in reply to Re^5: Rand�n�Brand
in thread Ayn Rand vs. Stewart Brand

One definition of life is via thermodynamics. Here I'd offer the analogy of rapids: there is a drop of level and it is pretty sharp. Before some event (heart attack), a modest intervention might have prolonged life, if only for an hour. After the event, this effort would be colossal. The life form has ceased to be self-sustaining; there is an irreversible change of entropy.

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Re^7: Rand'n'Brand
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Mar 30, 2017 at 20:30 UTC
    Before some event (heart attack), a modest intervention might have prolonged life, if only for an hour. After the event, this effort would be colossal.

    Agreed. But there is still a continuum between a fatal event occurring and the point where intervention is impossible, or even the point where it is impractical or too expensive.

    Very little in the universe is binary black and white. And all the important stuff is in the grey areas. Take this guy for instance.

    With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
    Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
    "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". The enemy of (IT) success is complexity.
    In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
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