UFO's... What do you think?

[/pine]

This is my all time favorite cartoon series. Watterson is a genius. I also miss Walt Kelley's "Pogo" and Al Capp's Li'l Abner.

Gotta add Larson's 'The Far Side'

 

[MossRoad]

There have been skirmishes in the NATO sphere, but nothing remotely approaching WWI & II within the LHC's lifetime.

When you begin with a premise of war as a given, then this becomes something akin to a self-perpetuating, self-fulfilling prophesy situation. Since a huge amount of resources (out of a limited number available) are put into preparing for, executing and dealing with the follow-on results of war, obviously some of the technological gains will be re-purposed for other secondary goals--because war-related is where the needed resources are to be found.

It's also obviously true that those same resources and more (modern warfare is not a profit making endeavor and much of the resources consumed are useless for anything but war) could have been committed to a primary goal other than war.

You can see how easy it is to say that war is a major technological driver--and that will always be true by necessity--until we give peace a chance. It is a case of creating our own truth and not being able to comprehend anything different than our own creation. Imagine 2000 years of more peace than war.

Its just a sad fact that the greatest advances in technology have always come from war. There hasn't been peace on this planet since the first people. All societies have been at war for pretty much eternity. And all societies will remain at war for pretty much eternity. Why? Because just like every other animal species in nature, man competes with man for the right to pass on his genes. Its just that simple.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[k0ua]

Gotta add Larson's 'The Far Side'

+1:thumbsup:

 

[dave1949]

Its just a sad fact that the greatest advances in technology have always come from war. There hasn't been peace on this planet since the first people. All societies have been at war for pretty much eternity. And all societies will remain at war for pretty much eternity. Why? Because just like every other animal species in nature, man competes with man for the right to pass on his genes. Its just that simple.

For example? And how do you measure the utility of that greatness?

No, it isn't that simple. Look at who is passing on the most genes now. It certainly isn't the smartest, most successful, advanced, and holding the most resources cohort of our species.

I don't think we can get to the stars without an enormous allocation of resources and cooperative efforts. I don't think we can direct and focus those resources without transcending our basic biological drives.

We have the ability to self-evaluate our own thought processes, instincts and actions; meta-thought if you will. We can ask ourselves why we would or wouldn't take some particular action and we can reasonably predict the outcomes. Therefore we have the means to transcend our basic natures.

 

[MossRoad]

For example? And how do you measure the utility of that greatness?

No, it isn't that simple. Look at who is passing on the most genes now. It certainly isn't the smartest, most successful, advanced, and holding the most resources cohort of our species.

I don't think we can get to the stars without an enormous allocation of resources and cooperative efforts. I don't think we can direct and focus those resources without transcending our basic biological drives.

We have the ability to self-evaluate our own thought processes, instincts and actions; meta-thought if you will. We can ask ourselves why we would or wouldn't take some particular action and we can reasonably predict the outcomes. Therefore we have the means to transcend our basic natures.

Who's passing on the most genes now?? The Chinese and the Indians. And they are smarter than us, work harder than us, are starting to consume more resources than us, and will eventually take over as the dominant societies for a time, just as England did before we did. We (human kind) do not have the means to transcend our basic natures, which is survival of the fittest, not cooperation with the "smartest".

As much as I'd like to see global cooperation of mankind, it will never happen, and, by nature, will never happen. Its a grim fact.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

As much as I'd like to see global cooperation of mankind, it will never happen, and, by nature, will never happen. Its a grim fact.

Count your blessings. Although cooperative mankind could accomplish much, it would most likely result in evil. I give you the Tower of Babel as an example. If you define "cooperative" as some form of global government, that would most assuredly yield tyranny beyond your imagination. I've always said - In a One World government there is nowhere to run.

 

[sd455dan]

Well, for now it's just man and some lights in the sky. Not one piece of evidence the other way. Enjoy the lights. HS

Radar data is not just lights in the sky... Japan air 1628

 

[kidr]

Quote Originally Posted by MossRoad View Post
As much as I'd like to see global cooperation of mankind, it will never happen, and, by nature, will never happen. Its a grim fact.


Not grim. Cooperation breeds lethargy, competition accelerates progress. In my mind anyway.

 

[PapaPerk]

Sure...First let me say I have no formal education particle physics etc...This is all just my own opinion/theory on how both science and religion/spirituality could be compatible... ...have you've done any reading on the "string theory"? That is...understanding that all things are actually made up of (extremely) tiny strings of energy...Below is a common quote to offer an insight into just how small these strings are...compared to a single atom... Also, one has to understand that all mass is/has energy...but energy can also have no mass...take light photons for example...so my theory is that there are "other things" that can also exist (as energy) without mass (elements)...from mental thoughts to our souls etc....etc...etc... ...to expand my own theory a bit...I think properties may exist that allow different forms of (mass-less) energy to collect or attract cohesively...with enough energy to possibly produce physically appearing things like auras, ghosts etc...(ever heard of the "power of positive thinking?) To further expand my theory...if there are other "special" types of mass-less energy I think there can be "very special" types of energy...take souls for example...I think it could be possible that "soul energy" has the ability to procreate either to the positive or the negative... I don't want to take my off the wall theory any further here as I am continually trying to make both science and spirituality mesh...for my own self... I have been an amateur student of the string theory since its concept was introduced to the masses and the more I learn about it the more it helps me think "there is an answer"... here is the quote about energy strings...: NOVA | A Sense of Scale: String Theory

Thank you for sharing. Very very interesting!