The 2001 Principle
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- Dan_Ellsworth
- chuckn
- Dan_Ellsworth
- Bert
- Karen_James
- chuckn
- FredericG
- Dan_Ellsworth
- K19693
- GaRu1
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» Dan_Ellsworth - I take it, Steve, that "natural philosophy" is a good way to thi
I take it, Steve, that "natural philosophy" is a good way to think about it, then - not just Dan's gratuitous word-game. That's OK with me. I haven't yet regretted my physics major - I just don't entirely remember it.Dan Ellsworth, Editor, "Christianity"
-- posted by Dan_Ellsworth
» chuckn - I know you've all been waiting for the 'Chuckie Theory' of what
I know you've all been waiting for the 'Chuckie Theory' of what life is. My brilliant hypothesis has been sloppily distilled from the writings of Mark Twain, Bertrand Russell, and the 20th Century Existentialists (as they roll in their graves):Sorry to disappoint -- but it's simply a cancer, folks. How pristine the universe would be (and probably was and will be again) without it!
Earth: Here's our little roiling, festering cancer. So far it hasn't spread very far -- but watch out. Hopefully the whole mess'll play itself out pretty soon -- a few hundred million years or so is the estimate. A drop in the bucket in 'infinity' time. Good.
Other cancer cells? No empirical evidence -- but hard to imagine the rest of the universe has escaped infection (is cancer an infection or am I mixing my metaphors?). We're praying (word thrown in for Dan) these cancers will also have a difficult time spreading.
Why is there something instead of nothing? A non-question if there is no life. On a purely philosophical plane (Uh-oh! Steve'll complain!): It's impossible to imagine 'nothing' -- for merely the act of imagining is 'something'. We're around merely to do a little 'imagining' so the concept of imagining may be imagined. When life does play itself out, there will be no more 'imagining' -- and the riddle will be both a non-question and solved -- once again!
My theory holds up much better than the 2001 guy -- which ain't sayin' much.
-- posted by chuckn
» Dan_Ellsworth - Chuck, I wonder whether you have just ignited a medical breakthr
Chuck, I wonder whether you have just ignited a medical breakthrough. Consider: If we, i.e., life, are cancer and get cancer, which itself is life, can we give that cancer cancer and kill it leaving ourselves (Cancer Level One) cured?Dan Ellsworth, Editor, "Christianity"
-- posted by Dan_Ellsworth
» Bert - Yea Chuck - exactly my point. If you can imagine something, it h
Yea Chuck - exactly my point. If you can imagine something, it has a certain existence.Although I'm happier thinking of our roiling, festering little mass as unfertilized embryonic cells rather than cancer. Unfertilized because there's still something missing before we can start our mission to fill the universe, our womb, and eventually leave to explore other possible universes. This, to demonstrate that anyone can be as pretentious as the 2001 guys.
Bert Markgraf
Small Business Editor
Managing Editor, Business
-- posted by Bert
» Karen_James - Cancer is only viewed as an infection by the less viable non-can
Cancer is only viewed as an infection by the less viable non-cancerous cells. In our reality, normal cells have a built in limited life span, which is a good thing to our biased view point.These lucky cancer cells have just figured out a way to beat the usual senescence that has limited non-cancerous cells from universal expansion.
So really Chuck, you should be worried about the cancer cells that will take over the universe, not us normal, predominently non-cancerous celled, entities. Perhaps anti-senescent cells are the next step in the evolutionary scheme.
Karen James
Fantasy and Science Fiction Genres
-- posted by Karen_James
» chuckn - I emailed the esteemed Professor Frederic, informing him of the
I emailed the esteemed Professor Frederic, informing him of the thread trailing his article. He seemed shocked that: one, people thought there was 'some sort of advocacy in his article'; and two, anybody was actually reading it.I think he's still in shock -- but I'm hoping he'll pull of it soon and grace us with his expertise -- perhaps take issue with the 2001 site himself.
-- posted by chuckn
» FredericG - Shock, yes, dear Chuck. But also a protracted bout with the flu
Shock, yes, dear Chuck. But also a protracted bout with the flu. Maybe when my strength fully returns!By the way, stay tuned for a follow-up article on the 2001 Principle site. What *can* I be thinking? Am I *even* thinking??
Fred
-- posted by FredericG
» Dan_Ellsworth - Fred G., maybe you don't even want to <i>ask</i> such questions
Fred G., maybe you don't even want to ask such questions in the same Suite with the "Thinking" topic - not until you're fully recovered. ;-) Anyway, welcome partway back and may your recovery finish soon and strong.Dan Ellsworth, Editor, "Christianity"
-- posted by Dan_Ellsworth
» GaRu1 - I Finally got around to reading this
Well I started."When disturbing information creates "cognitive dissonance," the "static" discredits the information, so that a person does not feel compelled to cope with it, even if it is true. If a fact or idea is sufficiently contrary to his or her "status quo," the threatening data can be prevented from entering their consciousness at all! In effect, "cognitive dissonance" is a tremendously powerful "self-preservation" mechanism which can completely override the human desire for truth."
So... I read this as a form of disclaimer,
Or at minimum 'What you are about to read in all probability is effected by your and my ability to accept truth'
I think if one is going to argue a point that is this fundamental one should locate a starting point where the truth is universal, and procede from there.
It either was by design or it was not?
No allowance for design to be a consequence?
That for a start is a Blatant Blindness!
This whole site has more holes in than ...Something with a heck of a lot of holes....NOT IMPRESSED AT ALL!
-- posted by GaRu1
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