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Comments by Azven


1. Youngest galactic supernova (not aliens) found

Comment #180483 by Azven on May 15, 2008 at 4:54 am

I remember Isaac Asimov calculating that there ought to be 3 [visible] supernovas in our galaxy every thousand years, and commenting that, in the last thousand years, all three had occured before the invention of the telescope.

Now this is a very old calculation and it's pretty near certain that his assumptions have changed, but what ever the figure, isn't it a shame that our Victorian antecedents missed another one just because of a bit of dust?

2. The detail in the Devil

Comment #175839 by Azven on May 6, 2008 at 6:27 am

Black, among other theologians, was exploring the possibility of a satanic influence behind the Nazi atrocities during World War II


In Scotland? Does he mean Hellboy?

3. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #175828 by Azven on May 6, 2008 at 6:10 am

Aslan:

"that indicates the profound unsophistication that you have about this re[li]gion. You could not be more wrong" and claiming that I'd taken my view of Islam from "Fox News."


(I've assumed a correction in the above quote from region to religion).

I actually find this to be a reasonably response. I'm not saying it's correct. In fact I'd say that it isn't correct, but it is at least a reasonable response, and I hope that Sam went on to argue in his counter-point what "close enough" meant.

4. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #175826 by Azven on May 6, 2008 at 6:03 am

And these are British Muslims


I know a number of "British Muslims" from different countries of origin. I've noticed that the further West the country the more reasonable they are. Many West African Muslims are happy to speak out about [against] violence, but when was the last time you saw a West African interviewed for his/her opinion?

5. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #175823 by Azven on May 6, 2008 at 5:58 am

In Afghanistan, women in burqas could be seen burning the Dutch flag


There they go with the flag-burning again. They must have warehouses full of foreign flags "for the burning of".

I hope we sold the flags to them. If you buy a flag, it's your flag; and thanks for the money.

6. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #175810 by Azven on May 6, 2008 at 5:18 am

Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we peaceful Muslims cannot be held responsible for what our less peaceful brothers and sisters do. When they burn your embassies or kidnap and slaughter your journalists, know that we will hold you primarily responsible and will spend the bulk of our energies criticizing you for "racism" and "Islamophobia."


I'm going to put this on a T-shirt. Brilliant!

7. Judge orders La. school district to stop Bible giveaways

Comment #167167 by Azven on April 23, 2008 at 5:22 pm

Aquaria

You said, "However, not teaching religion doesn't mean it's not communicated to us, in thousands of ways, because it is".

But is it communicated in an unbiased way, or at least by people with no motive other than to teach?

Do they teach about religion or do they just preach?

And, when you say religion, do you mean Christianity?

8. Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

Comment #166735 by Azven on April 23, 2008 at 12:00 pm

Serdan

They're just that stupid.

9. Judge orders La. school district to stop Bible giveaways

Comment #166717 by Azven on April 23, 2008 at 11:49 am

Thanks, Nentuaby and Celandine.

It's seems a shame that American children in public schools can only learn about religion in church, and therefore are unlikely to get an objective view. They are also unlikely to get a range of views. By the time I was 13 I had learnt about Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Shinto, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism...

There was no attempt to convert me, and no one religion was made out to be inferior (or superior) to any of the others.

As far as I know this was the standard London Board syllabus.

10. Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

Comment #166668 by Azven on April 23, 2008 at 11:24 am

Give me the ocular proof!

11. Science 2.0 -- Is Open Access Science the Future?

Comment #166659 by Azven on April 23, 2008 at 11:19 am

Why would a competitive scientist post raw results so his peers can spot the pattern and write up a paper before him/her ?

12. Judge orders La. school district to stop Bible giveaways

Comment #166652 by Azven on April 23, 2008 at 11:15 am

The first bible I ever owned was given to me by my school. It was for my Religious Knowledge (sometimes referred to as 'RE') lessons and was therefore a school book. I was, however, educated in the UK.

One gets the impression that US schools do not learn about religion(s) as a subject. Is this true?

13. If God Is Dead, Who Gets His House?

Comment #165721 by Azven on April 22, 2008 at 6:05 am

I, personnally, have never called myself an atheist. I am a sceptic (and also a cynic, but that's another story).

14. If God Is Dead, Who Gets His House?

Comment #165712 by Azven on April 22, 2008 at 5:06 am

I like religions and many religious people. I also like Star Trek and most Trekkers.

I like the stories, the moral dichotomies, the characters with super-powers, I even like the villains.

I still laugh at the believers (to their face) if they get too involved.


I don't want a church for Atheists any more than I want a church for Star Trek.

(Or should that be a [Nurse] Chappel)

15. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Comment #163256 by Azven on April 18, 2008 at 5:28 am

When did RD write "Woolly science writing"? I must rush out an buy it, what with me being a Woolly science reader.

16. The books that inspire me

Comment #157351 by Azven on April 9, 2008 at 1:05 am

Oh and 'Last Chance to See' by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwadine contains some of DNA's funniest work. See the poison snake expert in the Komodo dragon section.

17. The books that inspire me

Comment #157349 by Azven on April 9, 2008 at 1:02 am

So pleased to see The Black Cloud on the lists. I still sometimes say 'Devil in the cloud' to mean something (ie, a computer program) behaving as if it's alive - a kind of ghost in the machine comment. And it's over 30 years since I read this!

18. Evolution Of New Species Slows Down As Number Of Competitors Increases

Comment #150606 by Azven on March 27, 2008 at 6:58 am

I'd like to echo Andrew Stich here.

What, exactly, is a 'group'? What does speeding up or slowing down of evolution mean? If we're talking about the rate of increase in the number of species then what has this got to do with evolution's speed?

'Niches' implies species that are not in competition for resourses. It's fairly tautological that this means that there are a fixed number of niches. species that are competing for resources should evolve faster - but note - the number of species competing for over-lapping resouces will DECREASE over time.

19. Immune system differences found

Comment #145324 by Azven on March 17, 2008 at 1:33 pm

Wow! Populations that have been exposed to different bacterial environments for centuries show differences in their immune systems.

20. Ban anti-Catholic books in schools, says bishop

Comment #143455 by Azven on March 14, 2008 at 6:02 am

Is this aimed at Philip Pullman ?

Is the Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster getting too much publicity because of this? Surely no one is going to take this seriously and start removing books from schools and libraries?

21. Revealed: Secrets of the Camouflage Masters

Comment #133347 by Azven on February 26, 2008 at 5:25 am

Donald

Nice theory - and testable (the best kind).

I would like to try this experiment...
At the bottom of a tank have a circular disc embedded in a board of the same material. Cover the board and disc with a pattern such that if the disc is rotated the pattern will be disrupted. Wait 'til a cuttlefish covers the board and changes to match the pattern - then rotate the disc.

My prediction would be that the cuttlefish will ignore the new disrupted pattern because it can't see that it has changed.

22. Evidence can't shake your faith if your faith excludes it as evidence

Comment #132672 by Azven on February 25, 2008 at 5:36 am

Dear Paul Campos

For God (or an angel of same) it doesn't seem that much of a miracle to regrow an amputee's leg / arm etc. After all, all the tissue is there it just needs to grow.

So there you are God (Yes, I'm talking to you) re-grow every missing arm, leg, finger, toe, kdney, lung, appendix, etc, plus throw in a few teeth and I'll believe in you.

Then eliminate some of those nasty congenital diseases and a few viral, bacterial, fungal and protozoan based illnesses and we're away.

See if you can do it before I click on the Submit button.

I'm about to do it...

23. Revealed: Secrets of the Camouflage Masters

Comment #132210 by Azven on February 24, 2008 at 1:17 pm

Epinephrine

Well said. At least no one brought up "octopi", yuk! I just love the way that "Octopodii" ripples off the tongue in five syllables.

PS, like the new avatar.

24. Revealed: Secrets of the Camouflage Masters

Comment #131247 by Azven on February 22, 2008 at 5:37 am

It's still not clear to me how the animal 'sees behind itself' in order to present, to my line of sight, a pattern on its skin similar to the background. I've obviously made an assumption here, but I don't know what it is!

Also, I think the descriptors "mottled" and "disruptive" are a bit vague, and so it's quite easy to shoe-horn any pattern into these linguistic groups. Is there a more scientific description of theses patterns? I suspect not, as it seems to me that there ought to be a [at least one] continuous sequence of change from "mottled" to "disruptive".

Otherwise, an excellent article and a superb video that I can't wait to show my daughter.

25. Revealed: Secrets of the Camouflage Masters

Comment #131238 by Azven on February 22, 2008 at 5:20 am

Pedant's corner: "octopuses"

Oh, dear!

26. The Search for Truth, God and Braver Scientists in 'Expelled'

Comment #129425 by Azven on February 19, 2008 at 5:46 am

Does any body else feel that this article ends rather suddenly?

27. Council pays psychic for exorcism

Comment #127253 by Azven on February 15, 2008 at 5:25 am

I read as far as this, before I solved the mystery of the poltergeist…

Miss Fallon had even called police after hearing bangs which terrified her children Shannon, nine, and Amie, one.


So assuming the whole thing hasn't just been made up by Miss Fallon, then there's your answer.


Just incase you missed it...
Shannon, nine



I didn't even ask for my £60.

28. Earliest bats did not 'see' with sound

Comment #126740 by Azven on February 14, 2008 at 5:05 am

I believe that Douglas Adams had his character Dirk Gently give 10 for himself (ie, for humans). I have counted 11 in myself, but given that there's no real difference between smell and taste I could be argued down to 10.

29. Why multiculturalism must be abandoned

Comment #125817 by Azven on February 12, 2008 at 5:39 am

It's time that these 'courts', where participants agree beforehand to accept the decision of the 'court', are stamped out under Britsh Law. Crown Law belongs in Crown courts. This may upset Muslims, Jews and TV producers (who can create Judge Judy type TV shows under the same rules) but it will protect the likes of Nasirin Iqbal who may not realize what is happening and who, more than most, need the protection of an impartial legal system.

30. Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!

Comment #125810 by Azven on February 12, 2008 at 5:12 am

Send Hallmark.com a suggestion for Darwin Day 2009, the 200th anniversary. They always seem to leap on any excuse to create an event that can celebrated with cards.

Let's see which wins out, making money, or seeming to align themselves with atheists?

31. What he wishes on us is an abomination

Comment #125232 by Azven on February 11, 2008 at 5:21 am

It goes without saying that the Archbishop did not seek the opinion of a Muslim re his speech - more specifically, not of a Muslim woman. The fact that this white, western, Christian male did not, speaks VOLUMES about his lofty view from his ivory tower.

32. An Altar Beyond Olympus for a Deity Predating Zeus

Comment #122784 by Azven on February 6, 2008 at 4:37 am

Mike

I heard it commented that the reason you get so few Hindus converting to Christianity is that they've heard it all before - that there is nothing new (to them) in Christianity.

33. Dusty Clues: Study suggests no dearth of Earths

Comment #122280 by Azven on February 5, 2008 at 4:51 am

Was the picture of "an earthlike planet orbiting a star outside the solar system" really necessary? Strangely enough, I know what an Earth-like planet could look like, even (or is that especially) a made up one!

34. God the psycho

Comment #121769 by Azven on February 4, 2008 at 5:38 am

I've always said that God's love is the love of a stalker...

He LOVES you and wants you to LOVE Him back. He WATCHES you. He wants you to KNOW who He is. He wants you to WORSHIP him. He gets JEALOUS if talk to anyone else.

He KNOWS WHAT YOUR THINKING.

He will TORTURE and KILL to get what he wants...

God is decidedly creepy. Thanks be that He doesn't exist...

35. God vs. Gridiron

Comment #121765 by Azven on February 4, 2008 at 5:27 am

It's unfortunate that the NFL has given exception to sports bars," Mr. Shuler says. "If they're going to give exceptions, let's give one to faith groups that are having a positive influence on people's lives.”


Yes, let’s give religion special dispensation.

Actually, I suspect that the reason why the NFL have not previously made exceptions for churches is because practically anyone can declare themselves a church and thus gain special status.

But does anyone care who wins this argument?

BTW:
Using the phrase Super Bowl on church fliers or Web sites implies an NFL affiliation, say league lawyers. That's trouble if people are led to believe that the neighborhood church is an NFL sponsor, for example, or that the league endorses the Immaculate Conception.

LOL!

36. Documents detail church coverup

Comment #121759 by Azven on February 4, 2008 at 5:08 am

In the UK at the moment there is a case going before the House of Lords concerning a rape victims claim to part of the raper's £7 million lottery winnings.

The Catholic church is worth a lot more than £7 million. They better get there house in order (at least in the UK) soon.

37. Sentenced to death: Afghan who dared to read about women's rights

Comment #118878 by Azven on January 31, 2008 at 5:35 am

Maulavi Muhammad Asif, said: "This decision is for disrespecting the holy Koran and the government should enforce the decision before it came under more pressure from foreigners."


No, you moron, it's about an interpretation of the holy Koran. Sayed Pervez Kambaksh has claimed that the prophet Mohamed has been misrepresented. Surely you want the correct message from your prophet don't you? If you don't agree, state your arguments!

So, Maulavi Muhammad Asif, either you're not sure that you are correct or you don't care what your prophet meant, just what you want him to mean.

38. Atheism and Violence

Comment #117968 by Azven on January 30, 2008 at 5:14 am

BTW: My daughter read this author's name as Edward T. Cakes (Edward Tea Cakes), which made me chuckle, so I thought I'd share.

39. Atheism and Violence

Comment #117966 by Azven on January 30, 2008 at 5:11 am

The first article is so full of errors and misunderstandings and, I suspect, downright deliberate obfuscations that is was hard to wade through it. I don't need to point out any of the problems because I'd be preaching to the choir. However, why is it that theists seem to think that no new arguments for atheism (even if that's true) is a point for theists?

But [atheist's] arguments are shopworn, stale hand-me-downs and threadbare heirlooms inherited from an era that was fading away even before the French Revolution



Instead, and my reason for writing, it to say how refreshing professor Lynch's rebuttal was; well written, well referenced and actually interesting even though I have very little interest in Marx. Plus one of the best scholarly smack-downs I've seen in years,
possibly the longest ellipsis known to scholarship.


Thank you Prof. John M. Lynch

40. Scientists want rewrite of Earth's time line

Comment #117796 by Azven on January 29, 2008 at 4:53 pm

Jonathan Dore

So you're using "yo" interchangeably as both a second-person and a third-person pronoun?


No, not interchangeably. I say to you, "Do you understand", but I say to the audience, "Does yo understand?", replacing "Does she understand?".

And this would aid comprehension how?


Well "You" won't do when you mean he, she, him or her, and he, she, him and her are a problem when you don't know the sex of the person you're refering to. You could use they and their but these get awkward very quickly. As to whether it aids communication, well let's see! That's why I'm trying it out.

[PS; I'm aware that I used "you" and "you're" in the above paragraph. I think they're correct when refering to a hyperthetical person]

[PPS; It was not my intention to go off track on this thread - I'm happy to discuss this on a seperate forum if anyone is interested]

(Edit: Spelling)

41. Scientists want rewrite of Earth's time line

Comment #117571 by Azven on January 29, 2008 at 6:12 am

Jonathan Dore
You're assuming that I meant 'you' as in a personal note to Opisthokont. But this is a public forum and in fact I meant "he or she, as appropriate".

[However, the above IS a personal note to you, even though this is a public forum, hence the use of "you're".]

[The above sentence is also a personal note to you, hence the use of "you".]

[etc]

42. 'Irrational Atheist' trounces God-deniers

Comment #117568 by Azven on January 29, 2008 at 5:59 am

ianmkz

I was initially tempted to do just that, but I suspect a successful giveaway might induce a publisher to print more of the damn things in expectation of huge sales to come.


Me, likewise. I won't burn books but I don't have to have them published!

43. 'Irrational Atheist' trounces God-deniers

Comment #117560 by Azven on January 29, 2008 at 5:39 am

But what is Day's argument?

My book doesn't rely on the Bible or theological gymnastics or emotional appeals; it simply makes use of detailed historical and scientific evidence in order to expose the logical and factual flaws in every atheist argument you're likely to encounter.


I read this entire article, even though after two paragraphs I wanted to stop, because I thought he might actually have something to say. But if he does, where is it? Am I supposed to go to the blog and trawl through his book (free, though it is) for his pearls of wisdom?




He [Richard Dawkins] only finds Darwin useful insofar as his theory of evolution by natural selection can be used to eliminate the basis for a belief in a Creator God. As Dawkins states in his own words, he's "a passionate anti-Darwinian" with regards to the proper conduct of human affairs. Dawkins thinks humanity should follow Darwin just long enough to cast off Jesus Christ, then ditch Darwin in favor of following Richard Dawkins' opinion on life, the universe and everything.


He has either entirely misunderstood this or (and I suspect this is in fact the reason) he is purposely joining two arguments that both have Darwin in common to create a straw man to knock down. Just for the record, Darwinian evolution explains the apparent creative process in bio-diversity, but human behavior that mirrors evolution is to be discourage because it 's wasteful, has no direction, and most solutions DIE.


Just like philosophers, you can always count on a scientist to come around eventually to the concept of rule by scientist-king.


What? Can anyone explain this to me, please?


I also suspect he knows the difference between difficult concepts like "counties" and "states."


Again what? What is Day saying here? Can anyone explain?

44. Scientists want rewrite of Earth's time line

Comment #117549 by Azven on January 29, 2008 at 5:08 am

Opisthokont

The only comparable event that I can think of was the Polynesian expansion throughout the Pacific


Apologies to Opisthokont! My eye must have skipped over this sentence on first reading. I still disagree with yo* and assert my own argument (above) but I see now that yo has considered the first human migrations over sea.


*Yo = sex neutral, personal pronoun (I'm trying it out for a couple of months to see how I feel about it!)

45. Scientists want rewrite of Earth's time line

Comment #117546 by Azven on January 29, 2008 at 4:58 am

Opisthokont

I considered the pivotal event the discovery of the New World


How about the invention of the sea-faring boat (as opposed to a simple coracle, or the like) as a pivotal point? I bit hard to pin-point in time but nevertheless significant. Not only did this change the world but it also effectively stopped our species from diverging into many species. Both biotic and abiotic!

PS; An epoch can't be recent for ever. You have to call it something that makes sense no matter what age you're looking back at it from.

46. The real danger in Darwin is not evolution, but racism

Comment #115380 by Azven on January 24, 2008 at 5:51 am

Does Tony Campolo really believe that if evoloution is taught is schools it will be 150 year old science?

I believe that biology students should read OTOOS, such racist presumptions that it contains are few and mild and should not distract the reader from Darwin's message. However, when taught in modern schools by a modern teacher he/she should use modern evidence and modern examples.

The social implications of Darwinian evolution exist, but nevertheless it has been proven to be a robust theory and so why would you you be reticent to teach it?

47. Death Sentence for Afghan Student

Comment #115372 by Azven on January 24, 2008 at 5:26 am

So, Allah cannot mete out his own punishments, He has to rely on a Council of Clerics to do it for Him? Or, is it that He cannot be offended by human blasphemy? Or, is it that He doesn't exist.

48. Three Little Pigs 'too offensive'

Comment #115365 by Azven on January 24, 2008 at 5:17 am

I think the real insult to Muslims is to believe that they are so narrow minded that they would be offended by this. (And I mean the real 'offended' where you insult ME based on YOUR opinion, not the wimpy 'offended' where your opinion clashes with my opinion).

49. Mixing Mammals

Comment #115358 by Azven on January 24, 2008 at 4:58 am

It may be the article's fault here (which I think is quite badly written) but where is the real science here? Does this tell us anything that we didn't already know about evolution?

How does a 6% increase compare with normal variation amongs mice?

And surely "...mutant mice that lacked the mouse Prx1 enhancer..." are normal, un-mutated, mice!

50. What Religion's Blind Stranglehold on America Is Doing to Our Democracy

Comment #113957 by Azven on January 21, 2008 at 4:47 am

Here's a question for candidates:
"If the American people democratically demand that you do something but God tells you to do the opposite, what will you do?"

A. Ignore the people;
B. Ignore God;
C. Seek medical help.

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