4 hours ago, dimreepr said:

Depends on who you read, Douglas Adams argued that the universe actively sought to prevent that... 😉

Therefore we have to double our efforts! 💪💪

20 hours ago, WillyEngland said:

Therefore we have to double our efforts! 💪💪

Double our efforts to do what?

Read more?

On 10/18/2024 at 5:35 AM, sethoflagos said:

Personality, I'm not averse to a little absurdity now and then. But preferably absurdities of my own choosing.

In literature for example?

I remember myself being quite OK with Tolkien's use of magic, as long as he didn't care to "explain" it. So we've got water, and fire, and earth, and wind, and the laws of Nature, and magic. Fine with me for the purposes of entertainment.

When the Star Wars franchise started to appeal to midi-chlorians to try to "explain" how the force is particularly strong in some individuals, I remember having felt really disappointed: Do midichlorians act on ribosomes? Are they nucleotides, proteins...? I'm not sure those are absurdities though...

I agree, btw, with most everybody else that science doesn't give you purpose. I love metaphors, so there goes mine: Science gives you a map of the territory, increasingly precise. What road to take is your choice.

27 minutes ago, joigus said:

I remember myself being quite OK with Tolkien's use of magic, as long as he didn't care to "explain" it. So we've got water, and fire, and earth, and wind, and the laws of Nature, and magic. Fine with me for the purposes of entertainment.

Same with sci-fi. 

We get people here asking how to reconcile their plot idea with science, and I think that only leads to trouble; what they are proposing isn’t possible. When you try and explain how it works or what the rules are, you are just exposing the inevitable contradictions.

1 hour ago, joigus said:

In literature for example?

Still to this day a Tolkien fan.

Similarly, I can find the rather odd physics of the Minecraft universe fully engaging. It can be every bit as satisfying to design and build automated processes in that reality as in this one. 

2 hours ago, joigus said:

What road to take is your choice.

Absolutely! And now that the kids are all grown up, why restrict oneself to a single path anyway?   

On 10/19/2024 at 2:43 PM, dimreepr said:

Double our efforts to do what?

Read more?

Work harder in science.

Both teaching and research.

6 hours ago, WillyEngland said:

Work harder in science.

Both teaching and research.

Whatever floats your boat, mate...

3 hours ago, dimreepr said:

Whatever floats your boat, mate...

Buoyancy floats mine. What do you use?