The main reason I'm an atheist

[abaris]

And now consider that there is absolutely no reason to think that the universe stops anywhere near our current horizon. The size of the observable universe is just an accidental limitation. It is almost certainly many orders of magnitude bigger.

I always find it fascinating that we're actually looking at the dinosaur age when looking at the distant systems.

[ignoramus]

Could someone tell me roughly what percentage of star light we see in the sky at night emanated originally from stars that no longer exist?

[Expired]

....I like a lie-in on a Sunday.

[Little Rik]

By believing the image that religions make of God you just screw yourself up in the head.
Why don't you forget about religions and try to create an imagine of God by using a different
type of thinking?
Human mind is UNI-dimensional that means that we can only think at one thing at the time.
How do you know that God must also have a UNI-dimensional mind?
What about if he would have a MULTI-dimensional mind able to think and do a multitude of things at the same time?
You never thought about it guys, did you?  

[Expired]

By believing the image that religions make of God you just screw yourself up in the head.
Why don't you forget about religions and try to create an imagine of God by using a different
type of thinking?
Human mind is UNI-dimensional that means that we can only think at one thing at the time.
How do you know that God must also have a UNI-dimensional mind?
What about if he would have a MULTI-dimensional mind able to think and do a multitude of things at the same time?
You never thought about it guys, did you?  

I've got better things to fill my time with.

[Brian37]

But, but, but, that means that humans are probably not special, probably not unique, probably not a one off. Most of the people I deal with daily do not have the ability to fathom this concept.

When theists hear atheists say "we are not special", they don't seem to understand that includes atheists as well. I don't even like it when I hear some atheists say, "When we become the majority".......No no no no no no no. If one accepts that our range of behaviors bot cruel and compassionate are in our species, that includes us as well. And even we cannot think we are above or separate from evolution. It is still up to humans to seek as much diplomacy and to avoid harm as much as possible and to know and accept that the ride starts and ends the same way for everyone.

[drfuzzy]

By believing the image that religions make of God you just screw yourself up in the head.
Why don't you forget about religions and try to create an imagine of God by using a different
type of thinking?
Human mind is UNI-dimensional that means that we can only think at one thing at the time.
How do you know that God must also have a UNI-dimensional mind?
What about if he would have a MULTI-dimensional mind able to think and do a multitude of things at the same time?
You never thought about it guys, did you?  

I've got better things to fill my time with.

^^THIS^^          Kudos, Mancunian!
Actually, though, Rik, until we have more concrete proof that any such entity exists, wasting time speculating about something impossible to prove is just worthless fantasy.  It's a waste of time and effort.

[drfuzzy]

Could someone tell me roughly what percentage of star light we see in the sky at night emanated originally from stars that no longer exist?

Well, that's a great question.  Anybody?  How would we find that out?
But considering that the light from Proxima Centauri (closest star to us) takes 4.24 years to get here, and Sirius (brightest "close" star) is 8.611 light years away . . . gee, most of what we see could be gone and we'd never know!  The stars of Orion's Belt (Alnitak (736) Alnilam (1340) Mintaka (915)) could have burned out centuries ago.  That's kind of a sad thought - I like that constellation.  

[Brian37]

Could someone tell me roughly what percentage of star light we see in the sky at night emanated originally from stars that no longer exist?

Well, that's a great question.  Anybody?  How would we find that out?
But considering that the light from Proxima Centauri (closest star to us) takes 4.24 years to get here, and Sirius (brightest "close" star) is 8.611 light years away . . . gee, most of what we see could be gone and we'd never know!  The stars of Orion's Belt (Alnitak (736) Alnilam (1340) Mintaka (915)) could have burned out centuries ago.  That's kind of a sad thought - I like that constellation.  

Actually it is a stupid question.

That is like asking why the exhaust from a jet is still there even though you don't see the jet anymore.

You can think of a ray of light like a bullet being fired out of a gun, the light keeps going forever until or unless other bodies and gravity works on it. So that gun the sun can fire that bullet and die while the bullet keeps going forward. Just as stupid as asking why you still exist after your parents die.

DAMN IT....EDIT..... Sorry, misread.........

You were asking about percentage. Again, it is one of those questions I get from theists, and to be honest when I was growing up I didn't understand the concept of cosmic distances and when I looked up into the sky I thought, it looks so close how can it be so far away.

Sorry. I like to leave my mistakes up so I don't get accused of hiding things. I do have a form of attention problem. Always have.

[drfuzzy]

Well, that's a great question.  Anybody?  How would we find that out?
But considering that the light from Proxima Centauri (closest star to us) takes 4.24 years to get here, and Sirius (brightest "close" star) is 8.611 light years away . . . gee, most of what we see could be gone and we'd never know!  The stars of Orion's Belt (Alnitak (736) Alnilam (1340) Mintaka (915)) could have burned out centuries ago.  That's kind of a sad thought - I like that constellation.  

Actually it is a stupid question.

That is like asking why the exhaust from a jet is still there even though you don't see the jet anymore.

You can think of a ray of light like a bullet being fired out of a gun, the light keeps going forever until or unless other bodies and gravity works on it. So that gun the sun can fire that bullet and die while the bullet keeps going forward. Just as stupid as asking why you still exist after your parents die.

DAMN IT....EDIT..... Sorry, misread.........

You were asking about percentage. Again, it is one of those questions I get from theists, and to be honest when I was growing up I didn't understand the concept of cosmic distances and when I looked up into the sky I thought, it looks so close how can it be so far away.

Sorry. I like to leave my mistakes up so I don't get accused of hiding things. I do have a form of attention problem. Always have.

S'okay Brian.  I rambled on and didn't point up the "percentage" bit either.  I'm still curious about the percentage . . .