Linkspam for 15-5-2008

[matgb]

• Tactical Voting: Myths and reality - Voting TaKtiX
  I wrote this 18 months ago, but I've linked to it increasingly recently to explain points, so I'm bringing it to the top. The electoral system encourages broad church coalitions and two main parties. Every vote is thus, in some way, tactical.
  (tags: politics voter+behaviour)
• The Fermi Paradox revisited - Charles Stross
  Charlie goes back over Fermi's classic 'if they exist, why aren't they here' paradox with a bunch of possible explanations.
  (tags: science space charles+stross)
• Vatican says aliens could exist | BBC NEWS
  Follow up from Fermi - Father Gabriel Funes, said intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space - the Vatican is organising a conference next year to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the author of the Origin of Species, Charles Da
  (tags: news space religion science)
• bsg vfx: anatomy of a cylon « Darth Mojo
  Very very cool. Link to part one of some production stills and mock ups of the CGI original design Cylons from the Razor TV movie. Part two, witht he gold cylon, is worth clicking through to.
  (tags: TV bsg)
• More scans of the Empire Indy article
  For those that wanted them from last time, Jen's now posted the whole article.
  (tags: Indiana+Jones films)

Comments

[paulgregory.livejournal.com]

Today's Daily Sport conflates the Vatican story with the MoD one for the page 1 lead:
"ALIENS EXIST SAYS POPE"
Pontiff backs up British sightings

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

Did you read John Baez's linked article at the end of Charles' one? Because that was easily one of the most awesome science articles I've read in a long time.

In the long term, we don't die. We quantum tunnel to iron then ionize into completely individualised particles floating through space. So there.

[matgb]

Didn't have time to follow all the links (barely had time to really read Charlie), but will try to do so—half the time I post these to remind me to get back to them when I have got time.

But that does sound rather good.

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

Funnily enough, I bookmarked that one and the Boltzmann's Brain article for reading later too. Managed to read the Baez one late last night and I'll get around to the other one when I have a spare moment.

[doccy.livejournal.com]

Caught by the Funes!

"Asked about the Catholic Church's condemnation four centuries ago of the Italian astronomer and physicist, Galileo, Father Funes diplomatically says mistakes were made, but it is time to turn the page and look towards the future."

...so the unchanging word of God was wrong, eh? Or was it just the Pope - elected by God - and the rest of the Vatican that were wrong?

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

AAAAAAAARGH INDIANA FUCKING JONES STAB STAB STAB!!!!

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I saw the thing about the Catholic church and aliens - hysterical!

There was a letter in the Indie (which I wish I had written) asking, since aliens weren't the offspring of Adam and Eve, whether they too were tainted by original sin...