Ask a physicist anything. (2)

[Doveaman]

How's using applied scientific principles working out for you, bud?

Much better than "inflation", bud.

 

[Maxwell511]

The same difference between a biologist, and a Creationist with a biology degree.

That was a brilliant answer.

 

[Maxwell511]

Wiccan_Child, are you doing research at the moment or are you planning on doing research? What problem are you working on/would like to work on? (I am not sure if this has been asked already)

 

[Doveaman]

Actually, I do have a serious question for you (or anybody else who has knowledge about this "electric universe" stuff); how does plasma cosmology account for the formation of the Solar System? (And please, give me an answer more detailed than "God did it, with electricity".)

One proposal:

Assembling the Solar System

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Wiccan_Child, are you doing research at the moment or are you planning on doing research? What problem are you working on/would like to work on? (I am not sure if this has been asked already)

I would like to work at CERN (a not-so-subtle hit towards any recruitment officers who may be lurking! ). Failing that, I do private tutoring. I find there's a greater satisfaction in learning and teaching, and it also refines what I already know.

 

[Cabal]

I would like to work at CERN (a not-so-subtle hit towards any recruitment officers who may be lurking! ). Failing that, I do private tutoring. I find there's a greater satisfaction in learning and teaching, and it also refines what I already know.

What are you wanting to do at CERN?

 

[TerranceL]

What are you wanting to do at CERN?

Um.

What else is there to do at CERN?

YouTube - Earth blowing up

 

[Wiccan_Child]

What are you wanting to do at CERN?

Let me put it this way. You know how, in the Generation IV pokémon games, there are the pokémon who control time (Palkia) and space (Dialga), and a pokémon who created the entire universe (Arceus)?

Yea, it'll be like I captured all three in Master Balls and am using them for piggy-back rides. PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER FOR MY OWN PERSONAL AMUSEMENT.

Um.

What else is there to do at CERN?

YouTube - Earth blowing up

I reject your reality and substitute my own .

 

[The Penitent Man]

If there are more than 3 dimensions, why can't there be a God?

 

[Cabal]

If there are more than 3 dimensions, why can't there be a God?

There may be more than 3 spatial dimensions.

And what does God's existence have to do with extra dimensions?

 

[Cabal]

Let me put it this way. You know how, in the Generation IV pokémon games, there are the pokémon who control time (Palkia) and space (Dialga), and a pokémon who created the entire universe (Arceus)?

Yea, it'll be like I captured all three in Master Balls and am using them for piggy-back rides. PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER FOR MY OWN PERSONAL AMUSEMENT.

So just "blowing stuff up", then

 

[The Penitent Man]

Never mind.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

If there are more than 3 dimensions, why can't there be a God?

I don't understand. What does the number of dimension have to do with whether of not God exists? And who said there can't be a God? I certainly didn't!

Are you making an oblique reference to what you percieve to be a double-standard in science (or the scientific and/or atheistic communities, or even my own personal standards), specifically, that if we can concede that there are more than three dimensions, why can't we concede that there may be a God?

First, conceding that there may be more than three dimensions is not the same as conceding that there may be a God. There is evidence that there may be more dimensions, whereas there is no evidence (that I'm aware of) that there may be a God.
Second, and perhaps most importantly, no one has outright denied the possibility that God might exist in this thread; while a few strong atheists are on this board, the majority (myself included) are so-called weak atheists: we acknowledge that deities might actually exist (and, yes, I'm aware that this is what some people would call agnosticism).

Hope that answers your question, rather than complicating things!

 

[Doveaman]

while a few strong atheists are on this board, the majority (myself included) are so-called weak atheists: we acknowledge that deities might actually exist (and, yes, I'm aware that this is what some people would call agnosticism).

What's the difference between "weak atheists" and "agnostics"?

Do you believe there could be "evidence of God" other than the empirical type? If not, why not?

Do you believe "empirical evidence" is the only type of evidence there is? If yes, why yes?

 

[Wiccan_Child]

What's the difference between "weak atheists" and "agnostics"?

In my vocabulary:

A theist is someone who believes in deities. An atheist is someone who doesn't believe in deities. Atheists can be split into two groups: strong and weak. Strong atheists actively affirm that deities don't exist, while weak atheists don't.
In other words, a weak atheist is someone who neither affirms the existence of deities, nor affirms the non-existence of deities. They straddle the fence.

An analogy: I flip a coin. Theists affirm it'll be heads, strong atheists affirm it'll be tails, and weak atheists don't say anything.


Gnosticism is something else entirely. Gnostics affirm that it is possible to rationally and logically conclude that deities exist (or, as the case may be, don't exist). Agnostics affirm that it's impossible to determine whether deities actually exist or not.


Thus, one can be a gnostic theist, a gnostic atheist, an agnostic theist, or an agnostic atheist.
Some people have a different vocabulary to me. To them, what I call a strong atheist and a weak atheist, they call an atheist and an agnostic. Confusing, I know!

Do you believe there could be "evidence of God" other than the empirical type? If not, why not?

I am not aware of any evidence that is not empirical, unless you count logical proof as a form of 'pure' evidence. I'm also disinclined to consider subjective revelation as legitimate evidence.
So it depends on what you consider to be non-empirical evidence. Beyond pure logic, I don't know of any.

Of course, this also depends on what you consider to be 'god'. It's entirely possible that the 'god' we're discussing is actually a logical impossibility, and thus no evidence, empirical or otherwise, can even be found.

Do you believe "empirical evidence" is the only type of evidence there is? If yes, why yes?

Because I am not aware of any form of evidence that could be non-empirical. Evidence is simply the accrue of facts in favour of some proposition, no?

Arguably, then, pure logical proofs constitutes evidence (as I said above): "1 + 1 = 2" is a fact, and thus could potentially be used as evidence in favour of some proposition.

 

[dewaddict84]

Yep, wiccan child is right, but I'd like to add that there is the public's concept that "agnostic" can also be a term for a fence straddler or an theistically apathetic person. They may not be technically correct, but that won't stop the masses from using the term.

I'd also tweak "weak atheist" to not be a fence sitter. They believe there is probably no god.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

I'd also tweak "weak atheist" to not be a fence sitter. They believe there is probably no god.

By and large, but that's like saying all atheists believe in evolution. It's (probably) true, but it's just incidental.

You'd think that was an overly fine hair to split, but you'd be surprised what you get called on...

 

[Wiccan_Child]

.

 

[dewaddict84]

Well it's sort of a fine hair. But that's the difference between strong and weak. I'd say that the strong atheists don't have a very scientific understanding that there isn't a god, they have a firm belief that there isn't a god. And so tweak I shall.

Also, just so you know. Every time I come to this thread, here's what I imagine you look like:

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Well it's sort of a fine hair. But that's the difference between strong and weak. I'd say that the strong atheists don't have a very scientific understanding that there isn't a god, they have a firm belief that there isn't a god. And so tweak I shall.

Also, just so you know. Every time I come to this thread, here's what I imagine you look like:

...
...
...
I was very drunk and it was a friends birthday and where did you get that picture!