Interesting Stuff Thread

liamw · 26-07-2010 12:06PM

Pushtrak wrote: »

I know there are probably a lot of people who don't like the groups on facebook relating to getting so many people to join for whatever reason for whatever date. Nonetheless, there is a link some may be interested in. We CAN and we WILL find 1,000,000 who accept Evolution by June 2011.

What is the point in these groups, I don't get it?

It's a great example of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum

sonicthebadger* · 26-07-2010 12:38PM

liamw wrote: »

What is the point in these groups, I don't get it?

It's a great example of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum

I suppose it's kind of like saying "Even though your argument holds no water, cause it's silly, it still doesn't support what you're saying".

mikhail · 26-07-2010 06:25PM

Galvasean wrote: »

I wonder is that why Arsenal changed their crest recently (to sell more shirts in the Muslim market?)

There was some issue with trademark - the old crest was either effectively in the public domain, or somehow easy to make a generic copy of. That was the official reasoning, as far as I recall.

Galvasean · 27-07-2010 11:10AM

Must have been the public domain thing, because it's a heck of a lot more complex than the new one.

amacachi · 27-07-2010 11:58AM

liamw wrote: »

What is the point in these groups, I don't get it?

It's a great example of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum

Ah the classic line from some shampoo advert, "2 million women can't be wrong." I always Godwin any conversation when that ad comes on telly. :pac:

robindch · 27-07-2010 02:05PM

liamw wrote: »

What is the point in these groups, I don't get it?

A lot of creationists believe that having lots of people on their side increases their credibility. This group is just reply to that in terms that creationists can understand.

It adds nothing to the debate.

Ghost Buster · 28-07-2010 07:08PM

Good grief. I honestly dont know what to make of this. http://www.shannonside.ie/news-details.php?nid=5922&action=newsdetails

Coriolanus · 28-07-2010 07:21PM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

Good grief. I honestly dont know what to make of this. http://www.shannonside.ie/news-details.php?nid=5922&action=newsdetails

That's incredible. A politician who won't abide being a hypocrite? These agnostics might well save the country from itself. :pac:

Ghost Buster · 28-07-2010 07:24PM

Nevore wrote: »

That's incredible. A politician who won't abide being a hypocrite? These agnostics might well save the country from itself. :pac:

Whats interesting is that the councillors just regard it as keeping up a tradition, they arent offended on religious grounds. I've often contended that Irish catholicism is more of an ingrained habit than a religion. Just something you do because sure its what ya do!

Coriolanus · 28-07-2010 07:38PM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

Whats interesting is that the councillors just regard it as keeping up a tradition, they arent offended on religious grounds. I've often contended that Irish catholicism is more of an ingrained habit than a religion. Just something you do because sure its what ya do!

Hmm, I'd ascribe different motives. To my mind, they're complaining on the grounds of tradition because they know given the usual mood of the country these days, complaining about stripping Christianity out of public life or whatever, would be met with more ridicule.

Genghiz Cohen · 28-07-2010 07:56PM

Not to nitpick or anything...

[...]agnostic says he does not believe in God[...]

Ghost Buster · 28-07-2010 08:08PM

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Not to nitpick or anything...

Yeah. I spotted that.:rolleyes:

Dades · 28-07-2010 09:09PM

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Not to nitpick or anything...

[...]agnostic says he does not believe in God[...]

Can you imagine the ruckus if he'd said he was an atheist?

Ghost Buster · 28-07-2010 09:58PM

Dades wrote: »

Can you imagine the ruckus if he'd said he was an atheist?

The brave councillor in question is one Luke 'Ming the merciless' Flanagan who ran on some sort of legalise cannabis stance in the past. Nice beard!!http://www.roscommoncoco.ie/services/corporate/lflanagan.html

legspin · 28-07-2010 11:35PM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

The brave councillor in question is one Luke 'Ming the merciless' Flanagan who ran on some sort of legalise cannabis stance in the past. Nice beard!!http://www.roscommoncoco.ie/services/corporate/lflanagan.html

My hero. Not only a godless politician but a pothead to boot ... and he's been made mayor of Roscommon! Priceless.

I was wondering if he was still about

ColmDawson · 28-07-2010 11:57PM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

Good grief. I honestly dont know what to make of this. http://www.shannonside.ie/news-details.php?nid=5922&action=newsdetails

Good man. I've had enough of bloody tradition.

magicbastarder · 29-07-2010 10:42AM

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Not to nitpick or anything...

am nitpicking. an agnostic does not believe in god. if he did believe in god, he would not be an agnostic.

say i am dubious about string theory as holding the solution to the laws of nature. so it's not a leap to say 'i don't believe string theory is the answer, but (because?) i am keeping an open mind'.

eoin5 · 29-07-2010 11:38AM

magicbastarder wrote: »

am nitpicking. an agnostic does not believe in god. if he did believe in god, he would not be an agnostic..

Of course they can

. I believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may not exist. Maybe everyone who supposedly goes there is brainwashed into thinking its real and all the satellite pics are projections of bond villian proportions. Who can really say for sure?

Genghiz Cohen · 29-07-2010 12:09PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

am nitpicking. an agnostic does not believe in god. if he did believe in god, he would not be an agnostic.

Damn, you totally caught me...

magicbastarder · 29-07-2010 03:38PM

eoin5 wrote: »

I believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may not exist.

four possibilities:
I believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
I believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
I don't believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may exist.
I don't believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.

i can't remember what my point was.

Pygmalion · 29-07-2010 06:17PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

four possibilities:
I believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
I believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
I don't believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may exist.
I don't believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.

i can't remember what my point was.

The point I get is that agnostics can be theists or atheists.

"Gnostic" Theist: I believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
Agnostic Theist: I believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
Agnostic Atheist: I don't believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may exist.
"Gnostic" Atheist: I don't believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.

Inverted commas around Gnostic because no-one ever uses the word.

goingpostal · 29-07-2010 09:51PM

Pygmalion wrote: »

The point I get is that agnostics can be theists or atheists.

"Gnostic" Theist: I believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
Agnostic Theist: I believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
Agnostic Atheist: I don't believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may exist.
"Gnostic" Atheist: I don't believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.

Inverted commas around Gnostic because no-one ever uses the word.

My head hurts.

eoin5 · 30-07-2010 12:17PM

goingpostal wrote: »

My head hurts.

Wait until we through deism in there for good measure

MagicMarker · 01-08-2010 09:22PM

Anyone know of any decent RECENT debates online featuring the usual suspects? I've seen a lot of them but haven't seen anything new in a while.

5uspect · 01-08-2010 10:39PM

Nah, I've been busy lately.

gaynorvader · 02-08-2010 12:48PM

Pygmalion wrote: »

The point I get is that agnostics can be theists or atheists.

"Gnostic" Theist: I believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
Agnostic Theist: I believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may not exist.
Agnostic Atheist: I don't believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may exist.
"Gnostic" Atheist: I don't believe that Australia exists but I don't believe in the possibility that it may not exist.

Inverted commas around Gnostic because no-one ever uses the word.

The last one's not possible, you can't disbelieve that something exists then believe that it is impossible that it doesn't exist. I think it should be:
I don't believe that Australia exists and I don't believe in the possibility that it may exist.

sponsoredwalk · 02-08-2010 01:36PM

Time to get nerdy...

Statement: If something is a bird, it is an animal".

Inverse: "If something is not a bird, then it is not an animal."

Converse: "If something is an animal, then it is a bird."

Contrapositive: "If something is not an animal, then it is not a bird"

Contradiction: "There exists a bird that is not an animal"

contrapositive

Statement: I believe that Australia exists and actually believe in the possibility that it exists. "Gnostic" Australiyist

Inverse: I don't believe that Australia exists and I actually don't believe in the possibility that it exists. Atheistic Australiyist

Converse: I believe in the possibility that Australia exists & I actually believe that it exists. "Gnostic" Australiyist

Contrapositive: I don't believe in the possibility that Australia exists & I actually don't believe that it exists. Atheistic Australiyist

Contradiction: I believe that Australia exists but actually don't believe in the possibility that it exists. Hardcore Theist (it's a fact, not a possibility!!!)

Working within the confines of my superficial knowledge of discrete math I can't fix this one up

Anyone do any better?

I'm trying to incorporate:

I don't believe that Australia exists but actually believe in the possibility that it exists. "Agnostic" Australiyist

(I'm thinking converse contradiction but it's not actually a contradiction!)

&

I believe that Australia exists but I also believe in the possibility that it may not exist. "Skeptical" Australiyist

into their proper categories...

sponsoredwalk · 02-08-2010 01:41PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

Anyone know of any decent RECENT debates online featuring the usual suspects? I've seen a lot of them but haven't seen anything new in a while.

I think the extras on The Genius of Charles Darwin are great. They are like mini debates & there's like 20 hours altogether, haven't even seen them all yet...

The Steven Rose & Franz De Waal are my favourites.

You'll find random Michael Shermer debates on google video with creationists, holocaust deniers etc... lol & PZ Meyers, Steven Pinker etc...

I love watching any kind of debates so if you have suggestions of old ones you've seen that are kind of obscure or whatever, let us know

Galvasean · 02-08-2010 02:19PM

Breeders in Georgia have successfully crosbred a donkey with a zebra:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0730/zebra_donkey.html

sonicthebadger* · 02-08-2010 02:24PM

Galvasean wrote: »

Breeders in Georgia have successfully crosbred a donkey with a zebra:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0730/zebra_donkey.html

A Zonkey?

Doh! I replied before I read the article. Damn my lack of originality!

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