The Pursuit of Ignorance

That science has this vast body of knowledge we draw facts from is a misconception. Science is really about promoting ignorance, but good quality ignorance is what we need—of the curious kind

There is a misconception that science has it mostly figured out. That simply is not the case (not oven fractionally close) because every discovery only compounds the number of questions, but that is really the point. If we accept science has arrived at anything, how will we know what questions to ask?

I think we all know what happens to a body of people when they claim to know the final truth. Rooted, stunted, immovable, and waiting for that truth to unfold—is at odds with the nature of everything. True knowledge is temporary and raises more questions than it answers.

Science is currently the best means we have to improve life by focusing on a narrow band of discovery, drawing from a well of facts where there is always another bucket. But to think we know…that would be the a travesty. Discovery generates more ignorance—and this is the type of ignorance that we celebrate, not willful ignorance of belief, but skillful ignorance of curiosity.

Excerpts and photos from this excellent TED by Stuart Firestein—The Pursuit of Ignorance

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Meanwhile…

Rawgod said, “A bit pedagogic, don’t you think, Jim. Nothing is ever always something.” Isn’t that also a statement of always, btw? But isn’t this true, that no religious doctrine has ever supplanted a scientific discovery?

As much of the world continues to chase its theological tail, more and more are ignoring what can’t be understood to discover things that 100 years ago would be miracles.

Imagine permanent, fully integrated prosthetic limbs and bionic implants being widespread. Scientists are also experimenting with various brain implants that might help restore hearing for the deaf and restore sight for some blind people. All ingenuity being extensions of human consciousness—our extended phenotypes?

The first images from ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter are now available to the public, including the closest pictures ever taken of the Sun. (1) Yes, we’re taking a closer look at the sun—the creator, the god of this world.

As we dig our way into the past we are finding humans have been here longer and longer, farther and farther back than we ever imagined.

These contributions all can fuel the betterment of humanity. To reach for understanding that all things are possible, and there is no need to believe anything outside of our own ingenuity.

Thank you to the farmers who have geniusly devised ways to feed this mob with less and less land. Instead of attacking them as co-conspirators poisoning the world with gmo’s, try thanking them for the extra yields that feed your offspring. They are the real miracle workers of the park. Now if we could just get that food to the children…

The Transmission of Faith—Now What?

Imagine a moment I’m projecting my consciousness on you—there, that was easy.

That is the beauty of religious belief. It takes no effort nor academic discipline, but is lauded as type of high achievement. Belief was never intended as an end-point, but a proving ground, a temporary waypoint to truth. We test our theories and improve them, retest and share them, accept criticism and hone our hypothesis into a working physical model that creates actual things—results.

Resting on belief we find there is nothing to do, no equations to solve, no advances in the general knowledge of humanity, so we take to the road and teach the technique on others—and believe harder, like concentrating on it could bend a spoon. Dreamy philosophies of heaven and celebrated archaic battles in hairsplitting, immoral grandeur.

It is not natural to believe in god. How many have found god having never been persuaded, presented, or indoctrinated by another mere mortal? The true wonder of nature hits us the first time our toes touch the grass as a child. It’s real and you know it! That wonderful mystery spawns curiosities and appreciation all on its own. Through beliefs we quickly quell the desire for discovery, resting on our smug fat butts with a specially tailored shortcut to never knowing anything—Faith

Like a kid that found his dads hatchet, what are we to do with all this free time? What else is there to do but injure yourself and everything around you? And thinking about thinking about belief. Whoa! That’s deep!

There are no Spiritual Realms

As we discover deeper and deeper into the quantum field, our understanding expands and we gradually grasp the nature of nature and its building properties.

Is the electricity that powers your toaster “metaphysical”? We have harnessed its potential and understand how to manipulate its properties, but really don’t know much about what it actually is. Is the free movement of these electrons that constitutes an electric current supernatural? Of course not. Is the electric currents that flow through the universe, that are perceived more intently by some than others, a supernatural phenomenon? Certainly not. We can read many of these impulses and feelings in the EEG.

The only spiritual realms or “non physical” worlds are just not discovered and quantified yet. We are still a superstitious lot, but when we master these principles—not by viewing them with our eyes but by manipulating them with our genius, we will see the universe is all a matter of matter. Understanding sometimes takes time—I’ll wait.

The Smudge Test—Irreligious Dolphins

“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity—William Butler Yeats

Illusory superiority

Each passing modern generation assumes we are the smartest we’ve ever been—the strongest, fastest and most advanced, intelligent civilization ever to grace the little blue dot.

Enter religion

Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies—Nietzsche

In mirror tests with dolphins, each member of the test group was exposed to their reflection. Each dolphin was then later smudged with a sharpie, then reintroduced to the mirror. The dolphins recognized the smudge and gestured in ways of disapproval and attempted removal. Awareness of self, is a sign of high intelligence. Recognizing yourself in the mirror happens at about the same time in humans as dolphins, around 2 years of age.

Had the dolphins been raised with a smudge, their first exposure to reflection would appear normal to them. All the more reason to smudge your kids early with religion. Such early exposures and continued discomfort will reflect as a normal part of life. Attempted removal will be less likely if the subject is unaware that any manipulation has taken place.

“The key to any successful psychological groping is to be certain the victim is unaware (s)he has been manipulated” Jim–

For those that escaped juvenile indoctrination, testimony and select scripture is step two. Assure the subject they are already marked, and without the teaching and acceptance of Jesus they are nothing.