Tukte Yekan

Davis wrote:
There is zero possibility they will ever evolve sentience (or develop beyond a planet of suffering creatures).

I’m a little puzzled. How do these creatures suffer at all if, indeed, they have yet to evolve sentience, given that “sentience” means “the capacity to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively” (from Wikipedia)?

Perhaps…[Read more]

My first inclination is to object to some of the premises because that’s the sort of person I am. However, given the variables in place:

Q1: Would I?
Yes, in this hypothetical scenario. The chief consideration is that the preservation of life doesn’t, on its own, trump reduction in suffering.

Q2: Would resource benefits at the expense of the…[Read more]

Oh dear. It seems my reply also disappeared.

Pleasure is part of the tool box that has emerged in Earthly evolution as an aid to natural selection. For non-sentient beings I don’t think pleasure and pain are particularly balanced they both play different roles in natural selection. But there is no reason why pleasure MUST be a part of evolution.…[Read more]

@davis, you removed my entire reply lol.

Is not “suffering less” equivalent to “pleasure”?  Pleasure is a motivator because it indicates moving towards fitness benefits.

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Thanks all,

It is nice to take a break from all these electronic communication platforms for a while. I have 72 unread texts and about 50 unanswered calls on my phone and yet life still goes on. I often think about going totally off-grid, but I guess that is a bit too drastic…..However reading a good book by candlelight is a good approximation 😉

Reg,

Unseen, yes I think that is mostly true. We are free to say their imaginary gods are pathetic to have such attitudes. And I do. To their bigoted faces whenever I hear them spew such sentiments, even to the point of being threatened with arrest. But officer, they are the ones with the book demanding we kill gay people. You should arrest them…

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Thought you were dead @robert

Hey Robert great to see you again. Yeah forums of rabid political anger are almost always a cosmic waste of time and emotions.

Unseen, yes I think that is mostly true. We are free to say their imaginary gods are pathetic to have such attitudes. And I do. To their bigoted faces whenever I hear them spew such sentiments, even to the point of being threatened with arrest. But officer, they are the ones with the book demanding we kill gay people. You should arrest them and…[Read more]

@TheEncogitationer….I just don’t think Scientists will ever come up with a cure for taxes 🙂

Regarding Study finds religious freedom is an area of unity in a divided America, while the vast majority of Americans agree on the importance of free speech (a concept interpreted so broadly as to include a variety of expressive activities), how religious folks want to apply their right can vary widely from the attitudes of the more secular…[Read more]

Reg, Great story on lengthening the telemeres!  It reminds me of when people in my community as a kid thought that Mel Brooks’ and Carl Reiner’s cartoon The 2,000-Year-Old Man was blasphemous.  I guess because it contradicted the legend of Methuseleh at age 969 and the Post-Flood limit that man is only meant to live “three score and te…[Read more]

Great to hear from you Robert. Even on this side of the pond I have encountered right wing conspiracy nutjobs who up until recently seemed to be normal and reasonable people. Now I guess they are the new normal people.

America said “No” to Trump on election day and “No” again during the recounts and in the courts  but he seems intent on…[Read more]

Hey, How Y’all doing? Crazy times! Thought I would hit up good ‘ole Sunday School with my bitter coffee today. Great articles Reg, thanks. I am avoiding all social media this election cycle. My GF who is of like mind was dragging me into all sorts of brutal political exchanges with former 3D friends who have become right wing maniacs and started…[Read more]

Have a great week everyone!

@Robert would have known about Nine Inch Nails.  Something’s definitely happened to him.  🙁