Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Does the light meter function properly while blinking?



Are the Hacker News servers down when you're not on Hacker News?

There are an infinite number of these types of logically pendantic questions that are immensely uninteresting to think about.


> Are the Hacker News servers down when you're not on Hacker News?

That seems like a tautology. If I'm not on Hacker News, then of course the server must be down. Why else would I not be on HN?


If (Stratoscope and Hackernews) -> Stratoscope is on Hackernews.

=> (Stratoscope is on Hackernews) is false.

=> (Stratoscope and Hackernews) is false.

=> Stratoscope is true.

______________________________________________________

Hackernews is false.


It’s been my experience that people who call things uninteresting are merely sharing their own unusual disinterest in something otherwise interesting. It’s also been my experience that said people are usually the most uninteresting in the room.

Also, I don’t know what it says about you that you went from effectively “trees falling in the forest” to the Hacker News infrastructure to defend your point about fun, thought-provoking idioms, but I do know it’s remarkably uninteresting.


Fair enough. By calling my comment uninteresting, have you also rendered yourself to likely be the most uninteresting person in the room, by the logic in your first paragraph? If so, who wins the title of the most uninteresting person in the room?


You initially would for having claimed something interesting is not, however you also started a discussion which is pretty interesting, including your own further comment, which also adds interest to the situation. Paradoxically you two now may be the most interesting here.


Tell that to Schrödinger. Even questions that seem utterly pointless and mundane at first glance can lead to captivating insights if explored at depth.


Schrödinger's cat was originally intended as a reductio ad absurdum.


uninteresting to you

A lot of discoveries of interesting stuff resulted from something uninteresting being considered interesting and deeply contemplated. Others look and say "what an idiot, spending such time on such uninteresting x", I say, "you're only my self-imagined disagreeable other, I'm your god, your consciousness is my consciousness, what say you now?" and they would say nothing since the puppeteer has been revealed and there is nothing left to say. I guess this is why God will never prove he exists.


I'm sure the comments were made in jest...


My point in bringing up the light meter is that in these "tree falls in the forest" thought experiments, it's taken for granted that your own biological senses are an absolute source of truth.

But your eyes are just another set of equipment, similar to a light meter. Just because your eyes are attached to the rest of your body, it doesn't make them inherently more trustworthy than equipment that's not part of your body.


However, our expectation is that a tree falling in the forest could kill us even if we didn’t hear and see it. That’s why we look when we cross the road. The fact that we’re subject to all sorts of things that can cause us harm without sensing them makes the case a lot more compelling that the light meter exists when we blink.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: