jimmydasaint

scilearner, forgive me if I am wrong, but this sounds like a homework. Therefore I will be diplomatic and point you towards two presentations: This one as a simple animation to recap on simple points: Kidney Animation and then this PowerPoint for further notes and explanation. More detail If you need further help then come back to raise specific issues.

gentleman farmer. I think this Forum is privileged to have experts in their subjects such as John B. Could you kindly reply to his post, including, to my mind, the central point he made: Link I think that all debate in the Forum can be conducted in a gentle and harmonious way, and would welcome your comments to John B's post. However, your honesty and candour would also be welcomed in the light of other opinions that have been put forward. Being a gentleman, I am sure you would wish to modify your own opinions when other facts are mentioned which counter them. After all, is it not the mark of an educated person that he/she can hold an opinion and then change them if when further facts come to the fore?

I agree. When someone makes a speculation about science which is non-mainstream, they normally get shot down in flames, don't they? Maybe we need to be more compassionate as a Forum with people who have independently formulated their own theories.

Hi Capn I seem to be allowed to edit all my posts - weeks after they have been made. If I was a more unethical person, I could edit and improve all my posts This isn't deliberate policy is it? I have just edited this post after a day.

Well described and delineated. I agree with the 'broad strokes' of what you have said. What are the freedoms for which Western countries have gone to war against the 'Axis of Evil?' If I am correct, it is ordinary liberalism. It involves: a) political freedom: the right to preach and practise your political, or personal views in a party system, or out of it; b ) economic freedom: the right to acquire money by production of goods or offering services, as long as these do not involve crime; c) individual freedom: the right to practise, preach or propagate one's beliefs, or personal practices, no matter how unusual. All of these freedoms depend on not encroaching on the rights of others. If a person wants to wear a burqa, and feels that she is free to make that choice, without being forced by a husband, then liberal democracies cannot, and should not, encroach on her rights. From what little I know of the Muslim religion, it is not an article of faith to wear a burqa at all. This passage seems quite clear: Link In short, those who want their wives to wear the burqa are over zealous Muslims. Anyway, I think that Muslim women actually rule the roost at home but the men have a pretence of being the dominant partner outside the house. Human nature is really the same, the world over...

There seem to be a lot of SFN members who make one or two posts then disappear from the Forum. I humbly suggest that a first post be highlighted in red and that the person making the post be inundated with answers and welcomed to the forum. Moreover, if someone makes only a handful of posts, they should be sent an automatic mail message to invite them to make some comment on the Forum. In my opinion, a little bit of PR goes a long way to maintain the already high interest in such a superb Forum - my first port of call when I crank up my old computer and modem B)

Leader Bee, I am sorry but the OP is unethical in what it is suggesting. Are you saying that you would give alleged killers an opportunity to opt for possible pain and discomfort in scientific experimentation or instant death? What do you think they would choose? In fact, what would you choose? Even in the last century, conscious human beings were used as experimental subjects, sometimes without their knowledge or consent. The problem arises when the experimenter perceives himself/herself as 'superior' to the experimental subject. IMHO, the shameful Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment is an example. Link Also Link A person who perceives himself/herself as superior, or who is ordered to cruel treatment by an 'authority' figure can cause mayhem and murder in a grand scale. Why do you think humans in the Iraqi Abu Ghraib prison were tortured? If we, as human beings, have any responsibility or role in this planet, it should be to free us all from poverty, pain and misery, and to guard the integrity of a planet which can only go so far in recovering from the onslaughts of the human race. To even suggest that people 'with nothing to lose' volunteer to sacrifice themselves when their own self-serving egos got them in a mess in the first place is asking a bit much, surely.

The Education Board in your area or schools in your area. Alternatively, you can advertise in your local paper for a private teacher. I hope you enjoy this website, because it is also a good teacher. Best of luck.

OK. Thanks for the answers. I am reading up on Rayleigh scattering and found this easy-to-read site. Thank God! I can now explain it to myself thus: Link Genecks thanks for the clues dude (half rhyme ).

I don't really know the answer padren. I take it that experience, knowledge, peer pressure and culture play a large part in what we term pragmatic thinking. If I am correct in my premise then pragmatism to a Zulu warrior would be very different from an Inuit. I also find that pain and hurt are good teachers

I can't believe you did this. No offence to you but this is the exact preachy feely stuff I want to stay well away from. I'd rather be alone with my thoughts thank you. jimmy

IMHO, even a thinker like Kierkegaard needed a 'leap of faith' to transcend the irrational and contradictory facets of Christianity. I (almost) read all of Kierkegaard's long and boring commentary about Abraham's sacrifice and came to the independent view that: a) Abraham had a dream that he thought was a revelation - it wasn't. It was just a dream but being a pious and God fearing man, he believed the dream and was willing to sacrifice his son. b) His first born was also a pious and God fearing boy who loved and revered his father and did not fear death. c) Both were rewarded for their piety and bravery by God replacing the son. In short, God did not shout 'surprise' but corrected the honourable but wrong intentions of two men in the nicest and kindest way. Regarding justice. Who is to know what is just? You would need to have a 'meta' analytical view to decide on the true justice of an action. I believe that Socrates spent much of his short life trying to test people using elenchus and dialectic on what was just, or morally right, and eventually coming to the conclusion that no-one actually knew anything about anything. And that they knew very little about morality or justice. Ironically he was forced into committing suicide. Back to the thread. If the control issue is central to the modified form of Stockholm Syndrome, then we can substitute other forms of control apart from the Divine (which is invisible and may operate through unseen metaphysical Laws) as others have mentioned. However, I am forced to concede the point that, generally, defence of God may be a very loose form of Stockholm Syndrome. Having said that, surrendering your apparent free will to an absolute intelligence that can build a Universe is a pretty heavy commitment, but also a liberating intellectual and emotional feeling. I don't regret it for a moment having come to this notion in my twenties.

This is quite a clear animation and can help you to understand it visually before you do further reading. Animation I suggest that you read something simple then build up to more sophisticated explanations. Start off simply: Link then build up to a more detailed view: Text

Just a general thought, I hope a free one, that we may be punished for thought crime one day: Simple Thoughts Read Small steps at present but you never know... Dream Reading?

Simple question, but why is the sky blue but we still get loads of white light coming through the atmosphere and we don't all appear blue. Moreover, if the sky is a brilliant blue and the sea reflects the colour, why is the sea sometimes green? All simple answers welcomed.

Interesting point. I have felt, for some years now, that I (we) are in a simulated environment. I have no scientific evidence for feeling this way, but I have a gut feeling/emotion/instinct that we are in an astonishing simulation. As for sensory experience, if someone or something could create for you the impressions of each sense, then you would never know whether you are in a dream, or not. For example, to clear up the explanation a little, if I could create for a correlate of every atom you feel when you are sitting on a chair, then you would be convinced that an actual chair is underneath you.

Is he a 'meta' mathematician? Someone who understands and draws together disparate theories into a coherent 'unified' model? IMHO, biological sciences have made a venture into 'niches' of study, which may not be a healthy trend. For example, scientists can spend 20 worthwhile years investigating the action of a single enzyme from the wing of a moth. A wonderful exercise in solving a problem or elucidating a topic but perhaps taking the eye off the ball. In short, seeing the trees but missing the woods. It would be nice to see 'meta' biologists or 'meta' chemists, all of whom are generalists in a subject. However, grant requests probably favour specialisation as a trend.

I can't understand the Mathematics, barely understand the theories but still admire the brilliance of this man. From what I have heard (but still not fully understood), he is a successor to Einstein. A well-deserved prize for a gifted and talented man.

We are all your potential friends. I hope you enjoy the Forum.

Sorry Charon Y, I have to learn joined up thinking sometime. I was considering the possibilities that: a) the DNA was not clean enough for digestion and a double extraction could help; b ) the restriction enzyme could have degraded or been contaminated and an SDS PAGE would help to show its purity, although there are quicker methods. Just thinking back 20 years or more makes my head hurt so I'll leave it to people who still do proper experiments. SDS PAGE would be unlikely to help for higher molecular weight enzymes anyway IIRC.

You can do a check of your DNA to see how 'clean' it is from protein before the digest. You may have to double extract it (using chloroform/ether IIRC) before digestion. I'm not sure but I just wonder if it may be worth an SDS PAGE of the enzyme to see if you get a smear on the protein gel, or well defined bands? Staining techniques have a high level of sensitivity, including Coomassie Blue with a sensitivity of 5-25 ng per band if the figures are credible. Stain

Dear padren, this is quite moving to read and I am quite sure that we have all been in this situation. My general rules of thumb are to follow scripture, then reason/ logic, then my conscience. It is a huge compromise, but it keeps me grounded and away from people who want to force their uncompromising, narrow-minded views down my throat. It does. However, I think one of the benefits of following a social support system is the immense benefit of being in a caring social gathering where you are unlikely to be alone. In my view loneliness and ostracising individuals, indicate greatly stressful events in our societies. It is a sad indictment of the atomisation of Western civilisation, and ultimately may indicate that our decadence may eventually lead to our downfall in the same way that the Roman Empire fell. However, if your logic or reasoning does not correlate with that of your faith society then I can see the problem. The Unseen Law however, to a Theist may be an absolute form of justice, tempered with mercy that serves as a check and balances to the excesses of the ego/self. I understand your point. However, can you imagine that if there is a God, then It is more wise, more moderate and more just than an individual or a society that is using trial and error as their guide markers? Is it possible that giving yourself to the care of a greater/ perfect entity may be far more fulfilling and engendering a sense of freedom within limits, rather than a virtual prison?

I'll start off shall I? Most Helpful Member: who gives the best answers in the nicest way? padren Most Knowledgeable Member: who displays the most consistent knowledge in any (or many) fields? Genecks Most Interesting Member: who's posts are a must read for their diverse content? i-Now by a country mile Best Debater: the member who you think uses the best debating techniques on the forums. Moontanman Most Enjoyable Member: this is a fun category; who makes you laugh the most? rigney Most Improved Member: who has improved their quality of posts the most in the past twelve months? YdoaPs

I am also seriously outraged reading your comments. It is a disgraceful thing to be attacked in a unilateral manner and in an uninvited way. I share your disgust at the thugs who did that to you. However, if there is any small consolation to be had, the thugs remain mired in the gutter and they will never be able to move on with their lives, and remain in an emotionally confusing and emotionally-dominated bubble for the rest of their lives; never to appreciate culture, education or true love. You, my friend, have found all three and have the highest education available. You are able to open your mind to the secrets of the Universe, which they can never approach. You are the lucky one!

I agree that this is the actual core of your argument. I will be quite honest and agree to what you have stated. However, I also want to reiterate that, by being unseen, the creative and intelligent entity gives his creation the impression of free will and then creates infinite choices like infinite bus stops each of which follows a different route to the same bus terminus. It is also your choice not to take the bus at all or to turn back. In short, this creative entity shows its power as it wills. However, it is kind and generous in allowing non-belief or belief in other faiths. Again, if you believe that you are in control of your life and that your choices are paramount and have an impact on other people. If you believe in the presence of a Metaphysical Law that is as immutable as the Law of Gravity, then you can see that the creative intelligence controls by setting Laws in place at the dawn of creation. You would also believe that God does not stick a hand through the clouds and interfere with his creations. The unseen Metaphysical Law(s) exert his control indirectly. His apparent absence reinforces the impression of free will. Man cannot commit a crime through thought, he has to take action as a causative agent where others are affected by his actions. The unseen Law takes care of the justice aspect of control. So the control is not the control and interference of the entity that moves soldiers around on a board but from the laws that allow them to move and interact in the first place with a reward or penalty for each action. A sort of Great Game, if you will. Take this aspect of direct control away from the modified Stockholm model and the creative intelligence feels no joy or pain on his creation's actions. These emotions have no meaning for such an entity. Think of it, if you can create matter, you must be (in my view) different from matter. If you create the Law of Gravity, you must be different from gravity itself. It has been a genuine pleasure to be able to inject my half -formed ideas with an intelligent person. I only hope I have made some sense.