dimreepr

I think litmus is applying for resident troll status; having read his other threads, it’s the only conclusion I could come up with.

You would only take a pendulum/force meter if you suspected you were being duped otherwise it would be relatively easy to fake the plane ride itself, without the need to immerge in a different airport (though given the relative uniformity of a lot of airport interiors not unworkable unless you go outside). Certainly within the budget of the BBC, providing it is entertaining enough. The unsuspecting dupe would turn up at an airport and be ushered into a plane like environment attached to a simulator, the night time graphics would be relatively easy to simulate to someone unsuspecting. The only foreseeable problem is if the dupe is a frequent flyer that could tell the difference between simulated acceleration and the real stuff; most of us probably couldn’t. As to creating a Truman type simulation indoors ok, outside no way.

“God is the sum of all that exists” We all know the answer to this sum, 42 of course... As a side note I’d like to suggest a variance to Godwin’s law ‘Give any religious thread long enough and somebody will quote Douglas Adams’ I win

I’ve ridden almost everything from a 50cc peddle moped that could barely attain 30mph to a 1000cc sports bike with 145bhp that could reach well into 190’s mph and I’ve enjoyed every single mile. I thought I’d start this thread for my fellow enthusiasts; Let me know your likes, dislikes and any anecdotes you’d care to share. My best bike was my Triumph 675 Daytona, very light and quick with excellent handling, awesome through the twisty lanes in my native Gloucestershire; it never failed to put a smile on my face. My worst was a Chinese built 125cc 4 stroke gutless wonder (the wonder was it made it the 6 miles to work each day), almost every bolt needed tightening even the spokes (almosted crashed before I discover that). When I started riding I had a 125cc scrambler that had such bad lights that one foggy night I rode through a field for almost half a mile before noticing, it was a lane that had a 90 degree bend that I failed to see, lucky the gate was left open.

Science = The Black Hole War - Leonard Susskind Science fiction = The Foundation series - Isaac Asimov and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams Serious fiction = Les Miserables - Victor Hugo Comedy fiction = Discworld series – Terry Pratchett These are my favourites ATM many more on the shortlist and due to my fickle nature will probably be different next week or, indubitably, my next change of mood/underwear.

I suggest you read ‘Down and out in Paris and London’ by George Orwell and/or ‘The Pearl’, ‘Cannery Row’ and/or ‘Sweet Thursday’ by John Steinbeck these books propose, the liberating nature of extreme poverty. I personally think there are far more, psychiatric, problems created by a surplus of money.

It’s well known that the heart contains neurons, a type called ‘neuro-myo-cytes’ that enables the heart to work independent of the brain, however the heart and the brain do have some connection/interaction. There is a lot of, admittedly anecdotal, evidence that propose a personality can change when a heart is transplanted. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1299456 http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/03/dick_cheney_heart_transplant_can_a_new_heart_change_your_personality_.html http://theophanes.hubpages.com/hub/Cellular-Memories-in-Organ-Transplant-Recipients http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8084936.stm So my question, can the heart have a minor, major or decisive role in the decision processes of the brain?

The Jesuit saying "Give me a child for his first seven years and I'll give you the man" pretty much sums it up for me and let’s be honest how many are brought up in an entirely secular environment? So we generally see that most/all have at least questioned the idea of a god. I think your idea is just an extension of a natural superstitious inclination, one that we share with many other animals.

In some respects I agree with you, in that, a large number of people are somewhat detached from the realities of killing and eating animal flesh, and that this detachment allows some companies methods of husbandry to become dubious (to say the least) and cruelty follows. Unlike you, though, I think people need only be educated in the realities; rather than forced to do without an important foodstuff. Split Infinity’s point, although laudable (in a way), is just not feasible certainly not for all (especially here in the UK) and hunters definitely don’t have exclusivity in the knowledge and empathy of the sacrifice made to enable humans to eat meat. Knowing a number of hunters of a like mind doesn’t show that all hold the same views ergo hunting, is no guaranty of an ethical approach. As to your questions: 1 This has already been debated in this thread and renders the question somewhat moot. 2 Again this question is moot as the majority are unable due to regulations. 3 What animal, including humans, has a free life? Question, again moot.

I have a smallholding on which I have 4 pigs, 12 geese, 10 ducks and 9 chickens, it was 10 chickens but we had a visit from the local fox. I guess the fact that the fowl are killed by me means, by your standard, I can go ahead and eat them, thanks. Unfortunately by this same standard I’m unable to eat the pork, regulations demand the pigs are sent to the abattoir for dispatch. By all means please protest any and all cruelty you find few here would argue against that, I for one would join you, but to argue that eating meat, unless killed personally, automatically results in cruelty/torture is not justified and insults those that run a farm designed with animal care in mind.

‘DevilSolution’ You continue to use the very emotive term ‘murder’, not only, incorrectly but it is as previously stated a strawman, please stop. In your post #28 you ask “if you was a cow what would you want to do?” what you seem to not appreciate is what the animals get from the relationship: Security from predation (if you want a definition of ‘cruelty’ watch a pack of wolves take down an elk), guaranteed food supply, shelter from the extremes of winter and a guaranteed health program. Farmers, at least the dozen or so that I know, would be extremely upset at your line of argument and casual generalizations of cruelty and murder, they all take great pride in their husbandry skills and the strides, both they and governments take in order to alleviate cruelty and develop every more humane ways to dispatch livestock. Nobody in this thread has suggested cruelty doesn’t exist, we’ve all seen the videos of malpractice in the farming world, but these are the extreme and most governments are trying to regulate against such practices. It’s like arguing “because some people drive recklessly cars should be banned”.

This question is indeed an ethical minefield, on one hand we have a huge industry that is profit driven and needs regulation, on the other hand we have a huge domesticated animal population that couldn’t possibly just be left to their own devices. When we develop a more practical alternative to meat, the domesticated animal population can be reduced to a sustainable level. Social pressure and generational trends will take care of those who are reluctant to try the alternatives. In the meantime we can do little else but do as the EU tries to do and regulate the industry to minimise cruelty.

Show some/any evidence that this assertion has any validity. Good luck.

Sibling rivalry aside, suggesting an incestuous relationship is the only or prime cause for suicide is just plain ridiculous not to mention idiotic, how is that not disrespectful to those who are truly suffering?

Ok, so what did you mean? Sibling rivalry wasn’t explicitly mentioned, in the OP, nevertheless it was strongly implicit.

There are many reasons for suicide (I should know I tried once) the OP seems to be trying to be controversial for the sake of it and offers little other than that. The suggestion that it equates to sibling rivalry is at best pure speculation at worst it’s just bloody disrespectful of those who are truly suffering.

In recognition of International Women’s Day, I thought we could celebrate female scientists. Women who are influential in science (both historical and contemporary). I’ll start us off with Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin maybe not the most influential or famous but she did great work in astronomy and trod a path for others.

I was clearly replying to samjase’s post #36, that the ancients were helped by aliens. The only assertion I made was that people have tried to work out ‘how these monoliths/pyramids might have been moved/built’. Within this context your reply makes little sense.

I get quite annoyed by this sort of speculation, it insults our ancestors and by extension us with spurious evidence; It completely disregards all the hard work by the people who spend time showing how it might have been done.

This is maybe a better explanation

A plane typically uses a blade that is chiselled, normally 25-30 degrees, which is what causes the fibres of the wood to stretch on one side. It does though depend on the depth of the cut a very thin shaving is often straight.

This may be useful.

I don’t think the exploration of sexuality by children via adults is intrinsically harmful, given the exploration is initiated by the child. I can’t, however, see a safe way to determine which child is the explorer and which child has been coerced or groomed. Adults grooming children use a variety of psychological methods which often leave the children confused and vulnerable. It’s far safer to let it remain illegal and socially unacceptable.

People’s, apparent, need to conform is a large part of what I thought of as faith, in the right conditions most will believe black = white, given enough people agreeing. Individualism is what we all strive for and yet mostly it’s within a prescribed, socially based norm. Perversely, faith, in this age seems to buck the modern science backed trend of empiricism and is claimed, it seems, by the truly individual.

The tightrope of advertising is a tricky rope to walk; nice footwork . That being said I am interested in the tubes you mention any links?