1. Standard memberivangrice
    Deracinated
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    05 Nov '05 11:21
    Originally posted by Halitose
    Which question? The Theory of Evolution? I already have...
    No - why is the bell curve 'unscientific'?
  2. Standard memberWulebgr
    Angler
    River City
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    05 Nov '05 14:562 edits
    Originally posted by ivangrice
    No - why is the bell curve 'unscientific'?
    The short answer: the bell curve was invented by Sir Francis Galton, who predicted a normal distribution of intelligence along such a shape, and who predicted a higher mean for persons of Anglo-Saxon stock than for any other group, especially higher than for people originating in southern and eastern Europe, Africa, and indigenous folks from the Americas. He then forced his data to conform to his predictions. Galton was one of the founders of the pseudo-science of eugenics. A good summary of the unscientific methods employed by Galton and his peers is available in The Mismeasure of Man bu Stephen Jay Gould.

    Three weblinks will get you started towards the longer answer, which I will not take the time to reproduce here.

    http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/eugenics/
    http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/start.html?pg=2
    http://www.crab.rutgers.edu/~goertzel/normalcurve.htm
  3. Standard memberivangrice
    Deracinated
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    05 Nov '05 15:37
    Originally posted by Wulebgr
    The short answer: the bell curve was invented by Sir Francis Galton, who predicted a normal distribution of intelligence along such a shape, and who predicted a higher mean for persons of Anglo-Saxon stock than for any other group, especially higher than for people originating in southern and eastern Europe, Africa, and indigenous folks from the Americas. He ...[text shortened]... d.com/wired/archive/11.05/start.html?pg=2
    http://www.crab.rutgers.edu/~goertzel/normalcurve.htm
    Ah, so you actually meant the way the intelligence bell curve is *interpreted* is unscientific. You didn't question the validity of the concept that measurable attributes in a population will tend to a bell-shaped distribution.

    Now that we've cleared that up, let's move on to the point the really made - that the work of Galton et al was flawed. I agree with you. But what does that have to do with my proposal that the religious population's distribution of chess ability (expressed as a bell curve) will be to the left of that of the non-religious population's?

    You mentioned orifices earlier...
  4. Standard memberRBHILL
    Acts 13:48
    California
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    07 Nov '05 20:26
    Originally posted by Nicolaas
    I hope most of you will enjoy this. For the fun, let us create two clans.

    One guy must create a clan called Christians and another person must create a clan called Non-Christians. We then get 20 players in each clan and play it out on the chess board?

    Suggestion: (others are welcome)
    Best of of three challenges at the end wins?



    Who is game for this?
    They don't want to Cahllenge us Nicolaas.
  5. Standard memberXanthosNZ
    Cancerous Bus Crash
    p^2.sin(phi)
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    07 Nov '05 20:32
    Originally posted by RBHILL
    They don't want to Cahllenge us Nicolaas.
    I hereby challenge RBHILL to a duel. As challenger I decree the challenge will take the form of a spelling bee.
  6. Standard memberDavid C
    Flamenco Sketches
    Spain, in spirit
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    07 Nov '05 20:49
    Originally posted by XanthosNZ
    I hereby challenge RBHILL to a duel. As challenger I decree the challenge will take the form of a spelling bee.
    Yuo lsoe.
  7. Standard memberRBHILL
    Acts 13:48
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    08 Nov '05 17:141 edit
    Originally posted by XanthosNZ
    I hereby challenge RBHILL to a duel. As challenger I decree the challenge will take the form of a spelling bee.
    Ya, that's the only thing you can beat me at.

    You can't beat me at one-on-one Basketball, or any sports video game or any video game for that matter or even Bocci Balls.

    Or how about Mini-golf. I shot a 41 at a par 72.
  8. Standard memberknightwest
    General of GROSS
    Calvin's Treehouse
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    08 Nov '05 19:59
    Originally posted by RBHILL
    Ya, that's the only thing you can beat me at.

    You can't beat me at one-on-one Basketball, or any sports video game or any video game for that matter or even Bocci Balls.

    Or how about Mini-golf. I shot a 41 at a par 72.
    Dude!!
  9. Meddling with things
    Joined
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    08 Nov '05 23:48
    Originally posted by RBHILL
    They don't want to Cahllenge us Nicolaas.
    The Pastafarians await you and if you beat them then the mighty Freethinkers will mete vengence.
  10. Meddling with things
    Joined
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    08 Nov '05 23:51
    Originally posted by Halitose
    I'm in complete agreement with the part that can be proven via the scientific method: microevolution.
    DEFINITION PLEASE.

    I thought I'd try typing in uppercase as a seemingly agressive ploy. (hope you don't take offence)
  11. Standard memberAThousandYoung
    or different places
    tinyurl.com/2tp8tyx8
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    09 Nov '05 00:57
    Originally posted by aardvarkhome
    The Pastafarians await you and if you beat them then the mighty Freethinkers will mete vengence.
    We're reasy when you are, xtians.
  12. Standard memberXanthosNZ
    Cancerous Bus Crash
    p^2.sin(phi)
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    09 Nov '05 03:30
    Originally posted by RBHILL
    Ya, that's the only thing you can beat me at.

    You can't beat me at one-on-one Basketball, or any sports video game or any video game for that matter or even Bocci Balls.

    Or how about Mini-golf. I shot a 41 at a par 72.
    Video Games? I'd back my chances in any FPS. Or Madden.
    Real Sports? I'd back my chances in Soccer (proper football).
    I have no idea what Bocci Balls is but it sounds pretty homosexual.
    They make Minigolf courses with an average par of 4?

    Oh and to top it all off I can beat you at chess.
  13. Standard memberRBHILL
    Acts 13:48
    California
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    227331
    10 Nov '05 04:51
    Originally posted by XanthosNZ
    Video Games? I'd back my chances in any FPS. Or Madden.
    Real Sports? I'd back my chances in Soccer (proper football).
    I have no idea what Bocci Balls is but it sounds pretty homosexual.
    They make Minigolf courses with an average par of 4?

    Oh and to top it all off I can beat you at chess.
    Only with your engine.

    Bocci Balls is an Italian game that is why you do not know about it.
    It is like that ice game curling.

    I have a 3 hole golf in my back yard on bermuda grass each hole is a par 3 and they are all about 3 yards apart. If you do each hole 6 times for 18 holes you get a par 54 and my best is a -13.
    And I have 25 holes in ones.
    hole 1=3
    hole 2=2
    and hole 3=20

    Mini golf ranges from par 2, 3, or 4.

    Life is not about games though.

    Have you ever played a madden game an all pro my biggest win was 98-0 Pats over the Eagles.
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