I have sometimes wondered if ideas about dwarves, gnomes, trolls or other vaguely human-shaped mythical creatures might have originated in encounters with other, now-extinct human species.
Dwarves are short people, so there's really no mystery there. As for gnomes and trolls, they could be explained as birth defects. The myth of "changelings" are probably these birth defects that might not be noticeable in a newly born child, but later become obvious.
I think the real cultural memory of the Neanderthals and other species related to us is in the myths of Titans and Giants. People who were on earth first and who battled furiously with man-like gods for dominance.
No, probably not. The word “Zeus” is far older than Greek - it’s a Proto-Indo-European word, and he is an Indo-European sky god, with analogues from India to Iberia. (“Dios,” as in the Latin languages’ word for the Christian god, has this derivation.)
This all to say that the word (and the sacred culture attendant) is far older and far broader than can be ascribed to some just-so story of a prehistoric, let alone proto-Greek, warlord. If I were to look for origins of “Zeus,” the god, I would instead first contemplate how vast the sky appears when seen from the steppe (whence the Yamnaya, first speakers of this language family). How does one not imagine a sky father in that seeming infinity?
Nothing you wrote here negates what I wrote. Just that it goes far back, and probably originates in pre-history. Its not inconceivable to think about figures like Jesus existing 20-30-40k years ago. Over time they turn into legends, which are bigger and more vast than the living human ever was.
I wish I lived in a society where I could have a kid at 25 rather than 35 without messing up my life. I feel like we ignore how nice it must be to have another 10 years with your parents in your life.
Even better, have time-limited temporary promotions, which automatically revert after 6 months or a year. Permanent promotions are generally only available to those who have done a temporary promotion in the past.
That gives the organisation a way to tell if you are ready for permanent promotion, but removes the humiliating experience of "not passing your probation".
The evidence would suggest that it is that hard for an majority of the human population, within the current western social context, food environment etc.
I say that as someone who has lost significant weight and kept it off for a number of years. But it was not as simple as "put down the fork". I basically have to calorie count every morsel. If I left it to my own mind or just told myself to "put down the fork" I'd be fat again in no time. My mind fundamentally doesn't seem to know when I have eaten enough food.
> First, Hill-Maini focused on boosting the mold’s production of heme – an iron-based molecule which is found in many lifeforms but is most abundant in animal tissue, giving meat its color and distinctive flavor.
I think this is the main practical difference; more aesthetics than anything else. Of course, for food, aesthetics are all-important; realistically, people will only accept a meat substitute if it tastes as they expect.
When I did a coding bootcamp long ago in a career switch I couldn't help but look around the room and think "Hey ... some of these people really shouldn't be arbitrarily encouraged anymore."
It's a rough thing to think / do, but also maybe would have been for the best for many of them.
To their credit I talked to some folks who were in the camp a few years after me and they reported that the class sizes naturally shrank as the classes went on. Apparently students were being better evaluated and had ways "out" that encouraged a little more "yeah maybe this isn't for you" type of evaluation.
I have been told I have imposter syndrome by many people. I get all the "You are better than you think you are" and "Trust me, I've seen worse than you."
Regardless, I think I have a pretty accurate assessment of my abilities. I have been professionally programming for 7 years (10 years total) and have a degree in CS.
That being said, I have no fucking idea what I am doing 99% of the time. I just follow guides and documents, and just glue libraries together like a cyber plumber. I probably couldn't even reverse a string by hand if my life depended on it. My job has a pretty low bar for what is considered acceptable, so I have been able to fly under the radar with ease all these years. I'm not being modest, I am being serious. The jaws of many users here would hit the floor if they saw some of our practices.
However, the good news for me is that I do not have to remain like this. Over the past few months or so, I have really tried to increase my knowledge by diving face first in books, lectures, and other resources. I feel like I have improved significantly in this short amount of time. I mean, I am basically starting all over again, but hey, I can maintain the status quo or I can do something about it.
I guess my whole point is that, one may be an "imposter" and/or incompetent, but it's also one's choice to remain as one.
> We are going to have to accept an important role — society as a whole — in making sure that the transition period from the pre-robotic technology to the post-robotic technology is as painless as possible. We have to make sure that people aren’t treated as though they’re used up dishrags
I always find statements like this a bit strange. Who "has" to? Who is going to make the rich and powerful ensure a just transition as opposed to just letting the rest of us starve?
After all, if the rest of us make a fuss, they can just set their guard robots on us...
