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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
 Posted - 02/16/2011 : 00:46:43 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
To SFN.....
This thread has become horribly unravelled and I am as responsible as any one for the kerfuffle.
There has been no intent to hijack, but what with Ugly Annie, image deletion, extensive editing, mermaids, and Shakespeare; there is little left of the original topic.
Much remains to be said, but I am anathemic to monologues. At least in this format.
Is bmnb123, Socratic Gadfly, or anyone else still interested in the original subject matter of astronaut Mitchell's declarations or the well-worn UFO/Alien visitation/ are we alone in the Universe? topic?
If no one cares to post, topic-wise, I'll go back to real work.
bngbuck
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I'm interested to be sure. But I'm curious about where we can see more of Mitchell's quotes in context, and why he's bought into what he's bought into... |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2011 : 00:55:58 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
Dude.....
| It (Biology) is definitely not simple. But it isn't so difficult that you can't learn it! Buck up man! errr, wait, is it appropriate to tell a person named Buck to buck up? |
Actually, Holly and I have matriculated from Biology 101 into Chemistry 100 (go figure). Second year Biology starts next summer, and I am looking forward to it. Thanks for the encouragement and rest assured that I have Bucked many ....things, as I slog forward toward the century mark.
I did find elementary Biology difficult, as I had no basis in my early education - high school or college. Although Chemistry requires some atttention, I have the advantage of having acquired, back in the 1940's, a very solid footing in chemistry. Damn, but a lot of work has been done since then, tho', I am discovering. All the many years that I spent in pursuit of the mighty (?) dollar, the scientists were moving forward at an ever-increasing clip. A kid that doesn't take education seriously today doesn't have a chance in tomorrow's world!
I was kidding about flunking Biology 101, although it sure felt like it from time to time. Holly and I both got solid B's, but we worked our asses off for them. I couldn't have done it without her. The reverse seems to be true now that we are attacking another Hard Science. That will lessen as we get deeper into current pedagogical approaches to basic science and the significantly larger body of subject matter including a great deal more insight into nuclear theory (still kind of new back in the '40's)
I have managed to kind of keep up through the years on a sort of anecdotal basis - the advent of Google/wiki helped enormously - and it will be interesting to observe the learning curve differences (if any) between 42 and 82 as she and I climb the hill toward the goal of ever- higher education.
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The second biology course will (if the same pattern holds up there as here) probably deal more with systematics and memorizing a bunch of critter names and where they fit into the family tree. The first one was probably focused on cellular processes? Of the two I more enjoyed the cellular processes class, which is the focus of the degree I'm working on at the moment.
As for the chemistry, the first two general chemistry classes should pose no difficulty for anyone who has made it through a college algebra class. Then, when you move on to organic chemistry, you will have a blast. In the first 6 weeks of organic chemistry labs you will learn every skill you need to cook up any number of illicit substances (methamphetamine, LSD, anabolic steroids, ecstasy, high explosives, and so on...). They don't explicitly tell you the reactions for those, but the lab techniques are all there.
Good times!
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2011 : 10:09:21 [Permalink]
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Dude.....
Yes I'm currently stuffed full of cellular nomenclature. My personal (organic) RAM and ROM are overflowing and my Sponge drive is petrifying. I just can't wait to start memorizing critter names and their taxonomic family trees.
Hey, we're charging ahead full speed in Chemistry. As we speak, I'm frantically gathering ingredients from rusty iron pipes and aluminum ladders to make a BIG pile of Thermite. I stole a spool of magnesium ribbon from the Lab - Security is snooping around all over the place.
The plan is burn a big hole in the driveway, hopefully deep enough to jump in to the place where gravity starts to lessens. I really am looking forward to the Incandescent Iron zone.
I understand the Republic of China is currently taking precautions, just in case!
You and I have got to get together someday and codify our plans for the destruction of Earth as we know it! Meanwhile, please share notes on anything really dangerous that you run into!
Jamie and Adam, eat your hearts out!! |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2011 : 15:45:32 [Permalink]
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Way off topic for this thread (but the topic is retarded anyway):
About "dangerous" things...
I've been using this argument for some time. Given the actual simplicity of making explosives and bombs from common items, there is no one in the US who actually wants to blow anything up. If they wanted to, they would just do it, because it is easy.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2011 : 18:44:55 [Permalink]
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Cuneiformist.....
The best I can suggest right now is this Link to wiki, and then pick up on as many of the links and references at the end of the article that you care to. There are plenty of them, I am in the process of putting much of this material into my manuscript data base.
If anybody wants to post more opinion, fact, dogma, or just pure bullshit; I'll be happy to contribute whatever I can discover.
Chippewa?
Socratic Gadfly?
Dave? |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26021 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2011 : 19:35:26 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
Dave? |
Hey, I was under the impression that we were having a somewhat-related discussion here already. After all, if the ET visitation hypothesis isn't remotely plausible from a physics-and-biology point-of-view (a certainly non-agnostic position), then Mitchell's claims can be dismissed unless he can cough up some seriously extraordinary evidence instead of paranoid conspiracy theories. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 01:52:43 [Permalink]
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Dave.....
| Hey, I was under the impression that we were having a somewhat-related discussion here already. After all, if the ET visitation hypothesis isn't remotely plausible from a physics-and-biology point-of-view (a certainly non-agnostic position), then Mitchell's claims can be dismissed unless he can cough up some seriously extraordinary evidence instead of paranoid conspiracy theories. |
In a rare instance of agreement with you, I was kind of under the same impression, and you and I could undoubtedly continue artfully arguing about our respective opinions on matters regarding which there is nothing but opinion. And that has some merit but we really have done enough of it already.
At least it appears that way from the apparent lack of interest from any others here on SFN. Interest in speaking out on the OP, or the main theme of alien existence/visitation seems to be pretty low. We seem to generate enough box office (64604 views on this thread currently), but not much contribution. Frankly, I get a little bored rereading your opinions and my opinions over and over again on the ET situation (and maybe on a few other subjects that we have hashed over into a deep brown condition of crispyness)
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with opinion, it is the fundament and grist of Forums such as these. But the real entertainment and learning experience available from SFN and, in my opinion, much of its true value comes from audience participation - like a lot of different opinions and possibly some substantiation for the more interesting ones.
| The mission of the Skeptic Friends Network is to promote skepticism, critical thinking, science and logic as the best methods for evaluating all claims of fact, and we invite active participation by our members to create a skeptical community with a wide variety of viewpoints and expertise. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26021 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 03:30:17 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
In a rare instance of agreement with you, I was kind of under the same impression, and you and I could undoubtedly continue artfully arguing about our respective opinions on matters regarding which there is nothing but opinion. And that has some merit but we really have done enough of it already. |
Then I will conclude that you won't even try to answer my logical arguments against the position you seem to hold. I mean, I could have a "learning experience" here by being shown that my arguments are either unsound or invalid, but your statements here make it clear that you won't be participating in that. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 08:36:32 [Permalink]
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bng said:
| We seem to generate enough box office (64604 views on this thread currently), but not much contribution. |
How is it possible to contribute anything (other than ridicule) when the topic is shit some guy imagined that others are now trying to use as evidence of actual alien visitation?
Instead of aliens/UFOs you could put in fairies or jesus or whatever and the argument being made doesn't change.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 10:29:11 [Permalink]
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Dude.....
Dude
How is it possible to contribute anything (other than ridicule) when the topic is shit some guy imagined that others are now trying to use as evidence of actual alien visitation? |
Dave
Then I will conclude that you won't even try to answer my logical arguments against the position you seem to hold. I mean, I could have a "learning experience" here by being shown that my arguments are either unsound or invalid, but your statements here make it clear that you won't be participating in that. |
What a dilemma! On the one hand, a Valued Member arguing that the subject matter is not worth arguing about; on the other hand a Mighty Adjuducator concluding that his powerful persuasions concerning the very same worthless dreck are forcing me (and possibly many others) to not even attempt to offer counter commentary on the very same offage - that which is not even worth any commentary by Dude.
At least there appears to be a tiny crack in the dike of timidity that seems to be preventing many valued Members from offering opinion (or implacable, unanswerable logic). Unfortunately, the same old names (mine included) appear alongside the latest comments (this included), giving weight to the conclusion that there only a very few that care to discuss the subject. It is surprising that so many seem to want to read the sparse diversity of views here.
Does anyone else here at SFN have any advice on how to reconcile this apparent paradox? Is the subject matter of this thread still worthy of discussion and capable of generating interesting points of view -- or is it just too trivial to be deserving of the impeccable application of Critical Thinking and all that jazz?
Anyone.....new, hopefully,..... have any ideas that could add efferescence to the somewhat turgid condition of this topic? |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 11:34:08 [Permalink]
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Alien life forms should look and work pretty much similar to how we know life is on earth.
I base my opinion on the fact that any other planet which is capable of supporting life should look pretty similar to earth. The relative abundances of substances is pretty the same everywhere. With energy input, similar molecules will form. With pretty much the same amino acids, RNA-looking macromolecules wouldn't differ much from what they look like here.
Given that it only took a few hundred million years from when Earth was hospitable for life until we can trace fossils of life, we can pretty much conclude that given the right circumstances life will form quickly (geologically speaking anyway).
If such life gets intelligent enough to build space crafts, that's another question.
Also, another question is FTL-travel. Physics as we know it does not support this. Given that most advancements in physics the last 100 years have been refinements of already known natural laws (Newton --> Einstein -->??) It is my opinion that future discoveries in physics will continue to refine and evolve our current understanding on natural laws rather than an iconoclastic revolutionary paradigm change that is required for alien visitations from other solar systems.
The simpler explanation is that people who claimed that saw space ships and aliens were hallucinating.
(edited to fix spelling) |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 02/17/2011 11:34:59 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 12:39:32 [Permalink]
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Since I have what could be called a skeptics perspective on the idea that we are being visited by beings from worlds not our own, I really don't have much to add to the conversation.
The mermaid stuff was fun, however. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 12:45:11 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
Dude.....
Dude
How is it possible to contribute anything (other than ridicule) when the topic is shit some guy imagined that others are now trying to use as evidence of actual alien visitation? |
Dave
Then I will conclude that you won't even try to answer my logical arguments against the position you seem to hold. I mean, I could have a "learning experience" here by being shown that my arguments are either unsound or invalid, but your statements here make it clear that you won't be participating in that. |
What a dilemma! On the one hand, a Valued Member arguing that the subject matter is not worth arguing about; on the other hand a Mighty Adjuducator concluding that his powerful persuasions concerning the very same worthless dreck are forcing me (and possibly many others) to not even attempt to offer counter commentary on the very same offage - that which is not even worth any commentary by Dude.
At least there appears to be a tiny crack in the dike of timidity that seems to be preventing many valued Members from offering opinion (or implacable, unanswerable logic). Unfortunately, the same old names (mine included) appear alongside the latest comments (this included), giving weight to the conclusion that there only a very few that care to discuss the subject. It is surprising that so many seem to want to read the sparse diversity of views here.
Does anyone else here at SFN have any advice on how to reconcile this apparent paradox? Is the subject matter of this thread still worthy of discussion and capable of generating interesting points of view -- or is it just too trivial to be deserving of the impeccable application of Critical Thinking and all that jazz?
Anyone.....new, hopefully,..... have any ideas that could add efferescence to the somewhat turgid condition of this topic?
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Your apparent inability to actually answer my question is noted (and amusing).
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 02/17/2011 : 13:48:48 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
Since I have what could be called a skeptics perspective on the idea that we are being visited by beings from worlds not our own, I really don't have much to add to the conversation.
The mermaid stuff was fun, however.
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Thanks. I enjoyed it too. And it is, metaphorically at least, right on topic. Sort of....
See, life on this planet came to being in the seas and even today the seas hold a massive wealth of species. On another planet who is to say that the life there, for whatever evolutionary reason or another, ever left the seas. While that renders SETI into an interesting exercise in futile, wishful dreaming, it puts an unproven crimp into the "Lookit what's at the door" crap.
Evolution is strange, even to the point of weirdness. anything can happen with it, and a lot of it has right here on Earth.
The whole thing is moot, anyway. It will remain so until the dingbats finally go extinct themselves -- which won't happen as long as H. sapiens itself is extant.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 15:04:49 [Permalink]
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Dude.....
| Your apparent inability to actually answer my question is noted (and amusing). |
You have emulated your master well, grasshopper! Witness:Dude]
Your apparent inability to actually answer my question is noted |
Dave
I will conclude that you won't even try to answer my logical arguments against the position you seem to hold....your statements here make it clear that you won't be participating in that. |
Good work! Soon, you will be able to strike out on your own!
However, note also that with hypodermic hyperbole and insolent innuendo we have lured a few lurkers back into the sport of contribution to our topic of "ridiculous shit" There may be hope for this thread after all appeared lost a day or two ago. Thank you Dave, Dude, Mabuse, and Filthy! At least the front page A-listers come through as early responders. Would that some of the unknown folks that start or reopen these threads had the resolve to continue, if not finish what they started. Heap on more approbation if you wish, but please stay tuned. I'll be right back, as the cableheads say. I have to turn my suckubbus box over to the folks in India for a few hours, as it is behaving very badly.
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Moon-walker claims alien contact cover-up
