and other "good works." 

Yup, you pushed one of my buttons with your thoughtless answer, but I'm
not sorry for the opportunity to explain a few things about the reality
of running this association. So, a) chill out on this topic, b) cut out.

--
|  Didi Pancake         |     ESTJs know the answer...                   |
|  ehp@virginia.edu     |              ...the question is irrelevant.    |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  All the usual disclaimers about the origins of these opinions apply.  |
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: phz@cadence.com (Pete Zakel)
Subject: Re: ex nihilo (was: Re: IQ vs. Faith)
Organization: Cadence Design Systems
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 07:16:24 GMT

In article <1992Jul25.085039.22417@cs.mcgill.ca> mingmar@cs.mcgill.ca (Ming MAR) writes:
>In <1992Jul24.221642.8002@Cadence.COM> phz@cadence.com
>(Pete Zakel) writes:
> 
>>There is at least one physicist who claims that a singularity
>>can form at random out of the background fabric of the universe
>>if the universe is sufficiently quiescent.
> 
>Can you explain how this works?

If I could, I'd be a quantum mechanic, not a computer programmer.

But I can approximate.  Basically, a vacuum is composed of lots of events and
anti-events that happen almost simultaneously and cancel each other out
almost immediately.  But every once in a while, those events happen in a
way so they don't cancel out (such as a particle and it's anti-particle
forming so that one is within the Schwarzchild radius of a black hole and the
other is outside the radius, so that one particle spirals into the black hole
and the other stays out -- thus resulting in a particle out of nothing -- as
it were).  Extrapolating from this one can come up with a quantum event that
results in a Big Bang event.

But PLEASE don't quote my explanation.  It is as close as I can come from
memory, and not knowing the math.  If you really want to understand this
stuff you have to study for a LONG time, and you still need a certain type
of aptitude.  I have a small amount of the aptitude and almost none of the
studying -- so I only understand it at the same level that most people
understand how radio works.

-Pete Zakel
 (phz@cadence.com or ..!uunet!cadence!phz)

The University of California Bears announced the signing of Reggie
Philbin to a letter of intent to attend Cal next Fall.  Philbin is said
to make up for no talent by cheating well.  Says Philbin of his
decision to attend Cal, "I'm in it for the free ride."
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz)
Subject: Re: More on the AG
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 22:15:07 GMT

drich@sandman.lerc.nasa.gov (Daniel Rich) writes:

>I am going to be acting as the Internet contact for Mconnections (the
>Mensa e-mail directory).  I am currently looking for a ftp site for
>the directory, and I suppose, if I find one, we could archive the
>minutes in the same place (if Jean is willing).

Piece of cake!  Just encrypt it and don't give anyone the key.  Use a
code that only a Mensan can break.  :-)

-rich






-- 
             Richard H. Schwartz, Scheduling Systems Inc.,
            1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  02138
                  (617) 864 8330; FAX (617) 864 8377
                          rhs@world.std.com
From: Craig.Wagner@p2.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Craig Wagner)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: T=Killfiles and whoami
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 10:46:24 -0500

  SA> From: tai-sa@ailab.ncsu.edu (Scott A Tai)
  SA> 
  SA> In article <1992Jul28.203530.24028@seanews.akita.com>,
  SA> billmcc@seanews.akita.com (Bill McCormick) writes:
  > sat@ailab.ncsu.edu
  > 
  |> Ah, not only is he a virus, he's a *mutating* virus.  Off I go to edit
  |> my kill file again.

  SA> Maybe if your hollombe friend discontinued posting kill files for my
  SA> id, I wouldn't have to continually modify it.  Then everyone would be
  SA> happy.

I'm not quite sure I follow your reasoning...  ;-(
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: mingmar@cs.mcgill.ca (Ming MAR)
Subject: Re: Why GREENSleaves?
Organization: SOCS - Mcgill University, Montreal, Canada
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 07:22:28 GMT

In article <PH.92Jul24172707@venturi.ama.caltech.edu> 
ph@venturi.ama.caltech.edu (Paul Hardy) writes:
>Maybe, except of course that Planet Claire has pink air and all the trees
>are red.  Question: what sort of chemical would make the air pink?  

I remember when the first color pictures of Mars were beamed back, and
we were all surprised that the sky was pink.  Of course, logically, the
sky _would_ be pick, but being geocentric chauvanists, we Earthlings
imagined a blue Marsian sky.
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: T: To All MENSA Members...
Date: 27 Jul 92 18:47:36 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.000857.3203@ncsu.edu>, sat@ailab.ncsu.edu (Scott Andrew Tai) writes:
> 
> 
> In article <3766@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP>, nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello) writes:
> |>  I admit I'm a little confused.  If I understand right, you do not
> |>object to clubs restricted to people of certain, arbitrary, qualities:
> |>age, religion, or certain scores on IQ tests - in general.  You object
> |>to this criteria in mensa because you believe that it has the potential
> |>to be "something great."  Do you mean that it should be above this type
> |>of behavior?
> |>
> |>  What do you think mensa should be?  What "greatness" do you think it
> |>has the potential to fullfill?  Why do you think it has that potential? 
> 
>      I think there is a major need for some kind of advocacy or activist 
> organization supporting intelligence.  Highly intelligent people are a 
> tremendous social asset.  From them society gets works of major importance
> that benefit all of us.  Yet for years we have been going through 
> anti-intellectual phases and anti-science phases.  Textbooks are being
> dumbed down and rewritten to accomodate social agendas.  Achievement tests
> are being de-emphasized or dropped for the same reasons.  Gifted programs
> in many counties are being dropped.  In primary and secondary schools,
> classroom groupings based on achievement and ability are being dropped
> under the theory that sacrificing the intelligent is fine because it's
> not fair that they're smarter.  Society seems to be slipping into an
> egalitarian phase and is denying differences exist.  If differences are 
> too great to pretend they're not real, then programs to level the 
> differences are initiated.  

As has been explained to you already, Mensa is active in those area.
Oh, I forgot, those are facts that don't conform to your petty prejudices,
so you can't remember them.  yet another example of Tai's rampant hypocricy.
 
>      The problem with MENSA is the 2% rule, and it should be dropped.

     NON SEQUITER ALERT!!!  NON SEQUITER ALERT!!!  NON SEQUITER ALERT!!!

>      I have felt for some time that MENSA members can be roughly
> categorized into one of two groups.

[OMITTED--NO NEED TO REPEAT THIS BULLSHIT ONCE AGAIN]

That crap has been discredited before.  Doesn't it bother you one bit that
you are making a fool of yourself?
From: hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: length of day (was Re: IQ vs. Faith)
Date: 27 Jul 92 18:58:01 GMT
Organization: The Cat Factory

In article <1992Jul23.051408.1984@cs.mcgill.ca> mingmar@cs.mcgill.ca (Ming MAR) writes:
}In article <1992Jul22.190618.21468@ttinews.tti.com> 
}hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:
}>
}>You can't have it both ways.  Either the Bible errs in calling the first
}>four days "days" (in which case the validity of the entire work is called
}>into question) or "day" in Genesis doesn't mean "sunset to sunrise."

}Or, day could simply represent the length of time which roughly
}corresponds to sunset to sunset.  The Bible doesn't have to be a Pascal
}program where everything has to be defined before being used.

This discussion arose out of a fundy's insistence that the use of the
Hebrew word "yom" proved the Bible was referring to "sunset to sunset."

}It seems to me that it's quite possible that the original scribes who
}wrote down Genesis thought that the universe was indeed created in six
}days.

It seems to me that it's quite possible they were wrong.  That's the point.

The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@polymath.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp                   Turn the rascals out!
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (310) 450-9111, x2483     No incumbents in '92!
Santa Monica, CA  90405 {rutgers|pyramid|philabs|psivax}!ttidca!hollombe
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: crossgl@infonode.ingr.com (Gordon Cross)
Subject: Re: IQ vs. Faith
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 21:07:47 GMT

In article <14805@claris.com> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:

>If there were a sudden failure of the solar fusion reactions, we wouldn't be
>around to consider anything.

Actually, I understand that it takes some number of *millions* of years for
the energy created in the sun's core to reach its surface.  Sudden failure
of solar fusion wouldn't be noticed for some time.  Who knows but what it may
have quit 10,000 years ago.
-- 

Gordon Cross          UUCP:     uunet!ingr!infonode!crossgl   "all opinions are
111 Westminister Way  INTERNET: crossgl@infonode.ingr.com    mine and not those
Madison, AL 35758     MA BELL:  (205) 730-7842               of my employer."
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: speed of light and age of the universe
Date: 21 Jul 92 22:56:19 GMT

In article <63995@hydra.gatech.EDU>, cegtitd@prism.gatech.EDU (Tim Dodd) writes:
> 
> In article <711734414.F00006@blkcat.UUCP> Craig.Wagner@p2.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Craig Wagner) writes:
> )
> )  MS> Steve contended that there has been no record of hours or days having
> )  MS> been other than they are now, so they must have always been the same.
> )  MS> 
> )  > But they're not the same *now*.
> )  > 
> )  MS> Can that be proven?
> )
> )Not by me, certainly.  I'm willing to trust the experts in this area
> )whoJoccasionally convince the world of the necessity to throw in a "leap second"
> )to keep everything timed correctly.  I've been told that this is necessary
> )because the earth's spin rate is decreasing.  What I find interesting, though,
> )is that there doesn't seem to be any regularity to the necessity of doing so. 
> )(i.e. it's not every "n" months, but appears to be something almost random)  
> )While this seems odd to me, it does tend to reassure me that it's not related to
> )an inaccuracy in the length of our "24 hour" day.    <pondering:  perhaps we
> 
> Actually, this is incorrect.  The inaccuracy is caused by the discrepency
> between the length of the sidereal year and that of the calender year.
> Correction for this difference is administered every four years by "leap
> years".  Further correction is also required for strict precision, but I
> don't remember how often or how much.
> 
> It is true that the earth's rotational rate is decreasing, but the rate of
> decrease is too small to matter across less-than-geological time spans.

The gross adjustment follows these rules:

1.  Every year divisible by 4 is a leap year, and one day is added to the year.
2.  Every year divisible by 100 is not a leap year, as an exception to rule 1.
3.  Every year divisible by 400 is a leap year, as an exception to rule 2.

The fine adjustments are whenever a second is added to a day.  As Craig wrote,
this seemingly comes at random intervals, and therefore is probably not
attributable to the difference in the length of the day compared to the length
of the year.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA)
Subject: Re: Scott Tai's "working" email address
Originator: cjdcosta@zepplin.ece.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 06:02:44 GMT


>  The arbitrary Tai address (tai@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us) is a public
>  access Unix system in Michigan. Anyone can apply for an account
>  on m-net using a false name. Tai used to forward his mail from
>  m-net to another public access account at nyx.cs.du.edu under the
>  login name "bregenma." "bregenma" is Brad Regenman, which is probably
>  another false name Mr. Tai uses for his network adventures. The
>  account at nyx.cs.du.edu has since been deleted for some unknown
>  reason. My last finger of bregenma@nyx.cs.du.edu shows the last login
>  as originating from eos.ncsu.edu. A finger of that site showed a
>  "jcwhite" as the only user. How do I know all this? I used to have
>  accounts at both sites (nyx and m-net).   

Excellent work, Sherlock Shibli! :-)

However, I must caution everyone against jumping to conclusions about
"jcwhite". Project EOS is a huge University-wide multi-server, multi-user
computing system, patterned on MIT's Project Athena. There are over 600 
DEC workstations on the network open to the staff & students, and several
private research machines as well, all operating under the eos environment
with an 'eos.ncsu.edu' address. During peak hours there can be an extremely 
large number of users logged in at any given time. jcwhite may well have 
been an innocent person who happened to be using Tai's terminal when
Syed fingered that particular machine. (What was the exact originator 
address, Syed? It might be important information.)

The information about 'Brad Regenman' will of course be very useful in the
future. Especially in the event of any close encounters of the Tai kind..

Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa