In the U.S., you can be president, even if you're black. Even if you're — Wait, you're an Atheist?
The New York Times recently ran a story about new London bus ads. That should be a pretty boring story, and it was in the UK, but it was definitely worth reporting for the US. The bus ads read, exactly, "THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." The ads were originally conceived as a response to Christian ads before it that tended to inform passersby that they were going to burn forever if they didn't believe. It was supposed to be a one time ad, but big-hitters like Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) signed on to raise plenty of money for these ads to be seen all over London.…
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176 - Clavos
Me too. As a sociopath myself, I really can't relate to all this talk of conscience, caring, etc., raping and pillaging are a lot more fun and far less tedious.
Attila rulz!
177 - Dr Dreadful
Jack,
Perhaps you'd care to dig up some material on the genocide committed by Attila and then get back to me.
178 - Cindy D
That's very interesting so far Mark. Is there anything your read that doesn't have complicated formulas involved? :-)
179 - Cindy D
lol Clav
180 - Jack D
174 " January 18, 2009 @ 22:39PM " Mark Eden
“Conscience is necessary to cooperation...”
A basic tenet of conscience is simply discerning right from wrong, and that depends on what is learned from those who are respected as leaders.
A cannibal was not expected to get cooperation from the recipient of his largesse.
The innate conscience of humans explains why the basic tenets of Christianity have survived and expanded for 2,000 years.
181 - Jack D
#179 " January 19, 2009 @ 00:06AM " Cindy D
"lol Clav"
Cindy, don't suck up to Clav. It really wasn't funny.
182 - Cindy D
Mark,
Brilliant. Thanks for that. That guy is like an Einstein.
In 2002 he worked out equations that can predict the way cancer evolves and spreads...
(snip)
...in the early 1990s his model of disease progression demonstrated that HIV develops into AIDS only when the virus replicates fast enough so that the diversity of strains reaches a critical level, one that overwhelms the immune system. Immunologists later found out he had the mechanism right... (quotes from link below)
Did you see what he is involved in now?
Using Math to Explain How Life on Earth Began
Now Nowak is out to do it again, this time by modeling the origin of life. Specifically, he is trying to capture “the transition from no life to life,” he says.
(snip)
Nowak explains. “Math helps us to see what the most crucial and interesting experiment is. It describes a chemical system that can be built, and once it’s built, you can watch the origin of evolution.”
Unbelievable. He's working on creating life from chemicals using mathematics. Actually doing it, not just in theory.
183 - Cindy D
Jack,
You though he was joking, I bet. That was a nervous laugh. :-)
184 - Cindy D
RE #171
Oh and Zedd,
Regarding Dahmer and "attachment". That is the appropriate scientific term. Harlow, the researcher I mentioned above, with the monkeys, refused to use it, although that would be what a normal researcher would use. He preferred to use the word "love". He liked to do that. He called a lot of things by names he preferred. I like rebels.
185 - Roger Nowosielski
Zedd/Cindy,
Zed (#148) I thought I said I was checking out. Was working on a long piece for a week, finally done. Shoot, guy.
Cindy (#149), I'll have to check.
Roger
186 - Cindy D
Zedd is a woman.
187 - Roger Nowosielski
Zedd,
Sorry. I didn't know, as Cindy just corrected me. I ought to have known, however: you guys are always clearer thinkers, fewer obstacles. Don't carry all that macho baggage around, like having to be right all the time. More power to you!
Roger
188 - Cindy D
All the smoke in this thread is making it hard to read.
Try criticizing. It's honest and works better.
(probably gonna suffer for saying that :-)
189 - Clavos
Cindy, don't suck up to Clav. It really wasn't funny.
You're so pompous and self-righteous, Jack.
You should emulate Cindy; she's not only interesting, but entertaining too. And she's obviously way more self-confident than you.
Smarter, too.