Talks to Watch

Battlestar Galactica | “I’m A Machine”

674K views · Jul 2, 2018 · 4:13 · 0 HN recommenders · 4 mentions · discussed 2021–2023

A clip from Battlestar Galactica season 4 in which a character declares 'I'm a machine' and laments the limits of human senses.

Why Hacker News points people here: HN uses it as a quoted joke in threads about human limitations versus machine perception.

What Hacker News said 4

JokedatametaDec 2021

“I’m a machine, and I can know much more.”

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"I don’t want to be human! I want to see gamma rays, I want to hear X-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can’t even express these things properly, because I have to—I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid, limiting spoken language, but I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws, and feel the solar wind of a supernova flowing over me. I’m a machine, and I can know much more." this video Context at 1:14, quote at 2:08

in “NewLimit: a company built to extend human healthspan” · view on HN
JokejaquersMar 2022

“I want to see Gamma Rays!”

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I thought the same thing - reminded me of birds. (I was casually aware that we knew they had some sort of magnetism sensing, but hadn't caught up with the fact that we think it is a visual thing) link One last random association "I want to see Gamma Rays!" this video

in “Underwater power cables affects crabs biology at a cellular level” · view on HN
Jokescott113341Mar 2022

“the character laments the sensory limitations of the human body”

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You reminded me of this scene from Battlestar Galactica that has stuck with me since I watched it (spoiler alert). Conversely, the character laments the sensory limitations of the human body :) this video

in “The voice of Utah's arches – Ambient seismic vibration sped up 25x” · view on HN
Jokebmurphy1976Dec 2023

“Queue Battlestar Galactica rant”

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It is amazing. I really wish I could see that level of detail with my own eyes. Queue Battlestar Galactica rant ( this video ).

in “James Webb Space Telescope captures high-resolution image of Uranus” · view on HN