Comments on: The Universe Gazing Upon Itself http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/ Life, Culture and Politics from BrisVegas Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:30:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: steve http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290471 steve Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:18:39 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290471 The Devil Drink - Love your work but I'm surprised that if you are going to quote nasty fairy tales of a biblical nature that you could go past our old mate Jael and the Nail. It would be enough to scare the Devil out of anyone and turn them to drink. Read only if you have a thick skin. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jael" rel="nofollow">Here</a> The Devil Drink – Love your work but I’m surprised that if you are going to quote nasty fairy tales of a biblical nature that you could go past our old mate Jael and the Nail. It would be enough to scare the Devil out of anyone and turn them to drink. Read only if you have a thick skin. Here

]]> By: KoopaTroopa http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290470 KoopaTroopa Thu, 21 Dec 2006 11:52:48 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290470 <blockquote>Humans are the universe looking back at itself?</blockquote> I quite like the idea. If you consider consciousness (gazing) the result of some system (a person), there’s no reason the ‘system’ should be considered to stop at the bounds of ‘the person’. You might consider it to include the input and output of ‘the person’, ie ‘the universe’. Hence ‘The universe gazing upon itself’.

Humans are the universe looking back at itself?

I quite like the idea.

If you consider consciousness (gazing) the result of some system (a person), there’s no reason the ‘system’ should be considered to stop at the bounds of ‘the person’. You might consider it to include the input and output of ‘the person’, ie ‘the universe’. Hence ‘The universe gazing upon itself’.

]]> By: silkworm http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290469 silkworm Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:05:54 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290469 In the grand scheme of things we are insignificant? I don't like the language used here. A scheme implies a schemer. It's still a quasi-religious concept. Humans are the universe looking back at itself? I don't like this language either. It implies the universe is thinking through us, which seems to be attributing consciousness to bare matter. When the Apollo 11 mission sent back that picture of the round blue Earth from space, it created a sense of global consciousness that we hadn't had before as a species. Sagan, however, went too far ... 4 billion miles too far. By viewing Earth from this distance, he reduced it to a speck of dust, and he lost that global consciousness. The same thing happens when you're smoking marijuana. One joint and a new world is opened up to you, but if you go that step too far and smoke that extra joint you've been saving when you are already stoned, the stone can be lost, and that beautiful world you once had starts shrinking. Sagan smoked one too many joints on that one. In the grand scheme of things we are insignificant? I don’t like the language used here. A scheme implies a schemer. It’s still a quasi-religious concept.

Humans are the universe looking back at itself? I don’t like this language either. It implies the universe is thinking through us, which seems to be attributing consciousness to bare matter.

When the Apollo 11 mission sent back that picture of the round blue Earth from space, it created a sense of global consciousness that we hadn’t had before as a species. Sagan, however, went too far … 4 billion miles too far. By viewing Earth from this distance, he reduced it to a speck of dust, and he lost that global consciousness.

The same thing happens when you’re smoking marijuana. One joint and a new world is opened up to you, but if you go that step too far and smoke that extra joint you’ve been saving when you are already stoned, the stone can be lost, and that beautiful world you once had starts shrinking. Sagan smoked one too many joints on that one.

]]> By: The Devil Drink http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290468 The Devil Drink Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:00:28 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290468 Yeah, well, he talks big, FaceLift, but we'll see who finishes it. Until then, by all means, though, if you've got a Jones that needs satisfyin', get your Jesus onnnn. It's unfair to say that I'm into 'control'. Control is for Maxwell Smart types, the Temperance movement, moving vehicles, managerialists, the Junior Baptist Anti-Drug Crusaders, and Marxism-Leninism. Naaah, I'm more the <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=ghcIsDyEbK0" rel="nofollow">anarch-iste</a> type. Pass the pipe, would you, Hunter? Now let's sit back in this gutter of ours and look at the stars. Yeah, well, he talks big, FaceLift, but we’ll see who finishes it. Until then, by all means, though, if you’ve got a Jones that needs satisfyin’, get your Jesus onnnn.
It’s unfair to say that I’m into ‘control’. Control is for Maxwell Smart types, the Temperance movement, moving vehicles, managerialists, the Junior Baptist Anti-Drug Crusaders, and Marxism-Leninism. Naaah, I’m more the anarch-iste type.
Pass the pipe, would you, Hunter? Now let’s sit back in this gutter of ours and look at the stars.

]]> By: Shaun http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290467 Shaun Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:43:30 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290467 No need to be so exclusive FL. A Merry Christmas to all those that believe, do not believe, think Christmas is humbug, a part of a faith that does not celebrate Christmas and anyone not of any of the above. No need to be so exclusive FL.

A Merry Christmas to all those that believe, do not believe, think Christmas is humbug, a part of a faith that does not celebrate Christmas and anyone not of any of the above.

]]> By: FaceLift http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290466 FaceLift Thu, 21 Dec 2006 07:09:12 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290466 I've been away on a wonderful cruise, Kim! Eagleton did a splendid job and said it all. What he said! There's a fair bit of talk of arrogance, but when it comes down to the vastness of the universe and the origins no one, however intelligent, truly has the answers, so on that basis it's just as arrogant to talk of accident rather than design when so much of what we are discovering is deliciously uniform and consistent, and yet uniquely and ingeniously original. I'm sorry to be contrary to you on this, and it's unlikely I'll change, or you'll agree, so I'll bow out and not add to the tedium. Devil Drink, it's been a long time since your name had any power over me! You'll know that the name of Jesus used well has a far more powerful effect than yours ever will over those who leave your control. Merry Christmas to those who still believe! I’ve been away on a wonderful cruise, Kim! Eagleton did a splendid job and said it all. What he said!

There’s a fair bit of talk of arrogance, but when it comes down to the vastness of the universe and the origins no one, however intelligent, truly has the answers, so on that basis it’s just as arrogant to talk of accident rather than design when so much of what we are discovering is deliciously uniform and consistent, and yet uniquely and ingeniously original. I’m sorry to be contrary to you on this, and it’s unlikely I’ll change, or you’ll agree, so I’ll bow out and not add to the tedium.

Devil Drink, it’s been a long time since your name had any power over me! You’ll know that the name of Jesus used well has a far more powerful effect than yours ever will over those who leave your control.

Merry Christmas to those who still believe!

]]> By: Kim http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290465 Kim Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:46:38 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290465 I'm surprised, FL, you missed this recent religion stoush: http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/15/delusional-gods/ Just sayin... I’m surprised, FL, you missed this recent religion stoush:

http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/15/delusional-gods/

Just sayin…

]]> By: zoot http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290464 zoot Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:38:53 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290464 Facelift, you're getting tedious. Facelift, you’re getting tedious.

]]> By: The Devil Drink http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290463 The Devil Drink Thu, 21 Dec 2006 03:11:24 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290463 Touching, FaceLift, and you're probably wise not to write My name more than once in a row (bad things happen if you even consider chanting it). My point stands; God was still in the wrong to forgive David just 'cause he said sorry, and even wronger to take it out on the kid. Even a pre-modern Judge Judy would have made him not be King anymore, that's some pretty nasty stuff. Katz is right: what kind of deity would do that, anyway? Kids: <strong>Just Say No</strong> to having the husbands of the mothers of your illegitimate children killed on your orders. Touching, FaceLift, and you’re probably wise not to write My name more than once in a row (bad things happen if you even consider chanting it). My point stands; God was still in the wrong to forgive David just ’cause he said sorry, and even wronger to take it out on the kid. Even a pre-modern Judge Judy would have made him not be King anymore, that’s some pretty nasty stuff. Katz is right: what kind of deity would do that, anyway?
Kids: Just Say No to having the husbands of the mothers of your illegitimate children killed on your orders.

]]> By: FaceLift http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290462 FaceLift Thu, 21 Dec 2006 03:05:36 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/12/20/the-universe-gazing-upon-itself/#comment-290462 Well, no, Kate, you can't say what you think I said in your own words to suit your opinion of what I really said, which I think was closer to "I respect their views, but I believe this', than you interpreted it to be. I made a comment early on, which was challenged, and I've been answering questions about it ever since, which doesn't make me a kind of serial 'foister of opinions' on others, as steve nunn claims (I haven't commented for about a month actually), but someone who is engaging in conversati0on with others, although, in fact, doesn't everyone 'foist' opinions on blogs, including your own, otherwise blogs like these ain't blog like these, or maybe you prefer the boredom of utter agreement continually? Actually, I generally completely disagree with Devil Drink, and said personage understands this totally, but I have no problem engaging said personage in the spirit of blogdom without trying to fane offence because of the disagreement. A point challenged is either strengthened when it is defended well, or corrected in the right spirit. I wasn't aware that tones could be detected on blogs. I can be atonal at times, but nothing condescending or otherwise was intended. By the way, I don't claim to 'know better', I just have an opinion, as do you. Well, no, Kate, you can’t say what you think I said in your own words to suit your opinion of what I really said, which I think was closer to “I respect their views, but I believe this’, than you interpreted it to be. I made a comment early on, which was challenged, and I’ve been answering questions about it ever since, which doesn’t make me a kind of serial ‘foister of opinions’ on others, as steve nunn claims (I haven’t commented for about a month actually), but someone who is engaging in conversati0on with others, although, in fact, doesn’t everyone ‘foist’ opinions on blogs, including your own, otherwise blogs like these ain’t blog like these, or maybe you prefer the boredom of utter agreement continually?

Actually, I generally completely disagree with Devil Drink, and said personage understands this totally, but I have no problem engaging said personage in the spirit of blogdom without trying to fane offence because of the disagreement. A point challenged is either strengthened when it is defended well, or corrected in the right spirit.

I wasn’t aware that tones could be detected on blogs. I can be atonal at times, but nothing condescending or otherwise was intended. By the way, I don’t claim to ‘know better’, I just have an opinion, as do you.

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