|
Post by Seth Thresher on Aug 21, 2009 16:41:45 GMT
Which, in and of itself, would be perfect normal for a kudzu plant
|
|
qmarx
Junior Member
Posts: 59
|
Post by qmarx on Aug 21, 2009 17:43:15 GMT
Recorded growth rates are as high as 30 cm/day.
I wish I were making that up.
|
|
|
Post by Hnokki on Aug 21, 2009 17:51:18 GMT
Recorded growth rates are as high as 30 cm/day. I wish I were making that up. Why? That sounds awesome!
|
|
|
Post by Snes on Aug 21, 2009 17:54:01 GMT
Shame on you, Tom. Misspelling your own made-up word. I will now stop reading your comic.
...anyways, yeah, I'm guessing Diego has something to do with the cows' behavior.
|
|
|
Post by Casey on Aug 21, 2009 18:07:54 GMT
Who knew that Slovenian was a made-up language? Wow, the things you learn on the internet...
|
|
|
Post by the bandit on Aug 21, 2009 19:38:13 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Robo Alchemist on Aug 21, 2009 20:00:12 GMT
that's different, those robots are completely sentient. the laser cows can only..well, shoot lasers. but it seems they do have the hate for Sir Young coded into them. probably just something where any contact with anything that has the key word "Young" (as a name of course) would be disregarded and ignored.
|
|
|
Post by pepoluan on Aug 21, 2009 20:07:51 GMT
Kudzu are like the botanical version of the Hydra, every time you cut a bit off, it just grows back. And it wouldn't well be a normal Kudzu, it'd be a space Kudzu from space. Spacemonauts and the Martian Kudzu from Outer Space!
|
|
|
Post by Jiminiminy on Aug 21, 2009 20:26:52 GMT
What was it's name... There was some species of bamboo that grows at a faster rate than the slowest snail moves, that's pretty scary when you think of it. that's different, those robots are completely sentient. the laser cows can only..well, shoot lasers. but it seems they do have the hate for Sir Young coded into them. probably just something where any contact with anything that has the key word "Young" (as a name of course) would be disregarded and ignored. That's what I was trying to say last week, the laser cows aren't smart like the other robots. Since they don't have the capacity to have conscious thought, they don't have the capacity to hate things.
|
|
|
Post by Hnokki on Aug 21, 2009 20:39:50 GMT
What makes you so sure the cows aren't capable of conscious thought?
|
|
|
Post by Jiminiminy on Aug 21, 2009 20:56:16 GMT
Automated auditory responses, mainly, sensory perception rather than a more observational quality. The cow that we saw didn't react based on its own thought, but more of a programmed response to a sensory input. They seem to be about as sentient as your average Roomba.
|
|
|
Post by Casey on Aug 21, 2009 21:12:18 GMT
So a laser cow can be programmed to process "Long grass = zot" but can't be programmed to process "Long grass within these coordinates = not zot"... is that what you're trying to say? Because that looks pretty cut and dry to me.
|
|
|
Post by Jiminiminy on Aug 21, 2009 21:18:49 GMT
Didn't mean that, just said that the laser cow isn't going to set coordinates by itself. I'm sure it can do both of those things and more, but it would have to programmed, not make its own decisions to do it.
I'm not arguing for any point as to why they're not cutting there, just against the fact that they can think.
|
|
|
Post by Robo Alchemist on Aug 21, 2009 21:25:12 GMT
no, it's that "When Grass > X length = Laser command; But Grass > X length + (R:5)Keyword:"Young" ~ Laser command" basically, in human tongue, when the grass gets too long, cut it except for when the grass is within a 5 ft radius of anything that has to do with Sir Young (other than the park itself of course)
Edit: whoops, took too long trying to figure out what would make sense in some sort of computer language.
|
|
|
Post by Robo Alchemist on Aug 21, 2009 21:33:19 GMT
on the other hand, we've already seen that Diego's robot's don't have standard programming in them. the CPU's are up to date with today's microchips, but as Kat said, they have no real technological workings other than the CPU's. and even then the CPU's still differ from today's technology as it only seems to have the little blue square which gives the robots life, thought, and pure intelligence.
basically, I wouldn't say that they don't think entirely just because they're machines. just that the CPU's are modeled after whatever type they're inserted into. these ones are cows, so they have the intelligence and thought processes of bovine. (be that still very little, but it's not nothing)
|
|
|
Post by King Mir on Aug 21, 2009 21:35:23 GMT
It's also possible that Deigo lived long enough to see that monument built, and told his robots to stay away from it.
|
|
|
Post by Mylian on Aug 21, 2009 21:35:42 GMT
Recorded growth rates are as high as 30 cm/day. I wish I were making that up. Why? That sounds awesome! It is awesome. As long as you're not the one who has to clean it all up.
|
|
|
Post by King Mir on Aug 21, 2009 21:38:00 GMT
on the other hand, we've already seen that Diego's robot's don't have standard programming in them. the CPU's are up to date with today's microchips, but as Kat said, they have no real technological workings other than the CPU's. and even then the CPU's still differ from today's technology as it only seems to have the little blue square which gives the robots life, thought, and pure intelligence. basically, I wouldn't say that they don't think entirely just because they're machines. just that the CPU's are modeled after whatever type they're inserted into. these ones are cows, so they have the intelligence and thought processes of bovine. (be that still very little, but it's not nothing) I've never heard of real talking and singing horses.
|
|
|
Post by Ulysses on Aug 21, 2009 22:04:05 GMT
They seem to be about as sentient as your average Roomba. So basically like a normal cow then Seems to me the laser-cows are very accurate depictions of real cows, thinking along the lines of "That bit of grass is longer than the others. I will eat it", but replacing 'eat' with 'laser'. In other news, I'm away until next Thursday. I'll be looking forward to reading through Mon and Weds posts when I get back. See y'all round!
|
|
|
Post by clementine on Aug 21, 2009 23:36:29 GMT
Why? That sounds awesome! It is awesome. As long as you're not the one who has to clean it all up. Oh dear god, neither of you have traveled the highways of the southern US, have you? It's a terrifying picture of "someone's creative idea gone REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY WRONG."
|
|
|
Post by bloodychariot on Aug 22, 2009 1:02:41 GMT
So if the cows were programmed to hate Young, why don't they just shoot the monument?
Diego could've programmed them to go nuts on the rock a few years after his expected lifespan.
|
|
|
Post by Mylian on Aug 22, 2009 2:06:31 GMT
It is awesome. As long as you're not the one who has to clean it all up. Oh dear god, neither of you have traveled the highways of the southern US, have you? It's a terrifying picture of "someone's creative idea gone REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY WRONG." I grew up in Florida, and stand by my statement. But then, down there it's just sand. Even the Green is Brown.
|
|
|
Post by Robo Alchemist on Aug 22, 2009 3:18:29 GMT
on the other hand, we've already seen that Diego's robot's don't have standard programming in them. the CPU's are up to date with today's microchips, but as Kat said, they have no real technological workings other than the CPU's. and even then the CPU's still differ from today's technology as it only seems to have the little blue square which gives the robots life, thought, and pure intelligence. basically, I wouldn't say that they don't think entirely just because they're machines. just that the CPU's are modeled after whatever type they're inserted into. these ones are cows, so they have the intelligence and thought processes of bovine. (be that still very little, but it's not nothing) I've never heard of real talking and singing horses. well no neither have I, but I mainly meant that their intelligence levels are supposed to meet up with their usage. the horses give background sounds while they give a means of transportation through the boring and abandoned city; the chainsaw-bots have intelligence to, strategically enough, attack monsters made of wood (common appearance back in those days??); the Door-bot has intelligence to have a human gate-keeper personality; the S-models (robot and the like) to have a sort of natural human-like quality while still being a bit rebellious while still following orders of those they trust; etc. also, I'm sure it would be pretty lame of Tom to put in a whole couple of chapters about the robots, when they can't even think for themselves. and Tom's not lame like that. the lasers are probably only powerful enough for soft substances, and not things like metal or rock. they could probably hurt a human, but thankfully Diego wasn't feeling bloodthirsty...well, for anyone else that is.
|
|
|
Post by Jiminiminy on Aug 22, 2009 3:39:02 GMT
Was every robot made by Diego? That seems unlikely. Kat has the know-how to make a robot, and there's a guarantee that there's at least one person between the two (Diego and her) who'd be able to make one themselves as well. However, although they were able to make a robot, they couldn't give it the benefit of sentience and etheric design, creating a 'dumbed down' robot in essence. The laser cow is likely an example of this, it's a robot, but not a person, like the older ones are. I highly doubt that lasers were even possible in Diego's time period, let alone feasible enough to mount on cows so that the grass would be cut to a sufficient length.
I think that allows a bit of clarification on what I'm trying to say.
Edit: Robo said that the blue thing is what would give them human thought. Since Kat, who has apparently seen the inside of a robot before, was unaware of what it was, we can deduce that it is not something on every CPU. Consciousness is not a quality that all robots share, so to speak.
|
|
|
Post by Mezzaphor on Aug 22, 2009 3:48:51 GMT
well no neither have I, but I mainly meant that their intelligence levels are supposed to meet up with their usage. the horses give background sounds while they give a means of transportation through the boring and abandoned city; The Model H is intelligent enough to reply to Annie in the last panel of Ch 15, page 18. And not a simple "goodbye", but "I'll wait here for you. Good luck," in response to "Thank you".
|
|
|
Post by Robo Alchemist on Aug 22, 2009 3:58:13 GMT
um... I "highly doubt" there being artificial intelligence of any kind back in Diego's time. much less very shiny designs for all of the different types of robots down in the hidden/forgotten basement. or heck, even a slot for a CPU of a modern design in the S1 model.
the fact that they had things that futuristic back in those times tells you that Diego wasn't any normal inventor bent on using only the scientific method to reason with things around him. quite possibly using "etheric sciences" led Diego to create technology that was long before it's time. how convenient for the court to be so well hidden from the rest of the world.
oh. oops. must've missed that. I stand corrected. I don't know what robots have specific mind sets exactly, I guess I was just giving examples.
|
|
|
Post by Jiminiminy on Aug 22, 2009 4:33:30 GMT
I must be wording things in an odd manner. I did not deny Diego's ability. However, lasers are something well beyond the capabilities of the materials in his time period, not to mention that he wouldn't have likely built something like the cows, and, what I consider improbable, if Diego built them, they do not have the characteriatics of anything else by him. I'm saying that someone less able than he made them, although using more sophisticated materials and methods.
And the robots share CPU slots because they are based off of his designs, just simplified versions.
|
|
|
Post by King Mir on Aug 22, 2009 4:46:03 GMT
It has been said that the court robots maintained themselves. They simplified their own designs, and are apparently responsible for the switch from eather to electric wires. It is not unlikely that along the way they made a few upgrades too. Laser eyes would be a reasonable upgrade.
I agree that it is likely that there have been some robots in the court that were not part of Diego's legacy, but these would not be official court robots functioning on behalf of the court. They would be pet project of individual students or teachers. Like Kat's android will be. And like the Tic Tocs might have once been.
Actually I would have supposed that the Cows were not Diego's legacy, but the fact that they avoid Sir Young's monument suggests that they are.
|
|
deram
New Member
I am a god who's made himself forget that he's god...
Posts: 36
|
Post by deram on Aug 22, 2009 4:46:53 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Casey on Aug 22, 2009 5:14:38 GMT
I'm not really sure what all you're all trying to say here, but Diego undeniably made these robots. One would know that even if one knew nothing about them other than the fact that they are programmed to let Young's plaque go to the weeds.
Saying that the cows have technology that wasn't accessible in Diego's time isn't a strong argument considering Kat built an anti-gravity unit. This is Gunngerkrigg Court, where all the very best scientific and technological minds in the world intersect with the etheric, the mythological, and the highly improbable. Trying to apply real-world logic to it is sort of like putting stock in the final score of a Harlem Globetrotters game. They're both just there for fictitious entertainment.
Someone did make an argument that I thought was decent, and worth responding to: namely, why wouldn't the cows just destroy the monument with their lasers? Well by the same token, why wouldn't Diego just make a robot with lasers and destroy Young himself with it? And the answer is obvious: This is a guy who resolves his frustrations by creating elaborate puppet shows, effectively, that act out what he fantasizes about. This is a guy who passive-aggressively gets the last word NOT by outward conflict, but by subtle, almost indetectable slight. He wants to pretend that he's affecting the memory of Young, but without actually overtly doing so. In short, he is a coward. He never had the courage to do anything outwardly. That is why he hides his fantasies deep underground and buries them deep in the code of his bovine creations.
|
|