What you believe in

[Cite134]

...You're such a  party pooper.  

There's still the chance of one of the inteligent civilizations developing FTL travel!

Correct me if I'm wrong....but I thought FTL was impossible?
Anywho, other than death and my thoughts....I don't think I really 'believe' in anything.

As for intelligent extraterrestrial life: I am not certain that they are out there, but I think it would be very arrogant of anyone to assume that we were the only intelligent life forms who exist, or EVER existed in the universe.

My biggest dream is for scientists to discover that there is life out there, even more so intelligent life. We've only recently been able to discover about 500 extrasolar planets within a 300 ly radius from our planet (keep in mind the Milkyway Galaxy is 100,000 ly in diameter). As I look at my own solar system and understand that there are other systems alike in the vast cosmos...I almost become certain that there is other life, including intelligent life.

However, I do agree with Tank that it my be well out of our lifetime before we will make such a grand discovery.

[Byronazriel]

Technically FTL speed is only impossible because it would require greater than infinite energy to accelerate a given mass to a higher speed than 299,792,458 metres per second...

Theoretically you could warp space in such a way that you are actually travelling only a short distance, but you end up a great distance away... Hence "Warp drive"

Wormholes, teleportation, and other such things bypass this rule by crossing great distances without actually crossing great distances... Like taking a shortcut. You're still going the speed limit, but you aren't staying on the road.

In other words in order to cheat you must go from A to C without travelling through B.

[i_am_i]

Why don't you believe in god?

I believe in lots of gods.

Which ones?

[Byronazriel]

I believe that all, and any gods are equally valid human interpretations of universal forces.

[i_am_i]

I believe that all, and any gods are equally valid human interpretations of universal forces.

Well, no, that's not what you said. You said that you believe in many gods. So I'm asking you to name the gods you believe in.

[Byronazriel]

Do you want them in alpha/numeric order?

Or by religion?

Either way it would take far too long.

[i_am_i]

Do you want them in alpha/numeric order?

Or by religion?

Either way it would take far too long.

Okay, then just name one.

[Byronazriel]

Bilious:The oh god of hangovers

[Whitney]

I can't think of anything I believe in that can't be objectively shown to exist except the very basic belief that reality is not just an illusion. I find it productive to go ahead and take at least a tiny leap of faith on that topic.

There are things that I find highly possible, like aliens.  But I don't really believe in them.

[i_am_i]

Bilious:The oh god of hangovers

Come on, I'm serious. Won't you just name one of the gods you believe in?

[Byronazriel]

So am I, and I did.

I also believe in Cthulhu, Thor, Hercules, Jupiter, Superman, Santa, and Flying Spaghetti Monster.

I may not worship them, but I believe they exist.

[i_am_i]

So am I, and I did.

I also believe in Cthulhu, Thor, Hercules, Jupiter, Superman, Santa, and Flying Spaghetti Monster.

I may not worship them, but I believe they exist.

Well this is utterly pointless bordering on moronic, so I believe I'll go watch the baseball game.

[Byronazriel]

Who's to ay anything has any more or less substance than anything else?

Do I exist any more than the incredible Hulk?

Is there any way for you, or I to know for sure?

Is an illusory apple any less or more real than a physical apple?

Whether the apple is made of conceptual dream fluid, or physical atomic particles doesn't matter. They are both apples.

A is A, an apple is an apple.

Everything is merely probability, you say that Bilious the oh god of hangovers is not a serious god... What's the difference between a fictional god, and a real god? No really, tell me.

Is Thor any more or less real than Hercules, is Batman any less real than Captain America?

Is Santa any less real than Jesus?

Is this dancing banana  :fish: ?

Or perhaps more along the lines of my religious beliefs: Is a brick any less or more real than the house it is a part of?

Can you construct a fake house out of real bricks? Yes, I've seen plenty of prop houses.

Can you make a real house out of fake bricks? Yes, you can certainly live in a house made of rubber bricks... perhaps not comfortably however.

At what point does a collection of trees become a forest?

That's my religious beliefs in a nutshell: A single tree can be a forest, but a forest cannot be a single tree.

[i_am_i]

Who's to ay anything has any more or less substance than anything else?

Do I exist any more than the incredible Hulk?

Is there any way for you, or I to know for sure?

Is an illusory apple any less or more real than a physical apple?

Whether the apple is made of conceptual dream fluid, or physical atomic particles doesn't matter. They are both apples.

A is A, an apple is an apple.

Everything is merely probability, you say that Bilious the oh god of hangovers is not a serious god... What's the difference between a fictional god, and a real god? No really, tell me.

Is Thor any more or less real than Hercules, is Batman any less real than Captain America?

Is Santa any less real than Jesus?

Is this dancing banana  :fish: ?

Or perhaps more along the lines of my religious beliefs: Is a brick any less or more real than the house it is a part of?

Can you construct a fake house out of real bricks? Yes, I've seen plenty of prop houses.

Can you make a real house out of fake bricks? Yes, you can certainly live in a house made of rubber bricks... perhaps not comfortably however.

At what point does a collection of trees become a forest?

That's my religious beliefs in a nutshell: A single tree can be a forest, but a forest cannot be a single tree.

Sorry, can't talk right now. Watching the baseball game.

It's 6-1 in the bottom of the seventh.

[omfgzmariah]

I believe in me, and myself. And that's all. What does that make me? A Levain (sp) Satanist?

As for intelligent extraterrestrial life: I am not certain that they are out there, but I think it would be very arrogant of anyone to assume that we were the only intelligent life forms who exist, or EVER existed in the universe.

Agree. The probability of ET is very very high.

I can't think of anything I believe in that can't be objectively shown to exist except the very basic belief that reality is not just an illusion. I find it productive to go ahead and take at least a tiny leap of faith on that topic.

I'm constantly questioning my reality, and I enjoy doing so.