cofty

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Posts by cofty

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  168

  Where to draw the line: how Platonism haunts our discourse and the search for exorcism

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in the discussion about race i adopted a position i am not entirely comfortable with.

  i think there is a sense in which it is useful to distinguish categories of description that can be fruitfully defended (apples and bananas) and those that cannot (caucasian or other racial descriptions for example).

  but there is a more fundamental sense in which i believe that everything is socially constructed, every single line you can think of.

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  cofty

  It's like we don't even speak the same language.
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  168

  Where to draw the line: how Platonism haunts our discourse and the search for exorcism

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in the discussion about race i adopted a position i am not entirely comfortable with.

  i think there is a sense in which it is useful to distinguish categories of description that can be fruitfully defended (apples and bananas) and those that cannot (caucasian or other racial descriptions for example).

  but there is a more fundamental sense in which i believe that everything is socially constructed, every single line you can think of.

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  cofty

  Imagine walking in a circular path a certain distance from a fixed point.

  The further you are from that point the longer your path.

  The length of your path increases in proportion to the distance. The ratio between the two is slightly more than three.

  No woo-woo required.

  Pi is the lamest argument for god I have ever heard - and I've heard plenty. You are also equivocating about the meaning of the word god.
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  34

  Hollow earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i thought the flat earth conspiracy theory was strange but ive just read an article about a new conspiracy theory that the earth is hollow and that its a paradise there and 8 foot tall intellectually advanced aliens live there who send space ships out every so often to check on mankind.

  apparently lost viking colonies and nazis that fled there after world war 2 are living there immortally 🤣🤣 .

  this world just gets better and better 🤣🤣🤣🤣.

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  cofty

  Jrjw - Personally I don't believe in anything "supernatural" but not because of evolution. It is possible to have faith in god and accept the fact of evolution. "Theistic evolution" is an example of a combination of god and science. It does not resort to god to get over difficult design problems. It posits that god started the process and then left it to run its course.

  I think it fails for a number of reasons but it is not unscientific in the way that creationism and Intelligent Design is.

  My rejection of god is based on other reasons.
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  168

  Where to draw the line: how Platonism haunts our discourse and the search for exorcism

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in the discussion about race i adopted a position i am not entirely comfortable with.

  i think there is a sense in which it is useful to distinguish categories of description that can be fruitfully defended (apples and bananas) and those that cannot (caucasian or other racial descriptions for example).

  but there is a more fundamental sense in which i believe that everything is socially constructed, every single line you can think of.

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  2. 
  3. 
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  cofty

  Troll
• 
  34

  Hollow earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i thought the flat earth conspiracy theory was strange but ive just read an article about a new conspiracy theory that the earth is hollow and that its a paradise there and 8 foot tall intellectually advanced aliens live there who send space ships out every so often to check on mankind.

  apparently lost viking colonies and nazis that fled there after world war 2 are living there immortally 🤣🤣 .

  this world just gets better and better 🤣🤣🤣🤣.

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  cofty

  remember a theory is only a theory (not a truth) until proven correct

  Actually a scientific "theory" is as good as it gets. They don't get the accolade of "theory" until they have been proven correct. It is the exact opposite of an idea or a hunch.

  Flat earth/hollow earth etc don't even qualify to be called a hypothesis. They are more like drunken ramblings.
  
  
• 
  34

  Hollow earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i thought the flat earth conspiracy theory was strange but ive just read an article about a new conspiracy theory that the earth is hollow and that its a paradise there and 8 foot tall intellectually advanced aliens live there who send space ships out every so often to check on mankind.

  apparently lost viking colonies and nazis that fled there after world war 2 are living there immortally 🤣🤣 .

  this world just gets better and better 🤣🤣🤣🤣.

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  cofty

  Why Evolution is True - Jerry Coyne
  Your Inner Fish - Neil Shubin
  The Greatest Show on Earth - Richard Dawkins
  The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins
  Endless Forms Most Beautiful - Sean B. Caroll
  Life Ascending - Nick Lane
  Evolution, What the Fossils Say - Donald Prothero

  Here is a link to forty short posts on the evidence for evolution...
• 
  34

  Hollow earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i thought the flat earth conspiracy theory was strange but ive just read an article about a new conspiracy theory that the earth is hollow and that its a paradise there and 8 foot tall intellectually advanced aliens live there who send space ships out every so often to check on mankind.

  apparently lost viking colonies and nazis that fled there after world war 2 are living there immortally 🤣🤣 .

  this world just gets better and better 🤣🤣🤣🤣.

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  cofty

  Any particular areas of science you are interested in?

  How about biology/evolution?
• 
  34

  Hollow earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i thought the flat earth conspiracy theory was strange but ive just read an article about a new conspiracy theory that the earth is hollow and that its a paradise there and 8 foot tall intellectually advanced aliens live there who send space ships out every so often to check on mankind.

  apparently lost viking colonies and nazis that fled there after world war 2 are living there immortally 🤣🤣 .

  this world just gets better and better 🤣🤣🤣🤣.

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  cofty

  Think I'm going to stick with researching science for now coz it's fascinating

  Excellent idea.

  Would you like suggestions?
  
  
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  315

  Flat earth vs round earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my brother has been talking about the earth being flat and some big conspiracy going on to make people beieve otherwise.

  what are people's thoughts on this?.

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  cofty

  I "better" myself by constantly reading brilliant books written by brilliant people and always applying healthy skepticism.

  You add absolutely nothing of value.
• 
  34

  Hollow earth

  by Jrjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i thought the flat earth conspiracy theory was strange but ive just read an article about a new conspiracy theory that the earth is hollow and that its a paradise there and 8 foot tall intellectually advanced aliens live there who send space ships out every so often to check on mankind.

  apparently lost viking colonies and nazis that fled there after world war 2 are living there immortally 🤣🤣 .

  this world just gets better and better 🤣🤣🤣🤣.

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  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  its hard to know what's real and true

  Not really. Common sense is your friend.