If this level of scientific literacy is the norm, humanity is buggered - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Sionyn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 07:13:41 pm
content: how could any one be suckered by this glorified dowsing rod. its not as if dowsing rods have been seen and debunked before.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29459896James Randi

author: Precipice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 07:24:27 pm
content: it takes well-placed bribes, and spending government money. I prefer to believe in greed and venality over that level of gullibility.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 07:35:49 pm
content: Quote from: Sionyn on October 03, 2014, 07:13:41 pmIf you rank military procurement by dumbness paying thousands for a box of nothing won't be that high on the list.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 07:41:12 pm
content: Quote from: Precipice on October 03, 2014, 07:24:27 pmI'm sure money passed under the table. However, people aren't going to engage in corruption unless they expect to get away with it. Corruption like this is predicated on very very low expectations of people's understanding.

author: Precipice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 07:50:56 pm
content: Quote from: coppice on October 03, 2014, 07:41:12 pm'Understanding' becomes a negotiable thing when there's a sufficient incentive not to understand.Just in case it sounds like I'm not completely pissed off, disappointed, outraged, etc. I am.I'm delighted that at least some of these scumbags are in jail, although for terms I think are inadequate. Looting cash out of troubled countries, endangering people, and just generally being loathsome, deserve punishment. I do hope that they're bankrupted, as well as jailed.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 08:39:44 pm
content: The effectiveness of the device doesn't necessarily depend on whether it works.The effectiveness of the device does depend on whether the malefactors believe it works.Other important aspects of human life follow that pattern, unfortunately.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2014, 02:29:49 am
content: Quote from: Precipice on October 03, 2014, 07:24:27 pmI'll see your greed & veniality,& on the gullibility side,raise you the "Piltdown Man"!

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2014, 09:51:22 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on October 03, 2014, 08:39:44 pmIn modern society, this is passed off as 'marketing'.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2014, 09:03:26 pm
content: Quote from the seller of this device, " it works as it is supposed to- it makes money".Obviously it did not need to detect anything itself as the company selling it could smell suckers easily parted from money a mile off.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2014, 01:35:15 am
content: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2014, 02:20:35 am
content: Quote from: Precipice on October 03, 2014, 07:50:56 pmWhy put them in jail? Simply offer them an awesome marketing opportunity. Helicopter drop on a known minefield somewhere in central africa. Of course fully equipped with a detector provided by one of their happy customers. Being such a magical device, it will detect landmines as well as bombs. They can signal they found one by leaping 200 feet into the air and then scattering themselves over a wide area.May they live in intesting times!

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2014, 06:46:19 pm
content: There needs to be an investigation into the procurement process. The retards who bought it need to held to account.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2014, 07:12:31 pm
content: Quote from: Hero999 on October 05, 2014, 06:46:19 pmThe procurers might have been aware that it couldn't work, and not cared because it wasn't important. After all, what's important is that themalefactorsbelieve it works.

author: Precipice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2014, 07:17:08 pm
content: Quote from: Hero999 on October 05, 2014, 06:46:19 pmI'm not entirely sure you understand how bribery works. Especially not well organised bribery, where everyone in the chain gets some.Yes, people should be held to account, but 'retard' is probably the wrong word.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2014, 08:10:27 pm
content: Even if these devices did work in some way, I don't believe that humans are precise enough to hold the devices steady enough as to not to influence their movement.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2014, 08:48:43 pm
content: Quote from: Stonent on October 05, 2014, 08:10:27 pmOf course not, but so what?Ther effectiveness doesn't depend on whether or not they work as stated in the instructions.