Shelagh

I didn't say that science can explain everything currently. There will be an explanation for everything eventually, but for now, there are many things yet to be explained. I cannot perceive of a time when science will have come up with all the answers; there will always be a thirst for more knowledge. Religions cause wars. It's a statement of fact. That doesn't mean that eradicating all religions would mean an end to war. Without religion to fight over, we would find other excuses to go to war.

An even greater risk is to spend several years trying to gain your Ph.D with a poor supervisor, who offers little guidance because you have chosen a topic outside his/her expertise. If you want to see your work published in peer reviewed journals, choose your collaborator wisely!

Nothing proves that God exists. Religion is about belief and doesn't require proof. God exists in the mind of the believer. Not content with believing, religious believers want others to believe in the same God to strengthen their own belief. This is taken to extremes and causes conflict, war and death. Love thy neighbour ... but only if he is of the same faith! Science can explain everything, but we have a long way to go before we understand everything.

The topic seems to be descending into pedantic semantics.

It is logic that is applied, not mathematics! This link is to an overview of logic and the philosophy of mathematics. It is intended for the general reader. It has appeared in the volume The Examined Life: Readings from Western Philosophy from Plato to Kant, edited by Stanley Rosen, published in 2000 by Random House: http://www.personal.psu.edu/t20/papers/philmath/

I think your boredom may be linked to physical inactivity. Aerobic exercises produce endorphins in the brain that give a sense of well-being. Jogging on hard surfaces is wearing on leg joints: hips, knees, ankles. Swimming and cycling take the load off the lower limbs and are good ways to exercise. There are lots of books to help you find the right kind of exercise to suit your physical condition. Tim Peake, the British astronaut who has just arrived at the International Space Station, will be exercising two hours a day to maintain muscle mass and bone density, as well as the benefits to his cardio-vascular system and mental well-being. You might find inspiration from following his progress in space during the next six months!

If anyone is interested in the ISS, an unscheduled spacewalk is likely on Monday, 21st December: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2015/12/18/unscheduled-spacewalk-possible-on-monday/

Logic is not a branch of mathematics; it is applied in mathematics.There are five branches of logic: Categorical Logic, Truth-Functional Logic, Predicate Logic, Modal Logic and Informal Logic. You'll find more information about logic here: http://www.manyworldsoflogic.com/whatIsLogic.html

Even Stephen Hawking said that his belief was wrong! Scientific evidence can be misleading: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/stephen-hawking-admits-the-biggest-blunder-of-his-scientific-career-early-belief-that-everything-8568418.html

If you are considering a topic for a PhD, my advice would be to look at the interests of the professors who are the best supervisors, then choose something that will appeal to the prof you want as your supervisor.

Set yourself goals. The less we do, the less we want to do. That goes for everyone, not just you. You are posting on a science forum, so you do have an interest. Make something that requires skill and invention, but costs little to do. Find someone who doesn't share your skill but would love to be able to make whatever it is you produce, and then teach them how to make one for themselves. Time is the most important thing you can give anyone. You don't need to be rewarded; you can pay it forward by asking those you helped to give as much of their time to others as you gave to them.

The climate is changing all the time; it always has and it always will change. Global warming is the new religion of twenty-first century: it can be neither proved nor disproved, and requires a certain amount of belief.

Why is it that busy people are never bored?

The dictionary definition of closed minded -- having a mind firmly unreceptive to new ideas or arguments -- seems to be the antithesis of the scientific mind, which has to be open to new ideas and arguments. Whereas religion is based on unchanging tradition and rejects new ideas and arguments. If religious beliefs were provable, athesists would have an open mind and be receptive to new arguments about the validity of religion.