So reason has a best before date? I'm not sure how you think that just because a concept is old, it can no longer fit in society. What would you rather replace reason then?

Or what should replace the current scientific method, or the principles of freedom, and democracy? As you said, these concepts are old so they can't fit into society anymore.

Not sure what you mean with this.

We are a part of nature "now" thanks ENTIRELY to science. Science classifies humans as part of the Animal Kingdom... we know that we are a subspecies of apes. There is absolutely no special separation for humans in the classification of living things thanks to our discoveries.

Ecology and a variety of biology disciplines also focus entirely on understanding and preserving and sustaining nature - not dominate it. Unless you can give an example, I don't see what kind of scientific discipline is currently out of date with regards to nature.

Science is providing new answers to current problems every single day. Every day dozens of new journals publish new discoveries and shed light on old ones. Science is fluid, always in motion. I find it mind boggling that you think science is stagnating with nothing new being offered. If anything, science is growing faster than ever before.

Japan owes EVERYTHING to science. Without science the loss of life would have been far greater. Japan's infrastructure has been designed specifically to withstand or reduce the effects of earthquakes. You can't build anything there without following construction codes that fall in line with what scientists have learned. I'm sorry if you think that means you won't be able to build anything (a silly notion), but human life is far more important than your exaggerated complaints.

Top 10 earthquakes by death tolls
1556 China 820,000 deaths from a weaker (8.0) quake
1976 China 242,419–779,000 deaths from a weaker (7.5-7.8) quake)
525 Turkey 250,000 deaths from a weaker (8.0) quake
1920 China 235,502 deaths from a weaker (7.8) quake)
2010 Haiti 222,570 deaths from a weaker (7.0) quake)
856 Iran 200,000 deaths from a weaker (7.9) quake)
893 Iran 150,000 deaths from an unknown quake
1923 Japan 142,000 deaths from a weaker (7.9) quake

Your comparison with recent Japan quake
2011 Japan Earthquake (9.0) was stronger than ALL of the top 10 killer earthquakes yet it suffered "only" 15,093 deaths which includes those also killed by a tsunami. At least 10 times more people survived due to building codes that you find inconvenient than the quake on the bottom of that list.

And no, this isn't the "limit current approach". This technology continues to grow and expand as new knowledge is gained.

Wow. You point a finger at science, claiming it is out of date and stagnating, then continue to complain that what it has learned (to improve people's lives) is disrupting you.

A minute ago you complained we are not one with nature. Now you are complaining that ecology uses guilt? One big difference is that there is no evidence for purgatory or hell, but we know the facts of what negative effects can occur to ecosystems and the planet as a whole. Ecology uses facts and evidence... whether people feel guilty over this is irrelevant. The facts speak for themselves.

Are those science or government? Science explains the natural world, government administers its population and makes policies. Scientific knowledge can influence a government decision, but you can't blame the progression of knowledge and education on unpopular government decisions.

None of those things also mean that logic and rational, critical thinking are out of date. If anything, it shows those concepts are NOT being used.

Of course it does and that's about time+1hour. Then, I'm not talking of reason, I'm talking of the "age of reason", a concept which dates back to the 18th century and doesn't only include reason, which already evolved into something else and has ended as early as late 18th century (strictly speaking). It has, however, left its mark and part of the concept remain valid but only part of it.

The principles remain valid, the concepts have changed deeply and will again. Actually, they are changing right now has we exchange. scientific methods is changing all the time, people are discredited because they attack the common science (only six months ago, a majority of the french scientits involved in studies over climate change issued a petition to have the minister of science silencing one of their oponents/The politicians refused showing more reason than all these bright-scientists), principles of freedom are even more moving and you'll be thrown in jail today for things that were perfectly acceptable only 10 years ago. By the way democracy and principles of freedom are not included in the concept of the "age of reason". They are a further development of it.

For a tiny bit of the population. Show an evolved ape having sex with a human in a movie and you get a scandal. Tell most people that they are no more than animals and they immediatly oppose you intelligence, science, arts... to prove that you are wrong. In most countries (including democracies) you even put your life at risk.

Recycling, mining, oil exploitation, agriculture, species reintroduction in areas where they can't fit any more... However, by writing science I made a mistake , I should have writen science application.

Again you are right, I was thinking science application but that is all that matters. Theory is useless unless applied. We have checked (quite some times ago) and only one of us (Targan) could find one new invention since WW2.

Of course you can build something but nobody can afford it. Right now, establishing these new codes is simply throwing people in the streets.

You are totally out of track here as I never talk (not even thought) about casualties.

Again, in a way, you are right, I meant its application.

To return your own saying you claimed that science constantly evolves : "Every day dozens of new journals publish new discoveries and shed light on old ones.". Then, you state that Ecology uses facts and evidence. and you express a certainty (in fact two). First, that we know the facts of what negative effects can occur to ecosystems (if you do, I don't and the only certainty I have is that it affects it). Second, you place your faith in a the idea that we will be able to fix it (Probably, or at least, we could manage it, but if, and only if, we fully back all the scientist working on the subject and listen to all of them) . By the way you are right about hell but not about the purgatory which is 12th century invention (historical science).

It's all the same. First science doesn't explain, it attempts to explain. Second, to achieve the slightest of things it needs government and financial support. Without these, it remains an obscure theory and a piece of paper. Indeed we publish a lot but we hide as much (The last flu pandemic being the best exemple). Something else, science and reason didn't appear on the 18th century but with humanity unless if you consider that people such as Thalès, Plinus, Archimede, Leontios, Abd el-Latif el-Baghdadi, Copernicus were not scientists. What I mean is that sciences have always known periods of great expensions and period of stagnations (depending on how it managed to seduce the political, popular, religous and financial powers). Indeed, I think that we entered a period of stagnation as we essentially improve what already exists, inventing very little (pushing the real inventions to the closet).

I think we entirely agree with this and if it was not the case we would not have this exchange. Too bad I can't be in Bangkok.:)

All we need is some bloke to be given powers, unite the Earth, destroy all religions and then create a form of intergalactic travel....

SORTED.
(and have an extra cup of tea if you get the reference)

For the Emperor!

Blaahh! There si always hope (definitely can't help it, LOL :smashfrea).

Hey Moh,

I always like finish on a high note, so I thought I would ask you if you noticed my new sig?

Now I did.:eek: LOL

Why do I hear a chorus of "Every Sperm is Sacred" in the background when I read Fusilier's sig line?

And to finish on a rather sad note.

It has been announched that the beginning of the end of the world will commence at 6pm Pacific Standard Time, on May 21, 2011.

According to the Family Network, a fringe Christian broadcst network the Rapture happens tonight and will kick off five months of increasingly severe natural diasters and wars with the end of the world timed for October 2011.

:rolleyes:

Its always the fringe elements that leave me with a headache!

Its going to last months? I thought it was all over today and let my library books go overdue....:D

No point in vacuuming and dusting the house then...

Have you noticed that all the Christian nuts that believe in the Rapture are also certain that they will be Raptured? Never occurs to them that maybe God isn't interested in saving their insufferable selves.

The problem with Christians is a distinct lack of paitience, every five minutes they expect the end.

We've been waiting for Ragnarok for centuries, it'll come when it comes and utill then i'll eat, drink and be merry.

The Romans had the right idea - throw 'em all to the lions! ;)

Pity how the Romans now ARE the Christians, eh Legbreaker?:rolleyes:

Yup! For the next five months you will hunted down by scores of librarians, all demanding their overdue book fees. Every where you turn....they will be waiting!!!!

:p

And after the five months...come the ZOMBIE LIBRARIANS!!!

Do zombie librarians still wear the pencil skirts, hair up, and glasses? That would fill me with an intriguing mix of horror and longing.

Webstral

Time for another beer
 

Well, if TEOTWAWKI is going to happen at 18:00 on the West Coast, Will we on the East Coast even notice?

If TEOTWAWKI is going to happen at 18:00 on the West Coast, Is that Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time?

If TEOTWAWKI is going to happen at 18:00 on the West Coast, can I tell my supervisor to F*** OFF???

If TEOTWAWKI is going to happen at 18:00 on the West Coast, I have less than 30 minutes here in North Carolina to get ready. More Beer!

Just my two cents worth!!

:sasmokin:

I'll talk to you all tomorrow!!!!

Mike

Uhm like ABC Family?

That's kind of the whole point of being a Christian.

I've been a lot of things in my life, but never insufferable.

Well there's still time to be, if you try hard enough :D

Hehehehe
Oops, typo. Should have read "I've been called a lot of things in my life...."

Ragnarok
 

Interesting difference in religious thinking - in Norse mythology what you do upon the day of Ragnarok ( on the vale) is what counts, not how you prepare your self piously for the day.

Of course - you might not get there as 3 years of war, a 7 year winter and multiple natural disaster will wipe out pretty much everything before the final battle begins - featuring the gods of old, jotuns and whatever else can be pressed into service ( Twilight 1000 ).

In the end everything living will die- AND all the gods - except for a couple of people that will re colonize our planet and start it all over again.

Ragnarok - I think it is one of the more hard core end of days around :)

Norman Mailer
 

There are no atheists in the fox holes..I mean- a mans faith is his own businiss.

The rapture - well I guess we will find out. A lot of christian factions do not recognize it as part of the curriculum though, the Catholic church and the Lutheran World Federation etc , then again some do.

I wasn't aware of that. Kind of strange, believing in Christ coming back to Earth is a major part of Christianity to me.

Christ coming back is a signature belief in all Christian sects.

The concept of the rapture is mostly American. Essentialy they believe that all of God's chosen will be swept up and transported to Heaven during one, dramatic event. Everyone left is, well, screwed.

The Catholic church subscribes pretty much to events as stated in revelations.

I have to admit I'm not always as good a Christian as I should be, I haven't quite read Ravelations yet as a whole. Bits n pieces, sure, but I've just started trying to read the whole Bible.

[QUOTE=mikeo80;33999]More Beer!
/QUOTE]

Well, it seems that we made it in one piece. Maybe it was that last cold brew that convinced God that maybe Man had invented one thing that was worth saving??? :D

My two cents worth

Mike

Wait one! It appears there's another eruption in Iceland which is threatening to black out the skies again as it did last year!
Perhaps this particular nutjob was only out by a day? ;)

The end is nigh! Repent your sins!