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Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

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Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#421

Post by ix101 »

heartbeats wrote: post #401
gbrown wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a very common line of reasoning which I would call magical thinking. Sure, there’s not really any risk that humans will go extinct in the near future, but our technological global civilization is much more fragile. First, we look at the numbers concerning best case scenarios and see that a few degrees of warming is basically inevitable. Then, we ask how likely it is that well make rapid corrections now - perso…

> our technological global civilization Good riddance. If our technological global civilization results in conditions that make technological global civilization impossible, then so be it. It wasn't fit to exist to begin with. It's a self-regulating problem. > There’s a long scholarship concerning resource conflict and the destabilizing effects of mass migration. We don’t have a good track record of dealing with this…

> all of these steps are politically impossible.

Probably fair to say that it's not low hanging fruit then.

I think a lot of time is being spent on finding politically correct solutions, but maybe we'll come full circle back to your solution after wasting a lot of time with fancy solutions that don't have a significant enough effect.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#422

Post by dang »

llcoolv wrote: post #356
keithwhor wrote: post #61

What's really striking to me about timelapse videos of the Earth is how, at a grand enough scale, the growth of human settlements on Earth really looks no different than the growth of bacterial and fungal colonies on Petri dishes. We think of ourself as special, as having conquered environments, technology and more - and when zoomed out you could explain everything we've built and accomplished as the achievements of…

If you see humans as vermin, why don't you stop being a hypocrite, follow your words and commit suicide? Virtue signalling and hypocrisy. It always amuses me how many people fall for it. Here is some little inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMCFoudyYxQ&ab_channel=ITSTa...

Yikes. You can't be vicious like this here, and unfortunately you've been breaking the site guidelines elsewhere also. I've banned the account.

If you don't want to be banned, you're welcome to email hn@ycombinator.com and give us reason to believe that you'll follow the rules in the future. They're here: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#423

Post by Jyaif »

Nicholas_C wrote: post #306
splonk wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The two biggest "wow" reactions I ever heard at Google's company wide meetings were from the Keyhole/Google Earth demo right after they were acquired, and the first Google Maps demo with scrollable maps. IIRC the Keyhole demo started with the full planet view from space and then did a smooth continuous scroll into the Grand Canyon. Pretty mindblowing back in 2005 or thereabouts.

Interesting to think: What demos are happening now that elicit a similar response?

Automatic booking of restaurants via telephone

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#424

Post by burntoutfire »

lm28469 wrote: post #126
alex_anglin wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would respectfully suggest that referring to people as 'a cancer' says more about the person than whatever point they're trying to make.

Humanity as a whole, not individual beings. Our boundless quest for growth is clearly getting out of hand on many levels. What else exponentially grows until the death of its eco system ?

> What else exponentially grows until the death of its eco system ?

Most life forms?

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#425

Post by nickik »

7e wrote: post #208
FredPret wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I couldn’t agree more regarding misanthropy. I would like to note though that if we start mining and settling space, our growth would in fact be essentially unbounded. Combined with the fact that some types of stars are expected to continue radiating energy for trillions of years...

A substantial amount of Earth's resources would need to be eviscerated to accomplish that goal, the the space colonies are extremely likely to fail anyway, in the end.

There are millions of tons of thorium on earth and on Mars. We can have sustainable energy (and thus basically everything else) with basically 60s technology.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#426

Post by playingchanges »

keithwhor wrote: post #61

What's really striking to me about timelapse videos of the Earth is how, at a grand enough scale, the growth of human settlements on Earth really looks no different than the growth of bacterial and fungal colonies on Petri dishes. We think of ourself as special, as having conquered environments, technology and more - and when zoomed out you could explain everything we've built and accomplished as the achievements of…

I think what you are noticing is the ‘fractal’ nature of growth patterns which exists all throughout nature. It’s a fascinating topic that I know almost nothing about. The Wikipedia mentions slime mold though :)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#427

Post by joycian »

memorysafety wrote: post #382
joycian wrote: post #373

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's some evidence that around 2B years ago microbes decreased the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere so much by overpopulation that 99% of the biosphere died.

I guess you mean The Great Oxygen Extinction Event (2.4-2.0 Ga). In that case, it's presumed it was indeed a massive extinction (but no data to quantify any % over, due to no microbial fossils preserved). ... But for a different reason. It wasn't due to decrease in oxygen levels; contrary to that. At that time, oxygen was being first ever introduced into the atmosphere. This has left a unique geological trace we obse…

Yes, I think you're right, I should've written increased. Thanks for the correction :).

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#428

Post by kaba0 »

heartbeats wrote: post #334
sellyme wrote: post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've never understood why people wouldn't just figure something out as global warming gets worse. We've just seen first-hand evidence that millions of people could be dying and some would find it politically expedient to pretend that it wasn't actually occurring. We absolutely have the resources and capability to solve these problems. We just don't have the will or the policy.

> We've just seen first-hand evidence that millions of people could be dying and some would find it politically expedient to pretend that it wasn't actually occurring. I'm sorry, I don't follow, who do you mean? Colonialism? The Uighurs in China? People in India/Pakistan? Possible victims of global warming? The Holocaust? >We just don't have the will or the policy. Right, that's what I mean. The minute things get any…

Can we really stop a planet sized chain reaction? We can’t even pass carbon taxes, there are many many climate change deniers, so unfortunately I can’t see a too bright future ahead.

Sure, human technology is super advanced, but we are no play for the elements.

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#429

Post by dTal »

FabiansMustDie wrote: post #415
brofallon wrote: post #414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In response to your final question: To my ear using "men" as a substitute for "all people" doesn't flow better, I found it rather jarring and antiquated and, yeah, a little insensitive. I'm also not convinced it's a purely stylistic decision, as you claim... There's a rather long history of using men as a substitute for everyone in, say, medicine, politics, finance, and many (most?) disciplines, with outcomes most of…

I thank you for your take; yet I refuse to yield to your sensibilities. I think where we differ is in our approach to language. I see it as a medium of art -- like a song or a painting. "Man" is but a certain, evocative hue of brown that I believe fits best into the feelings I'm trying to elicit; and "human" is a lesser, albeit passable substitute. I think this scientificization, making it more rigorous and "comprehe…

Okay, let's talk about those connotations.

"Human" is a perfectly evocative word that does make people's "hearts sing". You have the "human touch", humanitarianism, treating things humanely. It reflects our highest aspirations for ourselves, and your rejection of it reflects upon you.

"Man" connotes... well, men. It depicts a society where the real movers and shakers are men. No one really hears "man" and thinks "men and women" (or "women and men" - why should men come first?). Notably, they say they do, but this has been shown by experiment to be inaccurate. If you say "man", people can't help but picture one. Indeed I also notice you use gendered language everywhere, not just in the word "man" to mean humanity. You say "men of letters", for instance, and you take care to match the pronouns. Am I really meant to imagine women when you write that? Would "people" not do just as well?

Lastly - far from being a "fad", this debate was active in the 70s, and has been entirely resolved now; nobody uses "man" this way anymore, and it sticks out like a sore thumb when you do. It sounds archaic to the point of comical. Consider if the subtextual message you want to send with your word choices is "I stubbornly refuse to adapt to the times".

Douglas Hofstadter (you may have heard of him!) wrote a lot about this in the 80s and 90s - I challenge anyone to read what he wrote and fail to be convinced: https://leeclarke.com/courses/intro/readings/Hofstadter_Chan...

Re: Time flies in Google Earth’s biggest update in years

#430

Post by dkarp »

winter_blue wrote: post #358
keithwhor wrote: post #61

What's really striking to me about timelapse videos of the Earth is how, at a grand enough scale, the growth of human settlements on Earth really looks no different than the growth of bacterial and fungal colonies on Petri dishes. We think of ourself as special, as having conquered environments, technology and more - and when zoomed out you could explain everything we've built and accomplished as the achievements of…

This is a really sad (and rather disgusting) comment. Your comment takes an incredibly depreciating view of humanity, and it ignores / rejects the beauty and wonder of humans, by comparing us to bacteria. Humans are the peak of Earth life; humans are the most glorious form of life that’s existed on this planet. I agree with everything that the user Grimm said in reply to you. I have no clue why such a horrible, repul…

It’s an interesting observation and sparks thought and discussion. Discussion into how the observation is true in many ways, e.g. the clustering around resources. But also discussion into how it’s not true, e.g. political lines or nature preserves.

Exactly the sort of comment that fits the community here. I hope that gives some clue why this is an upvoted comment.

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