The science of opinion ...

I would like an ability something less shotgun like than an out and out block of a user, as say Facebook which would prevent them from responding as they can never see your threads, to something more scalpel like, like blocking users on a per thread basis, just to save the effort of having to continually remove posts.

I believe that was actually one of the aims of the "Insider" project, which unfortunately gained no real traction.
If I remember correctly I think there was talk of the OP of a thread created under the Insider forum being able to  block users from said thread.

Its been a while so maybe I am wrong......

"...lack of documentation of the procedure followed in its experiments."

Now, you are talking.

I am still hoping to read about methods used to achieve what teo_audio stated about horses being taught to use calculator.

Also I was under the district impression horses can speak but that might be due to too much TV. That’s pretty interesting if horses really can use a hand calculator you know, since they don’t have hands. Do they use hoof calculators? Maybe I’m wrong about this thread not being educational.

Not every thread gets derailed. This one has such a broad and open topic that many things could fit.

There are more focused threads where you can get real answers to real questions and in which, even with occassional humor, it stays usefully focused.

Threads like this are more like a bar where you can vent and go home afterwards. How much harm is done?

geoffkait,

teo_audio already clarified that one. He/they started using smaller calculators for hummingbirds. There was a problem with horses. Which makes me question his initial statement about Ethan Winer's use of calculators.