star
August 1st, 2018
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The true definition of egocentric
Religious delusion indeed, but as a side note this says bigger things about humans’ complete failure to grasp probability and chance. Chances of a shooting star appearing just as Mo was speaking? Maybe 1 in a thousand. Chance of something happening that could be interpreted as a sign? A near certainty. You don’t need to be religious to make that fundamental mistake. There but for the grace of god….
In regard to this, I wonder whether the strong anthropic principle in physics should be seen the same way?
I laughed.
However, this criticism can be applied to all human belief – including knowledge. Not just religion.
We apprehend the Universe through our belly buttons.
I live in New York City. The last time I saw a shooting star was, oh, maybe 15 years ago. I’ve even gone out in an open field on a clear night (relatively speaking!) during a Perseid shower and not seen any. So a meteor that was sufficiently well timed might leave me kind of impressed. π
Speaking of the Perseids… π
I too have seen a few meteors…All were within 48 hours of a good wank or sexual intercourse…hmmmm..
The first time I saw a shooting star I yelled to my parents downstairs “I’ve seen…!) No response. Then I saw another” “I…” “Rubbish”.
My parents were like that. I see shooting stars a lot. I like looking at stars, so I have learnt over the years that shooting ones happen all the time. Well, not all the time, but if you don’t see one in ten minutes, even after you have looked and looked, you are being unnaturally deprived. Probably light-pollution. But it’s always a sign!
?
Well, that there’s something out there of course. Which is a good thing. Dust and bits are not all bad, surely. But being grown up I can no longer pretend that seeing is believing.
Funny thing about signs from god. They usually coincide with whatever the believer is hoping for or afraid of. And a crow cawed outside my window just as I wrote this. It’s a sign, eh. Must mean I’m right.
DH: Perhaps the crow was a raven, croaking “Nevermore”, meaning time for you to give up your regular contributions to the old C&B? Or maybe a rook offering to play a game of chess with you? Or a jackdaw planning how to get through the window and steal all your jewellery? Or a hoodie thinking about beating you up? Or just a jaywalker?
Never mind what the crow thinks – just carry on as normal, which is what I’ll do having run out of puns.
Mortimer was a crow that said “nevermore” that was on jackanory when I was a kid…read by Bernard Cribbins….if my memory does not deceive me….
M27Holts I think you remember correctly. From Joan Aiken’s books about Mortimer and Arabel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortimer_and_Arabel
Laripu said: “In regard to this, I wonder whether the strong anthropic principle in physics should be seen the same way?”
The strong anthropic principle is the belief that the universe exists to give a place for everyone else to admire my greatness. The weak anthropic principle is a tautology: If things were different then things would be different.
My friend Zale bought himself a pair of overalls. Next thing I know he’s trying to learn to play clawhammer style banjo. He tells me that much of the banjo instruction on Youtube is coming from deep south fundamentalists who make no secret of their devotion to their lord and savior. So he wrote this to provide a bit of counterbalance.
Zale is tolerant of Christians, but he rankles at being asked to participate, which is what happened to trigger this. And no, he’s not going to perform it for the elderly woman who requested a Christian hymn. She’ll get the Christian version. But he says it’s okay to share this with you lot. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/TAdBnw3C8Mk?list=UUttNwRUksKvt7N6OaNric6A
Son of Glenner, What, abandon my mates at the C&B? Come to think of it, I haven’t heard from HaggisforBrains or AcolyteofSagan for a while. Maybe they’ve abandoned me.
> My friend Zale … he says itβs okay to share this with you lot. Enjoy.
I’ve just watched his hymn and did really enjoy it! Thanks to you both!
Good thing calling a kid Zale…get him used to being last in the queue…however better to go with zzzy… just to make sure…
acs & anyone else fairly new to the old C&B: Perhaps he’s too modest to blow his own trumpet, but Darwin Harmless himself has produced a song worth looking up and listening to; it’s called “Don’t Be Divisive”. It’s quite easy to find on Youtube. He uploaded two versions, but version 2 may be the only one still available – it’s just a bit better than version 1. I enjoyed Zale’s hymn, by the way.
DH, that was great. Please tell Zale his hymn is great stuff. Especially “if you want to make a difference, get off your knees and go and vote”.
I also liked “Don’t Be Divisive”. DH, you and Zale ought to form a band called Ancient CanAtheist Folkers. π
If you’re interested, I have three sets of lyrics ready to go for atheist songs. One even has melody (but no chords or harmony). That one, called Alone, was written in the late 80s in Ottawa, from the viewpoint of a girl who had just had an abortion, and was proud of her strength.
Theres also the really strong anthropic principle: That the universe exists so that Tippler and Barrow could write “The Strong Anthropic Principle”
HelenaH … brilliant! π
Seeing stars is a definite sign from God, in my case it was him telling me I had pneumonia.
Naturally I didnβt listen and by Boxing day 2014 he granted me a personal interview via expiring in the back of an ambulance. Alas I failed the interview and was expelled from the interview room by a nice paramedic.
So my point is this shooting stars possible sign from God, seeing stars AFTER the Christmas episode of Dr Who definite
warning sign.
Laripu, thanks for the kind words.
I’d like to take a look at your lyrics. You can email them to me at [email protected]
I’ll try to remember to check my inbox.
DH, it’s sent. Check your in box for mail from Ignatz Laripu.
Still here, DH, thanks for asking. Enjoying my new relationship so much I have less time for posting, but still check the comments most days. Great song from Zale, and good to hear “Don’t Be Divisive” again. You take care.
Perseid meteor shower due to peak soon, Sunday 12 – Monday 13 August. Lots of messages from God! (Actually “messages” from comet Swift-Tuttle!)
I posted this link above, but I think it’s worth repeating, because comet Swift-Tuttle is genuinely terrifying. It’s much larger than the comet or asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, and its orbit passes shockingly close to that that of the Earth — closer than the Moon! If it were to strike the Earth it would be a true apocalypse, and would probably cause the extinction of both mammals and birds, and most of everything else. There is no immediate danger — i.e., not within the next several thousand years — but longer than that all bets are off. And that’s really not very long — it’s comparable to the time scale of our brief recorded history! We all know the sun is going to die an a couple billion years, but the idea that the entire biosphere could be destroyed so prematurely is something that I find very disturbing.
Most dangerous object in the solar system? I reckon Donald Trumps that claim…