It's all a bit strange. Let me get this right: it's ok for militant Islam to hoist placards in Trafalgar Square calling for all those who insult that pernicious faith, which, over centuries, has proved itself incapable of the merest scintilla of humanity in its treatment of non adherents or former Muslims. But it's not ok for a pastor to call it names when he's preaching to the converted in a private space. Or is it the internet bit that sparked the prosecution? Either way, I get it! It's called a perversion of logic. Religious zealots are good at that. We have to hope the courts don't back them.
I agree to disagree. What is beyond the edge of the know universe? And why are humans here on this planet ? There's two for you - and science - to think about.
Exactly my point Duccie... They might be right - I'm not saying they're not. I'm just asking them to acknowledge the possibility, how ever small it may be, that they might not be...
Humans evolved on this planet for the same reason as every other living organism. The conditions to support them were right. Beyond the known universe? A void, a doppelgänger universe, the evil Tharg Empire, I don't know. But science will be able provide that knowlege one day if humans are still around to apply scientific principles. One thing is for sure though. If we allow illogicality in any of its myriad forms to displace science and logic as our guiding principles, we certainly won't survive long enough to do so.
And if we don't open our minds beyond the narrow confines of academic science, then that science will never expand or progress enough to learn anything...
Could you explain why you think that please? Historically it's easy to see that your totally anodyne statement is totally incorrect. I have you a few examples. There are thousands more.
The phrase "if humans are still around long enough" is the flaw in your argument. As we currently understand it the universe has been around billions of times longer than humans have. How long do you think life can continue to exist on this tiny planet? We will have killed each other and destroyed the planet long before any scientist can answer even the most basic fundamental questions about the universe. Human existence, in cosmic terms, is so short as to be meaningless...
Historically it's easy to prove that my point is absolutely correct. Only by accepting that we don't know everything, and by looking beyond the boundaries of what is already known, can any advances in science or engineering ever be made.
"anodyne" - adjective; not likely to cause offence or disagreement. (Oxford English dictionary). Funny, as it seems to have done exactly that !
That is not the thrust of our discussion. You have changed the subject. When we are no longer here, something else will be - until the sun becomes a Red Dwarf, engulfs our solar system and creates a black hole. We are just part of Earth's history, like the dinosaurs and the primordial swamp from which all life forms emerged. Yes of course our existence is meaningless in the scheme of things. That's no reason we shouldn't seek to give it meaning by creating things and enjoying pleasure.
Science is the best tool we as humans have come up with to "look beyond the boundaries of what is already known". The fact the science hasn't provided every answer you are looking for notwithstanding
Of course!! I'm just saying that the application of science principles will lead to the discovery of those things... Large Hadron Collider etc.
Anyway scientists could be telling us anything how do they know everything There could be far more out there than they will ever tell us I think many people couldn't care less about their surroundings
