Posts by fulltimestudent

16

Human origins pushed back further into the past

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

science is a self-correcting journey.

any error in thought will be corrected by later research or discoveries, so the common concept that we humans (homo sapiens) developed something like 200,000 years ago is undergoing a major correction.

the discovery of fossilised bones of at least five individuals have been recovered from an old mine in morocco.

fulltimestudent

Ha!! I note that the Sydney Morning Herald (surely one of Australia's premier newspapers) has chosen to head their take on this story in some web editions with the line:

"The human bones that prove 'there was no Garden of Eden'

Not sure why, unless its a reaction to recent controversy over gay marriage with a former tennis stare (Margaret Court) turned christian fundamentalist minister leading the charge.

Anyway the SMH provided added detail with more information concerning the dating methodology:

"Professor Grun and other geochronologists, led by Associate Professor Daniel Richter from the Max Planck Institute, used two methods to determine the age of the specimens.
One used a technique that measured the build-up of uranium and thorium isotopes in the tooth enamel. This put the age of the human tooth at 286,000 years, plus or minus 32,000 years.
The other technique looked at the build up of electrons in quartz in flint artefacts that had previously been heated.
Dr Kira Westaway, a geochronologist from Macquarie University not connected with the study, said: "In this application they've used flint artefacts that have been deliberately or accidentally heated."
She said during extreme heating electrons are expelled from "traps" in the quartz and rebuild during non-heating periods.
"We can work out the date of the last major heating event by measuring how many electrons have been trapped ... The build-up is proportional to the amount of time since heating."

There was also a nice pik of the site.

with the comment:

"Co-author of the paper dating the fossils Dr Shannon McPherron, also from Max Planck Institute, said: "The overall picture we have [from this dig] is of a hunting encampment in a cave on a hill, with early humans taking shelter as they move across the landscape."
He said the site had strong evidence of fires and a mix of animal remains – gazelle, zebra and even lions – that these humans consumed. There were also stone tools – cutting implements and spear heads – they had presumably used to hunt and consume those animals."

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/analysis-of-morocco-fossils-puts-emergence-of-homo-sapiens-back-100000-years-20170607-gwmbh2.html

23

Muslims are not the only terrorists

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

david goldman's hongkong based (and web published) media journal, the asia,times describes what may be the world's longest running terrorist insurrection in india.

their latest success was an attack on india's state security forces, in which they killed 26 members of the security force.. you can read the at's attempt to analyse the origins and causes of the naxalite (they are also called maoists) rebellions at: http://www.atimes.com/indias-maoist-violence-must-resolved-dialogue/.

the hindustan times has a table detailing the dead in this rebellion.. finally, i saw nothing about the latest attack (april) in the aussie media.

fulltimestudent

A thoughtful discussion on the problem of terrorism: It was published in a web-based Australian site controled by a group of universities.

http://theconversation.com/looking-at-terror-attacks-per-capita-should-make-us-rethink-beliefs-about-levels-of-risk-and-muslims-78449?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20June%208%202017%20-%2075735875&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20June%208%202017%20-%2075735875+CID_59e912345c460fc501cfc1a01eb9958e&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=Looking%20at%20terror%20attacks%20per%20capita%20should%20make%20us%20rethink%20beliefs%20about%20levels%20of%20risk%20and%20Muslims

16

Human origins pushed back further into the past

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

science is a self-correcting journey.

any error in thought will be corrected by later research or discoveries, so the common concept that we humans (homo sapiens) developed something like 200,000 years ago is undergoing a major correction.

the discovery of fossilised bones of at least five individuals have been recovered from an old mine in morocco.

fulltimestudent

Science is a self-correcting journey. Any error in thought will be corrected by later research or discoveries, So the common concept that we humans (Homo sapiens) developed something like 200,000 years ago is undergoing a major correction

The discovery of fossilised bones of at least five individuals have been recovered from an old mine in Morocco. Testing brought the amazing information that they are 300,000 years old.

Note the similarity of the jawbone of one individual to modern humans, in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UagdU1qYnC8

More on this discovery can be found in this account from the UK Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jun/07/oldest-homo-sapiens-bones-ever-found-shake-foundations-of-the-human-story?CMP=soc_567

There will, of course, be different arguments as to how the humans who once lived in that area fit into a 'first humans' and the 'spread of humans' accounts, and more discoveries may adjust the account. But that's how science works - each discovery corrects earlier misconceptions.

1

Can YHWH/JESUS be simultaneously All Powewrful and All Good?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

i'm hopeful that this topic has been discussed before, but out of love for my mentally imprisoned former brothers and sisters (or, indeed any christian), we can look at it again.. here's an interview with an astrophysicist:.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxaokvnv7mc.

fulltimestudent

So, is your thinking evidence based or anchored in credulity?

1

Can YHWH/JESUS be simultaneously All Powewrful and All Good?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

i'm hopeful that this topic has been discussed before, but out of love for my mentally imprisoned former brothers and sisters (or, indeed any christian), we can look at it again.. here's an interview with an astrophysicist:.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxaokvnv7mc.

fulltimestudent

I'm hopeful that this topic has been discussed before, but out of love for my mentally imprisoned former brothers and sisters (or, indeed any christian), we can look at it again.

Here's an interview with an astrophysicist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXAokvnv7Mc

7

What's happening to the Seventh World Power?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

in the imagination of many christians (jws included) the biblical texts tell of each succeeding world power winning its position through the power of its armies, on the battlefield.

even the yhwh/jesus combo is imagined as winning in an enormously destructive battle.. the knorr/franz nomination for the world power no.7 - the anglo/american alliance certainly gained and still maintains its hegemony via its military power.

its battle fleets armed with the most destructive power in history patrol the world.

fulltimestudent

In the imagination of many Christians (JWs included) the biblical texts tell of each succeeding world power winning its position through the power of its armies, on the battlefield. Even the YHWH/JESUS combo is imagined as winning in an enormously destructive battle.

The Knorr/Franz nomination for the world power No.7 - the Anglo/American alliance certainly gained and still maintains its hegemony via its military power. Its battle fleets armed with the most destructive power in history patrol the world. Near 900 military bases scattered around the globe attempt to maintain its position.

And yet, .....!

WP No7 is now under pressure, not on the battlefield, but in a different sort of competition.

The Boston Globe reports that in 2015, the Massachusett's Institute of Technology, was surpassed as the worlds best in STEM (Science, Technology.Engineering and Mathematics) subjects, by China's Tsinghua University in Beijing.

More, in a world where technological progress is vital, China now trains 1.3 million STEM graduates each year versus the USA's 300,000.

More than that in a whole range of fields, China is surpassing the USA.

Never before has a nation risen so fast on so many dimensions. When Ronald Reagan became president in 1981, China’s economy was just 10 percent the size of America’s. By 2014, it had catapulted to 100 percent, and today it stands at 115 percent. If the US and Chinese economies continue their current growth trends, China’s economy will be 50 percent larger in 2023. By 2040, it will be three times larger.

A nation that did not appear in any of the international league tables in 1980 has vaulted into the top position.

And, interestingly, the response of the west is --- Guess?

No need to guess, its quite clear, the response of the west is to use military threats. And where the west's military strength destroys, the Chinese policy is to build. China's engineers are busy building a modern high speed rail (over 250 km/hour speed) network in China (something like 20,000 km, and will eventually connect all cities with a population of 250,000) and outside of China. China offers (if you like) to construct, not destroy.

Does the author of the Boston Globe know what he's talking about? You judge: His name is Graham Allison, he is the director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and the author of the forthcoming book “Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?”

Reference: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/05/21/america-second-yes-and-china-lead-only-growing/7G6szOUkTobxmuhgDtLD7M/story.html?event=event25

9

Before attempting to persuade someone that life evolved, first discuss genetics.

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the reasoning behind the thread''s title was developed by a team looking at the teaching of evolution.

"the team, led by professor laurence hurst at the milner centre for evolution, university of bath hypothesised that since core concepts of genetics (such as dna and mutation) are so intimately linked to the core concepts of evolution, then priming students with genetics information might help their understanding of evolution.

more at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170523144131.htm.

fulltimestudent

The reasoning behind the thread''s title was developed by a team looking at the teaching of evolution. "The team, led by Professor Laurence Hurst at the Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath hypothesised that since core concepts of genetics (such as DNA and mutation) are so intimately linked to the core concepts of evolution, then priming students with genetics information might help their understanding of evolution."

More at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170523144131.htm

3

Taiwan becomes the first Asian nation to order the legalisation of gay marriage

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the taiwan supreme court has instructed the taiwan parliament to legislate to allow gay marriage:.

this report from china's international tv news, cgtn (via youtube):.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbx9nssushg.

fulltimestudent

And, for any gay guys (or girls) still tied to an ancient religious superstition, here's some modern advice - Follow your heart:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pauY5cgRU4

3

Taiwan becomes the first Asian nation to order the legalisation of gay marriage

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the taiwan supreme court has instructed the taiwan parliament to legislate to allow gay marriage:.

this report from china's international tv news, cgtn (via youtube):.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbx9nssushg.

fulltimestudent

The Taiwan Supreme court has instructed the Taiwan Parliament to legislate to allow gay marriage:

This report from China's international TV News, CGTN (via Youtube):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbx9NSSusHg

And more detail in this BBC report:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40012047

23

Muslims are not the only terrorists

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

david goldman's hongkong based (and web published) media journal, the asia,times describes what may be the world's longest running terrorist insurrection in india.

their latest success was an attack on india's state security forces, in which they killed 26 members of the security force.. you can read the at's attempt to analyse the origins and causes of the naxalite (they are also called maoists) rebellions at: http://www.atimes.com/indias-maoist-violence-must-resolved-dialogue/.

the hindustan times has a table detailing the dead in this rebellion.. finally, i saw nothing about the latest attack (april) in the aussie media.

fulltimestudent

Simon: Why are you trying to diminish the threat? Muslim appeasement?

No! I do not particularly like Islam (another face to semitic religion).

This problem will not be solved by present policies.

I wanted to demonstrate that acts of terror have been used by all types of people, and not just one singular type.

Am I correct in the examples I've presented?

Think about it - how many people have been killed in attacks by Muslim terrorists in western countries (include Russia) ? Has the total yet reached 1000? On the other hand, how many people have been killed by western action in Islamic countries? (Include French action in Algeria, British action in Iraq in post WW1 era, and contemporary U.S. led actions).

We have had similar conversations before, and the problem is now worse than ever. And I think it will continue to become even worse, unless a different approach is used to the present policies.