Books Science Fiction Three Helpful SF-Related Rules of Thumb, According to Me Behold, Nicoll’s Three Laws: pithy observations on science, language, and space exploration. By James Davis Nicoll | Published on September 6, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share In the comments of a recent essay of mine, dlomax commented on my observation that “there is no lawn so large as to lack at least one person demanding other people get off it.” He wrote: “I think we might have just witnessed the creation of Nicoll’s Law.” Alas, there is a compelling reason why that cannot be Nicoll’s Law. Anyone who writes or writes about SFF for any length of time is likely to document consistent patterns. Framed correctly, these become easily cited rules of thumb1. I am no exception. The No Lawn Large Enough rule cannot be Nicoll’s Law because there is already a Nicoll’s Law. In fact, there are a few Nicoll’s Laws2, at least three of which are worth mentioning. Well, three was good enough for Clarke and Asimov. In reverse order of the likelihood that I will encounter them, the top three Nicoll’s Laws are: Nicoll’s Law It is a truth universally acknowledged that any (online forum) thread that begins by pointing out why stealth in space is impossible will rapidly turn into a thread focusing on schemes whereby stealth in space might be achieved. There are two reasons for this. First, if one grants that stealth in space in the conventional sense is very difficult to achieve, it eliminates many beloved stock plots3. Therefore, there is incentive to ignore the issue or find innovative methods around it4. Second, it is human nature that when one is told that something is impossible, one starts to look for ways in which that impossible something can be achieved. This human quirk put humans on the Moon! It also routinely kills people as they encounter the limits imposed by natural law. Nicoll’s Law is probably just a subset of a habit I snarkily called SF’s Lysenkoist Tendency: when actual, tested science contradicts some detail in an SF story, attack the science5. The Rusting Bridges Rule of Space Exploration No matter how effective your space program was, one can always imagine how the program could have been much, much better. This takes its name from Larry Niven’s classic All The Bridges Rusting. In that story, humanity had by 2018 had dispatched not one but two crewed missions to Alpha Centauri. You’d think that would be cause for jubilation but it wasn’t. The culprit is human imagination. No matter the achievements of the space program you have, whether it is having explored every planet with space probes or having reached nearby stars, they will always fall short of what might have been accomplished by the space programs you can imagine. Imaginary programs aren’t limited by issues of politics, funding, or engineering. The Purity of the English Language The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary. [I didn’t do spell-check in 1990 and misspelled rifle as riffle in the original] That is really more of an epigram than a law6. Consistency is not my strong suit. Nevertheless, if someone is familiar with my work, odds are what they’re familiar with is that quotation. There is a “but” that I will get to. The prescriptivist sentiment that provoked my comment—that English is an unchanging, perfect edifice passed down since time immemorial, to whose rules we must all adhere without exception—is a long-standing one. So is the sentiment that such prescriptivism provokes from anyone even remotely familiar with English’s past, which is a sarcastic belly-laugh7. The phrasing is all mine. The “but” inserted two paragraphs above deserves its own pithy corollary: if some nobody happens to say something memorable, that something will very quickly be attributed to a celebrity. It is easier to imagine a famous person said something catchy, than it is to accept the same from a game store owner from Kitchener, Ontario. In this case, the attribution is often to someone else. Many someones. So many someones. The list of people to whom the quotation has been attributed includes Booker T. Washington, a 19th century painter also named James Nicoll, Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk, and more recently, Terry Pratchett. On that last I am happy to say the misattribution is due to over-eager fans, NOT the Pratchett estate. For what it’s worth, the author I had in mind when I wrote that epigram was Mark Twain.[end-mark] Few of my observations are supported rigorously enough to justify the term “law”… but heck, law uses a lot fewer keystrokes than “general tendencies I have mistaken for natural law, because I don’t know the meaning of confirmation bias.” ︎I have left aside some of my advice that is not applicable to SFF, advice such as “If you notice you are regaining consciousness, bleeding profusely, and/or are on fire, take a moment to assess recent decisions to see if there was something you could have done differently.” Now that I look at that written down, I wonder if maybe I should add “If so, actually do that something different next time.” Also, if the issue is bleeding, apply pressure. ︎Re: stealth in space, mystery writers were confronted with an even more vexing challenge when cell phones came along. Many stock plots depending on communication being difficult don’t work if everyone has a phone in their pocket. The short-term result included a flurry of fictional cell phones whose battery life made the flashlights in Half-Life look long-lasting. The internet presented similar challenges, because now information that used to require legwork was just keystrokes away. ︎In Glen Cook’s Passage at Arms, for example, stealthy “Climbers” hide in “null,” greatly reducing their cross-section in this universe. The catch, and it is one that shapes the plot, is that Climbers can only radiate heat through that minute cross-section, which means heat management is a potentially lethal issue in stealth mode. ︎Which in turn is just a specific case of people and organizations rejecting science because they don’t like the answers it provides. ︎What would have been a good law is “spell-check before posting, not after.” What I actually did back in 1990 was worry about the spicy phrasing, as I was not sure obscenity was allowed on the internet. ︎See, for example, H. Beam Piper’s quip from 1964’s Fuzzy Sapiens: “And you know what English is? The result of the efforts of Norman men-at-arms to make dates with Saxon barmaids in the Ninth Century Pre-Atomic, and no more legitimate than any of the other results.” ︎The post Three Helpful SF-Related Rules of Thumb, According to Me appeared first on Reactor.

Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from the book “What to Say When 2: Your Proven Guide in the New Abortion Landscape—How to Discuss, Clarify, and Question Abortion in a Hostile Culture” (Kolbe & Anthony, Sept. 10). When discussing the transgender craze and abortion, less is often more. But the alliance between the trans movement and the pro-abortion movement has become so aggressive that we can’t avoid talking about it (as much as we might like to). At first glance, the issues of abortion and LGBTQ appear unrelated. Same-sex relationships are sterile and can’t result in pregnancy. But the homosexual movement has actively inserted itself into the abortion debate because both the trans and pro-abortion movements are built on a shared philosophy: sexual license that accepts no sexual limitations from church, state, or culture. Abortion advocates and LGBTQ advocates alike generally believe that sex should be free for any reason, with anyone, and with zero consequences. And they demand that this philosophy be accepted by everyone. The two movements are locked arm-in-arm, not only in principle but financially. This is why you see so many “Pride” flags at pro-abortion events and abortion rights signs at “Pride” parades. Enter the transgender movement. Gay rights activists achieved total victory in 2015 when the Supreme Court forced all 50 states to legally recognize same-sex unions as marriages. But the revolution never ends—it just finds a new outlet for upending society. So it’s no surprise that the same year, the TQ (transgender/“queer”) end of the LGBTQ acronym rose to prominence as Olympic legend Bruce Jenner insisted he is a woman named Caitlyn. Just like the homosexual cause, the trans movement has joined forces with the pro-abortion movement. Abortion appears to be next, as trans advocates shout, “Trans men are men … and sometimes they need abortions!” We are reaching peak insanity. The pendulum may well swing back toward sanity sooner rather than later because the coalition of sexual deviants supporting the abortion industry becomes increasingly unstable. The abortion industry long has been allied with a feminist movement built on advancing the interests of women. But now the abortion industry has joined forces with a trans movement that essentially denies there is such a thing as a woman. Increasingly bizarre rhetoric reveals that the unholy trinity of the abortion industry, radical feminism, and LGBTQ is built on a house of cards. And it’s on the brink of collapse. Perhaps no two movements in the history of the world have put more emphasis on the reality of biological sex than feminists and homosexuals. For more than a century, feminists have worked for equality in the workplace, equality in sports, and celebration of the many things that women can do as well as or better than men. This approach is well intentioned—even if it sometimes seriously goes off the rails by veering into advocacy of abortion and other evils. But whether the feminist movement is right or wrong on a given issue, it’s indisputably true that for feminists being a woman matters. The difference between women and men matters. Your sex was no more “assigned at birth” than the reproductive organs you have. Vaginas and penises are not interchangeable to feminists. They are absolutely binary, and they are relevant to feminists and to their cause. Men cannot get pregnant. Men don’t bear the joys and pains of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Men don’t make the sacrifices necessary to breastfeed their children. The feminists know this as well as anyone, and they have traditionally been the loudest in sharing it. The homosexual movement, too, understands that “biological sex” is a redundant term. This is why the LGBTQ movement was always destined to fracture. On one hand, you’ve got the “TQ” side of the acronym that argues an infinite number of genders exist, genders can change, or there’s no such thing as gender. On the other hand, the “LG” side of the acronym takes the reality of biological sex so seriously that homosexual people choose their sexual partners based on the reality of their biological sex. Homosexual men want to have sex with other men because they’re men. Lesbians want to have sex with women because they’re women. Homosexual people often go so far as to root their very identity in their attraction to the same sex. They dedicate an entire month to celebrating their attraction to members of the same sex. They spent decades pushing for legal and social recognition of same-sex marriage. Christians and homosexual activists sharply disagree on the morality of sexual relationships between two individuals of the same sex. But we can at least agree on what those relationships are and who they involve. Transgender activists throw that shared understanding—which has been in place for all of human history—right out the window. Some insist that gay men actually must be straight trans women. Others insist that lesbians are bigots if they refuse to date trans women (who are actually men). The previous paragraph would be laughable—if it wasn’t the dominating philosophy in media, politics, business, entertainment, and academia. But the bottom line is, the transgender movement is driving a wedge between itself and some of the other progressive movements you probably think of as their natural allies: the feminist and homosexual movements. They don’t always admit it publicly, but many feminists and homosexuals are outraged at how the trans movement has hijacked their causes. We got a peek at this when there were split opinions on whether trans women (actual men) could be part of the Women’s March. These types of divisions show why the alliance between feminism and transgenderism isn’t sustainable. Remember these three points when transgender nonsense enters your discussion of abortion: First, you’re not crazy. Men cannot be women and women cannot be men. There are two sexes—always have been and always will be. No medication or surgery can change this reality. To affirm those suffering gender dysphoria is to participate in a lie. We cannot participate in the lie no matter how loudly and forcefully transgender advocates shout. If I demand that you call me a woman (or address me as Frank Sinatra or Rosa Parks or President Ulysses S. Grant), you should not acquiesce. Second, the notion that men can get pregnant and have babies is the greatest insult to women of our lifetime. And it’s brand new. Can you imagine Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Hillary Clinton, or any feminist from even 20 years ago saying, “Men can have babies”? But amazingly, some of the same feminists who championed abortion by arguing, “I’m a woman, not a womb,” now reduce their identity to their reproductive capacity by self-identifying as “birthing persons.” Clearly, the feminist movement has failed if women no longer can claim exclusive domain over the unique genius to conceive, bear, nourish, and nurture another human being. And if men can have babies, it was only a matter of time before we’d be told that men can have abortions. Third, women who have abortions—whether they regret it or not—know it was a serious and hard decision. The way abortion supporters discuss the topic, you’d get the impression that abortion is the Vince Lombardi Trophy of what women can accomplish in post-Roe America. The staunchest and loudest abortion supporters have turned it into a sacrament. In this brave new world, the essence of womanhood is access, willingness, and ability to get an abortion. Abortion is seen as the pinnacle of the female experience—socially, politically, and morally. There’s just one problem: Real women don’t agree. Attacking women in the name of women’s rights isn’t something new. And it’s not something we should fear in conversation. But the transgender attempt to annihilate women is just one more piece of evidence that the pro-life side is the side of science, reason, nature, compassion, medical alternatives, and—of course—women. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Here’s Why—and How—We Must Confront Pro-Abortion Transgender Activists appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Meh: August Jobs Report Misses Expectations, Hits Maintenance-Level 142K

It's pretty shocking!

David Muir and Linsey Davis are set to moderate Tuesday night’s presidential debate but don’t expect a fair and balanced effort from the ABC anchors.  If their past reporting is any indication of how Muir and Davis will perform, debate viewers should expect their questions to frame Trump as a “racist” “white supremacist” who will restrict abortion “rights.” They will also set up Kamala Harris to position herself as a “glass-ceiling” breaker as well as a protector of “reproductive freedom.”  The following are just a few of the most obnoxious outbursts from Muir and Davis via the MRC’s archives:  LINSEY DAVIS    Linking Trump to KKK and White Supremacists     “Former President Donald Trump is expected to go campaign in Howell, Michigan tomorrow. Many people are aware that a month ago, in Howell, KKK protesters marched in the streets with the white robes on and suggested that they support Donald Trump. I’m curious if you make anything about that connection and him going in particularly to Howell tomorrow.”— ABC World News Tonight Sunday anchor Linsey Davis to Governor Gretchen Whitmer (MI) on ABC’s Your Voice/Your Vote: Democratic National Convention, August 19, 2024. ABC’s Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos: “One thing that is getting a lot of notice, Linsey Davis, online, the President refused to condemn white supremacists.” Correspondent Linsey Davis: Right and he said he would, when he was asked, sure, I will, and then he ended up essentially giving a call to action, saying stand back and stand by. That was something that really got my attention and I was — I can’t say I was surprised, but it was really a moment that I think that people especially in the black community heard loud and clear. — The First Presidential Debate — Your Voice Your Vote 2020: An ABC News Special, September 29, 2020.     “You’ve suggested voter suppression is more insidious now, in 2019, than it was even in the ’60s. How so?...Would you say that President Trump is a white supremacist or a racist?”— Host Linsey Davis’s questions to former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on ABC’s This Week, August 18, 2019.   Davis Tosses Softballs to Kamala Harris        “So we’re here in Iowa. You just hosted this conversation about protecting reproductive freedom. What does this mean to you personally?...The Des Moines Register recently had a poll that suggested 70 percent of women in the state of Iowa believe that abortion should be legal in all if not most cases….And yet you had the governor who just passed the six-week abortion ban. And so I’m curious, if you are concerned that you're losing ground on this fight, in multiple states?...There are reports that say that you have the lowest approval rating of any Vice President. I’m curious how much of a role, if any, that you feel race and gender play in that?”— ABC anchor Linsey Davis’s questions to Kamala Harris on ABC News Live Prime, July 31, 2023.    Hyping Harris Smashing “Second-Highest Glass Ceiling” and Advancing Unproven McDonald’s Story “To have potentially a woman who’s been able to crack this second highest glass ceiling in this country is profound. It’s powerful.”— ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis on ABC’s Good Morning America, November 6, 2020. “And as much as the night is historic, and how the Biden/Harris ticket will tackle these crises of immigration, gun control, health care in this country, I think that it’s also, you know, there was awful lot of pressure on Biden to pick a black woman as his running mate. And now we’re going to get a chance to get a sense more of who she is. This is someone who, as a student, worked at McDonald’s on the fries and the ice cream and somebody who has said that she eats no for breakfast. She says that you have to tell her at least five times before she even hears it and I think that that’s part of what’s made her, she has said, such a history-maker, having multiple positions where she was the first woman of color.”— ABC’s Democratic National Convention — Your Voice/Your Vote 2020, August 19, 2020. Snopes deemed Harris’s repeated claim she worked at McDonald’s as “unproven.”    Enabling Hillary’s Election Denial, She “Really Won”     “When you look back, would it have been more easy to handle losing outright than to have really won, but still lost?”— Correspondent Linsey Davis to Hillary Clinton on ABC’s streaming channel ABC Live, March 3, 2020.    Davis Boosts NAACP’s Ridiculous “Travel Advisory” for Florida “The NAACP is issuing a formal travel advisory for Florida, saying the state has become hostile to black Americans under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Other civil rights groups have issued similar warnings in recent weeks. This as DeSantis is on the verge of entering the race for the White House.”— ABC’s World News Tonight substitute anchor Linsey Davis, May 21, 2023.   Using Language of the Left: DeSantis Signs “Setback to Abortion Access,” SCOTUS Could “Roll Back” Rights “Next tonight, a major new setback to abortion access. Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis signing into law a 15-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking. It’s the latest in a growing number of states enacting strict new measures ahead of a Supreme Court decision that could roll back abortion rights nationwide.”— Anchor Linsey Davis on ABC’s World News Tonight, April 14, 2023.    DAVID MUIR    Freaking Out After Dobbs Decision      “We begin tonight with the historic and sweeping ruling from the Supreme Court. The conservative majority by a 6-3 vote overturning Roe vs. Wade. The right to choose abortion that had stood for half a century in this country, a nearly 50-year precedent. The court turning the issue over to the states, and tonight 13 states have already had so-called trigger laws on the books already banning abortions, set to go into effect immediately. Six states now banning abortion. Missouri and Oklahoma among them. And in all, 26 states plan to ban or severely restrict abortion now. Tonight these images coming in from across the country, the demonstrations and protests….Outside the Supreme Court, crowds growing all day. One side declaring victory, the other side in disbelief that this is no longer a decision protected across this country between a woman and her doctor….This decision opens potential challenges now to other settled rights in this country, including contraception and same-sex marriage.”— Anchor David Muir on ABC’s World News Tonight, June 24, 2022   Honoring Old Joe for Stepping Down to Save Democracy from Trump  “Tonight gratitude is the word for so many people in this country, pointing to Joe Biden now and calling him a patriot who stepped in when democracy needed it.”— Anchor David Muir on ABC’s live coverage of President Joe Biden’s speech, July 24, 2024.   Not Even D-Day Ceremony Is Spared From Pro-Biden Bias     Anchor David Muir: “President Biden is here in France tonight, set to deliver an address tomorrow here at the D-Day commemoration….The president expected, of course, to honor the American heroes who died here, who fought here, and who made it home. And why what they did is so important and timely, with what the world is facing right now.”Correspondent Mary Bruce: “Exactly, David. President Biden arriving here in France today to honor to veterans but, also to underscore the important of American leadership and protecting democracy…..Trying to rally allies to help defend Ukraine….And while President Biden’s remarks will not be a campaign speech, he has put preserving democracy at the center of this race, and David, he will make clear the sharp contrast with Donald Trump.”— ABC World News Tonight, June 5, 2024.   Muir Brags: You Can Watch “Outlets” Like Fox or “Come to the News” At ABC     Co-host Joy Behar: “What’s the stake right now for journalism? How do you cut through all the division? Can you even do that? And what do we do about a station like Fox, you know, that puts out incorrect information on a regular basis?”...ABC’s World News Tonight anchor David Muir: “You talk about the divide in the country, it’s very real. The politicization of everything….And look, I don’t say this to pat ourselves on the back as a team, but last week we had more than 9 million people watching every night and I think that that is a silver lining and it’s a reminder to us all of the stakes. People do want the news, they do want a team that’s going to cut through the noise. And we have to give them some respect….They want the facts, they can make up their minds on their own if we cut through the noise for them. Listen you can go to your outlets where you’ll hear your opinion back to you, but you can also come to the news where we’ll arm you with the information you need no matter how difficult it is.”— ABC’s The View, January 19, 2022.   One Final Gorbasm “Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. Rising to power after seven decades of communist rule. He helped end the Cold War. Breaking the mold of the Soviet leaders before him, he was outgoing, charming those he met.” — Anchor David Muir on ABC’s World News Tonight, August 30, 2022.   Fearmongering on Climate Change: Food and Water Will Become “Scarce”  “News tonight from the U.N.’s alarming new report on climate change. Scientists now warning it is worse than previously thought, that the window is, quote, ‘rapidly closing to avoid its deadly consequences.’ In fact, they say nearly half the world’s population living in the so-called danger zone now. The report finding that even if warming is limited to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which has been a global goal, still, up to fourteen percent of species will face a very high risk of extinction. And in some regions of the world, food and water will become increasingly scarce.” — Anchor David Muir on ABC’s World News Tonight, February 28, 2022.   Heralding Pelosi’s “New Dawn” “We’re going to begin with that historic power shift in Washington. Democrats taking over the House and making history, with the new makeup of Congress. Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to ever be speaker of the House, now returning for her second run in the role. Calling the session to order with her grandchildren, inviting all of the children and grandchildren in the chamber right up to the podium. Calling it a ‘new dawn,’ Pelosi welcomed the most diverse group of representatives the Congress has ever seen.” — Anchor David Muir on ABC’s World News Tonight, January 3, 2019.    Hoping Hillary Hits Trump Harder “In the meantime, we turn to Hillary Clinton, reacting tonight after that harsh report from the State Department about her private e-mail server. Our team also asking Clinton today what some of her supporters have been asking. After Donald Trump’s attacks, is Clinton fighting back hard enough?” — Anchor David Muir on ABC’s World News Tonight, May 26, 2016.   Hype on Hillary’s Nomination Night     “Breaking news tonight on the floor of the Democratic National Convention. The roll call under way. The tension. History about to be made….With Hillary Clinton about to become the first female presidential nominee…We are witnessing something truly historic in this convention hall right behind us. Real emotion here on display, tears of joy from Hillary Clinton’s supporters….Bill Clinton will give what could be his most personal speech ever as he talks about his wife….A woman still so unknown to many in this country. Will he say anything that changes their minds?...I was just down there on the floor. What excitement in the room!”— Anchor David Muir on ABC’s World News Tonight, July 26, 2016.   Will Mitt Romney “Fire the Baby?”     Anchor David Muir: “They were at a polling place in Manchester, the governor and his wife, holding a baby. Very much an image you’d expect from the front-runner. But if you rewind the tape and play up the sound — ”Man’s voice: “Are you going to fire the baby? Are you going to fire the baby?”Muir: “Those shouts there, ‘Are you going to fire the baby?’ These are words that are going to follow Mitt Romney beyond New Hampshire right into South Carolina.”— ABC’s World News, January 10, 2012.   European Leaders Tried to “Get Close” to “Cool Kid in the Class” Obama       “As we wrap up the week we wanted to take note of these images we’ve been looking at, particularly this one where other heads of state are seemingly trying to get close to the head of the class, or the cool kid in the class, if you will, President Obama.”— Anchor David Muir on President Barack Obama’s first trip to Europe on ABC World News, April 4, 2009.

Nvidia is giving away an incredible limited edition Black Myth Wukong version of its popular GeForce RTX 4080 Super Founders Edition graphics card. This GPU is more than capable of running this stunning game at the highest settings, with ray tracing, and it could be yours for free if you enter the competition. We rank the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super as the best graphics card for under $1,000. Despite only offering the marginal gains over the base RTX 4080, it has a much fairer price. This top-end GPU also offers great ray tracing performance, while its support for frame generation as part of the Nvidia DLSS 3 tech suite enables you to boost frame rates by huge amounts in games that support it. Continue reading Win this awesome Black Myth Wukong Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super GPU MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GeForce RTX 4070 Super review, DLSS explained, Best graphics cards

Lenovo has unveiled a new laptop concept that looks genuinely impressive and useful but also has me fearing for our AI-dominant future. The Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC uses a motorized screen mount and face-tracking webcam, meaning the screen follows you as you move around in front of it. While this sort of technology isn't new in the world of webcams and dedicated video meeting equipment, it's a new one as far as laptops go, and the way the screen on this Lenovo laptop twists and distorts itself to ensure you never leave its sight is all a bit I, Robot. Suffice it to say it won't be our first choice of new feature for future best gaming laptop contenders. Continue reading Lenovo’s new AI laptop won’t stop following us MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

The Lenovo Legion Go has always had one obvious problem, which is that its size means it's not the most comfortable Steam Deck rival to hold. However, having just tried the new Legion Go Charging Connector - or the wedge, as we like to call it - I can safely say it utterly transforms the handheld into a lightweight device that's effortlessly easy to operate. While overall comfort hasn't necessarily been the biggest factor in deciding our picks for the best handheld gaming PC, it's certainly a consideration, and this simple add-on is effectively a game changer for the Lenovo Legion Go. Continue reading This Legion Go add on makes it the most comfortable Steam Deck rival MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

Here's an Incomplete List of Issues Where the Harris Campaign Is Lying About Her Actual Positions

Friday Morning Minute