The Power of Inoperability: Making a DVD Writer Out of Cheese!

[Gara]

okay, so i have a car. it breaks. saying "the car stops working" inplys it's still a car, even though it no longer fuctions as a car, its still a car.

so, i could make a DVD writer for my PC out of a block of cheese and some duct tape, right? seeing as something doesn't have to work in order for it to be that "something"...?

 

[nix]

the car stops working implies that the car has previously worked and functioned as a car...this means that even though the car has ceased to work, it has the potential...just needs for example a new battery

thecheese dvd writer, probably has none of the functioning units of a dvd writer and has never worked as one, and realistically doesn't have any potential to do so...so not real

 

[Andy]

the car stops working implies that the car has previously worked and functioned as a car...this means that even though the car has ceased to work, it has the potential...just needs for example a new battery

thecheese dvd writer, probably has none of the functioning units of a dvd writer and has never worked as one, and realistically doesn't have any potential to do so...so not real

But, i ask you this, if i where to add all of the neccesary components to the cheesiedvd to makie it look like one, would u be able to call it a dvd writer? If i had the chassis of the car would i be able to call it a car?

Ah, an even better example, all i need is a metal skeleton and i would be a Terminator! So could i call myself a Terminator just because with one additional extra i could become one?

 

[Artman]

If the car doesn't work, it becomes a 2 ton door stop, it's just more difficult to place it in front of a door than the 2 lb variety.

I don't think you will find much call for the cheese DVD burner, too much hassle to keep it refrigerated between uses.

 

[Gara]

if a car that doesn't work is no longer a car, i shouldn't still have to pay tax for it, but i do.

so it boils down to the "it first has to work to be that item"...

what about a probe to mars. we made a probe to mars. it didnt get to mars, but it was still a probe to mars. oh, bbl, my CPU is melting my DVD writer.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I would say the reason the non-fuctioning car is still a car is because the fact it doesn't work has not changed its design essence. In other words, I agree with nix. The best use you can make of a non-functioning car is to restore it to functioning as a car, finances permitting.

Likewise cheese with duct tape completely fails to acquire any of the design essence of a DVD burner, while retaining it's component design essences as food and fastener, respectively. Calling it a non-functioning DVD burner is just plain inaccurate.

 

[motai]

Originally posted by Artman
If the car doesn't work, it becomes a 2 ton door stop

Well, a door stop would be nice.

Originally posted by Gara
so it boils down to the "it first has to work to be that item"...

What about an item that was supposed to function a certain way, but it was broken before it came out of the box?

 

[Evo]

Originally posted by motai
Well, a door stop would be nice.

quote:
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Originally posted by Gara
so it boils down to the "it first has to work to be that item"...

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What about an item that was supposed to function a certain way, but it was broken before it came out of the box?

Then it's a door stop. I would say "intended use" instead of "it first has to work". I can't say that cheese & duct tape were ever intended to be able to record DVD's. I mean the heat from operation would melt it, but then, I like melted cheese, so not a complete waste, I guess.

 

[jimmy p]

Why don't u convert your car into a DVD burner seeing as it is more likely to have the components and use the cheese as a door stop? problem solved

 

[Andy]

You know I am Right.

 

[nix]

what about a probe to mars. we made a probe to mars. it didnt get to mars, but it was still a probe to mars.

for this one i think if you actually had a functional probe, it is a real probe..but not a probe to mars..because it won't get to mars..

What about an item that was supposed to function a certain way, but it was broken before it came out of the box?

broken or it doesn't work? because if it was broken, as in a piece fell of, it still is real because it has all it needs to function

if an object was supposeed to function a certain way but it doesn't and never did, would it be real? Say i intended to make a flashlight and used all the components, but it didnt work anyway?

mmm...im getting cravings for grilled cheese

 

[Andy]

If i had a Metal skeleton would i be a Terminator?

 

[nix]

what do you mean?

do you mean if you were a machine?

if so then no, a terminator is a machine that was designed to kill other machines ( i think?)
even if you had a metal skeleton, you would still lack the purpose of the terminator

 

[Andy]

But if i ahd the Metal skeleton, all i would need is the Machine Brain and then i would be able to be a terminator.

 

[nix]

But you lack the essential component of the machine brain which makes up the terminator...WAIT! is this your way of telling me that a car lacking the essential component of the battery is not a car?

but in the car case it already functioned as a car, if you previously had a machine brain and you lost it, then i suppose you are a terminator just w/o a brain..lol..."if i only had a brain"-wizard of oz

 

[Andy]

So let's get this sorted, if i had a metal skeleton i wouldn't be a terminator.

If i swapped my human brain for a machine brain i would be.

So...if i where to swap my machine brain back with my human brain would i still be a terminator. And if i had the machine brain and skeleton would i still be a human?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by Andy
So let's get this sorted, if i had a metal skeleton i wouldn't be a terminator.

You'd be Andy with a metal skeleton.

If i swapped my human brain for a machine brain i would be.

Getting ripped off. Nothing is worth swapping your brain for.

So...if i where to swap my machine brain back with my human brain would i still be a terminator.

Andy with a terminator skeleton.

And if i had the machine brain and skeleton would i still be a human?

Nope.

 

[Andy]

Now I am not sure whether your agreeing with my or not.