by Chris Billowsin Mental Mischief0 commentstags: Human Condition, Quotations
Fascinating news this week. We have intercepted an alien signal and the speculation is that it is so strong and intentional it is thought to come from a civilization that is more advanced than our own. Not a Drill: SETI Is Investigating a Possible Extraterrestrial Signal From Deep Space “The signalās strength indicates that if it in fact came from a isotropic beacon, the power source would have to be built by a Kardashev Type II civilization. (The Kardashev scale is used to determine the progress of a civilizationās technological development by measuring how much energy was used to transmit an interstellar message.) An āIsotropicā beacon means a communication source emitting a signal with equal power in all directions while promoting signal strength throughout travel.” The news is remarkable, but just as remarkable is that somebody has created a civilization scale that borders on the absolute fantastic. The Kardashev Scale says that we are possibly receiving the signal from a civilization that has encased its sun with some kind of material so that no energy escapes the solar system! That is so amazing it sounds like magic, but what is just as astounding is that this level of civilization is […]
by Chris Billowsin Mental Mischief0 commentstags: Foolishness, Human Condition, Quotations
Because of political correctness and democratic absolutism, we are afflicted with a ridiculous conviction that because somebody has experienced something, they somehow are fully qualified to be an expert. This is particularly rampant in the Social Work and self-help industries. The theory goes that the best therapy is administered by somebody who has suffered the same disease, problem, etc. It is a lazy assumption that I sum up as “Having Bad Teeth Doesn’t Make You Qualified to be a Dentist”. Would you consider a dentist to be qualified to do his job if he had bad teeth? No? Yet that is exactly what some people advocate when they believe that experiencing life’s difficulties gives them authority. Would a person who is having a mental health problem be qualified to help other sufferers by the virtue of their shared illness? No. There is something more to it. Experiencing something does not mean that it has been correctly understood. What is even more twisted is when the sense of victimization becomes a badge of pride and exclusivity. I remember being told by at least three different women that because of their terrible experience at the hand of male spouses, their suffering made […]
by Chris Billowsin Mental Mischief0 commentstags: Challenging Atheism, Meaning of Life, Quotations
There has been lots of press over the past three years about the Four Atheist Horsemen (Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens). I find it both compelling and ridiculous the self-styling of themselves as the bringers of destruction to theistic thinking. Definitely a creative bit of imagery but criticizing monotheism or religious thought is not the same thing as endorsing the plagues and destruction that the mythical horsemen represent. In this way it is misdirected, self-aggrandizing, and reeks of pontification. I have not read much by them, with the exception of some editorials and a few blog posts by Sam Harris (who appears to be the most thoughtful). I am not an atheist since I do believe that there is a possibility for god(s) to exist, but definitely do not pray to any. I instead believe that each of us alone is master of our destiny, are responsible for discovering what our life’s purpose is, and to understand our authentic selves. I am a spiritual person and do find it unfortunate that the atheists are missing the boat. In the same way that we do not see light, but see by it, it is possible that just […]
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