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[USEC_OFFICER]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

No

[Sheb]

And now I want Soviet Nuclear Cavalry.

[Helgoland]

Make a forum game, then

[Sergarr]

Soviet Magical Girls Nuclear Cavalry?

[Aklyon]

Soviet Magical Girls Nuclear Cavalry?

Soviet Magical Nuclear Cavalry Girls?

[Helgoland]

[Joke about Catherine the Great's horse]

[Sirus]

Soviet Magical Girls Nuclear Cavalry?

Soviet Magical Nuclear Cavalry Girls?

Magical Cavalry Soviet Nuclear Girls?

Yeah, I got nothing.

[Sheb]

Make a forum game, then

Ask and ye shall receive.

[Reelya]

Really interesting video on chimpanzee cognition. They seem to be able to complete some computer-based exercises much faster than humans, implying our brain has design trade-offs rather than just being "better" in an absolute sense, which kind of makes sense really.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbcHEn2EgrU

Found that video via the below article, which shows chimp intelligence is highly heritable. That's good news for the possibilities for "uplifting", plus, if we understood more about chimp brain abilities we just might be able to design new better human brains too that combine the best of both worlds.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140710-intelligence-chimpanzees-evolution-cognition-social-behavior-genetics/

[MaximumZero]

Cue "Planet of the Apes" jokes.

[Sirus]

Cue "Planet of the Apes" jokes.

You blew it up you damn dirty apes?

[Frumple]

M'mostly just wondering if we could train a crack team of e-sport playing chimps, m'self. That would be pretty great, especially if it turned out they were incredibly good at it. Less likely to have steroid jockeys get their arms ripped off by angry monkeys, too.

[Helgoland]

Found that video via the below article, which shows chimp intelligence is highly heritable.

That would suggest it's the same in humans - isn't that usually a highly disputed assumption?

[Osmosis Jones]

Found that video via the below article, which shows chimp intelligence is highly heritable.

That would suggest it's the same in humans - isn't that usually a highly disputed assumption?

I thought that the general consensus was it was both nature and nurture?

...annnd yep, from the article:

Although Hopkins and colleagues found a strong genetic component to chimp intelligence, there were equally strong effects from environmental influences, which are malleable over time.

These results are similar to those in human studies, noted Ajit Varki, distinguished professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, who was not part of the new study.

[Silfurdreki]

So, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is holding a public naming of well-characterised exoplanets. More info is available on the site they will be using for the vote.

I was a bit worried at what they've gotten themselves into when I first read this. However, when reading the rules it seems as though they have taken good measures to ensure that 4-chan trolls and script kiddies get to pick names with huge botnets. It is done mainly by only allowing "public astronomical organisations (such as Planetariums, Science Centres, Amateur Astronomy Clubs, Online Astronomy platforms) or non-profit astronomy-interested organisations (such as High schools, Cultural clubs) with a proven interest in astronomy, (hereafter "organisations" for short) based in any country" to propose names.

Maybe I'll register the astronomy club I'm a member of for this.