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Post by oh oooh on Oct 19, 2021 8:59:24 GMT
Humans might be the only intelligent beings in our galaxy, so destroying our civilisation could be a galactic disaster, Prof Brian Cox has warned leaders in the run-up to Cop26.
He went on: “The more I learn about biology … the more astonished I am we exist at all”, adding that while astronomers said there were about 20bn Earth-like planets in the Milky Way galaxy, “so we might expect life to be everywhere”, “almost every biologist I speak to says, ‘Yes, but all it will be is slime at best.’
Cox said there were very few places “where atoms can think … Meaning exists in our minds”, so the demise of Earth could wipe out meaning.
“...there are many challenges that civilisations face as they acquire knowledge and capability and it might just be that there’s a natural lifetime for civilisations.”Does that blow your mind or do you just find it depressing? Are you resigned to it all or do you want to be part of the fight for survival? www.theguardian.com/science/2021/oct/19/earths-demise-could-rid-galaxy-of-meaning-warns-brian-cox-ahead-of-cop26
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Post by bungo the mungo on Oct 19, 2021 9:17:40 GMT
Does that blow your mind or do you just find it depressing? Are you resigned to it all or do you want to be part of the fight for survival? a bit of both. i try to do my bit in order to help the environment, but it's still not enough if i'm honest.
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Oct 19, 2021 9:26:46 GMT
I don't think climate change - presumably we are talking about this? - is a "fight for survival".
At some point of course the sun will go kaput and that will be it, unless we have done a Star Trek.
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Post by tory on Oct 19, 2021 9:28:49 GMT
Science is the religion of our time. And sects, cultists and others have always existed in both realms, sharing apocalyptic visions of the future.
Greta Thunberg is a medieval teenage Saint for the 21st century.
Whilst I have some concern for the future, I also believe that nature, as a construct, has an ability to survive far beyond man. It will endure, as it always has done.
The Permian/Triassic extinction was far more impactful than anything we are likely to witness.
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Post by tory on Oct 19, 2021 9:29:50 GMT
Plus Brian Cox really is SO VERY DULL.
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Post by bungo the mungo on Oct 19, 2021 9:35:43 GMT
Plus Brian Cox really is SO VERY DULL. quite handsome THO. nice haircut too.
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Post by tory on Oct 19, 2021 9:36:39 GMT
He's basically the Fast Show "Brilliant" character with a degree.
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Post by bungo the mungo on Oct 19, 2021 9:37:41 GMT
He's basically the Fast Show "Brilliant" character with a degree. very kind eyes.
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rayge
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Post by rayge on Oct 19, 2021 9:38:50 GMT
Humans might be the only intelligent beings in our galaxy, so destroying our civilisation could be a galactic disaster, Prof Brian Cox has warned leaders in the run-up to Cop26.
He went on: “The more I learn about biology … the more astonished I am we exist at all”, adding that while astronomers said there were about 20bn Earth-like planets in the Milky Way galaxy, “so we might expect life to be everywhere”, “almost every biologist I speak to says, ‘Yes, but all it will be is slime at best.’
Cox said there were very few places “where atoms can think … Meaning exists in our minds”, so the demise of Earth could wipe out meaning.
“...there are many challenges that civilisations face as they acquire knowledge and capability and it might just be that there’s a natural lifetime for civilisations.”Does that blow your mind or do you just find it depressing? I just read the article before logging in here. What he says about life and intelligent life is pretty much what I've thought over the past few decades, and why I think all these febrile fantasies about 'aliens' are nonsense. And he's spot on about 'meaning' being a construct of intelligence rather than a property of the universe.
Using it to talk about climate change as an existential threat to intelligent life and thus 'meaning' strikes me as hyperbole, a tactic, a deliberate attempt to 'blow minds'. Not that I'm a denier, far from it.
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Oct 19, 2021 9:44:52 GMT
Science is the religion of our time. And sects, cultists and others have always existed in both realms, sharing apocalyptic visions of the future. Greta Thunberg is a medieval teenage Saint for the 21st century. Whilst I have some concern for the future, I also believe that nature, as a construct, has an ability to survive far beyond man. It will endure, as it always has done. The Permian/Triassic extinction was far more impactful than anything we are likely to witness. Did you see David Starkey ripping Thunberg? The more I watch her the more I think she's a mentalist and yet people worship her, that's the thing. It's that habit some adults have of believing the virtue and "truth" of yoof or summat. You get that a lot today though....adults ceding to children
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2021 9:49:28 GMT
Science is the religion of our time. And sects, cultists and others have always existed in both realms, sharing apocalyptic visions of the future. Greta Thunberg is a medieval teenage Saint for the 21st century. Whilst I have some concern for the future, I also believe that nature, as a construct, has an ability to survive far beyond man. It will endure, as it always has done. History can't offer us any insight, let alone comfort because we are facing issues we've never faced before.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2021 9:51:41 GMT
Science is the religion of our time. And sects, cultists and others have always existed in both realms, sharing apocalyptic visions of the future. Greta Thunberg is a medieval teenage Saint for the 21st century. Whilst I have some concern for the future, I also believe that nature, as a construct, has an ability to survive far beyond man. It will endure, as it always has done. The Permian/Triassic extinction was far more impactful than anything we are likely to witness. Did you see David Starkey ripping Thunberg? The more I watch her the more I think she's a mentalist and yet people worship her, that's the thing. It's that habit some adults have of believing the virtue and "truth" of yoof or summat. You get that a lot today though....adults ceding to children She's doing a hell of a lot more to try and instigate change than David Starkey! Why would you listen to him? What does he know about climate change?
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Oct 19, 2021 9:55:59 GMT
His point was similar to Toby's so he was placing her in a historical context and I found that interesting.
The teenage saint warning society of the upcoming apocalypse...that sorta thing.
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Post by oh oooh on Oct 19, 2021 9:58:19 GMT
Science is the religion of our time. And sects, cultists and others have always existed in both realms, sharing apocalyptic visions of the future. Greta Thunberg is a medieval teenage Saint for the 21st century. Whilst I have some concern for the future, I also believe that nature, as a construct, has an ability to survive far beyond man. It will endure, as it always has done. History can't offer us any insight, let alone comfort because we are facing issues we've never faced before. but WE WILL PREVAIL!
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Oct 19, 2021 10:00:16 GMT
If we don't it'll be GAV v G in the Thunderdome!
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