The God Gene (exceptional explanation) :D

[lightgigantic]

No!!.....Really

How do you know he is dissing science. Maybe he's satirizing those ignorant of scientific discovery or those who have difficulty comprehending science.

or maybe even those who don't understand satire

Cleese is a smart guy, a master of the double entendre, a recognized ambassador of satire. You & me are left wondering who he is referring to. A plus for you and a minus for me, or vice versa, all adding up to nothing but a good laugh.

I guess for a person like yourself who can entertain a reductionist view of the universe, anything is possible

LG, are you advocating such a thing as a god gene? Did it evolve? If so, then is it the result of a good mutation, considering a vast majority of changes are not?

:roflmao:
stop it!
you're killing me!
:roflmao:

 

[lightgigantic]

Kenny

Originally Posted by lightgigantic
there is the suggestion that we have an origin beyond matter
”
If true, why does that mean consciousness or farts live on after our bodies shrivel into nothingness?

Maybe you can arrive at an the answer after more deeply contemplating your bodily emissions ...

“
love it or loathe it, consciousness still stands head and shoulders outside of any reductionist model you care to think of.
”
If we had no brains, you may be on to something. However, we do have brains and without brain cells (and probably millions of other cooperating material interactions) we can not have memory, emotions, communicate, coordinate, see, hear, move, feel hunger, breathe etc.

That thing between your ears actually does stuff.

similarly a light bulb also does stuff ...... at the expense of drawing electricity (as opposed to generating it)

“
the only way you can suggest otherwise is by adding something non-scientific to the argument
”
The significance of the role the brain plays in generating consciousness and self-awareness is quite clearly displayed by brain damaged humans, and comparitive studies in the animal kingdom. ie. Animals with a highly developed neocortex show signs of self-awareness and higher consciousness.

doesn't matter if the light bulb is brighter, dimmer, damaged or completely dysfuntional - it doesn't generate electricity. The same holds true with the brain in regards to consciousness. In short the only exceptions there are to an inert brain generating consciousness lies in star trek

“
if you think that consciousness can be shown to be materially reducible, it should be easy to moisturize the bowels of a dead person ....

”
It's easier to show that consciousness (a word that basically describes most higher functions in the brain) is emergant as can be shown by the evolution of humans.

beam me up scotty!

 

[lightgigantic]

Deep Thought

Scientists will no doubt ...

sorry buddy
post dated cheques don't cut the mustard ... especially in empiricism

I'm so happy I'm alive during this wonderful age of science and not some unthinking village dullard being told how the world works by a cleric in the Middle Ages.

dude, you've simply swapped apothecaries for your soothsaying