Search results

Enteebee and Lentern, I hope you don't mind my commenting on you debate: I actually have to argee here from the standpoint of empirical method. Such claims come down to armchair philosophy because nothingness is not empirically verifiable. 'Nothingness' leaves us with as much empirical data...

Say 'no' to beneficence.

Incorrect. Anthropological studies actually suggest that values aren't as congruent as you might think. Almost all cultures allow some killing and some theft, but the fine details vary greatly. In some societies unprovoked killing is abhorrent, while in other it is perfectly acceptable to...

I seem to remember you tossing the 'pancake at the bottom' my way some time ago. The concept of infinity and associated paradoxes = fun.

Certainly, medicine is limiting in so far as it doesn't provide a platform from which to enter fields like physics, mathematics or geology, etc... however, the fields that you mentioned (mol bio, genetics, micro) more or less fall within the realms of biomedical science. I've met individuals...

Skeptical Romanticism is such a hard line to walk, but I feel it is doable. On the other hand, I can't say as much for mysticism. I loved this little analytic moment: Six months before I was to become bat mitzvah, I learned something puzzling in Hebrew school. It seemed that the Ten...

The convergence of rational inquiry I suppose? Perhaps cause for hope, perhaps not.

And before scientific space there was philosophical space.

Snap.

I saw Avenue Q on Broadway. It rocked my socks.

I spend about 2.5% of my time mentally working out zombie escape routes that I could use in locations that I commonly visit. We're fucked.

On (2) - if the argument is sound it only demonstrates the need for a first cause. The argument is silent on the issue of what this cause is (prime matter? n-dimensional branes? a divine being?). The argument, in itself, shows only that a first cause is necessary, not that this cause must be...

No, those things are unlikely to be an issue. For a 6 year undergrad degree like at UNSW HECS will be ~ 50,000 (assuming no upfront payment), and it would be less for someone who has done 3 years of arts or science and a 4 year grad degree. Note that those GP figures were after expenses (e.g...

You probably missed my post from a few pages back. Firstly, this is also a problem for some religious groups too (it is not unique to science). In particular, the Catholic church believes that god created the universe out of nothing. Secondly, ponder the question Why is there something rather...

I think I will be doing the population at large a service if I manage to encourage more people to enter rural general practice :P. Besides, doctors' salaries are overinflated due to artificially controlled supply by the specialist colleges. Extra applicants will make little difference unless the...

Perhaps illogical (though not in all cases - I do know a small number of people that I view as rational theists), but I certianly wouldn't argue or assert those other claims.

Medicine is a pretty direct path to good income. If you were willing to work as a GP in a rural community you could well be making $250,000+ after the completion of your GP training (which takes ~ 4 years after graduating from medicine). The estimated income for rural/remote GPs by Medfin and...

Possibly not. There are some interesting arguments suggesting that moral absolutes are outside of our reach.

Issues with your claims: - Fowler's stages seem to address the way in which we deal with 'troublesome truths' such as found in the realms of morality, aesthetics, meaning and so forth. Certainly the term 'faith' is used, but I don't see why they are religion specific. I have dealt with ALL of...

For your purposes a science degree with honours is probably the most direct pathway. If you're particularly keen on research you should try to get on board with some research projects early on in order to see whether research is something which suits you (that is, before committing to something...