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Science for the win or ... naw?
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Li
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00:29:03 Mar 13 2017
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"'Twas on a May-day of the far old year
Seventeen hundred eighty, that there fell
Over the bloom and sweet life of the spring,
Over the fresh earth, and the heaven of noon,
A horror of great darkness.
Men prayed, and women wept; all ears grew sharp
To hear the doom-blast of the trumpet shatter
The black sky."
- Whittier


On May 19, 1780, New England experienced a phenomenon which terrified its people, and baffled spiritualists and scientists alike for centuries. A day before the event, General George Washington made a note of the strange weather in his journal as he camped with his Continental Army in New Jersey: "Heavy and uncommon kind of clouds ... dark and at the same time a bright and reddish kind of light intermixed with them." The next day started out normal enough, if a bit gloomy; however, by 9 AM, the people began to notice something was amiss. The skies dimmed and became hazy and copper-colored. Many had to abandon their work due to low visibility. Noon came and the sun was completely obscured. Those that hadn't already left work, did so, and the animals, thinking that night had fallen, began to come home to roost, the cows meandering into their stalls and fowls settling into their nests. Night creatures, frogs, crickets, and nocturnal birds, came out.

Naturally, this terrified the God-fearing people of New England. Many sought solace within their church. Some turned to drink, instead. The people were convinced it was the End Times. The night that followed has gone down in history as the blackest of nights, with a sheet of white paper being "held within a few inches of the eyes was equally invisible with the blackest velvet." People, if they slept at all, slept fitfully.

By morning, the pall had lifted. It would be decades before a satisfying theory was proposed for the Dark Day. Researchers from the University of Missouri discovered of a massive wildfire which had taken place in the Algonquin Highlands of southern Ontario during the spring of 1780. Many believe the smoke from this fire is what obscured the sun, creating New England's Dark Day.

There are others, though, that believe it to be something more ... mystical. Some believe it was the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. During a conference with his disciples, Jesus spoke about the signs that would precede his return. Mark 13:24 - "In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light." It is believed that these signs would come during 1260 years of papal persecution. The 1260 years ended in 1798, 18 years after New England's Dark Day.

During the Enlightenment, science gained popularity, with people turning to it for answers rather than the Church. Science has even proven the Church wrong a few times (no, the sun does not revolve around us).

Still, is science always right? What do you think? Does science hold the answer to every question or is its power limited? Are there just some things which will always be a mystery? Is the explanation for New England's Dark Day mundane or mystical?



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Umyalanaraku
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23:17:12 Mar 14 2017
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I think science makes a lot of very good points in many areas, but I dislike how scientists outright dismiss anything they can't explain. I would say Science is 50/50.



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TigerMoon
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06:07:44 Mar 15 2017
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This topic reminds me of my favourite philosopher, Rudolf Steiner. In his essay, "The Stages of Higher Knowledge", he posited that Science was the first and most intermediary stage of knowledge that, if harnessed properly, would lead a man to other stages of higher knowledge:

"Even in what is initially called "science" one has only to do with this first stage of knowledge. For this science works only the ordinary recognition of finer, makes it more disciplined. It armed the senses through instruments - microscope, telescope, etc. - to see more precisely what the unarmed senses do not see. But the level of knowledge remains the same, whether you normally see great things with the ordinary eye, Or whether one traces very small objects and processes with the magnifying glass. Even in the application of thought to things and facts, this science remains with what is already being done in everyday life. The objects are arranged, described, compared, they are looked upon for their changes, and so on. The strictest natural scientist, in principle, does nothing more than train the method of observation of everyday life in an artistic manner. His knowledge becomes more comprehensive, more complicated, more logical; But he does not proceed to another mode of knowledge .


I have not heard of this New England phenomena, though. I find it quite scary, considering the time period in which it occurred.

Science, in my view, as to what the philosopher Rudolf Steiner was saying, is that he did not mean Science to be a whole field of technical study; he was merely using the word "science" to denote all sensory observations in general, but, I find it a useful place to start from.

Science is an all-encompassing terminology. If you think about it, there is science in art, believe it or not. So, I guess, it is science for the win, if you are talking about technicalities. :)



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LazurusAQ
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16:50:25 Mar 15 2017
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The explanation seems to be pretty sound. I doubt they can trace wind patterns that far back, but the story reminded me of Volcanic ash clouds and how they are described.

It's always hard to tell when trying to explain things prior to everything being recorded the way things are now.

I like the scientific method and the approach of testing a hypothesis. Math is pretty awesome too.



However, there are some scientist who claim they actually found their relationship with God through science.

Quantum Activist.

Personally, I like to think it's a bit of both... DO BE DO BE DOOOO



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TigerMoon
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10:33:23 Mar 16 2017
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Here is an awesome link to Rudolf Steiner's philosophy on Science:
Science



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Li
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15:39:59 Mar 16 2017
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"The facts of contemporary work [modern science] fully confirm this [anthroposophical] view. It is only misled opinions regarding these facts which deny this and presume that spiritual science and natural science contradict each other. This contradiction, however, does not really exist." -- Rudolf Steiner

"Not so long ago it was still possible to believe that natural science – which is by no means unappreciated by spiritual science but is as regards to its great advances fully valued – had the means to solve all the great riddles of human existence. But those who have entered with heightened inner faculties into the achievements of modern science have been increasingly aware that what natural science brings as a response to the great questions of human existence are not answers but, on the contrary, ever new questions." -- Rudolf Steiner

Nice share, Tris!


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Toxicbite29
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03:03:34 Mar 22 2017
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I believe that science is ever evolving and there are more phenomena happening that cannot be scientifically explained-hence they refuse to see it for the wonder that it is. I would say that scientists need to catch up on their art of "science"



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LazurusAQ
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08:43:17 Mar 24 2017
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As much as I like science, I do not consider it to be one of the arts.




Science- the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.






It's a process, and it certainly isn't perfect. New information can nullify old experiments. It happens. What I like about it, is that an educated guess or hypothesis is first made and then someone says, "OK, Let's prove it." as opposed to saying, "Hey, the Earth looks flat, so let's run with that."




On the other hand, physics is mostly math, so when speaking towards scientific 'evolution' the faster and more advanced technology gets, the better and more accurate the answers become.



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MadVlad
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09:52:59 Mar 25 2017
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I find science, to be a great deal of importance. The whole entire medical field for treatment of health. That is all based upon science. I know as well you as you do. Science can be trial and error. That is the only way to get result is through extensive scientific research and experiments. That is how most of the results are founded. I also believe, some of the greatest scientific break through were found accidently.

I salute scientists everywhere, it was not for them we would not have it as good as we do today.



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Toxicbite29
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22:51:24 Mar 25 2017
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For all the "Science" in the world..... they have yet to release the cure for cancer that they have locked up in their safe's rather than allow the big pharma companies to rule over scientific decisions.

They also have yet to create a vaccine for Funnel web spiders and blue ringed octopus and the man o war jelly fish.... (All that are deadly here in Oz)



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LazurusAQ
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11:12:47 Mar 27 2017
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I wouldn't say that the bs decisions made by pharmaceutical or insurance companies, or political agendas, or any money or power related motives being the fault of science or scientists directly. This shouldn't have any bearing on if the process itself is right or wrong.







On July 12, 1939, Szilárd and Wigner drove in Wigner's car to Cutchogue on New York's Long Island, where Einstein was staying. When they explained about the possibility of atomic bombs, Einstein replied: Daran habe ich gar nicht gedacht (I did not even think about that). Szilárd dictated a letter in German to the Belgian Ambassador to the United States. Wigner wrote it down, and Einstein signed it. At Wigner's suggestion, they also prepared a letter for the State Department explaining what they were doing and why, giving it two weeks to respond if it had any objections.

This still left the problem of getting government support for uranium research. Another friend of Szilárd's, the Austrian economist Gustav Stolper, suggested approaching Alexander Sachs, who had access to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Sachs told Szilárd that he had already spoken to the President about uranium, but that Fermi and Pegram had reported that the prospects for building an atomic bomb were remote. He told Szilárd that he would deliver the letter, but suggested that it come from someone more prestigious. For Szilárd, Einstein was again the obvious choice. Sachs and Szilárd drafted a letter riddled with spelling errors and mailed it to Einstein.

Szilárd set out for Long Island again on August 2. Wigner was unavailable, so this time Szilárd co-opted another Hungarian physicist, Edward Teller, to do the driving. Einstein dictated the letter in German. On returning to Columbia University, Szilárd dictated the letter in English to a young departmental stenographer, Janet Coatesworth. She later recalled that when Szilárd mentioned extremely powerful bombs, she "was sure she was working for a nut". Ending the letter with "Yours truly, Albert Einstein" did nothing to alter this impression. Both the letter and a longer explanatory letter were then posted to Einstein.

The letter warned that:

In the course of the last four months it has been made probable — through the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilárd in America — that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated. Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future.

This new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable — though much less certain — that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed. A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove to be too heavy for transportation by air.

It also specifically warned about Germany:

I understand that Germany has actually stopped the sale of uranium from the Czechoslovakian mines which she has taken over. That she should have taken such early action might perhaps be understood on the ground that the son of the German Under-Secretary of State, von Weizsäcker, is attached to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut in Berlin where some of the American work on uranium is now being repeated.




When Einstein was made aware of the dangers by colleagues, he co-signed to the sense of urgency in regards to beating Nazi Germany in the Nuclear arms development race. Not because he wanted atomic weapons for himself, but because he didn't want them in the worst possible hands ever. Lesser of the evils I suppose. But either way, I am highly grateful that he spoke out when he did.




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Xzavier
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18:07:57 Apr 05 2017
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Science isn't some organization or compendium of all knowledge. Science is a way of interrogating the universe, to quote Carl Sagan.

It's the tool we use to understand the world because it relies on proven methods, reason, evidence, and the willingness to question not only the universe but our own assumptions as well.

When we use science we learn things. Just because we learned something doesn't mean that's the end of the road. Newton wasn't wrong because he didn't know about general relativity. His view of the world was accurate with the information he had - he made the best picture of the universe he could at the time. Same with today. Now, that also doesn't mean just because "we don't know everything" that any and everything is real. It just means we have more to learn.

If there's something mysterious or there are remaining questions about some scientific theory (a term that means it's MUCH more than 'just an idea' BTW), then explore. Do proper research and find out. But be prepared to be WRONG as much as you're prepared to be right. Going into something with the mindset you will prove something and exclude/dismiss all legitimate contrary facts (like you still can't turn into a flying vampire just because you think you are one...since, you know, biology), will only lead you and others astray. So much seriously obvious (and less obvious) BS has been foisted upon the world because people refuse to use reason and methodical experimentation.

It's also important to remember that just because everyone is entitled to their own ideas, it doesn't mean those ideas are equal or valid.

Science isn't a matter of "always right" or "naw". It's the only reliable tool in existence to honestly investigate the world around us. I challenge anyone to show me a better way.



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Xzavier
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18:17:07 Apr 05 2017
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Additionally, those who are professional scientists (from the weather guy to the research doctor, to the astronomer, to the people coming up with better forms of agriculture) number in their millions. Blaming "science" for some conspiracy that there's a cancer cure-all, or that "science" is poisoning the world....is total nonsense.

Don't conflate things and don't make wild statements without actual proof. There's a big difference between research and policy. There's a difference between one individual and another (one may be honest, the other crooked). Finally, just because your uncle told you some story about 'Nam, or the conspiracy to kill us all with chemtrails (they're doing a crap job at it if it's true), or just because you read an online article that linked to a thousand others all saying the same thing ---- with no actual evidence in the end ---- doesn't mean it's real.



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AryanDrusus
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14:23:40 Apr 08 2017
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The Vril Society comes to mind or this topic. Has anyone heard of them? They apparently existed during the Nazi regime/WWII, but were considered out-of-the-way as it was rumored to be magic-driven. Driven by Science or Magic? What do you think?



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