u/GlumAd9856

I left my mobile on the bus the other day and had a few hours of panic when I realised just how much of my life is tied to it. There's so much you can't do even online without the 2-factor authentication. I got it back, but it made me think of what I can do to prepare for this happening in the future.

I bought a spare sim card from the same mobile operator and have back up phones I could use.

Any other good advice?

There's a scientific theory that's been knocking around for a while that true consciousness/sentience can't be created from a computer programme, no matter how advanced. Rather, self awareness comes from some kind of quantum effect in the neurons in our brain that can't be replicated in code.

This is why Data (edit - and Lore of course) are the only known android with human-level awareness. Noonien Soong didn't simply recreate a human brain in code - he actually built an artificial neural network that is capable of the same quantum thinking.

Whereas, every artificial life form that requires a separate computer to run code is not actually self aware - all they do is mimic self awareness. Including the Doctor.

And that's why it's perfectly fine to make them work in the dilithium mines, steal their creative works and let Commander Riker plough them on a daily basis.

Hi,

I have a 5 year old moggy that I got from the rescue shelter a couple of years ago. I immediately took out pet insurance and i was surprised that it was only £6 a month (now £8). Checking all the details, it seems to cover emergency situations, but might be a bit lacking for on-going costs (which I'm ok with).

I keep hearing horror stories of vets now charging an absolute fortune for fairly minor care/treatment. A relative has spent almost £4k on her (to be fair, elderly) cat in the last year. So, I want to make sure that I'm actually covered should anything happen. I can deal with a hundred pounds here or there, but multiple thousands wouldn't be viable for me.

Obviously i've checked the coverage and it all seems sensible. But does anyone have any tips on what to look out for and what should definitely be included?

Thanks