Interesting Stuff Thread

sponsoredwalk · 06-09-2010 01:38PM

As mentioned in the article above there was a Virgin Birth Expected at Christmas - by Komodo Dragon in 2006.
Does this mean that Jesus is actually among us, in dragon form???????????????

Sam Vimes · 06-09-2010 02:05PM

Galvasean wrote: »

Species of lizard caught in transition between egg laying and birthing live young:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100901-science-animals-evolution-australia-lizard-skink-live-birth-eggs/

So next time someone asks for an example of a currently living transitional form in the wild this is your best example.

No no no. You see because of the infinite ratio of non-functional permutations to functional ones the random component (Spontaneous Mutation of biochemical sequences) will overwhelm the non-random (Natural Selection) component of Evolution ... and therefore evolution from Pondkind to Mankind cannot work!!!! :P:(:mad::D:mad::cool::pac::P:(:rolleyes::p:D:mad:

ColmDawson · 06-09-2010 02:39PM

sponsoredwalk wrote: »

As mentioned in the article above there was a Virgin Birth Expected at Christmas - by Komodo Dragon in 2006.
Does this mean that Jesus is actually among us, in dragon form???????????????

I see the zoo curator has made the mistake of thinking that 'immaculate conception' refers to Jesus, when in fact it refers to the conception of Mary herself.

sponsoredwalk · 06-09-2010 03:05PM

Stole this from the biology forum, it's a case of Human parthenogenesis (virgin birth) link.
Shocking stuff when you read it, will forever have you casting suspicious eyes on Mary

Here's a taster for you un-link-clicking people;

"The patient was well aware of the fact that she had no vagina and she
had started oral experiments after disappointing attempts at conventional
intercourse.

Just before she was stabbed in the abdomen she had practiced fellatio
with her new boyfriend and was caught in the act by her former lover."

ColmDawson · 06-09-2010 03:51PM

Yikes, that's mad.

The patient was well aware of the fact that she had no vagina and she had
started oral experiments after disappointing attempts at conventional
intercourse.

No shit. :pac:

Sam Vimes · 06-09-2010 04:22PM

ColmDawson wrote: »

No shit. :pac:

she didn't have an ass either :eek: :pac:

liamw · 06-09-2010 05:10PM

The fact
that the son resembled the father excludes an even more miraculous
conception.

damn

Dave! · 06-09-2010 10:53PM

sponsoredwalk wrote: »

Stole this from the biology forum, it's a case of Human parthenogenesis (virgin birth) link.
Shocking stuff when you read it, will forever have you casting suspicious eyes on Mary
Here's a taster for you un-link-clicking people;

Hah they discussed that before on the Skeptics Guide to the Universe, really really unlikely, but possible I suppose!

ColmDawson · 08-09-2010 08:02PM

"We selected 526,000 OkCupid users at random and divided them into groups by their (self-stated) race. We then took all these people's profile essays (280 million words in total!) and isolated the words and phrases that made each racial group's essays statistically distinct from the others'."

Interesting to see what different ethnic groups say about themselves. There's some information on religion at the bottom of the article.

sponsoredwalk · 08-09-2010 08:23PM

Lol I think that poll just shows there are more single atheists on the internet than theists :pac:

Genghiz Cohen · 08-09-2010 08:47PM

sponsoredwalk wrote: »

Lol I think that poll just shows there are more single atheists on the internet than theists :pac:

Son... I am disappoint...

The graph says nothing about the numbers of people who were recorded. There could be 1 atheist and 10 million Protestant.

ColmDawson · 08-09-2010 11:31PM

There is another chart on the page showing percentage of profiles that mention each religion, so you get the idea from that. I agree though, that it ought to be explicitly shown on the other one.

mikhail · 09-09-2010 05:16PM

ColmDawson wrote: »

"We selected 526,000 OkCupid users at random and divided them into groups by their (self-stated) race. We then took all these people's profile essays (280 million words in total!) and isolated the words and phrases that made each racial group's essays statistically distinct from the others'."

Interesting to see what different ethnic groups say about themselves. There's some information on religion at the bottom of the article.

While it's nice to see atheists scoring well there, this chart won't produce the same feel good effect here so much:

sponsoredwalk · 09-09-2010 06:26PM

I was just joking, I didn't even know okcupid existed as a dating site that was
important enough to have hundreds of thousands of people to do polls on.
I wouldn't form any solid opinions based on the conclusions of a dating site
poll anyway....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH6XuiOBbkc

(Really worth the 12 minutes)

Turtwig · 09-09-2010 07:36PM

sponsoredwalk wrote: »

I was just joking, I didn't even know okcupid existed as a dating site that was
important enough to have hundreds of thousands of people to do polls on.
I wouldn't form any solid opinions based on the conclusions of a dating site
poll anyway....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH6XuiOBbkc

(Really worth the 12 minutes)

Dammit! I was going to post that yesterday. :mad:

Great video.

sponsoredwalk · 10-09-2010 01:46AM

Why don't I cut you out again by posting this awesome lecture by Gould

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8Nfw_LmdNU

Part 1 is split in two seperate parts, as is part, two, and three etc...

Such an interesting guy, btw the guy who made the first Gould video I
posted makes other videos all science related that are all extremely
informative & interesting, his channel is definitely worth a look.

MagicMarker · 11-09-2010 04:49PM

I don't really have anything interesting to ad, except to recommend to all to read Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. It really is quite an incredible and inspirational book, and should be read by all.

Turtwig · 12-09-2010 12:38AM

A hormone called prolactin, better known for its role in triggering breastfeeding, also seems to increase in men during the later stages of their partner's pregnancy – and men with higher levels of prolactin seem more alert and responsive to their infants' cries.

And I thought Family Guy was just taking the piss.:eek:

Aldebaran · 12-09-2010 12:36PM

David Attenborough and Richard Dawkins in conversation:

Article

Audio

pts · 13-09-2010 03:02PM

Interview with Stephen Hawking about his new book. Not particularly intelligent questions, but questions nonetheless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AdKEHzmqxA

Parts 2 & 3 is a panel discussion with the co-author and "religious" folk.
WARNING: parts 2 & 3 contain Deepak Chopra spewing "wo-wo". May cause serious rage.

Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCoTGTRfDy0

Part 3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIttENo2eOM

Dades · 13-09-2010 04:00PM

pts wrote: »

Interview with Stephen Hawking about his new book. Not particularly intelligent questions, but questions nonetheless.

Just bought it a half hour ago.

Hope it's not one of those books that sounds really interesting but is actually a struggle to finish. (I am not a student with unlimited reading time

)

pts · 13-09-2010 04:12PM

Dades wrote: »

Just bought it a half hour ago.

Hope it's not one of those books that sounds really interesting but is actually a struggle to finish. (I am not a student with unlimited reading time )

Excellent, I'm looking forward to your review so

Such a disappointment that CNN asked someone like Larry King to interview one of the greatest minds of our time. An even greater travesty was that Deepak "wo-wo" Chopra was allowed to peddle his new-age rubbish.

Dave! · 13-09-2010 10:55PM

pts wrote: »

Excellent, I'm looking forward to your review so

Such a disappointment that CNN asked someone like Larry King to interview one of the greatest minds of our time. An even greater travesty was that Deepak "wo-wo" Chopra was allowed to peddle his new-age rubbish.

PZ Myers' article on it is pretty funny

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/09/hawking_on_king.php

Dades · 14-09-2010 10:32AM

Dave! wrote: »

PZ Myers' article on it is pretty funny

I like this:

PZ Myers wrote:

I think I'll trust a physicist over a Jesuit any day, especially when the subject is physics.

Galvasean · 14-09-2010 11:06AM

Wow, thats a frickin' insult to Hawking. Bringing out one of the scientific community's finest minds on to have someone argue, "Nothing can come from nothing" at him is a disgrace.