Hey, you're the simpleton who thinks it's science, so I'm sure you have some new agey claptrap metaphor, but once again -- it ain't science. We have a word for belief in something in the absence of evidence -- it's called religion.
Let's just say that the words simpleton and theoretical physics have probably never been mentioned in the same sentence I'm not gonna swallow your bait btw. Carry on. Too bad that you feel the urge to derail every single thread I post without ever contributing anything.
I had an experience similar to Tamar's in 1999. Since then I haven't really had much of a "fear" of death. My fear is more of a long, agonizing, painful, drawn-out death process. I know my affairs are in order. That may change if and when kids come along. At that point I'll reconsider my position on the matter.
I don't know what happens when someone dies. Really no idea. I guess I'll find out when my turn comes. Or maybe I won't. Because I'll be dead. I'm leaning towards Nothing. Nothing happens. You die and that's it. No resurrection, no afterlife, no reincarnation, no limbo. Yer gone.
Translation: "I am going to ignore the fact that real scientists have rejected string theory as faddish religious nonsense and continue to believe in it, and yet pretend I know something of physics."
Dude, this thread isn't about discussing string theory. If I had posted a thread about the round earth theory you'd try and derail it, so sorry for not giving a hoot about your 'sources'. Which, btw, resort to things like 'can't be explained in simple words ' which is... not so scientific. You could, OTOH, comment on the blatant Christian copyright violations when it comes to stealing together their faith. But that ain't as much fun as trolling teh liiiieberal. I totally understand.
No fear of death here. Belief in the gospel takes away that fear. Death is nothing more than a transition, a promotion, a graduation to glory. I almost died in 2003. No fear there, just concern about those left behind.
Translation: "I refuse to view evidence and arguments on such sites as Physicsweb.org that challenge my belief in the religion of string theory."
I fear my death will be a whimper, in my death bed surrounded by my loved ones, instead of nailing a hooker who's riding cowboy or in a hail of bullets with the BATF, a machine gun in each hand.
Interpreting much, Mr. Journalist? You know, always ask both sides. I also recommend the extensive sources that prove how flight of bodies heavier than air is impossible, trains with more than 30 km/h would kill their passengers and the stares of disbelief at Relativity. Go, fetch. P.S.: Time for a nazi joke.
Strange, I look back, and even as a child, I would contemplate the non-existence that was before I was born, and the non-existence after death. Would deeply contemplate it. Like a cosmologist trying to wrap their head around singularity. But I never saw myself in the afterlife. Even after all the Bible stories that were drilled into me. Heck, maybe because of. The logic never clicked for me. Seemed an unappealing myth at a fundamental storytelling level. Knew for sure if Hell existed, it was for murderers and wifebeating assholes like my friend Robby's dad, so I could be confident of not going there. And Heaven as it was always depicted in children's Bible story books, or in movies and cartoons always seemed such a dull place. Either floating on a cloud playing a harp in a fruity white gown, or in a clearing near a forest on qualuudes patting lions on quaaludes surrounded by other christians also on quaaludes. Screw that shit, I wanted lightsabers, and light-cycles, and treasure chests, and rocket cars with oscillation overthrusters, and girlfriends like Princess Leia. Cool fuckin shit. A world of ambition and honor. Not a goddamned bliss ninny circle. You can get that from a heroin den. So yeah, I don't think I ever believed. Never saw how Heaven was supposed to be "life's great reward". Life is its own reward. Nope, never believed. Not even as a youngster. And yet I still don't fear death.
To be fair though, your first link is a review of Dr. Woit's book, your second link is to Dr. Woit's blog, and your third link is to a Slate article that is another book review. While I'm certain that string theory is a very hotly contested topic in physics circles, there are just as many proponents of string theory as there are opponents. We're really getting into totally theoretical physicis that simply cannot be tested. How do you prove the mathematics behind the creation of the universe? It isn't like string theory has been dismissed by every prominent scientist. Give it twenty years and it may be dismissed or it may be accepted. I'll admit some of the string theory stuff has me perplexed given that it isn't really proveble and strays into philosophy, but we're also talking about issues trying to reconcile general relativity and quantum mechanics, two forces that are diametrically opposed. Maybe it's right, and maybe it's not, but for the time being it seems to be the best theory available. It's like Amanda Peet of the University of Toronto says, "You can never prove that a theroy of nature is correct. All you can prove is it's the best theory you have."
Actually, Aurora, even string theorists don't believe in strings anymore. They've moved on to branes.
Don't fear death. Not in the least. Actually, sort of looking forward to it. I fear dying. Long, drawn-out suffering and loss of all dignity. That's what I fear. After death? Transcendent freedom, of course. Done with the limitations of matter, released to embrace eternity.
The branes are just a modification of the original string theory, back when all that there were was 0 dimensional points and 1 dimensional strings. The brane covers the 2 dimensional aspects of essentially stretching a string into a higher dimension.
Course, all these hyper-objects need time to wiggle around in, since wiggling is an event. So, if you encompass time, then all anything is a frozen math pattern, like the bits on your hardrive before something scans them. So, that means the hardrive r/w head is either God, or ourselves, and we are the thought and the thinker. I prefer the latter, and my own childhood navel gazings settled this point long ago without mathematical abstractions.
"Two Jews are about to be shot. Suddenly the order comes to hang them instead. One says to the other "You see, they're running out of bullets." :hitlerdance: Hitler visits a lunatic asylum. The patients give the Hitler salute. As he passes down the line he comes across a man who isn't saluting. "Why aren't you saluting like the others?" Hitler barks. "Mein Führer, I'm the nurse," comes the answer. "I'm not crazy!" :hitlerdance: Hitler and Göring are standing on top of Berlin's radio tower. Hitler says he wants to do something to cheer up the people of Berlin. "Why don't you just jump?" suggests Göring. :hitlerdance: The German army HQ receives news that Mussolini's Italy has joined the war. "We'll have to put up 10 divisions to counter him!" says one general. "No, he's on our side," says another. "Oh, in that case we'll need 20 divisions." :hitlerdance: "What will you do after the war?" "I'll finally go on a holiday and will take a trip round Greater Germany!" "And what will you do in the afternoon?" :hitlerdance:
I'm really afraid to die. I hope that if there's a real afterlife, that I go to someplace better than this world has to offer me. Sometimes when I get really depressed I feel that there is no place in this world for me and I was never meant to be born. I'm not looking forward to just winking out. I was also in a car accident a long long time ago. I sometimes get the feeling I should've died then and wonder why I'm still alive.
I thought Cass was going to offer us a chance to stave off death 100 years by swearing allegiance to Davey Jones and serving aboard the Flying Dutchman.
I don't fear death at all. I figure when it wants to, it will come get me. And I'll fight it tooth and nail, every step of the way. I don't know if there is a Heaven. I hope so. For I would like to see my Mother in the afterlife. It's been a long time since she's been gone, and I miss her.
I don't fear death. I have a survival instinct and avoid death, of course, but not at the cost of not doing what I want to do. One of the things I'm struggling with right now is how that attitude has to be modified when I have kids. My survival never has been a value in and of itself before, but it will be for a while when others truly depend on me. As for the afterlife, that's not for me if I have any choice. Life is worth the strain, but it IS strenuous; I don't think I have more than a maximum of 100 years in me, even if it's heavenly luteplay and virgins at the end. If I live a good life, I deserve to be let go after that.
