TWS172: Hardly Thinking of Thinking Highly of Hard Thinking

CQ: With Watson’s recent victory over humans on Jeopardy, do we need to separate the notions of “intelligent” from “alive”? Can a thing be “intelligent”, but not ever be given the status of “alive”?

Bumper: Braindouche

Promo: Comedy4Cast

Promo: Podiobooks.com

On the show this week:

• Front Page
• Only Half A Name
• Shouldn’t Oughtta Done That
• Animal Magnetism
• Extras

Full list of 65 articles after the jump!

• Front Page:
  • Collectively, the Internet is a really, really strange place..: Technolog/MSNBC – Detroit RoboCop statue is GO (Thanks, Internet!)
  • … and Detroit is pretty strange, all on its own..: Business Insider – Detroit Will PAY You To Take One Of These 100 Abandoned Homes
  • Because the “no-sex” threat apparently didn’t work, now it’s “sexy”?: Orange – Belgium marks record with pants protest
  • Yeah, but it’s no Robocop.. (That’s probably a good thing..): BBC – An ‘English goddess’ for India’s down-trodden
  • I just can’t see that as “spicy”.. Well, unless you add cayenne pepper..: AOL – Erotic Pasta Aims to Spice Up Valentine’s Day
  • I could say I told you so, but… : The New York Times – Witches to Be Held Accountable for Bad Predictions; Why Only Them?
  • Geez.. Someday I’ll have to pay a licence for it!: AOL – Harlequin Attempts to Patent the Kiss
  • Nothing says “we’re forever” and “I don’t really love you in a healthy way” altogether in one package like cockroaches on Valentine’s Day..: Orange – Valentine’s Day cockroach ‘treat’
  • (EXTRA) There’s apparently a great sport in trying to ruin innocent holidays by pointing to their bloody origins…: NPR – The Dark Origins Of Valentine’s Day
  • It’s kinda like living in New Brunswick and discovering that there might be life in BC, if you could see through the trees.. Or something..: The UK Daily Mail – Largest planet in the solar system could be about to be discovered – and it’s up to four times the size of Jupiter
  • I see your evidence, and I raise you several concerns!: Space.com/Life’s Little Mysteries – Astronomers Doubt Giant Planet ‘Tyche’ Exists in Our Solar System
  • (EXTRA) I suppose this is a bigfoot sighting..: This is Derbyshire – Police hoping for a Cinderella ending to giant shoe mystery
  • Another amazing technology that probably started out as a snarky joke..: New Scientist – ‘Anti-laser’ built for first time
  • (EXTRA) I believe that can use that to absorb snow, that it is the anti-snow..: Orange – Grantham grows world’s hottest chilli
  • There’s probably something curiously liberating for humanity here, not to mention a little confusing..: Chicago Tribune – Woman, 61, gives birth to own grandchild
  • (EXTRA) The world is virtually not here now..: This is Devon – Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty are moved to Plymouth
  • (EXTRA) I now have a hi-res scan of this, so I too will be able to peruse it and suddenly determine that I have no idea what it’s about..: ScienceDaily – Mysterious Voynich Manuscript Dates Back to Early 15th Century, Researchers Find
  • Yoga, it turns out, is just as corrupted by modern thought and culture as everything else that might not be that old..: Open The Magazine – Not as Old as You Think
  • (EXTRA) Every once and a while, it’s good to remind ourselves that at least _someone_ is planning for the Big Disaster..: AOL – Farmers Deposit Seeds in Arctic Doomsday Vault, Patrolled by Polar Bears
• Only Half A Name:
  • This might explain middle management..: The UK Daily Mail – They pulled the wool over our eyes! Sheep are so intelligent they can make ‘executive decisions’
  • … and 50% of stars thing the world revolves around _them_!: AOL – 32 Percent of Russians Think the Sun Revolves Around Earth
  • (EXTRA) Very large powers. Very short temper..: Reuters – Immigration Officer Put Wife On Terrorist List To Get Rid Of Her
  • Such a sili idea..: Metro – Sili name must be changed, say villagers
  • As long as they don’t put a tally beside the name — that might be confusing.: Metro – Australian town becomes ‘Speedkills’ after Facebook safety campaign
  • At least making the name tags would be kinda pointless..: AOL – At Phil Campbell Convention, Everybody Is Named Phil Campbell, and So Is the Town [VIDEO]
  • (EXTRA) Contains leeks.: Orange – Coca Cola recipe leaks online
  • (EXTRA) Stopping protests at an early age probably sounded like a good idea — as long as you said it quietly.: AOL/AP – Don’t Tell That Kid to Keep Quiet! German Bill Would Protect Kids’ Right to Make Noise
  • If we extend equal rights to some people, we eventually theoretically extend rights to potential future things that count as people. Reconsider voting laws..: Cosmic Log/MSNBC – Just say no … to robot marriage?
  • Nope, no marriage for Watson — even if you love him, er, “it” for their brains.: BBC – IBM’s Watson supercomputer crowned Jeopardy king
  • Will make many future non-robot spouses happy..: Orange – Man invents robot noodle chef
  • (EXTRA) Love of robots starts this way… Also: love of lazyboy chairs and remote controls..: Orange – Dad pimps son’s pushchair
  • Probably has the ability to out-think 32% of Russians.: AOL – Boy Without a Cerebellum Baffles Doctors
  • So much commercial art is recycled crap these days..: AOL – William S. Burroughs’ Preserved Poop Inspires ‘Bio-Art’ Piece
• Shouldn’t Oughtta Done That:
  • And what does your marriage commitment mean to you?: AsiaOne News/New Straits Times – Wife helps man fight off tiger
  • (EXTRA) I guess they were done huffing and puffing..: The Sydney Morning Herald – Council tears children’s playhouse down
  • (EXTRA) Politics is always such a zoo..: WMUR – Selectman Who Brought Goat To Town Hall Resigns
  • It’s like the Rule #34 of the real world: any conceivable stupidity can and will be realized.: Orange – ‘Safety’ wall built across motorway
  • Apparently, they were only trying to help.. Another reason I don’t really think I want a dog.: FOX 5 San Diego – Small dogs chew off elderly man’s toes
  • I wonder if he had dogs..: AOL – False Toe Helped Mummy Walk Like an Egyptian
  • (EXTRA) I guess he meant for her never to leave..: ABC News – Killer Stuffed His House With Leaves, Kept Kidnapped Girl on Bed of Leaves
  • And if you did it today, they’d look at you funny! 😉: BBC – Ancient Britons ‘drank from skulls’
  • (EXTRA) One man’s cult is another man’s love nest, perhaps?: Virgin Media – ‘Cult’ trial man denies charges
  • Oh, you’d be surprised what you might hear on public radio..: De Void/Herald-Tribune – Another debate we won’t hear on NPR
  • Sadly, the only thing absolutely provable about UFOs so far is that they aren’t above politics..: De Void/Herald-Tribune – It’s amazing MUFON’s still around
• Animal Magnetism:
  • (EXTRA) All the cool cats are doing it.: Metro – Cat in a jar: Why Ksyusha the kitten loves tight squeezes
  • (EXTRA) There’s probably a reasonable explanation for this… like there’s a weird cult, UFO drop-off spot, or genetic experiment up the river..: Phantoms and Monsters blog – New ‘Montauk Monster’ Washes Ashore On Long Island
  • (EXTRA) All the cool cats are doing it.: Metro – Girl joins circus after she’s cured of claustrophobia by being put in bin
  • (EXTRA) You gots to pay for da crib someways, yo!: ABC7 – Klepto feline gives new meaning to ‘cat’ burglar
  • (EXTRA) Beware the beast with three backs!: The UK Daily Mail – Is this Bownessie? Three-humped beastie spotted in Lake Windermere
  • (EXTRA) Now that’s what “going down a rathole” *really* means..: Science Daily – Quest for Extinct Giant Rats Leads Scientists to Ancient Face Carvings
  • (EXTRA) They’re kinda like the insect-talkers of the mammal world.. : BBC – Bizarre mammals filmed calling using their quills
  • (EXTRA) Stuffed bear seen slinking away..: BBC – Royal Ontario Museum investigates sudden bee death
  • (EXTRA) Well, something is bound to..: BBC – Mosquito-eating spider likes smelly socks
  • (EXTRA) While I’m holding out for sublime wisdom of animal manipulation through electro-mental thought transmission, I’d still be satisfied to find out if it really is magnets..: BBC – China row over synchronised goldfish magic trick
  • (EXTRA) They are, after all, the “aliens of the sea”!: Wired – To Talk With Aliens, Learn to Speak With Dolphins
  • (EXTRA) A whole different kind of porkbarrel..: AOL – Giant Pigs Displayed in Taiwan’s Pig of God Festival
  • (EXTRA) I have a weird feeling that these will be used to substitute for real bodies, in a Snatch sorta way..: The UK Daily Mail – Inky and perky: But poor tattooed pigs have animal rights campaigners sizzling in anger
  • (EXTRA) Ah, the revenge of giant animals for mankind daring to.. be smited by nature..: The UK Telegraph – Australians hit by Cyclone Yasi warned to stay away from deadly giant birds
  • (EXTRA) The Foot on tour.: Examiner – New Bigfoot sighting near Pittsburgh
  • (EXTRA) Fortunately, Bigfoot is able to easily dodge hundreds of people tromping through the woods. Heck, *I* could elude that!: Salisbury Post – Hundreds hunt for Bigfoot
• Extras:
  • (EXTRA) Not really the storage location you might consider.: The UK Daily Mail – I’ve got these stabbing pains: Man complains about migraine… only to find he has had a knife in his brain for FOUR years
  • (EXTRA) Horses electrocuted slowly by… what?: Irish Times – Newbury abandoned after bizarre deaths
  • (EXTRA) Digging their way to the other side.: ABC7/MySunCoast – Ancient canals on the Suncoast?
  • (EXTRA) Hmm.. maybe there are needs for canals by some people.: BBC – Drug submarine seized by Colombian navy
  • (EXTRA) Cool shake.: Dayton Daily News – ‘Frost quakes’ shake Southwest Ohio, Indiana

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