The Oxford English Dictionary defines science as:
1. The state of fact of knowing; knowledge or congnizance of something specified or implied; also, with wider reference, knowledge (more or less extensive) as a personal attribute. (Now only theological and philosophical.)
2. Knowledge acquired by study; acquaintance with or mastery of any department of learning. Also (plural) (a person's) various kinds of knowledge. b) Trained skill
3. A particular branch of knowledge or study; a recognized department of learning. b) Contradistinguished from art....d)A craft, trade or occupation requiring trained skill. (obs.)
4. In a more restricted sense: A branch of study which is concerned either with a connected body of demonstrated truths or with observed facts systematically classified and more or less colligated by being brought under general laws, and which includes trustworthy methods for the discovery of new truth within its own domain.
5. The kind of knowledge or of intellectual activity of which the various sciences are examples....In modern use, chiefly: The sciences (in sense 4) as distinguished from other departments of learning; scientific doctrine or investigation.... b) In modern use, often treated synomymous with 'Natural and Physical Science,' and thus restricted to those branches of study that relate to the phenomena of the material universe and their laws, sometimes with implied exclusion of pure mathematics.
WikiPedia has this to say:
Scientists maintain that scientific investigation must adhere to the scientific method, a process for evaluating empirical knowledge which explains observable events in nature as a result of natural causes, rejecting supernatural notions.
The last three words '[rejecting supernatural notions] are the kicker. Without the involvement of 'the supernatural' we must necessarily exclude any ideas that the universe arrived here through a creative process.
Science: from Middle English, knowledge, learning, from Old French, from Latin scientia, from sciēns, scient-, present participle of scīre, to know.
In other words, that which is known and by extension not that which is hoped, prayed, guessed at or assumed to be true.
Here's what gets my goat: Evolution has never been proved. If you think of it as a settled issue please check back here every now and then, I will be presenting imminently provable scientific facts on this blog that dispute evolution.
Aug 16, 2006
Window Managers
The term 'OS' is an acronym for Operating System. This is the software 'layer' that links the computer hardware and the user who accesses the hardware via the screen, keyboard and mouse. OS's most users are familiar with today are Windows 95, 98, 2000 and XP but an increasing number are being exposed to the various flavours of Linux.
In the early days of modern computing the DOS command-line was used to access functionality within the computer - you typed commands and the computer reacted. This is know as the User Interface, or ui. In today's world we use a Graphical User Interface, or gui to access the same functionality. Your screen has icons [represented by pictures] and buttons with text denoting their function - you just double-click [in Linux this is usually a single-click] and your application starts up. Most computer users never use the command-line although it is still there with lessened functionality, but computer administrators often use it to access 'hidden' processes and functions. It has disappeared into the domain of the 'geek'.
The command-line interface used in Linux is a different kettle of fish. While the DOS command line could be use to do 'stuff' the Linux command line can actually be used for heavy-duty programming, which makes it much more powerful - a command line with serious teeth.
The gui used in Linux, called a Window Manager or 'wm' operates in a different way to the common Windows desktop [the subject of a separate discussion] but computer functionality is still accessed via icons and buttons. In Linux you can use any number of different gui's - you are not limited to a single standard. Which one you use depends on you - and, because many Window Managers are undergoing constant development and improvement, also on how willing you are to experience the frustrations of trying to set up a front-end that does exactly what you want. I have used KDE in the past but prefer Fvwm2 and Icewm but there are many other options available. For Windows users switching to Linux, KDE and GDE are probably the best place to start as they are the most user-friendly and contain many elements common to a Windows environment, like a desktop with configurable task-bars [some wm's eg. FluxBox can be a major challenge but ultimately worth the time and effort to set up].
In the early days of modern computing the DOS command-line was used to access functionality within the computer - you typed commands and the computer reacted. This is know as the User Interface, or ui. In today's world we use a Graphical User Interface, or gui to access the same functionality. Your screen has icons [represented by pictures] and buttons with text denoting their function - you just double-click [in Linux this is usually a single-click] and your application starts up. Most computer users never use the command-line although it is still there with lessened functionality, but computer administrators often use it to access 'hidden' processes and functions. It has disappeared into the domain of the 'geek'.
The command-line interface used in Linux is a different kettle of fish. While the DOS command line could be use to do 'stuff' the Linux command line can actually be used for heavy-duty programming, which makes it much more powerful - a command line with serious teeth.
The gui used in Linux, called a Window Manager or 'wm' operates in a different way to the common Windows desktop [the subject of a separate discussion] but computer functionality is still accessed via icons and buttons. In Linux you can use any number of different gui's - you are not limited to a single standard. Which one you use depends on you - and, because many Window Managers are undergoing constant development and improvement, also on how willing you are to experience the frustrations of trying to set up a front-end that does exactly what you want. I have used KDE in the past but prefer Fvwm2 and Icewm but there are many other options available. For Windows users switching to Linux, KDE and GDE are probably the best place to start as they are the most user-friendly and contain many elements common to a Windows environment, like a desktop with configurable task-bars [some wm's eg. FluxBox can be a major challenge but ultimately worth the time and effort to set up].
Apr 28, 2006
Misunderstanding Revelation
I saw a National Geographic program [part of the 'Hidden Bible' series] recently that really irritated me. A parade of learned scholars were making statements like:
The question we must ask ourselves is,"If Revelation is true will I be ready when that time comes?".
- The writings cannot be taken literally and must be interpreted symbolically. It's fairly obvious which portions are symbolic and which literal - most of the time the confusion lies in the mind of the reader.
- John did not really write it. If he didn't then who did?
- Anyone who looks for the end of the world [for whatever reason] will find in this book, through personal interpretation, whatever it is they seek because it is so full of symbolism
- It was written towards the end of the 1st century and was meant as a message of hope only for the Christians of that time
- Nero was actually the 'Anti-christ' as his name = 666 [using gematria / numerology]. They neglect to mention that using this method the names of the pope, JFK, Hitler, and a host of other famous figures also add up to 666
- They also forget [or perhaps are ignorant of] the fact that the concept of 'anti-christ' is prevalent throughout scripture, the 'Antichrist' mentioned in Revelation is merely the final personification / actual embodiment of the concept in the form of a human being possessed by satan
- Christian beliefs derived from the book are arrived at by 'convoluted' reasonings, and disjointed reading of Revelation, Daniel and other apocalyptic writings
- For some it is a message of doom, for others a message of hope - for the christian it is both a warning of evil times to come and promise of the final fulfillment of our hope in Christ
- Everyone 'from John to the Y2K'ers' was wrong about the actual timing of the end - this is absolute cr_p! John never made any predictions as to the actual time and in Revelation it states clearly,"no man knows the time, only the Father..." - Is this an example of having to take a literal passage and interpret it symbolically? The Bible gives us clues as to the general time-frame, but it's pointless trying to pin the actual year and date down.
The question we must ask ourselves is,"If Revelation is true will I be ready when that time comes?".
Religion
Many people are not aware of the meaning of the word 'religion'. Here are some quick definitions:
- Re-reading
- Treating carefully
- Re-connection
- To bind or return to bondage
- Concerning a gathering
Mar 24, 2006
Stress Management
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "how heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it."
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can."
"Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!
And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone R20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never buy a car you can't push.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today..........
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can."
"Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!
And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone R20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never buy a car you can't push.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today..........
The Music Industry
Having been involved in the music industry in South Africa for over two decades there are a number of issues that I feel strongly about. One is the way that record companies dictate to the radio / tv stations what they should play. I understand that this is part and parcel of their marketing / sales generation ploys, but the result is that really good unknown artists remain unknown. The companies go with proven winners only, very seldom does a new act / artist come to the fore.
Take a look at Seether. These boys were really good, and they knew it. SA companies would not even give them a look in so they went direct to Sony international. One audition and they were signed up, never to darken the door of a local record company again. Typical. The local managers / producers [or whatever they call themselves] could not spot talent if it fell on them - and if they did, would NOT know how to handle it. We have massive potential here, artists and bands who could really do well internationally if given a gap. But no, we are subject to the same-old same-old SA artists every day on the radio, limiting our horisons as the buying SA public.
Take a look at Seether. These boys were really good, and they knew it. SA companies would not even give them a look in so they went direct to Sony international. One audition and they were signed up, never to darken the door of a local record company again. Typical. The local managers / producers [or whatever they call themselves] could not spot talent if it fell on them - and if they did, would NOT know how to handle it. We have massive potential here, artists and bands who could really do well internationally if given a gap. But no, we are subject to the same-old same-old SA artists every day on the radio, limiting our horisons as the buying SA public.
London
What a place! I have been here for the past two weeks and will be returning to South Africa in a few days - I'll be glad to get home, but sad to leave. True to form the weather left much to be desired, but just being here more than compensated. There were two sunny days in two weeks, and on both occasions the following day was worse than anything previously experienced, as if it was trying to affirm it's reputation for bad weather.
I was here on training / orientation [new job] and only went into the centre of London on week-ends giving me ample time to plan my excursions - a must if you want to max out the sight-seeing. I used the tube to get into town then walked around taking pictures, seeing the sights, eating the food and generally doing the standard tourist thing - a digital camera is critical if you want to maximise the experience. I only wish I had a better video cam, the built-in one on the camera did not do it justice.
One of the first thing I noticed was the ratio of foreigners to locals - most of the people I heard sounded as if they were from Europe - Scandinavian, Italian, Dutch [picked that one up quickly], Greeks, and lots who sounded [and looked] as if they were from Eastern Europe. One of my colleagues said,"If you want to find out where you are ask a tourist. The locals aren't too interested and the tourists all have maps". Good advice.
I was here on training / orientation [new job] and only went into the centre of London on week-ends giving me ample time to plan my excursions - a must if you want to max out the sight-seeing. I used the tube to get into town then walked around taking pictures, seeing the sights, eating the food and generally doing the standard tourist thing - a digital camera is critical if you want to maximise the experience. I only wish I had a better video cam, the built-in one on the camera did not do it justice.
One of the first thing I noticed was the ratio of foreigners to locals - most of the people I heard sounded as if they were from Europe - Scandinavian, Italian, Dutch [picked that one up quickly], Greeks, and lots who sounded [and looked] as if they were from Eastern Europe. One of my colleagues said,"If you want to find out where you are ask a tourist. The locals aren't too interested and the tourists all have maps". Good advice.
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