http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/More than atheism: dedicated to rational, logical and scientific examination of culture, politics, religion, science, business and more! Also, this is not a haven from /r/Atheism's occasional mockery of religious ideals. /r/Freethought is a superset of /r/Atheism which expands the rational examination beyond religion. Please don't downmod comments because you expect them to be "more respectful" of unscientific beliefs. The scientific method trumps all. * What is [Freethought](http://www.freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Freethought)? * [Freethinker F.A.Q.](http://www.freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Freethinker) NOTE: This is not a "philosophy forum" unless it specifically relates to science and skepticism. Do not confuse "free thought" with "freethought".http://thumbs.reddit.com/t5_2qhzx.png?v=ea9d3432005a6863da798b6e4efb96f3http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/poker/comments/p9gyg/need_advice_for_an_idiot_planning_on_attending_my/c3nkje1http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/poker/comments/p9gyg/need_advice_for_an_idiot_planning_on_attending_my/c3nkje12012-02-03T11:02:47.770906-07:00-0700Don't worry about it, everyone is used to newbies and half the people you play against will be hazy about the rules too.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/p1uoc/who_is_afraid_of_alias_nudity_nsfw/c3macm4http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/p1uoc/who_is_afraid_of_alias_nudity_nsfw/c3macm42012-01-30T18:50:55.785667-07:00-0700No... read the conversation again and try to keep up this time...http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/p1uoc/who_is_afraid_of_alias_nudity_nsfw/c3macgchttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/p1uoc/who_is_afraid_of_alias_nudity_nsfw/c3macgc2012-01-30T18:50:32.830208-07:00-0700Most democracies have governments that are more liberal than the people, probably because the government is naturally drawn from the educated, metropolitan elite. (The US is an exception, of course.) And most democracies begin with popular movements and elect relatively liberal governments in their early years; the ones that don't tend to fall back into authoritarianism, as Hungary is doing. But if you think you can pick which way any given country will go from a couple of opinion polls then IMO you need systematic evidence for that position, or else it's really just gut feeling on your part.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/p1uoc/who_is_afraid_of_alias_nudity_nsfw/c3lvmpuhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/p1uoc/who_is_afraid_of_alias_nudity_nsfw/c3lvmpu2012-01-29T15:57:23.779662-07:00-0700[74% of British people support the death penalty](http://cdn.yougov.com/today_uk_import/YG-Archives-Pol-Prospect-SocialMoralIssues_101026.pdf) but the idea of reinstating it is beyond the pale, politically. I don't know how things will turn out after the Arab Spring, but I do know that opinion polls are virtually worthless.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/funny/comments/p02oj/asian_friend_live_tweets_a_blind_date_that_her/c3ljhf5http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/funny/comments/p02oj/asian_friend_live_tweets_a_blind_date_that_her/c3ljhf52012-01-28T10:30:08.970264-07:00-0700http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4PgpbQfxgo That's Madeline Albright admitting it and saying it's worth it.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/technology/comments/ngd4r/i_work_in_news_this_is_how_you_stop_sopa/c38wlrnhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/technology/comments/ngd4r/i_work_in_news_this_is_how_you_stop_sopa/c38wlrn2011-12-17T11:54:01.900086-07:00-0700It's called [churnalism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churnalism). In UK quality newspapers only 12% of stories are generated by journalists and close to half are press-release copy-pasta.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35bwdghttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35bwdg2011-12-04T20:23:28.458378-07:00-0700Your definition directly contradicts the definition that they give at the top, about overtraining not being black and white and occurring even when its simply someone not reaching maximum performance due to doing to much. My story is that I was doing 5-6 sets to failure of various upper body exercises, every day, with hardly any rest. Turned out that rest is important. Would you call that overtraining?http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35bnbehttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35bnbe2011-12-04T19:55:31.809786-07:00-0700The line that you quoted from exrx is not a definition of overtraining, it's a summary of the results from a study into overtraining. Overtraining is defined earlier in the article, and I quoted that. And yes, as I already pointed out, as a beginner I lifted like mad and saw negative results.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35bbifhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35bbif2011-12-04T19:20:31.415520-07:00-0700We have two sources - wikipedia and exrx - giving that definition, and you've presented no source for yours, so the ball is really in your court. I can't see anything absurd about saying that overtraining occurs when someone could get better results with less work, and your previous post still makes no sense to me. Some beginners will have difficulty exceeding their body's ability to recuperate, but others will have experience of hard work outside the gym, or unusual mental fortitude, or a low ability to recuperate. People are different. I think you mean "linear progression" btw. "Linear programming" is a maths term.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35ah03http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35ah032011-12-04T17:48:28.585898-07:00-0700Well, first, you were the one who introduced that page as an authoritative source. Without that authority your previous post falls apart anyway. Aside from that, I have no idea why you think so. That would imply that you would make faster progress with less work, according to the definition. If that's the case I suggest you work less...http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35a5juhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c35a5ju2011-12-04T17:14:25.980811-07:00-0700I believe you're misinterpreting that sentence by mentally inserting a comma before *which*; that is, you think it means > 10-20% of athletes who train intensely experience overtraining; overtraining is something which results in chronic decreases in performance and impared ability to train. when actually it means > 10-20% of athletes who train intensely experience overtraining which is severe enough to result in chronic decreases in performance and impared ability to train. This should be clear from the context of the article, which contains statements like: > Overtraining is often thought of as absolute, or a black and white phenomenon. Overtraining should be viewed as a continuum, or in shades of gray. An exerciser or athlete may be slightly overtrained and make progress, just not as much as if they were not overtrained. The first time I tried weight training I experienced gains for the first few weeks, and then regressed for a number of weeks after that, because I was doing too much volume. (This was way back before you could find exercise advice on the internet.) Working beyond your ability to recuperate is quite possible for beginners. ChickenDelight of course makes the point perfectly.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c357e9dhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/mzvmq/if_overtraining_is_just_underfeeding_does_that/c357e9d2011-12-04T12:14:49.538462-07:00-0700CNS exhaustion is one possible cause of overtraining, not the only cause: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtraining And it's quite possible for a beginner to overtrain; I've been there and done that.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/science/comments/mz2f6/stanford_researchers_are_developing_cheap_high/c352j17http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/science/comments/mz2f6/stanford_researchers_are_developing_cheap_high/c352j172011-12-03T21:10:51.882738-07:00-0700I mean that the batteriesin the lab were the same as the ones they eventually sold, modulo manufacturing techniques. In between you have to: * work out how to manufacture the product cheaply and at scale * design and test the machinery to do that * negotiate with the banks for capital * choose and acquire the production site * apply for planning permission * build the plant * train the new workforce * fix any problems in he production process * ship the product to its target markets Building the plant alone can take years. Even a new model of a common product takes a minimum of about a year to go from inception to first sale. Stuff takes time.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/science/comments/mz2f6/stanford_researchers_are_developing_cheap_high/c351ctmhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/science/comments/mz2f6/stanford_researchers_are_developing_cheap_high/c351ctm2011-12-03T18:22:08.142174-07:00-0700Lithium-ion batteries were first demonstrated in 1979, reached commercializable form in 1985, and finally reached the market in 1991. Five years is a normal length of time for a product to go from the lab to market. So yeah, complaining about research from the last few years not reaching market yet doesn't make much sense. OTOH battery technology should be excellent in 2020.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/science/comments/mz2f6/stanford_researchers_are_developing_cheap_high/c3516tzhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/science/comments/mz2f6/stanford_researchers_are_developing_cheap_high/c3516tz2011-12-03T18:00:31.038324-07:00-0700If you read the article, you'll find that this technology is designed for something totally different to powering laptops.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/myutl/tips_for_someone_who_wants_to_join_a_gym_but/c350j1chttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Fitness/comments/myutl/tips_for_someone_who_wants_to_join_a_gym_but/c350j1c2011-12-03T16:30:13.932083-07:00-0700Go to a doctor immediately.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/myt74/the_personal_computer_is_dead_power_is_fast/c34xx58http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/myt74/the_personal_computer_is_dead_power_is_fast/c34xx582011-12-03T11:01:30.011956-07:00-0700The law is designed to preserve competition, meaning customer choice. If you don't like iOS then as you point out you can buy a device with the dominant mobile OS, Android.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/science/comments/mw7pd/do_christians_believe_in_atheists_ubc_study_finds/c34ceefhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/science/comments/mw7pd/do_christians_believe_in_atheists_ubc_study_finds/c34ceef2011-12-01T10:17:07.852989-07:00-0700The pool size makes very little difference to the significance of the results unless the pool is tiny. A more relevant factor would be the effect size. For a large effect a small sample size is quite sufficient, assuming adequate randomization. Of course asking /r/atheism to represent all atheists would be terrible randomization.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/worldnews/comments/mnuah/eu_court_rules_that_isp_cant_be_forced_to_block/c32fqmxhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/worldnews/comments/mnuah/eu_court_rules_that_isp_cant_be_forced_to_block/c32fqmx2011-11-24T09:57:37.245453-07:00-0700*yet* should probably read *so*.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/buffy/comments/m9umn/young_girls_older_men_is_buffy_a_feminist_show/c2zbrhvhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/buffy/comments/m9umn/young_girls_older_men_is_buffy_a_feminist_show/c2zbrhv2011-11-12T18:26:29.217377-07:00-0700So Xander/Cordelia is excluded because it's not a serious relationship, in spite of their arc spanning 22 episodes (one of the longest romantic storylines on *Buffy*) and Cordelia giving up her precious social status to be with him, yet Buffy's one-night stand with Parker, the brief attraction between Cordelia and Wesley, Cordelia's date with a college boy, and even Dawn's crush on Xander are all included. Xander/Anya is excluded because Anya isn't 'essentially human' (though she is, and was born, a human), yet Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Spike are included. Buffy/Scott is excluded because Scott is gay (even though Buffy had no idea), but Willow/Oz is included. And a single line from an unnamed character, about whom we know nothing, counts as a 'major pairing'. In fact if we were to take only pairing with *two inherently-human heterosexuals who were directly interested in long-term, romantic relationships* between recurring characters, I can find four clear cases: Buffy/Riley, Giles/Jenny, Warren/Katrina and, yes, Xander/Cordelia. So in how many of these is the man an *an older, confident, domineering, so-called “alpha male.”*? Buffy spends most of Season 5 treating Riley like a puppy. He almost kills himself from experimental medical enhancements because he's so insecure about how much stronger and faster Buffy is. He could be considered an alpha-male, but in the context of their relationship it's questionable. Giles is older, but this is Season 2 Giles: he like a nervous schoolboy when he's thinking about asking Jenny out. She on the other hand is confidence personified. She asks him out and even decides where they will go on their dates. Warren and Katrina appear to be in the same year at college, and so are presumably the same age. We see only a few minutes of their interaction, but Katrina is certainly not dominated by him, and we know Warren is a stereotypical geek. Xander/Cordelia, well, enough said. So *older* gets 2/4; *confident* a questionable 1/4; *domineering* 0/4; *alpha-male* a possible 1/4. This is the kind of rubbish that gives feminism a bad name.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/linguistics/comments/lv5y8/google_translate_already_speaks_57_languages_as/c2w16h9http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/linguistics/comments/lv5y8/google_translate_already_speaks_57_languages_as/c2w16h92011-10-31T20:27:36.391223-07:00-0700It depends mostly on how large the parallel corpus is for the two languages. They have an unusually large French <-> English corpus.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/worldpolitics/comments/lty26/this_is_irelands_new_president/c2vno2ahttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/worldpolitics/comments/lty26/this_is_irelands_new_president/c2vno2a2011-10-30T11:52:21.498075-07:00-0700Only in your imagination.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Economics/comments/ltz8n/webcomic_makes_economist_joke/c2vna2bhttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/Economics/comments/ltz8n/webcomic_makes_economist_joke/c2vna2b2011-10-30T10:59:41.875234-07:00-0700Aid itself seems to be a major driver of corruption, because the flow of money and goods can so easily be subverted by people in a position of authority. It acts like the [resource curse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse).http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/worldpolitics/comments/ls2s8/george_orwell_politics_and_the_english_language/c2v8ycchttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/worldpolitics/comments/ls2s8/george_orwell_politics_and_the_english_language/c2v8ycc2011-10-28T12:47:00.840534-07:00-0700So it seems you can deceive in the passive voice, and you can deceive without it. You can also reveal agency with the passive voice (X was Yed by Z), or without it. Then what does the passive have to do with deception? This is the problem with the piece, and it's what Beaver was getting at. Orwell is blaming language features for the faults of writers. If he'd said to write clearly and simply and be honest and unpretentious then no-one would object. Instead he chose to spew bullshit.http://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/worldpolitics/comments/ls2s8/george_orwell_politics_and_the_english_language/c2v7h9phttp://reddit.freethoughtpedia.com/r/worldpolitics/comments/ls2s8/george_orwell_politics_and_the_english_language/c2v7h9p2011-10-28T10:07:37.336149-07:00-0700> The problem is not the passive voice, it's that many of Orwell's contemporaries used the passive voice for the purpose of deception. Obviously it may sound better at times, but Fox news laces their broadcasts with "some people say" for sinister, not litterary reasons. You realize that 'some people say' is not in the passive voice?