All of Circusfacialdisc's Comments + Replies

Ah, thank you. So the structure left at the end was not by any means a solid diamond.

1[anonymous]
Right, but it's still a fantastically regular and finely structured array.

Concerning manipulation of diamond by biological molecules, what exactly is this?

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/509816/first-nanodiamond-arrays-created-by-biological-molecules/

(Not trying to make a point here; I am actively deferring to someone with more chemistry mojo than I have to explain this)

3[anonymous]
I did a quick little bit of searching and following back of citations, may have time to do so somewhere with easier access to paywalled journals tomorrow and if I misstated anything I will edit. This protein SP1 (Stable Protein 1, originally from Aspen trees, a 12-part ring that is so stable it goes through boiling intact hence the name) forms hexagonal rings and as long as you don't mess with the parts that hold the hexagon together you an tack on interesting other things to the interior of the rings and the exterior. Keep hydrophobic patches around the exterior and you can get it to arrange itself into regular lattices. Keep the inside hydrophobic and you can get it to grab onto and encircle other hydrophobic particles of the proper size in solution. Here they mixed the protein with protein-sized diamond particles, the rings grabbed those particles that were the proper size, and arranged themselves into flat extremely regular hexagonal arrays carrying the diamond particles along for the ride.

Yes, although The Bean Cycle (where it will be held) closes at nine. There will likely be an afterparty-type affair, however.

I've seen some rather detailed discussion of the specific case of the enlarged human cranium being a rather tight squeeze through the pelvis, but I don't recall any more general discussion of selective pressures acting against intelligence.

Was there a sign? I seem to be having trouble finding this meet up group.

The human brain uses something like a fifth of the oxygen the body uses. The selective pressure against general intelligence would be formidable indeed.

Fun to speculate about a different biology where cognition is not so metabolically expensive, or another where it's even dearer.

4gwern
Is there any comprehensive discussion of the selection pressures against intelligence? I've compiled a couple in http://www.gwern.net/Drug%20heuristics#modafinil but that's only what I've stumbled across and recognized as relevant.

Doesn't McGonnagall mention that the clocks in Hogwarts were most definitely invented by Muggles? That would be an additional datum in favor of this interpretation.

I'm immediately reminded of discworld where technical improvements in magical theory have gotten to the point where a spell that originally required the sacrifice of a human being can now be performed using a few ccs of mouse blood.

Hmmm, what if the practice of magic is weaker in the present of MoR because ritually sacrificing a few dozen peasants for purely experimental ends is considered in bad taste?

I can see Dumbledore BSODing over the discovery that Hogwarts is actually powered by the hearts of ten thousand orphans somewhere down in the foundations.

9Desrtopa
I think we can rule that out on the basis that Godric Griffindor wouldn't have stood for it.

The most recent update would suggest that fairly standard shielding charms can stop blunt impact.

"Daphne could hardly see the movement as Susan seemed to hit the corridor wall and then bounce off it like she was a rubber ball and her legs smashed into Jugson's face, it didn't go through the shield but the sixth-year went sprawling backward with the impact"

There appears to be conservation of momentum, but the momentum from typical firearms spread out over your entire body isn't even going to leave a bruise, assuming said charms are up to d... (read more)

2[anonymous]
Just not partially motivated by the need to capture opponents for sacrifice?

I remember the author's comments some time ago to the effect that he was surprised that many readers (myself included) weren't immediately sure that Quirrell is Voldemort. Has anyone considered that this might be a trans-forth-wall version of Bystander Effect?

The (presumably omniscient) narrator isn't pointing out that Quirrell is Voldemort. The (presumably well informed) Professor Dumbledore has disclosed no such suspicions to the reader. (Presumably cunning and logical) Rationalist!Harry hasn't made any connections between the sense of doom, harmonic ... (read more)

2TobyBartels
The narrator isn't omniscient; he only tells us things from certain characters' points of view. I agree that it is suspcious that neither Dumbledore nor Harry think of this. But in fact neither has any reason to suspect that Voldemort is still alive, while we (having read the original series) do. (Also, Dumbledore was really bad about this sort of thing in canon.)