sabastious

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Posts by sabastious

• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

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  sabastious

  Alrightee . . . I won't if you won't.

  If I promise to have some tea will you answer my question?

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  This thread was about a scientific article. Maybe you wasted your own time.

  A scientific article with a conclusion that greatly spurs on philosophical thought. Lets not grasp at straws.

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  sab . . . your head is going to explode mate. Have a cup of tea.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItmY6XAVW9M

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  Sab....that is completely off topic

  No it's not because the OP speaks of a doomsday scanario "our brains are broken and there was nothing we could do about it."

  I don't debate philosophy, so the discussion no longer interests me.

  That's cool, just try not to waste my time in the future. I lean towards philosophy, not science, you should know that by now.

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  And that's a good example of a philosophical idea. It's also a poor one . . . apart from it's comedic merit.

  So because the OP is a scientific article we are not allowed to discuss philosophy?

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  These are not scientific questions . . . they are philosophical. To subject something to the falsification process, it must first have some substance (as in, have substantiating evidence that is testable). Philosophical ideas cannot be subject to the scientific method with any realistic expectation of success. Metaphorically . . . you can test for contaminants in a vacuum . . . but even if you do manage to find some and remove them (unlikely) through the scientific process . . . you're still left with a vacuum. A hypothesis is not the same as a philosophical idea. Strong evidence for the hypothetical claim must first be present. ID in scientific terms is a philosophical idea . . . and an extremely poor one.

  What do you tell a child that starts asking questions about the fate of the universe? The thing is do you have to give them "current doomsday" theories, do you leave room for hope somewhere? What if the sun decides to burp and kill us all? Can't you see how that could affect someone's motivation and drive?

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  Okay, Sab, I'm going to withdraw from this discussion with you. It has become nearly impossible. You are all over the board, making assertions without support, playing by a different rule book, and assigning attitudes and motivations. There comes a moment when it is no longer constructive. I cannot have a scientific discussion with a person who views the scientific method with deep suspicion and extrapolating the motive behind the method until life has no meaning and we are all robots. Even saying that we won't ADMIT that we think we are organic robots but that what we really THINK, is deeply offensive, but more importantly, a conversation and thought stopper.

  Well, the way I look it at is that you can't handle this type of discussion. You have to take it personally. Remember I am not attacking you, just your ideas. It doesn't have to be "scientific discussion" that's your rule not mine. However it's been enlightening for me as usual, I am sorry you can't say the same.

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  I think it is off topic to discuss what atheists think and feel. I have made it clear that as an atheist I do not think and feel what you are suggesting. So I see nothing more to discuss about it because it will take the thread too far off topic. Also, we are meant to be discussing the article, not possible space travel outside or inside the universe.

  Sorry, I don't believe you because I know a concept called denial exists.

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  The scientific paper said no such thing. I don't know if Shelby said this but from what I know she did post its clear she didn't understand the article she was writing about. No amount of explanation is ever going to change that.

  I think that conclusion is derived from this statement:

  We've become so smart, we’re getting stupid, new research shows.

  They say this "brain drain" has been going on for centuries. The printing press, and various other inventions that dramatically changed culture, was invented 200 odd years ago which would coincide with the beginning of the data. It could easily be said that as we develop tools (technology) we rely less on certain intelligences that developed while the tool didn't exist. This would be a "dumbing down" of the brain, but that doesn't actually mean we are stupider as a population (are we less effecient because we still have appendixes? They randomly explode every now and then). What it means is that we rely less on our brains and more on the tools we create in conjuncture with our brains. Just because we have a tool doesn't mean we cease to be creative with it. This could be said to be a purpose that was designed into our species. To start out as socially intelligent hunter gatherers and progress towards a less socially adept civilization and with a complex set of tools. Naturally if you measured the brains of the early hunter gatherers they are going to register differently than the city slickers of modern day. However the term "stupider" just doesn't fit and is highly sensational and attached to an agenda.

  -Sab
• 
  233

  Human Devolution? Interesting Article...

  by AGuest in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are humans really getting dumber (may you all have peace)?

  there have many positions on this for both sides.

  saw an announcement on the news this morning and was intrigued: could it be true?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  sabastious

  While there exists a general overall movement toward greater complexity . . . the forces at work in the universe are neither malevolent nor benevolent . . . this is a uniquely human concept. The fact is shit happens . . . cosmological cataclysm can be obseved as we speak. The hubble has detected two colliding galaxies . . . the collision beginning and ending over a multi-million year time frame. Solid evidence of meteorite impacts are found throughout the world. Active super-volcanoes exist. Any one of such cataclysms can fill the upper atmosphere with debris causing temperatures to plunge, punctuating the natural cycles with periods of environmental hostility.

  Yeah but we don't know if there was life in those gallaxies. It could literally just be God's junkyard. That scanario proves nothing other than stuff happens in space. The only reason why you and I are here is because our genetic lines were not destroyed. Is that random chance?

  -Sab