warri0r45

Makes sense I suppose. The more you know and the less places god has to hide in gaps of knowledge, the less likely you are to believe he answers the questions of the universe. I also think there could be something to being a critical person and seeing more flaws in arguments which leave god as an attractive explanation for something. The net result of both is less likelyhood to be a believer. Having said that, many smart people can be believers. I'm also noticing a propensity of some smart people, e.g. Einstein, to use terms like "god" to explain the wonder, beauty and mathematical harmony of the universe. He called it "Spinoza's God," stemming from the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza

Science doesn't cause violence, it's used as a tool for violent means, just as religion is. Well, let me qualify that by saying that most people don't use both for violent means but rather for good and constructive means. The only way one of these things could cause violence is if violence is inherent in it's nature.

I don't think so. Religion is more complex than just one belief. It's a set of beliefs, practices and rituals, often dealing with moral claims. Science is a process. Sure, there may be belief that it's a process that works or that it can in fact explain the universe (many people take that as self-evident), but it's hardly a religion. Trying to equate science and religion is futile. They are inherently different things.

Ghosts or zombies? No, I've never experienced anything you could call paranormal. As for aliens, there could be some out there somewhere. It's more likely they're microbes but I wouldn't necessarily rule out intelligent life being found elswhere in the universe.

Scream Bloody Gore - Death

It seeps through the barrels (which is a given), through the concrete, and gets into the water tables. Basic physics would dictate only gamma radiation would penetrate the barrels of spent fuel rods and possibly through any concrete barriers beyond (alpha and beta particles can be stopped easily by the metal barrel). So the simple solution would be to seriously reinforce the fuel dumps to ensure that no radiation seeps through into the water tables. Or maybe my physics is just too basic? Are there any cases of radiation from spent fuel seeping through sufficiently reinforced fuel dumps and into the ground water?

Is that even possible? Yes it is, although very very unhealthy. Someone I know nearly died from dehydration because he was drinking soda/juice and never water. Sounds like he had some kind of disease or some secondary effect from drinking only soda/juice. I doubt that drinking only juice, etc, killed him of dehydration. After all, any drink you put into your mouth, apart from a spirit which is 51% alcohol, will be mostly water.

I'm probably addicted to caffeine. The smell of coffee is awesome too. My vice is iced coffee. The need to get a hit is slowly rising... at first it was one coffee and three sugars. I then knocked the sugars down to two then one, and the coffees have now creeped up to four. :shock: This is all in a large cup, by the way. Not a regular coffee cup. I think I should limit it to four coffees and one sugar, max. Three of those a day is 12 coffees, which probably isn't healthy.

Yeah, some more than others. There's an obvious distinction to be made between ODing on something like heroin (easy and relatively common) and ODing on something like pot (near on impossible and has basically never happened). As for the topic, I think it could potentially have some benefits medicinally. As I understand, there are some studies against it, but a fair few for it, too. Let me put it this way - if I had a relative who wanted to use it medicinally because of chronic pain/nausea, etc, I'd say give it a shot.

Chernobyl to this day seems to spark fear in people about nuclear power when it really shouldn't. It's obsolete technology and human error was woeful. The reactors they build these days are much safer. As for the chernobyl fungus: http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/200704 ... _sys.shtml I'd absolutely love to know how it soaks up ionizing radiation like gamma. I know melanin in humans soaks up UV radiation, converting it to heat, but gamma radiation? That's crazy. If it's legit, this fungus has found a niche no microbe will want to touch.

Sorry, but why would the price go up? If you gave me an Ebay link I might understand the logic here... Isn't this commercially avaliable?

Yeah, definitely subblack - it would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime I'll bear my retinas being burnt to a crisp. I'm liking what dsavi_x4 is doing.

How hard is to use google, seriously. Here, 2 seconds of work: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin To many people he was regarded as one of the best comedians ever.

this is from the application and to gain some ranks you need to participate in religous activities also when i was kicked for the bsa only a few people knew i was a non-theist and i never mentioned anything about my religious beliefs to anyone So you got kicked out for it? Interesting. So you honestly didn't tell anyone? How could they know?

Yeah, I'd seen more recent videos on Youtube where he wasn't his usual full-on, no holds barred self. Having said that, apparantly he did a show just a week ago. Absolutely. He was such an artifice of social change and challenging the status quo. That's what drew me in to his comedy.

It's a private organisation and they can make whatever stipulations they want. I can only repeat my opinion that I wouldn't run an organisation like scouts based on what people believe or don't believe, but really it doesn't seem like it's a big issue for atheists/agnostics that do become scouts. I'm not talking from experience or anything but it doesn't seem at all as if personal beliefs are on the application test. Keep them to yourself and I can't see any real problems.

Aus is around 21 million. So according to this study, about 5.46 million are obese.

Damn, that's really sad. :( He was without a doubt one of my favourite comedians. He was one of the best there ever was and he will be missed.

It's just a matter of taste. It's different for everyone. Anyway I'm pretty keen on V

Who inspires me? Teachers, people in the emergency services, people who are nice to each other and smile. Scientists and charity workers who devote their lives towards the good of others. I don't really have a role model. I don't think I can really be myself by trying to emulate someone else.

Come on DaN, drop the stereotypes and hyperbole. You know that isn't a real depiction of working class Australians. Any uni student that has an interest in passing and isn't naturally gifted (me) has to work their [wagon] off with reading, note taking, answering revision questions, writing up pracs (an absolute ball-breaker for me this semester), etc, just to get decent marks. If you think the work stops with the contact hours, you're dead wrong. Hell, I wrote up half a notebook and more for revision of one exam for one unit and probably got 60% for the bastard. I'll admit it though, I'm lucky that I don't have to work off my hex debt or pay rent on a place like many of my mates do, on top of all the study they need to do to pass.

It's not a very proud title for our country. :( Don't forget rugby or AFL. The problem isn't the sports themselves, it's that kids aren't playing them enough. Having said that, I think a lot of the problem lies with adults, too. I haven't seen many obese people around full stop, but it's sure not just kids with the problem.

Can we stop talking about opening it up now? Onto Hydrogen: are you people nuts? Why would we use something as inefficient as hydrogen? hydrogen is always bonded to something, and breaking those bonds requires an enormous amount of energy. So until you suggest where to get hydrogen, we're stuck. I say we go to Nuclear and pure electric cars until solar and hydro and other areas are better. France has the right idea... I wonder if it would take more electricity to run an electric car 100km or to produce enough hydrogen and oxygen gas (through electrolysis) to run a hydrogen fueled care 100km?

I don't know that much about the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts so this is only assuming the broad accounts in each story have a grain of truth to them. The two articles obviously sound like they present a one sided view of the issue (the first article depicting the Israeli soldiers as vicious armed thugs and Mark Smilowitz calling Linda Bevis a terrorist supporter) but Ill just ignore that for now. It seems that there are disadvantaged people (namely civilians) on both sides of the conflict who just want to get on with their lives. If the checkpoints limit terrorism from Hamas extremists, then holding up civilians would be a necessary evil. However I don't agree with the Israeli soldiers being heavy handed and treating Palestinian people with contempt, if that is indeed the case.

That would have been my response, basically. Add in the suggestion from the New York Times that people sweat less as they age (and hence overheat easier) and there could be something to it. I think that's the reason why people in general die more often when it's hotter but as for why old people die at a higher rate than others, I'm not so sure.