in February 24th, 2016’s comments I pointed Two Cents (and anyone else interested) to JohnJoe McFadden’s “Quantum Evolution” on the emerging ideas about the origin of life.
Recently I got “Life on the Edge” by Jim Al-Khalili and JohnJoe McFadden, which is basically 15 year’s worth of update in this emerging science. ISBN 9780552778077.
VERY worth reading!
Disclaimer: other than scientific curiosity I have no relation to the authors or the discussed research.
Dr John, I’m not sure what relation that work has to the current discussion, but it aroused my curiosity. I found a good review of “Quantum Evolution: The New Science of Life” by Arthur Wallace that you may want to see. In short, Wallace doesn’t think much of McFadden’s hypothesis.
I had heard about the wudu. Thanks for illustrating it for me, Author!
– no relation to current discussion, just an update from 2 years ago.
– I read the review, and — I — have a different view.
– in the update of the topic, roughly 15 years of new research refute most of Wallace’s objections,and McFadden’s stand is accepted by more and more specialists (eg co-author Jim Al-Khalili recently was hand-picked by Stephen Hawking to receive the first Stephen Hawking Medal for (a.o.) this work. Might be saying something…
Thanks, Dr John. From what reviews I have found, it seems that McFadden has dropped the woo aspect of his earlier work. I guess I will have to secure a copy of Life on the Edge, and see for myself.
Dr. John I will add those to my list of books to buy. Mind u I’m currently storing about two metric tonnes of books in my loft….will it collapse on Me?
Aha that explains it !
“Pudu” means excrement in the Star wars episode 1 (the bit on tattooine) so obviously wudu follows pudu to avoid being a stinky Slimo.
I always wondered where they found a suitable language for a primitive desert planet full of crooks and conmen, now we know.
Walter — I had thought that Orthodox Judaism was the running away favorite in the Holy OCD Sweepstakes, but after looking up “wudu” it’s clear that this is a highly competitive race.
Once again the erudite folks here have introduced me to a new word. I knew that there were some words about hygiene in the Islamic belief system, something about wiping your bum with a stone or something, but I didn’t know it was called “wudu” or how complicated it was. Thanks again for adding one more tiny kernel to the extent of my knowledge.
Thinking about this, I can understand the value of teaching a ritual of ablution to uneducated dessert tribesmen. It reminds me of our Guidance Class in school, when they taught us how to properly brush our teeth and other basic cleanliness skills. Not really as silly as it sounds on first encounter, though I’m not sure of the value of replacing unavailable water with sand.
I ritually wash my hands to my elbows after shitting, pissing and before I eat/prepare food. A suitable 21st century wudu if you like. But I observe lots of sapiens who appear to have slightly more earthy proclivities! Noro virus be upon them!
Reminds me of my first chemistry day at TH (Dutch Technical University).
Before being allowed into the lab afternoon we HAD to attend a lecture first.
It began something like: “Mylady (yeah only one female present those days), gentleman.
The most important lab excercise is Toilet Visiting.
It is of litteral mortal importance to THOROUGHLY was hands BEFORE.
Whether you also wash afterwards is a matter of courtesy towards your fellows.”
@Darwin H. While I acknowledge your symphaty for the teaching of hygiene, I would think the core of “wudu” is much more on the ritualistic side. As you noted, the prescription says that if clean water is unavailable, you may perform wudu with “clean dirt” (Presumably fine sand/fine dust).
Explains why a bangladeshi MSc veterinary tropical medicine student at Edinburgh University ritually flooded the bathroom every day doing his “ablutions”. We could never understand why he had to wet every surface, including the ceiling, with copious amounts of water. In a Scottish winter this is not the best way to win friends. He must have really been into Mo’s OCD.
Another psychiatric diagnosis to add to the obvious schizophrenia of thinking god’s angel is speaking directly to you and the delusion that you are anything important anyway.
Jesus & Mo (the characters) are absurd, blinkered, and oddly very sweet. J&M (the cartoon) is brilliant: sharp, delicious, irresistible. Salman Rushdie
Jesus and Mo cartoons are wonderfully funny and true. Richard Dawkins
Jesus and Mo make the world a better place, bless their little hearts. Ophelia Benson
In a world defined by outrage and offence and liberal spinelessness, Jesus and Mo is a treasure, whose value we should never fail to recognize. Read them. Laugh. And think. Kenan Malik
The brilliant, celebrated, freaking hilarious atheist comic strip ... Greta Christina
...rays of sanity in a befuddled world. Keri Hulme
The liveliest depictions of Muhammad currently available... Malise Ruthven
J & Mo is the funniest and most consistently thought-provoking cartoon strip on the Net. In a saner world, it would run in a major newspaper. Nelson Jones, Heresy Corner
Consistently amusing, frequently thought-provoking and often heart-warming. New Humanist
Jesus & Mo is one of the most wonderful things on the internet.. JT Eberhard
Wittily captures much of the absurdity of religious apologetics. Mano Singham
I love jesusandmo.net cartoons - witty and sharp! Katha Pollitt
Often hilarious, frequently wry, these cartoons do what all the best cartoons do: they tell the truth through humour. Terry Sanderson, NSS President
...a wonderfully acid British cartoonist... Nick Cohen
I love the scrappy mockery of Jesus and Mo. Freedom of speech
includes the freedom to mock any person, any thing, any activity, and
any belief -- and J&M stands up for this unflinchingly Richard Stallman
...empowering, important and deeply progressive, not to mention hilarious... Council of Ex-Muslims
November 28, 2018
Meanwhile, poor Jesus just shit himself waiting for Mo to finish.
“Oh well,” he thinks, “It’s no worse than Golgotha.”
mo makes hygiene sound look like wudu science. (hey, i had a short night.)
The comment box says I’m logged in as Author.
Don’t worry about it Anon. You’re not actually logged in. It’s a weird cacheing issue that crops up sometimes.
Who am I now?
.
Oh, well.
It’s probably because I stepped into the bathroom with my left foot.
in February 24th, 2016’s comments I pointed Two Cents (and anyone else interested) to JohnJoe McFadden’s “Quantum Evolution” on the emerging ideas about the origin of life.
Recently I got “Life on the Edge” by Jim Al-Khalili and JohnJoe McFadden, which is basically 15 year’s worth of update in this emerging science. ISBN 9780552778077.
VERY worth reading!
Disclaimer: other than scientific curiosity I have no relation to the authors or the discussed research.
Dr John, I’m not sure what relation that work has to the current discussion, but it aroused my curiosity. I found a good review of “Quantum Evolution: The New Science of Life” by Arthur Wallace that you may want to see. In short, Wallace doesn’t think much of McFadden’s hypothesis.
I had heard about the wudu. Thanks for illustrating it for me, Author!
Chiefy,
– no relation to current discussion, just an update from 2 years ago.
– I read the review, and — I — have a different view.
– in the update of the topic, roughly 15 years of new research refute most of Wallace’s objections,and McFadden’s stand is accepted by more and more specialists (eg co-author Jim Al-Khalili recently was hand-picked by Stephen Hawking to receive the first Stephen Hawking Medal for (a.o.) this work. Might be saying something…
islam, and more of its voodoo
The ritual known as wudu
It is a waste of time
muslim, a permanet grime
No matter how long they spend in the loo
Thanks, Dr John. From what reviews I have found, it seems that McFadden has dropped the woo aspect of his earlier work. I guess I will have to secure a copy of Life on the Edge, and see for myself.
Chiefy,
You ‘re welcome, my pleasure.
I’ve long thought that ritual is an evolutionary survival tactic, common to many species. My dog…
Dr. John, thanks for the tip on Life on the Edge!
Do do that wudu that you do so well? (Sorry!)
Dr. John I will add those to my list of books to buy. Mind u I’m currently storing about two metric tonnes of books in my loft….will it collapse on Me?
Aha that explains it !
“Pudu” means excrement in the Star wars episode 1 (the bit on tattooine) so obviously wudu follows pudu to avoid being a stinky Slimo.
I always wondered where they found a suitable language for a primitive desert planet full of crooks and conmen, now we know.
And this from a man who said, “There is no compulsion in religion.”.
Walter — I had thought that Orthodox Judaism was the running away favorite in the Holy OCD Sweepstakes, but after looking up “wudu” it’s clear that this is a highly competitive race.
Once again the erudite folks here have introduced me to a new word. I knew that there were some words about hygiene in the Islamic belief system, something about wiping your bum with a stone or something, but I didn’t know it was called “wudu” or how complicated it was. Thanks again for adding one more tiny kernel to the extent of my knowledge.
Thinking about this, I can understand the value of teaching a ritual of ablution to uneducated dessert tribesmen. It reminds me of our Guidance Class in school, when they taught us how to properly brush our teeth and other basic cleanliness skills. Not really as silly as it sounds on first encounter, though I’m not sure of the value of replacing unavailable water with sand.
“Religion is a Mental Illness” Professor Sapolsky of Stanford :
And my exploration of wudu led me naturally to discover miswak. Makes sense to me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miswak
Cheers.
I ritually wash my hands to my elbows after shitting, pissing and before I eat/prepare food. A suitable 21st century wudu if you like. But I observe lots of sapiens who appear to have slightly more earthy proclivities! Noro virus be upon them!
M27:
Reminds me of my first chemistry day at TH (Dutch Technical University).
Before being allowed into the lab afternoon we HAD to attend a lecture first.
It began something like: “Mylady (yeah only one female present those days), gentleman.
The most important lab excercise is Toilet Visiting.
It is of litteral mortal importance to THOROUGHLY was hands BEFORE.
Whether you also wash afterwards is a matter of courtesy towards your fellows.”
@Darwin H. While I acknowledge your symphaty for the teaching of hygiene, I would think the core of “wudu” is much more on the ritualistic side. As you noted, the prescription says that if clean water is unavailable, you may perform wudu with “clean dirt” (Presumably fine sand/fine dust).
Explains why a bangladeshi MSc veterinary tropical medicine student at Edinburgh University ritually flooded the bathroom every day doing his “ablutions”. We could never understand why he had to wet every surface, including the ceiling, with copious amounts of water. In a Scottish winter this is not the best way to win friends. He must have really been into Mo’s OCD.
Another psychiatric diagnosis to add to the obvious schizophrenia of thinking god’s angel is speaking directly to you and the delusion that you are anything important anyway.