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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Burns Tony A1C 609 CPS/DOXEB)
Subject: reflex&bio
Date: Thu Feb 14 15:40:01 2002
Does that eternal debate of Sammie over reflexing on friendlies apply to a
more natural speed inducing aug like synaptic accelerators? Those actually
do rely on regular nervous commands etc... so mighten they be a little less
prone this drawback or not?

Hermeticas
Message no. 2
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Marc Renouf)
Subject: reflex&bio
Date: Thu Feb 14 15:45:01 2002
On Thu, 14 Feb 2002, Burns Tony A1C 609 CPS/DOXEB wrote:

> Does that eternal debate of Sammie over reflexing on friendlies apply to a
> more natural speed inducing aug like synaptic accelerators? Those actually
> do rely on regular nervous commands etc... so mighten they be a little less
> prone this drawback or not?

I can't remember the published rule, and I don't have my books
handy, but I distinctly remember using it such that *anybody* (wired or
not) could jump the gun. Even vanilla unaugmented people with no reflex
enhancement whatsoever. It was just a lot easier for people who were
wired to overreact.
To me this is more realistic. It shouldn't matter whenther your
reflex increase is mechanical, biological, or magical. The second you
make it easier for your body to go faster than your brain, the easier it
is to overreact.

Marc
Message no. 3
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Derek Hyde)
Subject: reflex&bio
Date: Thu Feb 14 16:05:01 2002
> To me this is more realistic. It shouldn't matter whenther your
> reflex increase is mechanical, biological, or magical. The second you
> make it easier for your body to go faster than your brain, the easier
it
> is to overreact.
>
> Marc

ok however I once learned in Speech class (long story, teacher taught us
all about this crap so that we'd understand how interesting you've got
to be when giving a speech to keep the listeners minds from wandering)
that the human brain operates at about 1800 words per second, the body
has no possibility of keeping up with the rate at which the brain can
process information, so rather than the brain outrunning the body
perhaps it would come closer to actually being able to keep up with the
brain and then it would become truly dangerous because then it would
become closer and closer to being truly a conscious decision of what to
do and it would be done at the fullest extent of the body and brain's
capability to carry out the will, which is why I believe that unless
you're extremely impulsive you won't be at all likely to react before
realizing what is going on...
Message no. 4
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Marc Renouf)
Subject: reflex&bio
Date: Thu Feb 14 16:50:02 2002
On Thu, 14 Feb 2002, Derek Hyde wrote:

> ok however I once learned in Speech class (long story, teacher taught us
> all about this crap so that we'd understand how interesting you've got
> to be when giving a speech to keep the listeners minds from wandering)
> that the human brain operates at about 1800 words per second...

I'd like to see the study that concluded this, but for the time
being I'll take you (and his) word for it. :)

> ... the body has no possibility of keeping up with the rate at which the
> brain can process information...

*Process* information perhaps. The key here is *collect*
infrmation. Try playing a tape at 1800 words per second. Can you
understand it? No. You brain may cognitively work at an amazing rate,
but it's slow in the I/O, if you take my meaning. And that's where
reflexes come in. Reflexes are reactions that the brain takes to external
stimulus without cognitive thought. The cognitive thought that controls
reflex is an analysis of the available information. That processing takes
time. It's fast, but it still takes time, especially if it requires
further sensory input (like looking at someone moving fast in the dark to
see if there are any features you might recognize).

> ...which is why I believe that unless you're extremely impulsive you
> won't be at all likely to react before realizing what is going on.

Okay, you're mixing terms here. An "impulsive" act is one taken
on a whim. A "reflexive" action is one taken without conscious thought.
When you walk past an ice cream shop with a full stomach and walk away
with an ice cream cone, you're impulsive. When your foot moves when the
doctor taps you on the knee, that's reflexive. Two *totally* different
things.

Marc

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