Forums | MacLife

jerwin · 2009-10-09 1:51 pm

Tallgeese wrote:
He invented dynamite for mining, not for killing. I think it's a bit dismissive to say that he "only created the prize to brush up his image" rather than out of a sense of horror at what his invention had become.

Nobel's father owned a munitions company. Nobel invented a smokeless powder called "ballistite", which he sold to the Italian army, among others. Various companies controlled by Nobel sold munitions based on Nobel's patents. If Nobel had felt so strongly about it, he could have refused to license his patents.

On the other hand, Nobel was a chemist, and may have lacked the military imagination to move from "more efficient killing" to "wholesale slaughter."

ShnickyShnack · 2009-10-09 3:30 pm

Robert Oppenheimer hated the thought of nuclear war, but he's still remembered as the father of the atomic bomb.

Tallgeese · 2009-10-09 3:34 pm

Andrei Sakharov won a Nobel Peace Prize.

[Tycho?] · 2009-10-09 4:34 pm

Obama should have declined the damn thing. This only (further) discredits the Peace Prize.

Chickenhawk · 2009-10-09 4:38 pm

ShnickyShnack wrote:
Robert Oppenheimer hated the thought of nuclear war, but he's still remembered as the father of the atomic bomb.

And he got in a ton of trouble when he started rallying against the H bomb.

ShnickyShnack · 2009-10-09 4:39 pm

Chickenhawk wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Robert Oppenheimer hated the thought of nuclear war, but he's still remembered as the father of the atomic bomb.
And he got in a ton of trouble when he started rallying against the H bomb.

No, it was because he was a COMMUNIST.

Chickenhawk · 2009-10-09 4:39 pm

ShnickyShnack wrote:
Chickenhawk wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Robert Oppenheimer hated the thought of nuclear war, but he's still remembered as the father of the atomic bomb.
And he got in a ton of trouble when he started rallying against the H bomb.
No, it was because he was a COMMUNIST.

Whatev Joe.

ShnickyShnack · 2009-10-09 4:40 pm

Chickenhawk wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Chickenhawk wrote:
And he got in a ton of trouble when he started rallying against the H bomb.
No, it was because he was a COMMUNIST.
Whatev Joe.

Typical communist tactics!

bedstuy · 2009-10-09 4:51 pm

How about that failure to snag the Olympics? *crickets*

radarman · 2009-10-09 4:57 pm

Chickenhawk wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Robert Oppenheimer hated the thought of nuclear war, but he's still remembered as the father of the atomic bomb.
And he got in a ton of trouble when he started rallying against the H bomb.

it kind of makes you wonder if he intentionally limited the power of those first bombs?

ShnickyShnack · 2009-10-09 5:05 pm

radarman wrote:
Chickenhawk wrote:
ShnickyShnack wrote:
Robert Oppenheimer hated the thought of nuclear war, but he's still remembered as the father of the atomic bomb.
And he got in a ton of trouble when he started rallying against the H bomb.
it kind of makes you wonder if he intentionally limited the power of those first bombs?

No.

radarman · 2009-10-09 5:07 pm

ShnickyShnack wrote:
radarman wrote:
Chickenhawk wrote:

And he got in a ton of trouble when he started rallying against the H bomb.
it kind of makes you wonder if he intentionally limited the power of those first bombs?
No.

I dunno. The first tactical units seemed to be a bit underpowered. I could see Oppenheimer pushing behind the scenes to not go full bore, knowing their intended use.

Chickenhawk · 2009-10-09 5:22 pm

Here's the email they sent out:

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

I certainly hope he gives away the cash prize. That would be even better than refusing the award.

Pariah · 2009-10-09 5:28 pm

I think giving Obama the Nobel is crazy at this point and I think Obama's speech about it today hit the mark quite well.
I am taking some amusement from the right's predictable hysterical reaction.

On a side note am I the only one here who thinks of the Steve Ballmer "Monkey Boy" vid when you see snips of Rush from his show?

daemon · 2009-10-09 5:58 pm

On a side note am I the only one here who thinks of the Steve Ballmer "Monkey Boy" vid when you see snips of Rush from his show?

Not anymore...

smile

bedstuy · 2009-10-09 5:58 pm

lol... Evidently Michael Steele said Beyonce should have won the award and Pat Buchanan is labeling it Steele's "Kayne West Moment"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OenE3WXpmjI

bedstuy · 2009-10-09 6:04 pm

Chickenhawk wrote:
I certainly hope he gives away the cash prize. That would be even better than refusing the award.

Glenn Beck thinks Obama should turn the prize down and give it to the Tea Party goers. srsly

Chickenhawk · 2009-10-09 6:22 pm

bedstuy wrote:
Chickenhawk wrote:
I certainly hope he gives away the cash prize. That would be even better than refusing the award.
Glenn Beck thinks Obama should turn the prize down and give it to the Tea Party goers. srsly

Wut.

I'd say he should start some endowment with the prize money, but 1 million really isn't enough for such a thing. He should probably donate it to the United Negro College Fund or something else good to inspire faux rage in the "not racist" right.

bedstuy · 2009-10-09 6:23 pm

He should use that money for the deficit!

Pariah · 2009-10-09 6:23 pm

The Republicans have to keep screaming about Obama to keep the focus on any flaws, real or pulled out of Rush's ass.
Because they still have NOTHING to offer. Even after the disaster of Bush and the way 8 years of cuts and deregulation crashed the economy they still think that more deregulation and more tax cuts are the answer.
Hopelessly blind ideologues.

Chickenhawk · 2009-10-09 6:24 pm

bedstuy wrote:
He should use that money for the deficit!

That million dollars sure would make a big dent in it!

DevoDoc · 2009-10-09 6:47 pm

bedstuy wrote:
Chickenhawk wrote:
I certainly hope he gives away the cash prize. That would be even better than refusing the award.
Glenn Beck thinks Obama should turn the prize down and give it to the Tea Party goers. srsly

Would a million dollars be enough to buy them all a clue?

Metacell · 2009-10-09 10:08 pm

Goat on Parade wrote:
StaticAge wrote:
Talk Minus Action = Nobel Peace Prize.
There is no Nobel prize for math.
Now we know why.

It's actually because Nobel's wife was cheating on him with a math professor. I bet you already knew that.

Last edited by Metacell (2009-10-09 10:13 pm)

Tallgeese · 2009-10-09 10:16 pm

Metacell wrote:
Goat on Parade wrote:
StaticAge wrote:
Talk Minus Action = Nobel Peace Prize.
There is no Nobel prize for math.
Now we know why.
It's actually because Nobel's wife was cheating on him with a math professor. I bet you already knew that.

That theory is interesting, with the only flaw being that Nobel was never married.

Metacell · 2009-10-09 10:26 pm

Ah, well it was his mistress as the story goes. But I always suspected it was an academic legend.
http://mathforum.org/social/articles/ross.html

Forums | MacLife

#51 2009-10-09 1:51 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

Tallgeese wrote:

#52 2009-10-09 3:30 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#53 2009-10-09 3:34 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#54 2009-10-09 4:34 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#55 2009-10-09 4:38 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

ShnickyShnack wrote:

#56 2009-10-09 4:39 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

Chickenhawk wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

#57 2009-10-09 4:39 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Chickenhawk wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

#58 2009-10-09 4:40 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

Chickenhawk wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Chickenhawk wrote:

#59 2009-10-09 4:51 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#60 2009-10-09 4:57 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

Chickenhawk wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

#61 2009-10-09 5:05 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

radarman wrote:

Chickenhawk wrote:

ShnickyShnack wrote:

#62 2009-10-09 5:07 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

ShnickyShnack wrote:

radarman wrote:

Chickenhawk wrote:

#63 2009-10-09 5:22 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#64 2009-10-09 5:28 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#65 2009-10-09 5:58 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#66 2009-10-09 5:58 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#67 2009-10-09 6:04 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

Chickenhawk wrote:

#68 2009-10-09 6:22 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

bedstuy wrote:

Chickenhawk wrote:

#69 2009-10-09 6:23 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#70 2009-10-09 6:23 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

#71 2009-10-09 6:24 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

bedstuy wrote:

#72 2009-10-09 6:47 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

bedstuy wrote:

Chickenhawk wrote:

#73 2009-10-09 10:08 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

Goat on Parade wrote:

StaticAge wrote:

#74 2009-10-09 10:16 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel

Metacell wrote:

Goat on Parade wrote:

StaticAge wrote:

#75 2009-10-09 10:26 pm

Re: Obama wins Nobel