interesting stuff

User comments

by dsstrlght @ 05 Nov 2006 11:31

Very interesting indeed, and they are people I respect enormously. It is so much easier to just follow the herd than to have the courage to speak up for an idea, and even more deserving of admiration and respect for it to be an idea that one has put rigorous analysis and logic into. There are all kinds of people out there defending ideas, some ridiculous and illogical and some good ideas, who have no real understanding of why they think that way. They certainly have never developed the ability to think deeply enough to know. The whole concept of balance is so tricky too. As an atheist I too struggle with this issue. My personaly principles call for me to respect other's rights to their beliefs and yet I am also very opposed to other people imposing their beliefs on people and using their beliefs to limit the rights of others. He is absolutely right that this puts us in situations of direct conflict. Tuesday's elections are certainly an example of this. I've been going around this weekend wearing my "We say no to the Bush Agenda" t shirt and I've gotten massive amounts of approval everywhere I go. The Bushies are people who don't even have the integrity to really believe the principles of the Christianity they claim to support, but merely use it for their financial and power hungry benefit. I disagree with the Christians on a lot but at least I can respect those that have honest, if flawed reasons for believing what they believe and who really try to do what that leads them to do, whether or not it is what they want much more than I can respect those that simply use the words for their own benefit. But Dawkins is right, by our silence, we allow these things to happen.
One of the hardest things for most people is to be able to say they have changed their mind, especially about something they have stood up for or been known for before. The whole idea of science presupposes the ability to do that, to accept whatever result the evidence proves and to discard it if new information disproves it, but of course we are human and stick to our paradigms. Science itself also requires us to rigorously examine, retest, study our experimental design and statistical analyses for errors, anomalous results and misinterpretations, so we don't just jump wildly from one idea to another. Two short but very influential books that were required reading for me in college that I think still are great foundation blocks for thinking are The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn [ link ] and Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott [ link ] Enjoy and learn.
Hawkins is one of my heroes for so many reasons. To be able as he has done in more than one occasion, to to be the world's most famous scientist behind an idea and then come out later and say " hey, I think this isn't that way because now I have found this information and this is how and why" that is not only being able to separate one's own personal stake in a belief from the commitment to truth but not letting the lure of worldwide fame get in the way of it. Wow.
by dsstrlght @ 05 Nov 2006 11:32

aargh I wish afterdawn allowed you to edit everything not just shoutbox comments. I hate making typos and then looking like I don't know how to write.
by Polyarny @ 05 Nov 2006 17:41

lol its cool i do it all the time too.
by brainstrm @ 13 Nov 2006 12:00

8 )
by tocool4u @ 25 Nov 2006 6:30

I pointed out Hawking Paradox :) If you guys ever get a chance there was a discovery channel documnetry on it with alot more info. You can probubley dl load it
by Polyarny @ 11 Dec 2006 5:57

yes you did, it was a good read, i enjoyed it, thank you