The evolution of Homo sapiens is hardly a "side issue".
That "virtually every scientist in the history of science was religious" is patently false. One need only count the number of times scientists have quoted Pierre-Simon Laplace to recognize that it is completely false.
" No one I know sees a significant conflict here,". Obviously, you have been hanging around the wrong crowd.
No science is not "merely a structure for generating beliefs". Rather it is an approach for distinguishing among "generated beliefs" (ie hypotheses) and discarding those that do not fully explain or are unable to explain quantifiable observations.
Science actually has very little to do with creating perceptions, but rather choosing among possible perceptions.
The fact that many great scientists have been religious men with "sober approaches to faith" is hardly material to the difference between science and religion. Science is all about HOW WE KNOW, not what we think we know. Good sophism is never a substitute for science. Neither is religion.
As far as your "fun philosophical question" is concerned, neurobiology tells us that there are all kinds of stimuli our nervous systems perceive and interpret inappropriately all the time and that there are often many ways and circumstances in which the "brain" can "fool itself". However, none of this is really material to the question of which is more valuable to humanity, science or religion. Excellently crafted sophism is no substitute for science.
Perhaps, but this is entirely irrelevant to the actual science. Your argument is really a call to make the "ideal science" more of a reality, not bemoaning the fact that it isn't and therefore, we as individuals are fee to ignore the problem out of convenience. The fact is that we are rapidly running out of time to do so, as soon it will be way too hot to think about much of anything besides the heat.
Religion is science's enemy alright, but the real threat to science is the growing for profit education market that keeps pushing testing and the importance of their products over the needs, experience, and autonomy of classroom teachers and students. They are sucking far more money out of the pipeline directed toward educating students and building the necessary infrastructure essential to actually create future jobs than any random absurd religious notion.
Of course, test scores are going up. It's well know that there is massive, large scale cheating on these tests, which by and large don't really test understanding so much as they test retention of facts. As testing becomes more and more the norm, the opportunity for creative learning through experimentation, absolutely essential for science, is lessened, while the pressure to cheat becomes greater and greater.
Math tests should not be multiple choice, they should provide space to let a student show their work and understanding. Of course, such questions would cut into the profits of the testing corporations as they would be required to hire people who could actually grade the tests. Yet for their multiple choice exams many testing companies now see a significant part of public education spending as an entitlement to profit at the expense of the students, teachers, and of society, which will be burdened with increasing numbers of largely scientifically illiterate citizens.
Some say its all the student's and parent's fault and that those who can't "cut it" should just fail. However, this attitude fails to address the real and rising costs of a mindless citizenry and the threat it posses not only to democracy but to the habitability of the planet by Homo sapiens.
US education needs a total repeal of "No Child Left Behind" type laws and the exit of private corporations feasting on "education" scams and instead direct the resources directly into the classroom learning experience. This would probably free up about $100,000 per classroom that could then be used toward actual education rather than failed testing, which only encourages more cheating. If one really wants to retain the concepts of "No Child Left Behind", before we start penalizing students, teachers, and schools we need to first start penalizing politicians, who fail to improve our schools and to educate the next generation of Americans. We must keep in mind that other nations really are passing us, no matter what the corporations claim they are providing to justify the 6 and 7 figure annual salaries of their CEO's.
are a terrible idea since punishing the weakest schools only creates more disparity that leads to a too poorly educated electorate that leads to more money in the pockets of a few as most students and future citizens fall into functional scientific illiteracy, which as their proportion to total number of citizens increases civilization will be unable to cope with the increasing chaos, thereby threatening the environmental support necessary for human existence.
Especially, when so much of flight intelligence can be now downloaded to the cloud. In fully automated mode one of these things could go berserk as a result of a software bug and kill thousands before it's brought down. Does anyone have Lloyds of London's view on this?
You don't seem to understand. Republicans are doing their utmost to see that the government is entirely dysfunctional, so that they can sell what little of the public treasure and national patrimony there is left to each other. Don't worry though, you are just firmly drawn in on their Etch-A-Sketch.
"But some of the politicians seem dead set on making it one. "
You don't seem to understand. Republicans want the government completely ineffectual, chaotic, and misguided, since our attention will be turned away from the fact that they are busy selling it to each other.
I want video cameras peeking into his meetings with lobbyists, so that we can replay them again at his trial. Surely, someone might catch a stray packet or two, just by chance.
"English speaking G7 countries have announced new immigration systems that are very friendly to high value occupations that typically employ people with enough brains"
Where can I go to get more information? Problem is that its getting bad everywhere. Not so many places to run to anymore, which sadly makes them prime military targets, regardless of what side you are on.
Judging from the kinds of politicians they are electing these days, a very, very long time. But no matter, the security and future of their citizens has been given the Virginia State Contract to a drone manufacturer on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Well our military industrial establishment is at least consistent in one thing, they don't treat US citizens and differently than they do Al Qeida. Anything for the cause I guess. We all shall be extinct soon.
With insurance so high it would be impossible to afford coverage for errant drones falling from the sky. Mist nets will be the only way the public will be able to protect itself. Prepare to see helium place on the list of forbidden substances.
Sounds as if some of the republicans want them in place now, as the economic collapse they have been initiated to gain control of the White House seems to have accelerated faster than they expected it to. Seems as if things were a lot closer to the edge than they thought. Wonder if the drone plants in Mississippi will have sufficient capacity to meet the demand necessary to protect the entire 1%. What happens when the 99% find out? It pretty clear that Keynes and Krugman are right. Wonder if there will be time for the rest of the republicans to catch on?
Slashdot Mirror
So is the cheating and questionable grading.
Unions? The train will be built by private corporations.
"I do not believe that would "exonerate" those scientists."
If anyone needed exoneration, it would be the pope.
The evolution of Homo sapiens is hardly a "side issue".
That "virtually every scientist in the history of science was religious" is patently false. One need only count the number of times scientists have quoted Pierre-Simon Laplace to recognize that it is completely false.
" No one I know sees a significant conflict here,". Obviously, you have been hanging around the wrong crowd.
No science is not "merely a structure for generating beliefs". Rather it is an approach for distinguishing among "generated beliefs" (ie hypotheses) and discarding those that do not fully explain or are unable to explain quantifiable observations.
Science actually has very little to do with creating perceptions, but rather choosing among possible perceptions.
The fact that many great scientists have been religious men with "sober approaches to faith" is hardly material to the difference between science and religion. Science is all about HOW WE KNOW, not what we think we know. Good sophism is never a substitute for science. Neither is religion.
As far as your "fun philosophical question" is concerned, neurobiology tells us that there are all kinds of stimuli our nervous systems perceive and interpret inappropriately all the time and that there are often many ways and circumstances in which the "brain" can "fool itself". However, none of this is really material to the question of which is more valuable to humanity, science or religion. Excellently crafted sophism is no substitute for science.
Perhaps, but this is entirely irrelevant to the actual science. Your argument is really a call to make the "ideal science" more of a reality, not bemoaning the fact that it isn't and therefore, we as individuals are fee to ignore the problem out of convenience. The fact is that we are rapidly running out of time to do so, as soon it will be way too hot to think about much of anything besides the heat.
Religion is science's enemy alright, but the real threat to science is the growing for profit education market that keeps pushing testing and the importance of their products over the needs, experience, and autonomy of classroom teachers and students. They are sucking far more money out of the pipeline directed toward educating students and building the necessary infrastructure essential to actually create future jobs than any random absurd religious notion.
Of course, test scores are going up. It's well know that there is massive, large scale cheating on these tests, which by and large don't really test understanding so much as they test retention of facts. As testing becomes more and more the norm, the opportunity for creative learning through experimentation, absolutely essential for science, is lessened, while the pressure to cheat becomes greater and greater.
Math tests should not be multiple choice, they should provide space to let a student show their work and understanding. Of course, such questions would cut into the profits of the testing corporations as they would be required to hire people who could actually grade the tests. Yet for their multiple choice exams many testing companies now see a significant part of public education spending as an entitlement to profit at the expense of the students, teachers, and of society, which will be burdened with increasing numbers of largely scientifically illiterate citizens.
Some say its all the student's and parent's fault and that those who can't "cut it" should just fail. However, this attitude fails to address the real and rising costs of a mindless citizenry and the threat it posses not only to democracy but to the habitability of the planet by Homo sapiens.
US education needs a total repeal of "No Child Left Behind" type laws and the exit of private corporations feasting on "education" scams and instead direct the resources directly into the classroom learning experience. This would probably free up about $100,000 per classroom that could then be used toward actual education rather than failed testing, which only encourages more cheating. If one really wants to retain the concepts of "No Child Left Behind", before we start penalizing students, teachers, and schools we need to first start penalizing politicians, who fail to improve our schools and to educate the next generation of Americans. We must keep in mind that other nations really are passing us, no matter what the corporations claim they are providing to justify the 6 and 7 figure annual salaries of their CEO's.
Quick. Get on Fox News.
That from South Africa vinyards from the garden district near Stellenbosch is excellent.
are a terrible idea since punishing the weakest schools only creates more disparity that leads to a too poorly educated electorate that leads to more money in the pockets of a few as most students and future citizens fall into functional scientific illiteracy, which as their proportion to total number of citizens increases civilization will be unable to cope with the increasing chaos, thereby threatening the environmental support necessary for human existence.
It makes one realize how Hypatia must have felt. History has a way of repeating itself until the slowest either catch on or go extinct.
Especially, when so much of flight intelligence can be now downloaded to the cloud. In fully automated mode one of these things could go berserk as a result of a software bug and kill thousands before it's brought down. Does anyone have Lloyds of London's view on this?
You don't seem to understand. Republicans are doing their utmost to see that the government is entirely dysfunctional, so that they can sell what little of the public treasure and national patrimony there is left to each other. Don't worry though, you are just firmly drawn in on their Etch-A-Sketch.
"But some of the politicians seem dead set on making it one. "
You don't seem to understand. Republicans want the government completely ineffectual, chaotic, and misguided, since our attention will be turned away from the fact that they are busy selling it to each other.
Not to mention fallen drone reclamation.
I want video cameras peeking into his meetings with lobbyists, so that we can replay them again at his trial. Surely, someone might catch a stray packet or two, just by chance.
No. Its your mind. I know because I have to get up every morning and battle mine.
"English speaking G7 countries have announced new immigration systems that are very friendly to high value occupations that typically employ people with enough brains"
Where can I go to get more information? Problem is that its getting bad everywhere. Not so many places to run to anymore, which sadly makes them prime military targets, regardless of what side you are on.
Mist Nets
Judging from the kinds of politicians they are electing these days, a very, very long time. But no matter, the security and future of their citizens has been given the Virginia State Contract to a drone manufacturer on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Well our military industrial establishment is at least consistent in one thing, they don't treat US citizens and differently than they do Al Qeida. Anything for the cause I guess. We all shall be extinct soon.
With insurance so high it would be impossible to afford coverage for errant drones falling from the sky. Mist nets will be the only way the public will be able to protect itself. Prepare to see helium place on the list of forbidden substances.
Better be ready with your mist nets.
Is that an official statement from the Governor's office?
Sounds as if some of the republicans want them in place now, as the economic collapse they have been initiated to gain control of the White House seems to have accelerated faster than they expected it to. Seems as if things were a lot closer to the edge than they thought. Wonder if the drone plants in Mississippi will have sufficient capacity to meet the demand necessary to protect the entire 1%. What happens when the 99% find out? It pretty clear that Keynes and Krugman are right. Wonder if there will be time for the rest of the republicans to catch on?