I Believe In Evolution, Except For The Whole Triassic Period

[Staurm]

That is one complex piece of writing, I am a bit too baked and pre-occupied with the present future at the moment to dig my jaws into it though. :stoned:

The god nutters give creationism a bad name, from my study of life science it is my conclusion that there is defintaley something miraculous about the universe, a lot of things. Darwins theory is too mechanical.

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."

[xblackdogx]

Evolution of the mind and body are as REAL as a heart attack.
HOWEVER, our AWARENESS/CONSCIOUSNESS is immortal.
Therefore, this idea that we have evolved from something in this world is simply laughable.

[Oneironaut]

I did not write that. I just copied and pasted it from the Onion. I could never be nearly as funny as they are.

The god nutters give creationism a bad name, from my study of life science it is my conclusion that there is defintaley something miraculous about the universe, a lot of things. Darwins theory is too mechanical.

Too mechanical? Why would it being less mechanical be a benefit to the theory? We live in a mechanical universe, where particles follow trajectories through space-time in mathematically precise trajectories. Darwin and subsequent evolutionary biologists have accounted for how patterns of these particles can create complex life-forms over billions of years of natural selection. If you don't like the mechanicity of natural selection, that's too bad, because the world works that way whether you like it or not.

We are the children of mathematics and chemistry and physics. We are the children of the hydrogen and helium present at the beginning of the universe, compressed by stars into heavier elements, strewn throughout the cosmos by supernova explosions, condensed together by the power of gravity and molded into complex life forms by natural selection.

Given billions of years, hydrogen and helium are capable of learning about themselves! The cosmos, following the mechanistic laws of mathematics and logic and physics, has gained the ability to learn about itself through vessels such as ourselves. It is the most amazing scientific discovery of all time, and yet some people find it somehow lacking. They want something more amazing, and for the life of me I cannot imagine anything more amazing or awe-inspiring than the picture of our origins provided by science.

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."

Science and religion are diametrically opposite ways of attempting to learn the truth about the universe. Science attempts to extract truth from the universe through testing and observation, constantly improving its accuracy by throwing out bad ideas and adopting only the ones that can be shown to work, while religion says "This is so, and I'm not changing my mind, because I'm certain this is so, even though I can't prove it to you."

Evolution of the mind and body are as REAL as a heart attack.
HOWEVER, our AWARENESS/CONSCIOUSNESS is immortal.
Therefore, this idea that we have evolved from something in this world is simply laughable.

What makes you think awareness/consciousness is immortal? The brain is the center of consciousness. It creates consciousness. Damage parts of the brain, and you damage your consciousness. We know what parts of the brain correspond to what aspects of consciousness. Damage your visual cortex and you lack the ability to perceive visual stimuli. Damage the Wernicke's area and you'll have severe problems understanding and creating language. And so forth... When you damage all these parts of the brain (i.e. when the brain dies), you lose all aspects of consciousness and awareness.

You are temporary, and it's very important to realize that if you don't want to underestimate the value of life. This is not just a place to wipe your feet before you get to wherever you'll be spending the rest of eternity. This is it. This is all you've got. This is your only shot at experiencing anything. So make it good. Stop hoping for pie in the sky when you die and enjoy yourself here, now, before it's too late.

[Delta9 UK]

You are temporary, and it's very important to realize that if you don't want to underestimate the value of life. This is not just a place to wipe your feet before you get to wherever you'll be spending the rest of eternity. This is it. This is all you've got. This is your only shot at experiencing anything. So make it good. Stop hoping for pie in the sky when you die and enjoy yourself here, now, before it's too late.

This is the real deal right here - I couldn't agree more.

So much so I'm off to smoke a bowl right now :stoned:

[Staurm]

Too mechanical? Why would it being less mechanical be a benefit to the theory? We live in a mechanical universe, where particles follow trajectories through space-time in mathematically precise trajectories. .

No we don't. To first and second order estimations planets follow trajectories according to Newtons mechanical laws, beyond that they follow topological paths based on chaos theory and geodesics based on General relativity. This is the same for everything in the universe, nothing can be predicted with 100% accuracy using mechanical laws, the universe and the life that exists in it does not work like a clock slowly winding down.

Darwin and subsequent evolutionary biologists have accounted for how patterns of these particles can create complex life-forms over billions of years of natural selection. If you don't like the mechanicity of natural selection, that's too bad, because the world works that way whether you like it or not.

Darwin came up with some interesting theories, I am not saying he was completely wrong, just that his theories only explain life and evolution from a very limited stand point. More contemporary theories use chaos theory, network theory to explain life and evolution.

We are the children of mathematics and chemistry and physics. We are the children of the hydrogen and helium present at the beginning of the universe, compressed by stars into heavier elements, strewn throughout the cosmos by supernova explosions, condensed together by the power of gravity and molded into complex life forms by natural selection..

Interesting theory, but sadly falls flat on its face when it attempts to explain how life forms could have evolved from giant hydrogen clouds in the sky into the forms we see today on the planet. Show me a mechanical theory that explains it and I'll happily review Prigogine's theory of dissipative structures and autopoietic network theory.

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."

Given billions of years, hydrogen and helium are capable of learning about themselves! The cosmos, following the mechanistic laws of mathematics and logic and physics, has gained the ability to learn about itself through vessels such as ourselves. It is the most amazing scientific discovery of all time, and yet some people find it somehow lacking. They want something more amazing, and for the life of me I cannot imagine anything more amazing or awe-inspiring than the picture of our origins provided by science..

Likewise, and I think if you were to take your research further into the realms of science that I explore you might find it even more rewarding.

"The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility."

Science and religion are diametrically opposite ways of attempting to learn the truth about the universe. Science attempts to extract truth from the universe through testing and observation, constantly improving its accuracy by throwing out bad ideas and adopting only the ones that can be shown to work, while religion says "This is so, and I'm not changing my mind, because I'm certain this is so, even though I can't prove it to you.".

Not my religion. I'd say the scientific discourse also suffers from the same stagnant and ego-centric mindset.

"A person starts to live when he can live outside himself."

What makes you think awareness/consciousness is immortal? The brain is the center of consciousness. It creates consciousness. Damage parts of the brain, and you damage your consciousness. We know what parts of the brain correspond to what aspects of consciousness. Damage your visual cortex and you lack the ability to perceive visual stimuli. Damage the Wernicke's area and you'll have severe problems understanding and creating language. And so forth... When you damage all these parts of the brain (i.e. when the brain dies), you lose all aspects of consciousness and awareness.

And mechanics can prove that can it?

You are temporary, and it's very important to realize that if you don't want to underestimate the value of life. This is not just a place to wipe your feet before you get to wherever you'll be spending the rest of eternity. This is it. This is all you've got. This is your only shot at experiencing anything. So make it good. Stop hoping for pie in the sky when you die and enjoy yourself here, now, before it's too late.

I think you need to open your mind.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

Nice debate, I wish I had more time to reply. I'm too busy working at the moment. Keep it coming and I will try to reply when I have time.

:thumbsup:

[LuckyG]

I tried so hard to make sense of what that article was saying, it was almost disappointing (although not surprising) to find out that it was satire. Good find. :thumbsup:

[xblackdogx]

What makes you think awareness/consciousness is immortal? The brain is the center of consciousness. It creates consciousness. Damage parts of the brain, and you damage your consciousness. We know what parts of the brain correspond to what aspects of consciousness. Damage your visual cortex and you lack the ability to perceive visual stimuli. Damage the Wernicke's area and you'll have severe problems understanding and creating language. And so forth... When you damage all these parts of the brain (i.e. when the brain dies), you lose all aspects of consciousness and awareness.

You are temporary, and it's very important to realize that if you don't want to underestimate the value of life. This is not just a place to wipe your feet before you get to wherever you'll be spending the rest of eternity. This is it. This is all you've got. This is your only shot at experiencing anything. So make it good. Stop hoping for pie in the sky when you die and enjoy yourself here, now, before it's too late.

One,
for you to minimalize consciousness as an insignificant thing is a joke in its own. Generally speaking, if i had to determine what lies before and after this HUMAN experience, it would be AWARENESS/CONSCIOUSNESS. Who is the beneficiary of every EXPERIENCE you've had? It is awareness itself - YOU - the beneficiary. Realize that everything BUT awareness is constantly changing and you'll look a who "you" are a little differently.

As for me,
i got some body, i've got somebody's mind. this body is not mine, but this consciousness certainly is and always will be :thumbsup:

[Dimebag4ever]

cough cough.... crackhead

[BeforeYourTime]

One,
for you to minimalize consciousness as an insignificant thing is a joke in its own. Generally speaking, if i had to determine what lies before and after this HUMAN experience, it would be AWARENESS/CONSCIOUSNESS. Who is the beneficiary of every EXPERIENCE you've had? It is awareness itself - YOU - the beneficiary. Realize that everything BUT awareness is constantly changing and you'll look a who "you" are a little differently.

As for me,
i got some body, i've got somebody's mind. this body is not mine, but this consciousness certainly is and always will be :thumbsup:

Uneducated lunatic. Awareness changes all the time, as does the rest of your mind. Never heard of brain damage? Consciousness is fragile not eternal.

[palerider7777]

I firmly believe in the development of technology and computing, except for the Internet. It is sooooooooo obvious it was invented by Al Gore. I mean, think about it, why else does it work so well?

u mean manbearpig...don't u?