If 'Oumuamua Is an Alien Spacecraft, It's Keeping Quiet So Far.. [livescience.com]

Druvius comments on Apr 11, 2018:

There never was much likelihood for this, although its unusual shape is peculiar.

A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (This is a slightly modified version of a post from...

Druvius comments on Apr 11, 2018:

There's an easier way: 1. Stop falling for racist fearmonging and understand it's not a horrible crisis, just one of the many minor issues nations have to manage. 2. Get on with your life.

Some hot guy near me at the gym didn't even hear my loud fart, because he had his headphones in.

Druvius comments on Apr 10, 2018:

"Damn barking spiders!"

45 opened elephants and lions to trophy kill by Americans again.

Druvius comments on Apr 10, 2018:

I don't think westerners have any business telling African countries what they should outlaw.

Compliments

Druvius comments on Apr 10, 2018:

I was once told I look like a Hell's Angel on his day off. My favorite to this day. :)

A cosmology question.

Druvius comments on Apr 10, 2018:

OK, a little off as to the size of the two galaxies in the night sky, they would each be about twice the size of this, that's what Andromeda would look like if Earth wasn't stuck in a dusty arm of the Milky Way. There would still be countless other nearby galaxies and intergalactic stars visible in the pristine clarity of intergalactic space.

A cosmology question.

Druvius comments on Apr 10, 2018:

We are currently in a dust cloud that wildly obscures our night sky. Halfway between the two galaxies the night sky would be almost unimaginably awesome, with a huge part of the sky being one or the other galaxies (or both) spanning a huge portion of the sky, and countless intergalactic stars and distant galaxies visible. The night sky would be almost solid with things we could see.

Creation vs. Evolution

Druvius comments on Apr 9, 2018:

Agreed, the debate was over by about 1870. Because some people are still in denial doesn't make it a debate.

Some hot guy near me at the gym didn't even hear my loud fart, because he had his headphones in.

Druvius comments on Apr 9, 2018:

Overshare. ;)

I want to explore a touchy topic.

Druvius comments on Apr 9, 2018:

It's something I have pondered for decades. For the most part gender differences are trivial, males and females are essentially the same. Yet when it comes to physical violence, males are wildly overrepresented. Needs more study I guess.

[en.

Druvius comments on Apr 8, 2018:

I'm sure I have heard of it, I have always had an interest in abiogenesis. It's made great progress in recent decades, and at this point it's looking like life is inevitable under the right conditions. https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-support-for-a-physics-theory-of-life-20170726/

"If Jews had guns there wouldn't have been a holocaust" you're now victim blaming.

Druvius comments on Apr 8, 2018:

It is one of the more ridiculous and insulting tropes thrown around by anti gun control peeps.

Life coach Tony Robbins says women are using the MeToo movement to get certainty and significance in...

Druvius comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Misogyny illustrated?

Some years ago a friend who is married to an Episcopalian minister asked me if I was a church goer.

Druvius comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Where is the hypocrisy? What am I missing?

Newly vegetarian help!!!???

Druvius comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Beans and rice. If completely vegetarian, you need to eat nutritional yeast as well.

What's an interesting fact you know?

Druvius comments on Apr 7, 2018:

Buffalo Calf Road Woman is the one who knocked Custer off his horse at the Battle of Greasy Grass. The expression on his face must have been priceless.

How do you measure soul?

Druvius comments on Apr 6, 2018:

The word soul is loaded with all sorts of historical mystical crap. If by soul, one means conciousness, IE self awareness or theory of mind, then there is something to talk about. Most people at least agree with Descartes "I think therefore I am." But despite the fact that a huge amount of thought has been given to it by both philosophers and scientists, we aren't much further along than a general agreement it exists. There has been some alleged progress made in recent years, but honestly I am not conversant enough in the required fields to have an opinion on it.

It's a very complicated case, Israel and Palestine.

Druvius comments on Apr 6, 2018:

Your English is fine, I appreciate your insights. The situation in that part of the world is complicated, I don't pretend to understand it, but I am pretty sure my country's involvement isn't helping.

How would you handle this?

Druvius comments on Apr 6, 2018:

They are ritual words. IE they are just words. If the tradition is to say them, say them. It's about the tradition, not your sensebilities, by choosing to participate you are tacitly agreeing to the ritual. That's my take, based on what you posted.

Does anyone else ever miss going to church sometimes?

Druvius comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Well, no, but that's because I still occaisionally go to church. It's an extremely progressive and inclusive congregation, and I've worked alongside the reverend in many social justice undertakings. :)

Admitting when you’re wrong..

Druvius comments on Apr 5, 2018:

Yes, it is a human issue. I find it hard to admit I'm wrong. I've blogged about this: https://www.patreon.com/posts/hardest-words-to-17500476

Having watched the Trumpet speak for over a year now, I ask the question.

Druvius comments on Apr 5, 2018:

The scary part is that a few decades ago he was noticeably more coherent. I've watched old interviews and such, he was never one of the brighter candles on the cake, but he used to be able to speak in complete sentences. Not a goodsign at all.

Google Employees Are Livid About Company's 'Evil' Military Partnership... [livescience.com]

Druvius comments on Apr 5, 2018:

"Non offensive uses only." Um, no, a global military empire is purely about offense, by definition.

A Third of Young Millennials Are Confused About This Incontrovertible Fact... [livescience.com]

Druvius comments on Apr 5, 2018:

The human brain isn't designed for logic, it's a very sophisticated pattern recognition device. So the fact that people fall for such stuff is a feature, not a bug. IE a fair amount of study has been done on conspiracy ideation now, and there is little indication that these beliefs are pathological in any way. So yes, a failure to educate people on logic, critical thinking, and spotting false arguments. Compounded by all sorts of powerful influences in media, advertising, and politics that not only encourage ridiculous beliefs ... science is increasingly being used to encourage them more effectively! Even if both situations were to change (I wouldn't hold my breath) the incidence of conspiracy thinking would no doubt drop, but it's hard to imagine it ever going away.

How do you measure soul?

Druvius comments on Apr 4, 2018:

I think you are describing Panpsychism, which I tend to agree with. Def agree that the idea only humans have souls is pernicious nonsense. Just read a book covering a lot of this, The Big Picture by Sean Carroll. Lots of food for thought.

The Owner of Snopes.

Druvius comments on Apr 4, 2018:

I've yet to see a Snopes story that was wildly off base. Criticism of them seems to be limited to birthers, truthers, and other conspiracy proponents who live in alternate realities.

Evangelical Pastor Claims Traditional Gender Roles Can Prevent Sexual Abuse | HuffPost

Druvius comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Wow, just wow.

Would you rather work at a place you love where you make very little money or a place you hate where...

Druvius comments on Apr 4, 2018:

This one's easy. Doesn't matter how much money you're making if it's a shitty work environment. Been there, done that, wasn't worth it. Never again.

Racism goes both ways

Druvius comments on Apr 4, 2018:

Anyone can be prejudiced, by racism is an institutional system that privileges one group and discriminates against minorities in virtually all walks of life. So no, racism only goes one way.

Alien theory

Druvius comments on Apr 4, 2018:

On a scale of one to ten, minus ten. He's a hoaxer who is laughing all the way to the bank. His books are filled with factual innacuracies, lies, and glaring omissions. There is no evidence for ancient aliens and no reason to invoke them, nothing our ancestors did required outside help.

Antarctica's Underwater Ice Is Retreating 5 Times Faster Than It Should Be... [livescience.com]

Druvius comments on Apr 3, 2018:

This is an aspect of global warming that rarely gets mentioned, in many ways it is happening faster than models predict. And there's no reason to believe it couldn't suddenly accelerate, nature tends to sudden rates of change when things destabilize.

What's a phrase you vehemently despise?

Druvius comments on Apr 3, 2018:

Potty humour from anyone over 13.

What movie trope is the worst?

Druvius comments on Apr 3, 2018:

I think you mean trope?

Soooo what do you feel about AIs?

Druvius comments on Apr 3, 2018:

At this point AIs definitively are not conscious in the sense a person is concious. None can pass the Turing Test under real world conditions. At some point they may be, but right now there seems little likelihood that will happen anytime soon. I just read a book that covers this topic in depth, fascinating reading: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Big_Picture.html?id=fM5ijwEACAAJ&hl=en

A probability word problem, it's not a riddle, no trick answer.

Druvius comments on Apr 3, 2018:

It's counter intuitive. The way to think about it is this. Two of the three boxes contain two of the same colour marbles. So when you select the first box at random, there is a 2/3rds chance it contains two like coloured marbles. Looking at one marble doesn't change that, whether it is gold or silver, 2/3rds of the time the second marble will be the same as the first. Since 2/3rds of the time the box you randomly selected contains two like coloured marbles.

Paranormal Experiences?

Druvius comments on Apr 2, 2018:

I've seen and experienced some stuff. I'll freely admit there does not appear to be any evidence for supernatural influences in reality. Still is fun to talk about, and as long as we haven't ruled out that we are living in a simulation or such, who knows. I run a Facebook group called "Glitches in the Matrix" where people can share such experiences and talk about them in an open minded environment.

What character traits indicate someone is a "good" person?

Druvius comments on Apr 1, 2018:

How they treat people of lower social status is certainly the primary indication of character.

Nothing like a little sacrilege on a beautiful Easter Sunday.

Druvius comments on Apr 1, 2018:

And this ...

First evidence for higher state of consciousness

Druvius comments on Apr 1, 2018:

Yes, it's good thst research on these substances is now taking place, but no doubt it will prove a fertile field for bad science reporting.

Nothing like a little sacrilege on a beautiful Easter Sunday.

Druvius comments on Apr 1, 2018:

This one. :)

My downstairs neighbor is a rude ass.

Druvius comments on Apr 1, 2018:

There may not be any good options besides moving. If you get into a pissing contest with him, who knows what he is capable of. Look at your lease and look into the laws in your town an state. It may be that if he gets a certain number of police reports filed, the complex will have grounds to evict him. Good luck, neighbour issues are the worst.

My jesus jokes offended 2 Xians today. Oops.

Druvius comments on Apr 1, 2018:

Dunno what state you live in, but a single ill advised joke can get you fired in some of them.

2nd Amendment

Druvius comments on Apr 1, 2018:

The Second Amendment isn't the problem. And since we can't even get basic common sense gun control enacted, the chances of ammending the Constitution are zip. Basically claiming the Second Amendment is under threat is one of the many ways the NRA rallies its supporters, since it doesn't have any logical argumentd against gun control.

Fermi Paradox: Where are the aliens?

Druvius comments on Mar 31, 2018:

It's clear at this point that the Star Trek universe doesn't exist, SETI has pursued quite a number of avenues and come up with nada. My suspicion is that intelligence such as ours is an evolutionary dead end, within a century it will be possible to build a doomsday device in a garage, and sooner or later someone will. It's also possible that intelligient life such as us is so unlikely that even we being here is a fluke. The chances of a monkey typing Hamlet by chance is effectively zero, if we are that unlikely, we're alone.

How will the advent of self-driving cars change your life or the lives of others?

Druvius comments on Mar 31, 2018:

It has good aspects, they will be vastly safer than the current system. Car sharing will mean fdwer cars on the road, less congestion, less pollution. People will gain huge amounts of time, now the car can drop off the kids and pick them up after school and soccer practice. That being said, huge economic changes. Tens of millions of drivers will be out of work. And that's just the direct impact. Far fewer accidents will put a lot of body shops out of work. Less demand on medical facilities. Fewer traffic cops needed. Basically this is going to be a huge change in how we live our lives, especially since drivers will be just one of the professions eliminated by the incipiant robot revolution. Basically we are on the cusp of a second industrial revolution, the first made manual labour largely obselete, skilled labour is next. Going to be interesting to say the least.

I started a new job and was told the two things to not discuss were politics and religion.

Druvius comments on Mar 31, 2018:

Ignore it?

Thousands of years ago, there was a king whose people were very loyal and true to.

Druvius comments on Mar 31, 2018:

Work for me in this lifetime and I will reward you after you die! Greatest scam ever.

Who needs an assault weapon to go hunting, or for self defence?

Druvius comments on Mar 30, 2018:

Yerp, little to no hunting, sorting, or self defence use. Especially with high capacity magazines.

What are the facts of the Big Bang Theory anyway?

Druvius comments on Mar 30, 2018:

This is good: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo

What's the best fortune cookie message you've ever gotten?

Druvius comments on Mar 30, 2018:

"This fortune cookie was poisoned."

What life altering experience should every human have at least once?

Druvius comments on Mar 30, 2018:

You haven't really lived until you've had a mortal enemy.

What's the strangest experience you've had? Or the strangest thing you've seen?

Druvius comments on Mar 29, 2018:

Really? You wouldn't believe me.

DHS and FBI detail how Russia is hacking into U.

Druvius comments on Mar 28, 2018:

I read the report, same as the report about the Dem servers. A list of ways to hack, minus any actual evidence. More Cold War propaganda in other words.

Purpose

Druvius comments on Mar 28, 2018:

Yeah, that's one of the more idiotic criticisms of athiesm. They have the same purposes as everyone: family, friends, career, art, life, making the world a better place, etc. Minus the devotion to an invisible superfriend.

Newfound 'organ' could be the biggest in your body - CNN

Druvius comments on Mar 28, 2018:

Sounds like connective tissue to me, but the experts will no doubt sort it out.

Did you hear about the insomniac, dyslexic, atheist?

Druvius comments on Mar 28, 2018:

Um ... needs an edit. ;)

What unbelievable prank has your cat ever done?

Druvius comments on Mar 28, 2018:

Moving groceries in one day a bag of litter leaked, leaving a little pile of kitty litter on the carpet the size of a quarter. Came back awhile later to clean it up ... and Miss Kitty had very carefully peed right on it. I couldn't even be angry, it was kitty litter. Well played Miss Kitty, well played.

What do people do that grosses you out? X(

Druvius comments on Mar 27, 2018:

Spitting on sidewalks where people walk.

Former Supreme Court Justice Stevens: Repeal the Second Amendment I don’t believe it need ...

Druvius comments on Mar 27, 2018:

Nothing in the constitution needs to be changed to make significant progress on gun control in the US. Even suggesting it plays into the hands of the NRA.

Was there a historical Jesus?

Druvius comments on Mar 27, 2018:

There is no historical Jesus. And while the Romans kept good records, maybe 10% of those records survive. Modern archeology may well someday recover more contemporary information, but until then, who knows?

What are you reading currently? Recommend it?

Druvius comments on Mar 26, 2018:

The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself. By Sean Carroll. Great for people interested in such things.

All you pro gun people need to understand how difficult it is to change the Constitution.

Druvius comments on Mar 26, 2018:

Yes, there are no constitutional issues with gun control, no one's rights are in danger. It's a disengenuous scare tactic promoted by the NRA and their ilk.

Since 2017, I do been hearing people downtown Portland say,there's Earthquake coming,and it may ...

Druvius comments on Mar 26, 2018:

Absolutely true. Might be tomorrow, might be centuries from now. A few sensible precautions can improve your odds of coming through it with only stories to tell.

If undeniable evidence of a diety or deities were to come out tomorrow, how would you respond?

Druvius comments on Mar 25, 2018:

It wouldn't matter. This is basically roko's basilisk restated, they would judge you by your previous behaviour. That being said, should I meet my maker I could look them in the eye.

What if I told you that you can feel sadness and empathy for families affected by mass shootings ...

Druvius comments on Mar 25, 2018:

Gun rights aren't under threat, so they don't need support. Your stance makes no sense. Stating your opposition to gun control in this disengenuous fashion is the opposite of empathy for the victims of gun violence. You are trying to have your cake and eat it too.

Could you consider someone a real friend, if you've never met them in person?

Druvius comments on Mar 25, 2018:

Yes, why not?

Now Registering Animal abusers

Druvius comments on Mar 25, 2018:

I'm conflicted about this too. Sex offender registries have been a very mixed blessing, they've done a lot of harm, been very expensive, and done little, if any, good. The actual dangerous sex offenders do what they need to do to stay off the lists. In a perfect world where the people maintaining these lists were uncorruptible and had God-like prescience they would be great. We are living in far from a perfect world.

[youtu.be]

Druvius comments on Mar 24, 2018:

Lol, this is why I'm not an athiest. :)

Musings of a conflicted feminist.

Druvius comments on Mar 24, 2018:

Yeah, most if not all of the "successful" relationships I see in friends and family more or less involve one party being subsumed by the other. I prefer not to be the subsumer or the subsumee, but I have yet to figure out how to do that. And yes, the older I get, the less I know. And I was an idiot as a young man.

What gives your life meaning? What keeps you going?

Druvius comments on Mar 24, 2018:

Being there for friends and family, trying to leave the world a better place than I found it, pondering the mysteries of the Universe.

A Georgia Mom Crashed Her Car Into a Concrete Pole to Show Her Kids God Exists – Friendly Atheist

Druvius comments on Mar 24, 2018:

She must have been dropped on her head as a baby.

Homeopathy paper on pus retracted after alleged 'fake doctor' authors got arrested

Druvius comments on Mar 24, 2018:

Yeah, snake oil is still with us.

What in Sam Hill is THIS crap [ewao.com]

Druvius comments on Mar 24, 2018:

Eve was the world's first spare rib, has that changed? Anyhow, the web site is an anti-vax pseudo science woo site, so not worth perusing further. Takes all kinds to make a world.

Do you believe Atheism is a religion?

Druvius comments on Mar 24, 2018:

No, it isn't. That being said, organised atheism certainly shares a lot of commonalities with organised religion. And there are organised athiest religions like Satanism. It's all context.

Guy's what's your opinion that there is only Two genders I would like to know?.

Druvius comments on Mar 23, 2018:

That's a cultural construct. Reality is much messier.

I am at the end of my rope.

Druvius comments on Mar 23, 2018:

I wish I knew any doctors. Hoping for the best.

What is a dirty little secret about an industry that you have worked in, that people really ought to...

Druvius comments on Mar 23, 2018:

Housecleaners in a hurry sometimes sweep kitchen floor, make sinks look shiny, and pour Pine Sol or the like in the drains and toilets. I did it a few times, never failed, client would come home, take a whiff, look at the sink, and thank you for doing such a great job!

Do humans have a innate affinity for drugs & is this natural behaviour for humans?

Druvius comments on Mar 23, 2018:

It's been found in virtually every human culture throughout history, and is widespread innthe animal kingdom as well. Not a huge amount of research has been done, and a lot of what has been done is flawed. The infamous rat addiction experiments of the 50s for example. As a lay person I can't even speculate as to why, but pretty obviously the behaviour has an evolutionary advantage or it wouldn't be so widespread.

Here. Everybody here knows everything better than the rest of the world. Explain this.

Druvius comments on Mar 22, 2018:

This.

I have finally watched Black Panther, I have failed to see the hype it received, the whole movie to ...

Druvius comments on Mar 22, 2018:

I have finally watched <any white superhero movie ever>, I have failed to see the hype it received, the whole movie to me looked more like deceptive wishful thinking based on myth and <whiteman's> obsession with supernatural powers and unwillingness to let go of a Kingdom that never existed anywhere <on Earth.> May be I am the enemy of my own people, have you watched it? What's your honest opinion?

Here. Everybody here knows everything better than the rest of the world. Explain this.

Druvius comments on Mar 22, 2018:

Thank you for posting another nonsensical anti-gun control "argument." My only question is: Are you incapable of rational argument, or are you a paid NRA shill?

The Historicity of Jesus?

Druvius comments on Mar 22, 2018:

Historians pretty much agree he existed, though the only reliable facts about his life are that he was baptised by John the Baptist and crucified by Pontius Pilate. Until further evidence is uncovered, I have no problem with historians. People insisting he didn't exist or whatever are demonstrating that motivated reasoning can be found in any belief system.

How would you spend your last day if you knew death was imminent?

Druvius comments on Mar 21, 2018:

Writing, calling friends and family.

Here are some excellent ideas. None of them have anything to do with more guns. [npr.org]

Druvius comments on Mar 20, 2018:

And none of them have anything to do with why we need these things ... a country awash in easily obtainable highly lethal weapons.

Beginning in 2003, the National Rifle Association persuaded Congress to impose restrictions on how ...

Druvius comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Yes, it's stuff like this that basically makes the NRA a domestic terrorist organization, this cripples the ability to fight crime.

Today's atheists are bullies -- and they are doing their best to intimidate the rest of us into ...

Druvius comments on Mar 20, 2018:

Yes, that might be the stupidest thing I've ever read.

I'm a gun owner and I approve this message

Druvius comments on Mar 20, 2018:

I dropped out of the NRA decades when I realized they were peddling blatant falsehoods.

I really want a glidecycle to help keep active with very little pressure on my joints, but they're ...

Druvius comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Oh, man. If I lived near you I could make you one for far less than $1700, pretty obvious one could be made with almost any cheap old bike and plumbing pipe. And, well, welding skilz. Hope the idea catches on, mass produced the price would come way down.

Here is my stance, regarding god if I am wrong.

Druvius comments on Mar 19, 2018:

What's happening in the picture is 100% caused by human failings. Since about 1900 humans have had the ability to EASILY provide everyone on Earth with decent food, shelter, water, and medical care. That things like war, famine, and lack of medical care are still common is a human failing. There are no good arguments for God, and decent ones for God's nonexistence ... but humans' treating each other like garbage isn't one of them.

A new low: [bbc.com]

Druvius comments on Mar 19, 2018:

Children getting ahold of guns and accidentally shooting someone happens all the time. A nine year old deliberately shooting his sister in an argument, that's a new one for me at least.

What Was the Most Pointless Battle in History?... [livescience.com]

Druvius comments on Mar 18, 2018:

Easy. The Battle of Kiska in WW2. Over 300 Americans killed or MIA, over a thousand wounded. Japanese casualites: 0. They didn't show up for the battle, the Americans were fighting themselves. https://unitedcats.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/onward-through-the-fog-the-battle-of-kiska/

Should athiest really be saying 'rest in peace'

Druvius comments on Mar 17, 2018:

They are ritual words, nothing. A traditional way of saying you're sorry so and so died. So it doesn't really matter.

Are you racist?

Druvius comments on Mar 17, 2018:

As I am sure others have pointed out, pretending to be colorblind is racist through and through.

What America’s gun fanatics won’t tell you

Druvius comments on Mar 17, 2018:

Apparently the author didn't do their homework. In DC vs Heller in 2008 the SCOTUS ruled that the 2nd amendment is an individual right to bear arms. So the gun fanciers needn't worry about the government coming for all their guns. And it doesn't mean all guns are protected, so efforts to get AR-15s out of civilian hands are still legal.

Are Voters Easily Manipulated?

Druvius comments on Mar 16, 2018:

People are easily manipulated, and the sciences of advertising and propaganda are getting better at it all the time. Combine that with a failing education system and someone like Trump was inevitable.

Ninja cats! [boredpanda.com] Pretty neat...

Druvius comments on Mar 15, 2018:

I always call them spinning samurai cats. :)

Lots of talk today about Stephen Hawking passing.

Druvius comments on Mar 14, 2018:

No, it's not religious unless one is obsessed with seeing religion in everything. It's about his fascination with the cosmos, his understanding of it unfettered by his physical state, and an acknowledgement that we come from stardust and will one day return to stardust. It's a great tribute to the man.

This is a lengthy article in the Scientific American written on October 1, 2017, but it is well ...

Druvius comments on Mar 14, 2018:

38% of Americans think humans we're created by their invisible superfriend the the last 10,000 years. Fact based arguments have a tough row to hoe in the US.

I've officially been called an ugly hag for supporting women in "mens" sports! This makes me so ...

Druvius comments on Mar 12, 2018:

I can't think of any realistic objections to it. There might be sports where there might be some rational objections, but honestly sports interests me about as much as gnat collecting, so I can't really give this question the thought it deserves.

Donald trump is different.

Druvius comments on Mar 12, 2018:

Yes, but he is just a symptom of the underlaying problem, our political system was hijacked by corporations, bankers, and the Pentagon in the 80s. In some senses he is just a distraction.