Archive for October, 2007

George Carlin quotes

Posted in Life, News and Media on October 17th, 2007 by moody

laughstore_1957_48519086.jpg  Just thought I’d pay tribute to the God (no pun intended) himself since he turned 70 this year.
Here are some of the hand picked quotes from Carlin in no particular order.

“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”

“Swimming is not a sport. Swimming is a way to keep from drowning. That’s just common sense!”

“I wanna live. I don’t wanna die. That’s the whole meaning of life: Not dying! I figured that shit out by myself in the third grade.”

“If it’s true that our species is alone in the universe, then I’d have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.”

“You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.”

“Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster is a maniac?”

“Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do practice?”

“Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.”

“I don’t have a fear of heights. I do, however, have a fear of falling from heights.”

“I have as much authority as the Pope. I just don’t have as many people who believe it.”

“I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.”

“If God had intended us not to masturbate he would’ve made our arms shorter”

“”I am” is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that “I do” is the longest sentence?”

Human wisdom - The Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy explained

Posted in Science on October 10th, 2007 by moody

Let’s state the law first:

“The Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can change its form.
The total quantity of matter and energy available in the closed system is a fixed amount and never any more or less.”

lawofenergy.jpg
Some people (usually creationists) will argue that this contradicts what is happening on earth or in our solar system. For example: plants could not live without external energy source, our sun.
They will say something like following: “how come that earth is getting this extra energy when law clearly states that total quantity of energy is always fixed amount.” It is very easy to spot a mistake there (or deception). They forgot to include phrase “in the closed system”.

Well, explanation for that is that earth is not in the closed system. The whole universe is, and total amount of energy in the whole universe will never change. Energy might take another shape, or matter may become energy, but the results will always be equal to total amount of energy.

Think of the universe as a closed system. As far as we know there is nothing outside of it, so universe has to use whatever energy it has within it in order to survive and function, while our earth can “borrow” energy from external sources like our sun.

So explanation is: Earth is not in the closed system. Universe is. It is as simple as that.

Galaxies, stars, planets and solar systems can borrow energy from another as much as they like, but the total amount of energy in the whole universe will always stay the same.

It is a zero sum game.

You can also use poker analogy. Let’s say we have 4 players and each has $100 to play with. Total money (or you can say energy) amount will be $400. Sometimes person 1 can have $200 and person 2 only $50, person 3 $150, but sometimes person 1 can have only $50. Amount of money (energy) between players changes all the time, but total amount will always be $400.

Now, we get to the really tough question. If total amount of energy is always the same, then big bang might be beginning of time/space but not the energy itself, since that would violate the Law.
Well, then easy answer is that universe probably always existed in some form or another, it is our perception that nothing is “default state” that is wrong. We always assume that “nothing” has to come first, that “nothing” is the beginning, or that default state is “nothing”, and then comes “something”. Why?
I don’t think there is a contradiction in the law at all. Universe always existed in some form or the other.

Another explanation might be that our universe is not closed system but it is part of the even larger system (like our sun is part of the galaxy and our galaxy is part of the universe and so on) and that the big bang is just another of million other explosions.
There are lots of theories to consider before you start invoking supernatural which does not answer anything nor does it help critical thinking. To me, invoking supernatural is the easy and cowardly way out.