Sunday School

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

What the 2020 electorate looks like by party, race and ethnicity, age, education and religion.

When I read that President Trump is now a non-denominational Christian, the Emo Philips joke sprang to mind. I think I might start calling myself a non-denominational non-Christian for a while. Still, he was anointed by the God of the Christians to become President.

Franklin Graham and some men with red hats continue to give homosexuality much consideration.  Kamala Harris says she and Joe will prioritize the Equality Act within their first 100 days. But what can be done about the entrenched ideology of Christian Nationalism within SCOTUS? And who you gonna call when all the naked ghosts appear?

Let’s be honest about Religion and the Courts.

Another super spreader Christian church leads to 121 cases and 3 deaths.

This weeks’ Woo:  Remdesivir as a “cure” for COVID. Not even Santa Claus will get a vaccine. The Top COVID-19 Hucksters and Grifters…so far.

Climate Crisis:  Trump makes a final push against Climate Science.

Can QAnon survive the failure of prophecy?

The famous Black Hole information paradox may soon be resolved.

If a robot is conscious, is it OK to turn it off?

Who would Susan B. Anthony vote for in 2020?

How Coronavirus is spread through the air and how masks work.

Life is far more meaningful without searching for moral perfection.

Long Reads: How Syria’s disinformation wars destroyed the co-founder of the White Helmets   A short story from Kazuo Ishiguro. When Asylum has no place to run to.

This week I am reading this book: The Feeling of Life Itself by Christof Koch.

Some photographs taken last week.

While you are waiting for the kettle to boil……

Coffee Break Video:  A selection of James Randi videos. Gaza’s woman cellphone technician.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Have a great week everyone!

[Simon Paynton]

Life is far more meaningful without searching for moral perfection.

I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered the author’s stereotypical Loving Saint although I have come across some “extraordinary altruists”, or people higher than normal in the range of empathic concern for others.

I have known some Rational Saints, who are motivated by duty to follow utilitarianism, in the sense of maximising flourishing and minimising harm for all concerned, including themselves.  This is how the two (duty and compassion) are integrated in my opinion.

[Unseen]

If a robot is conscious in the sense of self-aware and can experience fear and terror, I suppose it probably is a valid ethical question. But just conscious on its own? I’m not so sure.

I think we had another discussion where the question of whether being conscious necessarily involves self-awareness came up.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by Unseen.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Yes, reacting to stimuli or programed instructions is not the same as being self-aware. Each reaction would be a unique event with no recollection of the previous occasions. But being self-aware would allow for a history of events to be built up over time.

If the AI could seek out patterns from these databases then it could become conscious to some extent?

[Unseen]

But, of course, how would we know that a robot could feel, have experiences like fear and terror? We can’t even know for sure when it comes to people. I’m remembering that prior discussion now. How do we know that other people aren’t meat robots which are just clever simulations of people with feelings and experiences. If we can’t be sure of people, we’d be even less sure of actual robots.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

You can tell the meat robots by the red caps they wear.

[TheEncogitationer]

Reg,

The United House of Prayer super-spreader event is an ongoing cluster-fizzle.  As of three days ago, there are 181 infections and 6 deaths:

https://www.wbtv.com/2020/10/30/covid-cases-linked-outbreak-charlotte-church-event-jumps-four-counties/

Also, I know this is anecdotal, but is worth study in it’s own right; The United House of Prayer runs an in-house restaurant with a long and iffy Yelp rating, which may relate to the contagion:

https://m.yelp.com/biz/united-house-of-prayer-for-all-people-charlotte-3?osq=UnitedHouse+of+Prayer

• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by TheEncogitationer.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by TheEncogitationer. Reason: HTML link, spelling, and space

[Strega]

Thanks, Reg!  Losing track of days here, waiting for Armageddon

[Author]

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