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Interesting Stuff Thread

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    #662
    Charlie3dan
    Registered Users Posts: 661 ✭✭✭Charlie3dan


    Didn't think this warranted it's own thread but I found this a very enjoyable article entitled "Talking to God".

    I won't post the whole thing because it's quite large but here's a quote and a link to the full article which I literally stumbled upon:
    http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/6J5uCu/www.fullmoon.nu/articles/art.php%253Fid%253Dtal
    ‘and, for now, how should we mere mortals regard you then?’

    ‘like an older brother or sister. Of course I know more than you do. Of course I’m more powerful than you. I’ve been alive longer. But I’m not "better" than you. Just more developed. Just what you might become’

    ‘so we’re not obliged to "please" you or follow your alleged guidelines or anything like that?’

    ‘absolutely not. Never issued a single guideline in the lifetime of this Universe. Have to find your own way out of the maze. And one early improvement is to stop expecting me - or anyone else - to come and help you out.'

    'I suppose that is a guideline of sorts, so there goes the habit of a lifetime! '

    'Seriously though, species who hold on to religion past its sell-by date tend to be most likely to self destruct. They spend so much energy arguing about my true nature, and invest so much emotion in their wildly erroneous imagery that they end up killing each other over differences in definitions of something they clearly haven’t got a clue about. Ludicrous behaviour, but it does weed out the weaklings.’


    There's no mention of the afterlife but the author touches on that at the end of the page.

    Enjoy!


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    #663
    Teferi
    Registered Users Posts: 6,320 ✭✭✭Teferi


    I think that would definitely warrant its own thread. Hugely interesting read :)


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    #664
    liamw
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭liamw


    Another great talk:

    http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_shermer_the_pattern_behind_self_deception.html


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    #665
    sponsoredwalk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭sponsoredwalk


    It wont let me embed, but this is really interesting.

    From the description:

    A cargo cult is a type of religious practice that may appear in traditional tribal societies in the wake of interaction with technologically advanced, non-native cultures. The cults are focused on obtaining the material wealth of the advanced culture through magical thinking, religious rituals and practices, believing that the wealth was intended for them by their deities and ancestors.

    Following contact with people from more technically advanced societies through exploration, colonization, missionary efforts, and international warfare, cargo cults were initially documented in New Guinea and other Micronesian and Melanesian countries in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

    If this interests you, google John Frum afterwards.


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    #666
    strobe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,872 ✭✭✭strobe


    sponsoredwalk wrote: »
    It wont let me embed, but this is really interesting.

    It's because you clicked on it in a related video and that is reflected in the link address. You need to copy the title of the video then paste it into the search box and it will be the top video when you search for it. Then you just click it there and embed as you normally would. :cool:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWjGwBpLZdY


    Edit: With this one and the Joe Coleman thread that's two threads on this forum I'm after unintentionally making the 666th post on.......

    <<

    >>

    :eek:


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    #667
    sponsoredwalk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭sponsoredwalk


    strobe wrote: »
    It's because you clicked on it in a related video and that is reflected in the link address. You need to copy the title of the video then paste it into the search box and it will be the top video when you search for it. Then you just click it there and embed as you normally would. :cool:

    Cheers :D

    I was on the bus earlier thinking about our old conversation, (the big libertarian one that was stopped today before any definitive answers were given :() but you're personal message flashed into my head, (the Us and Them one) and I thought about a youtube video I seen when I was finding out who Robert Trivers was and the video is very much in line with what you're personal message says. Here it is, I think it's really interesting and will not only show some of the argumentative technique's we witnessed but will force you to think about your own style and whether you're deceiving yourself (not you personally lol but it's interesting and needs to be seen and what I've said should be understood when this is seen :D)
    The we/they situation he is talking about is what I'm referring to.
    (goes back to being hammered drunk)


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    #668
    MrPudding
    Registered Users Posts: 9,788 ✭✭✭MrPudding


    Dammit! Missed the 666th reply.

    MrP


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    #669
    Pygmalion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,082 ✭✭✭Pygmalion


    Not specifically an A&A type thing, but I think you might find this interesting.


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    #670
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,390 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    probably already posted - found this elsewhere on boards.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGK84Poeynk


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    #671
    sonicthebadger*
    Registered Users Posts: 446 ✭✭sonicthebadger*


    Pygmalion wrote: »
    Not specifically an A&A type thing, but I think you might find this interesting.

    Should probably be in Hazards, powerful ending to that.


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    #672
    robindch
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    Via /. and from the recent "Gathering 4 Gardner" in honor of the late Martin Gardner:
    Gary Foshee wrote:
    I have two children, one of whom is a son born on a Tuesday.

    What is the probability that I have two boys?

    Weirdly, the "Tuesday" bit matters :)

    The full solution is here.


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    #673
    sonicthebadger*
    Registered Users Posts: 446 ✭✭sonicthebadger*


    robindch wrote: »
    Via /. and from the recent "Gathering 4 Gardner" in honor of the late Martin Gardner:

    Weirdly, the "Tuesday" bit matters :)

    The full solution is here.

    You made my brain hurt. Fun! :D


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    #674
    robindch
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    Interesting article here on immunization strategies as applied to belief systems:
    Maarten Boudry and Johan Braeckman wrote:
    An immunizing strategy is an argument brought forward in support of a belief system, though independent from that belief system, which makes it more or less invulnerable to rational argumentation and/or empirical evidence. By contrast, an epistemic defense mechanism is defined as a structural feature of a belief system which has the same effect of deflecting arguments and evidence. We discuss the remarkable recurrence of certain patterns of immunizing strategies and defense mechanisms in pseudoscience and other belief systems. Five different types will be distinguished and analyzed, with examples drawn from widely different domains. The difference between immunizing strategies and defense mechanisms is analyzed, and their epistemological status is discussed. Our classification sheds new light on the various ways in which belief systems may achieve invulnerability against empirical evidence and rational criticism, and we propose our analysis as part of an explanation of these belief systems’ enduring appeal and tenacity.
    Does anybody have access to the full version?


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    #675
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    [Blatent Palaeontology Forum Plug]
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055956416

    Discovery of 2.1 billion year old multicellular life forms.
    [/Blatent Palaeontology Forum Plug]


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    #676
    Galvasean
    Registered Users Posts: 30,746 ✭✭✭✭Galvasean


    marco_polo wrote: »
    [Blatent Palaeontology Forum Plug]
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055956416

    Discovery of 2.1 billion year old multicellular life forms.
    [/Blatent Palaeontology Forum Plug]

    Why it is important to A&A: It means the creationists can't cite the 'Cambrian explosion' as proof of a creator.


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    #677
    sponsoredwalk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭sponsoredwalk


    Galvasean wrote: »
    Why it is important to A&A: It means the creationists can't cite the 'Cambrian explosion' as proof of a creator.

    In all fairness, that's not the only reason you should post those kinds of interesting stories here ;)

    It's not our* fault biology has become so intertwined with religion :p
    *hates to use
    that word,
    but still!


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    #678
    Sam Vimes
    Registered Users Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    Galvasean wrote: »
    Why it is important to A&A: It means the creationists can't cite the 'Cambrian explosion' as proof of a creator.

    Correction: this is one more reason to add to the current pile of reasons that creationists can't cite the Cambrian explosion as proof of a creator. I only wish that would stop them :(


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    #679
    Galvasean
    Registered Users Posts: 30,746 ✭✭✭✭Galvasean


    Sam Vimes wrote: »
    I only wish that would stop them :(

    Yeah, who am I kidding? They will continue to cite it regardless.
    What's one extra bit of evidence against them?


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    #680
    liamw
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭liamw


    Galvasean wrote: »
    Yeah, who am I kidding? They will continue to cite it regardless.
    What's one extra bit of evidence against them?

    What are you talking about? J.C. always constructively breaks down counter arguments through logic and reason


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    #681
    J C
    Registered Users Posts: 14,615 ✭✭✭✭J C


    sponsoredwalk wrote: »
    In all fairness, that's not the only reason you should post those kinds of interesting stories here ;)

    It's not our* fault biology has become so intertwined with religion :p
    *hates to use
    that word,
    but still!
    Biology and religion are intertwined ever since life was created and Adam was a young man.


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    #682
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭Ickle Magoo


    What's with all the bible thumping on every other thread these days? Hardly interesting stuff, imaginative perhaps but not really interesting.


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    #683
    J C
    Registered Users Posts: 14,615 ✭✭✭✭J C


    Ickle Magoo wrote: »
    What's with all the bible thumping on every other thread these days? Hardly interesting stuff, imaginative perhaps but not really interesting.
    Just like beauty, 'interesting stuff' is in the eye of the beholder.


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    #684
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭Ickle Magoo


    J C wrote: »
    Just like beauty, 'interesting stuff' is in the eye of the beholder.

    In the eye of the relevant forum, really...


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    #685
    J C
    Registered Users Posts: 14,615 ✭✭✭✭J C


    Ickle Magoo wrote: »
    In the eye of the relevant forum, really...
    ... perhaps ... but I understand that your charter doesn't rule out the discussion of faith matters and a 'scan' of postings across you forum confirms that nearly every postiong has a religious dimension to it.


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    #686
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭Ickle Magoo


    Discussions on faith/lack of matters and posting religious utterances that have no relevance at all to the thread in question are not quite the same thing...

    Anyway, back to interesting stuff; what's with the multi-thread spamming, nearly every thread in the top half of the A&A forum page has a post by you - just back from a ban or something? :P


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    #687
    The Mad Hatter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,718 ✭✭✭The Mad Hatter


    Ickle Magoo wrote: »
    Discussions on faith/lack of matters and posting religious utterances that have no relevance at all to the thread in question are not quite the same thing...

    Anyway, back to interesting stuff; what's with the multi-thread spamming, nearly every thread in the top half of the A&A forum page has a post by you - just back from a ban or something? :P

    No, the BCP megathread was finally locked.


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    #688
    J C
    Registered Users Posts: 14,615 ✭✭✭✭J C


    Ickle Magoo wrote: »
    Discussions on faith/lack of matters and posting religious utterances that have no relevance at all to the thread in question are not quite the same thing...

    Anyway, back to interesting stuff; what's with the multi-thread spamming, nearly every thread in the top half of the A&A forum page has a post by you -:P
    I have taken a new-found interest in all of the the A & A Threads and I will definitely stay on topic on each of them while giving a Christian perspective on your discussions.

    In this regard, I have often found Atheists to be very deep thinkers and some of my most interesting conversations (from my perspective ... and in some cases, also from their perspective) has been with Atheists and Agnostics.

    I assume that you don't have any problem with having a Christian posting on your forum.


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    #689
    Turtwig
    Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    J C wrote: »
    I assume that you don't have any problem with having a Christian posting on your forum.

    Nope, we don't. We pride our selves on the liberty of allowing others to express their views and criticisms on various topics. However, we expect those criticism to be made in the apt location. This is the thread about interesting material that any person might find interesting. It's not really a thread for a discussion, it's more a thread for resources and edutainment.


    Apologies to Lord Dades and Master Robin if this seems like back seat modding.


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    #690
    Ickle Magoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,485 ✭✭✭✭Ickle Magoo


    J C wrote: »
    I have taken a new-found interest in all of the the A & A Threads and I will definitely stay on topic on each of them while giving a Christian perspective on your discussions.

    In this regard, I have often found Atheists to be very deep thinkers and some of my most interesting conversations (from my perspective ... and in some cases, also from their perspective) has been with Atheists and Agnostics.

    I assume that you don't have any problem with having a Christian posting on your forum.

    Oh mr wolfy, I recognise that woolly coat... :pac:

    I don't have any problem with christians posting wherever they like, of course not. The only time I get a bit irritated is when the posting is random & irrelevant, designed just to subtly flame that in reverse everyone knows they would object so much to in their own forum... :cool:


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    #691
    robindch
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    J C wrote: »
    I assume that you don't have any problem with having a Christian posting on your forum.
    You -- though not Professor Plumb -- are allowed to post here in A+A on any relevant topic and your views will not be censored, once you stick to the forum charter which requires you, in broad terms, to (a) refrain from insulting other posters and (b) to engage in honest dialectic debate.


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