7/13/2004: Baited bull

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Uryoces

I am one of those nutters, though not fundie.

What do you mean?

[jaguar]

What do you mean?

I assumed he meant he was rational.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Troubleshooter

The paper ones or the electronic collection?

Paper.

[Uryoces]

Originally Posted by jaguar

I assumed he meant he was rational.

Ha, ha! Maybe I'm not, as I'm the one talking about a omnipotent superbeing. Beating someone over the head with the theology stick won't convince anyone of anything. Forcing it on anyone is missing the point. I was raised an Episcopalian, Catholic light -- all the ceremony and half the guilt. That being said, all that I've learned since then, scientifically speaking, can't be ignored. When I was talking about clouds of organic compounds in deep space, that's exactly what I meant. It's been known that ultraviolet rays or electricity passed through a promoridal mix of gasses will spontaneously generate amino acids. There is apparantly a similar proccess with the clouds of interstellar gasses. So many in the scientific community are saying that it seems the universe is designed [for lack of better term] for life. But, it's champagne and caveats at that point, as they don't want to come accross as saying it's 'designed'. Evolution does a pretty good job of explaining how we got here. What I'm interested in is how we get from complex amino acids to self-replicating molecules.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Uryoces

What I'm interested in is how we get from complex amino acids to self-replicating molecules.

What I was asking about was what you meant by saying you were one of the nutters. Because the ensuing post was decidedly un-nutterly. Asking those questions is precisely what science is all about. The primary issue is that scientists don't fill gaps in their knowledge with magic. If it is hard to understand how something happens, saying "God did it that way" answers nothing, and is in no way science.

But, it's champagne and caveats at that point, as they don't want to come accross as saying it's 'designed'.

That's the thing about self-replication. If it's possible, and the universe is big enough, it WILL happen. Being surprised that conditions appear favorable is a bit like a puddle being surprised that it fits perfectly in the hole it's in, and concluding that the hole was dug with that puddle in mind. That would certainly be possible, but it is in no way necessary or implied.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Ok, so it does happen, we find life some place else. What then? Kill it? Farm it? Eat it? What if it's badder than us? What if it's.....Muslim?

[wolf]

Oh come on. Nobody actually READS National Geographic. You take out the pull out maps, and then head straight for the bare breasted pygmy women photoessay.

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Ok, so it does happen, we find life some place else. What then? Kill it? Farm it? Eat it? What if it's badder than us? What if it's.....Muslim?

I vote eat it. Unless it's got monster parts, then kill it.
Watched NOVA last night. Apparently a true alien won't have a face like the faces we see here on earth (Two eyes, two nostrils and one mouth below) because if it does have a face like ours we must share a common ancestor--it's what the dude on the show said anyway. He seemed pretty sure of himself.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Brianna

I vote eat it. Unless it's got monster parts, then kill it.
Watched NOVA last night. Apparently a true alien won't have a face like the faces we see here on earth (Two eyes, two nostrils and one mouth below) because if it does have a face like ours we must share a common ancestor--it's what the dude on the show said anyway. He seemed pretty sure of himself.

Actually, I'd guess that it would be more likely to have a similar face than to be edible. External features are succeptible to convergent evolution (while bats and birds do share an ancestor, it wasn't one that flew) and the basic face is reasonably efficient. It would be unlikely, but not impossible for an alien to have the eyes/nostrils/mouth roughly in that orientation.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by wolf

Oh come on. Nobody actually READS National Geographic. You take out the pull out maps, and then head straight for the bare breasted pygmy women photoessay.

Hence the vernacular: National Pornographic

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by bluesdave

Sparkie, those people are morons. You will never convince them of it, though. People with that mentality think that we humans are above all other life on Earth, and anything we want to do is OK. Much like some members of the US government!

Originally Posted by bluesdave

Very good Els, I like that.

You do raise a good question. We know that Bush is human - no animal could be that dumb, but what about Rumsfeld?

Based solely on these two statements, and nothing more, I would like to take this very belated opportunity to invite 'bluesdave' to kiss my hairy American ass.

That is all.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

SNIP

That's the thing about self-replication. If it's possible, and the universe is big enough, it WILL happen. Being surprised that conditions appear favorable is a bit like a puddle being surprised that it fits perfectly in the hole it's in, and concluding that the hole was dug with that puddle in mind. That would certainly be possible, but it is in no way necessary or implied.

That is as good an explanation of the anthropocentric principle as I have ever seen. Nicely put, HM.

[Happy Monkey]

I can't take credit for anything but the phrasing. I believe I first heard the idea from Dawkins.

But thanks!

[monster]

::wonders why the 6.5-year resurrection::

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

I can't take credit for anything but the phrasing. I believe I first heard the idea from Dawkins.

But thanks!

Darryl


Or Brian?