Evolving Thoughts
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John Wilkins is an eternal student, who thinks philosophy of biology is at least as interesting as politics or sport and twice as important. He has a PhD from the University of Melbourne and worked at the University of Queensland, in Australia, before taking up a research fellowship at the University of Sydney. After a varied career, involving factories, gardening, civil service, publishing, graphics, public relations but not, unfortunately for the CV, driving a truck, John finally completed his thesis on species concepts in 2004, which he has worked into two books.
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« Philosophy and evolution | Main | No, it's not an ancestor either (probably) »
Alpha Fail
Category: Humor
Posted on: May 19, 2009 4:27 AM, by John S. Wilkins
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Technology
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Comments
If we exhert a little effort and persuade five of those species to become extinct, then we could claim "how many species of swallow are native to Africa?" as a candidate for Ultimate Question (also as a Grand Unification: Python/Adams).
Posted by: Adrian Morgan | May 20, 2009 12:49 AM
But there's an answer, as I noted before. Alpha should know that...
Posted by: John S. Wilkins | May 20, 2009 12:54 AM
we tried this in the lab yesterday, it does give you a very detailed answer for the European swallow.
Posted by: ihateaphids | May 20, 2009 12:57 AM
Laden, or unladen?
Posted by: John S. Wilkins | May 20, 2009 1:05 AM
I entered, "What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?"
The correct answer was given. I am now at peace.
Posted by: PsyberDave | May 20, 2009 1:10 AM
Great minds think alike -- the swallow speed was the 1st question I typed in!
Given that the engine has trouble parsing much simpler inputs I've tried, this is almost certainly a hard-coded answer, like 42. So double fail.
Posted by: Michael | May 20, 2009 12:47 PM
It didn't know who did the twiddly bits along the coast of Norway. If they're going to code in one Guide reference...
Posted by: Chris L | May 20, 2009 1:21 PM