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R.Wreck
SFN Regular
USA
1191 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2004 : 09:09:08
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If you haven't visited this site before, it is a blast! It's a history of "End Times" prophecies through the ages (surprisingly more often than not they've been wrong). Also has links to the web sites of some of the current Whackos out there who are just counting the days til the four horseman come riding down their street. All in all, entertaining and educational.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/9941/
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The foundation of morality is to . . . give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibliities of knowledge. T. H. Huxley
The Cattle Prod of Enlightened Compassion
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2004 : 14:43:28 [Permalink]
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Haha, yes....
I've had that one bookmarked for a long time. I revisit it every now and again.
Here's another along the same lines.Not as good, I think, but fun none the less.
http://www.abhota.info/
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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tomk80
SFN Regular
Netherlands
1278 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2004 : 19:29:37 [Permalink]
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You guys already read "good omens" by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman? Should be right up your alley |
Tom
`Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, `if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.' -Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll- |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2004 : 10:45:07 [Permalink]
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Oh yeah, read 'Good Omens'. Another good one is 'American Gods'. Then there are the Disc Worlds by Pratchet, also a good read. |
...no one has ever found a 4.5 billion year old stone artifact (at the right geological stratum) with the words "Made by God." No Sense of Obligation by Matt Young
"Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith. I consider the capacity for it terrifying and vile!" Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
They (Women Marines) don't have a nickname, and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere, at a Marine Post. They inherit the traditions of the Marines. They are Marines. LtGen Thomas Holcomb, USMC Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1943
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2004 : 06:28:15 [Permalink]
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Of all the many fears available to obsess over, the End of The World is one of the least likely, least compelling, and indeed the least imaginitive. The religion/mythology related End is just silly to contemplate. The reality-based end is either very unlikely or our own damn fault. And since the end of the cold war, the 'own damn fault' portion is becoming less and less likely. Sure, our civilization is more than likely to collapse in the next 100 years or so, but it won't end humanity. It probably won't even result in the loss of knowledge like the post-Rome Dark Ages. If anything it'll give us, as a species, the opportunity to move beyond this aimless, wheel-spinning of consumerist capitalism and perhaps into a goal-oriented culture where something substantive, more in line with our potential, might be achieved. |
-Chaloobi
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2004 : 10:45:10 [Permalink]
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In a Gene Roddenberry type way, Chaloobi?
I'd like to see us build generation ships and head for the stars, on a voluteer basis of course. |
...no one has ever found a 4.5 billion year old stone artifact (at the right geological stratum) with the words "Made by God." No Sense of Obligation by Matt Young
"Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith. I consider the capacity for it terrifying and vile!" Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
They (Women Marines) don't have a nickname, and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere, at a Marine Post. They inherit the traditions of the Marines. They are Marines. LtGen Thomas Holcomb, USMC Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1943
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2004 : 11:02:11 [Permalink]
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I don't know. I personally believe the greatest thing humanity will ever do, or fail to do, is to spread life through-out the galaxy and beyond. This doesn't necessarily mean a great, space faring civilization. It might just mean lots of johnny-apple-seed probes sent to neighboring worlds with packages of hardy organisms for special delivery. Of course I'd prefer the great, space faring civilization, but you can't have everything.
Recently I've been intrigued with the 'inner worlds' potential of virtual reality. Perhaps the future of humanity lies within the seemingly limitless possibilities of direct connection to computer generated worlds/universes - ala grand scale (and much more imaginative and free) Matrix. All sorts of creative cultural potential could be achieved this way. On the other hand, I think it's extremely important to puzzle out all the mysteries of the workings of the universe, which will probably require some portion of humanity - or our anscestors/designated creations - to explore much of the galaxy. So really, your idea of generation ships heading for the stars - or, hopefully, some kind of short cut through space ala 'hyperspace' - will likely be a necessity even if the majority of humanity turns inward, Matrix style.
But first we need to have GOALS beyond mindless production/consumption. We are just so directionless right now! |
-Chaloobi
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2004 : 20:14:24 [Permalink]
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That's the nature of a short life span, no ability to see beyond our own time frame and keep plans going forward that will take several generations to see fruition. |
...no one has ever found a 4.5 billion year old stone artifact (at the right geological stratum) with the words "Made by God." No Sense of Obligation by Matt Young
"Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith. I consider the capacity for it terrifying and vile!" Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
They (Women Marines) don't have a nickname, and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere, at a Marine Post. They inherit the traditions of the Marines. They are Marines. LtGen Thomas Holcomb, USMC Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1943
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2004 : 20:35:22 [Permalink]
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I think that what we have is all we're gonna get. No galatic travel, terraforming planets of light years distance, nor even any in our own neighborhood, no Star Treking. The bottom line is that we need to quit shitting where we eat and I rather doubt that we can accomplish even that.
As a sci-fi fan of sorts, it breake my heart to say these things, but there you have it.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2004 : 06:34:09 [Permalink]
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I think it blows, too, filthy. If humans stick around for billions of years (which is doubtful to begin with), I don't think that real work to get us "elsewhere" will even start until it's too late. Maybe I'm just cynical. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail) Evidently, I rock! Why not question something for a change? Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2004 : 06:46:10 [Permalink]
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quote: Originally posted by filthy
I think that what we have is all we're gonna get. No galatic travel, terraforming planets of light years distance, nor even any in our own neighborhood, no Star Treking. The bottom line is that we need to quit shitting where we eat and I rather doubt that we can accomplish even that.
As a sci-fi fan of sorts, it breake my heart to say these things, but there you have it.
I tend to agree with you and Dave. And I feel the same as you about it. I grew up in the optimism following the Apollo Program - I remember watching 2001 thinking by this time - 2004 - I'd be able to find a job on the moon. Look how pathetic our space program has become . . . . it's shameful. But the good news is nearly every American family has at least 2 cars! Woo Hoo! |
-Chaloobi
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