Ongoing important Science news thread

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Thor

Certainly a possibility, albeit unlikely considering there is so far nothing hinting at such a possibility within the realms of observation. The problem is akin to suggesting when a computer dies, the software floats away into a new existence. The brain is our hardware, our consciousness is the software and once one goes so does the other, the faint electrical impulses fade after death and cease, no activity is found and how would anything exist beyond that without a supernatural cause?

Yeah totally, I'm not saying it's not far-fetched. I guess I just take issue with the word supernatural. It implies that something "magical" has to happen. In my thought process, things like memories and experiences are all stored somewhere. You say those impulses fade after death, well fade into what? It's energy, it has to go somewhere and do something. Maybe it just gets burnt off as heat. But if those impulses somehow remain as they were in some form of an energy ball or whatever, couldn't "afterlife" just be us stuck in our own conciousness for eternity?

I think conversations about a potential afterlife can have a base in science and don't need Heaven's Gates or angels or whatever to exist in order for the energy of our mind be conserved in some way.

Anyways this is the science thread so I won't bog it down. Continue on! I like this thread.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Yeah totally, I'm not saying it's not far-fetched. I guess I just take issue with the word supernatural. It implies that something "magical" has to happen. In my thought process, things like memories and experiences are all stored somewhere. You say those impulses fade after death, well fade into what? It's energy, it has to go somewhere and do something. Maybe it just gets burnt off as heat. But if those impulses somehow remain as they were in some form of an energy ball or whatever, couldn't "afterlife" just be us stuck in our own conciousness for eternity?

I think conversations about a potential afterlife can have a base in science and don't need Heaven's Gates or angels or whatever to exist in order for the energy of our mind be conserved in some way.

Anyways this is the science thread so I won't bog it down. Continue on! I like this thread.

Dude, just throwing around the word "Energy" doesn't make your suggestion scientific.

Our memories, and brain functions aren't just some mass of energy, they are the result of chemical processes which use/convert energy. Our consciousness isn't some ball of energy, it depends on those chemical processes. Once they stop, it's over. The "Energy" doesn't have to go somewhere, because in the way you're talking about it, it doesn't exist.

Sure I suppose it's possible that when you die, the memories etc are all technically still stored in brain cells/structures just like memory on a computer, but even if that's the case, without the processes that keep your brain working, consciousness can't exist.

Yes, when you shut down your computer the programs still exist, but once power/processes that run them stop, they aren't running, and they aren't doing anything.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Yeah totally, I'm not saying it's not far-fetched. I guess I just take issue with the word supernatural. It implies that something "magical" has to happen. In my thought process, things like memories and experiences are all stored somewhere. You say those impulses fade after death, well fade into what? It's energy, it has to go somewhere and do something. Maybe it just gets burnt off as heat. But if those impulses somehow remain as they were in some form of an energy ball or whatever, couldn't "afterlife" just be us stuck in our own conciousness for eternity?

I think conversations about a potential afterlife can have a base in science and don't need Heaven's Gates or angels or whatever to exist in order for the energy of our mind be conserved in some way.

Anyways this is the science thread so I won't bog it down. Continue on! I like this thread.

Afterlife would be "supernatural" so in other words a pile of BS since in the history of mankind neither has ever happened except in fairy-tales.

Every living thing with a brain (animals,fish,insects..etc) has a memory/consciousness..it is a function needed to survive. hell, some scientists claim plants have it too.

And you don't even need to die to loose your memory or consciousness, a brain injury or even alzheimer's can end both.

[Coach]

Look guys, I didn't mean to derail the thread. The things I have said are more questions than anything, so thank you for answering them. I doubt we will ever answer that question, simply because you have to be dead to know. But I guess my point is that IF some form of an afterlife exists, whatever you think that might mean, there would have to be an scientific explanation for it, and thus wouldn't be supernatural.

I just find these questions interesting to discuss.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Look guys, I didn't mean to derail the thread. The things I have said are more questions than anything, so thank you for answering them. I doubt we will ever answer that question, simply because you have to be dead to know. But I guess my point is that IF some form of an afterlife exists, whatever you think that might mean, there would have to be an scientific explanation for it, and thus wouldn't be supernatural.

I just find these questions interesting to discuss.

Hey, I am just as skeptical as anyone, and pretty much am resigned to the worm food theory. However, I am open enough to possibilities to ask the question "What if there is something so beyond our understanding, and so beyond our understanding of science that exists after you die?"

You never know, there very well could be a continuation of existence beyond death that we currently cannot prove. I highly doubt it, but I cannot disqualify the remote possibility it exists.

For example, perhaps you enter a seemingly infinite dream state. I have nodded of for 10 minutes before, and had dreams that have seemed to last for days.

[Muta]

Here's an interesting article: Lockheed Claims Breakthrough on Fusion Energy

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...fusion-energy/

Typo in the article; the journalist informs us the subs are powered by fusion, when they are actually powered by fission.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Muta

Here's an interesting article: Lockheed Claims Breakthrough on Fusion Energy

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...fusion-energy/

Typo in the article; the journalist informs us the subs are powered by fusion, when they are actually powered by fission.

Skunkworks talked about this before at a Google technology conference called "Solve for X" in early 2013. They, at that point, projected that they could have it ready by 2017. Now they are saying 2024. I am skeptical.

I really hope it happens but I want to see proof, not claims.

Source: http://www.dvice.com/2013-2-22/lockh...wer-four-years

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Muta

Here's an interesting article: Lockheed Claims Breakthrough on Fusion Energy

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...fusion-energy/

Typo in the article; the journalist informs us the subs are powered by fusion, when they are actually powered by fission.

Much more detailed article about the design of the reactor itself as well as some of the challenges they'll have.
http://aviationweek.com/technology/s...eactor-details

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

I really hope it happens but I want to see proof, not claims.

I'd be much more skeptical about the claims if it wasn't someone like Lockheed Martin. They have a long record of producing highly technologically advanced solutions that others don't really come up with. Mind you though LM is not exactly know for keeping to a proper schedule when building things. Prototype that kinda works probably in that time frame, something that can be mass produced and usable probably 5-10 years later than they say. It's the 90/10 engineering challenge which Lockheed was never really good at.

[Muta]

For a compact nuclear fusion reactor, I'm not entirely surprised, or annoyed, that an extended timeline has been projected.

Unless there's some American black ops government project on this subject and LM's announcement is just a first public introduction to this topic, a device like this has never been invented. Hard to put a timeline on something of this extreme complexity in order to make sure it works right.

[Knut]

Mars will be having a close encounter with a comet. We should get some images from curiosity and some orbiters. Will be quite the spectacle

[dammage79]

swings within 88k distance of Mars. Thats buzzing the control tower close.

[Thor]

Every time I hear people say we should cut funding to NASA, I want to force them to watch a video like that.

[Daradon]

As expensive as space funding is, it's a drop in the bucket compared to most programs, and it's truly something we need, both to advance the species, but more and more, for our very survival it appears. Not even counting the possibility of collisions, but just the life saving technology and thinking that has come or evolved from space exploration, missions, and the like.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Daradon

As expensive as space funding is, it's a drop in the bucket compared to most programs, and it's truly something we need, both to advance the species, but more and more, for our very survival it appears. Not even counting the possibility of collisions, but just the life saving technology and thinking that has come or evolved from space exploration, missions, and the like.

The sad part is, the world is too pre-occupied (US included) with fighting each other, a primitive behavior of humans that doesn't look like it will be cured any time soon.

[Daradon]

Baby steps my friend. Everything in 'small moves'.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Baby steps my friend. Everything in 'small moves'.

We've been making "baby steps" towards peace since the earth was formed 6000 years ago - and nothing has changed since God lent his carpentry skills.

Perhaps we'd be much further along if everyone (finally) agreed the earth is 4.5 billion years old, and human behavior and science funding followed suit.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

We've been making "baby steps" towards peace since the earth was formed 6000 years ago - and nothing has changed since God lent his carpentry skills.

Perhaps we'd be much further along if everyone (finally) agreed the earth is 4.5 billion years old, and human behavior and science funding followed suit.

We've made huge progress! How can you say we haven't? We've left the earth, we've learned about the universe, we've seen distant star systems. We actually have the technology to build outside the earth and prevent cosmic disasters. The next step is actually doing it, but we couldn't have even dreamed of that 150 years ago! To think that we've started it and could make real progress in the next 20-50 years is huge!

I know it's real easy to be negative at times, but to say there has been no progress is ludicrous.

There will always be stupid people, people who are easily led, and people trying to lead us astray for selfish reasons. That's nothing new. But we progress despite them.

I can tell by your post your down about literalists and fundamentalists, and yeah, I hear you, but we're moving on despite them. Both scientifically and socially. Little by little. You can't claim we aren't. And frankly, you're giving them more power and note than they deserve.

And Thor, thanking that post, I'm disappointed in you!

BTW, the 'small moves' line was from Contact of course, if you guys missed that.

Come on, chin up!

[Muta]

Could you imagine if the US / China / Russia / Europe focused all of its funding on space exploration and development, as opposed to war funding and lining the pockets of defense contractors, spy agencies and corrupt government regimes?

This world would be uber-****ing cool. Hopefully in my lifetime, but I won't hold my breath.

EDIT: To add to that, and the US publicizes all their black ops projects and Area 51 goodies. That would call for a legendary binge-drinking weekend!

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Daradon

We've made huge progress! How can you say we haven't? We've left the earth, we've learned about the universe, we've seen distant star systems. We actually have the technology to build outside the earth and prevent cosmic disasters. The next step is actually doing it, but we couldn't have even dreamed of that 150 years ago! To think that we've started it and could make real progress in the next 20-50 years is huge!

I know it's real easy to be negative at times, but to say there has been no progress is ludicrous.

There will always be stupid people, people who are easily led, and people trying to lead us astray for selfish reasons. That's nothing new. But we progress despite them.

I can tell by your post your down about literalists and fundamentalists, and yeah, I hear you, but we're moving on despite them. Both scientifically and socially. Little by little. You can't claim we aren't. And frankly, you're giving them more power and note than they deserve.

And Thor, thanking that post, I'm disappointed in you!

BTW, the 'small moves' line was from Contact of course, if you guys missed that.

Come on, chin up!

I'm not attacking technological progress, I'm making fun of the fact that human beings are pre-occupied with religion and fighting each other. I'm also not-so implicitly saying that if everyone focused on the right things (e.g. science and progress), we'd be further ahead.