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[Horoma]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rlbell @ Sep 22 2006, 07:27 AM) [snapback]256596[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mighty Midget @ Sep 19 2006, 09:04 PM) [snapback]256123[/snapback]

I particularly like E. Von Däneken's idea of where "we" come from. First, there were apes, then aliens came and "messed about" with the apes (!!!!). The offspring were Humans. Does the guy have ANY idea how difficult it is to crossbreed two completly different spieces? Try to have your Fido humping a jellyfish. Bets anyone, that it would lead to anything but a gross mess?
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Von Daneken is a blatant racist. Have you ever noticed that he never suggested aliens built any of the ancient monuments erected in Europe?
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That's just ridiculous. I do question Von Daniken's motives, selling books seems more important to him than scientific progress. But calling him a racist because he didn't write about something is just plain silly.

Besides, I don't know any western monument as complicated and intriguing as the pyramids. What would you have liked him to write, "Stonehenge, humans couldn't have done it" ?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mighty Midget @ Sep 22 2006, 04:10 PM) [snapback]256690[/snapback]</div>

If you never question the Scientist, you become religious. There are similarities between Religion and science: Both have their hierachy, their institutions of Truth and devoted followers. But "real" science also admit that we cannot possibly know for a fact that science is right. Therefor science uses terms like "theories". This itself forces us to question the scientific results and accept that it still is all about belief.
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I couldn't agree more. To me science is the best current approximation to explain reality, rather than the ultimate truth. That's why you should never stop questioning what is said to be scientifically proven. Unfortunately, most scientists forget that and believe science is the truth, or even worse, 1 scientific discipline is the truth.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mighty Midget @ Sep 19 2006, 11:04 PM) [snapback]256123[/snapback]</div>

I particularly like E. Von Däneken's idea of where "we" come from. First, there were apes, then aliens came and "messed about" with the apes (!!!!). The offspring were Humans. Does the guy have ANY idea how difficult it is to crossbreed two completly different spieces? Try to have your Fido humping a jellyfish. Bets anyone, that it would lead to anything but a gross mess?
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As already said, regular breeding would be quite difficult, if not impossible, but I doubt genetic modification would be a problem for a species that were able to travel through space. I mean, our own genetic science is progressing very rapidly, but I doubt we will be able to travel outside our solar system any time soon.

I actually find it hard to believe that non-living matter just accidentally evolved into living matter, and eventually into advanced species, and that in such a short time period. Though I don't question the principle of evolution, that doesn't explain where evolution itself comes from. I can't believe that evolution just accidentally exists, that a few boiling chemicals just automatically turn into advanced beings like us. I rather believe that the original living matter on earth had extra-terrestrial origins and was already "programmed" to evolve to advanced creatures quickly. But that is just a theory of course.

[Mighty Midget]

Theory accepted but I think that the moment you discard the "soul" and "divine purpose" of our existence, evolution is no big problem. You see, when the "soul" has been taken out of the equation, all you have to ask is: what is life? What does it mean that something is alive?

Can it be that "life" is just a chain of chemical/physical events? I think it is. We know that there are catalysts that will speed up certain chemical events. What happens if a catalyst hurry up the creation of another catalyst? Think: 1-2-4-8-16-32-64-128-256-512-1024... In just 10 steps the numbers grew like mad. You can't even easily compute 2^0+2^1+2^2+2^3+...+2^63 (a famous anecdote involving grains of rice on each square on a chess board). Beside, science believe that nature evolves in leaps and bounds rather than "linear". And last: Are we humans really that fantastic? :P

[Horoma]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Horoma @ Sep 22 2006, 04:23 PM) [snapback]256694[/snapback]</div>

That's why you should never stop questioning what is said to be scientifically proven. Unfortunately, most scientists forget that and believe science is the truth, or even worse, 1 scientific discipline is the truth.
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mighty Midget @ Sep 22 2006, 05:05 PM) [snapback]256716[/snapback]</div>

Can it be that "life" is just a chain of chemical/physical events? I think it is. [/b]