Yes. The theory explains the available facts. It does not thereby become a fact.
Theoretically, the Earth is at the center of a universe comprised of crystal spheres. This theory was once widely accepted and correctly explained the observations available at that time. It remained a theory (now disproved, of course).
I happen to believe that the theory of evolution is a correct explanation of how higher life forms came to exist on Earth. It explains the fact that there are highly developed life forms on this planet. To the best of my knowledge, there is no "fact of evolution". Proponents of Intelligent Design (a.k.a., Creationism) will happily propose an alternative (albeit unlikely) theory to explain the existence of highly developed organisms on Earth.
Oh, and just to ask - "theory of gravity" . . . which one? There are two which enjoy broad acceptance (quantum gravity and relativistic gravity), both of which successfully explain some (if not necessarily all) observed phenomena involving gravity.
I'm trying to stay neutral, myself. Personally, I feel that Mr. Snowden should receive a full pardon for his crimes (and as a matter of law, he did commit multiple crimes).
Fortunately, "well, we know..." is generally not accepted as a legal argument in most modern, industrialized nations.
You might consider saying "I think we all can agree...". I don't know how extensive NSA monitoring of foreign nationals is. I don't even know that such monitoring takes place. I personally am certain that it does, and I'm fairly certain that it's very extensive. I'd be quite engraged if I knew - it would tell me that our NSA is doing a lousy job if I knew the extent of their activities.
That's the reason a lot of people are pissed off at Mr. Snowden. I believe most of us were already aware that these things were happening. Eric Snowden made it possible for us to know that these things are happening. At first, it seems like a non-difference; but you didn't see anybody doing anything about the NSA's excesses when we all just believed it was happening. Now that we know it's happening, there's a dual backlash - one against the NSA for doing what many of us suspected they were doing, and one against Edward Snowden for letting us know what they were doing.
Actually, I mean that. More choices, more incentive to improve, more approaches to the same problems.
As long as it interoperates correctly (cellular/network communications, app/application support, etc.) I'm all for it - but I'll be waiting to hear more than a few firsthand accounts regarding usability before I plunk down my hard earned cash for one.
Then again, my Android isn't exactly perfect. Neither is my daughter's iPhone. I don't know any Window phone users and I haven't heard a whole lot about Windows phone user experiences, but I don't get the impression that they're perfect either. Maybe with more competing options, somebody will move beyond "good enough" and at least try for "better".
Not quite. Life may have formed at several different locations on our planet independently. Evolution says that more complex life forms came to be by a different process. Not from previously lifeless matter, but from previously living matter that has changed in some way from its original form.
As much an observed fact as Einstein's theory of relativity. There's a reason we call them theories, you know - the observations may be facts, but the theories remain theories.
Mathematics is the only pure science (as you have pointed out). All other sciences are observational on some level, and are subject to the limitations of observational science (i.e., we can be mistaken about what we see). For all we know, G*d is continuing to play a particularly nasty practical joke on us all. I doubt it very seriously, but it's possible.
The existence of the human now known as Jesus of Nazareth is a historical fact. His divinity however is wide open to debate. Not intelligent debate (in my experience), but debate.
For the record, my ancestors killed him a couple millennia ago. Trust me, when we kill 'em they stay dead.
Now, back to the main point - evolution is a theory, like Einstein's theory of general relativity. It's not a fact like "two plus two equals four", it's a theory. It has been tested in laboratory experiments with lower life forms and appears to have produced accurate predictions. It explains observed phenomena well and has not been contradicted by any documented observations to date. It is not accepted as scientific fact. It remains a theory.
And . . . I do believe in Darwin's theory of evolution. That theory most certainly exists. I happen to believe that it is a correct theory which explains the state of life on our planet.
On my Win box, IE, Chrome, FF and Opera. I keep 'em all current and updated.
The default browser - well, that all depends on which one is working the way I want it to at any given time. It's been Chrome for a while, but the instant that changes so will my default browser. For now, the few extensions I have installed all seem to be working correctly. If that changes, FF is ready in the bullpen. Strangely enough, IE is ready to go in at need. Opera is mostly around as a reminder that a swiss army knife may do a hundred things, but it probably isn't the best tool for doing any of them (although it does do better on the acid tests than IE).
My Linux workstation generally is limited to Chrome and FF. Haven't had any real troubles with either one, although Chrome is the goto browser with FF relegated to any pages which Chrome pukes on, a situation I haven't seen in a long while.
If pornography is legal (and it is. Think: free speech), then pornographic works deserve the same protections as any other speech (other recorded works such as movies and music).
So to do as you suggest would require dismantling of virtually the entire copyright system as it currently exists in the US - either that or a declaration that pornography is not merely socially unacceptable but illegal.
Besides, what would happen to all of the porn stars if what you suggest were allowed. Won't someone think of the (porn stars') children?
Nintendo's fall began long before this. Personally, I figured the Wii was the last nail in the coffin. The Wii was (IMHO) an attempt by Nintendo to capitalize on the non-hardcore gaming market, including old fogeys like myself. It worked to some extent, but the problem is that non-hardcore gamers don't buy a lot of games. Go figure.
Then again, maybe this is just the first handful of dirt into the grave? After all, what's the last killer title NES had? Call of Duty? Medal of Honor? Grand Theft Auto? Portal? Oh, wait . . . those aren't NES titles. I may be old and out of touch, but the only two killer titles I can remember when I think about NES is Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers.
Yes, you can be killed without due process here in the US. Muggings, traffic accidents, natural disasters - there are all sorts of horrible ways to die here in the US, none of which involve due process or warning.
At the hands of the state without due process? Haven't heard about that one here. I call bullshit on your post.
Athiest: "Mohammed can't be a holy prophet because there is no god."
Islamic court: "Infidel! We'll behead you now - publicly."
I suspect an athiest's trial in Iran would last exactly five seconds longer than mine would (I'm not a religious Jew, but I am a secular Jew. I'm pretty sure the Iranian justice system wouldn't care about the difference).
No, but I'll bet he's happy to live in a country that has progressed beyond institutionalized racism. I'm pretty sure just being of Jewish descent is enough for a prosecution in Iran.
"...the Zionist manager of Facebook..."
I'm guessing the verdict and sentence have already been established. All Iran needs is a victim.
I guess remembering Star Trek, Lost in Space, and Land of the Giants fixes my age at just slightly less than dirt, eh?
Now you kids get offa my lawn - I wanna go watch Matlock!
Re:Answer this question (quit evading it)
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You use the word libel so freely. If that is so, you will only gain redress in a court of law. You will not have it here.
You need to seek mental health care immediately. I'm afraid my prior analyses of your background was too accurate, and I have likely done you irreparable harm. Please seek appropriate mental health care immediately.
Since we both seem to have over two decades of experience in the IT field, I will ask (no doubt in vain) for you to rein in your vitriol. You appear to have lost the capacity for rational thought. I'm truly sorry for my contribution to your current mental condition, and I regret my contribution to your continuing mental instability.
Slashdot Mirror
Theoretically, the Earth is at the center of a universe comprised of crystal spheres. This theory was once widely accepted and correctly explained the observations available at that time. It remained a theory (now disproved, of course).
I happen to believe that the theory of evolution is a correct explanation of how higher life forms came to exist on Earth. It explains the fact that there are highly developed life forms on this planet. To the best of my knowledge, there is no "fact of evolution". Proponents of Intelligent Design (a.k.a., Creationism) will happily propose an alternative (albeit unlikely) theory to explain the existence of highly developed organisms on Earth.
Oh, and just to ask - "theory of gravity" . . . which one? There are two which enjoy broad acceptance (quantum gravity and relativistic gravity), both of which successfully explain some (if not necessarily all) observed phenomena involving gravity.
Can I have some of what you're smoking?
(Un)fortunately, that's not my decision to make.
If it's a fact, why is it called a theory?
"The Bible tells us how to go to Heaven. Science tells us how the heavens go."
You might consider saying "I think we all can agree...". I don't know how extensive NSA monitoring of foreign nationals is. I don't even know that such monitoring takes place. I personally am certain that it does, and I'm fairly certain that it's very extensive. I'd be quite engraged if I knew - it would tell me that our NSA is doing a lousy job if I knew the extent of their activities.
That's the reason a lot of people are pissed off at Mr. Snowden. I believe most of us were already aware that these things were happening. Eric Snowden made it possible for us to know that these things are happening. At first, it seems like a non-difference; but you didn't see anybody doing anything about the NSA's excesses when we all just believed it was happening. Now that we know it's happening, there's a dual backlash - one against the NSA for doing what many of us suspected they were doing, and one against Edward Snowden for letting us know what they were doing.
Sooner or later, we'll learn to tech the tech. You'll see.
As long as it interoperates correctly (cellular/network communications, app/application support, etc.) I'm all for it - but I'll be waiting to hear more than a few firsthand accounts regarding usability before I plunk down my hard earned cash for one.
Then again, my Android isn't exactly perfect. Neither is my daughter's iPhone. I don't know any Window phone users and I haven't heard a whole lot about Windows phone user experiences, but I don't get the impression that they're perfect either. Maybe with more competing options, somebody will move beyond "good enough" and at least try for "better".
Division is futile. You will be approximated.
(n/t)
Not quite. Life may have formed at several different locations on our planet independently. Evolution says that more complex life forms came to be by a different process. Not from previously lifeless matter, but from previously living matter that has changed in some way from its original form.
Mathematics is the only pure science (as you have pointed out). All other sciences are observational on some level, and are subject to the limitations of observational science (i.e., we can be mistaken about what we see). For all we know, G*d is continuing to play a particularly nasty practical joke on us all. I doubt it very seriously, but it's possible.
Why does your faith in G*d preclude accepting Darwin's theory of evolution as valid? Genesis tells us what G*d did, not how she did it.
For the record, my ancestors killed him a couple millennia ago. Trust me, when we kill 'em they stay dead.
Now, back to the main point - evolution is a theory, like Einstein's theory of general relativity. It's not a fact like "two plus two equals four", it's a theory. It has been tested in laboratory experiments with lower life forms and appears to have produced accurate predictions. It explains observed phenomena well and has not been contradicted by any documented observations to date. It is not accepted as scientific fact. It remains a theory.
And . . . I do believe in Darwin's theory of evolution. That theory most certainly exists. I happen to believe that it is a correct theory which explains the state of life on our planet.
The default browser - well, that all depends on which one is working the way I want it to at any given time. It's been Chrome for a while, but the instant that changes so will my default browser. For now, the few extensions I have installed all seem to be working correctly. If that changes, FF is ready in the bullpen. Strangely enough, IE is ready to go in at need. Opera is mostly around as a reminder that a swiss army knife may do a hundred things, but it probably isn't the best tool for doing any of them (although it does do better on the acid tests than IE).
My Linux workstation generally is limited to Chrome and FF. Haven't had any real troubles with either one, although Chrome is the goto browser with FF relegated to any pages which Chrome pukes on, a situation I haven't seen in a long while.
So to do as you suggest would require dismantling of virtually the entire copyright system as it currently exists in the US - either that or a declaration that pornography is not merely socially unacceptable but illegal.
Besides, what would happen to all of the porn stars if what you suggest were allowed. Won't someone think of the (porn stars') children?
Then again, maybe this is just the first handful of dirt into the grave? After all, what's the last killer title NES had? Call of Duty? Medal of Honor? Grand Theft Auto? Portal? Oh, wait . . . those aren't NES titles. I may be old and out of touch, but the only two killer titles I can remember when I think about NES is Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers.
I'm still pretty sure the Iranians would give him a show trial. Pretty sure. Yup. Pretty sure.
You want the "forgot to take my meds this morning" thread.
So you'll be moving back to Iran soon, right?
At the hands of the state without due process? Haven't heard about that one here. I call bullshit on your post.
Islamic court: "Infidel! We'll behead you now - publicly."
I suspect an athiest's trial in Iran would last exactly five seconds longer than mine would (I'm not a religious Jew, but I am a secular Jew. I'm pretty sure the Iranian justice system wouldn't care about the difference).
"...the Zionist manager of Facebook..."
I'm guessing the verdict and sentence have already been established. All Iran needs is a victim.
Now you kids get offa my lawn - I wanna go watch Matlock!
You need to seek mental health care immediately. I'm afraid my prior analyses of your background was too accurate, and I have likely done you irreparable harm. Please seek appropriate mental health care immediately.
Since we both seem to have over two decades of experience in the IT field, I will ask (no doubt in vain) for you to rein in your vitriol. You appear to have lost the capacity for rational thought. I'm truly sorry for my contribution to your current mental condition, and I regret my contribution to your continuing mental instability.
M.