First it was global cooling would kill us all. Next over population. Then, holes in the ozone, then global warming and acid rain. Then underpopulation. Next Climate change (covers all weather) would get us. Not to be out done, the global panic would kill us all, particularly if you didn't buy and wear their useless masks. The hand wringers have been spouting all this garbage through out my entire 78 years. Oh, I forgot, we be running out of oil sometime in the early '70's.

Everyone should know it's all a bunch of crap, and the truth is space aliens will soon swarm in and eat us all alive...

If you're not using Revo Uninstaller to remove programs, you might want to consider it. Using the program's own uninstall feature will remove access to the program, but it could leave dozens of files behind. I just removed some programs that sneaked onto my computer and other programs that I no longer use. In all cases, after the initial uninstall, Revo scanned and found many more files hiding somewhere. Be sure to begin the uninstallation with Revo. If you simply use the program's uninstall, Revo can no longer help you.

You can pay for it, or you can get it for free. - https://www.revouninstaller.com/products/revo-uninstaller-free/

It looks like the paid version can get rid of junk left over after an uninstall. $12.47 annually. https://www.revouninstaller.com/frpromo/

EDITED: I downloaded the Pro version to see what it could do. Unfortunately, doing anything with it requires payment for a year. I found it very difficult to uninstall this Pro version. Kind of ironic. Unless you really want it, think twice about downloading it.

I've used Firefox, and Chrome and found Edge a pain over the years. I am not a fan of Apple and even less since Steve Jobs retired. I have an iPhone for work going on 5 years a Samsung Android phone for personal use and do not care for Apple products because they are not intuitive and difficult. Yes Yes, Apple users will disagree and say they are the best its a Coke Pepsi thing. About those I prefer Mexican Coke and our country's love affair with high fructose corn syrup is interesting. Chrome seems to be getting finicky and have Firefox installed and use it as a second browser but it may become my primary again unless Chrome gets its act together. The biggest thing I see is who will introduce the best AI assistant that's not hamstrung and uses critical thinking, that is not politically biased or pushes one social bent over another. Neither Microsoft or Google have made any great strides toward this goal and their offerings are glorified calculators with major guard rails.

In the realm of cosmic conundrums, the Fermi Paradox stands out: why, in a universe replete with billions of stars and planets, have we yet to find any signs of extraterrestrial intelligent life? The “berserker hypothesis,” a spine-chilling explanation rooted in science and popularized by science fiction, suggests a grim answer to this enduring mystery.

The concept’s moniker traces back to Fred Saberhagen’s “Berserker” series of novels, and it paints a picture of the cosmos where intelligent life forms are systematically eradicated by self-replicating probes, known as “berserkers.” These probes, initially intended to explore and report back, turn rogue and annihilate any signs of civilizations they encounter. The hypothesis emerges as a rather dark twist on the concept of von Neumann probes—machines capable of self-replication using local resources, which could theoretically colonize the galaxy rapidly.

Diving into the technicalities, the berserker hypothesis operates as a potential solution to the Hart-Tipler conjecture, which posits the lack of detectable probes as evidence that no intelligent life exists outside our solar system. Instead, this hypothesis flips the script: the absence of such probes doesn’t point to a lack of life but rather to the possibility that these probes have become cosmic predators, leaving a trail of silence in their wake.

Astronomer David Brin’s chilling summation underscores the potential severity of the hypothesis: “It need only happen once for the results of this scenario to become the equilibrium conditions in the Galaxy…because all were killed shortly after discovering radio.” If these berserker probes exist and are as efficient as theorized, then humanity’s attempts at communication with extraterrestrial beings could be akin to lighting a beacon for our own destruction.

Despite its foundation in speculative thought, the theory isn’t without its scientific evaluations. Anders Sandberg and Stuart Armstrong from the Future of Humanity Institute speculated that, given the vastness of the universe and even a slow replication rate, these berserker probes—if they existed—would likely have already found and destroyed us. It’s both a chilling and somewhat reassuring analysis that treads the line between fiction and potential reality.

Within the eclectic array of solutions to the Fermi Paradox, the berserker hypothesis stands out for its seamless blend of science fiction inspiration and scientific discourse. It connects with other notions such as the Great Filter, which suggests that life elsewhere in the universe is being systematically snuffed out before it can reach a space-faring stage, and the Dark Forest hypothesis, which posits that civilizations remain silent to avoid detection by such cosmic hunters.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-berserker-hypothesis-a-sci-fi-inspired-solution-to-the-fermi-paradox-s-great-silence/ar-AA1mKUJ6?ocid=msedgntp&pc=EDGEDSE&cvid=73299b1a0b274144966b40828a377439&ei=21

Does anyone have any experience with a "Dell XPS 13 2-in-1"... and do you have any thoughts on it as an escape from iPads... or a suggestion for another laptop with the following specs...

I can get this PC, with WiFi/5G/Bluetooth, Intel i7 processor, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM... and Folio/Keyboard for $1,699... and weighs 1.6lbs.

The latest iPad Pro 12.9 with WiFi, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM is $1,999... and weighs 1.5lbs... WITHOUT a Keyboard and I am sure that is another several hundred $... and a couple of ounces... all to keep me in the dreaded iOS environment.

Weight and no 5G has kept me from many otherwise great laptops... the negatives with my current, otherwise a wonderful laptop.

I have used and hated iPads since they came out... well it is really the iOS that I despise along with Apple's answers to inquiries. They begin to sound like the "HAL 9000" from "2001:A..." with "You can't do that" or the i-device will not do that... or pay Apple for storage and go thru all the steps (and disadvantages of) putting everything in the cloud.

I am NEVER going to be happy unless I have file access to every file in the device and drag and drop capability with those files... to other directories/devices (which I have hoped for years that Apple would put in iOS).

I want a light/portable device with both WiFi and 5G and this Dell PC seems to fit the bill. I have also considered some of the Micro$oft "Surface" devices; however, their cost and having to sacrifice having a known Intel processor... kills that deal.

I just read a comparison of "Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 vs iPad Pro 12.9...". They lean toward the iPad; however, their reasons are about things that either don't matter to me or I can't perceive the difference in actual use (my wife has the iPad Pro 12.9 and I have a Dell laptop with a comparable screen).

Just in case... I will state that I am posting this in the "General Chit-Chat" section... as appropriate.