must

Morality must be safeguarded by the citizens I was listening to the radio the other day and the speaker said something to the effect ‘let the market decide the value of our higher education system…and the market appears to think that our higher education system is doing a good job’. Is it wise...

Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth by Andrew Smith http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/09/201622.php He sets out to find and interview the men who walked on the Moon There were 10, one has died. I think that's a fascinating idea for a book, and I'd love to find out how that...

USA is considering firing an interceptor and destroying the Korean test-launch of their long-range ballistic missile. http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2006/06/20/417795.html&cvqh=itn_nkorea Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he could not say whether the...

Basic philosophy quickly differentiates between the human-experience and the reality of 'our universe': subjective inner-experience as opposed to objective actual-reality. They are not the same. For those of you of a level to understand this, let's examine why science needs to reform...

They thumb their nose at the UN. "I don't give a damn," they say. I'll give them this: they are perhaps the firt country to admit this [though certainly not the first to practice it]. I must admit I don't blame them for not giving a damn. It's not like the UN has real teeth or anything...

Homeopathy? Astrology? Hmm, I don't think so! (I assume everyone else can see these on the left of their screen when opening the forum today?) Can anything be done to have these removed? DeVega

In Quantum superposition, the particle collapses the wavefuction into one state when observed? Is the particle real in two or more states at the same time, or is it in a state we don’t know until we observe.

Canadian Supreme court rules 8-0 in favour of Sikh student. The dagger is made of steel and called a "kirpan." Orthodox Sikhs are required to carry it at all times. I don't know if the Multani lawyer's argument is quite acceptable, but even so, in principle I don't think weapons in school can...

Reading through the latest challenge kook, another one that can summons UFOs or spaceships. And the applicant says they have to allow for weather. What is it with the clear skies stipulation? If these craft can travel accross the universe, through extreme cold and darkness, aparently at...

Go here. Please scroll to the bottom (after being wowed by the photos) and play the video. Amazing.

"God works in mysterious ways." "God's ways are not our ways." "Everything happens for a reason." etc. etc. When Katrina destroyed New Orleans, most Christians believed that God did not send the hurricane with an immediate motive in mind. While God controls the weather patterns, he does...

The Economist reviewed the book “The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth” by Benjamin Friedman. Some people contend there is a point at which rich countries are rich enough. They claim that the quest for more wealth is immoral. Other people are less extreme but they do question whether the...

Taken from CNNews: If seeing ghosts and apparations means you can't be a security guard may be other types of employment should be included... :)

Unfortunate double post...see the other thread...having a little trouble with my keyboard today....

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=24131&name=Ernst+August's+family's+weapons+may+be+illegal

I got a book advert emailed to me. Promo ideas discussed The first time I heard the first quote I thought, "hogwash". That was decades ago - does it pass for common wisdom today? I can argue with part of the second quote. Putting ourselves first does not automatically make us contemptible...

What do you think about this? " People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Zhu Chenghu (朱成虎) recently showed his true colors when he boasted in a manner typical of a bully and one accustomed to a rigid social hierarchy. Zhu threatened that if the US intervened in a war between China and...

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/06/23/woman_stopped_at_logan_with_46950_sues_dea/ I think it is ridiculous to be able to sieze money without convicting someone of a crime because it is allegedly drug money. However, claiming money is drug money simply because there...

I contend that idealists must either believe that everything has a purpose or a reason, or alternatively conclude that they are just a biological machine, driven by biological mechanisms. In other words, everything that happens in your life, is for a purpose. You stub your toe, you spill tea on...

I contend that materialists must either reject the existence of consciousness, or alternatively conclude that consciousness is an epiphenomenon. Do you agree? I should explain what I mean by consciousness. Basically I'm referring to phenomenology. That is to say that by consciousness I mean...

In this thread, the following comment was made by clarsct about skeptics who are christians, and skeptics who are atheists. My intention here is not to put clarsct or anyone else on the spot. What I'd like to do is to discuss whether or not someone can be considered a skeptic if they happen to...

1. If it were true that I do not have free will, but my behaviour is governed by physical laws, then my conviction that I am conscious is wholly caused by determined events in the brain which form links in a chain of physical cause and effect. 2. Thus my conviction that I am conscious has...

Saudi Arabia's King Fahd Hospitalized Poor guy. You can't just haul him halfway around the world, drop him in a field of flowers in a free country, and expect him to take it well. Hope he clears up. :(

Is this a sign that the wingnuts are being slapped into reality? Maybe someone made him a better offer? ;)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned Thursday that unless lawmakers come to grips with spiraling U.S. deficits, the economy was at risk of stagnation "or worse." "Under existing tax rates and reasonable assumptions about other spending ... projections make clear...

This is a must read article, it is an excellent piece of journalism, and covers the UNMOVIC, lead up to the war, the post war search for WMD, and torture as a standard part of interrogation by the US armed forces. I recommend that everyone reads this article, in full. It is long, and detailed...

Dogs show huge differences in personality, according to a US scientist who has developed a test to assess canine character. Dr Sam Gosling, of the University of Texas, rates the dogs on four key traits with positive and negative extremes. He adds that his work suggests pets should be matched...

Germans must work as prostitutes Now this is just wrong. First Swedes imprisoning pastors for preaching from the bible against homosexuality inside their churches and now Germany requiring folks to become prostitutes or lose unemployment benefits? The US is frequently criticised, sometimes...

I'm just at this moment reading this web page. About 20% of the way down, under "4. Minimal Physicalism and Philosophy of Mind", it states: But I'm confused by this. Let's take identity theory. If a pain literally is the very same thing as a neuron firing, then surely this is not the same...

I dont see how this guy can not get the death penalty. I cant imagine that all the people on death row have done worse things than Scotty. The guy killed his very preggy wife and unborn kid, then dumped them in the bay. No remorse and no real motive. What was the motive anyway? They would...