The source attribution effect, or : Tribal thinking trumps reason

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

The source is more important than the content. It is a sad commentary on the human condition.

To the tune of Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

No SUPERSTITION in the classroom...

STOP. MAKING. PENISES. I know you're doing it on purpose. STOP IT.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Now I see how your mind works...?

What happens after a human being dies?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Knowing that this is all there is makes it that much more precious. Also, the realization that my own being is the result of a pulling together and organization of a collection of atoms guided by a genetic program, and the knowledge that these atoms come from rocks and water and trees and butterflies and before that they were forged inside stars and after I'm dead they will be parts of ants and worms and bacteria and butterflies again makes me understand that they are not really mine but are only on loan to me. I'm ok with that.

If you had to recommend someone watch 5 TV series, what would you pick?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

I would have to know the person and be aware of their tastes before I could make such a recommendation.

What do you guys think.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Jehovah's Witness is an apocalyptic cult related to the Seventh Day Adventists, both of which sprang from the Millerite movement of the early/mid 19th century. Miller is famous for having precisely but erroneously predicted the apocalypse not once but twice. Lots of people believed his prediction and went outdoors to wait for the rapture, which of course never came. Both times! It is a shining example of the resiliency and persistence of unjustified belief even in the face of overwhelming contrary evidence. It's actually kind of scary.

Don’t Believe the Hype: Tech-Induced Anxiety is Real | Thrive Global

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

I was a late adopter of tech. I didn't get my first cell phone until 2010. While I find the device useful, I also despise it. Look around in any public place and a lot of people are focussed on a little screen and oblivious to what is going on around them. I keep my phone on "silent" at all times because I don't want the blasted thing to take over my life. So far so good, but I still feel a certain nostalgia for the good old days before cell phones.

Where were you on 9/11?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

I was teaching on 9/11. When I heard that a plane had hit one of the towers at first I didn't think that much of it. I had heard of small planes hitting buildings before. Then I saw the videos and realized the scale of the thing. That ended the lesson. We started over the next day.

Superstition

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

My uncle says it's bad luck to put a hat on a bed.

Music or no music during sex?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

Sure, sometimes.

I30 points to level 6

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 12, 2018:

You go girl!

The rise of post-truth liberalism -

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 9, 2018:

Mr. Gray makes the fundamental mistake of assuming modern western liberalism to be monolithic. I doubt that a majority of liberals, much less all, view Putin's meddling as more than a symptom rather than a prime cause. The author makes a similar mistake when he assumes that no liberals realize that western democracies are artificially floating on a raft of unsustainable debt. The article is full of such nonsense. He paints with a brush too broad.

I have an idea, which I postulated a long time ago, and aside from some thought and a little ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 9, 2018:

It is the nature of religion, because of the lack of independently-verifiable evidence for many of its assertions, to undergo schism. Both Christianity and Islam are products of schism, having split off from Judaism. All three of these have split repeatedly, Christi-insanity alone having produced some forty thousand sects. So if it had not been Islam, it would have been something else.

How do you like, or do, your potatoes?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 9, 2018:

I pop a small yam into the microwave for 3 minutes. Then I dissect it and dice the flesh in the skin before mixing it in with my green salad.

Can science and religion be reconciled?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 9, 2018:

Usually in a reconciliation one or both parties change their tune to come into agreement. Science and Christianity can reconcile by simply having all Christians admit that none of the assertions in the Bible relating to the natural world can be taken literally, and admitting that everything since the big bang has happened according to natural laws. In other words, narrow god's agency range to the time before the big bang. It is not necessary to do this with Taoism, Hinduism or Buddhism because in those philosophical traditions people are not required to believe in the literal truth of the stories (though many do anyway). The stories are there merely to provide mental pathways to concepts that transcend stories. Those concepts, by the way, are not inconsistent with modern science. Read Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics for more on that. ?

Are you a romantic? Are you passionate in a nonsexual context?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 8, 2018:

Want to see me get passionate? Just mention the President, the oil companies, and the Republican-controlled Congress in one breath.

Synesthesia.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 8, 2018:

It's pretty hard to explain biological evolution to people who think all species magically popped into existence in a blinding flash of divine inspiration.

Synesthesia.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 8, 2018:

Synesthesia arise out of neuronal/synaptic connections between areas of the brain normally process different kinds of stimuli. As in the difference between numerical graphemes and colors. Some see each written numeral in a different color. There is nothing magical about that. We are all, to a degree, synesthetes. As the neuroscientist V.S.Ramachandran has pointed out, when the Bard writes, "What light in yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!" he is playing on our natural ability to make connections between things that might otherwise seem unrelated. No magic involved.

What is something you ate growing up that you never ate again once you became an adult?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 8, 2018:

Spaetzle. My oma used to make it.

What do you do better than anyone else?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I think that whatever I do there is somebody that does it better. My strength is having a broad skill set (but not as broad as some). Call me Jack-of-lots-o-trades, master of none. If we narrow the focus, I'm probably be the best writer in my department; possibly best at my school site. It's all about practice; 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration. I don't think there is anybody there who creates as much original work (curricular materials) as I do.

You are your worst critic? Is that quote true or false?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I am not unaware of my shortcomings, but I try not to beat myself up too much. That's what enemies are for, lol.

Being on the net as often as i am, i need the civility-fixes here at agnostic.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I guess I'm kinda spoiled because this is the ONLY social media site I visit. But kudos to you for fighting the good fight.

Long distance relationships : can they work when both parties haven't even met irl?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 8, 2018:

I would not call it a "relationship" until the parties have met and are seeing each other at least semi-regularly. Otherwise they are just pen pals. Or whatever you call it if they are using visual/voice messaging.

Okie teachers help kick tea baggers out of legislature. [nymag.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 7, 2018:

It's about time! ?

How many people on here are here to connect with other atheist for dating?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 7, 2018:

I'm open to meeting women. ?

Just some optical illusions to help you get through to the weekend.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 7, 2018:

Cool!?

Are you an early bird or night owl?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 7, 2018:

An early bird this morning...and if I can get a nice little nap in this afternoon, a night owl tonight. Australian Pink Floyd tonight at Humphreys! Woohoo!

Sextortion - I learned a new word today.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 7, 2018:

I have been getting phone messages saying I am in legal jeopardy and that if I don't talk to these people the local cops are going to arrest me. It's all a scam of course. There are a lot of losers out there who can't or prefer not to make an honest living and instead try to prey on others. Unfortunately they do find victims, but happily I have so far not been one of them. At least not so far. The best policy is not to respond to any email or phone message directly. Your bank, the IRS, the local police, the Nigerian Consulate, none of them will call or email you asking for information. Just file it under "Another bullet dodged." ?

The Case for Dark Matter in the Universe

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 5, 2018:

Whatever dark matter is, it seems it is everywhere. It's almost as if those early theorists with their quaint notions about "ether" were actually onto something.

Donald Trump shows an unparalleled bent for shameless self-promotion.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 3, 2018:

It is unlikely that the hard-core Trump supporter will engage in the kind of self-analysis or introspection required by the hoped-for change. In the face incontrovertible proof of the President's malfeasance, his supporters simply invoke conspiracy theory (the liberal-controlled deep state) to explain away or divert attention from inconvenient truths.

How does everyone feel about the understanding that our global resources are finite?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 3, 2018:

Seeing the trends in population growth and resource degradation makes me feel angry at the lack of leadership, sad about the prospects for future generations, and relief that I will probably be dead before the stuff hits the fan. Still, I ride a bicycle to work, (and the grocery store, the bank, the post office), use led all lighting, compost all organic wastes, recycle paper, plastic, glass, and metals, use minimal water (by catching the cold water from the hot water pipes in a bucket, saving water used for rinsing vegetables in the kitchen sink to water outdoor plants, not having a lawn in this desert climate...). Oh, and assuredly my my most Earth-friendly act, not having kids. So I feel like I'm on the right side of history, and at least partially atoning for past sins.

Tomorrow is Labor Day.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 3, 2018:

We can thank organized labor/unions for the weekend, the 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, workplace safety, and retirement and health benefits.

Did you ever notice about history?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 2, 2018:

Would be nice, but don't hold your breath. The "winners" are not about to give up any advantage they might have.

Me and Mrs. Jones

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 2, 2018:

What does it mean to you AMGT?

Big oil asks government to protect it from climate change

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 2, 2018:

If corporations are people, as the Citizens United decision asserts, then these oil people are totally self-interested psychopaths, completely without conscience or moral scruple.

Do you make the distinction between being skeptical vs. cynical?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 2, 2018:

Yes! Being skeptical means holding out for more evidence before accepting (or rejecting) a proposition. Being cynical means harboring negative a bias, seeing only the darker side of human motivations or natural tendencies.

Dramatic vegetation changes in the past hint at dire future

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 1, 2018:

How many crop failures can the world have before civilization begins to crumble? I think that is the meaning of "dire" in the context of climate change.

Hey there everyone is this site like other sites where no one ever talks to you I'm a big Beatles ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 1, 2018:

The Beatles were great! That the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones eventually ended up getting more of my attention takes away nothing from the Beatles.

What is the most agreed upon truth that exists?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 1, 2018:

The only things in life that are certain are death and taxes. Everything else is up in the air.

What is a book that has been important in the development of your worldview?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 31, 2018:

The Immense Journey, by Loren Eiseley, for its natural history. The Golden Ass, by Apulius, for its irreverence. The Rievers, by William Faulkner, for its young protagonist who stole a car, jockeyed a race horse, and got cut up in a knife fight in a whore house all before his tenth birthday. And for his genuine remorse and the compassion he was shown by his grandfather, the owner of the car. Siddhartha, by Herman Hess, for its commentary in the world of the possible. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, for its look at greed and obsession. The Golden Shore, by Patrick O'brien, for its tale of perseverance and resourcefulness in the face of extreme privation and suffering.

Pillow talk: ever discuss academic subjects?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 31, 2018:

I once gave a dissertation on rogue waves in a water bed.

Is it worrying that there is a ProGunRights in this forum?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 30, 2018:

How do you know they are not simply expressing a preference for the AK-47 over the M-16?

A neuroscientist explains what tech does to the reading brain - The Verge

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 29, 2018:

So this perception I have had that people are getting more superficial, less patient, and less able to think critically is not just my imagination. It's real and it's linked to the use of technology. This is something that the Principal in the school where I work should know. She is trying to get everyone to go 100% digital. She went so far as to take all of the paper out of the copy room. If a teacher wants to print or copy a document, they now have to remember to bring paper to the machines. I call it zombie leadership.

Do people take "Here for community" seriously?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 29, 2018:

I'm here because I enjoy the people here. If the other thing happens, great. If not, no worries. It's all good.

I'm currently reading Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas, and a fascinating question pops up ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 29, 2018:

Building something good is the best way to effect change. But I understand the impulse to tear something bad down. However, if one is patient, bad things often fall down on their own.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 27, 2018:

Shmoe? How about schlemeil?

Most of my favorite scientists:

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 27, 2018:

I am also a big fan of Aristarchus of Samos, who, in around 450 bc was the first to propose a heliocentric model of the solar system. At least he was the first that we know of.

So what's on the Saturday agenda boys and girls?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Saturday was all about sailing. Sunday has so far been about sleep. But it is about to become about setting up another in a long series of monuments to the current POTUS. After briefly admiring this work of art (and criticizing its flaws; I never seem to get the pompadour just right) I will turn the little chrome handle a watch my work disappear into oblivion as the actual President will surely do at some happy and not too distant future date. Then I will get on with my other regular weekend activities: a late breakfast, (raw material for next attempt at rendering the President's likeness), laundry, grocery shopping, and a mountain bike ride. ?

How does this Joseph Campbell quote tie in with your atheism/agnosticism? Or not?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 26, 2018:

One of the functions of myth, according to Joseph Campbell, is to help people find that connection to something bigger than the self. For me, myth does not do that because I know it is fiction. But science, on the other hand, provides me with a different explanation, one that does describe my connection to the Earth and every living thing on it. The difference is that the scientific explanation is believable, because it is based on lots of evidence. And the attitude the science engenders is different than that of the religions rooted in the Old Testament. They assume man's role to be one of dominion over the world and the other creatures, whereas science teaches us that we have kinship with other species, and along with our evolutionary gifts of a large brain, opposable thumbs, and symbolic language, a responsibility for good stewardship of the planet.

The true costs of the War in Afghanistan

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 25, 2018:

Oh it's trillions alright. You betcha.

Do you think that information can be destroyed, or do you think that it is a permanent component of ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Information can, for all intents and purposes, be lost. When the great library at Alexandria burned a lot of information was lost forever. And some was rediscovered. Whether or not information is stored in a parallel universe is pretty much irrelevant unless you have some way to access it. I doubt that all information becomes subjective if it can be destroyed. Facts are facts, whether or not anybody knows them.

Why are Fox News viewers less well informed than people who do not watch any news?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Fox is so irresponsible; craven; cynical. It's malpractice.

What are the current theories related to the creation of the universe?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 21, 2018:

The Big Bang Theory is definitely a theory of the origin of the universe. I eschew the word "creation" in this context; it has too many religious undertones.

The Original Double Slit Experiment - YouTube

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 21, 2018:

As elegant an explanation as I have ever seen. Well done!

A New Day - TheHumanist.com

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Religious folk tend not to have faith in their own doctrines to win out in head-to-head competition with other ideas. If an idea is truly a good one it should proliferate on its own, without the need to stamp out or squelch competing ideas. Yet religious institutions invariably seek to tilt the playing field in their own favor. This represents a tacit admission of the weakness of their position, though you may never hear them admit it.

What would you do if had enough money to not need a job?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 20, 2018:

Read, write, sail, hike, Travel, marvel, ride my bike Play guitar and sing my lungs out Have a beer and enjoy the sunset Hang out with my pal I can spill the beans with To sleep and play and eat my green with These are the things that I would do When I don't have work but I do have you.

Someday I'd like to plot out a massive road trip to visit some of y'all.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 20, 2018:

Hey your route doesn't include San Diego! What's up with that? ?

Hello everyone, I'm new here so I'm just gonna straight up ask a question :).

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 20, 2018:

Charles Darwin, without a doubt.

Just as an FYI: I am in the process of moving to England to teach.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 20, 2018:

I was under the impression that math and science teachers are rather sought after here in the US. What specific area is your specialty? In what part of the US were you seeking employment? What grade level are we talking about?

Should secularism be taught in high school as a part of a civics class or social studies.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 19, 2018:

Students should be taught that the founders of this nation understood that theocracy is the enemy of democracy. And for that reason they articulated the separation clause in the very First Amendment. Student should also receive rigorous instruction in the life and physical sciences, which roundly refute literal interpretations of the Bible in matters of the nature of the universe and the origin of species. Once these lessons are thoroughly understood, the students will know that secularism is a cornerstone of multiculturalism and the antidote to religious war.

Is living together an acceptable alternative to marriage?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 18, 2018:

In California, after two years of cohabitation a man and a woman are considered to be common law spouses, and the same rules apply as is they were married.

Best concerts?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 17, 2018:

Jerry Garcia Band at the Wiltern Theater, circa 1990. Wow! The whole building was literally rocking!

Evolution timeframes get a rethink after scientists take a closer look at Earth's first animals

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 17, 2018:

Given the nature of science, the care that scientists take to not overstate things, and the sequential way in which scientific discoveries are made, we should expect that proposed earliest dates for this or that would get pushed back in time. That being said, the work of the discoverers is to be lauded and celebrated. It takes a lot of effort by a lot of people to accumulate the data that necessitates the re-writing of textbooks. As for this particular case, I think I can get used to the idea that the first animals may have appeared a few tens of millions of years earlier than recently thought. Its like a bit of intellectual chocolate: tasty, stimulating, and sweet! ?

I might be stupid but if my partner who claims to love me more than she's ever loved anyone before ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 17, 2018:

I would not read too much into it. Birthdays of adults are no big deal. Now for kids it's another story.

Bill Gates Thinks A Coming Disease Could Kill 30 Million People Within 6 Months | IFLScience

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 16, 2018:

The graph of human population growth is like a hockey stick, with the handle lying horizontally and the blade standing up at a steep angle. The steep part represents the exponential growth that has occurred over the last 200 years, where the population grew from only a few hundred million to over 7.5 billion today. Were it not for this growth, most people alive today would not be here. That's the good newd. The bad news is that population booms are often followed by busts. A bust is a crash, where most or all of the organisms die.

Greatest invention of all times?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 16, 2018:

Either the vaccine or the bicycle, I can't decide which. ?

Politics and the US November Election

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 16, 2018:

Yes, it important to debunk the falsehoods, especially where it reveals the ways in which tRump's policies (on healthcare, trade, taxes, etc.) are screwing over his own supporters.

So it's been 400 years since the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 16, 2018:

Sometimes nasty old habits die hard.

The Sorites Parradox is an ancient conundrum that runs as follows; If you have a pile of sand ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 16, 2018:

If a corporation is removing mountaintops in order extract coal, at what point does a mountain cease to be a mountain?

Are we living in an era of "post-truth" ?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 15, 2018:

The fact that people have always lied, dissembled, prevaricated, quibbled, and engaged in all manner of mendacity does not in least reduce my level of contempt and disgust for pants-on-fire Trump and his fraudster minions. A pox on all their houses!

Are we living in an era of "post-truth" ?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 15, 2018:

"When a thousand people believe some made-up story for one month, that’s fake news. When a billion people believe it for a thousand years, that’s a religion." Great quote! ?

What old video games do you still play ?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 15, 2018:

I never liked video games. Space Invaders, bleh. Pac Man, bleh. The newer stuff is even worse. If we are talking about games you can play in a bar, then I prefer pool, or darts, or pinball.

According to a Gallup poll published Monday, a majority of Democrats no longer hold a positive view ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Neither of those systems is much good by itself. The trick is to find a balance between the two.

The Burka, should there be criticism of this headwear?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 12, 2018:

I don't think anyone should be allowed to hide their identity in public. It is asking for trouble.

A question for someone out there with arcane knowledge: were oxen ever used extensively as draft ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 12, 2018:

Yes, I think so. An ox is just a castrated steer, a fairly common thing in small-farm-based economies. I seem to recall that many westward-trekking settlers used oxen to pull their wagons. And farmers used them to pull plows and do other heavy work.

Vegan Seafood Is About To Become Big Business--And Not A Moment Too Soon

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 11, 2018:

Ocean acidification may pose an even greater threat than over fishing. Over fishing generally impacts the species that are higher on the food chain. Ocean acidification threatens all marine organisms, especially those that secrete shell material: corals, coccolithophores (a type of phytoplankton), pteropods (planktonic mollusks) and foraminifera (a type of zooplankton). These organisms are all at or near the base of the marine food web, so the trophic structure is getting hit at both ends. Coral reefs not only provide food for parrot fish, but they also serve as habitat to many species and nurseries to many others. People tend to think of the oceans as a vast and inexhaustible resource, but it is actually much more fragile and vulnerable than people realize.

Who is your all time favorite comedy actor?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 8, 2018:

Harpo Marx! ?

Why are men and women put under so much pressure to have kids in this society?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 8, 2018:

As a little kid in the 60s I heard talk about the "population bomb," and I realized then that the world did not need me to have kids. Two hundred years ago it was necessary to produce farm hands to work the land and a large percentage could be expected to die young. Nowadays having kids is a luxury, not a necessity. In decades past I got not so much pressure as surprised reactions that I was opting to not have kids. It was as if the default setting on the white, educated, heterosexual, middle class, American male was always procreation. Now, with climate change nipping at our heels and civilization on the brink of agonizing change if not outright collapse, I think people look at my decision not to have kids in a different light. I certainly have no regrets.

What right does the atty general have to take on a job of increasing christian values within our ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 7, 2018:

None!

Evolution, religion, and why it’s not just about lack of scientific reasoning ability - On Biology

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 7, 2018:

I suspect that for most religious folk the main concern it to be aligned with the other members of their group. The details of the doctrine are of secondary importance. In other words, tribal affiliation over substance. And since they spend a lot of time together in the same bubble and there is confirmation bias they become very entrenched in their beliefs. The indoctrination process starts early in life and offers a catechism comprised of easy-to-remember stories and attractively easy answers to knotty questions. It all adds up to a mindset that is remarkably resistant to outside influences. And yet people leave the fold every day. Something clicks and suddenly logic and reason are more important than tribal affiliation. That is reason for hope. ?

Ahead of the Curve: A World without Cash? - TheHumanist.com

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 5, 2018:

The problem with electronic transactions is that corporations are constantly compiling information on you. I prefer to remain anonymous, and cash lets me do that. Plus, counting out bills makes you think twice about if you really want to buy something. Moreso than just swiping a card and scribbling your name. I don't remember the numbers, but studies have shown this to be a real thing.

There are a number of cosmology enthusiasts on Agnostic.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 4, 2018:

I see young students wanting to go off on "what if" tangents all the time. I try to capitalize on these teachable moments by returning to the boundary conditions of the real world. It's not always simple or quick. Given the time limitation of a class period sometimes you just have to "That's a big 'if.'" Rarely is an invitation to discuss the subject further after class accepted, revealing the the true intent was often idle speculation, not genuine interest. Sigh.

Only Two-Thirds Of American Millennials Believe The Earth Is Round

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 4, 2018:

I wonder how many of those flat-Earth folks are really just trolling the world and having a laugh at our consternation. The generational difference is very interesting. It tells me that the rise of the internet and the proliferation of devices that can access it has had an effect opposite to what its inventors envisioned. Cyberspace is the wild west, and there is no sheriff in town. With no editorial process, the sheer volume of misinformation, propaganda, conspiracy theories, and lies of all kinds can overwhelm (bushwhack) the truth.

Ayn Rand has come up in conversations with conservatives lately.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 4, 2018:

It's the over-simplification, I think, that makes Ayn Rand's thesis so attractive to neocon economic fundamentalists. Like religious fundamentalists, they look for easy answers to difficult and complex questions. They both buy in to a mythology with a simple narrative based on false premises because it is easier than learning how the world really works.

My mother wants to take my daughter to church every sunday.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 4, 2018:

Some people never buy in to superstition, no matter how young they are when the indoctrination efforts begin. You could help insure that your daughter is inoculated against the religion pathogen by countering ever Sunday school lesson with a lesson on science. Take her to the natural history museum and show her the Dinosaur skeletons. Point out the inconsistencies in the religious stories. Teach her that people invent lots of fiction, tell lots of untruths, and participate in mass delusion. It will only make her stronger.

Which building is in front of the other?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 4, 2018:

The one on the left is in front of the one on the right. It's only the upper floors that give it away.

Interested in your thoughts on two different topics: 1) Karma 2) Soul-mates

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 3, 2018:

Karma: the unsubstantiated belief that ones actions affect the physical form they will have next time they are reincarnated. It's just superstition, but what goes around does seem to come around. (We certainly hope this is true with respect to the current occupant of the Oval Office.) Soul mate: someone who will watch your favorite shows with you, read the similar books and articles and discuss them at length with you, lie down when you lie down, get up when you get up, play darts with you using a picture of the President's orange mug for a target.

What causes people to reject the fact of evolution?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 2, 2018:

In other words people believe what they want to believe, or what their tribe believes. Logic and reason have not much to do with it. I know that is true for a lot of people. However, I would like to know more about this study? How big was the pool of respondents? What were the actual questions that were asked? What were the final numbers? Where were the participants located? If they were mostly in Utah that would probably skew the results.

I wanted to share an update on my "Romantic Situation" here at agnostic since it is This Site that ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 2, 2018:

Good luck and much happiness to both of you! ?

What's the last book you read that you really enjoyed? I just finished "Dear Hamilton", loved it.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 2, 2018:

Del Amor y Otros Demonios, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Jeff Sessions announces new religious liberty task force to combat “dangerous” secularism - Vox

Flyingsaucesir comments on Aug 1, 2018:

This regime is illegitimate and un-American. Sessions is a fascist and his boss is a traitor. Most people understand this. I think they are going to take quite a shellacking in the next election.

So you don't believe in God, eh? What's this then?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

That's clouds, man. Collections of tiny water droplets in the atmosphere. The holes in the clouds are areas where the conditions of temperature and humidity do not support the presence of water in the liquid phase. They are caused by movement of air from different levels in the atmosphere punching through the cloud layer. It's a perfectly natural phenomenon. No divine intervention required. ?

Just a comment.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

Roger dat! (I assume you are talking about Trumputin.)

Can men and women just be friends?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

Sure, men and women can just be friends. All they need is one or more common interests and mutual respect.

When dating, what was the most shallow/ worst thing that made you stop dating someone?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

Girl tried to get me to accept Jesus as my saviour.

I'm just so pleasant ... unless ....

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

This describes me perfectly. Except for the bra part.

I got dressed up for THIS?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

You couldn't tell from his profile and/or texts that he was a dickwad?

Think about this now. How long do you think you could go without judging someone?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

About 20 minutes. That's about the frequency with which the President attacks the free press, commits an act of treason, rolls back a regulation meant to protect the environment, gives a tax break to the rich, disrespects our allies, sucks up to a dictator, tells a lie, encourages the KKK, disrespects women, tells another lie, makes it harder for people to get health insurance, tweets something stupid, tells another lie,...

If this isn't my future, then I want a divorce already.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

So let me get this straight: you want to be a cartoonist?

Anyone remember having something like this?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Jul 31, 2018:

Even though I'm on the National Do Not Call Registry, I still get half a dozen calls from unknown numbers every day. My phone is on "silent" so I don't answer but it's still a PITA to have to delete them. Very seldom do I actually talk on the phone. It's mostly text messages nowadays.