James F. Cox, Ph.D. (Biology). Father; Husband. Retired from a 22-yr career in higher ed. Currently teaching high school biology. Love blues, folk, rock music.
The fall of U.S. preeminence is well underway. The world can no longer count on our post-WWII leadership in science, engineering, innovation, and public health. In the name of "putting America first," we’ve abdicated our global role—leaving a vacuum for China and others to fill.
@Marlayna29 Yes, I had a great-grandmother who was still alive when I was a child. She was born in 1885. She scolded us for fussing about green beans at one particular meal. It was great, and we laughed heartily. She said "Beans are beams, shut up and eat them".
@itsrosesm Of course not! Public schools are run by the state, and it is important to me to maintain separation between church and state. I had Bible classes at Lutheran High School, a church school. It was a waste of time.
@LascauxIan@hookskat Yep. As it is written (Tao te Ching, Ch 2):
All can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness.
All can know good as good only because there is evil.
...having and not having arise together.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Front and back follow one another.
@hookskat@LascauxIan As a biologist, I can testify that there are always opponent processes in play. The sodium-potassium pump moves sodium into the cell; sodium channels let it out. You need both. Homeostasis is just an abstraction. So it is with contentedness. For me, it's about the dance.
@hookskat@LascauxIan Us First World folks have it pretty good, generally. So we ought to be content, perhaps, but it's not in our nature. Speaking for myself, I need a few struggles, a mission or two and purpose. Heaven sounds horrible, with heavenly contentedness and heavenly unemployment. Yuck!
@hookskat No. As a biologist, I find it all so very amazing, from the tiniest biochemicals on up to the entire biosphere. Carbon chemistry rules the world. On top of that base, cell biology, natural selection, theory of mind, language. I get teary-eyed contemplating the joy of it.
@simonmaechling I'm not a chemist, per se, but I majored in chemistry in undergrad, before turning to my true calling for my masters and doctorate. My view is that chemophobia isn't the problem. The problem is lack of perspective on relative risks, and weak reasoning skills.
@MateyYanakiev@hookskat@god_wrestle The book of Job shows that God will go to great lengths of cruelty and depravity merely to win an argument with the Devil. After sanctioning the killing of Job's wife, children and livestock, God wins the argument. All's well in the end: Job got replacement wives and children.
@bobmcnap@hookskat I must be retarded then. In any event, it's clear that merely saying that a god created the universe and life adds nothing to human understanding. "Ahura Mazda made the universe". Whoop-de-do! Who knew?
@hookskat Ptolemy: Observe my elegant system of deferents, epicycles, eccentrics, and equants. It reproduces the motions of the planets with precision.
Copernicus: "Have you ever considered putting the Sun in the middle?"
Ptolemy: "Sure. And next you'll tell me the planets move in ovals."
@TheDreamOracle@GodlyAction I can just imagine that the conversation does indeed change!! I suppose a few must storm off in a huff, like Our Dear Leader does when a female reporter asks him a routine question.
@FuukTwitar@GodlyAction If there is a heaven (and there's no evidence there is) then I can guarantee that most self-proclaimed Christians will not be there.
@TheDreamOracle@GodlyAction Sure, but just be certain not to eat shellfish or pork. New England Clam Chowder is a sin. A Biggie Baconater Burger at Wendy's is a sin. See the Old Testament book of Leviticus for the actual prohibition. A Supreme Pizza is a sin, but a veggie pizza can be considered kosher.