DrDNA

Do WE exist? And if so, what proves our existence?

I know. And I thought it was funny. But don't you think that Dr Dave's research is cool? They have "borg rats". Rats with electrodes sticking out of their heads, which connect to specific neural pathways in their brains, in order measure/monitor the effects of hallucinogens. And various other animal models, including mazes, to measure the effects of hallucinogens. Interesting side note: the group used to (I'm sure they still do) have "groupies"....people tried to hang out with them in the hopes that they might receive handouts..... Merged post follows: Consecutive posts merged Also, I didn't want the young'en to get the wrong impression.

7 Thor believers and 3 Thor agnostics vs 7 Thor non-believers? Oh come now. Liars, liars, pants on fires. Or, by the power of Oden, could this be a Nordic god reawakening?

Sorry I pulled the trigger too soon Para. And Baby As has a valid point along similar lines. I think that it is critical to this discussion to come to an understanding of what is the benchmark for a rational vs an irrational belief. Well, what is it? Surely someone has an answer or they wouldn't be claiming that some things are completely irrational, while others are rational.

To counter, my parents indoctrinated me to be many things that I am not; including an atheist. Maybe I am the exception which makes the rule? Merged post follows: Consecutive posts merged I'm getting close to the line.... But, hypothetically speaking, the whole premise of some religions may be based on a belief that what WE want is, to a large extent at least, irrelevant; except as it fits into the larger scheme of things. On the other hand, these hypothetical people may believe that what a hypothetical Creator wants or intends to do is often completely beyond our ability to comprehend.

Incorrect you are about my intention Correct you are And better than I at stating my argument you did .

Who or what is the judge of rational vs irrational?

As opposed to Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and many other mainstream religions, Norse paganism is not currently practiced by millions of people world wide. If you look hard, far and wide, I'm sure that you will find somebody that actively practices Norse paganism, but not a great number. Therefore, one can easily anticipate that only a few, or no one here, will honestly admit to a belief in Thor. Conclusions: The question and many answers are very amusing, however, the (honest) answers can be easily anticipated a priori. Many "true believers" may suspect that the question was intended to ridicule those that believe in a higher power(s). In which case neither the question nor any subsequent responses, would be taken very seriously. PS: Although I adamantly believe in God, I, for one, am quite amused and definitely NOT offended. PSS: If you ever meet a practicing Norse paganist, I would advise against making fun of Thor, Oden or any other Norse god. Knowing what I know about many ancient Viking and Germanic cultures, I doubt that it is or ever was a "religion of peace".

Thor IS quite a super hero; with his mighty hammer. In a fair fight, and especially in an unfair fight, Thor can easily whip Batman, Aquaman, the Green Lantern,, or Spiderman (to name a few). He can whip the Fantastic Four; one by one or together, but being the gentleman he is, he probably would not fight the woman, I think he might do something else with her..... He can even defeat Superman, as long Oden is showing him favor.

I absolutely agree with you. The pork in those bills would be more out of control than it already is. But that doesn't make it un-hypocritical. It IS. In addition, as intelligent, yet imperfect beings, most of us have first hand experience how exponentially easier and safer it is to sit up in a high chair, pointing out what someone is doing wrong rather than actually taking the reins and doing something about it ourselves. So, looking back, I think that the real hypocrisy lies in, where were the heck were the REAL conservative politicians, and most of the popular, so-called conservative pundits (sans a few like Mike Savage) when Bush was writing billion dollar checks like an addict in a cocaine store? Perhaps they were overly optimistic and misguided; wanting desperately to believe that Ronald Reagan would descend from the heavens and take complete control over Bush's mind and his body. But, I suspect that it is much more likely that they were/are simply small, weak men, afraid that Cheney would force them to go bird hunting and then shoot them in the face, or worse.

Thanks to advances in genetic engineering, some genetically altered lab mice are now geniuses, others are insane, and they will some day rule the entire planet together....perhaps even the entire galaxy. There is even a reality show and a song that documents their trails and tribulations. ... One is a genius, the other's insane They're laboratory mice Their genes have been spliced They're dinky They're Pinky and the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain Before each night is done Their plan will be unfurled By the dawning of the sun They'll take over the world They're Pinky and the Brain Yes, Pinky and the Brain Their twilight campaign Is easy to explain To prove their mousey worth They'll overthrow the Earth They're dinky. They're Pinky and the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain,.......

How come no Life Sciences nor Social Sciences?

For the record, I would like to state that squirrels have the added benefit that they are much tastier than crows. I'm not certain, nor do I care to find out, about the taste of dogs or monkeys.

I disagree about the psychiatry point. There are plenty of MDs that did psychiatry residencies and are doing fine psychopharmacology research in medical schools and in drug companies. Unlike iNow, I'm completely unbiased, and realize that Medicinal Chemistry (combining pharmacology, drug design and synthesis) is the best path to take. Check out Dr Dave's Website at Purdue (you could do worse than do your thesis under him): http://www.mcmp.purdue.edu/faculty/?uid=drdave Research: Medicinal and Bioorganic Chemistry Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology ""The general thrust of the work in our laboratory could be characterized as the development of molecular probes to understand the role of brain monoamine neurotransmitters in normal behavior. Although molecular biology has made great strides in providing information about structural and functional aspects of the brain, those studies must be complemented through the use of specifically designed molecules that are directed toward particular biological targets. In an academic sense, such molecules are useful in gaining fundamental information about neuronal function. When one of them has high efficacy and low toxicity, however, it may become a drug candidate. We have a particular focus on brain systems that utilize dopamine or serotonin as the neurotransmitter. In the former case, we are interested in molecular probes that have specificity for only one of the five general types of dopamine receptors (D1 - D5). Our efforts to date have led to several novel series of molecules that are full efficacy agonists at the dopamine D1 receptor subtype. One of these (named Dihydrexidine) showed remarkable efficacy in an animal model of late stage Parkinson's disease. A second-generation compound named dinapsoline has properties similar to dihydrexidine. Dinapsoline now has also shown dramatic efficacy in both rodent and primate models of Parkinson's disease. Recently we have developed yet a third series of related compounds based around a prototype named dinoxyline that is a sort of "universal" dopamine agonist. By appropriate structural modifications, these different templates have led to molecules with specificity for the D2 or D3 dopamine receptor isoforms. We also have a continuing interest in the serotonin 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors as likely targets for hallucinogenic/psychedelic substances and atypical antipsychotic drugs, and the possible roles that these receptor systems may play in normal cognitive function. These projects are comprised of systematic structural modification, coupled with pharmacological assay, with a view toward identifying structural determinants of the ligand binding domain in these receptors. One theme of this work has been to identify how molecules from different chemical classes can all be accommodated within the same receptor binding site. More recently we have been studying the second messenger systems that are coupled to the 5-HT2A receptor, and investigating their relative importance in the actions of hallucinogenic drugs. We have also developed a computer-based homology model of several G protein coupled receptors and are attempting to understand the functional elements within the receptor that are key to agonist activation.""

I think that they are both hypocrites. I was worried about the trillion, or so, dollar stimulus package until I read this........ U.S. Taxpayers Risk $9.7 Trillion on Bailout Programs By Mark Pittman and Bob Ivry Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- The stimulus package the U.S. Congress is completing would raise the government’s commitment to solving the financial crisis to $9.7 trillion, enough to pay off more than 90 percent of the nation’s home mortgages. The Federal Reserve, Treasury Department and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have lent or spent almost $3 trillion over the past two years and pledged up to $5.7 trillion more. The Senate is to vote this week on an economic-stimulus measure of at least $780 billion. It would need to be reconciled with an $819 billion plan the House approved last month. Only the stimulus bill to be approved this week, the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program passed four months ago and $168 billion in tax cuts and rebates enacted in 2008 have been voted on by lawmakers. The remaining $8 trillion is in lending programs and guarantees, almost all under the Fed and FDIC. Recipients’ names have not been disclosed. ...................... The pledges, amounting to almost two-thirds of the value of everything produced in the U.S. last year, are intended to rescue the financial system after the credit markets seized up about 18 months ago. The promises are composed of about $1 trillion in stimulus packages, around $3 trillion in lending and spending and $5.7 trillion in agreements to provide aid. ........ ........ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=aGq2B3XeGKok

Squirrels are a lot smarter than me. They bury their nuts and can always find them. I invested my money and I have no idea where it is.

It appears to be a strong 'no' here sir.

It really depends on what you want to eventually do. Treat patients, do research or do both? If you purely want to do research, you certainly don't need to go to medical school. A few professors in psychology departments focus on pyshcopharmacology research. Some professors in medicinal chemistry or pharmacology departments focus their research on the design, synthesis and or mechanism of action of mind-altering or behavior-modifying drugs. You can also find professors in various other departments, such as biochem, biophysics, chemistry, physiology, biology, etc, doing the same type of research. Of course you can go the medical school route as well, but it is not necessary if you just want to do research or if you don't feel a need to directly administer your concoctions to humans yourself.

I personally believe strongly that too much of the time/effort in education, including K-12, 4 yr university and even graduate programs, is focused on teaching students what to think; while too little time/effort is spent teaching students how to be thinkers. Almost all of our high school graduates, most college graduates and many (a majority of?) PhDs have absolutely no idea how to be critical thinkers. I also believe that many societal ills are a result of this. Exactly three and only three courses taught me how to be a thinker and they were Philosophy or Philosophy-based courses. Philosophy, Bioethics, and the History and Philosophy of Science taught me how to be a thinker (in that order). All three were taken as an undergraduate and none were required to graduate with a degree in science; they were electives. All of the classes I took in high school and the remainder of the classes I took in college and grad school taught me only what to think, not how to be a critical thinker. I cringe every time I see a commercial for a school like ITT tech on the boob tube. They brag about teaching ONLY the technical skills necessary to perform a job. I might add that the negative bias against Philosophy, which is sometimes expressed on this forum .... plus the fact that modern science has its roots in Philosophy.....puzzles me. But, hey, maybe the world needs more robots than thinkers.....

Squirrels are already smarter than (many) humans....... Cunning squirrels make bogus burials of 'nuts and seeds' to fool onlookers By DAVID DERBYSHIRE Last updated at 23:33 16 January 2008 Crafty customer: Squirrels have learnt to protect their food Their quick intelligence, razor-sharp memory and ruthless cunning have made them a foe of gardeners everywhere. Now it turns out that grey squirrels are even more devious than anyone realised. To protect their winter food stocks from potential thieves, they put on an elaborate show of burying non-existent nuts and seeds, a study has shown. Scientists say the fake burials are designed to confuse any rival squirrels, birds or humans who might be watching. The level of deception has astonished animal experts who say it shows a rare form of animal cunning and intelligence. Squirrels are great hoarders and bury or hide spare morsels of food in the autumn for the lean winter months. Dr Michael Steele, of Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, has found that they are also capable of elaborate deception, New Scientist reports. He found that a fifth of all so-called food burials are fake - and the proportion goes up if they think they are being watched. "To our knowledge, this is the first study to show evidence of behavioural deception by a rodent, and the first to use an experimental approach to studying deceptive behaviour in in the wild," he says. The squirrels go to elaborate lengths to keep up the pretence of hiding food. Once they have dug a small hole in a flower bed, woodland floor or lawn, they act as if they are thrusting a small object into the gap. They complete the deception by covering the fake cache of food with a layer of soil or leaves. The incidence of fake burials goes up when they think their food is under threat. Dr Steele recruited a group of undergraduates to follow the squirrels and find out where they were burying food. The number of bogus interments shot up as soon as the human volunteers began to raid the food stocks - suggesting that the creatures were becoming even more deceptive as a reaction to the raids. He believes that the bizarre behaviour suggests a far more advanced thought process for grey squirrels than scientist previously thought. But experts are divided on whether the latest research means they are capable of reason or whether they simply get into routines which work for them. Dr Lisa Leaver at the University of Exeter said: "They may just have learned through trial and error that certain behaviours protect their food from theft." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-508696/Cunning-squirrels-make-bogus-burials-nuts-seeds-fool-onlookers.html

Don't I say I didn't warn ya, but it sounds like a good plan....if'n yer tryin to get yourself killed....

Thanks! I was thinking about putting another magnet behind the first one, eg, facing the first one but with opposite polarity, for the extra boost which is required for passing lanes or going up steep hills. PS: Contrary to what you and that wicked woman that stole Toto in the middle of a tornado believe, I do not feel that flying bicycles are the wave of the future. Like cars, we can barely operate them in two deminsions (x-y), much less three (x-y-z)

I typed 'amphetamine metabolism' in Google and this the second thing that popped up...... URINE EXCRETION RATE: Amphetamine is largely unaffected during metabolism. The entire dose is probably eliminated in the urine over a period of several days. About 30% is excreted unchanged in 24 hours in normal urine. In acidic urine, the amount excreted increases up to 74% and decreases to 1% in basic urine. METABOLITES: Phenylacetone, benzoic acid, and hippuric acid less than 25%; 4-hydroxyamphetamine, 4-hydroxynorephedrine, and norephedrine less than 10%. http://www.sdrl.com/druglist/amphetamine.html

YEEEE HAA!!! My woman and me, we like smokin cigars, drinkin Kentucky Bourbon with branch water an shootin Zombies with our preacher and his common law wife on Sundays after church! We laugh real hard when they arms fall off and they funny little heads explode. We don't care if'en it kills 'em cause we just shoots 'em over again. They is a hoot! Y'all is invited to come join us this Sunday. Bring somethin to drink if'n you don't like Bourbon and your own firearms or you can jus borrow one of ours. We donts care. They is plenty of Zombies for everbody! PS: I don't like to ask, but my wife wanted me to tell you she'd much appreciate it if you'd bring a along box or two of 30 cal carbines, 454 Cassels, 30-06 or 12 gauge deer slugs. She is a runnin kinda low on each. PSS: inuhbad, again, I don't like to ask, but my wife wanted me to ask you if you is comin could you bring that 50 cal machine gun? She ain't never shot a Zombie with one of them before and really has her heart set on shootin one in the head with it after seeing that picture of yourn. Don't tell her, but I might surprise her and get her one for Valentine's day.

?? That works great in the movies and on TV. And of course that is the preferred option. But, unfortunately, I do not believe reality is always so simple. People will be "upset" no matter what you do. I'm not worried about making enemies out of people that want to kill us. Or their next door neighbors for that matter. If my neighbor is shooting rockets into the strongest military on the planet's helicopters, I have approximately 4 options: -assist him -assist the guys in the helicopters -do nothing -or pack my family and anything I can grab on my donkey, on my cart or on my back and get the heck out of there. The later is the safest and the preferred option I believe. If it was in my neighborhood, I (and my family) would be out of there in a heart beat. I don't care if we had to eat lizards and sleep on stones.....outa there..... Maybe you missed my earlier point. I do want to destroy their crops (opium) because that is what is funding their operations to a large degree. I'm confused now. You want to keep the bad guys "afraid of leaving the village" so they are imbedded with the innocents? Or you want to get them out of the villages so they can be picked off? Which one? Re: Picking them off at leisure. I really don't understand this part. Are you implying that flooding Pakistan with snipers is the (or an) answer? EDIT: Never mind. I've made my point ad nauseum.