Everyone accepts an axiom or two to build their world view; we're certainly no strangers to axioms. To give science any meaning at all, we must accept a form of the principle of uniformity of nature, for example. We put evidence on a pedestal (don't get me wrong, I believe we should), but the only way for evidence to be of any consequence to us, is for us to take positions on entirely unknowable matters first. The existence or non-existence of a deity is exactly this kind of a position.
Unfortunately, I wasn't quite able to make out what you are saying in your last sentence.
As far as I know, Down syndrome can go beyond simple trisomy 21; bits of the 21st chromosome may be duplicated. I am not entirely sure in how far this is detectable with a microscope, and would be an (admittedly rare) possible implementation of the procedure. However, it is far more likely that the author used Down syndrome as a placeholder genetic disease, without giving it too much thought.
It's a matter of money, not principle. Why the hell would a provider invest in the required infrastructure upgrades? Now, if the record industry agrees to pay for it, perhaps with a small bonus on top for lubrication purposes, they'll switch to a different tune just like that.
There is no center of the universe, at least according to the cosmological principle. The balloon analogy is used a lot in this respect; when you blow up a balloon, its surface expands, but does not do so from a "center" -- every point on its surface moves away from all other points. Now, consider the three-dimensional universe as the two-dimensional space of the balloon surface, and you have an expanding universe without a "center" as we understand the concept (and you thought the idea of space expanding faster than the speed of light was headache-inducing). This is also how you can understand the universe expanding faster than the speed of light; there is no movement in space, but rather expansion of space itself.
But hey, IANA(A)P, so I'm sure someone far more qualified will come along and correct me if I am entirely full of shit.
"I've always had this nagging feeling that by disassembling your brain and moving it, that instant of consciousness would cease to be."
I've heard this argument used before, and all I have to say to that is that if we use that line of reasoning, you die every single night when you go to sleep, only to be resurrected every morning.
I think that with technology such as teleportation, we would be forced to redefine death. While this may sound odd, it's not -- we've done so before, when cardiorespiratory arrest could no longer serve as a sufficient definition.
There is one thing I don't understand about the argument: is there a severe lack of radiation treatment? Are cancer patients being sent home untreated?
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That is exactly what I mean. C'mon, you know I wouldn't lie to you like that -- we're family.
Everyone on the intertubes is one big happy family.
Everyone accepts an axiom or two to build their world view; we're certainly no strangers to axioms. To give science any meaning at all, we must accept a form of the principle of uniformity of nature, for example. We put evidence on a pedestal (don't get me wrong, I believe we should), but the only way for evidence to be of any consequence to us, is for us to take positions on entirely unknowable matters first. The existence or non-existence of a deity is exactly this kind of a position.
Unfortunately, I wasn't quite able to make out what you are saying in your last sentence.
Faith itself is the acceptance of an axiom (that is, the existence of a deity).
As far as I know, Down syndrome can go beyond simple trisomy 21; bits of the 21st chromosome may be duplicated. I am not entirely sure in how far this is detectable with a microscope, and would be an (admittedly rare) possible implementation of the procedure. However, it is far more likely that the author used Down syndrome as a placeholder genetic disease, without giving it too much thought.
The tinfoil is strong with this one.
The card would also draw some power from the PCI-E slot.
So next they'll have to design a robotic mongoose to clean out the robotic snake pipe cleaners when they malfunction and clog up the pipes.
Master of Magic.
Didn't Enron try this, and lose a whole lot of money on it?
It's a matter of money, not principle. Why the hell would a provider invest in the required infrastructure upgrades? Now, if the record industry agrees to pay for it, perhaps with a small bonus on top for lubrication purposes, they'll switch to a different tune just like that.
But hey, IANA(A)P, so I'm sure someone far more qualified will come along and correct me if I am entirely full of shit.
The Universe isn't expanding from the "center", it's expanding everywhere. It is thus not limited to the speed of light.
Surely you mean six thousand years ago?
Next you're going to tell us there's something wrong with Democratic People's Republic of Korea, too.
Not out of touch with reality at all!
It's a good thing, then, that no-one who matters takes Kantian ethics seriously.
I've heard this argument used before, and all I have to say to that is that if we use that line of reasoning, you die every single night when you go to sleep, only to be resurrected every morning.
I think that with technology such as teleportation, we would be forced to redefine death. While this may sound odd, it's not -- we've done so before, when cardiorespiratory arrest could no longer serve as a sufficient definition.
I fought in the War!
No, but it certainly helps!
Looking for delectable jailbait, of course.
I think it's a bit late for you, sadly. Maybe your children?
There is one thing I don't understand about the argument: is there a severe lack of radiation treatment? Are cancer patients being sent home untreated?
Which only means that we need more Grammar Nazis as lexicographers. Grammatik macht frei.
I was wondering the same thing. I guess they can, now; the dictionary has spoken.