With the discovery of more and more earth like extra-solar planets many newspapers and magazines are musing whether there is life on other planets within our galaxy or even life on Mars or satellites within our own solar system.
http://press.nationalgeographic.com/files/2014/06/July-2014-Highlights_final.pdf
It is worth reading this article in the National Geographic magazine. According to the Drake equations there are probably many planets which are inhabited by civilised beings who are capable of thought and making advanced tools.
I agree that there are probably thousands if not millions of planets and satellites which support life. However, being intelligent is probably a rare phenomenon. Of the millions of species which have inhabited our own planet few of have developed any form of intelligence: primates are classic examples but whales and related species show some signs of intelligence as do elephants.
The only species which have shown any form of advanced intelligence, communication and forward planning are members of the Homo genus.
The survival of most species on our planet does not depend upon intelligence at all. Most animals can rely upon instinct or autonomic behaviour to survive. Plants, fungi and microbes can survive even without a nervous system. Viruses, if they are alive, can survive perfectly well by using other organisms to ensure their longevity.
It can be argued that human beings are not the most successful creatures on the planet at all and that in terms of numbers and distribution, cockroaches, rats, grass and microbes are much more successful.
In terms of longevity, Homo Sapiens Sapiens has only been on the planet for around 250,00 years and we were preceded by Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis who originated perhaps 250,000 years earlier if only to die out 30,000 years ago.
It is quite possible that advanced intelligence does not supply the gift of longevity: Homo Erectus and Homo Heidelbergensis died out long ago and their obvious mental capabilities did nothing to help them survive in the long run.
Our own survival might possibly be at stake if we do not learn to use our intelligence wisely. We could quite easily destroy ourselves or our civilisation as the result of nuclear or biological warfare, pollution and climate change. If "advanced beings" on other planets behave like us there could be very few civilisations who have survived long enough to develop the ability to communicate with us.
We could be one of the few species which is capable of thought within a galaxy which is probably teeming with life. It looks as if we shall have to go out and actively find extra terrestrial life rather than wait for it to come to us. It would be a shame if we became extinct as a result of our own actions before we could "shake hands" with a fellow intelligent being from another planet.
Monday, 23 June 2014
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Pope Francis and Atheists
Pope Francis has stated that atheists who do good can be redeemed but they may not be granted salvation. What does this mean? It means nothing. There is no evidence whatsoever that there is a God who is a supernatural being.
I have many friends who are Christian and I was brought up in a Christian family. Many of my friends who are religious can understand perfectly why I would think that this article in the Roman Catholic press is completely irrational and is incoherent gibberish.
http://www.catholicvote.org/what-pope-francis-really-said-about-atheists/
Of course there are many Roman Catholics, Baptists, Calvinists and even Church of England fundamentalists who do believe this nonsense. They would be the dangerous ones if ever Britain were to become a theocratic state again. Atheists, Agnostics, Muslims, Jews, Druids, Witches and Wizards would then suffer from discrimination and possibly persecution at their hands.
Unfortunately the same thing would happen if fundamentalists of any religion were to gain theocratic power. I only feel qualified to comment on this matter because I am an apostate Christian. Whilst I find the non-scientific writings of Richard Dawkins rather tedious and I stopped reading "The God Delusion" on page 10, I would rather have an Atheist in control than a priest.
We are lucky in Europe that the age of reason has produced a liberal secular society which tries to defend the rights of everyone including the religious and which seeks to persecute no-one.
I have many friends who are Christian and I was brought up in a Christian family. Many of my friends who are religious can understand perfectly why I would think that this article in the Roman Catholic press is completely irrational and is incoherent gibberish.
http://www.catholicvote.org/what-pope-francis-really-said-about-atheists/
Of course there are many Roman Catholics, Baptists, Calvinists and even Church of England fundamentalists who do believe this nonsense. They would be the dangerous ones if ever Britain were to become a theocratic state again. Atheists, Agnostics, Muslims, Jews, Druids, Witches and Wizards would then suffer from discrimination and possibly persecution at their hands.
Unfortunately the same thing would happen if fundamentalists of any religion were to gain theocratic power. I only feel qualified to comment on this matter because I am an apostate Christian. Whilst I find the non-scientific writings of Richard Dawkins rather tedious and I stopped reading "The God Delusion" on page 10, I would rather have an Atheist in control than a priest.
We are lucky in Europe that the age of reason has produced a liberal secular society which tries to defend the rights of everyone including the religious and which seeks to persecute no-one.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
"Trojan Horses" and schools
All the political fuss and agonising about some UK schools and their governance could have been avoided if the state did not fund faith schools. It is the purpose of a school to educate young people to think for themselves not to indoctrinate them with religious or political beliefs. Religious education should be reserved for the private sector where, even there, minimum curriculum standards should be maintained.
No-one should be prevented from sending their children to a synagogue, church or mosque or any other religious place of worship and "Sunday, Saturday and Friday school " activities should not be controlled by the state. Religious practise, however, is best left to the home and the place of worship.
School governors and teachers in state schools should not be selected on the basis of faith or the lack of it but they should be selected on the basis of whether they are qualified to run an educational establishment or teach in one.
School governors and teachers should keep their religious and political views to themselves in state funded schools. Young people should not be subjected to any form of indoctrination.
If someone wishes to pray at school they should be allowed to do so. No young person, however, should be coerced into praying and teachers should not be allowed to inform on pupils who do not wish to pray or wear religious symbols etc.
It is difficult to define British values; some values have been fought for by generations of Britons and these are: the right to have freedom of conscience, the right to free speech, the right to be a member of a religion or to become an apostate without sanction. These values are not unique to Britain.
British society is in the main secular even if the official religion is the Church of England. Contrary to the belief of some religious leaders most secularists do not want to impose restrictions upon religious belief or the right of people to worship. We believe that there is a time and place for everything within the law. The time and place for religion is not in state funded schools.
The best way to defend the interests of the religious and non-religious alike is to support secular state funded schools and a secular society in general. How else can we all live together in peace? Let everyone have equal human rights and obligations with regard to their conscience, freedom of thought and speech. Let us all play by the same rules and then there will be no need for the unfair "Trojan Horse" accusations.
No-one should be prevented from sending their children to a synagogue, church or mosque or any other religious place of worship and "Sunday, Saturday and Friday school " activities should not be controlled by the state. Religious practise, however, is best left to the home and the place of worship.
School governors and teachers in state schools should not be selected on the basis of faith or the lack of it but they should be selected on the basis of whether they are qualified to run an educational establishment or teach in one.
School governors and teachers should keep their religious and political views to themselves in state funded schools. Young people should not be subjected to any form of indoctrination.
If someone wishes to pray at school they should be allowed to do so. No young person, however, should be coerced into praying and teachers should not be allowed to inform on pupils who do not wish to pray or wear religious symbols etc.
It is difficult to define British values; some values have been fought for by generations of Britons and these are: the right to have freedom of conscience, the right to free speech, the right to be a member of a religion or to become an apostate without sanction. These values are not unique to Britain.
British society is in the main secular even if the official religion is the Church of England. Contrary to the belief of some religious leaders most secularists do not want to impose restrictions upon religious belief or the right of people to worship. We believe that there is a time and place for everything within the law. The time and place for religion is not in state funded schools.
The best way to defend the interests of the religious and non-religious alike is to support secular state funded schools and a secular society in general. How else can we all live together in peace? Let everyone have equal human rights and obligations with regard to their conscience, freedom of thought and speech. Let us all play by the same rules and then there will be no need for the unfair "Trojan Horse" accusations.
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