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#71

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Josquius - November 26, 2025, 03:04:25 AM

Most of Europe, including many far freer places than the UK, abolished trial by jury some time ago.
The system the Govenrment are going for seems to be pretty akin to the French one where they keep juries for serious crimes cos tradition but otherwise follow the rationalist European approach.

This really does seem to be a typical British/anglo thing of letting tradition and things being for positive reasons historically, really hold us back.

#72

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Richard Hakluyt - November 26, 2025, 02:59:24 AM

The right to a jury trial is a fundamental bulwark against tyranny, not that this bunch of incompetent control freaks cares about that.

#73

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Richard Hakluyt - November 26, 2025, 02:56:10 AM

I enjoyed my visit, but that was 20 years ago and everything was very cheap. Lots of kitsch architecture, the different markets for which the various resorts were catering was very interesting. The undoubted highlight though was the Elvis impersonator who was so drunk/high that he started off with an impersonation of Wayne Newton before he remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

[if]

#74

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by Jacob - November 26, 2025, 02:55:51 AM

Even if human reasoning is non-language based, the ultimate, useful output is expressed with language.  If you can emulate the useful output well enough even in novel contexts, then why does it matter whether you arrive at it with human reasoning or with canine intuition?

I think this framing is incorrect. The useful output of human reasoning is not limited to what is expressed with language, far from it.

Human reasoning produces useful output independently of whether it can be articulated with language - namely actions.

We are constantly faced with actions carried out by people who cannot adequately explain in words why they did what they did. Nonetheless they have used their human reasoning capabilities to determine their course of action and are convinced that it is profoundly correct.

When asked why someone did something and they respond with "I don't know", "I'm not sure", "it seemed like the right thing to do", "someone had to do it" and the like that's a good indication that a human used their decision making faculties in a way that produced a useful outcome without the use of language to mediate that decision.

Furthermore - and more personally - I'm fairly convinced that in many many cases when people attempt to articulate the reasons for the actions they have taken (or inaction) or for their opinion, the language used consists largely of after-the-fact rationalizations used to support a decision that was arrived at without language-based reasoning.

This whole line of argument seems fixated on the mechanism rather than the result.  Human reasoning is the  mechanism we're familiar with for generating insights, but it doesn't have to be the only one, or even the best one.

It is fixated on the mechanism because the mechanism is what we have. The result - which we don't have - is a big if and we're discussing whether the mechanism as it exists (or is likely to be developed into) can satisfy that if or not.

The line of argument is that it is unlikely to be able to do so because the mechanism lacks a means to address a significant part of human reasoning and behaviour - namely non-language based reasoning resulting in non-language based outputs (among other things, I'd personally argue that it also lacks the ability to make credible value judgements and take responsibility for consequences, two key components in human reasoning - but that's my own argument, not the article we're discussing.)

Now, LLM may - as you suggest - generate insights in ways that are different from insights produced by human reasoning. I think some of the biomedical research uses of some of these models indicate potentially fruitful avenues to develop; but I don't think that's AGI. Rather, I believe, those are specifically targeted models developed for bespoke purposes and do not suggest or require any kind of cognizance.

[Same-sex marriage must be recognized across EU, court rules]

#75

Off the Record / Re: [Gay] Gay News from Around...

Last post by Syt - November 26, 2025, 02:43:02 AM

https://www.dw.com/en/eu-same-sex-marriage-lgbtq-poland/a-74876738

Same-sex marriage must be recognized across EU, court rules
Roshni Majumdar with Reuters, dpa
23 hours ago23 hours ago

European Union countries must recognize the lawful same-sex marriages of EU citizens conducted in other member states, the bloc's top court has ruled.

A court in Poland was incorrect in a decision not to recognize a marriage between two Polish citizens in Germany, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Tuesday.

The Polish court did not recognize the marriage as Polish law prohibits same-sex unions.

What did the ECJ say about same-sex marriage in Poland?
"Refusing to recognize a marriage between two Union citizens, is contrary to EU law because it infringes [the] freedom and the right to respect for private and family life," the ECJ said.

The courts were addressing the case of a Polish couple living in Berlin who married there in 2018 but upon moving to Poland had their application to register their marriage certificate denied "on the ground that Polish law does not allow marriage between persons of the same sex," the ECJ statement said.

"The spouses in question, as EU citizens, enjoy the freedom to move and reside within the territory of the Member States and the right to lead a normal family life when exercising that freedom and upon returning to their Member State of origin," the court said.

It added that "such a refusal is contrary to EU law" and "infringes not only the freedom to move and reside, but also the fundamental right to respect for private and family life."

Ruling does not require EU member states to allow marriage between people of the same sex
The court said the ruling did not require member states to allow marriage between people of the same sex in their laws.

But they are not allowed to discriminate against same-sex couples in the way they recognize foreign marriages, it added.

Poland's centrist government has tried to push through a bill on same-sex unions but has been held back by resistance from its conservative coalition partner.

Poland's nationalist President Karol Nawrocki has said he would veto "any bill that would undermine the constitutionally protected status of marriage."

I'm sure Poland, Hungary, etc. will gracefully accept the ruling.

#76

Gaming HQ / Re: Europa Universalis V confi...

Last post by Syt - November 26, 2025, 02:38:34 AM

I fired the game up yesterday but then got distracted and when I got back it was time to go to bed, but I still decided to just look at the Ottoman start. And was immediately annoyed by the "Child can get better education" alert and having like a dozen kids in there. Together with marriage this could be automated, I guess.

#77

Gaming HQ / Re: The Miscellaneous PC & vid...

Last post by Syt - November 26, 2025, 02:15:03 AM

I also fired good ol' Dark Souls on the weekend. Not for a playthrough, but just to enjoy the atmosphere. The later games are prettier and have evolved mechanically (and Elden Ring has some gorgeous locations and revelatory moments), but DS1 has this feeling of quiet melancholy. It's not as hectic or aggressive as DS3 or Elden Ring or Bloodborne and you can just enjoy being in the world a bit more IMHO. The muffled, subdued sounds in Undead Burgh, the clanging of André's hammer near the Undead Parish bonfire, and a lot of silence in a world that has persisted far longer than it should have. It creates the feeling of being truly alone and the world being indifferent to you. Kind of like stepping into one of the more sombre Caspar David Friedrich paintings. Not many games that hit the spot.

#78

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by HVC - November 26, 2025, 02:05:39 AM

Heard a fun travel review the other day from a guy whose work went him to Las Vegas - it's crap. Like a toddler built a city in an oven.

It's ok for a day or two. If you're walking the strip then duck into the casinos along the way to cool off. Or was last time I went about a decade ago. I hear it's a lot more expensive and shittier now.

#79

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Josquius - November 26, 2025, 02:00:28 AM

Heard a fun travel review the other day from a guy whose work sent him to Las Vegas - it's crap. Like a toddler built a city in an oven.

#80

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Zoupa - November 26, 2025, 01:43:17 AM

The call was on an unsecured cell phone. There are dozens of countries that could have intercepted that call.

Sure...but who leaked it?

(I expect you to answer...everyone but the US would be rushing to do so.  )

My guess is a european country. No idea who, but yeah I don't see a downside to show how compromised Witkoff/Vance/Driscoll are.