Older People Are Worse Than Young People at Telling Fact from Opinion [theatlantic.com]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 27, 2018:

I am part of that over 50 white male demographic but I don't watch Fox "news" or listen to Rush Limpdick or Alex Jones or Sean Hannity or any of the many other fulminating right wing nut jobs plying their brain rot over the airwaves. I do read books and The New Yorker and Harpers (print versions) and the Washington Post and The Atlantic and Applenews (online). Is that why I don't have many friends in my demographic?

Would you consider yourself difficult to get along with, deal with, or live with?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 27, 2018:

I have no problem challenging people's assumptions. If that leads to the total collapse of their world view, oh well. More likely it leads to a burned bridge. Sigh. I think my friend who has been known to describe me as a "shit disturber" had that whole dynamic in mind when she coined the phrase. I accept the moniker not proudly but not ashamedly either. Things are what they are.

My social skills aren't exactly finely honed, so i'm wondering if I can get a few takes on this.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 25, 2018:

Sounds like your coworker is a bit of a curmudgeon.

This weekend I participated in one of my favorite fall traditions, making apple butter.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 24, 2018:

Sounds like a great community-building tradition. Rock on! ??

What is the funniest gift you have received?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 24, 2018:

I guess it would have to be the face I inherited from my parents. ?

BREAKING Pipes bombs to the Clintons, Obama, Soros, AND the White House.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 24, 2018:

It's not enough to suppress the liberal vote? They gotta commit murder too? Fucking imbeciles! We know it is Vladimir Putin's ardent wish that Americans fight each other. I would not be surprised if Russia is not somehow involved.

What is a childhood movie that still haunts you until this day as an adult?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 24, 2018:

The Blob! ?

Atheist = Depressed?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 23, 2018:

For what it's worth, I am an atheist and I am not depressed. Even after hearing another day's sad news of America's involvement in Yemen and the state of the world's ice and the corals dying and plastic in the marine food chain I am not depressed. Hearing that the President's poll numbers, even after all his inane antics over the last two years, are essentially where they were when he got elected is both scary and some would say depressing but I am not depressed. Amazed, yes. Angry, yup. Worried? Oh yeah! But depressed? Not!

So good people of the universe, how do you all handle the assumption from Christians that you ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 22, 2018:

I don't think there is any point in disputing the idea that a guy named Jesus lived and gave some pretty good talks. When it comes all the claims of supernatural acts, that's where I demand independently-verifiable evidence. Put up or shut up. What? You don't have any? Well that is revealing...

Scientists Are Urging You To Never Make Your Bed Again - Higher Perspective

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 22, 2018:

Again? When did I ever make it? ?

@HippieChick58 just made Level 9! Congrats to her!!!

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 21, 2018:

Congratulations! Well done! Keep up the good work! ?

My family now knows that I don't believe in a God.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 20, 2018:

You are obviously very brave and smart. Trust your intellect. You are on a right path.

So I was just telling the kiddos about some of the most influential characters in my life.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 20, 2018:

In my lifetime, David Attenborough, Mohammed Ali (formerly Cassius Clay), Steven Hawking, Bob Weir, Nelson Mandela, Janis Joplin...

Men and Christians experience higher amounts of discrimination than other groups, Trump voters claim...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 20, 2018:

Crying foul, playing the victim at every revelation of his own malfeasance is Trump's go-to tactic. His supporters are just following his lead. Trump didn't invent the tactic though. White guys who have been left behind by globalization and/or feel threatened by the improved lot of people of color and women have been decrying affirmative action as reverse discrimination for decades. These same disgruntled white guys tend to blame immigrants for their employment woes, claiming foreigners are taking all the good jobs. (Automation and robotics have taken way more jobs than immigrants.) That the data does not support their claims is no impediment to loudly declaiming their victimhood. As a white guy myself I find it unseemly and embarrassing. Man up gentlemen! Get some training! Crack the books! Reinvent yourselves! It's what everybody else has had to do.

Today my job had a company wide meeting telling us that 200 people were getting laid off ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 18, 2018:

That sucks. What kind of work were they doing?

Well, there you go.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 17, 2018:

Wow this guy is CREEPY!

A complaint I have since adopting an agnostic position is that too much of the atheist/agnostic ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 17, 2018:

Well I really try to keep things in perspective. We are in a fight for the future of the planet; a choice between mass extinction and the end of our civilization or telling the fossil fuel industry and their mealy-mouthed minions in the usurper Administration that they can shove their coal-fired power plants and their stinky, anachronistic gasoline and diesel-powered internal combustion engines up their money-lined asses. And the pathetic religious morons who who have been duped into going along with (enabling) the fat cats because thgey pay lip service

I feel like we should have an emoji for nausea.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 17, 2018:

Try smoking a little ganja man. You will feel bettah.

What does it mean when I see I have been sent a message from a long-standing member but when I try ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 15, 2018:

I would guess that she closed her account after she sent the message.

We May Finally Know How The Mysterious Easter Islanders Survived by 'Drinking Seawater'

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 14, 2018:

In his book In The Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Phillbrick has a neat description of a freshwater spring on a small island in the south Pacific. If I recall correctly, the shipwrecked sailors, whose ship had been sunk by a sperm whale, could only access the spring at low tide, because the fresh water emanated from the rocks offshore. A similar thing happens with the fresh waters of the Florida Everglades, which flow through underground limestone caverns to join the salty waters of Caribbean Sea.

Is the solution to "hate speech" more speech or less speech?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 14, 2018:

More speech. We can't let the haters have the last word.

American Christians Are Special?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 14, 2018:

Yeah Christians are special.They are extraordinarily presumptuous. They are also woefully ignorant and plagued by tunnel vision. They are also driven to impose their hackneyed views on everyone else, which itself is a kind of hubris. Wasn't pride supposed to be one of the deadly sins? So we better add deep-seated hypocracy to the list. Shall I go on? How much time have we got? ?

Some Evidence for the Simulation Hypothesis The Simulation Hypothesis suggests that we don't ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 14, 2018:

You have been watching too many Keanau Reeve movies homie.

So this hurricane brings this question to mind.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 14, 2018:

You show up with food, water, a chainsaw, gasoline,...

I'm hoping that people here are more open minded than self described atheists.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 14, 2018:

To say "I don't believe in a personal god or an after life. the only thing i'm certain of is that nothing is certain" is not a particularly controversial position.at least not on this site.

What is "Compartmentalization" with regard to religion?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 14, 2018:

I know of no research on compartmentalization but I would not be surprised if it exists. Speaking from my armchair I would say that compartmentalization is the ability to ignore cognitive dissonance. People can learn to tune out all kinds of stimuli: the sounds of chainsaws, jackhammers, trash trucks, crying babies, etc.. By comparison, a niggling little detail like the incompatibility between belief in god(s) and scientific knowledge is no great hurdle. We should not be surprised when emotion trumps logic.

One of the questions on this site when I signed up was if I believe in God or gods, and then it ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 14, 2018:

There is a vast interval between 99 and 100. Just start putting 9s after the decimal point and you will see what I mean. Maybe somewhere in there you will find a sweet spot that satisfies both head and heart.

New problem that just started happening.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 13, 2018:

Are you referring to the bell icon? I think that is called "alerts."

Validity of a theory

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 13, 2018:

A scientific theory is an explanation of how a set of well-established facts fit together. It is a logical construct that allows one to see individual facts as part of a bigger picture. Access to a larger perspective not only allows one to see WHY certain things are facts, but also to make predictions of FUTURE discoveries. A scientific theory is an incredibly powerful tool. A scientific theory that is supported by a MASSIVE amount of evidence is still considered to be provisional in the sense that it may be modified if new evidence indicates that a modification is necessary. The human endeavor we know as science has existed for fewer than 500 years. In the early days of science, some theories had to be completely discarded an replaced with new theories. This is what happened to the Geocentric Theory of the Universe. As evidence accumulated it became clear that the Earth is not the center of the solar system. Copernicus, Galileo, and Keppler collected data indicating that a radical change was necessary, and so the Geocentric Theory was scrapped and the Heliocentric Theory was born. Such sweeping changes are rare today. Theories like Darwin's Theory of Evolution or the Theory of plate Tectonics are continually modified around the edges but are practically impervious to big changes. This is in large part due to the nature of theories themselves. The resilient nature of scientific theories notwithstanding, there are still some that are bound to undergo some big changes. Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Quantum Theory, for instance, have yet to be unified. However, this in no way implies that scientific theories are remotely comparable to religious beliefs. Religious beliefs are like castles made of sand, in constant danger of being swept away by the first wave of logic and reason. Religious beliefs are based on capricious personal desire, received dogma, and doctrine handed down from imposters; as such they do not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath with scientific theories. Religious beliefs represent a combination of willful blindness and childish stubbornness. Science, on the other hand, is perhaps the greatest human endeavor, a shining example of humanity's potential for good.

Why are humans so slow to learn?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 12, 2018:

The problem is that the principal way that knowledge is passed down through the generations to is through writing. But that requires people to read, an activity that is going out of fashion.

Can timestamps be displayed on posts? They can be in GMT. Please?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 12, 2018:

Not a bad idea. ?

A friend said something tonight and I Googled it.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

Reminds me of Rodney King after his beating by LA cops: "Why can't we all just get along?" Well, maybe because underneath this veneer of civilization we are really just rather clever apes. And I don't mean peaceful apes like bonobos or orangutans but warlike, savage, jealous apes like chimpanzees.

Today marks my 1 year anniversary of joining this site.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

Off the top of my head I cannot say when exactly I first signed up here. Is that kind of information recorded and accessible?

Are there any special purpose in our life other than eating, drinking, sleeping, making merry, ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

We allow the universe to know itself.

What is your Definition of:

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

Atheist: does not believe in god(s). Agnostic: undecided about existence of god(s). Spiritual: senses a connection to all things living and nonliving.

Does evil exist? As non-believers do we still accept the concept of evil in its pure form?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

Evil is an adjective, NOT a noun.

How old/young were you when you realized you were atheist/agnostic?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

I was never a believer, but neither was I an atheist at first. With time my youthful agnosticism has matured, like a fine wine, into a full-bodied, robust, textured, proselytizer-proof atheism. I would not know how to put numbers on that timeline.

Why do you think the religious right are so intent on forcing their agendas on others???

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

Some think they will get brownie points that will help them get into heaven. Some are just nosy, self-righteous busybodies who think they know what's best but in reality are shockingly ignorant. Some are a combination of the two.

It's just occurred to me that at some point on Friday this site will reach 50,000 members.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

50,000 free thinkers! Yay! ?

Would you move for love?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 10, 2018:

Yup! Definitely.

The primary operating principle of the US constitution and government was to prevent tyrannical ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 7, 2018:

If what you predict should come pass, what then? I think this country has been through more difficult periods than the present one. But climate change is going to provide added stress every thing and every one in the not-too-distant future. We will be tested.

THE HAUNTED MANCHIN - Why doesn't Joe Manchin just take that final step and officially register...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 6, 2018:

Manchin is no more to blame for Kavenaugh's confirmation than the other 50 senators who voted "yes." Didn't he vote "no" on the repeal of the affordable care act? We lost this one but let's keep our eyes on the ball: a Democratic takeover of congress in 2018!

Cascade mountains sunrise over the Snohomish river this morning.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

Beautiful!

For All Life As We Know It: The Case for Humanist Environmentalism - TheHumanist.com

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

The previous version of the Humanist Manifesto had this: "...we have opened the door to ecological damage, over-population, dehumanizing institutions, totalitarian repression, and nuclear and bio-chemical disaster. Faced with apocalyptic prophesies and doomsday scenarios, many flee in despair from reason and embrace irrational cults and theologies of withdrawal and retreat." This, unfortunately, still accurately describes a significant proportion of Americans. And as they continue to embrace conspiracy theories and Russian propaganda the likelihood that they will suddenly wake up and start acting responsibly seems remote. More likely they will cling harder to their guns and religion.

Atheist political party

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

Vanishingly small chance, but still worth pursuing.

‘Unfathomable’: More than 2,400 law professors sign letter opposing Kavanaugh’s confirmation -...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

If K's nomination goes through there is something scary wrong with this country.

Senator grassley is a pure allout Judas goat leading his fascist republicans to further dismantle ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

Now if we can just do away with the electoral college, keep Russia from hacking our elections, hold malefactors accountable, educate the poor and downtrodden, and stop burning fossil fuels before we drive Earth's climate system over a cliff we might have a chance.

McConnell is sick demented delusional sociopath psychopath who spews overt hate towards any ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

Ditch Mitch for the good of the nation!

VOTE like your life, your future, your country depends on it! In Order to preserve our union as...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

Right on! ✊

What are some of y'alls favorite podcasts?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

Rachel Maddow keeps me up on the latest twists and turns in the continuing sad MAGA saga.

Discovery of first genetic variants associated with meaning in life -- ScienceDaily

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

The link is rather tantalizing but it falls far short of explaining the claim. I need to see more before issuing an opinion.

Friends I find myself confuzzled.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

True dat! But is it possible that she just used that as an excuse? Maybe she is trolling for a billionaire and she was not impressed with the size of your yacht.

How many of you attend services, but are agnostic?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

Nope. I like to sleep in.

Question.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 5, 2018:

I would not say that society is advancing exponentially. More like haltingly, painfully slowly, with many reversals and course corrections. And whether it should have a place or not is academic; religion is here to plague us for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately.

That spiritual feeling.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 4, 2018:

The invention of gods begins with people's natural tendency to personify inanimate objects. Little kids automatically treat dolls or action figures as living beings. And even adults refer to boats as "she" while cars and trucks can be either gender. In prehistory the wind blew hard and lightening crackled and a mind that knew no science of air pressure or static electricity assumed that some angry intelligence must be behind that. Humans have always done this because we evolved to be very social beings. We see the world in terms of personalities with agency. It is deeply engrained and automatic. So then everything that happens to you happens for a reason. The idea of random chance or dumb luck, indifferent to one's personal fortunes, is alien to us. The default assumption is that everything happens for a reason, the result of some personality with an agenda. And so we are off to the races. And who is to stop us? Anyone who disputes God's existence is labelled a heretic, cast out, burned, drowned, or dismembered.

Do you think that perhaps Religion/Religious Beliefs and Doctrines have and still are ONE of the ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 4, 2018:

One of the MAIN causes, yes.

I just don't understand how people can stand being alone.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 4, 2018:

There is something to be said for independence. Being in good company is nice too. Life is going to give us a mixture. You gotta roll with it.

New age beliefs common with relgious/non religious americans [pewresearch.org]

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 4, 2018:

It's an interesting table. Thanks for posting!

Have you stopped watching a TV show, or listening to a musician due to their political beliefs?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 4, 2018:

I have had difficulty watching anything with Clint Eastwood ever since his empty chair soliloquy.

The existing/non existing Universe

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

We live within an incredibly tiny slice of that brief wave.

Doubt vs gullibilty

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

If you share facts that cause the superstitious to cast off their shackles you are to be praised, but not too profusely. The facts do not belong to any single one but to all.

When your first name is different, people naturally do not interact with you.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

Or maybe they simply cannot remember the name and don't want to let on that they forgot. (?)

Both American Democrats and Republicans generally brand themselves as "pro humanity", how true is ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

Most climate science deniers and people who support Trump's deregulation of the fossil fuel industry (including generation of electrical power with "clean" coal) are Republicans. Inasmuch as these policies, if left in place, would eventually lead to catastrophic global warming and mass extinction of species including our own, I would say that Republicans cannot be characterized as "pro humanity."

Homosexuality?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

It is generally understood among professionals that homosexuality is not something people choose. Rather, it is fundamental to their nature and a manifestation of the natural variation that exists in all biological populations. We are not all stamped out by the same cookie cutter. Life is not simple. Attempts at "reprogramming" are foolish and cruel. We should accept people as they are, and quit trying to impose artificial expectations.

Truth as such has no value in itself.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

The only thing wrong with the opium addict is that they might fail to notice the house burning down around them -- and that their own belief system, which encourages rejection of science, is literally throwing gasoline on the fire.

Do you love where you live?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 3, 2018:

Here in San Diego we have the best weather in the country, year round! The season for mountain biking, sailing, golf, tennis, or hiking Runs from January through December. My biggest complaint is the air quality. Cars, trucks, and power plants constantly fouling the air with harmful particulates and greenhouse gases. And the climate change that those gases are causing has ushered in a new regime of wildfires: their season is now year-round as well. Every year now worse than the last, with multiple megafires at times burning simultaneously. And the Trump administration is hell bent on deregulating the fossil fuel industry. I am especially proud of Californians who are standing up to the illegitimate regime in Washington in moving forward with our commitment to the Paris Accord and the ultimate goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions!

Do you believe that a cure for cancer exists, but it's not available to the public because medical ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 2, 2018:

Call me an optimist, but I don't think anything good in cancer treatment is being held back because of cost. On the other hand, pharmaceutical companies are choosing, for economic reasons, not to develop new antibiotics. Lack of research in this area is cause for great concern. The list of "superbugs," bacteria that are resistant to many or all antibiotics, is growing. And with modern transportation these bugs can show up anywhere, at any time.

What's worse?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 2, 2018:

Emotional/psychological abuse is often the most painful and difficult to get over. And the abuse can be inflicted verbally, non-verbally (through policies and procedures like discrimination or shunning), as well as physically. It's possible for someone to be abused physically and not really be aware that they are being abused. But if they are abused emotionally they definitely know it.

Unpopular Opinions I know you got 'em, what are they?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 1, 2018:

The US military budget is too big. In fact you could call it bloated. In 2017 it was half of all discretionary federal spending, about 600 billion dollars. Under Trump, defense spending has only increased. And also under Trump, the portion of this expenditure that is paid by the richest 1% of Americans (who own nearly 40 of all the wealth) has decreased.

So is it nature not nurture after all? | Science | The Guardian

Flyingsaucesir comments on Oct 1, 2018:

It's both. It's nature AND its nurture. There is a heck of a lot about us that is hard-wired, heredetary, instinctive. And there is also our capacity to set our own course, based on our learning; the sum of our experiences. Call it executive function. The two are inextricably entangled. It's how we evolved.

Do you think it is necessary to try to change people’s perspective about their beliefs or just get...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 30, 2018:

Trying to change people's beliefs is bound to be a thankless task. Better to give them the tools and information to make better choices on their own.

Hello to everyone! Where is everyone from? I'm from Manitoba, Canada.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 30, 2018:

San Diego! ?

I've asked this question in a different forum, and the answers were interesting.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 30, 2018:

My best advice: be genuine. Be a gentleman. Go slow.

What exactly is mindfulness?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 30, 2018:

I have always maintained that multitasking is bunk. Thanks for verifying! ?

Garage sale vs Store?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 30, 2018:

I'm not a very good consumer. I just can't get excited about shopping of any kind.

Atheism Isn’t Really A Big Deal | Martin Hughes

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

Atheism shouldn't be a big deal. For the most part it isn't, until they decide somebody has to be burned at the stake or beheaded for it. Then it's a big deal.

Am I only one who dislike the rapid-fire questions from a stranger?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

I don't like to be interrogated. I find it kind of rude.

[yahoo.com] Jeff Flake Brings The Senate Back From The Brink. Why Can't He Get Re-elected?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

Short answer: he's too moderate for the current environment of extremism.

If roads,police, hospitals are social projects why shouldn't health care, social security, and ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

Indeed, why not? Well the rich and powerful in this country have been wildly successful at controlling the terms of debate. They have appropriated the mythologies of rugged individualism and manifest destiny and woven them together with the Christian ideas of original sin and puritanical zest for punishment, whipping up fear of welfare mothers and deadbeat dads, dividing people with hot-button issues like freedom of choice vs right to life, and painting labor unions as communists in order to keep the proletariat fighting amongst themselves rather than banding together to create a more egalitarian society. It's classic divide-and-conquer tactics used to achieve the strategic goal of elite hegemony.

How do you deal with bullies?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

The only bully in my life is Donald Trump. By way of coping I try to set up little monuments to him. One a day, on average. Each representation is an homage to the ephemeral nature of the man in office, who will one fine day be whisked away to oblivion as each monument is, only moments after construction, with a mere turn of a diminutive chrome handle.

Do atheists, who find no magic in the world, live drab, boring lives, by comparison?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

No, I think it's the other way around. Being wracked with superstition and fear sounds drab and boring.

I am going to the truth truthfully, and I know that it will find me someday .

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

I'm not 100% sure, but think I get where you are coming from.

The world would have been better off without religion.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

Yes. The world would be better of without religion as we know: steeped in superstition, dismissive of science, promoting fear, hatred, and ignorance. However, the there is nothing wrong with seeking to reconnect or more literally, re-link with ones origin, as is meant in "religgio," the Italian word from which the word religion is derived. Modern science, specifically the fields of Earth science, cosmology, and evolutionary biology provide a very powerful explanation of our origins and connection to all things both living and non-living. To understand the science takes time and patience and sustained effort, however, and this is where it has trouble competing with religion, which deals in easy answers and hand-waving where things don't add up.

How do you move from cheerfully flirting to being vulnerable?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

I have had that regret at not having been more bold many times, but I have also been shot down on more occasions than I care to count. I think the latter experience does tend to increase the likelihood of the former.

So I grew up in a rather religious Muslim family and I remember my family being pretty superstitious...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

I remember stuff like "step on a crack and you'll break your mama's back" but I never actually took it seriously. Even at a young age I could see that there was no connection between where I placed my feet on the pavement and my mother's continued spinal health.

Watchtower

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

I have talked to plenty of Jehovah's Witnesses who knocked on my door looking for converts, but I don't think I have ever met any who have themselves been converted. Congratulations on a mighty leap forward! To what do you attribute your own epiphany?

Does anyone truly "believe"?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

You mean like where it says in the Bible that it's OK if you beat your slave to death as long as he/she doesn't die on the day of the beating because that shows that you didn't mean to kill them because after all why would you deliberately destroy your own property? That sort of thing?

I have been JimG on agnostic.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 29, 2018:

Reprob8: I like it.

Guys ask why women are so pissed off.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 28, 2018:

We have guys in our midst who act like dominant male chimpanzees. We really have not evolved very far, have we?

Is scientific knowledge limited in principle?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 28, 2018:

To plumb the depths of nature's mysteries is bound to take longer than the time it takes to pluck a chicken. And it's gonna require some pretty sophisticated, precision equipment. The kind of stuff that only a highly technological society can produce. All that goes out the window if civilization collapses. Now let's see. What could possibly bring about the demise of this shining city on a hill? Greed? Corruption? Racism? Superstition? Atavistic tribalism? How about a mix of all those lovely ingredients together with some feedback loop spiking global temperatures, some crop failures, a squeeze of jihad and a dash of thermonuclear war. That'd do it. Tick tock.

Being a woman is worse than being a farmer

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 27, 2018:

It's a good thing I don't have to do all that. Whew! Dodged a bullet!

Is scientific knowledge limited in principle?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 27, 2018:

I have to admit that I just don't know. The human mind can compass a lot. The question is, is nature a lot weirder than we imagine it to be? Can we ever fathom dark matter and dark energy? Multiverses? I tend to think that some people will be able to eventually grasp whatever nature presents us. But that still leaves the mass of humanity stumbling in the dark.

Does anyone find themselves staying quiet about being athiest/skeptic around friends?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 27, 2018:

For the most part religion just does not come up as a topic of discussion. At least not in my experience. If someone casually expresses a belief I generally do not feel that I have to go there. If students ask me directly I tell them that as a science teacher in a science classroom I have to keep my beliefs private, so as not to sow confusion. I tell them that science does not deal in beliefs. In science, belief is irrelevant; what counts is what in supported by independently verifiable evidence: facts. God and the Devil? No evidence that they exist. Next question!

Some people are just born into a lucky life while others aren’t? True or false?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 26, 2018:

A person born in a slum to abusive or negligent patents could be said to have been unlucky compared to someone born in a prosperous neighborhood to loving and competent parents. Yet the "lucky" one might become a dissipated drug addict while the other might pull him/herself up by his/her bootstraps and become a great success story. So which was the lucky one?

Are we still a primitive species?

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 26, 2018:

Modern humans have only existed for a couple hundred thousand years. Our common ancestor with apes dates back to about 8 million years ago. In between there were a number of lineages small populations that evolved in relative isolation, occasionally interbreeding, all except our own strand eventually going extinct. The biggest anatomical changes in these populations involved changes in brain size and cranial capacity. When one body part evolves faster than other parts this is sometimes called mosaic evolution. It was not the whole brain that changed. The cerebral cortex expanded the most, while the brain stem is essentially the same as it was in our early vertebrate ancestors. Some people refer to this primitive part as our "reptilian brain." Actually you could just as well call it our fish brain. It's this primitive part that drives deep-seated anxieties and knee-jerk reactions. Are we still a primitive species? You bet!

It's my birthday! 🎉🎉🎉🎉 I scheduled 3 job interviews today.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 26, 2018:

Good luck and happy birthday!

“Molecules” made from three photons have been created by physicists in the US.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 26, 2018:

Wow! Splendid!?

I would be interested to hear about people's experiences on the job market.

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 26, 2018:

Congratulations!

From my experience there are large numbers of people that will not come out and call themselves an ...

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 26, 2018:

Nope, can't say I have seen that. But then I don't have a lot of conversations with people about their religions.

Road to theocracy

Flyingsaucesir comments on Sep 26, 2018:

I don't think you can separate religion from politics without eradicating religion from the face of the Earth. Small project. If we just roll up our sleeves we can knock it out in a couple of weekends.