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Artificial Life Experiments Show How Complex Functions Can Evolve
NSF ^ | May 8, 2003 | Staff

Posted on 05/08/2003 10:11:06 AM PDT by Nebullis

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To: AndrewC
Except that placemarkers are there solely to allow us to skip over the posts we've already perused. They do just what they say: they mark our place in a discussion. We don't always have any pithy comments, or even any relevant comments to make at certain points in a thread, but that does not mean we want to scroll through hundreds of posts just to get to the new stuff -- and this is vitally important when one is monitoring several posts at any time.
1,721 posted on 05/21/2003 9:37:18 AM PDT by Junior (Computers make very fast, very accurate mistakes.)
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To: f.Christian
One must admit, "placemarker" is much more comprehensible.
1,722 posted on 05/21/2003 9:39:01 AM PDT by Junior (Computers make very fast, very accurate mistakes.)
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To: Ichneumon
Good, so you agree with me after all, despite your continued bitching about it for a WEEK now.

I made the original statement. It was you that started the argument about it by accusing me of being a troll in making the statement. Now you say we agree and further say this

Give it up, son. You're just making a monumental ass of yourself.

Your statement actually describes yourself.

1,723 posted on 05/21/2003 9:40:23 AM PDT by AndrewC
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To: AndrewC
I've been looking at the quality of the arguments. Generally speaking, as knowledge goes down, volume goes up...
1,724 posted on 05/21/2003 9:40:36 AM PDT by null and void
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To: jwalsh07
[I think you're misreading the point being made. A transistor is "back-to-back diodes" in the sense of its internal construction at the semi-conductor level. A diode is a single PN junction: ]

In a sense, you should insist on a refund. A transistor is a transistor. Absent the potential of a bias on the base your "back to back diodes" are as useless as a tit on a bull.

That's a nice straw man you've got there. "Absent the potential of a bias on the base" my hind end. Yeah, and "absent a battery a radio is just a hunk of metal and plastic". Like that disproves that radios work? Your squirming aside, if you take two PN junctions (diodes) and join them P-to-P or N-to-N, you will indeed have constructed a working transistor (although not a practical one if the middle of the "sandwich" is too thick). I presented specific facts and argument in the post to which you are responding, and I note you haven't attempted to refute a single one of them -- the best you can do is mouth off and make personally insulting remarks. Typical.

Take your sophistry elsewhere, we're not in the market today.

Did you take a course on "bull" in college as well? I hope the doping lecture was for the benefit of the general public because if it was intended for me, I can only chuckle.

I'm sure that *is* all you can do. Many of the rest of us are capable of a higher level of discourse, however.

I don't know what your problem is, but kindly do not continue to share it with us unless you've got something worthwhile to add to the conversation.

1,725 posted on 05/21/2003 9:43:23 AM PDT by Ichneumon
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To: Junior
Except that placemarkers are there solely to allow us to skip over the posts we've already perused

No doubt that is how you use it or many others. But then why address it to all, more than one, or any other specific person(unless it is just convenient) when it is much easier to just leave the "to line" blank?

1,726 posted on 05/21/2003 9:46:51 AM PDT by AndrewC
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To: null and void
I've been looking at the quality of the arguments.

It seems to me that part of judging the quality of arguments involves some knowledge of the topic at hand. (This is not a criticism of you, merely a statement of opinion.)

1,727 posted on 05/21/2003 9:50:34 AM PDT by AndrewC
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To: Ichneumon
LOL.

You don't have the requisite male anatomy to admit when you're wrong.

A battery is the source of potential dipstick, the base or gate of a transistor is an inherent component of same.

I repeat, get a refund forthwith.

1,728 posted on 05/21/2003 9:55:50 AM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: AndrewC
True.

I studied college level EE for five years, but that was 30 years ago, and I've been doing mostly micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) for the last 20 years.

Like General_re, I've forgotten most of what I knew.

The core argument isn't a quibble about diodes and transisitors, it's whether a useful circuit can be designed by an evolutionary process.

The answer to that question is yes.

1,729 posted on 05/21/2003 9:59:49 AM PDT by null and void (The rest of the argument is merely amusing to watch....)
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To: AndrewC
For some reason, I cannot leave the "To" line blank; it will not let me make the post if I do so.
1,730 posted on 05/21/2003 10:02:48 AM PDT by Junior (Computers make very fast, very accurate mistakes.)
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To: null and void
you could post to yourself, junior...
1,731 posted on 05/21/2003 10:04:43 AM PDT by null and void
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To: null and void
it's whether a useful circuit can be designed by an evolutionary process

Well, it may be to you, but here we are discussing a specific circuit. Since you have a background in the subject, you might have some opinion as to the evolved circuit and how it functions. Specifically, how it functions compared to the patented circuit in the environment and uses for which it was designed.

1,732 posted on 05/21/2003 10:05:48 AM PDT by AndrewC
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This is what it looks like.
1,733 posted on 05/21/2003 10:06:30 AM PDT by AndrewC
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To: Junior
See 1733, I used the reply link on your post and removed your name.
1,734 posted on 05/21/2003 10:07:34 AM PDT by AndrewC
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To: AndrewC
Nope. I've done a total of about 30 hours of electronics engineering in the last 30 years. (Shoulda studied ME) My education/experience is so stale, my inputs would be suspect.
1,735 posted on 05/21/2003 10:11:56 AM PDT by null and void (A man's gotta know his limits...)
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To: null and void
Nope. I've done a total of about 30 hours of electronics engineering in the last 30 years.

Well, your honesty and integrity cannot be challenged.

1,736 posted on 05/21/2003 10:14:18 AM PDT by AndrewC
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To: null and void
Using your background, can you tell me where one can find a 9.4115K resistor? Or how difficult it would be to fabricate?
1,737 posted on 05/21/2003 10:18:13 AM PDT by AndrewC
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Interesting.
1,738 posted on 05/21/2003 10:19:13 AM PDT by Junior (Computers make very fast, very accurate mistakes.)
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To: AndrewC
Using your background, can you tell me where one can find a 9.4115K resistor?

In a million turn 10K pot.

1,739 posted on 05/21/2003 10:21:29 AM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: null and void
The core argument isn't a quibble about diodes and transisitors, it's whether a useful circuit can be designed by an evolutionary process.

Computers are very good at iteration given a problem, a desired solution, a dbase and a good programmer.

1,740 posted on 05/21/2003 10:24:52 AM PDT by jwalsh07
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