English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

6:00 PM

@KitΘδς So while there is no "choice" involved, you could still have a situation where the mimics eventually outnumber the harmful originators. But I'd guess that a system like that wouldn't be in equilibrium and thus the mimicry would stop being effective. It's a feedback system, for the mimic, originator, and predators.

aedia λ

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That's the other bit. You feel like you might get stuck in there.

z7sg Ѫ

@MrShinyandNew安宇 There is still a cost to it.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@z7sgѪ A cost, to mimicry?

z7sg Ѫ

@aediaλ Damn I will have to look at that at home.

KitΘδς

@MrShinyandNew安宇 That's more or less what I was trying to express, but in as unclear and condescending a manner as possible.

z7sg Ѫ

6:05 PM

@MrShinyandNew安宇 Well a risk at least, it's sort of like playing a bluff.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@KitΘδς I guess it's hard to follow these conversations sometimes from the transcript.

KitΘδς

@MrShinyandNew安宇 I do hope that noöne takes me too seriously. Sometimes I forget to use my tags.

aedia λ

@z7sgѪ It's from the episode The Royale, which only reinforced my feeling that revolving doors are out to get us.

z7sg Ѫ

It's hard to mimic and camouflage at the same time, though not impossible I suppose.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@z7sgѪ I'm not sure I agree. If aliens flew down to earth and started zapping people, but didn't zap bald guys because their shiny pates reflected the lasers back to the aliens, destroying them, soon everyone would be bald.

Sure, it's a bluff, but it doesn't raise the stakes.

z7sg Ѫ

6:08 PM

@MrShinyandNew安宇 Sure it does, take a yellow-black caterpillar. It will definitely be more likely to be seen by a predator than a green one.

If the predator figures out it's not really poisonous then it's screwed.

aedia λ

@MrShinyandNew安宇 In your example, it doesn't matter if you're bald naturally or fake-ly, it still works to reflect the lasers. That's not like some of the mimicry in nature, where it's a total bluff.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@z7sgѪ well, it's a different strategy than camouflage, that's true. But with camouflage, if you can be seen you're toast too.

@aediaλ No, people who shave their heads don't get that same smooth shiny finish

z7sg Ѫ

Your example doesn't involve any mimicry.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@z7sgѪ It does. Non bald people start mimicking bald people so that they don't get zapped.

zapping bald people is bad for alien lasers, so the aliens can't zap non bald people

er, can't zap bald people

So with yellow and black caterpillars, they are more visible, but as long as all the predators nearby know not to eat them, they won't be eaten.

And because this isn't a choice, it isn't really a bluff like in poker. the only reason that they are yellow and black is BECAUSE being more visible, but confused with unpalatable prey, means they reproduce more.

z7sg Ѫ

The predators learn that they are edible, then the colouring becomes a disadvantage. Once the predators call the bluff, they will lose, and the green caterpillars will proliferate.

In the natural world of course there is a balance reached between different strategies of course. Personally I have had more problems with the darn green caterpillars than any other, I wish they were all brightly coloured!

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…