Clipmarks | Brimstone's 'science' clips

18 Unconvincing Arguments for God

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:12:08 GMT

clipped by: Brimstone
clipper's remarks: A student asked what would convince me that God exists? I named a few miracles that would at least convince me that something supernatural exists. But the question stuck in my mind and I naturally began to think of what wouldn’t convince me. Thus, if the goal of these students was to evangelize an atheist, it seemed perfectly appropriate that I give them a list of what wouldn’t work, so they could creatively come up with some new arguments, as their class title suggests. I meant this to be educational and in no way condescending, and that is how I hope the students perceive my presentation.

Clip Source: friendlyatheist.com

Holy Books - Just because something is written down does not make it true.

“Revelations”

Personal Testimony / Feelings

“Open Heart” - It will do no good to ask atheists to “open our hearts and accept Jesus”

Unverifiable “Miracles” / Resurrection Stories

Fear of Death / “Heaven”

Fear of Hell - The idea of hell strikes atheists as a scam

“Pascal’s Wager” / Faith - In short, Pascal’s Wager states that we have everything to gain (an eternity in heaven) and nothing to lose by believing in a god

Blaming the Victim - Many religions punish people for disbelief

The End of the World

Meaning in Life - This is the idea that without a belief in god life would be meaningless

“God is Intangible, Like Love”

Morality/Ethics

Altruism

Free Will

Difficulties of Religion

False Dichotomies

God-of-the-Gaps (Medicine, Life, Universe, etc.) - The god-of-the-gaps argument says that if we don’t currently know the scientific answer to something, then “God did it.”

Tags: religion, atheism, science

Experience the Pinocchio Effect

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:20:28 GMT

clipped by: Brimstone
clipper's remarks: Ok now I need two chairs and volunteers.

Clip Source: www.wikihow.com

Arrange two chairs, one right behind the other. The chairs should both be facing the same direction.

Sit in the rear chair and have a friend sit in the chair in front of you.

Blindfold yourself or keep your eyes shut throughout the exercise.

Have your friend guide one of your hands to his or her nose. It will probably be easier to use your dominant hand for this part.

Bring your other hand up to your own nose.

Tap and stroke your friend's nose

Tap and stroke your own nose with identical movements

Try to synchronize the movements of your hands as closely as possible

Continue for 30 seconds to a minute. After a while, you may start to feel as though your nose is three feet long (hence the name Pinocchio effect) or that your nose is somehow no longer connected to your body

Tags: science, fun, experiment

Strange creatures from the Antarctic

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:11:37 GMT

clipped by: Brimstone

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Giant sea stars or starfish that measure 24 inches (60 centimeters)

They and other researchers collected 30,000 sea creatures—many new to science—during a 35-day census in Antarctic waters

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

This hydroid—likely a new species—measures 2.5 inches (6.5 centimeters)

in southern Antarctica's Ross Sea

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

A mysterious animal with a small crustacean perched on its back floats 7,218 feet (2,200 meters) below the surface

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

giant sea spider

9.8-inch-long (25-centimeter-long)

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Antarctic octopus found at 3,280 feet (1,000 meters)

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

This predatory fish, called a stareater, uses its luminous red chin appendage to lure prey into striking distance

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

19-inch-long (50-centimeter-long) daggertooth sports a striking iridescent body and sapphire blue eyes

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

shrimplike crustacean was collected 985 feet (300 meters) deep

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

sea cucumber

s known as a sea pig

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

sea star or a starfish

492 feet (150 meters) below

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

The New Zealand crew of the Tangaroa vessel conducted parallel sonar sweeps

to map the geography of Antarctic sea life

Tags: nature, photography, science

Mission To Mars

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:23:13 GMT

clipped by: Brimstone
clipper's remarks: This is strange as conspiracy theorists said that the moon landing could not have taken place due to the radiation and that the astronauts would have been dead before landing on the moon. NASA says here that they will not have prolonged exposure. This brings up the question did the moon landing take place. I mean they only ever had one moon landing.

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

Dangerous levels of radiation in space could bar astronauts from a mission to Mars and limit prolonged activity on the moon, experts now caution.

However, more research could reveal ways to handle the risks that radiation poses to space missions.

The magnetic field of Earth protects humanity from radiation in space that can damage or kill cells. Once beyond this shield, people become far more vulnerable.

A return to the moon or a mission to Mars that NASA and other space agencies are planning would place astronauts at continued risk from cosmic rays or dangerous bursts of solar radiation.

Several reports in the past have outlined the potential risks.

When it comes to shielding astronauts from radiation, spacecraft designers and mission planners have to consider trading off a safe amount of protective material

Crafts that are too heavy simply can't carry enough fuel to make flight practical

Tags: science, astronomy