Welcome to the forum!

A good goal might be to disassociate the following:

Faith as Virtue

Myth as Reality

Divinity as Causality

Scripture as Knowledge

Religion as Privilege

Psychosis as Miracles

Clergy as Holy

Indoctrination as Charity ...

Best Regards,

William

That is how reporting should be done! Thank You Lucky and PBS. Also thanks to all of our armed forces personnel and those who defend the Constitution and freedoms that make this possible.

William

The Thinker 41.42 Analytical Less Intuitive

Discobolus 61.55 Control More Intuitive

Therefore:

Tebow 0.0 Unresolved

Comment Removed by Author

"The simple act of walking continues to take strange detours among ancient human ancestors."

These evolutionary detours are still occurring today. I for one, also have a gait divergent from most. My coach referred to my inherited high arches as "Twinkle Toes". They then gave me a bounce in my step and made me very light on my feet where I could turn on a dime whiles running. Great for dancing also!

I inherited this detour from my maternal grandfather who goes all the way back to Thomas Bitton Dean of Wales and consecrated Bishop of Exeter in 1292. His tomb, before the high altar of his cathedral, was opened in 1763. His remains are preserved in the chapter-house.

I wonder, If permitted to investigate, if he might also have had this evolutionary variation.

William

Regarding my previous comment:

A theme song for the next Reason Rally?

Ever see those video depictions of the first fish to populate dry land? For some reason as I watched old flattop the fish come ashore, I wondered if The Beatles song "Come Together" might not be a reference to this evolutionary event.

Maybe another silly belief!

William

Here are my original thoughts on the lryics to "Come Together" by The Beatles..

Shoot Me! Shoot Me! Shoot Me! Shoot Me!

(Referring to snapshots in evolutionary time)

Here come old flattop He come grooving up slowly

(Our first marine ancestor who evolved fins which enabled it to go on land.)

He got ju-ju eyeballs He one holy roller

(Evolved eyes on top with forward and side vision. Evolved from laying eggs to live birth.)

He got hair down to his knee

(Beginning of mammals. Hair replaced scales.)

Got to be a joker he just do what he please

(Had no or little competition on land.)

Shoot me! Shoot me! Shoot me!

He wear no shoeshine he's got toe-jam football

(still bare but evolving feet)

He got monkey finger he shoot Coca-Cola

(evolving dexterity and crude tools/weapons used for hunting aka target practice)

He say "I know you, you know me"

(Group recognition with territorial and tribal behaviors)

One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

(values independence)

Come together right now over me.

(We are all cousins)

Shoot me! Shoot me! Shoot me! Shoot me!

He bad production he got walrus scumble (or walrus gum-boot)

(Various mutations, evolving races and skin color) or (Shoes and clothing)

He's got Ono sideboard he's got spinal cracker

(Outstanding, Has a mate and changing posture)

He's got feet down below his knee

(stands upright or does not kneel to alphas)

Hold you in his armchair or (arms yeah) you can feel his disease

(sitting posture, leaders and hierarchy)

Come together right now over me.

He's roller-coaster he's got early warning

(develops experience language and knowledge)

He's got muddy water he's got mojo filter

(Overcomes diversity, has myth, magic and religion)

He say "One and one and one is three"

(Reason, Math, science and higher learning)

Got to be good looking 'cause he's so hard to see

(He's still in all of us)

Come together right now over me.

Shoot me! Shoot me! Shoot me!

Ow!

(What could happen if we don't realize this)

A theme song for the next Reason Rally?

Ever see those video depictions of the first fish to populate dry land? For some reason as a watched old flattop the fish come ashore, I wondered if The Beatles song "Come Together" might not be a reference to this evolutionary event.

Maybe another silly belief!

William

If one of these hypervelocity stars went supernova could we end up with a hypervelocity black hole, a neutron star, or very fast gas?

William

I wonder what the governments and militaries of the world would do if all the non-theistic scientists and inventors came together and regulated who gets the latest technology.

Special Thanks to Todd and all the volunteers!

William

RE: Comment 12 by drumdaddy :

Neither American politicians nor the media, should abnegate this historic rally as "Petty Gossip." An emblematic example of this mistake was recently experienced by the pope.

The American Eagle has evolved prodigious vision and soars high with both wings when left untethered by bias, gridlock or political and religious dogma.

I salute our secular heroes.

William

Re: "Modern secular society was built to satisfy our lower profane selves."

I consider a secular society based on reality to a great extent, to be more noble and virtuously elevated than any grounded on supernatural myth.

The secular "Stairway To Heaven" is a symphony of actuality.

William

Dear WBC,

As a fellow Kansan, could you reserve a HOT SPOT in hell for me? I will still need to access the RDFRS website.

P.S. I forgot, I moved to Missouri - The Show Me State. Go Mizzou!

William

A great tribute to a great man from his friends. We miss you Hitch!

William

My not so beautiful guess might be:

Reduction of perceived analogised schemas manifesting as awareness of sensual pleasure.

William

Being abit perplexed at the time by the topic. I would like to appologise for hastily mixing two trains of thought into one paragraph. My run-on sentence In comment Number 320, Includes the esteemed Jewelry Designer Micheal Dawkins. Although included as a very famous and talented Dawkins, I have no knowledge of his ancestry.

Apparently, I lack the gene for longanimity in composition!

William

Re: Lt Col Richard Dawkins

I don't want to give Mr. Lusher any more sources but mine show Lt Col Richard Dawkins to have been born in 1660.

I like flowers, especially the rare ones.

All family trees are open to malicious “cherry picking” if that is ones goal.

It does appear that the Telegraph got their genealogy correct. As with all surnames, the name Dawkins has multiple family lines and personalities. We have our share of Royals, Gentry and Commoners with every imaginable occupation, history and background and on rare occasions, inspirational luminaries like the good professor.

Comment 322 by rationalmind

We know that they didn't research the story themselves and that someone has been touting it around for a while. It really isn't that difficult to find the information. I am no genealogist but a while ago Richard on the old forum mentioned that he had an ancestor from whom he gets the Clinton name. Using that and just Google I was able to trace him back to the early kings of England. I guessed I would be able to do that easlily. Shock horror we have Edward the First in there! The infamous Longshanks from the film Braveheart! Are we going to find that the mild mannered professor is going to suddenly snap and go rampaging around Scotland? :-) The Dawkins family sound like really good people, if you have to go back three hundred years to find someone embarassing. This is pythonesque!. No one expects an ancestral inqusition! They really are scraping at the bottom of a very long historical barrel.

You mentioned Longshanks, Well! There was also a “Brave Hearten” Dawkins who fought alongside William Wallace. It's a small world, with wars between actual unknown relatives, usually owing to such unreasonable things like resources, philosophies, doctrines, greed or religions. Imagine!

I would love to share all of the things I've discovered in my research. I know people would find we Dawkins not ever to be literary cannon fodder.

Thanks for your comments,

William

I would like to add a correction to my previous comment 320 the third paragraph, second sentence ,should begin with “Jamaican history” not “The history”.

I have been considering looking up the history of the Lusher family. Who knows what one may find?

William

While in a Florida waiting room situation one day, I met and was speaking with a nice man from Jamaica. I had always wanted to visit there. Our conversation was cut short when the IC called out - Dawkins. He said: Your name is Dawkins? I said yes. He mentioned that Dawkins was a very "Big Name" in Jamaica. Our conversation ended as I attended my appointment. Later, remembering what he had said, I was naturally curious about it, so I looked it up. Indeed my friend was correct.

Many in America today are quick to relate the name Dawkins with famous athletes like the NFLs Brian Dawkins or the backboard breaking "Chocolate Thunder" Darryl Dawkins or the exquisite jewelry designs of Michael Dawkins, The poetry of Charlotte Dawkins, The gosphel music of Dawkins and Dawkins and many others of African and Jamaican descent. It is only natural to wonder if and how one with the same surname might be connected or related to such talent.

I found potential answers while studying the history of the Dawkins family in Jamaica. The history included slavery, religion, notables such as Queen Nanny and the Maroons. Also the sugar and coffee plantations, rum, pirates and currently the bauxite industry.

As with anyone who has just discovered something new, I was proud of what I had discovered and chose to make mention of it here on the RDFRS website in 2010. My placement of this information was meant to be more of a "heads up" notice that the irony of this may become a possible "Sins of The Fathers" issue, Which indeed came to pass. I also thought that I might get a response from someone in Jamaica.

My trust is that this was not one of the sources used by Mr. Lusher. If so, I would like to formally apologize to Richard and his family.

This history is now a bittersweet fact and a reality of the West Indies, something that is resigned to individual reflection and not meant to be a patriarchal generational "guilt trip" used as a designed literary weapon.

Documentation of these past events is very important for The National Library of Jamaica and those doing historical family research.

To quote there website:

ABSTRACT

"The Dawkins Collection is of utmost significance to historians. It contains copy title deeds, plats/plans, lists of enslaved persons and accounts, meant as a permanent record of the Dawkins family titles to its estates, dating from the earliest period of the settlement of Jamaica in the seventeenth century down to the nineteenth century. This material allows historians to trace the development of large landed estates in Jamaica and by extension use this information, comparatively, to examine the formation of large estates in other countries."

"Despite the noteworthy efforts of the National Library to secure resources to preserve the collection and the use of gloves by patrons, many of the documents bound in the volumes that make up the Dawkins Collection are in a state of decay. In a few years, without adequate funds to secure the digitisation of the material, persons from the Caribbean will have to go to England to look at the originals stored at the Bodleian Library.

The Dawkins Collection is truly unique, starting from the earliest part of Jamaica’s history to the nineteenth century."

The National Library of Jamaica 12 East Street Kingston

Wish I had the resources to help, This information has helped me.

Best regards to all!

William

I know some Vikings who might help you with that!

If ones intention focused on what has not changed or to ignore change, might this develope into a type of inverse man-made filter also? Something similar to meditation or a trance state. How about conservative or religious filters developing. Just a thought!

I would love to run a duplicate finder on the 'Genetic Book of the Dead' along with a type of CRC check maybe.

Seriously, Your parallel analysis of the gene pools would be a great elegant endeavor.

William

Happy Birthday Professor! Thanks for all your great work.

William

Another bang-up job by Professor Krauss. We may be hiding in the mirror but it seems like evolution may be hiding between two mirrors.

Thanks for sharing,

William

Cee Lo rolled a 1-2-3 on this dice game. Just like a pimp using cheap backdoor mind control techniques, He tries to implant a suggestion and alter peoples perception while they are high or excited about something. I guess any publicity is better than none. What a cheap shot dissing such a great artist. Imagine!

William

Thoroughly gratifying conversation from a noteworthy scientist in his own right. I especally liked his comments about the minds potential for being quite precise if only you, "Ask The Right Questions."

We all assign values to phenomena according to rules. In my opinion, He affirms, the evolutionary beauty and complexity of the intellect and the potential for knowledge gained, through correspondence.

Thanks for sharing,

William

From the first wave function collapse to contemplation of a God particle. Measurement is the tool or faculty in which the universe, life and it's changing environment are apprehended. I would go so far as to hypothesize, that the processes necessary for life and survival itself, evolved from a first crude form of mensuration. For without this ability does life exist?

Like an analog to digital converter, don't we as sentient beings not habitually try to detect, filter, observe, reduce, quantify, refine and condense, irreversible entropy in order to bring some type of Darwinian order to the chaos of existence? This is continuously what life does!

The universe is a continuum. In ways harmonic or fractal in nature but not absolute. An observation made from a viewpoint of "The Pale Blue Dot" is much different than that from a microscope. A measurement must be agreed upon in order to be recognized. It is the accuracy or amount of "truth" granted the recognized authority which becomes problematic. In these matters, I choose science and reason.

William

P.S. If possible, Maybe we could introduce a primordial soup in the mist of a double-slot experiment and when the wave function collapses, we would have an observer or life. Just a thought!

Great Job!

Who? Are the puppeteers operating these tactless elitist wannabes. This is so harebrained it reeks of orchestration.

William

Let us try another proposal,

Experience is a harmonic oscillator RLC circuit between the entropic and the quantum worlds. Observation is the blocking of entropy (Particles) and the passing of quantum (Waves). Our reality is a recording of this process. Wave function collapse is just a damping effect.

The ever imaginative,

William