Slashdot Mirror
What Did You Change Your Mind About in 2007?
chrisd writes "The Edge 2008 question (with answers) is in. This year, the question is: 'What did you change your mind about and why?'. Answers are featured from scientists as diverse as Richard Dawkins, Simon Baron-Cohen, George Church, David Brin, J. Craig Venter and the Astronomer Royal, Lord Martin Rees, among others. Very interesting to read. For instance, Stewart Brand writes that he now realizes that 'Good old stuff sucks' and Sam Harris has decided that 'Mother Nature is Not Our Friend.' What did Slashdot readers change their minds about in 2007?"
how are you so sure?
Well, let me know when we discover the giant neural network linked to everything on the planet, sensing what's happening all over, making decisions about what it wants to do with Earth based on what's happening, and manipulating the environment to implement those decisions. Until then, I'm just going to assume that there is absolutely no such thing as Mother Nature AT ALL, no evidence for it, and just a lousy metaphor that got so out of hand that belief in it has effectively become a counterproductive pseudo-religion (honestly, too many people don't realise it's just a metaphor; I don't think it's a coincidence either that in effect all the abovementioned characteristics commonly ascribed to Mother Nature are also ascribed to God).