Volconvo Debate, Talk, and Discussion Forums - Blogs http://www.volconvo.com/forums/blog.php A debate, talk, and discussion forum for politics, religion, economics, science, arts and other topics. en Sat, 25 May 2013 16:31:49 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.volconvo.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg Volconvo Debate, Talk, and Discussion Forums - Blogs http://www.volconvo.com/forums/blog.php Seeds of Death: Unveiling The Lies of GMOs http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1112 Fri, 24 May 2013 13:18:14 GMT

The world's leading Scientists, Physicians, Attorneys, Politicians and Environmental Activists expose the corruption and dangers surrounding the widespread use of Genetically Modified Organisms in the new feature length documentary, "Seeds of Death: Unveiling the Lies of GMOs". [Source]
]]> barts http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1112 Epilesy and seizures. http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1111 Tue, 14 May 2013 06:56:49 GMT This is where the brain has too much activity and you go into a fit. To make sure the brain does not have too much activity - well actually, these can go off randomly - is to eat a lot of glucose, as... This is where the brain has too much activity and you go into a fit. To make sure the brain does not have too much activity - well actually, these can go off randomly - is to eat a lot of glucose, as that will stop the blood flowing that well, and then the brain will suffocate a little bit, making sure that you do not have too much activity in your brain.

Or, you could try to reduce the activity of your nervous system, by taking pills that make you 'less awake.' like a depressant.

Of course, the best way to make sure you do not have a seizure would be to make sure the nervous system can handle the activity of your brain. this can be done with excessive vitamin pill intake, boosting your nervous system and body to be hyperactive already, and that will help you to avoid hyper activity in your brain, as the rest of your body is also hyper.

these views are my own, and in no way are the views of the forum or it's members. ]]> Charlatan http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1111 Richard Feynman - The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1110 Mon, 13 May 2013 00:44:23 GMT

In this candid interview Feynman touches on a wide array of topics from the beauty of nature to particle physics. He explains things that are hard to grasp in layman's terms much like Carl Sagan did in the cosmos series. His explanation of the scientific method covers what we know, why we know it and most importantly, what we don't know and the pleasure of figuring it out. ]]> Jack http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1110 A Canaanite woman’s faith http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1109 Fri, 10 May 2013 15:57:11 GMT Matthew 15:21-28 describes an encounter between Jesus and a Canaanite woman. ---Quote--- And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite... Matthew 15:21-28 describes an encounter between Jesus and a Canaanite woman.

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”

But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Why did this woman have such faith even though she wasn’t an Israelite? The Bible doesn’t tell us. However I have thought of a possible explanation. It involves something that happened in the Old Testament.

In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
1 Kings 16:29-30 ESV
God responded to Ahab’s evil deeds by sending Elijah the prophet to him.

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
1 Kings 17:1 ESV
Elijah had to go into hiding to keep from being killed by Ahab and God directed him to a place of safety.

Then the word of the LORD came to him, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.”
1 Kings 17:8-9 ESV
The widow lived near Sidon, in the same region where Jesus encountered the Canaanite woman.

When Elijah arrived the widow was on the verge of starvation, having nothing but a small amount of flour and oil.

And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”

And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’”
1 Kings 17:12-14 ESV
Later the widow’s son died and Elijah restored him to life.

And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.”
1 Kings 17:22-23 ESV
The response to these miracles was that the woman was convinced that Elijah was truly a prophet of God.

And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”
1 Kings 17:24 ESV
God later called Elijah to leave the widow’s home and appear before Ahab.

After many days the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.”
1 Kings 18:1 ESV
This call came many days after the woman realized that Elijah was a prophet. What happened during that time? The Bible doesn’t tell us anything but I think it is possible that the following events took place:

The widow wanted to know as much as she could about the God who had saved her son’s life. Elijah told her all he knew about God, including the promise of a messiah. If her son was old enough to understand Elijah taught him too; if he was too young his mother taught him when he was able to understand.

When the boy grew up and had a family he passed what he had learned on to his children and they passed it on to theirs. The woman who asked Jesus for help was one of his descendants and she had faith because of the knowledge that had been handed down to her by her family. She realized that Jesus was the messiah God had promised and therefore had the power to help her daughter; she believed he would be willing to help her because Elijah had been willing to help her ancestor.

This series of events is just speculation and might be completely wrong but if it is true it would explain why the woman had such strong faith. ]]> theophilus http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1109 <![CDATA["Omelette"]]> http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1108 Fri, 03 May 2013 22:07:12 GMT http://vimeo.com/65107797# ]]> Jack http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1108 Nonsheepness is a word. http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1107 Thu, 02 May 2013 20:54:18 GMT Nonsheepness is a word.

Nonsheepness: (Adjective) not like sheepness or like a sheep. e.g. His nonsheepness in advocating that nonsheepness is a word is awe inspiring. Harold's nonsheepness is manifested by the fact he never eats grass or produces wool. ]]> Yarn http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1107 Alan Watts - Christianity http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1106 Thu, 02 May 2013 06:07:08 GMT ]]> SushiGoblin http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1106 The Very First http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1105 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:38:13 GMT *_Acts 2:46-47_ - Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of... Acts 2:46-47 - Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.- Going to church in those days must have been very different than today. I wonder if it was even called church (which simply means an assembly, or the called together ones) yet. Remember these were not just early Christian churches, but the first ones. There may have been copies of the old testament around, but the complete Bible as we know it had not been finished yet and there were very few Christian "professionals" then. We're told they met everyday, not just on Sunday morning as we do today. There were no specialized buildings with specialized furnishings, but we're told the people met in the temple courts and their homes and shared meals (they had what we call fellowship today) with glad and sincere hearts. We often think that a church is our idea, but it is God working through us that builds a church and saves people, and we must make sure that we keep his word there or it will be useless in a Christian sense. Though the first Christians didn't have some of the things we do, it sounds like they had the one thing that's important, that is faith in Jesus Christ. They believed he alone could save them from their sins. Something we all need to remember no matter what church we go to. What About Jesus? ]]> Glowing Lamp http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1105 The incompetent god http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1104 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:13:21 GMT You see, the religious people -- most of them -- really think this planet is an experiment. That's what their beliefs come down to.

Some god or other is always fixing and poking, messing around with tradesmen's wives, giving tablets on mountains, commanding you to mutilate your children, telling people what words they can say and what words they can't say, making people feel guilty about enjoying themselves, and like that. Why can't the gods leave well enough alone? All this intervention speaks of incompetence.

If God didn't want Lot's wife to look back, why didn't he make her obedient, so she'd do what her husband told her? Or if he hadn't made Lot such a shithead, maybe she would've listened to him more. If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way he wants? Why's he constantly repairing and complaining?

No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not good at execution. He'd be out of business if there was any competition. [Sol Hadden in Carl Sagan's Contact (New York: Pocket Books, 1985), p. 285.] ]]> Jack http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1104 Hierarchy of Argument http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1103 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:01:09 GMT Image: https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/71429_491369554263908_33283943_n.jpg ]]> barts http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1103 A discussion about nothing http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1102 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:28:31 GMT http://youtu.be/1OLz6uUuMp8 The concept of nothing is as old as zero itself. How do we grapple with the concept of nothing? From the best laboratory vacuums on Earth to the vacuum of space to what...

The concept of nothing is as old as zero itself. How do we grapple with the concept of nothing? From the best laboratory vacuums on Earth to the vacuum of space to what lies beyond, the idea of nothing continues to intrigue professionals and the public alike.


Join moderator and Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson as he leads a spirited discussion with a group of physicists, philosophers and journalists about the existence of nothing. The event, which was streamed live to the web, took place at the American Museum of Natural History on March 20, 2013.


PANELISTS:


J. Richard Gott, professor of astrophysical sciences, Princeton University, and author of Sizing Up the Universe: The Cosmos in Perspective


Jim Holt, science journalist and author of Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story


Lawrence Krauss, professor of physics, Arizona State University and author of A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing


Charles Seife, professor of journalism, New York University, and author of Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea


Eve Silverstein, professor of physics, Stanford University, and co-editor of Strings, Branes and Gravity ]]> Jack http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1102 Abiogenesis, creation, and natural selection http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1101 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:49:53 GMT How did life originate? Most people believe that it began with a process called abiogenesis, the development of living organisms from nonliving mater. According to this belief a very simple life... How did life originate? Most people believe that it began with a process called abiogenesis, the development of living organisms from nonliving mater. According to this belief a very simple life form came into existence and over millions of year its descendants changed through the process of evolution to produce the large variety of life that exists today.

Not everyone believes in abiogenesis and evolution. Some people believe the Bible’s account of how life originated; it was created by God only a few thousand years ago.

Believers in abiogenesis and creation both agree that new varieties of life are constantly being produced by a process called natural selection. An examination of how this process works might show whether abiogenesis or creation is the most likely starting point for it.

When some individuals are better adapted to their environment than others they are more likely to survive and produce offspring. If members of a species are found in a variety of different environments the characteristics that aid survival may be different in different areas and over time the organisms in each location will come to differ from each other as well as from the parent species.

Perhaps the most obvious example of natural selection is the many breeds of dogs that are all descended from a common ancestor. Some breeds are the result of deliberate breeding by people who wanted dogs that had specific characteristics. This is artificial selection rather than natural selection but it works the same way; dogs having the desired characteristic are allowed to reproduce but others are not.

The selection process is similar to what a sculptor does when he makes a statue out of a block of marble; he cuts away all of the unwanted parts of the marble but doesn’t add any material from outside. Natural selection works by the elimination of unwanted or undesirable genes. No new genes are produced. The common ancestor of dogs must have possessed all the the genetic information that is found in all breeds of dogs. This process goes back further; dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes, and jackals have a common ancestor that possessed greater genetic diversity.

There is no way this process could have started with a simple one celled organism. (I mean simple in comparison with the life that exists today; even the simplest form of life is extremely complex.) Natural selection wouldn’t work because there would be too little to select from; it would be like a sculptor trying to make a large statue out of a grain of sand.

But what about the Bible’s account of creation?

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:24-25 ESV
God created different kinds of life. If each of these kinds had a large gene pool with the potential for producing many different varieties of descendants their creation would lead to the process of natural selection we see today.

We aren’t told how many kinds there were but the number was small enough for Noah to take a pair of each kind onto the ark. Some people don’t believe the flood occurred because the ark wouldn’t have been big enough for all of the varieties of life that exist today. When you take the results of natural selection into account you can see that the number of animals Noah needed was very small.

The term natural selection was first used by Charles Darwin in Origin of Species, which was published in 1859. Our knowledge of genetics began with experiments performed by Gregor Mendel. The results of these experiments weren’t published until after his death in 1884 so Darwin knew nothing about them when he did the research for his book.

Darwin saw natural selection taking place but because he didn’t understand how heredity works he misinterpreted what he saw. He thought that the process produced completely new characteristics and therefore was evidence that his theories about the origin of life were true. Today almost everyone shares this belief and few people realize that the things we have learned about genetics since then have produced evidence that the belief isn’t true. ]]> theophilus http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1101 Dog wants a kitten http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1100 Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:27:18 GMT http://youtu.be/NBbHRaNNBuY ]]> Jack http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1100 Spacebound, a short film http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1099 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:44:08 GMT http://vimeo.com/63987795# ]]> Jack http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1099 George Carlin on environmentalism http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1098 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:09:52 GMT "We’re so self-important. So self-important. Everybody’s going to save something now. “Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails.” And the greatest arrogance of all: save the planet. What? Are these fucking people kidding me? Save the planet, we don’t even know how to take care of ourselves yet. We haven’t learned how to care for one another, we’re gonna save the fucking planet?

I’m getting tired of that shit. Tired of that shit. I’m tired of fucking Earth Day, I’m tired of these self-righteous environmentalists, these white, bourgeois liberals who think the only thing wrong with this country is there aren’t enough bicycle paths. People trying to make the world safe for their Volvos. Besides, environmentalists don’t give a shit about the planet. They don’t care about the planet. Not in the abstract they don’t. You know what they’re interested in? A clean place to live. Their own habitat. They’re worried that some day in the future, they might be personally inconvenienced. Narrow, unenlightened self-interest doesn’t impress me.

Besides, there is nothing wrong with the planet. Nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine. The PEOPLE are fucked. Difference. Difference. The planet is fine. Compared to the people, the planet is doing great. Been here four and a half billion years. Did you ever think about the arithmetic? The planet has been here four and a half billion years. We’ve been here, what, a hundred thousand? Maybe two hundred thousand? And we’ve only been engaged in heavy industry for a little over two hundred years. Two hundred years versus four and a half billion. And we have the CONCEIT to think that somehow we’re a threat? That somehow we’re gonna put in jeopardy this beautiful little blue-green ball that’s just a-floatin’ around the sun?

The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through all kinds of things worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles…hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worlwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages…And we think some plastic bags, and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet…the planet…the planet isn’t going anywhere. WE ARE!

We’re going away. Pack your shit, folks. We’re going away. And we won’t leave much of a trace, either. Thank God for that. Maybe a little styrofoam. Maybe. A little styrofoam. The planet’ll be here and we’ll be long gone. Just another failed mutation. Just another closed-end biological mistake. An evolutionary cul-de-sac. The planet’ll shake us off like a bad case of fleas. A surface nuisance.

You wanna know how the planet’s doing? Ask those people at Pompeii, who are frozen into position from volcanic ash, how the planet’s doing. You wanna know if the planet’s all right, ask those people in Mexico City or Armenia or a hundred other places buried under thousands of tons of earthquake rubble, if they feel like a threat to the planet this week. Or how about those people in Kilauea, Hawaii, who built their homes right next to an active volcano, and then wonder why they have lava in the living room.

The planet will be here for a long, long, LONG time after we’re gone, and it will heal itself, it will cleanse itself, ’cause that’s what it does. It’s a self-correcting system. The air and the water will recover, the earth will be renewed, and if it’s true that plastic is not degradable, well, the planet will simply incorporate plastic into a new pardigm: the earth plus plastic. The earth doesn’t share our prejudice towards plastic. Plastic came out of the earth. The earth probably sees plastic as just another one of its children. Could be the only reason the earth allowed us to be spawned from it in the first place. It wanted plastic for itself. Didn’t know how to make it. Needed us. Could be the answer to our age-old egocentric philosophical question, “Why are we here?” Plastic…asshole.

So, the plastic is here, our job is done, we can be phased out now. And I think that’s begun. Don’t you think that’s already started? I think, to be fair, the planet sees us as a mild threat. Something to be dealt with. And the planet can defend itself in an organized, collective way, the way a beehive or an ant colony can. A collective defense mechanism. The planet will think of something. What would you do if you were the planet? How would you defend yourself against this troublesome, pesky species? Let’s see… Viruses. Viruses might be good. They seem vulnerable to viruses. And, uh…viruses are tricky, always mutating and forming new strains whenever a vaccine is developed. Perhaps, this first virus could be one that compromises the immune system of these creatures. Perhaps a human immunodeficiency virus, making them vulnerable to all sorts of other diseases and infections that might come along. And maybe it could be spread sexually, making them a little reluctant to engage in the act of reproduction.

Well, that’s a poetic note. And it’s a start. And I can dream, can’t I? See I don’t worry about the little things: bees, trees, whales, snails. I think we’re part of a greater wisdom than we will ever understand. A higher order. Call it what you want. Know what I call it? The Big Electron. The Big Electron…whoooa. Whoooa. Whoooa. It doesn’t punish, it doesn’t reward, it doesn’t judge at all. It just is. And so are we. For a little while." ]]> Jack http://www.volconvo.com/forums/entry.php?b=1098