(November 8, 2016 at 4:06 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

(November 8, 2016 at 2:39 pm)Mathilda Wrote: What is it with theists using big coloured non-default fonts nowadays?

They have the mistaken belief that it makes the drivel they spout more impressive.

Like waving your hands to explain something when you're in the fifth grade. The teacher knows you don't understand, but it makes you feel like you are going to get a good grade, anyway.

(November 8, 2016 at 9:22 am)Edward Johns Wrote: So you want me to believe that we can see, Love, sadness, anger, joy and thoughts by using a pet scan. I haven't seen an organ like that in the brain.

Believe or not. That is what I am saying.

So much food.

(November 8, 2016 at 9:22 am)Edward Johns Wrote: So you want me to believe that we can see, Love, sadness, anger, joy and thoughts by using a pet scan. I haven't seen an organ like that in the brain.

That's because it isn't an organ -- It's a property of the brain.  Not just PET scans, either; certain parts of the brain "light up" on MRI when experiencing emotions or processing a specific kind of data, such as light or sound.

You can also use a functional MRI (fMRI) to activate a brain region and cause the patient to experience the emotion associated with that region.  One particularly notable example is that by stimulating the brain region that is active during a spiritual experience, you can actually cause someone to have a religious experience.

I find it amusing that powerful electromagnets inside a scanner can fake out the brain and make someone think they're feeling the presence of a god.

(November 8, 2016 at 3:44 pm)Edward Johns Wrote: Do you think absolute truth exists?

No.

(November 8, 2016 at 3:33 pm)Edward Johns Wrote:

(November 8, 2016 at 2:52 pm)Mathilda Wrote: Define nothing. This book may help you.

Nothing: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)


It's called abiogenesis. You may want to define life first though. Best definition is that it has a metabolism. This means that you can understand the transition from non-life to life in terms of the flow of free energy and whether it can start to perform work. The distinction between life and non-life therefore is completely arbitrary and no one can agree on where it is.




You may want to find out about the edge of chaos. This is where interesting things happen. Too little energy and you may structure but nothing happens. Too much energy and you have activity but no structure, i.e chaos. The edge of chaos has just enough energy for both complex structures to form and activity. This is demonstrable with real world physical systems.



Everything that you would say is immaterial always comes from something material and the flow of energy through it.

So you really do believe in magic don't you?

No. I believe in the effectiveness of the scientific method.

(November 8, 2016 at 3:44 pm)Edward Johns Wrote: Do you think absolute truth exists?

No. Truth is a concept, part of the invented language of logic.

I believe in reality and that we try to make use of it using certain intellectual tools.

(November 7, 2016 at 7:36 pm)Edward Johns Wrote: Here is proof why atheism is true:

1. Getting Something From Nothing

Only when I listen to Dire Straights. There are other benefits. Ask Thump, he'll tell ya. 

Tell me Eddy, do you go into sewers with an asthma inhaler?

(November 8, 2016 at 4:20 pm)Fireball Wrote:

(November 8, 2016 at 4:06 pm)Minimalist Wrote: They have the mistaken belief that it makes the drivel they spout more impressive.

Like waving your hands to explain something when you're in the fifth grade. The teacher knows you don't understand, but it makes you feel like you are going to get a good grade, anyway.

Basically.

(November 8, 2016 at 7:20 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

(November 8, 2016 at 4:20 pm)Fireball Wrote: Like waving your hands to explain something when you're in the fifth grade. The teacher knows you don't understand, but it makes you feel like you are going to get a good grade, anyway.

Basically.

Case in point!