Davis

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:

I have been pondering US & Iran after Biden is sworn in. I was trying to get it correct in my head but then I read this article which I think is spot on. I hope it is not pay-walled.

It is paywalled, but I was able to use an incognito window to get in.

Still, there’s another way:

NY Times
Opinion

Dear Joe, It’s N…[Read more]

Even us mere mortals depreciate by at least 1% a year for life 🙂

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:

How can an evolving universe also be decaying? How can an evolving universe be uncaused? I don’t have an answer ergo God did it.

Entropy is an inexorable trend in the long haul, but energy moves around creating adverse temporary opposite trends. As a metaphor (not to be taken overly seriously), a river moves i…[Read more]

Your very welcome Strega 🙂

Thanks, Reg!

I have been pondering US & Iran after Biden is sworn in. I was trying to get it correct in my head but then I read this article which I think is spot on. I hope it is not pay-walled.

How can an evolving universe also be decaying? How can an evolving universe be uncaused?

I don’t have an answer ergo God did it.

Unseen wrote:

“A Brazilian Writer Saw a Tweet as Tame Satire. Then Came the Lawsuits.” Wow. That strategy could actually work to some degree in the United States to scare into silence a strident critic or even a media operation like MSNBC or CNN. It could even bankrupt some persons or media sources.

I seem to be finding a lot more articles on bla…

[Read more]

Unseen wrote:

Re: “Intelligent Design: The Teleological Argument For God” From the article’s conclusion: (quote) And if modern science remains firmly naturalistic and closes all doors to investigating the possibility of an external, supernatural intelligent force, then it must restrict itself in its conclusive assertions. In other words, scien…

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Re: “Intelligent Design: The Teleological Argument For God”

From the article’s conclusion: (quote) And if modern science remains firmly naturalistic and closes all doors to investigating the possibility of an external, supernatural intelligent force, then it must restrict itself in its conclusive assertions. In other words, science has no right…[Read more]

“A Brazilian Writer Saw a Tweet as Tame Satire. Then Came the Lawsuits.”

Wow. That strategy could actually work to some degree in the United States to scare into silence a strident critic or even a media operation like MSNBC or CNN. It could even bankrupt some persons or media sources.

“Religious intolerance is ‘bigger cause of prejudice than race’, says report.”

Some would say that atheism is the ultimate in not tolerating religion, depending upon what one means by “intolerance,” of course.

Have a great week everyone!

Encoginator, you are assuming that life would develop on other planets the same way that it does here. The development of life is disinterested in our happiness or suffering and any mechanism which ensures the continuation of life will be ruthlessly utilised including the terrible byproduct of suffering. If life can continue, even with immense…[Read more]

PopeBeanie,

You wrote:

Q2: That one’s tougher, like the trolly car conundrum. I’m basically utilitarian by nature, so I’d probably say yes, move aside you miserable lot, but not loudly enough for them to hear it or anything that’s coming before we eliminate them. (There’s still a we here, in on this decision together, right?)

This reminds me. …[Read more]

Robert,

Q1. I would say No. Even if you studied them, you are seeing them through your own limitations and values. It is the “prime directive” in the Star Trek series… they constantly violate it.

“General Order 1”, and the “non-interference directive” is a guiding principle of Starfleet, prohibiting its members from interfering with the internal…

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Davis,

These kinds of ethical questions are always irksome.  If one doesn’t grant the premise of the question, how can one answer it?

Surely a species cannot live a life of complete suffering or it would be too immobilized to do life-sustaining, reproducing acts and would eventually become extinct.

Also, even waste products of a species have…[Read more]

Secondary question:

If these creatures could indeed be re-engineered to suffer much less and yet still continue be able to somewhat adapt to this barely ever changing planet…would you consider enabling this? If you had the choice between a little less suffering (totally pointless suffering) but a tiny chance to develop intelligence would you…[Read more]