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Comment #203740 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 1:19 pm
And since I'm on the subject, I'm tired of such wishy washy publications as the Daily Mail being called right-wing insanity
402. Did newborn Earth harbour life?
Comment #203724 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Comment #203716 by decius
However, the Helicon Double Layer Thruster could already be deployed after that it was successfully tested on orbiting satellites.
403. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203717 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Comment #203714 by bugaboo
I totally agree. But let's criticise the religions about the real, substantial issues.
404. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203708 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Comment #203703 by bugaboo
I think the incident became newsworthy when the police apologised.
Edit: The story was reported in the torygraph and in local newspapers
First of all, it is unfair to expect that someone who does not live in the U.K. would know that the Daily Mail is a right-wing rag.
405. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203702 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 11:52 am
Comment #203701 by Notcrowingbutyawning
Finally, and what if this report were from the Guardian or Independent?
406. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203699 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 11:39 am
Comment #203694 by Fanusi Khiyal
Akheilios do you feel all nice and morally superior about being able to condemn the Daily Mail? Does that feel good?
407. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203691 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 11:20 am
Comment #203688 by al-rawandi
David Beckham has bad breath? Urgh. That has ruined him for me.
408. Science is thrilling - except in our schools
Comment #203686 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 11:11 am
Styrer-
The crowning glory was that I didn't even get to dissect a frog, which was commonly anticipated as the most exciting lesson, for which I was bloody well off sick.
409. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203684 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 11:06 am
Al-
Who gives a fuck where the story appears. Is it true or false? If it's true than it doesn't matter who conveys the information.
410. Did newborn Earth harbour life?
Comment #203679 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 10:58 am
Comment #203674 by Quetzalcoatl
I believe they can be very fast. The thing is that they don't run out of fuel. A solar sail craft could have covered the distance that the Voyager craft have travelled in a fraction of the time.
Just imagine the propulsion that would be present for a spacecraft that was flown close to the sun, and then opened a sail....
NASA's project is exciting!
411. Did newborn Earth harbour life?
Comment #203676 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 10:54 am
Comment #203670 by squinky
DNA and RNA are essentially ticker tape with little to no function. To take this system and then advance to the simplest extremophile prokaryotic cell is a chasm so deep and wide that we don't even have a hypothesis yet of how it might have happened.
412. Did newborn Earth harbour life?
Comment #203671 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 10:46 am
Comment #203647 by decius
I generally agree with you. There are places in the solar system where we know that very interesting chemistry is taking place (Titan) and where we are pretty sure that liquid water is present (Europa, Enceladus).
Perhaps more research should be put into faster propulsion systems (ion drives, solar sails, even nuclear), so that we can explore such worlds on reasonable timescales.
413. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203665 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 10:41 am
Comment #203660 by Scott McMeekin
I tend to agree. At the very least, a story from such a source should not be posted without independent verification. In my opinion.
414. Did newborn Earth harbour life?
Comment #203622 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 8:58 am
Comment #203620 by decius
I agree. "An indication that it might be life" isn't really anything to get excited about.
415. Evangelical Christians sign up to a 'Church within a Church'
Comment #203617 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 8:45 am
Comment #203615 by Peacebeuponme
In the same way, whatever happens with the CofE, I can't see an increase in homophobia occuring amongst the population.
416. Did newborn Earth harbour life?
Comment #203616 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 8:44 am
Comment #203605 by Tack
The ratio of C12 to C13 isn't being used here for dating. It is a possible signature of life. Biochemical processes tend to concentrate C12, so C13 (which is rare anyway) is even rarer in living organisms.
417. Did newborn Earth harbour life?
Comment #203598 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 8:06 am
The physicist Paul Davies has been speculating about possible multiple origins of life. He asks an interesting question - if there were small organisms around with a completely different biochemistry, would we know they were there? We have barely begun to classify bacteria and archaea... there might still be a significant mass of life around from another origin.
418. Did newborn Earth harbour life?
Comment #203587 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 7:53 am
Comment #203582 by Ygern
Yes, that is possible. But the nature of life around now suggests something else happened. It looks like the ancestral forms of life from which we all evolved were thermophiles - able to live at pretty high temperatures. It is also possible they are related to the prokaryotes that now live quite a way down in the Earth's crust. Life could have appeared, and spread, but was then mostly wiped out, with only bacteria-like organisms deep in rocks surviving. Those then gave rise to everything else.
419. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory
Comment #203566 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 7:03 am
I wonder why they even turn on a computer, or turn a light on, or go to the Doctor?
EDIT: Can't open your link to your blog
420. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory
Comment #203561 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 6:46 am
Comment #203556 by Quetzalcoatl
I can't help but think that you wasted your time with this guy.
421. Evangelical Christians sign up to a 'Church within a Church'
Comment #203557 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 6:38 am
Comment #203553 by Peacebeuponme
Unless I'm missing something The Church of England has been homophobic by default,
Whatever happens, I can't see additional mainstream legitimacy to homophobia arising, given that 1 billion catholics and 1 billion muslims are already bigoted.
422. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory
Comment #203552 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 6:27 am
Comment #202225 by Steve Zara
I had a long formal debate with him (I accepted a challenge months ago). It was quite informative as to how theological arguments go:
http://zarbi.livejournal.com/135785.html
423. Evangelical Christians sign up to a 'Church within a Church'
Comment #203536 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 5:34 am
I don't know why Peter Tatchell is bothering to campaign. Let the deluded gay haters have their church, and the deluded gays theirs.
424. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203505 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 3:23 am
Comment #203499 by Quetzalcoatl
That is brilliant - milli-Hovinds!
Nice to see how quickly and easily Robert was dealt with here.
425. Faith schools undermined by 'Government witch hunt'
Comment #203482 by Steve Zara on July 3, 2008 at 2:32 am
Comment #203219 by gr8hands
I am sorry, but I'm going to have to go with Hungarian on this one.
Indoctrination is not the same as teaching. It is distinguished from teaching because you are given ideas that you are supposed to accept uncritically.
My view is that faith schools are like religious people - they aren't all bad, not by any means. My concern is about the principle of the thing, and the way that they can allow indoctrination to happen because of the view that faith is a good thing and what happens in schools with particular traditions should not be questioned. Faith schools can leave children unprotected from those who wish to indoctrinate. But that does not mean that serious indoctrination is the rule.
426. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203216 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Comment #203203 by Linda
Steve Zara #203199 - man oh man - Now you have made me worry that Glenn Beck will cite the story as another brick in the wall heralding the end times.
427. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203199 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Comment #203190 by Linda
I really, really, hope not. In that case the gleeful troublemakers at the Daily Mail will have won a little victory, and rational discussion will be just a little bit weaker.
There is plenty to disagree with about religion without this kind of nonsense. Let's concentrate on the serious issues. Let's discuss rationality at the level of Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan, not at the level of Bill O'Reilly and Richard Littlejohn.
428. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203189 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Comment #203182 by Paula Kirby
You wouldn't say that if you'd seen my dog yesterday. She'd found a mud bath and emerged absolutely caked in muck. I seriously considered planting potatoes in her coat and having done with it.
429. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203156 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Comment #203146 by ThoughtsonCommonToad
I think "Fox News" is probably an appropriate comparison. The Daily Mail ranks alongside Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly in terms of neutrality and reliability.
430. Evangelical Christians sign up to a 'Church within a Church'
Comment #203143 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Comment #203105 by Paula Kirby
I share your mixed feelings. Showing the awful views of many in the Anglican church may not be a bad thing, but there are so many complications. Will the Archbishop compromise? What views become the those of the established church?
On the other hand, this may be an opportunity. The sight of a schism in progress lends weight to our argument that there is no objective theistic truth behind Christianity. As both sides will say they have been guided by the Holy Spirit, we are in a position to ask them both how they know this. It could be quite illuminating.
431. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat
Comment #203138 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 11:59 am
Comment #203128 by ThoughtsonCommonToad
I totally support you on this.
The Daily Mail is an appalling "newspaper". It thrives by manufacturing scare stories, about immigration, about cultures, about health, about anything.
Nothing posted with the Daily Mail as source should be considered accurate without further investigation.
To be honest, I am rather disappointed that a story from that source has been posted on this "clear thinking oasis".
432. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202977 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 7:37 am
Comment #202972 by Robert O'Brien
Unless/until the "uncausedness" of virtual particles is established, they remain a paper tiger to Craig's argument.
433. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202968 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 7:29 am
Comment #202963 by decius
I am a novice at philosophy, but I have learned a lot from MPhil.
One such thing is that starting an argument with axioms you aren't sure are well-founded is perhaps not a good way to put a case. You can't really go from "I think QM may be deterministic" to "Jesus loves me and I'll go to Heaven".
434. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202956 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 7:16 am
Comment #202954 by Robert O'Brien
Virtual particles _may_ invalidate one of the axioms but that is far from established.
435. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202952 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 7:11 am
Comment #202947 by Robert O'Brien
The same argument applies.
You need to demonstrate that there aren't logically possible worlds in which Quantum Mechanics doesn't break causality.
If you can't, and continue on this line, then you are simply trolling.
You have lost it. These kinds of philosophical arguments don't take you to reality without evidence. You can show proofs that God must exist as much as you like, but you still need to demonstrate that he does exist.
436. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202946 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 7:05 am
Comment #202932 by Robert O'Brien
Then I want you to take account of interpretations of QM that preserve causality.
437. A secular world is a sane world
Comment #202874 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 5:20 am
Comment #202860 by UncleJJ
I don't mean to sound to critical, or mean, but...
Thanks to Pat for being our voice
438. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202859 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 4:22 am
Comment #202854 by decius
You have forgotten that the translation you are using was misread due to the presence of several dead flies pressed onto the pages.
What it actually said was "I did not come to bring peace but wood." It is about a different kind of fencing.
439. Can't Darwin and God get along?
Comment #202849 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 4:02 am
Comment #202842 by Brian English
I am after a believable explanation of how snakes actually move. I see a film of a python wrapped around a tree branch, and then a few seconds later, it has moved from there to there, with no apparent effort. Seems like a clear case of magic to me.
440. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202832 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 3:39 am
Comment #202827 by Brian English
I don't know if you caught the latest news of the discussion with a theologist you may be referring to that I posted on another thread, but apparently I took his words that science has to give way to scripture and that science is "destructive of knowledge" and "seriously flawed" out of context. I did not take into account the audience. Apparently it is OK to make such statements if you have a mainly Christian readership.
So that is all OK then.
441. Richard Dawkins on Doctor Who
Comment #202828 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 3:36 am
Comment #202728 by Niel Crafford
What is all the fuss about.
442. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202824 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 3:32 am
Comment #202820 by decius
But I can talk faster and more loudly in public about my feelings about fencing than you. That means I clearly win. I will also refuse to take anything epeeist says seriously, as he is obviously prejudiced and closed minded because he will insist that only actual experience of physical swords matters.
443. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202809 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 2:59 am
Comment #202808 by epeeist
I know very little about fencing, but I had a friend who did it once. Never tried it, even though it was suggested.
So, based on that, can I tell you that you are doing it all wrong. It is far more effective to hold the pointy end and thwack them with the handle thingy.
444. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory
Comment #202798 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 2:31 am
Comment #202794 by mordacious1
Heh. Sorry. No pressure intended. I just love this stuff so much. I love the way that Nature seems to be playing games(*), by frequently giving us the illusion of something superluminal, but it sadly never is.
(*) A metaphor, of course!
445. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory
Comment #202790 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 1:53 am
Comment #202789 by mordacious1
I have heard that one can look back after an experiment has been completed and see that particles have tunnelled at superluminal speed through certain gaps. The problem is that this is always retrospective. You can't use it to send information to someone in the future faster than light.
The only think I can find regarding caesium was an experiment in 2000 with caesium gas. The group velocity was around 310c. Perhaps that isn't what you are thinking of.
446. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage
Comment #202787 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 1:32 am
Comment #202704 by Robert O'Brien
these processes merely involve the possibly uncaused conversion of pre-existing energy into material form.
447. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory
Comment #202786 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 1:21 am
Comment #202637 by mordacious1
Perhaps you are thinking of the "group velocity" of light waves?
448. Can't Darwin and God get along?
Comment #202776 by Steve Zara on July 2, 2008 at 12:59 am
Comment #202725 by Robert O'Brien
One doesn't get to win debates by simply declaring oneself right you know.
You haven't fared well here. You have presented what you surely believed were your best ontological arguments and they have been thoroughly shot down, which is not surprising as there are people on this site who understand philosophy, and who know more about the subjects (physics, mathematics) that people like Lane Craig use in their arguments than Craig clearly does. His debates on his ontological argument shows what happens when you try and use millenia-old reasoning with centuries-old understanding of science and mathematics and then get faced with the fact that knowledge has moved on.
So, unless you can come up with something new, it makes little sense to state that you are going to steamroller anyone unless you can provide evidence that you have any steam left, and can roll.
I see none.
449. Can't Darwin and God get along?
Comment #202619 by Steve Zara on July 1, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Guys, this is about as reasonable as religious people get.
450. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory
Comment #202617 by Steve Zara on July 1, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Comment #202223 by Roger Stanyard
You are right. It is just as you describe.
However, there has been an interesting development. He now claims I have not taken into account the audience for this words. He was writing those remarks about science to Christians.
So that's all OK then.
I think I got him a bit riled, as I pointed him at this:
http://zarbi.livejournal.com/146017.html
I will admit it is a bit silly in some respects, but if scripture can't even say something about the "God" particle, which, if it exists, will be a fundamental part of reality....