All right. I will admit to one single, solitary advantage of the ridiculous Fahrenheit temperature scale: It enables you to say "room-temperature IQ" without being hyperbolic. On a Fahrenheit scale there really are people whose IQ would be a reasonable room temperature.
On the other hand, in Celsius you could say "boiling-water IQ" and still be pretty insulting.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
Is an IQ of 100 all that insulting? I was under the impression that it was (exactly) average.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
Yes? The average human is thick as two short bricks. Besides, I didn't specify the atmospheric pressure. The higher you climb, the more insulting it gets. Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I prefer Kelvin. 0 Kelvin everything dies, 100 Kelvin everything dies.
Posted by Szymon (Member # 7103) on :
I never trusted IQ tests. Some of my friends are "thick as two short bricks" (I simply love this phrase, KoM, thank you!) and yet claim to have gotten over 130 in their IQ tests.
Celsius rules. Metric system rules. You should take example from your northern friend.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
The absolute most hopeless, clueless, worthless human being I work with is in Mensa. I am surprised he figured out how to type while simultaneously breathing.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
If they took online IQ tests, then they likely aren't valid.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I prefer Kelvin. 0 Kelvin everything dies, 100 Kelvin everything dies.
0 Kelvin is only theoretical. And everything dies way before it gets down to 100 K.
Posted by Szymon (Member # 7103) on :
Nah, there are bacteria that survived going to moon and back. Persisent little things.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
They may have gone to the moon, but it doesn't follow that their temperature dropped to 100 Kelvin. The spaceships had to be kept at a temperature suitable for humans at least internally, and in fact getting rid of excess heat was a problem: Vacuum is an excellent insulator.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by SteveRogers: If they took online IQ tests, then they likely aren't valid.
No, he is legitimately Mensa.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
One of the worst things that ever happened to me is finding out my IQ as a child...like giving a monkey a live hand grenade. Took me a decade to stop telling people about how "gifted" I was and all.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
You had to tell people? I think that was your first clue right there.
*Sarcasm, because you're doing exactly the same thing while claiming not to do it anymore, which I find legitimately tickling.
Posted by Szymon (Member # 7103) on :
quote:Originally posted by King of Men: They may have gone to the moon, but it doesn't follow that their temperature dropped to 100 Kelvin. The spaceships had to be kept at a temperature suitable for humans at least internally, and in fact getting rid of excess heat was a problem: Vacuum is an excellent insulator.
NASA'a page: The 50-100 organisms survived launch, space vacuum, 3 years of radiation exposure, deep-freeze at an average temperature of only 20 degrees above absolute zero, and no nutrient, water or energy source.
If I aren't much mistaken, that's 20 kelvin.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
quote:Originally posted by Samprimary: The absolute most hopeless, clueless, worthless human being I work with is in Mensa. I am surprised he figured out how to type while simultaneously breathing.
Because IQ tests measure a very specific aptitude, having nothing to do with a person's ability to function in polite society?
Posted by Szymon (Member # 7103) on :
El JT de Spang, besides calling him worthless, Sam also mentioned he is surprised to see him breathing and typing at the same time. I think one might say it's Sam's judgment on guy's intelligence. You'd expect someone in mensa to be smarter.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
quote:Originally posted by Szymon:
quote:Originally posted by King of Men: They may have gone to the moon, but it doesn't follow that their temperature dropped to 100 Kelvin. The spaceships had to be kept at a temperature suitable for humans at least internally, and in fact getting rid of excess heat was a problem: Vacuum is an excellent insulator.
NASA'a page: The 50-100 organisms survived launch, space vacuum, 3 years of radiation exposure, deep-freeze at an average temperature of only 20 degrees above absolute zero, and no nutrient, water or energy source.
If I aren't much mistaken, that's 20 kelvin.
It is, but I want to know how they measured it. At that sort of temperature metal behaves strangely and electronics go wonky; I'd be surprised that the probe survived, never mind the bacteria. If it's a theoretical calculation based on some model of the probe, well.
Posted by Aros (Member # 4873) on :
quote:Originally posted by King of Men:
quote:Originally posted by Szymon:
quote:Originally posted by King of Men: They may have gone to the moon, but it doesn't follow that their temperature dropped to 100 Kelvin. The spaceships had to be kept at a temperature suitable for humans at least internally, and in fact getting rid of excess heat was a problem: Vacuum is an excellent insulator.
NASA'a page: The 50-100 organisms survived launch, space vacuum, 3 years of radiation exposure, deep-freeze at an average temperature of only 20 degrees above absolute zero, and no nutrient, water or energy source.
If I aren't much mistaken, that's 20 kelvin.
It is, but I want to know how they measured it. At that sort of temperature metal behaves strangely and electronics go wonky; I'd be surprised that the probe survived, never mind the bacteria. If it's a theoretical calculation based on some model of the probe, well.
And I'm sure that your offhand conjecture is more accurate than that of NASA scientists.
Posted by Szymon (Member # 7103) on :
Well, I don't know, I just trust them. Those bacteria where found on Surveyor 3 by astronauts from the Apollo mission. They were:
recovered from inside its camera that was brought back to Earth under sterile conditions by the Apollo 12 crew
I suppose they assumed that the temperature inside the camera was the same as surface's. After three years, it probably did cool down to 20 kelvin. Of course "living" is a bit of an exaggeration. They were hibernated. But, well, they did survive.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by El JT de Spang:
quote:Originally posted by Samprimary: The absolute most hopeless, clueless, worthless human being I work with is in Mensa. I am surprised he figured out how to type while simultaneously breathing.
Because IQ tests measure a very specific aptitude, having nothing to do with a person's ability to function in polite society?
It isn't even really about his ability how to function in polite society, any society, or even 'a desk job.' He is witless, he has absolutely no sense, changing his routines leaves him hopelessly befuddled and useless for weeks, and it comes paired with a Lambertian inability to course-correct even when he is distinctly imperiling his job (or what's left of it, him having been shifted steadily down to level one service desk) by being a complete dolt.
But I'll sure give it to him, he sure can kick the crap out of an IQ test or a rubik's cube good job bro go back into a parked car again in the company lot that's always a blast
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
update on high-iq "exceptional individual" — E.I. tickets things like "unit electrical control pressure switch is acting contra-normal." We get to sit around and find out he is saying "my computer's power switch doesn't work" but instead of english he likes to use a new language called "look at me i am so smart"
contra-normal is now a thing, we say it all the time. also everyone hates him.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Intelligence tests, like any kind of test, must have some value in determining a person's ability to do things. However, it doesn't follow that the skills the person demonstrates will necessarily be applicable or available outside of the test environment, or exist in a combination that has a practical use in a majority of situations.
On top of that, British Mensa's description of how to find the "class bright spark" I find hugely suspect. For example, I do not agree that poor handwriting is a case of "the hand not being able to keep up with the brain". Lots of very bright people write either slowly or clearly. Nor do I agree that the most academically apt person in the class struggles to maintain friendships more or less than anyone else. In fact, any one of these could describe someone of almost every level of intelligence (although a good memory/recall does seem to be a particularly useful skill).
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
quote:Originally posted by Samprimary: update on high-iq "exceptional individual" — E.I. tickets things like "unit electrical control pressure switch is acting contra-normal." We get to sit around and find out he is saying "my computer's power switch doesn't work" but instead of english he likes to use a new language called "look at me i am so smart"
contra-normal is now a thing, we say it all the time. also everyone hates him.
Please continue to update here, because I am enjoying the crap out of reading about this guy.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
E.I. keeps the rubiks cube and Mensa newsletters perched even more visibly on the outside edge of his desk; he is positioning them specifically to ensure that whoever walks by his desk sees them. He has been bounced off of service desk because that involved actually 'communicating' with people and trying to work out what 'they need' to be 'helped' with and that is right out. He has several computer and cellphone alarms which go off frequently as 'day and life reminders' whether or not he is at his desk and it has drawn his most immediately proximate coworkers close to the rain-slick precipice of murderous intent. If he is off service desk I think that makes it so that I have him next.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I have dodged having E.I. as a responsibility. E.I. now has a phone with aux codes. Since a phone with aux codes breaks his routine, his comfort zone has been demolished and he has lobbied an incessant amount of complaints. At no point comes any sort of resignation to using a phone with aux codes, or, for that matter, learning how to use said phone as a job requirement. I am watching the aux code monitor and he has been in "break" for 4 hours.
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