What could go wrong when you base your life on ancient laws written and re-written by anonymous authors in dead languages who were ignorant, racist, sexist, superstitious, goat herding barbarians and who believed everything they couldn’t explain was magic?
What, indeed.
Until you have science, everything is a miracle — Lawrence M. Krauss
Don’t ask what the meaning of life is.
You define it.
That fear first created the gods is perhaps as true as anything so brief could be on so great a subject. — George Santayana, Reason In Religion, p28.
That fear keeps the gods alive, is perhaps just as true.
“The significance of our lives and our fragile planet is then determined only by our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life’s meaning. We long for a Parent to care for us, to forgive us our errors, to save us from our childish mistakes. But knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Better by far to embrace the hard truth than a reassuring fable. If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal.” — Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
Richard Feynman - Your certainty amuses him.
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
– Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman - A man who was most awesome.
Science is a way to teach how something gets to be known, what is not known, to what extent things are known (for nothing is known absolutely), how to handle doubt and uncertainty, what the rules of evidence are, how to think about things so that judgments can be made, how to distinguish truth from fraud, and from show.
– Richard Feynman
I found this gem while re-reading The Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F. Hamilton (it’s the second book of one of the best science fiction / space opera series of books ever written, in my opinion)
“The whole concept of salvation through belief offers strength to those who doubt themselves.” — Athene, mother of Syrinx, resident of Eden habitat (Peter F. Hamilton)
Sounds about right to me.
I find myself wondering what Mr. Hamilton’s opinion on religion is.
“Truth does not depend on a consensus of opinion.”
– Anonymous
NZ Science Blogs
