1. The brain in love

Comment #214845 by coodgee on July 21, 2008 at 12:53 am

Poems, plays, quotes, more poems...

2. The Return of Religion

Comment #212798 by coodgee on July 17, 2008 at 4:53 pm

I think what he is trying to say is that even though science has now explained the mystery of the existence and diversity of life on Earth, it hasn't yet provided a satisfying answer to origin and nature on consciousness. It is this unsatisfying gap in the scientific knowledge, this question unanswered that he fills "can only be answered by religion".

What he's saying is that science is unable to explain the origin and nature of consciousness, humans long for an answer to this question, therefore because religion (in his view) provides a satisfying answer to this mystery we still need it.

What he doesn't realise is that the nature of consciousness is a problem firmly in the sites of science.

He hasn't learned that mysteries like the origin of life, once thought to be totally impossible to know, can be explained by science.

If alive in pre-Darwin times, he would be saying the same about the origin of life, and yet he has the benefit of hindsight and can see that problems previously thought insurmountable can infact be solved by science.

It seems he's learnt nothing.

3. The Return of Religion

Comment #212797 by coodgee on July 17, 2008 at 4:52 pm

I think what he is trying to say is that even though science has now explained the mystery of the existence and diversity of life on Earth, it hasn't yet provided a satisfying answer to origin and nature on consciousness. It is this unsatisfying gap in the scientific knowledge, this question unanswered that he fills "can only be answered by religion".

What he's saying is that science is unable to explain the origin and nature of consciousness, humans long for an answer to this question, therefore because religion (in his view) provides a satisfying answer to this mystery we still need it.

What he doesn't realise is that the nature of consciousness is a problem firmly in the sites of science.

He hasn't learned that mysteries like the origin of life, once thought to be totally impossible to know, can be explained by science.

If alive in pre-Darwin times, he would be saying the same about the origin of life, and yet he has the benefit of hindsight and can see that problems previously thought insurmountable can infact be solved by science.

It seems he's learnt nothing.

4. Thousands Flock to Revival in Search of Miracles

Comment #208432 by coodgee on July 11, 2008 at 12:10 am

Fucking Charlatans

5. Lizards make adaptive change

Comment #187265 by coodgee on June 1, 2008 at 5:44 pm

quote: This is a very interesting discovery. Now if only religious people could charter a boat to reality. They might find it swarming with evidence!

is this really necessary?

6. 'Uncontacted tribe' sighted in Amazon

Comment #186699 by coodgee on May 31, 2008 at 6:11 am

Some perspective on this subject can be found at http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21159249-662,00.html

It is the story of the last nomadic tribe of Australian Aborigines who made contact with "civilisation" in 1984.

20 years on, one of the tribespeople is interviewed and among other things says:

"I like this life," Yardi said. "I much prefer it to the old ways."

Warlinipirri said: "I wouldn't go back."

The article also says:


When the family were driven from the doctor at Kintore 27km to the smaller community of Kwiwikurra, the nomads ritually beat members of their extended families with sticks for not bringing them in from the desert earlier.

"The older ones were angry that their long-lost relatives who they had not seen for nearly 20 years had left them out in the desert eating lizards while they lived in what they saw as the lap of luxury," Mr Tull said.


Gives a bit of perspective doesn't it?

It's not necessarily correct to say that just because they are (allegedly) aware of the "outside world", and have decided to shun it, that they have made a reasonable, informed decision that their current lifestyle is better and preferred.

Seeing a helicopter would almost certainly be a very scary experience for such a primitive tribe. It would be like one of us seeing a UFO hover over our house. But once they overcome their fear, they may very well decide that the luxuries of modern living are preferable. I would even go so far as to suggest that they almost certainly would. And who are we to decide what is and what isn't good for them? It's easy to put yourself in their position, just think if a super advanced alien race encountered us and were debating whether to make contact with us and share with us their super advanced technologies and knowledge. I know I would jump at the chance to board an alien spacecraft and learn all that they knew about the universe.


I would propose that someone, preferably someone who has only recently encountered and embraced modern society themselves, should go into the jungle and tell them about what the rest of the world is like. Tell them about dentistry and medicine and transportation and houses built out of steel. Also tell them about crack cocaine and obesity epidemics and then let them decide. Maybe even see if one member of the tribe wants to come and see what the modern world is like and then go and report back to the rest.

Give them an informed choice, tell them about the world, and let them decide.