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What Do You Believe Even If You Can't Prove It?

Posted by timothy on from the that-she-is-out-there dept.

An anonymous reader writes "That's what online magazine The Edge - the World Question Center asked over 120 scientists, futurists, and other interesting minds. Their answers are sometimes short and to the point (Bruce Sterling: 'We're in for climatic mayhem'), often long and involved; they cover everything from the existence of God to the nature of black holes. What do you believe, even though you can't prove it?"

29 of 2,353 comments (clear)

  1. Someday by doublem · · Score: 5, Funny

    That some day, somehow, I will get the elusive First Post.

    --
    "Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
    1. Re:Someday by nine-times · · Score: 4, Funny

      ep... you have your proof... no longer counts.

    2. Re:Someday by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
      > > [doublem] That some day, somehow, I will get the elusive First Post.
      >
      > [nine-times] ep... you have your proof... no longer counts.

      ...for proof denies faith, and without faith, getting a first post is nothing.

      "Oh dear", says doublem, "I hadn't thought of that", and promptly vanishes in a fog of (-1, Overrated) moderation.

      "Oh, that was easy", says nine-times, and for an encore, goes on to prove that (+1, Funny) is indistinguishable from (-1, Troll), and gets himself confirmed dead at the next Netcraft parody post.

    3. Re:Someday by goombah99 · · Score: 5, Funny

      I beleive that I am the only human posting to slashdot and the rest are all machine generated.

      --
      Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    4. Re:Someday by daniil · · Score: 4, Funny

      Someone on Slashdot once had a sig that read: "On the internet, everyone assumes you're a dog." I wholeheartedly agree: you're a dog.

      --
      Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
  2. That's easy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The female orgasm.

    1. Re:That's easy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Maybe the AC is a girl and hasn't tried out the Magic Wand yet.

    2. Re:That's easy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
      How about I HAVE A HEADACHE

      My ex-wife used headaches, fatique, all kinds of illnesses to avoid sex.

      During the divorce trial her medical records and examinations confirmed that her claims were contradictory (in legalese, she had been lying).

      During our separation she had three affairs behind my back, even booking flights to them multiple times. That's a pretty active sex life for someone with lots of health problems.

      So it was all one big lie. As you can imagine, I am extremely skeptical when a woman tells me she has a headache.

  3. The usual.... by Null537 · · Score: 3, Funny

    That eventually, somewhere down the line the US government will get better. (Howard Zinn says so)

  4. WMD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    I believe that there are Weapons of mass Destruction in Iraq-

    G.W. Bush

  5. I believe I will have another martini, please. by drewzhrodague · · Score: 4, Funny

    I believe I will have another martini, please. Up, Sapphire, extra olives, and go easy on the vermouth.

    --
    Zhrodague.net - I do projects and stuff too.
  6. Logic works? by nine-times · · Score: 4, Funny
    Being a bit of a student of philosophy, my old favorite is "logic works", or, in other words, "a proof means something".

    I mean, go ahead and prove it, but you'll still be taking it for granted, or you wouldn't bother with a proof.

  7. I believe that children are our future... by geekpuppySEA · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't, actually. I believe that they will eat me alive if I give them back their candy.

    --
    Intelligent Design: because MATH is HARD.
  8. What Bruce Sterling should have said: by thenerdgod · · Score: 3, Funny

    "I'm a good writer"

  9. Re:I believe by dbrower · · Score: 5, Funny
    in intellegent design

    So do I, but there seems to be darned little of it in the software that I see.

    -dB

    --
    "It if was easy to do, we'd find someone cheaper than you to do it."
  10. Christ by bogaboga · · Score: 5, Funny

    I believe in Christ Jesus and the "End of this Earth" as we know it today. I also believe that many of us will go to hell (the lake of fire) believe it or not.

  11. Re:I believe by GoofyBoy · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you mean Intellegent Design, as in purposeful Creation by God: Mod - Insightful

    If you mean intelligent design, as in purposeful creation by programmers, analysts and end-users: Mod - Funny

    --
    The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
  12. Re:What comes around, goes around by k4_pacific · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think I've seen this in at least three different chain letters. You forgot to ask people to forward it.

    --
    Unknown host pong.
  13. The Elf Conspiracy by duffbeer703 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I believe that little elves are responsible for all of the world's ills. Kennedy was killed by an elf, for example.

    Even now, the elves are working on igniting a great volcano under yellostone park!

    --
    Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
  14. Women can't fake orgasms perfectly by cryptochrome · · Score: 4, Funny

    There are difficult-to-impossible-to-fake signs, if you know what to look/feel for. The sex flush is the best one. Pupil size generally increases when it happens too. The vaginal contractions at 0.8s intervals would be very difficult to fake also. Also there's the whole issue of their acting skills.

    So... go run some experiments with this new data.

    --

    ---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?

    1. Re:Women can't fake orgasms perfectly by aceat64 · · Score: 5, Funny

      No offense, but I feel sorry for any woman you date.

    2. Re:Women can't fake orgasms perfectly by cayenne8 · · Score: 5, Funny
      "There are difficult-to-impossible-to-fake signs, if you know what to look/feel for. The sex flush is the best one. Pupil size generally increases when it happens too. The vaginal contractions at 0.8s intervals would be very difficult to fake also. Also there's the whole issue of their acting skills."

      Hmm...very hard to observe signs such as these with the lights down low, and your behind her doggy style her head is either buried in the pillow, or bouncing off the headboard.

      At that point in time....I'm probably NOT going to roll her over and shine a flashlight in her face to check out her flush or pupils...

      :-)

      Besides...she might start talking, and I'd miss something on tv...

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    3. Re:Women can't fake orgasms perfectly by GoofyBoy · · Score: 5, Funny

      >The vaginal contractions at 0.8s intervals would be very difficult to fake also.

      Spoken like a true nerd.

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
    4. Re:Women can't fake orgasms perfectly by tritone · · Score: 4, Funny

      >The vaginal contractions at 0.8s intervals would be very difficult to fake also.

      And if they're only at 0.9 s intervals, what then?

  15. Re:A Kind and Loving God. by arose · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe he likes to play dice? :-)

    --
    Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
  16. Re:Me personally by ArsonSmith · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't anthropomorphise computers and cars, They hate that.

    --
    Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
  17. Despite all evidence to the contrary... by Anita+Coney · · Score: 3, Funny

    I believe Slashdot's moderation system is fair.

    --
    If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
  18. Mob psychology by WinterSolstice · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yup. I believe that in tense situations groups are only as smart as the dumbest person there, and that all people are fundamentally like sheep.

    I can't prove that, but I do fervently believe that :)

    -WS

    --
    An operating system should be like a light switch... simple, effective, easy to use, and designed for everyone.
  19. The Joke by swb · · Score: 4, Funny

    Q: Why do women fake their orgasms?

    A: Because they think men care.